Lonestarlobos

30th Annual Plano East Marching Invitational

2011-10-09T13:00:00.000-07:00

Clark sweeps the awards! Division 1 rating & performance awards in music, auxiliary, marching, percussion, & drum majors!

The Clark Cougars cleaned up this past Saturday. The band brought home 6 awards and was the unanimous choice as the best band playing. Jacob rocked his solo, and the band was just awesome sounding. See all of the pictures here. You can hear the band play as well as Jacobs solo on this you tube video taken by mom. Just click here.

We are so PROUD of you Jacob! Your Awesome!

Jacob's Solo - Go Cougs!

2011-09-17T14:23:00.000-07:00

Thursday night was a big evening in the James household. Granny & Pop are here visiting and the Jacob gets to play his first solo for the Clark Marching Band.

It was awesome! Jacob was amazing and he made us all proud. it looks like they had a great time in the stands. They were having fun and playing music.. not a bad gig.

The football team lost, but we did not care. Jacob was a winner and we are so proud of him. The band sounded good and loud and Jacob nailed his solo. it was a great evening.

The band plays click here

Listen to a few of the videos.. Good stuff.

Click on the link to hear the horns

Sounding Good

Damn it is hot! - James family update

2011-08-04T10:01:00.000-07:00

It has been awful HOT here in wonderful North Texas. So hot that we have put the couch2 5k on hold until the temps drop a little. I have to say that I hate the summers here. They are unbearable. I lived in Vegas for 8 years and I will take that heat everyday. It was easier to go on with your day to day activity than here in the humidity. There are days where you feel like you might just explode from the heat. it sucks! I will be so ready to leave here and enjoy cooler temps. Someday it will happen, you can count on it!

The kids are back with us. They have been running around with their dad and enjoying the end of the summer. Jacob made a trip to Chicago with his grand mother and dad and got to take in all of the sights including a couple of cubs game in Wrigley field. Pretty cool. Megan stayed in ABQ and enjoyed family. They all finished the trip up with a few days at the lake down at the butte. Megan got torched but they had a great time. It is so nice having them home.

The Connie is still in the shop. I guess that some parts have been back ordered and hopefully they will arrive in a couple of weeks. It has been too hot to ride, but I miss seeing the bike in the garage. I have a camping trip planned in Sept on the 9-12 in Sipapu New Mexico, so I am hoping all of the parts are here by then. I am also having the 20,00 mile valve adjustment done, so the bike will be running like a dream when I get it back. I have missed not riding, but this heat would not have made riding too much fun. The great thing about not riding the bike as much is I have saved the money for another set of tires.. well I tried but that sounds like rubbish.. I miss riding!

Alec is coming to Big D to get his share of warm weather next week. He is flying in on August 8th and will hang out the rest of the week. He won't be here for my birthday, but it is all good.. as I get to spend some time with my boy. I miss him so much. He has been enjoying the nice clean cool mountain air in Colorado. He starts school in the 22nd just like the kids do here in Plano. I promise to take some pictures and pass them along next week.

I have been doing well on eating better and I am working on doing the smaller portion thing. It sucks but I know I have to do it. As I mentioned above we have decided to put the running / walking on hold until the temps drop. I went to the store on Tuesday morning at 3AM and it was still 95.. that is just wrong!

I have dropped 1 pound this past week.. just 1 %^&*#@ pound. I know it will come but damn. So I will keep at it. My best advice to anyone out there.

"Don't get fat and you won't have to lose weight"

I will check in next week with the progress. Jamie is doing great! She lost 4 lbs and is looking awesome!

Till next time everyone.. We love you all.

Welcome to Project FATboy

2011-07-25T14:59:00.001-07:00

I was in Red River during our family reunion and it hit me! The dark truth came to light. I was looking at pictures and realized that DAMN..I am FAT! not large or big boned, but FAT! Most of you know me well enough to know that I am BIG (get it?) on telling people that if they don't like something in their life then they should change it. So I am going to take my own advice and change it.. starting today. I will be eating better and exercising more. I will be keeping up with things on the family blog, not because I want you all to follow my adventure, but more so to apply some personal pressure on myself to follow through. So... with that being said today starts my adventure. I am going to work my ass off to get back in some sort of shape other than round.. damn I am funny.. So do me a favor. If you have something positive to say then bring it on and let me hear your thoughts. If negativity is the only thing you can post, then do me a favor and just skip the posting part. This will be a feel good project!

I woke up this morning at 3:15am to get ready to open the store. I knew I had to start the day by checking on my weight. I had not done this in many months. I was SHOCKED! I weighed in at a robust 294.. YIKES! That is fat no matter how tall you are. I have to say that for a short moment I felt a tad depressed. I then picked up quickly as I know that it can be fixed and the good news is I would be in control of it. I want to grow old with my family and do the things that I have always done. I miss playing tennis and throwing down with some hoops (ok throwing down may be a stretch). I want to feel better and I want to be here for a long time.

