Home & Family

Lyndon and Memere Day

2009-12-15T09:45:00.003-06:00

Lyndon and I spent the day in Wichita Falls on Saturday. The crowds were horrendous, but we had fun anyway. We watched the movie "The Princess and the Frog", ate at one of Lyndon's favorite restaurants (Golden Corral), and viewed the lights at Midwestern first by car and then by foot. We both had a great time.

Lyndon as Joseph

2009-12-15T09:41:00.003-06:00

Audra coordinates the church play every year. This year she had a couple of last minute setbacks; the child that was to play Joseph fell ill as well as the Baby Jesus. Lyndon bravely performed the Joseph roll, and he did a wonderful job.

Sioux Falls South Dakota

2009-12-15T09:08:00.003-06:00

Carl and I went to a conference in Sioux Falls for a couple of days. It is a very pretty city; the falls are gorgeous, although they're not high. My favorite part of the trip was seeing the exact replicas of Michelangelo's David and Moses. They are cast in bronze rather than the marble statues in Italy, but still very beautiful.

Hat Hair's "Sister"

2009-12-01T13:57:00.004-06:00

CHER

Here is a photo of the "sister" of bald man with hat hair. Two silly Lohman guys!

Those Inventive Boys

2009-12-01T13:35:00.005-06:00

Working on their treehouse with plumbing

Chips and dip with Pepere

Carl and Carl the dog

One room decorated for Christmas

Lyndon and Carl spent the night on Friday. Saturday they played outside for hours climbing their tree and building a "sink" with the garden hose and plant trays.

When they finally came inside, we decorated the nursery and watched Home Alone. Carl had never seen it, and he laughed and laughed. Carl spent Saturday night with us as well, and enjoyed sharing Pepere's favorite snack of chips and dip. How nutritious!

Lohman Family Christmas

2009-12-01T11:35:00.008-06:00

The SPIDER

Baby Cody

2 silly brothers

Aubrey and Kathleen

the GIRLS

the Culprit

a beautiful blanket from Diane

Lauren and her oreo balls

The Lohman Family celebrated Christmas on Friday after Thanksgiving. We all gathered at the ranch, ate Mimi's great cooking, visited, watched the little ones and had a wonderful time. Lauren made some INCREDIBLE oreo balls that we all enjoyed. The girls had fun with our Chinese Christmas and there was only one theft; the culprit knows who she is! We really do have fun with this gift exchange, and we all end up receiving wonderful gifts. (That's because we all have good taste). We missed Diane, because she and Brian had to return home Thursday. We also greatly missed you, Kristin!

Everyone enjoyed seeing Baby Cody in person; he's a cutie pie. Aubrey received a cabbage patch from Mimi and Pawpaw. Coincidentally, the doll is named "Kathleen"; too bad it's spelled with a K. Aubrey loved the doll as well as Kathleen's ballet outfit. Carl and Lyndon spent the night with us and tried to scare Jason with Carl's remote control spider that he received from Mimi and Pawpaw. I wish the fun weren't over for another year!

Carl's New Hair

2009-12-01T11:31:00.002-06:00

John gave Carl an early "Christmas present". We all had a good laugh; Carl was a good sport and wore the cap for an hour or two.

Thanksgiving Day

2009-12-01T11:12:00.005-06:00

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day eating and visiting with everyone. There were 25 of us. As usual, we had too much food; I don't think anyone left hungry. It's too bad that we all don't live a little closer so that we could get together more often.

Dining Room Finished !

2009-12-01T10:43:00.005-06:00

One more room is PAINTED! I finished just in time for Thanksgiving. I love the way it turned out. It's liberating to know that I don't have to paint anymore until January! I'll take time to enjoy the holidays for now.

