Gentle Reminders

Since I last posted, I have celebrated being married for 9 years to my best friend; enjoyed a wonderful Valentine's Day with my husband and sweet kids; cheered Cal on at basketball games; pulled Cameryn's teeth (she has lost 2 in 1 week with another one dangling); watched Cannon get totally enthralled with anything and everything "Star Wars"; and loved living each day with a fresh start and making it better than the day before.

Here are a few pics to catch you up...

I am reminded that God's mercies are new every morning and that I do have a fresh start each day...so let's get started!

Cameryn is Six!!!!

What a great way to start the new year! Our little girl is 6 today! Darrell traditionally gets Cameryn flowers for her birthday, and this year was no exception. She woke up this morning with 6 roses on the table along with cards and birthday gifts. Her cousin, Addie spent the night last night and was glad to share in the morning fun with breakfast in bed and singing to new High School Musical karaoke CDs. By 9:30, on this freezing (30 something degree weather) morning the girls were bundled up and out on the trampoline jumping. Atleast they have the desire to get out in this cold and exercise! We met up with Tammy and the rest of the kids at the church to play and have lunch. Cameryn wanted to cap off the play time with some "coffee" from our new coffee shop, "The Porch", so we all indulged! The day ended with $1 movie (The Bee Movie) and Taco Bell at home (per her request). It was a great day celebrating our little girl!

Santa or No Santa?

Santa is here! Our kids have been crazy with the "countdown" to Santa and this year Cal is starting to question the details of "is there?" or "isn't there?" a Santa. My reply..."what do you think?" I'm not ready to blow my cover yet, but I'm not going to out and out lie to him either if he asks a point blank question...time will uncover the rest of this story.

The kids woke up to their "Santa" stuff and had a great time playing with every little thing. As is tradition, the night before we set out cookies and milk for Santa and reindeer food in the front yard. Santa left his annual "thank you" note and reminded the kids of the real reason for the season....our Santa is a Believer!

Christmas in Dallas

Christmas Eve was reserved for Darrell's family this year! Christina, Mark and the kids were in from Nashville and we thoroughly enjoyed spending time in Dallas with all the family! Sunday before Christmas we all went to church with Darrell's mom and step-dad....it was the first time since we have been married (that I can remember) that Darrell has been to church with all his sisters and mom at the same time. It was a special time for us and especially Carolyn to have all the family together.

We "Christmased" at Jacque's and enjoyed a great meal together. Then it was round two of gift giving. After we cleaned up the mess of wrapping paper and gifts, we all went to see "Alvin and the Chipmunks"....what a fun movie to see with kids young and old!

Springtown Christmas

Christmas is hear and we are getting a bit of a head start. This year we will spend Christmas Eve with Darrell's family, so we are getting together with the Collins' crew on Sunday. If we had of stopped with this first round of gifts, we would have had a great Christmas! It is so humbling when our kids get so many wonderful things when they in reality are in need of nothing. Thank you family for your generosity! It truly is a joy to give and we had a great time watching everyone's faces as they opened another fun surprise. The kids are always the best to watch ripping from one package to the next...they can hardly stand themselves!

Tammy's House

One thing our family has been praying for is a place that my sister and her kids could call their own. Well, with the incredible sacrifice of time and money from several wonderful people at RHCC, Tammy and the kids moved into their new home a couple of weeks before Christmas! It was definitely a night to remember and the love of God is all over that house...from the elder who made sure there was good security lights all around the house to the sweet lady who painted the closet, there were brush strokes of love and kindness throughout that home. If you ever want to know the rest of the story, just ask Jamie Atchley, Patty Weaver, Jenni New, or Mindy Layfield (just to name a few of the angels God has sent into my sisiter's life), I'm sure they would light up to tell you what this project meant to them.

It has meant the world to our family, and we are forever grateful!

