What the... Hinze

Happy Turkey Day!

2008-11-27T11:19:00.001-06:00

Thats it... Be safe have fun and root for the Horns! (In case you did not know, my Utes have already taken care of business.)

This is all about Benson (but whats new about that?)

2008-11-02T14:39:00.007-06:00

Random Pics

2008-09-27T08:41:00.006-06:00

Sisters

Cousins

Benson in action

Ole # 57

For those of you following at home...

2008-09-07T18:46:00.010-06:00

It was quite a summer. If you have been following, you know that Benson played baseball for the incoming freshman summer team, participated in speed camp for football, and mowed a bunch of lawns. You will also know that Natalie spent a couple of weeks in the NW with Grum and Grump, aunties, uncles, and cuzzies. Madi and Xander hung with Chrissta and the gang at pools, amusement parks and general summer fun - and Chrissta was the Stake Young Women's Camp director, found time to find a job and be a great mom. You will also know that I worked too much. Since that time, well here are the photos:

We went to Corpus Christi for the weekend as a whole family.

Played in the sand:

Saw a 'pirate' ship.

It was a great time, we all played at the beach, and laughed and had a great time. (I even left the cell phone at home.) It was so fun to do something as a family. But as most things that are fun, it was over too soon and it was time for school to start:

Xander started kindergarten at GOE (Great Oaks Elementary)

Madi Started 5th grade at GOE

Natalie started 7th at Cedar Valley Middle School

Benson started Seminary (Notice the nice outfit for the first day - but hey he went.) and his first day of High School at McNeil - he showered and changed for school

And Chrissta started her new job!

Benson Started Football (#57)

and was one of the Captian's for the first game.

Other than that not too much has been going on, except that there have been some new chruch callings issued, lots of laughter and the college football season has started - Life is good.

"Raise your hand if you miss Natalie?"

2008-08-07T08:04:00.003-06:00

Natalie got on a plane on the morning of the Fourth of July. She hadn't flown since she was 3 and never alone. She was a little nervous, but I was so proud of her for her bravery! She flew into Portland, Oregon so she could spend a week there with my parents and two of my sisters. The following Friday she hopped a train with our friend Carla and headed to Seattle where she spent 2 1/2 weeks hanging out with my sisters up there. She played with her cuzzies, held her new baby cuzzie and bonded with her Aunties and Uncles. When I asked her on a scale of 1 to 10 how her time in Seattle was she said "4792". Okay, I guess that means she enjoyed it. She headed back to Oregon with my folks and is there until Monday when she will get on a plane with previously mentioned friend Carla and come home. Last night we were in the car and Xander said, "Raise your hand if you miss Natalie!" It was a unanimous vote. 5+ weeks is a long time. I know she has had a great time! I am glad she got some one-on-one with our family far away! But we have missed her and are anxious for Monday to arrive and bring Natalie with her! Natalie got to go to the zoo with her cuzzies: Finn(2), Amara(7), and Sully(5).

Here she is at Pike Street Market with Aunt Lisa, Aunt Annie, Uncle Kevin, Baby Clark (in the sling), Aunt Jeni, Grandma, Amara, Sully and Finn.

A summer of Maverick Baseball

2008-08-01T13:59:00.005-06:00

This summer we have watched hours and hours of baseball. Benson has been playing on the incoming Freshman team for his high school. They played sometimes 4 and 5 games a week. It was so fun for us to watch! And he learned a lot about the game.

He played first base and right field.

He was a great hitter for his team. Can't give you any stats. Didn't take any even though I should have. But he had lots of hits and RBIs.

Hey Batta, Batta, Batta...swing batta!

It was a team of really fun guys. The coaches were a father and son duo. Good guys!

So many things to talk about!!

2008-07-08T15:06:00.009-06:00

After a proper tongue lashing from my sister, Brandi, I have decided to take some time to update the blog. Let me apologize to all of you who faithfully check up on the Hinze family by visiting this blog spot. I have been knee deep in Stake Girl's Camp preparations and so have spent many hours on my computer, but not blogging. So this will be a bit of a catch up for the last month plus.

So, Josh's brother, David, graduated from Round Rock High School on May 31st. It was indeed Xander's Birthday but we were happy to share the day with such a great guy. Here are the three coolest brothers ever: David, Joshua and Devin.

For Xander's birthday we asked him what he wanted to do. It was no surprise he chose to go to Cabela's, his favorite place. We looked at all the taxidermy, furnishings, tents, etc. It was a great day!! He chose to hit McDonald's on the way home for some time in the play land. It was a great 5 year old day!!

We had a birthday party for him at the mall and took a bunch of his friends to Inflatable Wonderland. We had a blast jumping for hours!! He asked for a Ben 10 cake. I made a Omnitrix cake. Can you even tell which one is the cake??

I don't know if you know this, but it is HOT up in here!! We decided to buy a little pool for the back yard this year so Xander could swim whenever he wanted and we wouldn't even have to get in the car. He spends hours out there. Phoenix came over and we had an impromptu swim. Suits not required, just some boxer briefs!!

On the fourth of July I decided to play catch with my handsome son. We were having a great time, until a wild ball was thrown my way. My reflexes aren't what they used to be and so I missed with the glove and caught the ball with my shin. Originally we were told that I had a fractured tibia. But upon visiting the orthopaedist we found that it is "a mere flesh wound". A deep flesh wound, but I will be okay! I always knew I would survive. I am strong and can take it baby!! This photo does not do the bruise justice, but it is pretty ugly. Crutches are lame and so my arms hurt a little too, but this too shall pass. I really miss being able to do what ever I want or need to do when I want or need to do it. But hey, it gives me time to update the blog! Lucky!!

The biggest bummer to this whole injury thing is that Natalie, my BEST HELPER is away. She is vacationing in the NW with her Grandparents, Aunties and Uncles and cousins. We miss her! But I am really glad she is there. This gives the other kids the chance to be BIG HELPS!! We miss her but we sure want her to have a big dang blast!! Love you sister!!

Happy, Happy Birthday Xander-Man

2008-05-31T08:42:00.006-06:00

Is it really possible for Xander to be 5? Could it really have been 5 years ago that we brought that little guy into this world? It has been an amazing 5 years! Knowing all along that he was our last I have taken lots of time to hold him, follow him around, do things I didn't have time to do with the others when they were little. Yep. Today Xander is 5 and he is a joy! And I will enjoy him today and everyday!