So today I actually took some fruit for breakfast and had a nice healthy lunch. I was a little hungry when I got home so I had some watermelon for a snack. Tonight Jamie is making fish tacos. I have drank 5 bottles of water and hope to drink a couple more before heading out for my first run. Yes I said run. I looked up online and decided to do the couch to 5K program. I am going to start off slow, with the goal in mind to keep moving forward. I figure if I can stick it out a month, I will be on the right track.

Here is what I will be doing for Week #1. I will be running / walking on Monday, Wednesday and Fridays this week.

Brisk 5 Minute warmup walk.
Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for 20 minutes.

I did some research and found some running shoes geared to the hefty.. I got a pair of Asics running shoes. They are black and already I feel 2 lbs lighter.. haha!

I will let you all know how the run goes.. Until then keep me in your thoughts. Project fat-boy will be life changing!

Jacob and Megan moving on... We are so Proud!

2011-06-06T16:10:00.000-07:00

Megan has seen the last of Rasor Elementary School. She is now a Hendrick Hawk. Jacob no longer calls himself a Hawk as he is now a Clark Cougar. Our kids are growing up and it is awesome! They are both A students with great futures ahead of them. They are growing up so fast. We love them with all of our heart.

Some Recent Pictures

2011-03-15T18:03:00.000-07:00

I have been very bad at updating this page the past few months. I promise to get back on track with this until that time I am going to add a few pictures here of things that I have missed the last few months.

Megan gets to display her art.

Jerry Visits Atlanta for some Home Depot Training

I attended a training class in the middle of Feb in Atlanta for the Home Depot. I got to meet some of the major players in the company and I have to admit, it made me feel proud to work for such a great company. You can see all of the pics here.

Thanksgiving in Colorado

2010-11-30T14:05:00.000-08:00

Alec is growing up so fast!

Jamie with Pete, Alec and Vibeke

Jamie and I decided to head for Colorado for the holiday. Jacob and Megan were with Andy in Oklahoma, so we decided to go see Alec and our good friends Pete and Vibeke. We left Plano on Wednesday morning and made it to Trinidad Colorado before stopping for the night.

We have been friends with Pete and Vibeke for many years. they are great folks

Our friend Pete travels a ton so he hooked us up with a free night at the Holiday Inn. Thanks Pete!

Christina and Ed

We got up early Thanksgiving morning so that we could get into Colorado before it got too late. Christina (Alec's Mom) and her family asked us over for dinner and I am never one to turn down a good home cooked meal.

Our friends Pete & Vibeke had us stay at their house so it was a great weekend. It headed down to Denver to enjoy a great meal cooked by Christina and Ed (Thanks again guys it was awesome!) We got to play ping pong and video games with the kids until dinner was served. It was a great meal and I am so thankful to have a good relationship with Alec's mom and her family. It was a wonderful way to spend the holiday.

Alec and Jamie enjoying the day

What a great day

We went to see the Harry Potter movie on Friday and just enjoyed the little town of Evergreen. It is such a great place. It is so nice to spend some time with Alec and our good friends. We enjoyed the day and capped it off with a nice home cooked meal and a night of scrabble. Jamie won both games but we all know that she cheats! haha.

hanging out in Colorado

Snow had fallen earlier that week.

Colorado is full of beautiful people

and some .. well not so beautiful.. haha

We got up Saturday and took our time getting together before heading off in the mountains to enjoy a little hike. The weather was FANTASTIC! We enjoyed our hike and the great weather for a couple of hours, before having to head into Denver. We were meeting Christina and ed for lunch to drop off Alec and then we were heading to Trinidad to spend the evening. (Thanks again Pete) This made for only a 10 hour drive on Sunday to get home. It was a great weekend. The weather could not have been better. We had a great visit with Alec and everyone else.

all smiles in Colorado

This was a very enjoyable Thanksgiving. Again a special thanks to Christina and Ed for cooking a great meal. Thanks to Pete and Vibeke for letting us stay at their beautiful home. I can't wait to go back. I am in love with Colorado.

See all the pictures here: Thanksgiving Gallery. Click on the pics above for the full sized pictures

Lazy Saturday watching baseball

2010-10-16T16:34:00.001-07:00

Today had been a slow day. We are watching the Rangers and just hanging out.

Did some tire changing today. Heading to Arkansas on Thursday for our fall colors ride.

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Testing mobile blogging

2010-10-13T17:30:00.001-07:00

Thought I would try this out. We are hanging out watching "our shows"

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.3

The James Gang in Red River

2010-08-25T16:30:00.001-07:00

Granny and Pop took these pics. Thought I would pass them along. not a bad looking bunch.. if I do say so myself.