Going to Mass

2009-11-12T14:10:00.004-06:00

Aubrey and Lyndon spent Saturday night with Carl and me. Aubrey was with us, because Leah had to haul a load to Florida. Lyndon stayed because he takes every opportunity to be around Aubrey. They looked so cute that I had to take pictures, of course! Early Sunday before Mass they engaged in one of their favorite games; they played store.

The Rock

2009-11-06T19:55:00.002-06:00

We finally have the metal work on the rock at the entrance to our driveway. The rock has been up for a few months, but we had to wait for a slow period at the shop before we could install the metal art. We're very happy with the way it came out.

My Decorator is Amazing

2009-11-06T19:41:00.003-06:00

After Halloween Audra came over to redo my mantel and piano and entry. Since I'd finished painting the living room, I still hadn't put everything back up. Audra did a terrific job with everything, as usual. Now the entry is finished and I'm beginning the dining room on Monday after work. I love the paint and the texture that I used in the living room and entry. The dining room is going to be the darker grey that I used in the entry. Then I'm through with painting...until after Thanksgiving!

Little Trick or Treaters

2009-11-06T19:21:00.004-06:00

Aubrey and Lyndon both came trick or treating on Halloween. Aubrey was a Texas Tech cheerleader, and Lyndon was a shark. Aubrey was very excited about the whole Halloween experience. She wasn't a very graceful cheerleader, however. She tripped and fell on her way up the front step. That wasn't too bad, but then she also tripped and fell on her way out. She skinned her knee and we had to clean it and apply a bandaid. She cried until she saw the jack o lantern that I had lit in the bathroom, the she laughed.
Lyndon was very hyper either from the fun or the sugar or the caffeine from the chocolate. He was having fun, but getting on his tired Momma's nerves. They were both adorable as you can see.

Lyndon & Aubrey's Tent

2009-10-24T15:01:00.004-05:00

Last night Aubrey and Lyndon spent the night with us. We stayed up quite late; it was after ten when Lyndon fell asleep in the living room chair, Pepere was the next to crash followed by Aubrey after 10:30. She was sleeping on a pallet in the living room; Pepere was in the recliner. I just wasn't sleepy so I stayed up reading and watched TV before going to sleep at 1:15 or so. Seven AM seemed to arrive very soon! Lyndon and Aubrey began playing store early. I made oatmeal while Pepere slept in. The three of us then went to the park and walked a mile before playing on the swings and slides. I was very proud of them (and surprised) for walking the entire mile without complaining that they were tired. When we got home, they wanted to build a tent. They played for hours inside the tent, cooking and playing store.

Making Halloween Treats

2009-10-24T14:47:00.004-05:00

Aubrey and Lyndon really got into the spirit while making these Halloween treats. We wanted the full size moon pies, but couldn't find any so we made do with these minis that Audra found. We used oreo cookies, candy corn, frosting, sprinkles, and M&Ms. It's a miracle that Aubrey didn't get sick; every time I looked at her, she was filling her face with moon pie, oreo or M&M. They did a very good job with their art, as you can see. They were both quite proud of their work, and they made extras for Audra, Cody and Leah.

We've Sold Another Tractor!!!

2009-10-22T18:19:00.003-05:00

Yesterday we sold the Versatile 400 that we've had on the lot. It's a wonderful feeling. We have another customer that wants us to price TWO tractors for him; keep your fingers crossed!!

Invigorating Fall Weather

2009-10-22T18:08:00.003-05:00

My favorite time of the year is here, and I'm really enjoying it. It's in the low fifties today so I'm taking advantage of the cool weather. Promptly upon arriving home from the shop, I lit a fire. I've got candles lit, the fireplace blazing, and all of my autumn decorations up. This is definitely a feel good moment.

The Living Room

2009-10-22T16:39:00.005-05:00

One more room is painted! The living room has definitely been the biggest task yet. I applied joint compound to the vertical lines of the paneling and textured the wall to look like drywall. I also painted the moldings and doors as with the other rooms. I then painted the walls. It's taken weeks, but I love the result. Here are a few photos.

