Welcome to The Empty Nesterhood!

 Last week I read an article about parents who pay big bucks for therapists to guide them into Empty Nesterhood. I get it. It's a whole new world. This season of life is a HUGE transition. You spend all those years making snacks, baking huge batches of cookies for concession stands, and driving carpool to soccer practice -- and all of a sudden those kiddos are GONE. And your house is quiet -- and feels really big. And you're only doing laundry once a week instead of all day, every day. And it's a HUGE adjustment. 

I remember sobbing in the laundry room after we dropped Abbie off at UofR. (If you read my blog, you'll find out my sobbing in the laundry room is kind of a thing.) I remember Biggsy wrapping his arms around me and saying, "I miss her, too," 

And boy, did I miss her. 

And now she's back. (For just a hot minute.)

There's kind of a lot to tell. 

I haven't been here in a long time. (I know. I've said that before.) And I'm not sure anyone else is here anymore. But when I thought about blogging again, I decided to come back here rather than start a new blog. It's kind of like visiting an old friend. Just as life has seasons, I guess a blog can as well. 

So welcome to The Empty Nesterhood. I'm glad you're here.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Breck! And Nelli!

 

Merry Christmas from Breck! And Nelli!

Hey again! This is Breck! Nelli identifies as the Tasmanian Devil. 2022 has been a fantastic year for the BiggsFam, but first -- a late lesson from 2021. 

Kittens make terrible Christmas Gifts. 

Betty White and our fridge died the same day. New fridge makes ice balls. Abbie & Kait -- New Years at the Ranch. Drove to San Antonio for LaGloria's and COVID. Dad went to Germany a lot. Abbie froze at the Bills game -- and learned to shovel snow. Kait & Rilee are Zetas. Kait's Big is Katie Orr! Soooo many date parties! "New" pool and backyard. Who called the inspectors? Kait got another tattoo. Turducken. Kait spring-breaked in Florida. Mom & Dad skied the BEST powder day. Softball in California, New York and Massachusetts. Hollywood Sign & the BIGGSEST biscuits and gravy. Liberty League Pitcher of the Week! After 200K+ miles we sent the Acura to live on a farm. Mom roadtripped Abbie's new Subaru to NY. Quilt museum. Kentucky Derby. Flight 93 Memorial. Didn't get that speeding ticket. WHEW! Abbie finished a GREAT season. Liberty League Championship, pitched to Dad on Senior Day, and advanced to Beer League Softball! Lilac Festival. Kait went to Myrtle Beach. Mom is the DAR Historian? Scrapbook the size of a horse. Mom stopped a cruise ship in France -- From the Kitchen! Blues on the Green for Riley's 21. Abbie's BF fished with Captain Gene at Sargent. Barton Springs, 360 Overlook, BBQ. Nelli had a Poopie Party at the Creek. Dance lessons in the living room. Kait chose Civil Engineering and interned in Austin. Emily cut Abbie's hair & Taly cut Kait's. Kait visited Sophie in Atlanta. Taly came to Texas, and the Astros gave her a WIN! Kait Creeked a lot and broke Dad on the waterskis. Weekends in Angel Fire with the Bennetts. We are HOOKED. Dad is smokin'. Ribs and pork butts on the pellet grill. Mom and Christine met Abbie & Skons in Boston. It's the drink of the summer! Lobster rolls, THE olive oil, and cracked glasses. Myrtle the Turle is alive and well. Abbie's a Senior at University of Rochester. EMT. Football trainer. Mom & Kait roadtripped to VT. Memphis BBQ! TN Buc-ees! Hotel Fire Alarm! Kait's a sophomore. CEED Mentor. Soccer Referee. Willie Nelson in NY -- Abbie was the only one who knew the words! Wordle. Corn Queen Abbie. Dad saw Cousin Jeff in concert. Kait loves sunsets at Bald Knob. Goodwill Golf Clubs. Mom made LOTS of jelly!Abby Grace helped Kait celebrate 20. ZTA raised $50K for the breast cancer fight! Dad and Abbie picked apples. Abbie and the BF went to Acadia. Edna Mode for Halloween! Kait and the BF went as Tow Mater and Lightning McQueen. Kait already has a CE internship for next summer in Fairfax! Mom, Abbie and Kait walked the San Diego Breast Cancer 3-Day. Wow. Free pickles! Free food! No free drinks! Day 4 was the Zoo. ALL UPHILL. Sixteen for Thanksgiving. Mimosas with Mmimi! "Yay! You got ALL the cards!" Disc Golf! RED BOOTS! MORE Sushi! Abbie's at-home Microbiology Class -- We are ALL scientists. HogZilla. Six Poopie Parties later, Nelli needs a new diet. Hokies couldn't buy a win. Neither could the Aggies. RICE is going bowling! Kait's designing roads and houses. Last count: 3 snakes, 3 pigs, LOTS of doves and ducks! Mom got Cheesy at VT. Abbie finished her Public Health degree. On to Nursing School!