The Birthday dude made it real clear that on your birthday you get breakfast in bed. He ordered Lucky Charms. A great start to a great day!!

Dang! I have a lot to catch you up on.

2008-05-26T19:18:00.014-06:00

It has been nearly 6 week since I last updated this blog or my personal one. Lots of fun things have happened in our house since April 5th. Where should I start?

Somewhere around the 17th of April Xander and I witnessed a most extraordinary event. We went to see The Wizard of Oz...performed live on stage...at the School for the Blind and Visually Impaired. It was so awesome!! We absolutely loved it! Xander loves the Wizard of Oz and I thought this would be a cool way for him to learn about disabilities and limitations and pressing on through them. It was super fun! And they were great!

I have been doing a cooperative preschool with Xander the last couple of years. 6 kids rotate in the homes of each of the students where in the mom of each student teaches. Good times and very entertaining! Our last field trip was a trip to a ceramics shop where Xander painted a very cool green horse. Gotta love the free thinking. He is definitely not inhibited my colors of realism.

This is a frame of a very funny video that would not up load. I will work on it, but let me tell you about it. My first born, a very handsome young gent, turned 14 on the day this video was taken. We went to dinner with our friends the Smiths (Jill, Stan, Sam and Paul) at the Texas Roadhouse. Jill graciously mentioned is was Benson's birthday before she realized what would happen to him. Just as we were preparing to pay the bill an head to the movie "Iron Man" they rolled out a saddle, had him climb on and proceeded to petition the other restaurant patrons to join us in wishing him a Texas Birthday with a big YEE HAA! It was good fun!

I can hardly believe it has been 14 years that we have had this guy. He was one amazing kid! We are looking forward to spending the first half of our summer watching him play baseball for the McNeil High School Incoming Freshman Baseball team.

On the evening of Benson's Birthday we first attended Natalie's Spring Spectacular dance performance. There is a video of that too that won't up load (check back). Here is her costume. They danced to Billy Joel's "Still Rock and Roll to Me" (which brought back a flood of memories of me, my brother Josh, and friend Kyle Cousins, playing rock band as kids in the back yard with white bucket drums and tennis racket guitars. Our other favorite song to perform was "We are the Champions" by Queen). She is a great dancer and it was super fun to watch her!

On May 15th we celebrated her 12th Birthday. What the heck???? How is this possible? We had a super fun birthday party on Friday night with 15 of her closest friends. She wanted to invited 30, but we had to reign her in. We had pizza, made movies, sang, ate candy and popcorn to watch said movies, jumped on the trampoline, and so on. We had a blast!

I don't remember where we had been but Xander fell asleep in the car. I brought him in and he sat down at the bottom of the stairs, to take off his shoes as usual, I thought. When I came back he had gone back to sleep right there.

Here is Xander with his diploma, graduating from BusyBeePreschool.

Here are all his BusyBee friends:Matthew, Ethan, Xman, Audrey, Marion and Lauren.

And all the BusyBee teachers and my friends:(back row): Debra, Jackie, Kristen; (front row):Audrey, Stacey and me.

This week we will celebrate Xander's 5th birthday...5!! In the fall Benson will start High School and Xander will start Kindergarten. What the heck??? Are you kidding me? I am not old enough for this!!

Xander was a race car driver

2008-04-05T17:15:00.003-06:00

Xander wanted to go to Phoenix's house to drive his corvette the other day. We laughed for 45 minutes. Great times! Thanks for sharing your car Phoenix!

I have some catching up to do!

2008-04-05T16:37:00.006-06:00

Spring break was the week of March 10th this year, and lucky for us Josh took 3 days off that week so we could do some fun family stuff. One of the things we did was go to the Waco Zoo with our friends the Steeds and the Cummings. It was great because each of the kids had a buddy their own age and the folks even had some friends too. It was a great trip. The zoo is only a little over an hour away from our house and the perfect size. Xander thought it was too long. We were about 45 mins. up the road when Xander asked, "Are we at the zoo yet?" which was apparently a rhetorical question because he answered himself with the exuberant exclamation, "No we're not!" He definitely has not had enough trips in the car of any great distance.

Here are Xander and Jackson enjoying the giraffes!

Madison and Megan are always happy to pose for the camera.

I got to go with Madi on the 4th grade field trip to the Alamo. This is my third time to attend this field trip since I went with both Benson and Natalie when they were in the 4th grade and had the Amazing Ms. Adams for a teacher. We loaded up on the buses at 7 a.m. and headed to San Antonio. The longest part of the bus ride is getting through Austin's morning commuter traffic. We started our day at the Institute of Texas Cultures. It is a really great place that highlights all the different cultures that came and settled in Texas. Super fun place! We ate lunch there and then headed to the IMAX theater where we watched the movie "The Alamo" on that huge screen. Great show! We finished off at the Alamo itself looking at the fort, artifacts, historical documents and memorials. We hopped on the bus just before 4 and arrived back at the school around 6:30p.m. What a day! What a blast! We love those "being there experiences".

Madi and her buddy Carson. They have been in the same class several times since Kindergarten.

Xander attended Kindergarten Kickoff this week. We went to Great Oaks Elementary where the kids have been attending since the fall of '03, right after he was born. He has literally grown up there, especially since I have been doing PTA the last two years. He has roamed the halls of that school in a stroller, as he learned to walk, as he has grown to be old enough to be a student himself. His biggest fans on earth work there in the office. Miss Ruth, one of his favorite ladies, has promised she will not retire until her finishes grade 5. (She still won't be old enough to retire then.) He had a great time taking a tour of the Kinder hall which he could have guided, and meeting new friends. And he was so excited to get his new spirit shirt which is his favorite color!! Hard to believe he is old enough to go through the preparatory steps of attending Kindergarten. Harder to believe we are going through similar steps for Benson to start HIGH SCHOOL! Heaven help us!!

Zilker Park, Austin, Texas

2008-03-10T22:24:00.002-06:00

On Saturday we decided to take our friend Larry, visiting from Oregon, to one of the coolest places in Austin...Zilker Park. This place is acres and acres of beauty and all kinds of fun. Here you can see Benson diving into the Barton Springs Pool (water is 68* year round). The guys wanted to ride the long boards around the park and hit the pool. Xander and the girls wanted to throw rocks in the river and frolic on the massive play scape. They also have a very cool little train called the Zilker Zephyr. We didn't ride it this time, since we did last time we were there just a couple of weeks ago.