Of course I still have some decorating to do, as you can see. I need drapes and I need to hang my pictures. The living room is totally re-arranged compliments of Audra. It makes a WORLD OF DIFFERENCE! She's such an artist. I didn't want to go to bed after she arranged the furniture, because I just wanted to sit and look at my new room!

On to the entry; I'll begin it on Monday!

Lyndon's Soccer Games

2009-10-18T12:44:00.001-05:00

Lyndon has been playing soccer on Saturday mornings. It's much more fun to watch them play this year as opposed to last year, when they had no CLUE what to do. The Tractor Shop sponsored their jerseys; sadly, the vendor forgot to put the "THE" in the name.

New Signage

2009-10-18T12:18:00.000-05:00

Our new Versatile sign arrived; I was very nervous while the guys unloaded it. It would not have been good if they broke it before we had the chance to install it! We'll have to wait for a slow week to put it up.

Slowly But Surely

2009-10-18T07:02:00.000-05:00

BEFORE

AFTER

I've been painting the wicker furniture on our patio; it's taking MUCH longer than I anticipated. I've got more to go, but it's rewarding to finish part of it.

Going to the Birds!

2009-10-18T06:47:00.001-05:00

We generally have lots of birds on our property, but lately we've been having unusual activity. Guinneas frequently come to eat in our yard; usually they are happy to keep their feet on the ground! This past week we had a hawk on the patio. He sat there for a few minutes before flying off.

Eva & Aubrey

2009-10-18T06:38:00.000-05:00

I'm a litte LATE, but a few weeks go Aubrey and I went to Wichita Falls for errands and fun. We went by to visit Sheri; her granddaughter, Eva was visiting. It was pretty funny watching the girls. They are both dramatic and acted like they'd known each other for years with hugs and all.

Just Hanging a Mirror !!

2009-09-22T15:43:00.000-05:00

A couple of hours after I arrived in Tucson Bob and I decided to remove the mirror squares from Mom's bathroom, because she made the comment that she'd like to someday move the large mirror from the living room to the bathroom. Well it went from bad to worse as we pulled squares off and the wall came with it and then we found mold, etc. etc. We worked so hard! We kept filling rubbish cans and hauling them to the alley to pour into the dumpster. When we began, the dumpster was completely empty. When we finished, it was completely full. We got to the point of putting up new walls; Bob did most of the work, because I was at a loss when it came to cutting sheet rock and installing beams. I began applying joint compound to most of one wall, when I had to return home on Sunday morning and leaving the rest for poor Bob to finish! I felt so GUILTY. Mom says she'll never make a comment about wanting to hang something again. However, Bob and I decided that it's really all Lyn's fault, because she gave Mom a picture. That's what started Mom thinking about moving the mirror so that she could have room to hang the picture!!

Tucson Beer Festival

2009-09-22T15:22:00.000-05:00

I traveled to Tucson on Friday Sept 18th so that I could attend Tucson's Beerfest. Although I'm not a big beer drinker, I wanted to see the fruits of Mom's labor. It's the largest fundraiser that Sun Sounds radio has, and Mom coordinates it. My nephew, Christopher, went with Mom and I. We stayed for two hours, tried several different types of beer, ate a variety of foods, and generally had a really good time.

Labor Day

2009-09-09T08:35:00.000-05:00

Saturday evening we all went to Leah's house for a cookout. It was so much fun. John and Dona ,up from Houston, Konnor and Cameron were down from Duke, Brian and Diane were down from Weatherford, and all of us Seymour people were there. Lyndon and little Carl played in the tree fort and in the back of Cody's service truck. Aubrey had most of us taking turns jumping on the trampoline; we all gave out before she did.

Leah cooked a fabulous meal of country pork chops (I'd never heard of them before), potatoes with a cheese sauce, beans, cobbler, ice cream... It was a feast!

John and Cody were acting very silly as you can see from the photo.