Jamie getting ready for the new school year!

2010-08-14T11:55:00.000-07:00

Jamie has been going in all week to get her room ready for the upcoming school year. She is so excited, as she will get to start and end the year in one place. She has found a home in McCall and hopes to spend many years here. Next week starts her school year as she has a week of training before all of the kids start on the 23rd. You can see a few more pictures here: McCall gallery

Family Reunion Red River Style!

2010-07-27T17:26:00.000-07:00

What a fantastic weekend. Red River is always a great time and this year was no different. Jamie headed out to NM on July 14th and enjoyed a nice 13 days in the land of Enchantment. The kids were already in NM as they had been there with their dad. Alec flew in on the 19th and spent the night with Gibby and Pappa before joining Jamie and the kids at Granny & Pops house. I had to fly in at the last moment as I could not get any more time off of work. I want to thank Granny & Pop for making it possible for me to fly. Your generosity is amazing! The kids got to hang out in ABQ and see family and take in some rays while swimming. (don't forget to click on the pictures to see the larger high res version.)

We woke up on Thursday morning ready to hit the road for the 3 hour drive to Red River. The boys took one car and the girls jumped in the other. We made great time as we did not stop until Taos. We got to red River first, so we just walked over and had lunch until the rest of the family arrived. We got our key and moved into our cabin. It is the same one we have had for three years so it felt just like home.

We had a great afternoon. The weather was nice. It was cool and sure made from a great break from the hot humid weather we were having in Texas. Marcy's husband Peter rode up on his V-strom 650. He had camped out the previous night in northern NM. You all knew that I could not have a blog entry without a motorcycle reference ..right? We all enjoyed seeing family and friends and catching up with everyone's lives. Granny's Frito Chili Pie was AWESOME! We ate too much and just enjoyed the cool mountain air. Pop and I started off with the crown and by the end of the evening, life was very very good! Yeah baby!

Friday morning came early, but we did get to take a nap later so it made it easier to get up and going. Today we were going to just hang out, eat too much and try the new tubing that had been set up by the playhouse. One thing we do is eat while at Red River. I must have gained 10 pounds but damn it tastes so good!. One of the highlights for me is getting to talk baseball with CJ. I know he is a Royals fan, but it is still fun to solve all of baseballs woes while sipping a beer. Good Times. We had hamburgers for dinner and just enjoyed a great day in Red River. It did rain in the afternoon and evening, but all that did was make it really nice for a good long nap. The kids enjoyed the day and I have to say that when we all went to bed a large smile was on all of our faces.

You can see a few videos by clicking on this link and going to the last page of pictures. That is where all of the videos are located.

After dinner we took the kids down to the playhouse to play video games, go skating and play air hockey. This is always a great way to end the evening with getting the kids all worked up. The playhouse is a great place and we all have fun playing there. I do have to announce that I kicked Jamie's ass in Galaga. Life was good.

Saturday started off really nice as it was nice and cool. There were threats of rain all day so we decided that we would do the chair lift first thing. This has become a tradition at Red River as we always take the kids up. The weather was cool, but not bad at all. The chair lift has been redone so the chairs are more comfy. The ride to the top was a good one. We reached the top and then took some family pictures before going back down the mountain.

We finished the day by doing more tubing and enjoying the wonderful weather. The evening meal was FANTASTIC! We had ribs, brisket, sausage and more. It was just a wonderful way to end the day. We all enjoyed the last evening together, telling stories and just enjoying the company of family and friends. Sunday is get away day and by 9AM most of the crew is on the road back to their homes. I had to fly back to Big D that evening, while the kids enjoyed another day in the Q.

What a great weekend. It would not be possible for us to attend this event every year if it were not for the generosity shown by Grandma Fogleman and Granny & Pop. Without their support both emotionally and financially these family memories would not be possible. We love you all with everything that we have. You make our lives so much better. Again we can't express how thankful we are for all of your support!

We are already planning on next years event. The dates are set for July 14-17. We are so excited. We hope you all like this little report, and in the immortal words of Pop...we leave you with this.

YEAH BABY!

What a Journey! Colorado Camping Trip.

2010-07-03T13:40:00.000-07:00

We have been home for a couple of weeks and I still get a smile when thinking about this trip. The weather was fantastic and the bikes performed flawlessly. I was a little concerned before we hit the road about how the girls would do with the camping. This was a tough trip with many miles completed each day. I have to say that even I was surprised at how well they did. In fact I am very pleased with how we all handled things on this trip. 8 days is along time for anyone to spend time with each other, throw in camping and riding a lot of miles into the equation and one never knows how things will play out.

The cool thing about this trip was it did not cost an arm and a leg. We spent more to board our dog for the trip than we did for lodging and food! That makes the trip even better!