Xander and Madison loved throwing rocks in the water.

Xander begged me to let him swim in his underwear. And his argument was strong enough to convince me to let him do it.

Natalie slipped on the algae covered rocks and got a wet bum.

Even Xander bombed the hills at the park.

It was an amazing day, cloudless and temp in the high 60's. We had a blast and we vowed to find ourselves there more often.

Has it really been 10 years?

2008-02-27T23:13:00.003-06:00

Yep! Ten years ago today I survived a very short labor in order to bring one Madison Jane Hinze into this crazy world! She is something else. We just got home from a fairly lengthy shopping excursion. Tomorrow I will post a picture of her looking all grown up and lovely. I am so blessed to have these kids. Sometimes I think they will drive me crazy. But most days I just love being their mom! Happy Birthday Madi!

Quite the eventful week!

2008-02-08T17:35:00.000-06:00

I should have known when Eli Manning broke those 4 or 5 tackles and threw that amazing pass recieved by David Tyree with an unbelievable catch, ball trapped between helmet and hand, to win the super bowl in the last minute, that this would be a week worth remembering.

It started with watching the press conference on Monday where the new First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints was announced. I loved watching the Giants of men be exactly that, men. Human in every sense of the word, sometimes grasping for words, not perfectly polished, but undoubtedly called of God. I loved to hear them talk of the importance of education, a world wide church reaching to every culture, all the questions the media had to ask. I love to know that they are human, but with a unique mantle and a keys that no one else has that make them men of God.

That night Josh and I went to watch Benson play his last home basketball game. It was early in the second quarter when the man he was defending jumped and and reared his head which land squarely in the middle of Benson's face. The blood sprang instantly, I could see he was dizzy and off he went to the locker room. He was followed by a coach, who was followed by Dad, who was followed by a trainer for the high school athletics department who was there watching his son play. I sat calmly, not wanting to over react. He came back at half time, ready to go back in the game. The coach and trainer agreed that the nose was most likely broken. He came home and took a generous dose of Motrin.

The next day we called the pediatrician who sent us for x-rays and made us an appointment for later that afternoon. The picture was pretty clear. Even Benson and I could see the break in the pictures the tech handed us. When the pediatrician got the films they called and said, "We can't do anything for you. You'll have to see an ENT." Oh dear! That sounds fun! And so we are headed there on Monday morning to get the scoop.

These photos were taken today, Friday, four days post injury. He didn't get the raccoon eyes we thought he might, but you can see the bruising on the inside of the eye sockets has started into the green/yellow phase.

It is hard to tell in the pictures but his once perfect nose is now a little crooked. We just hope the septim isn't too deviated. So far he has broken his arm twice and now the nose. Just the beginning of a list in a very active young man's athletic history.

Don't have photos for our Tuesday, but the girls and I went to Hannah Montana in 3D with our friends Haley and Cathy Cumming. We had lots of fun! We rushed home to take Natalie to her first official Young Women's activity...New Beginnings. It is weird to think that in May she is officially headed into those youth years. Wow!

Wednesday night Xander and I went to the local high school production of Suessical the Musical.
It is a smattering of many of the Dr. Suess stories all rolled into one. He really enjoyed it, but was exhausted and ready to head home at intermission. He was asleep before we got home.

Thursday evening I lived out a childhood dream, thanks to my little sister Tara and brother-in-law Byron. Since I was about 8 years old I have wanted to see the Harlem Globe Trotters. Tara and I had talked about that dream and so she surprised me with tickets as an early birthday present. It was so fun!! We laughed our butts off! I felt like a 10 year old kid. And my jaw hurt from smiling for two hours straight. It was all I thought it would be! I absolutely loved it! Thanks again guys!

Tomorrow night Josh, Benson and I are going with our friends Jill, Stan and Sam to see U2 in 3D at the IMAX theater. We are big fans! Josh has every cd they have put out I think. Benson has been listening to them since he was in utero. It will be such fun!

I am excited for next week to come so I can be home every evening, but this crazy week has been a great one. We are very blessed! Life is good!

Did you say Pecan Pie Cheescake????

2008-02-04T20:15:00.000-06:00

Recently we had Uncle Kyle over to celebrate his birthday. We made his favorite dinner, Shepherd's Pie, and a new fabulous dessert. He said his favorite dessert was Pecan Pie, but many times when we have been to his house there is a cheesecake present. Hmmm.....my brain started churning. I thought to myself, "Self, I wonder if there is a recipe on line for some sort of Pecan Pie/Cheesecake combo?" And so off to Google I went. And sure enough, there were several. I chose this one, and I must say, it got rave reviews. Try it and let me know what you think!

Pecan Pie Cheesecake

Crust
1 & 3/4 cups vanilla wafer crumbs
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted
Preheat oven to 350°. Combine wafer crumbs and brown sugar. Stir in melted butter. Press into bottom and up sides of a 9″ springform pan. Bake for 6 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Pecan Filling
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup dark corn syrup
1/3 cup butter, melted
2 eggs
1 & 1/2 cups chopped pecans
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer until thickened, about 8-10 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour into crust and set aside.
Cheesecake Filling
3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 & 1/4 cups firmly packed brown sugar
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 eggs
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Reduce oven to 325°. With a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat cream cheese at medium speed until creamy. Add brown sugar and flour and beat until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each one. Stir in cream and vanilla. Pour over pecan filling. Bake for 1 hour. Turn off oven and leave cheesecake in oven with the door closed for 1 hour. Remove from oven and run a knife along the outside edges to loosen cheesecake from sides of pan. Let cool. Chill for at least 4 hours before serving.

Also, for the local Blog readers, the bread is at the Mrs. Baird's Bread store in Round Rock by the Academy, Big Lots! (of crap) and Pluckers Wing Bar (just off the IH-35 frontage road between Louis Henna and McNeil Rd.)

Humpty Dumpty Sat on a Wall

2008-01-28T16:24:00.000-06:00

Today we took Madison to school and went into the office to see some of our favorite ladies. And Xander, in his all too unique fashion captivated them with a stimulating analysis of the classic Mother Goose Rhyme Humpty Dumpty. He asked such stirring questions as, "Why was Humpty sitting on that wall in the first place?" and how did he manage to fall off? "Maybe he just sat back to relax and fell off the back," he decided. And "what were the king's horses doing there?" He had these ladies, who were trying to run the office of a school with a thousand kids cornered and pondering such important questions as these. What a kid!