Glory Days

After Thanksgiving and before the holidays got crazy, I had the opportunity to spend some time with the Lord and four other friends who have drawn me closer to the Lord. We went to a beautiful cabin in the Oklahoma woods and we were able to laugh and cry together. We shared some wonderful praise time as well as communion together. We ate a few meals and a few hikes together, but I have to say my favorite time was the time I spent all day on Saturday alone with my Maker. This day was for us to fast, be silent, and be with the Lord. To be real honest, I wasn't looking forward to this day and made sure I had plenty of things to do to pass the time. As it turned out, I didn't need any of those things and the time I spent reading my Bible and walking with God made the day fly by. Thank you KC for following your prompts and getting this weekend together for us!

Thanksgiving for Family!

Since the GREAT Ride we have enjoyed even more family time and loved every minute of it. This year it was Thanksgiving with the Collins on Turkey day and we had a great time playing, visiting, nibbling, watching the kids play...in the snow!, and eating some more! Family time is always a great time...I just wish we did it more even when it's not a holiday!

It Is Finished!!

(Click on any of the images below to make them larger.)

Day 1 at the International Bridge on the Mexican border.

Days 1 & 2 while I was with the ride down south.

The welcome committee in Ft. Worth on day 8.

Heading out on day 9 (the last day)!

The Hinojosa and Plemons kids joined in the fun.

It is Finished at the Red River!

I finally have pics to show you of the GREAT Ride. It has been an incredible adventure, and one that the Plemon's family will never forget! We are so very proud of the guys for what they set out to do and accomplish, but we are particularly proud of our Darrell! There are a bunch of detailed stories that can be told, but who has time for that on this blog. If you want to get a glimpse into each day, go to the GREAT Ride blog at http://www.thegreatride07.blogspot.com/ Ron did a great job of catching the highlights and keeping them journaled.

I couldn't be any more proud!

Days 1, 2, and 3 of the Great Ride

(Warning: I don't have pics up yet...they are stuck on Darrell's computer. Hope to have them soon.)
We headed south on Friday and had a nice, long, 10 HOUR trip. We got settled into our hotel rooms in anticipation of the Ride finally being here. Ron Holland said he felt like a kid on Christmas Eve and could hardly sleep!
The guys started their day at the bridge at the Mexican border at 8:50 and pedaled all day until 2:30 for some, and 3:30 for others. They had a few breaks along the way and stopped for lunch.
The thing that was kicking them on this "short" 53 mile day, was the North wind that was supposed to be coming from the South and pushing them. The wind has not let up and we are praying hard for the wind to either stop or turn 180 degrees.
Day 2 started good with the guys pedaling by 7:40. It was cold and windy and the winds were still out of the North. They were a little discouraged to wake up to the flags pointing due South! Regardless they finished strong by taking advantage of some drafting techniques, not only with their bikes, but with the SAG vehicle as well. This day was finished with 80 more miles under their belt and a comfortable home to land in for the evening. (Mike Bell has relatives in Bishop, TX...where they stopped at the end of this day.)
My day ended on a sad note as I had to leave the bikers and head north to Ft. Worth. I have really made mayself a part of that team, and it was hard not to finish what I started. But Brigitte Little will be taking over my duties and making the trip as easy for the bikers as possilbe. Philip Shero will also join the ride for days 3 and 4 and then return to Ft. Worth.
(This just in...Brigitte won't be able to drive the SAG vehicle after all...she woke the guys up last night because she was having some heart rhythm issues. Mike Bell and Darrell Crow took her to the hospital and they admitted her for atleast 24 hours. Philip has graciously offered to SAG for these two days until they can come up with plan B.)
Be praying for the guys that they don't get "beat up" mentally by the wind and little set backs. Pray that they will have the confidence and endurance to finish strong!

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THE SCHEDULE:
Day One - Brownsville to Raymondsville - 51.4 miles
Day Two - Raymondsville to Bishop - 82.3 miles
Day Three - Bishop to Vidaurri - 75.7 miles
Day Four - Vidaurri to Hallettesville - 70 miles
Day Five - Halletesville to Rockdale - 88.7 miles
Day Six - Rockdale to Rosenthal - 58.7 miles
Day Seven - Rosenthal to Alvarado - 74.5 miles
Day Eight - Alvarado to Denton - 67.4 miles
Day Nine - Denton to the Red River - 34.1 miles
(A few of these days could get longer or shorter depending on how they feel.)