I was trying to take a photo of the three kids with the pedal Versatile tractors; I want to use it on our website. I took approx. 25 photos; it's hard to get all three looking and smiling at the same time!

AUDRA turns 30!

2009-08-26T20:09:00.000-05:00

It's hard to believe that Audra is now 30; she certainly doesn't look it. Although her birthday was Monday, we celebrated on Saturday night with lots of food and, of course, cake and ice cream. Lyndon wanted me to buy trick candles, but I couldn't find any. Since then, naturally, I've located some. Altogether there were ten of us including Mimi and Pawpaw, Leah, Audra, Cody, and Lyndon. Brian was down visiting and frog hunting so he and his friend, Keith, joined us. We still had LEFTOVERS!

Texas Ranch Roundup

2009-08-16T13:28:00.000-05:00

We went to the Ranch Roundup with Mimi and Pawpaw last night. The clydesdales were there, and they are so fabulous. I could watch them all night. I forgot my camera, but thankfully, the woman behind us emailed photos to me. If you've never seen them in person, it's a must. I hope the kids can come next year; they would really love it.

The Four Carls

2009-08-15T15:01:00.001-05:00

I wish that they had been smiling!

Black & White

2009-08-15T14:57:00.000-05:00

These are two of my favorite photos. One is of Dad with a deer that he shot; he's petting one of his collies. The other is of Mom with us three kids on Easter morning on the church steps. I made enlargements and put them into frames that I already had.

Black & White

2009-08-15T14:32:00.000-05:00

This photo is my favorite photo of Audra and Leah. She is sucking her fingers and twirling her hair; he is sucking his thumb. They are listening to a Mother Goose "record" and reading along with it.

This is our wedding picture that's hanging in our bedroom.

Four 1st Communion girls. My grandmother is upper left, I am upper right, Mom is lower left, and Audra is lower right.

My Memere.

I've always loved black and white photos so I recently decided that it would be a theme throughout my house. I took photos that I already had displayed and copied them to black and white on my printer. I then put them into black or metallic frams with white mats. I thinks it makes a dramatic impact. I love looking at them. Here is a sample.

Black & White

2009-08-15T13:40:00.000-05:00

When Mom was here in March, I took many beautiful photos of her with each of the kids. I love them in color, but I wanted them in black and white for framing. After copying them into black and white using my printer, I bought inexpensive black frames (complete with mats $5.00 each!), and hung them in the nursery.

The Decorating Project That Never Ends

2009-08-15T13:27:00.000-05:00

The hallway is finished! Yea, just 2800 square feet to go. HaHa.

Here are the BEFORE and AFTER shots. The before is the stain; the white is the after.

Remember I'm painting all of the woodwork in the house a creamy white.

What $5.00 will buy

2009-08-15T13:10:00.000-05:00

Recently I took all three kids (Lyndon, Carl, and Aubrey) to Wichita Falls for an excursion. Leah gave them each $5.00 to spend on a toy. Enroute to Wichita, the boys were talking about binoculars and asking me how much they cost. I told them at least $20. We went to Target to shop for their toys. Of course we had to go up and down each aisle; as we went, the boys would say "how much is this?". I'd repeatedly reply "$35, $49, $28". It went on like this until they spied the binoculars. I couldn't believe it; they looked kid tough and they were on clearance for $4.89! The boys both wanted to get them. We then began the search for Aubrey's special toy. It didn't take long, because as soon as she saw them, the hunt was over. What every Sleeping Beauty princess wants was right there on the shelf for $4.99 -pink high heels with sparkle stones in them!

I was amazed that they each bought the perfect toy for less than $5.00. Who says a dollar doesn't go far anymore!!