Now, another thing I need to celebrate: The Bread Store! I will admit to you that I make my kids eat whole wheat bread. And not the fake kind that has less than one gram of dietary fiber either. I am talking a minimum of 3 grams of dietary fiber a slice. Now, often this is associated with saw dust or particle board, but I have found this yummiest Country 100% Whole Wheat Bread made by Oroweat that is simply delightful. It is so soft and yummy you would swear you are eating white bread! (Well, almost!) Here is my dilemma. We make sandwiches for lunch almost everyday. And of course you gotta have toast once in a while. So at $3.59 a loaf that is killing my food budget! Well, my friend Jennifer was headed for the bread store the other day, which I knew existed but had never taken the time to visit, and she checked it out to see if they had our bread. Can you believe they did? And they sell it 4 loaves for $5!! 4 loaves for $5? Are you kidding me? I went and bought all they had today and put it in my freezer! I got 5 loaves for less than what I pay for 2. And the kicker, I got a free loaf on top of it all because I bought more than 4 items. I think I love the Bread Store!!

And one last thing: The passing of our prophet, Gordon Bitner Hinkley. This is an amazing man. I have had the privelege of being in the same room with him a handful of times in the last several years. I will tell you that he absolutely is a prophet of God. He has changed many lives. He has set an amazing example of love and acceptance and living life with true joy! I celebrate him today! I celebrate all he has done to bring many temples all over the world. I celebrate that he has done so much for bringing a positive and upbeat light on many things as the "mormons" contiue to be viewed as a peculiar people. I celebrate that today, he is holding hands again with his sweetheart and best friend Marjorie! I will miss hearing his words, but I know he is one even happier and more joyful man today!

S.P.O.T. (Students Performing On Target)

2008-01-17T09:04:00.000-06:00

At the kids' middle school they have a program called S.P.O.T. It is for kids who are working hard, are good citizens, using integrity, and working at their potential. Each teacher in the school chooses one of their students per semester and then there is an assembly and they take photos. (We pathetically forgot our camera so we don't have a photo to post here.)

Well, Mr. Benson was honored by his math teacher, Mrs. McKinney. This lady has been great for Benson this year! She has really helped him see and reach for his potential. I know that some of his 6th and 7th grade teachers were surprised to see him there. Not that he has been awful for anyone, but I think all of them could see his potential when he maybe didn't, and so he wasn't exactly "performing on target". Well, it was a proud moment for Mom and Dad! He is a great kid! We are blessed to have been sent him. Somedays I wonder if I am the Mom that can most effectively help him reach his potential, but I will give it my all!

Way to go B! We are very proud of you and we love you so much!!

7,6,5,4,3,2,1....Happy New Year!!!

2008-01-06T22:44:00.000-06:00

I don't have pictures because of course I forgot my camera, but wanted to tell you a little about our New Year's Eve. Natalie, Madison, a friend for each and Xander hung out at home with Grandma. Natalie spent her own money on napkins, plates, a table cloth and some junk food. They watched some fun movies and danced the New Year in with Grandma cheering them on the whole time. Xander was up until 1:30am the girls just after 2. Wow! They were amazing!

Josh, Chrissta and Benson headed to our friends the Smith's to ring in the New Year. They have a son just a year older than Benson and so they had fun together. Also, our friends Darren and Karen Hyatt and their daughter Taylor and her friend Ali were there. We enjoyed panini's with my new panini press (thanks Uncle Kyle), veggies, and snacks of all kinds. We had a tournament of games. We shot pool and free throws, played Guitar Hero and Singstar, board games Apples to Apples and Scattergorries, and threw darts. After each event we were rated from 1-10 and awarded points accordingly. Stan and Jill, our extraordinary host and hostess, even gave out prizes. I won a movie gift card and some movie candy (which I used the next day when Jill and I and our friend Lynn went to see "Juno"). WOW!! What an event. We rolled in about
3 a.m. Haven't done that since the last chick movie night where we saw Becoming Jane and then went to "breakfast". Josh and Benson got up at 9 on New Year's day and went swimming in Barton Springs, an outdoor swimming area that is part of the Colorado River. They loved it and want it to be a new family tradition...the jury is still deliberating on that idea. Xander, on the other hand didn't roll out of bed until 11:30. Sweet!

It is a good time to celebrate the year past and look forward to what lies ahead. Oh yeah, and kick it up a notch or two with some new goals. Happy New Year Y'all!!

All is Merry and Bright!

2007-12-24T21:55:00.000-06:00

I consider myself the "Anti-Martha"{Stewart}.I have nothing against her. In fact I think she found her sense of humor while incarcerated. She has talents without number, more than the sands of the sea. I, however, have none of them! I don't iron my sheets. I don't have a garden of Eden in my handmade kitchen window box. I don't have candles in decoratively cut paper bags lining my driveway. There is no turkey sitting in a 24 hour brine bath in preparation for a huge Christmas dinner. And once again my Christmas cards did not get sent to all the people I love the most (or even to anyone I don't like that much.) I also probably won't send out many hand written thank you cards for all the wonderful gifts I have received from kind and generous friends and family. (Please accept my apologies in advance.)

However, I did want to write a few thoughts as well as attach this picture Uncle Kyle took of us Sunday after church. It was the only time in a while all of our hair was combed and clothes pressed at the same time. Carpe Diem!

Just in case anyone wonders, the Hinze family is Christian. We celebrate, this time of year, the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We rejoice in His birth, His life, His atonement, His crucifixion and His resurrection. We celebrate the fact that we are an eternal family, and that we will be together forever, even after this life. We strive to live like He did: loving and serving others. To you, our friends and family we wish you a Merry Christmas and a new year full of joy, prosperity and peace! Not just peace in this tumultuous world we live in, but true peace in your hearts. The peace that comes from knowing who you are, knowing you are loved by that Jesus spoken of, and living true to that knowledge. We love you all!

Sister, Sisters, there were never such devoted sisters!

2007-12-13T08:48:00.000-06:00

Xander, Brandi, Chrissta and Jeni

Somehow this picture that includes Jeni was left off my post about visitors from Seattle. Thanks to a conversation with my friend Kristen I realized I neglected to add this photo to the others. Not a great picture of any of us and our 7 chins, but wanted it up here anyway.

Brandi, Chrissta, Tara

I wanted to put this one up again cuz we actually don't look hideous!

I have cool sisters! Sure love you gals!