AND THE ASTROS WON THE WORLD SERIES!

We hope your 2023 brings health, HUGS, Adventures -- and Another World Series WIN!!

Love, Breck, Nelli! and Co. 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Breck! And Nelli!

 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Breck! And Nelli!

Hey again! This is Breck! I'm 56 now. Nelli, AKA Wiggles, is still a puppy and swims a lot. 2021 has been a year for our people. They did all the things, and....

Nelli and I celebrated NYE at the farm. Snowpocalypse I! Dad got stuck in the snow! Mom, Christine, Abs, Skons and Kait went to Big Bend. Jalapeno Margarita. Abbie quarantined with Klee in the snow. She triaged a broken wrist on her first MERT shift and passed the NY and National EMT exams. Ice! Kait went to Costa Rica, came home, went back. She hiked waterfalls, got a tan and rode horses. Nelli swam. "Lake Travis High School. How may I help you?" Snowpocalypse II at home. The WHOLE WORLD was white. Our house is on the hospital grid! Dad fell down! Kait ziplined and learned traditional dances. Bungalow A1. Anatomy was tough; Abbie knows all 206 bones. Swim! Kait's a Hokie! What's a Hokie? Dad smoked stuff. On the grill. Kait built man-made wetlands. Rice & Beans, Rice & Beans, Rice & Beans. Chomp! Margaritaville! Softball Season was incredible. The Bees went to the College World Series! Dad and Anthony went to watch. Fairfield Sports Represent! Kait Graduated with cords. Swim!  Colton's Birthday Surprise! Whataburper HBCB. Kait spent a week in Maine then accidentally drove across Texas for July 4th. Abbie & Kait went to Surfaces. Sushi dates with Kait. Nelli swam. Altuve Walk-Off Homer to beat the Yankees! Abbie worked at Belmont Senior Living, checked off Mom's bucket list with Thomas Rett at the Cheyenne Frontier Days, and hiked Isabelle Lake with Hunter. Bird! Dad caught a shark. Abbie caught a trout. Brecklyn, Madison and Liv came to visit! Kait earned a king's ransom babysitting, and decided kids aren't her thing. Who buys Organic seltzer? Cook Street is Home Base. Nelli swam. Abbie was a football trainer. Mom & Dad took Kait to Virginia Tech, hiked to Crystal Falls, and checked out the Dirty Dancing lodge. Miss Leslie rescued Mom. "Dolliver Law. How may I help you?" Kait gave Dad books to read. Abbie's date to Boulder Coffee.... What do you call a skinny guy on the floor? Abbie saw Zac Brown at Six Flags. Lick! Mom & Dad LOVE being empty nesters! Food plots for the deer. Be a Goldfish. Mom's addicted to Ancestry.com, touring cemeteries and joined DAR. Nelli swam. Kait's on two soccer teams and working as a referee. No headers! Nelli finally learned to catch a treat in the air. Dad's birthday at ACL with Mom, Abbie and King George. Mom & Dad visited Kait and tailgated with the Hokies. Start Jumping! Enter Sandman! Swim! Abbie's fall was hockey games, carving pumpkins, four Halloween costumes and a visit from Mom and Dad. Abbie and Matt picked apples for a pie and tried to burn the house down. Kait learned random stuff about France. Mom out-fished Dad. Again. Swimm! Kait's going to major in Ocean Engineering. Progressive's commercial -- traveling with Mom. ROLLER. Nelli swam. Abbie turned 21, and Mimi bought her first beer. Mom & Dad went to see Alabama. Dad stood up and sang along. I got a duck! Kait visited Abbie and brought mom apple cider donuts. Thanksgiving brought 16 people to one long table. Abbie had grape pie for Thanksgiving. Nelli ate two Christmas ornaments. Mom walked her 18th Breast Cancer 3-Day in San Diego. 20! 40! 1080! Party Pants. Kait's getting ready to Rush! Mom lost 20 pounds and is coaching friends to do the same! Abbie & Kait came home for Christmas! Chuy's! 

