tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33642562915154328212024-03-18T13:46:31.453-05:00Chasing RootsA Midwestern Girl in Cowboy CountryChasing Rootshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15506287254534387283noreply@blogger.comBlogger2051125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3364256291515432821.post-55584280589878726802024-03-08T05:00:00.223-06:002024-03-08T05:00:00.143-06:00High Five for Friday (3.8.24) OneLast Friday night the Lads won over Rudder. I was incredibly proud of Will for stepping into a challenging and "high stakes" position - center back - for his team, and of the Lads as a whole for handling a little late-in-the-game chaos with poise and by supporting one another.Turns out Will's picture was in the newspaper after the previous Tuesday's game. Thanks to my friend Kimberly forChasing Rootshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15506287254534387283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3364256291515432821.post-85473647373150158162024-03-05T05:00:00.359-06:002024-03-05T05:00:00.129-06:00Monthly Medley: February 2024January lasted for 428 days but February pass by in just a little over in four hours, am I right? I feel like I blinked and the month was over, so my offerings for February are little sparcer than they've been the last few months. Hopefully March will feel like a normal month!ReadingThroughout the last year I've become a huge fan of Jodi Picoult, and my most recent read of hers lived up to what Chasing Rootshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15506287254534387283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3364256291515432821.post-88288048067867225572024-03-01T05:00:00.292-06:002024-03-01T12:17:21.146-06:00High Five for Friday (3.1.24) OneStarting today and running throughout the month of March, I'm participating in Catwalk 2024, a fundraiser for Six Kittens Rescue. For just $10, you can join in the fun! Have you ever wanted to swish your tail on the catwalk? Here is your chance!Walk 200K steps throughout the month of March to help promote our mission of saving the most fragile of kitties in the Brazos Valley. It Chasing Rootshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15506287254534387283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3364256291515432821.post-17134474699803313002024-02-27T05:00:00.145-06:002024-02-27T05:00:00.179-06:00Arts & Crafts with PopeyeYes, I'm actually writing about doing arts and crafts projects with cats. However, since you could do this project with a wide variety of animals and because the final product makes a great gift for anyone who loves the animal, perhaps we could think of this post as one targeting all animal, craft, and gift-giving lovers? That makes it feel a bit more inclusive. 😉Cat painting doesn't actually Chasing Rootshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15506287254534387283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3364256291515432821.post-45974321027355189452024-02-23T05:00:00.292-06:002024-02-23T05:00:00.285-06:00High Five for Friday (2.23.24) OneYou know where we start...your weekly Lads update! Last Friday night was tough. Among other challenges, with 28 minutes left in the game the referee gave one of our players a red card. For those of you who might be unfamiliar, after receiving a red card, the carded player must leave the field and the team is not allowed to replace him, meaning the team plays down a man for the Chasing Rootshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15506287254534387283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3364256291515432821.post-39796145364398890012024-02-20T05:00:00.392-06:002024-02-20T05:00:00.303-06:00He's DONEA few months before Will's third birthday, we discovered he had an allergy to peanuts. The event - eating just one peanut and having an immediate reaction to it - set in motion 14 years of pediatrician and allergist appointments, skin and blood testing, regular and rescue medications, medical alert accessories, school paperwork, and eventually, interventional treatments. (Will already had quite aChasing Rootshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15506287254534387283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3364256291515432821.post-53987069755076355592024-02-16T05:00:00.214-06:002024-02-16T05:00:00.314-06:00High Five for Friday (2.16.24) OneLet's start with your weekly Lads update! On Friday night the Lads won a clutch game against Montgomery Lake Creek. The Lake Creek stadium is a tough place to play (let's just say that their fans aren't known for their positivity), so this 1-0 victory was particularly satisfying and a great way to kick off the weekend.Laughing at our photobombers, who have started to watch and wait for Chasing Rootshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15506287254534387283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3364256291515432821.post-35775085691181864142024-02-13T05:00:00.255-06:002024-02-13T09:24:28.072-06:00On That Manicured Field, In That Giant Stadium, Under Those Bright LightsAbout eight and a half years ago, when Will had just started third grade, he and I were walking to school when we passed two high school students waiting on the sidewalk for their ride. Will had just begun playing club soccer, and these two boys were wearing backpacks that indicated they played for the same club. I pointed this out to Will, and while he thought the connection was cool, he was tooChasing Rootshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15506287254534387283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3364256291515432821.post-65722543763803751212024-02-09T05:00:00.002-06:002024-02-09T16:22:08.315-06:00High Five for Friday (2.9.24) OneFirst, your weekly Lads update! Last Friday night the Lads traveled to crosstown rival College Station High School's turf. These two teams are made up of kids who play together on club teams, so it can be tough to switch gears and compete against one another during high school season. Emotions are high, tensions are high...these boys are nothing if not fierce competitors, after all. But Chasing Rootshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15506287254534387283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3364256291515432821.post-68176051502651643892024-02-06T05:00:00.320-06:002024-02-06T05:00:00.149-06:00Monthly Medley: January 2024ReadingDespite January feeling like an insanely long month, I don't have a lot to show for it...but I did manage to finish a book! I really enjoyed The It Girl by Ruth Ware. It started off strong, slowed a little in the middle, and then rapidly picked up steam in the last 75 or so pages. I attempted to predict the ending more than once, and given that I didn't get it right, I'd consider the Chasing Rootshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15506287254534387283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3364256291515432821.post-73721423775840695922024-02-02T05:00:00.181-06:002024-02-02T05:00:00.154-06:00High Five for Friday (2.2.24)OneI decided it was time for a new High Five for Friday image, and I love this new background - it feels fresh, light, and bright, all of which I need in my life right now!TwoAnd now for your weekly Lads update!They took down Brenham at home last Friday (in the pouring rain for the second time that week). This was their first district home game, so it was also our first dungeon decorating and my Chasing Rootshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15506287254534387283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3364256291515432821.post-54823805344385957692024-01-30T05:00:00.108-06:002024-01-30T05:00:00.475-06:00Swimming in SnowFor those of you who are new to Chasing Roots...The Mueller family's annual tradition of playing in the snow while wearing as little clothing as possible began in 1984, when six-year-old Erin and four-year-old Sara donned their swimsuits and ventured across their snow-covered backyard - from the porch to the swing set and back - for absolutely no reason at all. Read the full backstory Chasing Rootshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15506287254534387283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3364256291515432821.post-8152792695749843992024-01-26T05:00:00.292-06:002024-01-26T09:46:22.300-06:00High Five for Friday (1.26.24) One"When the Lads win, we all win."Will's high school soccer coach - the man who coined the title, "the Lads" - frequently uses this phrase in his social media posts when the Lads win. And while it might sound silly, I think there's some truth behind it, both for me, as the mom of a Lad, but also for the Lads' school and classmates. From what I understand, they - the Lads - are a unifying Chasing Rootshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15506287254534387283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3364256291515432821.post-65485324488106949932024-01-23T05:00:00.031-06:002024-01-23T05:00:00.134-06:002023 in PicturesThe paragraphs and statistics (from last week's post) are no doubt valuable, but as the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. Here are about 52,000 words worth of pictures - one picture for each week of the year - and a non-chronological glimpse back on 2023 through the lens of my camera.This is the closest I've ever come to keeping the number of photos shared at 52...only 55 this Chasing Rootshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15506287254534387283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3364256291515432821.post-64736388587243129872024-01-19T05:00:00.203-06:002024-01-19T05:00:00.150-06:00High Five for Friday (1.19.24) OneThe Lads went 3-0 at the Aggieland Classic This tournament was a great way to wrap up pre-season play and prepare for district games, which begin next week. #wegoagain on Tuesday!~From child to tween to teen to man-child...to man.Photo credit: Steve Bushman, Bushman Studios For anyone who might like to follow along (Mom), I'll be adding all of Will's 23-24 Lads photos to this Chasing Rootshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15506287254534387283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3364256291515432821.post-31023685191589465042024-01-16T05:00:00.001-06:002024-01-16T09:23:34.344-06:002023 by the NumbersAt the end of each year I like to spend a little time reading through old posts and noting - thanks to the statistics feature associated with the blog - which topics were well-received (and which topics weren't, for that matter) by you, my readers. I have always written and will continue to write in my own voice, and I know how important it is for my blog remain a true representation of who I am,Chasing Rootshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15506287254534387283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3364256291515432821.post-32849823545754381242024-01-12T05:00:00.287-06:002024-01-12T05:00:00.144-06:00High Five for Friday (1.12.24) OneLate last week we had our second annual Lads Team Dinner to kick off the 23-24 season. Different families host team dinners for the Lads throughout the season, but those evenings