Zion Storm Morgan

2007-12-10T00:00:00.000-06:00

On November 16, 2007 Mr. Zion Storm Morgan, our newest nephew was born to my sister Tara and husband Byron. He is a cute bug! We love him!

Grandpa Steve and Grandma Gwen

2007-12-09T08:40:00.001-06:00

We had some other special visitors recently. Grandpa Steve (Josh's Dad) and Grandma Gwen came to visit. They went to Cabela's with Xander and Josh, Christmas shopped with Natalie and Benson, we all enjoyed some yummy TexMex at Chuy's and of course BarBQ at Rudy's. They got to see Benson play Basketball and of course brought the kids their Christmas Advent Calendars they give them every year! It was great to see them. Ironically they came the same time Brandi and Eric came so we were sharing our time between them, but we had a great time none the less.

Visitors From Seattle

2007-12-09T08:15:00.000-06:00

My sister Brandi and her family (husband Eric, kids Amara, Sullivan and Finnigan) came for

2 1/2 weeks. It was amazing! I stayed up later than usual and we talked and talked. The kids wore out the trampoline. The cousins absolutely loved each other. Fun was had by all. Enjoy some of my pictures from this FANTASTIC visit! In the beginning my sister Jeni was here too. What a blast!

District Champs Again!!

2007-11-09T09:36:00.000-06:00

Once again Benson's football team went undeafeted this year and have been crowned District Champs!! It has been so fun to watch him play (#65 left side front row) and see them all improve. They were good last year, but they improved so much. My prediction is that in about three years when these guys are juniors in High School we will be traveling to state tournaments. Way to go Jags!!

Halloween

2007-11-09T09:28:00.000-06:00

Xander's favorite holiday is Halloween. Infact he loves it so much he couldn't decide what to be. For the church party he was Harry Potter, for the library party he was a witch and for the actual Trick-or-Treating he was Obi won Kinobe (not sure if I spelled that correctly) with his cousin Phoenix as Superman. Madison chose to go as a black cat. Natalie was Tracey from the movie Hairspray. Benson dressed as Roger Clemens as an Houston Astro. Way too much candy came home! But fun was had by all!

My Little Ladies

2007-10-28T14:52:00.000-06:00

So this year Natalie and Madi have been playing Volley Ball. This is actually Natalie's 2nd time and Madi's First. They are both doing great. They both have fantastic coaches and are both making great friends on their respective teams.

Here she is in back row... waiting for the ball to get there.

Taking her turn sitting on the bench. The league every one plays the same amount.

Madi and a friend after the game eating a treat. She has gotten very good also. It is amazing to me how fast all these kids learn so fast and improve weekly. (sorry there aren't more Madi photos, its a little dark in the gym and its hard to get a good shot...

I know that this was supposed to be about the girls but one of the parents from Benson's football team posts highlights here these are great, follow the video link at the top of the page. Enjoy, its from the whole year and the last game of the season last year. B is number 65, watch for him.

http://theosports.com/

Texas State Fair

2007-10-28T13:58:00.000-06:00

Last week end Chrissta and I needed a break. We have both been very busy with all the various activities we are involved with. (To be honest, I just work, Chrissta has a lot more to do than I.) May I just say that I am so proud of her and all that she is active with. Most days she is out the door to the gym or to a run by 5:30 AM then home by 7:00 to make sure everyone is dressed, eating breakfast, has a lunch, all the school stuff is ready then drives them to school.

Then she usually has some PTA, Camp or some other committee she is serving on or other folks in the community and the church she is serving, meeting emails to read, send and respond to. (Not to mention all the folks she corresponds with and all the forwards she needs to manage.) Then there is Xander duty. He is not into getting into stuff but he is very creative and like to do art projects and go on adventures. It keep Chrissta busy with all his stuff, besides all the errands she has to keep the family going. Did I mentions every couple of weeks she teaches the co-op preschool Xander is a part of?

Then there is what I call the bewitching hours - the time between the kids getting home from school, and dinner. There is 4th, 6th and 8th grade homework, and getting dinner ready and preparing for all the activities we have during the week. Football games, volley ball practices, activity days, mutual, ladies nights, and whatever else there is.

She does this with out complaint or pay or much help from me. I am at work and I work too late and do have some travel. I love this girl... What an ultimate example to our kids. I am often "Oh you must be Chrissta's Husband" and I am fine with that...

Any way back to the original reason for my post... We decided that we would go to Fort Worth on Thursday afternoon, the Utes were playing TCU and it was the final week of the Texas state fair. So off we went to re-live some of the things we enjoyed when we were a few years younger and things were a little less complicated. (We left the kids with friends and family - thanks to all who helped out!)

The weekend started out great, the Utes won.. we loved sitting with our fellow red clad brothers and sisters cheering on our beloved Utes. We got a room in Fort Worth thanks to a friend in the hotel business. The next day we got up and went to the Texas State Fair in Dallas. I think it was more for me than for Chrissta. I wanted to go and see all the cool stuff and try some of world famous corn dogs and other fried delicious foods. We had original Fletchers Corny Dogs, fried cookie dough, fried pickles, and onion slices. Not to mention swollen fingers and the need for lots of water. What a great time. Not so much the fair, we decided that fairs haven't changed that much since 1982... People selling the same stuff, the same things on the midway. Only prices changed - 14.00 to get in 4.00 per Corny dog well you get it... We did get some photos of Big Tex and one of the many Fletchers....

We did have fun together and that is what counts. The time we spent together taking time for ourselves as a couple was great, and refreshing. Again. I LOVE THIS GIRL!

Xander, Mia, Madi and a Birthday

2007-10-04T08:11:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was our brother-in-law Reagan's birthday. This, of course called for dinner at Rudy's!
Here are some photos of Xander and his cousin Mia. They are such good buddies! They love to play together ang get along famously!

You may also notice Madi's lovely and grown up hair cut. Her friend's mom did an amazing job. It is as cute as can be and she loves it!

Sports are back

2007-09-18T20:23:00.000-06:00

Many readers of this blog may know that I love me some fall sports. Lets be honest its really the only time the MLB is any fun to watch or really means anything. Especially when the Yankees are in the hunt. (Sorry to all you Mariner fans, looks like another year of not making the playoffs.) Pro-baseball has way too long of a season and its really only a filler between the NBA finals and the beginning of the sport of kings - College Football. It got so bad this summer I actually found myself watching soccer and enjoying it. I am all for little league and such but come on MLB is way too long and there are too many roid users.