We hope your 2022 brings health, HUGS, and Adventures! 

Love, Breck, Nelli! & Co.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Breck!

 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Breck!

Hey again! This is Breck! 2020 started off so great! My people ate the black-eyed peas, we did all the things, and....

Mom was a publisher. Everybody got Global. Kait still worked at Bahama  Bucks. Abbie went back to University of Rochester and got a bootleg hedgehog named Rizzo. Mom had lunches with friends. In restaurants! Dad was in Houston a lot. Kait and friends spent the day at Six Flags. Our Super Bowl party rocked. Care package party. Kait took the ACT. The hedgehog died. Dad went to NY. Abbie saw the Lumineers and Mt. Joy in Buffalo in a blizzard. And she touched the lead singer's hand! Mom and Kait went to St. Louis and New Orleans for college tours at WashU and Tulane -- and Mardi Gras. Abbie played her first College Softball games! mom booked the trip to California to see Abbie play Spring Break -- the Beach ... skiing at Big Bear. Mom saw Come from Away. Kait ATX Weekend. Dad visited Abbie at school! Mom & Dad went to the Creek with Anthony & Cheryl. Mom wasn't a publisher anymore. Abbie came home. 

AND SHE STAYED!

Spring Break in California was cancelled. Dad stayed home. Mom bought a lot of soup because she couldn't find the "good" toilet paper. Mom made masks. And more masks. And MORE masks. Everybody took me on walks. All. The. Time. Abbie saved the baby birds. Creek time! Snow Cones were "essential." Kait's SAT cancelled four times. Chocolate Banana Bread for the WIN. Brecklyn and Kennedy here almost every week! Pong Fest! Dad officed in the playroom, and everyone swapped rooms. Lots of painting, but no one painted me! Kait went surfing. Mom picked dewberries for Dad's cobbler. Abbie & Kait took Dad cliff jumping for Father's Day! Lots of family dinners -- I always get the last bite! Kait took the AP tests. We are NOT fans of College Board. Abbie worked at the golf course and got great tips in a tennis skirt. Dad got haircuts on the back porch. Abbie had friends over for July 4. Kait went surfing. Dad perfected the art of smoking ribs! Mom managed a renovation at the Farm. Kait likes Logan! Dad bought Mom a new jet-ski! Week at the Creek. Mom caught the biggest fish. Kait is on the wall of fame! Kait stared Senior Year. Abbie road-tripped to the Grand Tetons. She camped out and ran into an elk on the way down. Abbie & Dad quarantined in NY to start her Sophomore year at UR. Their Air BnB was a DUMP! Kait applied to 11 colleges and has been accepted to seven so far! Abbie got an A in jazz class! She was selected for the Medical Emergency Response Team and is training to be an EMT. Mom bought a gun and flags for the neighbors! Kait finally got to take the SAT and ACT again -- a 1510 and a 34 got everyone all excited. Black Rock Coffee! Dad went hunting with Mark and Anthony. A gun deal went down. Mom & Dad picked Abbie up at the airport with Queso. Thanksgiving at the Farm! I rode the mule! Kait was named a National Merit Commended Scholar. Mom always sends Emily home with treats! We got a new washer, and the dryer died of a broken heart the next week! Mom turned 50, and since 2020 wasn't crazy enough, she got a PUPPY. Benelli (Nelli) climbs all over me and liberates the Christmas ornaments! We love to wrestle! Dad says she's smart and will be great with the birds, but she is a bit of a turd. 