I feel everyone really enjoyed the trip and the adventures that made up the journey. I know I will never forget the trip. I want to thank Jamie for being a wonderful wife and friend. Every time we do one of these trips, it reminds me how much I really enjoy being with my wife. I love you Jamie.

I also want to thank Pete & Kim for putting up with us and for adding their great attitudes to the trip. These trips are always better with friends. They also contributed a ton of pictures to the ride report for that I thank you both.

Last but not least I want to thank Pete and Veb in Evergreen. Thank you for allowing us to stay at your beautiful home. It was a nice way to end our journey to your great state. We love you both so very much!

Now we sit back and wait out the North Texas heat. Planning our next journey on two wheels. We can't wait!

You can read all about the trip on our motorcycle blog. You can also see all of the pictures there as well. So go check out Motoadrenaline.net Today!

Tiger's Softball Season ends on a high note!

2010-06-27T11:53:00.000-07:00

Megan and the Tiger's finished the year on a very high note. They won 2 games in the season ending tournament to make it to the Championship of the 5th Grade Division. The Tiger's came up a tad short but overall it was a fantastic season. Megan made the All Star team for the 2nd year in a row. We are so proud of her. This league is 1 step higher than where she should be and she has made the most of it. Megan has really become a solid pitcher and hopes to follow up the success of this season with and even better season next spring! Here are some pictures of Megan and The Tigers.

Bella is adorable!

2010-04-16T15:59:00.000-07:00

Just had to post these.. I love our girl

NCAA Hoops Madness - Part 2

2010-03-17T17:36:00.000-07:00

Last night I did the Mid West and West brackets, Tonight I will go over the South and East. We will also get a better insight to how far I think the Lobo's will take this magical season. Thanks for coming back for Part 2.

South Region - #1 seed: Duke Blue Devils

This is the weakest of all of the regions. Duke was very lucky to get a #1 and to get the 3rd #1 is well.. unexplainable. I think that the #2 seed Villanova, the #4 seed Purdue and #6 seed Notre Dame teams are very weak. Purdue is killed by injury and they could lose in the 1st round. Villanova is good but they will struggle to get out of the 2nd round.

I see Duke vs Texas A&M and Baylor vs. Richmond as the games to move along in the sweet 16. A&M is a good team but will not have enough to deal with the great shooting Dukies. One of the best games of the tourney could be Baylor and Richmond. Both of these teams are athletic and very agile. they love to run the floor and can bang the boards with the best of them.

Duke and Baylor should square off to see who arrives at the Final Four. I would not be surprised to see Baylor win the game, but I am leaning towards history. Let's but it this way, Duke has a bunch! Playing in numerous final fours and winning a couple of championships. Baylor has not won a tournament game in something like 50 years. The moment will get to them and Duke plays in yet another Final Four.

There are so many teams in this bracket that are over rated. Cal is not a very good team. They played in the weak Pac-10 and they were so very lucky to get a #8 seed. Louisville can beat the best, as long as they wear Orange. the bad news is they will have to beat a good Duke team in the 2nd round and there will be no Orange to be seen, so Rick P goes home early.

Best 1st rd game: Texas A& M vs Utah State
This will be a fun game to watch. the Utah State team can down right play and they shoot the heck out of the ball. They will give A&M all they can handle.

Game that should be close but won't be: Purdue vs. Siena
I feel bad for Purdue. the injury bug really hurt this team. they have a very hard time scoring points and they seem to have no direction. Siena is talented and will give the big boys from the Big 10 more than they can handle. Don't be surprised if Siena wins by double digits.

Potential 1st rd upset: Old Dominion vs. Notre Dame
ODU has a great chance to pull off the upset. Love the way they play and hit the boards. Notre Dame will need their stud to step up. If he does not score 20 + they lose in round #1.

East Region - #1 seed: Kentucky Wildcats

We go from the weakest to the strongest. This is one tough bracket. There are a number of good teams that might not have played up to their potential this year, but when they do show up, watch out! Texas, Wisconsin, Marquette, New Mexico and West Virginia can all play. The Mountaineers will be out to prove they they should have been a #1 seed.

The Wildcats can win it all but it would not be a big surprise if they lost any where from round #2 on. The team is loaded with YOUNG talent and that does not always go well in the tournament. Walls is a rent a player for the year and he has been well worth it for the boys in Blue. He could be the #1 pick in next years NBA draft. He is talented and strong and oh yeah .. YOUNG!. I do not see the Cats coming out of this region. I think that Texas will show up once the lights hit the court in the big show and this spells doom for many teams in the bracket.