Before/During/After

Before....


The day is finally here that we head south in order for the guys to start pedalling north! Darrell has been swamped at work this month and has only had time to get on his bike twice, but I know the Lord will sustain the training he has done and make his body fresh and new for this journey!

Some of you may know that they are "biking for bikes" to send to Sri Lanka. Bread for a Hungry World printed an incredible brochure that tells about the ride and the village that will benefit from this ride. (I will make a post about how to donate if you are interested in doing so.)

Well....my husband had been talkin' smack for some time about how he was going to shave his head Thurs. before the ride. I kept trying to change his mind and convince him that he would look better with hair. The day came and almost went when I saw Darrell appear with buzzers in hand and headed out the backdoor!

Here are the results:

During.....

After......

I still think he is the cutest thing ever! Anytime that you think about a bike, Darrell, our family, or anything that is related to us, please send up a prayer for protection and strength as these guys pedal themselves across the state of TEXAS!!!

Pink Cars & Pumpkins

October hasn't started off any slower than any other month! The kids are doing great with football and cheerleading...we only have 3 weeks left! I can't believe how fast time is flying. Even Cal said the other day that he couldn't believe that Christmas was so close! Are we just so busy that our lives are flashing before us? Whew!

We started the month off with Cameryn having transportation week at school. That meant she needed to make a cardboard car for transportation day and it was also the week that Darrell was out of town. Now, I'll claim a little creativity in my little finger, but not that much...so I had to call on some help from my little brother, Uncle Ken! He was excited and willing to take on this task (which went to prove that his boy's school projects will not be out done!). We ended up with a cute, pink VW complete with flower-power! (NOTE: Ken did the body and Cam and I did the painting and details.) Thanks Uncle Ken for making us a great car!

I have been promising the kids (mine, Tammy's and the Shelfer's) that we would make a trip out to the Pumpkin Patch in Flower Mound. Since we had the day off from school on Monday I thought that would be the perfect day....except we didn't have Abby and Dusty. So we waited to go after school on Tues. It actually turned out to be the best time to go because it wasn't very crowded and the weather was beautiful! This is really a great gift to the community that this family offers through the Pumpkin Patch! Here are a few pics from our little "field trip".

The GREAT Ride is only 2 1/2 weeks away and we are really getting anxious for it. Darrell has had a really busy month and has had to cut back on his training. We are praying that God will sustain what he has done and what he is able to do when he has a break in his schedule! We are claiming Philippians 4:13 - I can do all things through Christ, who gives me strength.

Football & Cheerleading

This last weekend was a busy one with Sat. morning starting with football and cheerleading and then heading towards Hillsboro to meet up with the bikers that I mentioned in my last post. Here are a few pics of Cal and Cameryn at their first game of the season. Cal's team name is the Lobos and Cameryn's cheer squad is the Angel's. (As I am typing that I question what word to use.... should I use "is" or "are" when naming the teams? It's only one team, so that tells me "is", but there are many on the team, so that tells me "are"...an English major I am not!)

Even though it's a busy time of the year, we always enjoy watching our kids compete and learn new skills. It's a fun time of cheering for our kids!

Be blessed today!

Covington2Mexia&Back

This weekend was an adventure for our family and the ones that we spent time with. As I've mentioned in a previous post, Darrell is training for a 600 mile ride in Oct and this weekend was a "test ride" of ONLY 120 miles. Ron Holland, Darrell Crow (DC), Mike Bell and my Darrell (DP) started Sat morning around 9:00 in Covington and headed toward Mexia! The kids and I met up with them around noon at the DQ in Hubbard (30+ miles into the ride). The rest of the day was busy with big hills, flat tires, leg cramps, over heating, andl being just plain tired. It sounds like it was a rough afternoon, but actually they finished the day strong! We landed in Mexia around 5:00-5:30 and decided on the Triangle Motel (a step up from the Economy Inn)! That's another post!
Here are a few pics that I will try to put captions with, but if no captions, just make up your own story!