We hope your 2021 brings health, HUGS, and an abundance of the "good" toilet paper. 

Love, Breck, Nelli & Co. 

Lord, Heal Our Land

This sign hangs in my laundry room, and I'm reminded of it every time Mike Pence ends his part of a press conference with "Heal this Land." Y'all. That's a man of God in the White House praying scripture over this entire country every single day. Every time he speaks. What a blessing that is.

And guess what? God is doing exactly that. He's bringing families back to their homes and the dinner table. He's slowing things down. He's reminding us of what's important. He's bringing a spirit and unity through our homes and neighborhoods, cities, states -- and eventually this entire country. He is healing our land.

No one knows how long this will last. You know how you feel when you're caught driving in a BIG STORM? Like the ones in Houston where it seems the Gulf of Mexico is being dumped on you all at once? You know how you look at the radar and think, "Okay. The edge is just past 610. Once I get there, I'm good. And you grip the steering wheel and slooooow down and hold your breath and pray?

That's where we are now -- without the benefit of the radar. We're gripping the steering wheel tight and sloooowing down and praying we get through.

AND WE WILL.

Yes, our country is in the middle of a storm. One of epic proportions. One that will reshape us and our futures. One that can't help change every one of us to some degree. And we don't know where the end is. BUT we can rest assured that GOD knows where it ends. GOD knows what the rainbow on the other side is going to look like. GOD'S GOT THIS!

***

A quick update on the Biggs Fam: We were blessed to "socially distance" at the Creek for a few days while the girls waited to start their online educations. Biggs was with us most of the week, but had to go into the office in Houston on Thursday. We had a great time fishing and soaking up some Vitamin D.

Once we got home on Friday, reality set in. Abs has been working on school. Kait has decided to paint her room. Biggs is working upstairs. I'm pretty sure the Roni is going to break the Internet -- with everyone here it's soooo slow. I've been making masks for the medical community.

Last night we had Poppyseed Chicken for dinner -- a long-time family fave. And we watched Dazed & Confused. BLESS.

We ache for our friends who are out of work, and especially those who have had to close their businesses -- and thus their employees are out of work. I'm so looking forward to the day we can get our hair and nails done, go eat a salad at Sundancer, and spend time supporting those friends again.

As of today, we will be in a "Shelter in Place" order -- I feel like years of hurricane prep prepared me for times such as tis. We have plenty of food and even have toilet paper. However, we are completely out of chocolate covered almonds. Soooo.... Lord, Heal this Land -- and please do it quickly!

All My Love,
D'Lyn

Haven

If you've known me awhile, you know (or maybe not) that my Grannie Herring passed away when my Mom was in college at ACU. Mom's sister Nelva was 12 years older and has always filled the gap for me. Some of my earliest memories (and many a family legend) involve times at her house. Gathered around the table in the kitchen and spinning the lazy Susan to get to the pear preserves. Making Bitty Breads. Avoiding rattlesnakes. Swimming in the tank. Her home was always a haven for me. 

It was the place where continuity reigned supreme. Oh the tears I cried there. And she was there to wipe them all. All my life I've been drawn to that space. One of my college professors said, "Food is Love." He was so right. You've never had that kind of Love until you've spent some time at Aunt Nelva's. 

Last June Grannie Nelva (as my girls have called her) "broke the barrier" according to my cousin Max. She fell, broke her hip and landed in an assisted living facility in Lubbock. 

Grannie is just one of the "Greatest Generation." She kept the home fires burning while my Uncle Don fought in Germany. These are the people who either were shipped off to war or those who prayed them HOME. 

One of her sweetest friends is in failing health, and I know that's been weighing on her. I got to spend some time with them a couple of weeks ago, and I'm so thankful for that. But with the coronavirus looming, her facility is closed to visitors -- and I can't imagine how lonely that must be. 