Texas vs Temple and New Mexico vs. West Virginia in the Sweet 16 games. Yes this will be the bracket of surprises. Texas is very talented and Temple has been tough all year. This will be a close game but the Horns pull away late and win the game. I would LOVE to say that the Lobos win this game and move on to the big 8 but I just don't see that happening. The West Virginia team is strong, tough and talented. They should be a #1 seed and they will have a chip on their shoulder all tourney. The Lobos great dream season ends in the Sweet 16 as WV moves on. The road to the Final Four will be a great game. Texas vs WV. A game of the big boys.. well it will be close but the Team from Texas goes home and the mountaineers head to the final four.

Best 1st rd game: Temple vs. Cornell
The Red are for real and they are smart as well. This could be the best 1st round game of the entire tournament. It will be a fun one to watch. The Ivy league has never been known for basketball powers but this Cornell team is very good.

Game that should be close but won't be: Marquette vs Washington
The Huskies will get run from the first tip. They played in a bad conference and they are not very good. The Big east boys will man handle the Huskies. They beat Washington by 15+

Potential 1st rd upset: Missouri vs, Clemson
The Big 12 was a great conference this year, the ACC not so much. Look for Mizzou to handle the Tigers. They play great defense and can shoot pretty well. Clemson should win this game, but they won't.

Final Four - Kansas, Syracuse, West Virginia and Duke

Not a bad group. it would be a great final Four if this works out like I think it will. Let's take a look at the games.

Kansas vs. Syracuse
This will be a great game. The Orange when healthy are as good as anyone in the country. The Jayhawks have proven all year long that they are the team to beat. With that said, Kansas pulls away late and the Jay Hawks go back to the National Championship. Kansas 82 The Orange 76

West Virginia vs Duke
WOW! This will be a dual of different styles. The finesse ACC team with slick shooters and great free throw shooters vs. the pound the boards, drive it down your throat Big East. Who wins? I think that Duke wins a close one, but it will be a big time struggle. Duke 77 West Virginia 76 in OT!

Kansas vs. Duke - The National Championship!
This game could be a let down. Duke will be exhausted after playing in such a tough semi to reach this game. Kansas will smell blood and I think this could be a little blow out. Kansas is too good, too talented and they will be cutting down the nets at the end of the day. Coach K will fight hard but come up just a tad short. Kansas 85 Duke 72

It has been fun writing down all of my thoughts on the tournament. I love college hoops. I am looking forward to a great tournament. Good luck to all of your teams, except of course they are playing the Lobos. hehehe have a great two weeks, watching great hoops.

NCAA Hoops Madness - Part 1

2010-03-16T17:06:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite times of the year. Spring has sprung, baseball is right around the corner and March Madness is upon us. I spend more time than I like to admit watching college hoops. I have been a fan for years and it seems that my love for the game will continue to grow for years to come. Each year I look over the brackets and then rant on, about my thoughts and predictions for the upcoming tournament. Well it is that time of year again. I will break down the regions and give you my thoughts on the games and some of the players. Be gentle on your comments, remember that I become a college analyst only 1 time a year. The pay sucks (Zero) ... but I love expressing my lack of college hoops knowledge.

Click on the image above for full res version

Midwest Region - #1 seed: Kansas Jayhawks

This is one of the toughest regions on the board. There are some teams here that did not play as well during the season as they should have (Michigan St, Maryland, Georgia Tech), but don't let that fool you. This is a deep bracket. I will burst the bubble right now. No one is beating the Jayhawks in this region. The Kansas squad is deep, strong and loaded! I feel that all season long only one team has separated itself from the rest of the teams in the field and it is Kansas. They are the overall #1 seed and they deserve it!

But not too fast. The only two (2) teams that beat Kansas this season, Tennessee and Oklahoma State are in the Midwest bracket.. hmmmm.

I see Kansas - Michigan St and Georgetown - Ohio State squaring off in the sweet 16. That is a pretty solid group. I have not been on the Big 10 band wagon this year. With that being said, I think both of the Big 10 teams lose in this round. I feel that Izzo and Michigan State is the best team in the Big 10. Ohio state has a great player in Evan Turner, the all everything player is the real deal and can take over a game. Michigan State has Tom Izzo, the formidable coach that gets the most out of his players than any coach in the past 10 years. However the talent will come to the forefront and these teams will go home.

Georgetown is tough, talented and they played in the toughest conference around. The Ohio State team will be over whelmed by the Hoyas. The Midwest final will be a battle. The kids from Kansas will win the game but it will be a nip tuck affair. The Jayhawks roll into the final four, but they will be beaten and bloodied.

Best 1st rd game: Tennessee vs. San Diego State
This will be a great game. Both teams are mirror images of each other. The Vols have beaten Kentucky & Kansas and have proven that they can play with the big boys. SDSU plays in the under-rated Mountain West. Look for this game to be a nail biter. Prediction: SDSU upsets the Vols and moves on.