This is a combination of day one and two....I'll let you decide which pics go with each day! (Sorry about the dupes in the collages....technical difficulty!)

Can you find Mike Bell's biggest fan!?

These were all their spare tires!

This was my favorite view of all!

I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength!

I'm so proud of these guys and especially DP! He is very determined to accomplish this goal and we are trying everything we can to support him!

Time with Family!

The kids spent the night with Aunt GiGi, Uncle Josh and Beckham last night and had a full schedule. They did everything from getting teeth sealed (Aunt Gigi is a dental hygenist) to going to Peter Piper Pizza to having a photo shoot at the park.
Aunt Gigi and Uncle Josh have little Beckham who is just 8 months old, and then they had 3 extra for about 24 hours....I haven't talked with them to find out if the kid's visit was a good form of birth control or if it encouraged them to be "fruitful and multiply"!! Time will tell....
Last week we were able to spend time with our other cousin, Marin! Aunt Jacque took me and the kids out for a day of fun....kids choice of whatever they wanted to do! The kids were beside themselves with excitement on the wide array of choices. We finally decided to do a "one-stop-shop" and we went to Celebration Station for arcade, laser tag, bumper boats, golf, and pizza. After that we topped it off with an "emotional" time of skating. The wheels were falling off (no pum intended) because everyone was sooooo tired.
We had a great time spending some time over the last couple of weeks with our Dallas cousins! We love our family and love spending time with all of them!
The pictures above are ones that Aunt Gigi took this morning. Check out her blog at www.angelafarisphotography.blogspot.com Enjoy!

Darrell & "The Great Ride"

We are in the middle of training! Darrell is preparing to ride from the Rio Grande all the way up to the Red River! Along with Ron Holland, Darrell Crow, Mike Bell, & Hector Hinojosa, Darrell will be riding his bike anwhere from 60-90 miles a day for 9-10 days. The guys are really getting excited and Darrell is pumped about accomplishing this goal! The kids and I are trying to support him in every way from encouraging good eating habits for all of us to understanding why he is on his bike any and every free moment he has. We just figured out today that he has about 12 1/2 weeks to get ready! Keep these guys in your prayers as they prepare for this "Great Ride", they are also raising money for Sri Lanka relief. They want to purchase some bikes for transportation in Sri Lanka as well as try to get some electricity to a certain area that is without. If you are interested in supporting this cause, let us know and Darrell can give you all the details!

(This picture is from the tour de Goatneck ride few of them just did in Cleburne.)

Happy Birthday to our Sweet, Smilin' Cannon!

I have no idea how to make pictures go where I want them...nor do I know how to do those cool picture collages. SO, I'm just going to put a few pics out here and tell you what they are as I can find a place to type it.

"Christmas in July" Birthday Party!

I'm going to try once again to join the living in Blogworld! We just had a blast of a party for Cannon and I can't let this one pass without posting a few pics. This little guy has wanted a Christmas birthday party since December. I was passing it off as just a "tis the season" phase, but every month when I would ask what kind of birthday party he wanted, he was quick to say "Christmas"!

So, I decorated the house with as many of my decorations as I could without looking too much like the Griswalds, and still leaving room for a house full of guests. Our sweet friend Aidan McCall (Colin and Christi's oldest) came over and did the face painting. We had "Pin the Star on the Christmas Tree" and "Pin the Nose on Rudolph"...the kids decorated foam picture frames to put a very special picture in....and we also had Santa Clause!!! The kids couldn't believe that Santa would show up in the Summer time. We took the kids pix with Santa and printed them out for everyone to put in their frames. We were so excited to have some of our friends and family celebrate this great day with us!