Enough about that. Today Benson (65) had his first football game of the season. He is the starting right guard (offence) for the 8th grade A team. I never knew how fun it was to watch linemen play. That is where the game is won. He must have done a great job, as we won 30 - 0. He played in the first half, then they took the starters out and he mostly watched the rest of the game. Here are a few pics:

They warmed up on a very soggy track, so their behinds are a bit red. The game was at Round Rock High School Stadium. Yes that's turf, they don't mess around here...

After the game muggin for the camera.

Right after we moved here Benson decided to play soccer, this is a friend that was on a couple of his soccer teams when they were in first and second grade. Now they are in Jr. High together and are on the same team again.

Obviously the Ceder Vally Jags are my favorite team, but right behind the Utes (nice job this weekend against UCLA) and anyone who plays against BYU are the Texas Longhorns my adopted team of choice. Here are a few pictures from the UT v. TCU game. A friend is a season ticket holder and invited me along. His seats are 3 rows from the top, and there were about 84000 people there very impressive. They also have the largest High Def Screen in the NCAA.

High School Football in Texas

2007-09-16T19:45:00.000-06:00

We are gearing up for Benson's first football game this week. And so to get in the spirit of it all we attended the first home game for the high school he will attend and play football and baseball for. High School football in Texas is something else. We sit in this stadium that is amazing!! And we watch these kids that are athletic beyond reason. Friday night's game was so exciting! My heart was pounding, I was shaking, my hands were all clammy and my son wasn't even on the field. At half time our team was down 7 to 17. And with 12.7 seconds left in the game we were ahead 34 to 30. It was amazing! The final play of the game by our opposition almost did us in if it weren't for the star of the team bringing down the ball carrier. It was so fun! Can't wait until Tuesday night when I can watch my boy play.

My Poem

2007-09-05T19:01:00.000-06:00

This was for an assignment in language arts. My dad made me post this.

Baseball Game

The cool brisk air blowing against my face

As I step up to the plate

and the pitch......."BALL" yelled the ump.

I step out of the box to look for the sign

Nose, ear, belt, ear, belt, hat, ear, OK i think swing away

As I step back in i get ready to swing away.

My grip tightens as i take a deep breath

The pitch comes but the Ball breaks

"Ball" yelled the ump again.

I step out of the box and try to relax

My coach just yelled "again" when your ready

As I stepped into the box the pitch came automatically.

"Oh, no" a curve ball "strike" yelled the ump

My coach just yelled "do it again big Ben"

I stayed in the box and hit the ball

"HOME RUN" the ball goes soring.

Just FYI

2007-09-05T10:43:00.000-06:00

Many blogs out there are "two way" communication vehicles...that's cool! Josh and I decided to make our blog simply an "information out to you" kind of a blog and so we removed the option for people to leave comments. So enjoy the info and know that we love you all!

Xander the Busy Bee Boy

2007-09-05T10:30:00.000-06:00

Xander is a Busy Bee. No that doesn't mean he is nosey. It is the name of the preschool group we participate in. Today was his first day back this fall and he was so excited and happy! Nearly every day without fail this summer he would ask me if it was a school day. He really enjoys his friends, learning letters and number, etc. He is quite a kid!

Chrissta

2007-09-04T19:20:00.000-06:00

I am here to tell the world that I love this girl. She is the most amazing woman, friend and a great example. We have grown a lot together. We have been married for more than 15 years, and she has helped me mature and grow as a person. Love you babe....

Fall Colors

2007-09-01T16:18:00.000-06:00

Oh I love the fall! I didn't used to feel that way. For several years I associated the fall with morning sickness as three of the four kids I have were born in May. If you count back, you will see that September, October and November were weeks 6-18 and that is when I was the sickest. But now I have a whole new set of memories to replace the old ones and now I love the fall! It is not only playoffs in the MLB, but also College Football Season. It is 5:20p.m. and kick off is at 6:00. We have been watching football for a few hours already, but the most important kick off is the LONGHORN kickoff. We've been in Texas for seven years now and it didn't take long for us to hop on the Longhorn Fan Wagon and hold on for dear life. It is a kick around here! I'd like to know what percentage of people wear "Longhorn memorabilia" on a game day. Every where you go there are fans of every age floating about with the face of Euphoria. If you have ever been here in the fall you know that the leaves don't change colors and the air is anything but crisp and cool. But football is in the air, burnt orange is everywhere and life is good!!

I love this place! I love the weather! I love the schools! I love the people! I love the football! This is home!

Back to School

2007-08-29T21:01:00.001-06:00

Madi is in the 4th grade and has Mrs Adams. B and Nat had her as well. She is great we are so glad that Madi was able to get her...

Up the ramp to the new class room.

Cpt Jack, to those familiar with him, Xander is often in character... This was not from the the back to school day but I could not resist.

So here he is with his 'summer hat', Mom and Madi, in Madi's class room.

Nat is in Middle School this year, 6th grade. She has most of the same teachers B had.

There she goes...

B is in the 8th grade, football has started and I guess he will smile next time... RIGHT...

We need to buy a cow...

Where have the Hinze been?

2007-08-22T17:18:00.000-06:00

Well it has been an exciting summer to say the least. Sometimes we felt as though we were the Hiltons instead of the Hinze... Thanks to you all for visiting.

School is soon to start, and none too soon. The mama is ready the kids are ready and Xander is ready to have the house to himself. Stay tuned for more, I am sure there will be first day of school pictures a plenty.

See ya in a few....

One Short Day

2007-06-08T22:45:00.001-06:00

Xander Defying Gravity

2007-06-08T21:02:00.000-06:00

Xander doing more

Happenings

2007-05-20T11:05:00.000-06:00

It has been a while since we have put anything up so I thought I would give, ya'll an update.

Chrissta:

Camp, PTA, Kids, Kids, Kids, PTA, Camp, Kids, PTA, Kids you get the picture. Yet she finds time to exercise daily, and still finds time for me. Truly an amazing woman!

Benson:

The Blue Jays had a tournament last week. They won the first game, they beat the number 4 team. They lost the second game now their season has ended. Benson had a rough go at batting, but played well. Rumor has it that a couple of the coaches are putting together a select team, and they want Benson to tryout. We will keep you posted.

Natalie:

She turned 11 this past week, we went to dinner, and then shopping. She bought her first iPod, before you get too excited it is a shuffle, the small itty bitty one. She also played well in her volleyball games. She struggled a bit at the beginning of the season, but she is gaining in understanding and skill in the game.