Game that should be close but won't be: UNLV comes off beating a good BYU team and carries that momentum further to crush the boys from N Iowa.

Potential 1st rd upset: Georgia Tech over a good Oklahoma State team. Was the ACC really that bad? We will see.

Click on the above to see the full res version.

West Region - #1 seed: Syracuse Orange

How the west was won? How does the Orange become a #1 seed? The boys from West Virginia would like to know. If Onuaku stays healthy the Orange will be a very tough out. If he is not 100% they could lose in rd #2. I have another question, how does one play in the west bracket, but get to play their first and 2nd round games in Buffalo NY.. Just sayin..

This is a bracket that could be filled with upsets. Florida State over Gonzage, UTEP over Butler, Murray St over Vanderbilt and Minnesota over Xavier. They all wont happen but I bet a couple do. Watch for UTEP to advance and I would not be surprised to see the Racers from Murray State winning against the Vandy boys.

Sweet 16 match ups are going to be interesting. Syracuse vs Vanderbilt and Xavier vs. Kansas State. Vandy can play and I would not be surprised if they beat the orange, but then I would not be surprised to see Gonzaga and UTEP fighting it out in this spot as well. Xavier is a very good team and I think they will earn a trip to play the Orange in the final.

The Orange go to the Final Four but it will be a tough one for them . Boeheim might find a way to lose in the first rd if he is not careful. (Not a big fan of his)

BYU is the wildcard. If they can get to the sweet 16, they will be playing home games in Salt Lake City. Ha! Who am I kidding?? BYU has lost in the first rd for 12 straight years. (being a UNM lobo fan and a big hater of BYU this makes me chuckle.. hehehe)

Best 1st rd game: UTEP - Butler
Butler plays in a very under rated conference and they have become the boise State of college hoops. Are they really a mid major? i think not. UTEP has a very athletic team and can run with the best of them. Look for UTEP to pull the upset.. or not.. we will see.

Game that should be close but won't be: Gonzaga vs. Florida State
The Zags will win this game BIG! State is good but the Zags know how to put it together in the dance. Few is a great coach and the Zags will be ready to play.

Potential 1st rd upset: Murray State vs Vanderbilt.
The Racers have 5 players that average double figures and they are deep. If vandy gets in quick foul trouble they could be in for a long night!

I will finish the other brackets tomorrow evening.

Snow Pictures from Plano

2010-02-20T16:07:00.000-08:00

I finally downloaded some pictures from the camera of the wonderful snow we had a few weeks back. it sure is pretty. you can Click on the pictures for the full res versions. Notice our tree limb in front, we had two large limbs fall off. Nothing it the house, so that was good. The last pic is my try at digital art.

Megan has a slumber party

2010-02-07T09:15:00.000-08:00

Megan and 4 of her girl friends had a little b-day party / Slumber party at the house yesterday. The girls (Jeanette, Veronica, Allison, McKenzie and Megan) all met at the roller rink and did a couple of hours of roller skating. Then they headed home for Pizza and some crafts. Jamie was a great chaperone and kept things from going to insane. After all of the crafts they sat and watched a movie and did girl things. I think they finally went to sleep around 2AM. Jacob went to his dad's house for the evening and I just hung out at the book store. Bella was awesome and had a great time hanging out with the girls. I never knew that 5 girls could say the word 'like" so many times, they can also make a heck of a bunch of noise when they want to . hehehe. You can see all of the pictures here: Megan's 10th B-day gallery.

Click the above picture to see the video.

Click on the above to see the video.

Happy B-Day Megan!

2010-01-27T15:55:00.000-08:00

WOW!! Our girl turns 10 today! Megan had a wonderful day today! She got a bunch of awesome cards from the family and some cash, which we all know she will be able to use. She is growing up so fast! We will have a little get together for her this weekend. I think she will have a slumber party in the next couple of weeks, so she will have a good month of B-day festivities. Here are some pictures of her room, her computer and even a little video of our girl. We will have more pictures of those events as they unfold!

HAPPY B-DAY Megan!

Our little girl is growing up. He she is only 4 short years ago.. wow!!

Listen to jacob.. he is classic.. is her's faster than mine! Too funny!

Wait for it... wait for it..

Alec WINS 5th Grade Spelling Bee!

2010-01-21T13:53:00.000-08:00

Alec participated in his schools spelling bee today and Won! He competed against all of the kids in the school from grade 4-6th who quailified (19 total). I spoke to his mom and she said that he did very well and held his composure as the event was held in front of the entire school! I spoke with him after the event and he said he was so nervous that he skipped lunch. (He was headed to get something to eat when he called me with the results.)