If you're part of my "Tribe" and looking for something positive you can do, please reach out to me. I can give you Grannie's address to send her a card or note or just reach out. She'd love that. 

And in light of the fact that President Trump summoned the nation to a Day of Prayer today, I'd like to share a bit of The Motherland with you. It's not a hymn that's traditionally thought of as a "prayer," but it's a hymn that's one of Grannie's faves. And I'm sure it's classified as a Prayer of Praise. 

Paradise Valley

I hope you're blessed!

All My Love,

D'Lupe

The Calm After the Storm

When Hurricane Ike hit Houston, we were on the Northwest side in Fairfield. Far enough inland that we didn't have to worry about storm surge, we hunkered down and sheltered in place to ride out the winds. Our friend Chad Pilbeam went "sailing" on a skateboard in the middle of the storm, and we lost a pine tree in the yard that we really didn't like. And the power went out. For days.

We were lucky.

We were lucky we were merely uncomfortable. We were lucky our home was intact.

And we were lucky to be in a pretty awesome place to ride out the calm AFTER the storm. Neighbors cleaned out freezers before the food could spoil. We grilled. We shared meals. We shared fellowship. We threw open all the windows and celebrated the occasional text. The kids played. We were blessed.

This week my anxiety has hit an all-time high. As things changed at a moment's notice, it seemed we could hardly keep up. Abbie's softball trip to Cali was cancelled, which meant our trip was cancelled as well. We waited to see what would happen with UofR. The school decided to go online, but it looked like Softball would stay. Then that changed as well. We hurriedly booked a ticket for her to come home the next day as we worried domestic travel could shut down.

Abbie said, "Everything is coming at us so fast we don't have time to process it." I told her this reminded me a lot of the days after 9/11. The uncertainty. The fear of the unknown.

But it reminds me of the days after Hurricane Ike as well. Of the days when the world just STOPPED. Our family runs all-out, all the time. For years, we've been on the sports and school and work and everything else merry-go-round. We've forgotten how to be still.

And suddenly we are. Suddenly we are forced to be still. To be home. To once again shelter in place. To ride this thing out.

As much as I'm NOT looking forward to the days ahead, as much as I realize that if people way smarter than me are right, things could be awful in the days ahead, I find myself thankful for the calm. Thankful for the fact that Abbie's home -- she is home. SAFE. I'm thankful for the voices coming from Kait's room - for two camp friends whose Momma realized, like me, that there's a balance to be found between "social distancing" and caring for the emotional well-being of teenagers.

I'm thankful for days ahead that will include sunshine, fresh air, hikes, floating in the pool and the Creek, fishing, Nertz, Spades, burgers on the grill, 80s movies, dancing on the pier, banana bread, Rice Krispie Treats, and hopefully enough Toilet Paper. I'm thankful Abbie has the chance to keep up with her studies and softball family and "the boy" -- all thanks to the wonders of technology. I'm thankful for time to slow down and praise God for the blessings that HE has given us. I'm thankful that although I don't know what the future holds, without a doubt I know WHO holds the future.

I hope you have the chance to read that book you've been wanting to read and to make homemade ice cream with your kids. I hope you wash your hands -- a whole heckuva lot. I pray (not just hope) God puts a hedge of protection around you and your family, that you feel His presence in the anxious times. I keep telling myself -- Fear is not from God. I pray you know that reassurance as well.

All My Love,
D'Lupe

Frazzley

Sooooo.... Based on a quick poll yesterday, it seems I only have two readers left. I can deal with that. Hanging on to 50% of my readers while taking a several-years break is probably something to brag about.

Or not.

This last week the Coronavirus that first crossed my radar screen in January has landed in our community. And as I have watched report after report, read post after post, I've come to the increased realization that things are about to be very, very different. As I've taken measures to curb my own activities, I've realized that I don't possess whatever talent is required to ENJOY being trapped at home for an extended period -- that I crave a human connection; and the threat of losing that is just plain awful.