and meals are just for the boys. This kick off event is for the boys and their families, and is a great way to bring everyone together as a fanbase and support system for the team. The following morning theChasing Rootshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15506287254534387283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3364256291515432821.post-20867500373121117752024-01-09T05:00:00.311-06:002024-01-09T05:00:00.155-06:00Monthly Medley: December 2023 ReadingNothing, y'all. I had two Christmas books on my nightstand all month and I didn't crack either one of them open even a single time. Here's to doing a better job of climbing into bed at a reasonable hour, putting down my phone, and opening an actual book in January.WatchingMaybe (part of) the reason I didn't read much was that we were busy watching nearly every Christmas movie known Chasing Rootshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15506287254534387283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3364256291515432821.post-71710051184723452452024-01-05T05:00:00.202-06:002024-01-05T05:00:00.136-06:00High Five for the Holidays OneWe had planned to leave for Nebraska on the Thursday before Christmas. On Tuesday evening, just 36 hours before our scheduled departure, Will noticed a nasty wound on Plié's tail. I quickly called the vet and explained the situation (our impending travel), and they were able to fit her in that evening. It turns out she'd been bit - likely by another cat - and that bite had become VERY Chasing Rootshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15506287254534387283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3364256291515432821.post-47571646953428781292024-01-02T05:00:00.122-06:002024-01-16T20:13:54.248-06:00Let Them. I love a clean, fresh start (I love a clean, fresh anything), so it makes sense I'd also have a fondness for the new year. Quieting the chaos and laying to rest past events, then pulling back the veil to reveal the blank page, the clean slate, the new dawn that lies ahead... The process brings me peace, while also inspiring me to reflect on who I've been, who I am, and who I want to be.And as I Chasing Rootshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15506287254534387283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3364256291515432821.post-75046852319733778592023-12-25T05:00:00.058-06:002023-12-25T21:44:29.359-06:00Merry Christmas from the Four FerriMerry Christmas, friends!Will (17 years old, junior) has begun preparing for college. He’s considering quite a few schools and a number of majors, so we’re on a mission to learn as much as possible about all of the above before he begins to apply. He continues to enjoy playing chess, the cello, and both club and varsity soccer – he’s been named a captain for the soon-to-start high school season –Chasing Rootshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15506287254534387283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3364256291515432821.post-26889925015685128162023-12-22T05:00:00.267-06:002023-12-22T05:00:00.150-06:00High Five for Friday (12.22.23)OneThough we were disappointed that our studio's annual "Christmas at the Lake" became "Christmas at the Palace" this year (while we love downtown Bryan's The Palace, this venue was far inferior for the studio's Christmas performance), I enjoyed watching Hallie take the stage. TwoWe survived finals week! All things considered, Will actually had a pretty easy finals week...but only because heChasing Rootshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15506287254534387283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3364256291515432821.post-10010681653817722522023-12-19T05:00:00.052-06:002023-12-19T05:00:00.149-06:00All You Need is Love. And Christmas Music.During my first holiday season of blogging I shared two of my favorite Christmas videos. When my second holiday season of blogging rolled around, I shared the two videos from the first year and included in the post a couple of new favorites so I could easily find all of them when I needed a holiday pick-me-up. During my third holiday season I narrowed down the videos from years past and added a Chasing Rootshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15506287254534387283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3364256291515432821.post-28217683597247782982023-12-15T05:00:00.297-06:002023-12-15T05:00:00.172-06:00Sold Out SpectacularAs I reflect on a year of planning, months of weekly rehearsals, a week of theater preparation and tech rehearsals, one dress rehearsal, and three shows...I'm tired. I'm also proud. Proud of our dancers for their hard work and perseverance. Proud of our volunteers for their hard work and "can do" attitude. Proud of our leadership team for showing up day after day to get the job done. Proud Chasing Rootshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15506287254534387283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3364256291515432821.post-4163221113124424552023-12-12T05:00:00.007-06:002023-12-12T05:00:00.328-06:00Wish Me Anything You WantPortions of the content below appeared on Chasing Roots last December, and the December before, and the December before that. I believe that this post - with a few updates - and its overarching message deserve a share every time the season for "wishing" arrives.
I grew up in an ethnically and religiously diverse community. Because of the plethora of religions supported, holidays celebratedChasing Rootshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15506287254534387283noreply@blogger.com0