Madison:

She has been quite the social butterfly this week (I wonder where she gets that?). It seems there is always a birthday party, friends house or somewhere to go. It is fun to watch her and Xander play. They are now asking to share a room...

Xander:

Graduated from Busy Bee Pre-School this week, had fun at a fun water park, fell asleep with his favorite umbrella, and generally had a good time. There are days when I wish I were 4...

Josh:

Worked and more work. I did enjoy one of my new favorite traditions, weekly breakfast with my sister. Chrissta and I also did some yard work and did manage to spend some time together...

Benson and Madison

2007-05-09T15:45:00.000-06:00

Oh my goodness! Looks like they are actually having fun! Here is Benson on his 13th Birthday with Madison. I love these kids!!

Blue Jays lose a squeaker

2007-05-09T08:31:00.000-06:00

The man was on third base most of the game on Tuesday. Unfortunately they lost 10-8. It was the first game he had an 0-for. He did have an RBI tho' and did not throw the bat. We'll take it! Tournament starts on Monday or Wednesday depending on their seed. Will keep you posted.

The Cat in the Hat

2007-05-09T08:26:00.000-06:00

Xander's latest character of choice is The Cat in the Hat. So Sunday for church he borrowed his dad's bow tie. Notice the straps that are meant to go around the neck had to be hanging down so it was just like the cat. This kid is something else. We would be hard pressed to find someone cuter! The sisters love him so!

Natalie does well.

2007-05-05T21:33:00.001-06:00

Natalie's Volleyball team had a good game today they won 2 matches today. She did a great job hustling and playing. Way to go Nat..

Jays Win,

2007-05-05T21:27:00.000-06:00

Benson's team won today, this was the first of the season. (There is one game left then a tournament, so we have at least two games left.)

Benson had a Double with a thrown bat, and a warning. Then a single without a thrown bat, and stole home. He also some how managed to half slide and try and stop on third and ended up doing something that looked like a John Travolta move. The batter had to take time to gain composure before he could hit.

We had a very nice complement about what a good, respectful and teachable player he is. Nice Job B.

Weather...

2007-05-03T23:28:00.001-06:00

Gotto love Texas weather, especially in May. This place is crazy this time of year. (I think Brandi can attest to that...) We have had a few inquiries about how we are doing in with all the weather we are having here. Well we are good. We see lots of tornado watches, and warnings and flash flood watches and warnings and all sorts of severe thunderstorm warnings those are really obvious at 4AM when the whole house shakes and the neighbors car alarms go off. There are some quite terrific storms here and I have to say I kind of like them. But so far so good nothing to report.

There are some things about the weather I don't care too much for:

When it is 12.3 billion degrees Celsius in August. I have to admit, I now have a car with AC so I am kind of looking forward to it.
When there are two ice days in the winter and no food in the HEB.
When it cools down to 98 at midnight in August.
Its September and 12.2598 billion degrees, AHHH so much cooler, makes football watching not so fun, sure I will still go watch...

But remember with the bad comes the good:

Trick - or - Treating in shorts
October football games are a very a pleasant 70 degree evening
No heating bill in the winter
We can cook out and wear shorts and flip flops at Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years.

So all this weather stuff got me thinking about some fun weather facts about where we live so here you go, don't be depressed, and by all means don't move here :-)

Ave high - 79

Ave low - 58

Ave annual rain fall - 32" (BTW Portland and Seattle are 37" and 36" respectively, it could make up the 5 inches if it wanted to in like 3 hours)

Sunny days/year - 300

Days above 80 - 189

Days above 90 - 111

# of days that dip below 45 - 88

# of days that dip below 32 - 19

Record for consecutive days above 100 - 41 (2000, for those of you keeping score that was the year we moved here)

Hottest recorded day - 112 (2000, see above, it was HOT)

Coldest Day - when BYU beat Utah in 2006 wait, when Texas lost to A&M in 2006, oh I mean it was actually -2 in 1949

I found all this stuff on the internet so it must be true!

Anyhoo we are all doing good and haven't seen OZ yet, much to Xander's dismay...

A whirlwind of busy!

2007-04-30T09:09:00.000-06:00

Whoa have we been busy this week! Have hardly had a chance to see my husband. He was out of town Thursday and Friday, and made it back just in time to run his head off for the PTA President. He is the best assistant ever! Saturday was our 3rd Annual Carnival at the school. We made a decent amount of money to help provide field trips, special books, supplies for teachers and so forth. This has been such a good experience this year I am doing it for one more. Yes, I am a big SUCKER!! Poor Josh!

Between PTA and planning girls camp I feel like I just run from meeting to meeting, but it is all for a good cause.

We have girls camp June 18-22 this year. My parents will be in town and so have offered to help with my kids. That is a big help to Josh! The kids are almost old enough to look after them selves, but it is better if there is someone else with them. Our theme for camp is "Are you Ready?" We are basing our whole week on the parable of the Ten Virgins. Funny thing is, I am so not ready. This is definitely for me!

Last week or so my sister put on her blog a list of their favorite things. I am going to copy her. I thought it was cool and gave me insight. So here you go:

Xander:

Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches
Eating Popsicles with Dad in the living room
Performing numbers from the musical "Wicked" on the coffee table
Dressing in character (Cat in the Hat, Willy Wonka, Elphaba)
Cheetos and chocolate (not together)
Busy Bee School

Madison:

Playing with friends
Corn nuts for snack
Swinging in the back yard
Carrots with ranch
Painting her nails and doing her hair
Disney tween show (Hannah Montana, Suite Life, High School Musical)

Natalie:

Her friends
Checking and forwarding email
Salad for lunch
Hugs
Crafts and scrap booking
Cooking (especially breakfast)

Benson:

Baseball, Baseball, Baseball
Playing Baseball
Watching Baseball
Buying Baseball Stuff
Gatorade
Guitar Hero I and II

Chrissta:

JOSH
Dates with Josh
Watching the kids play sports
Girls Camp
Morning Workouts with Jill
Hanging out at home with family and friends
email (it's a weird addiction)

Josh: (as perceived by Chrissta)

The Office, Heroes, Planet Earth
Helping people
Guitar Hero (not that he gets to play very often)
His wife (he says he really likes me)
Benson, Natalie, Madison, Xander
His cute new car

Well, that merely scratches the surface but gives you an idea about us.