As of Wednesday, in a bold move, I managed to max out my allotment of rash decisions -- FOR THE YEAR. ALL AT ONCE. This doesn't bode well for a "self isolation" period that some say could last up to six months.

Holy Cow.

But I have a "thing" -- a "thing" brewing in my heart. A way to make a human connection not just for myself but for the two loyal readers who still read my blog.

For the last year, I've been blessed with the opportunity to tell stories. I've shared the stories of some pretty incredible athletes in our community. The writing side of my brain has been awakened from a long slumber, and I find myself searching for stories everywhere -- always eager to know more, learn more, make that connection.

I'm going to search for some stories to tell. Maybe from nurse friends or others in the medical profession. College students suddenly home -- or their parents. Athletes whose careers just ended abruptly. Small business owners who are hanging in there in light of an uncertain future. Teachers who are charged with educating a generation -- online.

I don't know. This idea is still in the budding phase. But it's growing in my heart and I look forward to seeing it bloom on your screens -- all two of them.

All my Love,
D'Lupe

Merry Christmas from Breck!

 Merry Christmas from Breck!

Hey again! This is Breck! 2019 has brought a lot of change in my little world. But the deer still come to play, Mom still throws the ball, and I still bark at the Amazon guy!

Mom, Dad & Abbie kicked off the New Year with the Schoonmakers and fireworks. I pooped in their house! Kait celebrated with friends in Austin. 3-Car Kait Sandwich on 620. Dad drove to Houston. Kait works at Bahama Bucks. We tried to sell the Farm. LT Softball brought good luck charms at Goodwill. You get what you pay for. I had a sleepover with Ruby & Maggie! Abbie accepted to UR Dual Degree Nursing Program. Mom's a writer. Abbie Signing Day with UR Softball. Mom & Dad saw Zach Brown. Abbie pulls in the school parking lot 5 minutes before class starts. Kait & friends missed the Rodeo but loved the carnival! Abbie won 4-Squre in the Air and Vans dressed as a mini corndog! Easter at the Creek. Crawdads at Hooker's. Colton hired Abbie as his nanny and was her prom date. Dad & Kait Sushi Date. Mimi tried to set Abbie up with some boy on Instagram! My family went to Costa Rica for vacation. Roadside snow cones! Sloth! Poison frogs! 4-Wheelers! ZipLine Bullrider! Water buffalo? Abbie & Dad saved a sea turtle. Abbie dropped her phone in the ocean -- and found it! Sunset cruise. Kait went to the Lake. Abbie & Riley -- 3-year Streak! Bahama Bucks keeps Kait busy! Dad drove to Houston. Kait went to Leadership Camp in Florida and met one of Trump's advisors. Colorado Sparkler. Horseback riding. Don't take the train. Abbie & Kait went to Camp Blue Haven. For a looooooong time. Abbie's 9th year. Kait's 7th. Both girls stayed as pot washers. Mom & Abbie stayed at the Plaza in Las Vegas, NM -- Ghost handprint on Abbie's stomach! Kait went to Beach Camp in South Padre. Abbie Left. TSA hates Mom. 6 huge bags and 38 mosquito bites. Abbie made FRIENDS. Opening Weekend -- I chased everyone's birds! Kait spent the weekend with CBH Friends. Mom spent the weekend with Grannie Nelva. Church in Gail Road Trip! Mom walked the Boston 3-Day. Emily went to Romania -- we prayed! Kait turned 17. Abbie's floor built a fort in the common room. Facemask Friday. Kait pulls into the school parking lot an hour before school starts. We kept the Farm! Abbie pitched her first College WIN! Mom & Dad got to watch on TV! Dad visited Abbie. BW3 and an Astros Win! Mom & Kait visited Abbie. Niagara Falls, Dinosaur BBQ and an Astros Loss! Kait had three friends in for ACL. I taught them to throw the ball! Hockey date. Kait picked flowers in Marble Falls. The Astros beat those stinky Yankees! Dad drove to Houston. Christmas socks November 1! Dolly 2. Abbie turned 19. Kait drove a dying Dad to Dallas, but "Allergies don't exist." Mom & Kait walked the Breast Cancer 3-Day. Mom's 17th. Kait's 4th. Cheryl even walked with Mom! I went to Camp Christy. Lots of snow in Rochester. Mom eats a lot of vegetables. I lick the bowl. Kait is taking a lot of those AP class things. BEEF. Mimi is banned from Instagram. Abbie Came Back -- Surprise! Kait picked her up and got her a Honey Butter Chicken Biscuit. That's love. I got Kennel Cough and broke Mimi's arm. Mom burned the sweet potatoes -- complete with flames. Pa set off the doormat. BYODDP. Kait is starting the college search (vacations!) and will graduate from high school next December. LOTS of concerts this year! Mom & Dad were in a Hit & Run. Mom got sparkly for the Dresser Christmas Party. Karaoke rocks! Mom's a publisher! The Cavs are in the playoffs! And Dad and Kait flew to Seattle for dinner!