We are so proud of him, this makes his 3rd First Place finish (Grades 2nd, 3rd and 5th). He was runner up last year in the 4th grade. Not Too Shabby! (I am so glad his mother was a smart girl hehehe)

Way to go ALEC!!

The James Family New Years Letter.

2010-01-04T16:07:00.000-08:00

This year we sent out a powerpoint presentation for our New Years Letter. Some of the people that we would like to see the letter, could not open the presentation so we decided to put it on here as well. Thanks again to everyone that has made our lives better over the past 12 months.

Happy New Years From The James family. This year has been a challenge for the James Family, but we stood up, pulled up our boot straps and tackled things head on. I think we came out pretty well. We could not have had the success that we have had this year, without the help of our family and friends. We are so fortunate to have a support system that is so strong. We know we probably don’t say it enough, but to all of you that have helped us this past year, either with funds, love or just a timely smile.

THANK YOU!

Our world would not be the same without all of you. We appreciate you all so very much. You make our lives so much better and we are so thankful. This little presentation will take you along our year and hopefully let you in on what it is like here with our family in the great state of Texas. Have a great Holiday and a safe and bountiful New Years!

Jamie completed her first year of teaching in June. Her kids all passed the tests required and she had a very successful first year teaching campaign. She started back at Dooley in August, ready to tackle the new kids and she was sure this year would be a little smoother than last. Well as you all know, things do not always go as planned. Dooley did not have the numbers of kids enrolled in 5th grade to keep Jamie and since she was the new kid on the block, she was transferred to a different school. Her new school is McCall Elementary and she is teaching 4th grade. Things have been different. Expectations are very high at this new school, so Jamie is back into learning the ways of this new administration and getting to know her new team.. I am so proud of her, she works so hard and the kids just love her.

Jerry has been having a great time learning his new position with the Home Depot. He has been with the Depot for over a year now and really enjoys the challenges that he has to tackle on a day to day basis. Jerry was promoted in May and has a title of Merchandising Execution Area Supervisor. He manages a dept of 16 people that travel between 9 stores in his district, working with store managers in getting their stores looking great and up to speed. This has been all new for Jerry as he had in the past been tied to a desk, looking over spreadsheets and sales numbers, now he does those tasks but gets to be more hands on than ever before. He loves the Depot, even when he has to get up at 2:45am to start new store projects at 4am. Jerry loves working with people and this job was meant for him. Now if I could only make more money doing it, life would be perfect!

Jacob has really responded to being in middle school. He is in honors classes for Math, English, Science and attends a high school prep Spanish class. Jacob Played baseball this past spring where his team the Angels won the Championship. He took a break in the summer to concentrate on Middle School football. Jacob played offense and defensive line positions for the Hendrick Hawks. Jacob enjoyed playing and looks forward to next season. Jacob is still doing the band thing as well. He finished 14th overall in the trumpets at this years sectional competition out of more than 50 participants. This has been a very successful year for Jacob. He has many new friends and his teachers love him. Jacob is growing up to be a fine young man. His sense of humor and intelligence will take him far in life. We are so proud of him!

Megan is growing up to be a very smart and pretty young lady. She is doing very well in the 4th grade. She is in the pace program for science and math. She is working hard in school and doing very well. Megan played softball again this year. She played for the Tigers. They are a 5th and 6th grade team. Megan was accepted and did very well this season. Megan played first base and pitched. She had a great year and looks forward to playing again next season. Megan is a girly girl. She loves the finer things in life. The clothes that Granny gets Megan always makes her smile. Megan continues her love of art and music. She is growing up way to fast as she is only 9 but going on 16! (In her mind anyhow…) We love our girl…

Alec has a new home. This past June his mom Christina got re married and has relocated to Denver Co. Alec is still trying to figure out if he likes the Colorado weather, but everything else has been going well. He is in all honors classes and even plays the flute in his middle school band. This is great as Alec is still in elementary school. He was invited to join this band after playing in his first concert. He attends Walnut Hills in Englewood Colorado. This is a school that specializes in Music and the arts. Alec likes playing video games and reading. He is also taking private lessons for the piano. Alec just turned 11 years old. He is still tall for his age. He is such a warm caring person, we love him so much!

We added a new family member this past summer. Bella has joined the James family. Bella was rescued from the pound when she was 5 months old. She had been abused and was very timid, but we could tell that she would make a great family member as she loved Jamie and the kids. Bella is a Plott Hound, she will grow a little taller and should weigh between 35 – 50 pounds when she is all grown up. Everyone loves her playful attitude and the way she is so gentle. Now don’t get this wrong.. Bella is a puppy and she is a pain in the ass from time to time, but we love her. She is such a smart girl.