Mom's 75th Birthday

2009-08-15T12:38:00.000-05:00

I flew to Tucson at the end of July for Mom's 75th birthday. Lyn and Bobby and I took her to Hacienda del Sol for a day and night. It was really beautiful and relaxing. Lyn packed food for us to eat, and we also ordered room service for dinner. It was great to just be together visiting and relaxing. That night we watched a movie that we saw on the channel guide; it was "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas". Bob said he saw it years ago, but we women hadn't seen it at all. It was pretty funny, and we were surprised that we liked it. Kind of a funny movie to watch with your mother on her birthday!

Yea Red Sox!

2009-08-15T11:32:00.000-05:00

Yesterday at 1:00 pm, Lyndon and I headed to the Ballpark at Arlington to see the Boston Red Sox play the Texas Rangers. We arrived very early, waiting in the blistering sun for an autograph (no luck), ate the usual ballpark junk food, had TERRIFIC seats in the 3rd row, and to top it all off, our team won. It was Great! We returned to Seymour at 1:00 am; Lyndon talked all the way home. I was quite surprised; I thought that he'd surely go to sleep.

Our Sleeping Beauty and her Admirers

2009-08-15T11:22:00.001-05:00

Aubrey has loved Sleeping Beauty for two years; she absolutely adores the music and lyrics. She sings it and dances to it much of the time. Here are some photos of our Beauty and her two admirers, Lyndon and Carl.

Versatile and Wrights in the Rodeo Parade

2009-08-15T11:15:00.000-05:00

In July, Seymour held it's rodeo and parade. The Tractor Shop decided to have our 400 HP Versatile in the parade. Cody, Audra, and Lyndon rode in it and threw out candy to the viewers. Cody was nervous, because of all the kids on four wheelers following. I would have been too!

Our creative boys

2009-08-15T11:02:00.000-05:00

The boys were in the nursery and being unusually quiet. When I checked to see what was up, I discovered this. They, for some unknown reason, got the idea to make Aubrey a dress out of paper. They also made her horse a dress. They cut it out, taped it, and covered it with stickers. Although she did allow them to put it on her for the photo, they were disappointed that she wasn't more enthused with it. She refused to have anything to do with it afterwards.

I can't imagine why not; wouldn't any fashion loving girl appreciate a paper, sticker covered dress?

Credenza refurbish

2009-08-15T10:38:00.000-05:00

The "before" shot of this wall in the study is on the left, the "after" is on the right.

I have a credenza in the study that is made of very cheap wood; I really disliked the wood finish as well as the hardware, so I decided to change it. I painted it satin black, and changed the pulls and knobs to stainless. It looks so different, and now I enjoy it like it's brand new. The cost was minimal.

I used to have a grouping of nine photos above the credenza. These are all photos that I've taken at various places, and I love them all. I decided that I'd like to highlight fewer photos, but have them more dramatically framed. I selected four, bought very inexpensive frames and mats at Hobby Lobby, and voila. I love the look. The mats and frames together were less than $20.

Miss Priss

2009-08-15T10:29:00.000-05:00

If I'm anywhere near the bathroom when Aubrey comes over, she has a routine she follows. She walks into the bathroom and says "I need my mirror and my lipstick". She then proceeds to get out the stand up mirror and her chapstick that I keep just for her. She pulls out the vanity stool and primps.

Making some progress

2009-08-15T08:26:00.000-05:00

The hallway is now finished as far as molding goes. Now I'm waiting for my cabinet doors to be put on. Rather than proceed with the other rooms off the hall, I'm heading to the living room. I'm dreading it the most, because of course, we're in the living room more.

The Decorating Project That Never Ends

2009-08-15T07:46:00.000-05:00

I'm in the process of painting all of the moldings and doors in the house; I'm changing from their fruitwood stain to a creamy white. A HUGE project! One night I stayed up until 10 pm applying painters' tape to the hallway only to wake up in the morning ready to paint and seeing all of the tape hanging down. What a bummer. I decided not to waste any more time putting up tape; I just painted as carefully as I could. So far I've completed the study and the hallway.