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the one that looks like a palm tree.JPG)
i dont like the little green things at the end but i LOVE the two big over lapping ones!.JPG)
the one that reminds me of an afro!.JPG)
i think this is my all time favorite - the one that reminds me of a willow tree.JPG)
the one where the top half is the "perfect firework picture".JPG)
shooters!.JPG)
the one that is multi-color and crazy.JPG)
the one that is squatty.JPG)
the one that looks space-age-ish.JPG)
the one that is green!
Waiting for Firewoks in Houston!
Welcome to Back to Texas Brooke - Home of Fried FOODS!
She did make a specific request for BBQ and Mexican food b/c they dont have good options in DC!
Yummy? Scared?
Brooke Amy and Jen eating Chinese Shaved Ice.JPG)
My first flag cake...for our bible study group...it was tasty!.JPG)
if i would have realized how close i was to 50 blueberries, i would have added a few more!
Miss and JB - a singing Duo and firework merchants
Are you ready for friday?!
we are!
JB can ignite 2 at a time...what a champ!
come and get 'em!
here are some of my favorite things about the independence day:
alicia brooke and amy - proud to be americans
prayer group picture - proud to be americans - our phone book page was in the shape of an american flag this year...it was pretty awesome...although i dont think we used this picture b/c its pretty horrible
emily and amy - proud to be americans on the ski trip
My long-time-used-to-take-baths-together-best-friend, Melissa, called me last night to ask if I knew the number to DalWorth Carpet Cleaning, off the top of my head....and I do b/c of the song:
"Call 267-8433 because the next best thing to do is DalWorth Clean!"
(they were having their carpets clean, DalWorth called to confirm the appt., her husband, didn't get it from the answering machine, then was astonished that she knew it without looking it up...and I did...and my brother did too! )
Other times a song has served me well:
"Pico De Gallo" by Trout Fishing in America
T.F. in A. was one of our favorite bands growing up...they had alot of fun and funny songs ("I've got a friend named Nobody" & "I think I need a band-aid" & "18 wheels on a big rig")....anyways, I was in Target and craving Pico de Gallo - so I called Mom for the ingredients, but she didn’t answer...luckily, TFinA wrote a song to help me out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kL5f0np7EU
"Parts of the Cell" by Blalack Middle School 8th grade science class
In 8th grade we wrote a song to the tune of the "ABC's" regarding the parts of the cell...recently, the secretary at my office came back to my room and said, amy i just got a call on a kid with a mitochondrial disease...do you know what that is? and i was like ...
"Nucleus is the brain of the cell,
Cytoplasm fills it well,
Vacuole: storage sack,
Cell Membrane: covers like a rap,
Mitochondria is the power source,
E.R. moves through a course.
Now I know the parts of the cell: won't my teacher think I'm swell!"
The secretary thought I was a genius!!
Blalack school song:
Right now, when I was typing Blalack, I sang the song/cheer:
“B-L…B-L-A…B-L-A-L-A-C-K…Blalack Bears!”
What songs have you memorize and have used since then!?!
1. no late appointments, left work early, got on the road early!
10. mom sent me back with leftovers that fed me for the last three days and tomorrow too!
I was forwarded this email: it was very interesting; so I thought I'd share it:
Here are six ways drivers typically waste gas on every trip:
1. Racing away from green lights
When the light turns green, you don't have to take off as quickly as possible. That pedal under your right foot is called the "gas pedal" for a good reason. The more you press down on it, the more gas you're pumping into the engine. Press lightly on the gas pedal, and you'll still accelerate, and you'll still get where you're going. You might be surprised at how little pressure it takes to get your car up to speed in a reasonable time.
2. Racing up to red lights
When you're driving down the street, and you see a light red light or stop sign up ahead, you should lay off the gas sooner rather than later. There's no point in keeping your foot on the gas until just before you reach the intersection. Let off the pedal sooner and give your engine a rest as you coast to the stop while braking gently. As an added benefit, your brake pads will last longer, too. By themselves, these first two tips can improve your fuel economy around town by as much as 35 percent, according to tests conducted by automotive information Web site Edmunds.com.
3. Confusing the highway with a speedway
Even if it doesn't involve hard acceleration, speeding wastes gas. The faster you go, the more air your vehicle has to push out of the way. It's like moving your hand through water. The faster you try to move your hand, the harder the water pushes back. In tests by Consumer Reports, driving at 75 miles per hour instead of 65 miles per hour reduced fuel economy by between 3 and 5 miles per gallon, depending on the vehicle.
4. Bumper-buzzing
Tailgating is a bad move for many reasons. First of all, it's unsafe. You reduce your ability to react if the car in front of you slows or stops. It also means you have to pay ultra-close attention to that car which reduces your ability to scan for other hazards ahead of you and to the sides.
And tailgating wastes gas. Every time the driver ahead taps his brakes, you have to slow down even more than he did. (That's because you can't react immediately so you have to slow even more because you're slowing down later.) Then you accelerate again to get back up to speed and resume your bumper-buzzing routine.
Hang back and you'll be safer - plus you'll be able to drive more smoothly and use less fuel. A good rule of thumb is to allow two seconds of space between your car and the one ahead. You can figure that out by counting off two seconds after the car in front of you passes an obvious landmark like an overpass.
5. Driving standing still
You've probably heard that it takes more gas to restart a car than to let it run. Maybe that used to be true, but it isn't anymore. With modern fuel-injection engines, it takes very little extra gas to restart a car once it's warmed up. Idling, meanwhile, burns about a half-mile worth of gas every minute, according to the California Energy Commission. That's why hybrid cars shut down their gasoline engines whenever they stop, even for a moment. Now you don't want to shut your engine down for every little stop in your regular, non-hybrid car - it's not designed for that - but if you're waiting for someone to run in and out of a convenience store, turn off the engine.
And don't go through the drive-through at fast food restaurants. You're already paying enough for the oil in those chicken nuggets.
Bonus tip: Don't idle your engine to let it warm up before driving. It does your engine no good and it wastes gas. Instead, start driving right away, but drive gently until the engine is warm.
6. Short hops
For really short trips, take advantage of the opportunity to get some exercise. Try walking to the store instead of driving. You can save gas and burn a few calories instead.
If you can't hoof it, save up your errands. A lot of short hops that let the engine cool down at home between trips can use twice as much gas as starting the car once and making a big sweep to all your stops, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
Go to your farthest destination first so your engine has a chance to reach its optimal operating temperature. Then make your other stops on the way back. With the engine warmed up, the car will restart easily and run efficiently all the way home.
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