We hope you had a great 2018 and are wishing you a Fantabulous 2020! May God Bless You!

Love, Breck & Co. 

Merry Christmas from Breck!

Merry Christmas from Breck!

 This is Breck. Jake crossed the Rainbow Bridge on July 3, but before he went, we got really, really close. He passed on many secrets about our people and taught me how to write a Christmas letter. In addition to calling the police, befriending deer, and chasing skunks, I've been taking notes on the Biggs activities all year.

2015 was busy. I fetched a stick. D'Lyn saw Mamma Mia with friends and became Trim Healthy Mama. with friends and became Trim Healthy Momma. Kait played indoor soccer. We love Hopdoddy's, Lucy's Fried Chicken, and Lick Ice Cream. Kait's soccer team won their Houston tournament, saw emus and visited with the Baehrens and Coach Rena. I fetched a stick. Abbie lives in her Eno. John was unemployed, then self-employed, then employed, then unemployed, and now employed! D'Lyn loves the hike & bike at Town Lake. Abbie played with Austin Stars. We hung the Eno in Abbie's room. Now there's a hole in the wall. I chased a stick. Nou gen konfyans nan Jezi pou 19 Mei! Kaitlyn Johnson surprised Abbie. Abbie cried. Kait won 3rd in Ready Writing -- Mom's genes! I ate a Rib bone! Kait's soccer team won State! Our yard flooded, the pool turned green, and the retention wall out front fell -- again. Our thoughts and prayers went out to Wimberley. Our neighbors made sandwiches and snacks for the volunteers. Lake Travis went up and up and up. Our pool turned green. Tornado Warning! Abbie and friends sheltered at Amy's Ice Cream; D'Lyn & John sheltered across the street with wine. I jumped in the green pool! Cy-Ranch Baseball won state! Hayden was on TV! Kait played sand volleyball. Abbie is a CrossFit beast. D'Lyn did the the Fluvanna Homecoming. Abbie loved Baylor softball camp. We went to the July 4th parade, and I stole a lot of candy. D'Lyn & Christine took Abbie and Kaitlyn S. to North Carolina for softball camp. They toured UNC, Duke, NC State, Elon and Wake Forest. The shrimp & grits were awesome. "Where is your *real* State Capitol?" Everything is bigger in Texas. Lunch with cousin Robert Lloyd. Crashed Wrangler World Headquarters. Kymber spent the week with Kait. Hairspray and Barton Springs. Lunch with the unsinkable Sandy Brown. I played tug of war! Camp Blue Haven recharged the girls. Abbie came home with the biggest smile. We picked Madison Stephens up on the side of the road. She and Kait played indoor and scored goals! I helped pick up the socks. We survived the summer without Blue Bell -- barely. Kait started 7th grade, and Abbie is a Freshman. Kait rocked Cross Country and brought home some hardware. And she turned 13. Abbie played Fall Ball for LT and the Austin Stars. Kait's Coach is KC Crabb. I got a treat! Fall Ball in Houston and Tyler, visiting with friends and lots of time with Boomer, Mimi and Pa. John & D'Lyn went to the Rice / UT football game. I chased a ball! Our new neighbors come with two cute kiddos and Rocky. He's not quite Jake, but I'll let him try. GREAT babysitting gigs. D'Lyn and Team Tiara walked the Breast Cancer 3-Day for the 10th year. Abbie, Rana, Sarah, Callie and Amber walked with her. Kait and Kamy were on Youth Corps. Team Tiara raised $110,000+ in 2015 and has raised over $1 Million to date. D'Lyn's pink hair was PERFECT. D'Loopy loves her 10th Anniversary T-shirt quilt. I chased a Skunk! Kait's in Choir; her concerts are impressive. She's playing the guitar again! Hudson Bend loaded ALL the kids on buses for a Day of Service. Abbie turned 15 and got her Learner's Permit! Watch out Lakeway! Go LT Football! CBH reunions are so much fun! Abbie is in Debate -- she has to wear a dress! Kait built a roller coaster -- very fitting for a teenage girl! I played with Rocky!