Hopefully we will have some time to take more photos and get them up this week.

"Girl You Know It's True"

2007-04-23T21:29:00.000-06:00

There was a time in my life when I loved to listen to Milli Vanilli. Remeber these guys? Rob and Fab. Their careers were cut short because it was discovered that they were not actually singing, but lip synching. Well, anyway, I loved their music!! So many dances and doing the "running man". Well, in some passing conversation I mentioned to my friend, and ever inspiring work out partner, Jill Smith, that I loved their music and that someday I was going to buy their CD. Tonight we met to evaluate and set some new fitness goals and when we were all done she hands me this lovely Cornflower Blue gift bag with a cute floral/fern print. Inside was a picture of Xander and I she had taken one day when we had gone to a baseball game with her. It is very cute!! And then, nestled in the bottom of the bag was Milli Vanilli Greatest Hits! Are you kidding me?? How cool is that!!! Whenever I buy a gift I try and think about discussions I have had with a person, and try and remember something that I know they love or want but that you might not think of off the top of your own head. Do you know what I mean? Not just something you wondered around the mall looking and decided on, but something with real meaning or connection. Well, she nailed this one! I put it in my car and listened to it all three minutes back to my house, listening to just the first 30 seconds or so of about 6 songs. Each time a new one started I would smile so big, dance in the driver's seat and just giggle! I will enjoy this CD and will down load it on my way cute pink iPod Josh got me for our 15th Wedding Anniversary. Tonight I am grateful for music, and amazing husband, exercise, Milli Vanilli and a friend who truly listens and hears me!!

B-Rod

2007-04-21T21:46:00.000-06:00

Benson, AKA B-Rod, has taken to this baseball thing. It must come from his mom, as I do not have any skill in this area, word has it his grandpa Hinze was quite a player... I however, will watch any sport; I am good at watching baseball.

B-Rod was up 3 times today: First time, he swung and hit a roper to the right center fence for a double, I think he drove in two runs. However he has a habit of letting go of the bat emphatically, some folks might call it throwing, and it hit the ump in the leg... He was not too happy, and per league rules B-Rod got a warning, Next time he does it he's out the ump said...

Second time: he got a little behind in the count but finally he connected, it went about three feet, so essentially it was a bunt. (He did not throw the bat.) He out ran the throw to first and drove in another run. On the next hit he ran home safely, from first. By the time he rounded third he was really moving and made the catcher think twice about standing in front of home, (not to brag but he is about 180, 5' 8 ish and runs a 5.5 40). Nice bit of base running, he gets his cat like reflexes and speed from me I am sure.

Third time: time has run out for the game, they only have 90 min games, the score is tied, (BTW we have not won a game yet this year) and the bases are loaded with one out. The count is 2-1, Benson gets his pitch and puts it into right field, and scores three runs, the team is going nuts. We won our first game. It was great, the players are lining up on the base lines to say well done to the other team, then the coach on the other team yells "didn't he already have a warning"? and the Ump, who had moved to the first base line, called Benson out for throwing the bat. Nobody on our team saw it, I am not even sure if the ump saw it, but the other coach and the opposing fans did, of course.

The next batter came up and he stuck out swinging and trying, poor guy was in a tough spot.

Benson was mad, to say the least, but he is OK. Not so sure about Aunt Tara, she is still mad. B and I had a long talk about it on the way home, and the coach called him after the game and told him it was OK, and he is really proud of him, and that they were in a position to win because of him. Very classy guy.

Benson is making improvements every game, and has become an emotional and genuine leader on the team. What a guy. I love this game, being a level tempered parent is tough!

2007-04-21T09:42:00.000-06:00

Natalie played her first volleyball game today. This is the first time she has played on a sports team. When she showed the least bit of interest, of course her mom jumped on that! She is doing great and we are so proud of her! She had some great bumps today!

Take me out to the ball game...

2007-04-19T11:52:00.000-06:00

The kids make friends everywhere they go! Here are the girls with sisters of other ball players(the two at the far left are mine) and Xander was taking a break from his play mates to have a sip of his shake. They are good to go and "support". When it warms up around here they may not be as anxious to come. For now we are grateful for the family time.

Under Pressure!

2007-04-19T11:44:00.000-06:00

The Coaches wanted to see Benson pitch. He is quite intimidating up there on that mound! You always hear people in the stand say things like, "Whoa! That's a big 12 year old!" or, "He's 12?" Yep! Sure enough! But he will be 13 in a couple of weeks. Anyway, his pitching debut was good! He got a "K" (strikeout). He didn't like it much though. He thought it was too much pressure! He is loving baseball however! Go B!

2007-04-19T11:38:00.000-06:00

My incredibly talented brother-in-law, Eric Devericks, created this super cute artwork for our schools carnival t-shirt. We have sold almost twice as many as last year because everyone loves it so much! Here Xander is modeling for you! What you can't see are his Superman boxer briefs. I was sick that day and so we both stayed on our jammies!

Singing around the Piano

2007-04-16T07:51:00.000-06:00

So, Chrissta and some friends got together just to "sing around the piano". We sang The Carpenters, The Beatles, The Sound of Music. That my friends, is good for the soul! I would highly reccomend it!

The Hinze Manly Men!

2007-04-16T07:45:00.000-06:00

And here are the Hinze guys! We took some photos in the yard after church. The only time any of us look very photographic. Are they not the best looking bunch of men you have seen in a long time?

My Ladies..

2007-04-15T21:53:00.000-06:00

so here is a dark pic of my ladies after church today. We are still trying to get this all figured out. (If you click on the picture you can see the full size....

2007-04-15T19:29:00.000-06:00

Slugger here, also known as Benson, hit a double and a triple in his game yesterday. If it weren't for the 30mph winds the double would have been clean over the fence.

Okay my turn!

2007-04-15T10:25:00.000-06:00

Even though I will not be nearly as witty as Josh or use words that the slighlty less educated will have to look up on dictionary.com, I will attempt to inform the viewers (all three of them) about the life and times of the "Hinze 6". I now have a camera that works, thanks to the afor mentioned and so will add some photos to this in the next 12-24 hours. But for now, thanks for coming and return often!

Welcome to our adventures in Blogging

2007-04-15T10:17:00.000-06:00

Due to enormous external pressure, and despite Luddite traditions we are attempting to jump into modern times and try to blog, no guarantee that it will be updated often as we still are not sure how to get our Polaroids posted. Needless to say here we go...