Our family is blessed to have so many good friends to share our time with. Jamie and I love to ride the motorcycle and our rides are made even more enjoyable because of our friends. We would like to extend a special thanks to all of them. Without their love and friendship our lives would not be the same. Our adventures are unforgettable. Our friends make our riding experiences amazing. We look forward to making more memories in 2010. We ride with a lot of people but the following have made our riding experience this year one of our best! We love you all. Vern & Shelly, Jackie & Alta, Richard & Jennifer, Herman, Rob, Jim S, and Branson Mark J.

Have a great 2010 Everyone! We are looking forward to making more memories...

Happy New Years !

2010-01-01T00:01:00.000-08:00

I want to take this time and thank all of our family and friends for all of their support over the past 12 months. This is going to be a better year for everyone!

Too many people are struggling, all people are looking for is just the opportunity to have a job, be able to support their families and enjoy life. is that too much to ask??

We are so blessed to have so many caring and loving people in our life! we wish you all the best.

Merry Christmas !

2009-12-25T18:19:00.000-08:00

The Holiday started off slow as we did not have any of the kids for Christmas day. Jamie and I hung out and just took it easy. We did find a Starbucks that was open before hitting the theater to see Avatar. After that we went out and had a great (uugh not really) dinner at our friendly Denny's. Jamie was not in the most upbeat of mods as she was missing her family on this day. We did decide to have Christmas in NM next year, so we will start planning and getting funds together now to make that happen.

The cool thing about Christmas day was we woke up to a white Christmas. Yes we had snow here in N Texas. It was actually kinda cool.

The kids came to us on the day after Christmas. Alec arrived that evening so the holidays officially began. Alec got in and as soon as we got to the house we started to open the presents. As always our family is way to good to us. We had a great time. Earlier in the day, we had Vern & Shelly and my mom over for Christmas dinner. Jamie made a great meal.

The kids made out in the present department this year. MP3 player's, Clothes, Videos and games.. It was a huge day for the kids. You can see below that they were all smiles. As always Granny and Pop made the day with the presents in presents.. They loved it!

To see all of the pictures just click here.

Texas - UNC at Cowboy Stadium.

2009-12-19T15:04:00.000-08:00

Thanks to some friends of ours, we got hooked up with tickets for the Texas - North Carolina Basketball game. As most of you know I am a huge college hoops fan. The cool thing was the fact that this game was being held in the New Cowboy Stadium. (Also known around here as the death star) I had heard that this place was huge and amazing and I have to say that it is true! This place is a masterpiece. Walking up to it, you can see how big it is. It holds right around 100,000 for Cowboy football games. It is enclosed with a roof that open's and closes giving the same feel as the old stadium. Inside it is top notch. The highlight is the largest HD big screen in the world. It is HUGE and has a picture that is the best that I have ever seen. The entire place was awesome.

I do have to say that watching hoops in this place was not the best. I love being in venues with 18,000 - 20,000 crazy screaming fans (like the PIT in ABQ) there were 38,000 plus at this game, but no emotion and the crowd noise was nothing as the place was so large.

The stadium is hosting the NBA all-Star this year as well as the final four in a couple of years and will be fine for these events. I have seen a final four in New Orleans in the dome and it was not the best venue, but this stadium has the kicker and that is the big screen, it is better than watching it at home and you are in the arena.. great stuff. See all of the pictures here.

Bella Chillin and Chompin

2009-11-29T11:26:00.001-08:00

Bella hanging out in the yard chewing on a ride hide. You can see the remains of my Black BBQ cover in the background, she loves running around the yard, playing with it like a cape. We love our Bella. Click on the pictures to see the full size version.

What?? I did not do anything....

Holiday meal in Ft Worth

2009-11-27T10:52:00.000-08:00

mmmmm.. Turkey

We all jumped into the truck and headed over to Ft Worth to enjoy a Thanksgiving day meal with my brother and his family as well as my mom and some in laws from Shelly's side of the family tree. It was a wonderful day. We played Wii, and ate way too much. It was a great day. Here are a few pics from the day. Thanksgiving Gallery

Shelly, Jacob and Jamie

Mike Carving

Vern Cooking

Gobble.. Gobble..

2009-11-26T10:18:00.000-08:00

I want to take this time and wish all of our Family and Friends a very Happy Thanksgiving. We are staying in Dallas this year for the holiday. Today we are having a little family meal with just the 4 of us. Tomorrow we will head down to Fort Worth and have dinner with my Brother and his family as well as my mom who is still trying to heal from here surgery a couple of weeks ago. W are thankful that things are going well for her.

This is the time of year when we really miss our family. We miss not being able to see Alec, granny & pop, and the rest of the NM gang! Alec will be flying in on the day after Christmas to spend the week with us. I can't wait it should be a great time. It is hard not living closer to everyone, but we hope that you all know were thinking of you all. I will be taking plenty of pictures today, so I will post them for you all later. Picture Gallery