We hope you had a great 2015 and are wishing you a Fantabulous 2016! May God Bless You!

Love, Breck & Co.

Keepin' it Real

Hi,

I just missed a Webinar I had TOTALLY planned my week around because I didn't realize it was supposed to start at 6:30 EASTERN. Yes, this organization is headquartered back East -- you think I would have picked up on that. Not so much. 

Kaitlyn scored another soccer goal this weekend -- for our opponent. Our goalie is out with an injury, and all the girls are taking a turn in the goal. It was her first time in the goal in well over two years. Bless it. 

But here's the deal.... The sun is shining on the tree outside my window, Breck hasn't called the cops in awhile (knock on wood), I'm sure there will be other Webinars in the future, and Kait doesn't have to play in goal again for a while (maybe ever.)  

If you read my blog in February (FEBRUARY!), you know I've been following the Trim Healthy Mama plan; and I wanted to give you an update. 

I've been following this plan since January 9, and it has made a HUGE difference for me. While there are some pretty incredible testimonies on the Trim Healthy Mama Facebook page, the progress around here is quite a bit slower in terms of the scale. I've lost about 10 pounds since Christmas, but the last two were at the rate of about a pound a month -- not what people usually brag about at work. 

BUT I'm good with that. I've done the way quick slim-down before AND that didn't exactly work long-term.  At this rate I'm hoping to reach my goal weight about the time Kait goes to college, but I keep telling myself it's not the weight part that matters as much as the HEALTHY part. 

This has been a long road for me, but when I look back to a year ago I'm a completely different person.  A year ago, I didn't realize it but I was suffering from severe anemia. I wasn't sleeping well, was exhausted all the time, and had a lot of other quirky things going on. We got that under control, but I still had room for improvement. 

With Trim Healthy Mama I have cut ALL sugar and bad carbs out of my diet. They really don't appeal that much to me any more. On STAAR test day there was an awesome dessert spread in the Teacher's Lounge. I didn't eat a single cookie or cupcake -- was loving the fresh berries instead. 

I've been walking a lot -- until last night when I tripped over Jake in the dark and stubbed / jammed / broke my toe / foot. (Jury is still out on this one.) A year ago I didn't have the energy to walk. 

We really are loving the FRESH meals we are eating. I wanted to share this recipe for Avocado Ranch Dip. If you know Abbie, you know this has been a life-changing HEALTHY option for her!

Avocado Ranch Dip

1 cup Duke's Mayo (No other brand compares, and this one is sugar-free.)

1/2 cup Greek Yogurt

1 Avocado (Peeled and seeded, obviously.

1 tsp. Sea Salt

1/4 tsp. Black Pepper

3/4 tsp. Garlic

1 1/2 tsp. Onion Powder

1 1/2 tsp. Dried Parsley

1/4 tsp. Paprika

Optional: 1 Large Jalapeno, Stem end cut off.

Throw it all in the blender and give it a whirl. Store in your favorite plastic container.  It stays yummy for up to 2 weeks, but never lasts that long around here.  ENJOY!