Crazy, Busy, Wonderful Life

So, I guess I need to post something a little more cheerful, huh? So, I thought I would fill you in on all the fun stuff we have been up to recently! :) Well, I am usually not an overly busy person, but for the last week or so...it has been crazy busy around here! I think that was a good thing...it got my mind off of missing Mom, and onto loving my friends and family!

So, it began with Thursday night. My beautiful friend Michael worked with my husband to arrange a surprise girl's night out! I love my hubby!!! He knew I needed a little time away, and lovingly offered it to me! He is so wonderful! He told me at about 5:30 that I needed to eat dinner and get ready because I was going on a date with her and she would be here at 7:00. So she and I went to the mall for a couple of hours, then to Rao's (a local yummy bakery/coffee house) for dessert. We had so much fun just chatting and laughing together! We actually pulled into my driveway at 9:45pm, but stayed in her van chatting until 11:00pm!!! I haven't stayed out that late in....well, I don't remember the last time I stayed out that late! It was SO MUCH fun! Thank you so much, Michael, you rock!!!!!

Then...Friday was busy, too. I met up with a new friend, Alettra, and Jessica at the mall play area for a playdate, and Jessica and I got to enjoy lunch together. I enjoyed getting to know a new friend, and spend time with both of them! :)

Friday afternoon... our small town had their homecoming parade, and Emmalyn and I met up with my mil and sil for good fun! (She really did have fun...don't know why I didn't manage to catch a smile!?!?!)

With Nanny (aka Aunt Kelli...my sil):

With Grandma:

And Friday night, of course, was the football game. (Afterall, what else is there on a Friday night in a Texas small town?!?!!)

With Grandpa: With Grandma and Grandpa:

Allowed to sit by herself:
With Nanny and Holden, the other precious blessing that calls Kelli "Nanny":
Emmalyn LOVES Holden!!!:

Then, on Saturday, Kris and I left Emmalyn to hang out with Grandma and Grandpa all day, and we headed to Houston to an air show called "Wings Over Houston." It was really cool, Kris was like a little boy pointing and shouting "Look, here they come!" all day! We saw some amazing aircrafts, doing some phenomenal stunts...it was really fun!

Here are some photos from the day...

The Thunderbirds in action...they were so close doing all of these stunts!!!: The Thunderbirds all lined up and ready for take off:
Hubby and I enjoying the show: Kelli and Holden, with ear plugs and muffs...it got really loud out there!: It was fun, but it was a little much to ask of a 4 year old boy...but he seemed to like the toy thunderbird. :)
This was the weekend...I will post again about what Emmalyn and I got to do on Monday! :)

I miss you, Mom

Today is October 24th. October 24th, 2003 was probably the worst day of my life. That was the day that I lost my mom. Something like that doesn't happen and not change you. I changed that day. I grew up, I learned a greater appreciation of family, and I clung to my hope in Jesus Christ like never before. Even after 5 years, it seems unreal. Could she really be gone?

I miss her terribly. I hate that I can't talk to her about more adult things, especially marriage and motherhood because I did not understand those things as a single, 25 year old. I feel I was robbed of discussing stuff like that with my mom. I hate that I didn't get to have my mom there when I got married, gave birth to my first child, and won't have her here for my second child. I will probably never understand why God allowed her to be taken from our family. But, today, I remember her...but I remember her fondly and try not to grieve without praising God for what He will allow me to do again one day. One day, I will get to Heaven, and I will get to hug my mom again. I long for that day today.

I will not try to mope today, but remember the beautiful, loving mother I had. Here are a few pictures, to share a little more about her. The first is a picture of her and my dad (a REALLY good picture, I think!) that they took very close to the day she passed for their church directory. Aren't they cute?!
This is how her headstone looked for her birthday last year...she loved roses. I really love their headstone because it shows who they are/were. My dad is an avid fisherman and loves the outdoors and wildlife, so a bass and a duck decorate his side. My mom was an artist and lived for her dogs, so an artist's pallet and Labrador's head decorate her side. They were married for almost 40 years, so we placed wedding bands and their wedding date in the center. And above that...the Methodist Cross. They were/are faithful Methodists and Christians, and we felt that it would be great to have that on there too! :)

My mother was an artist...she was very talented! Here are a few of her paintings that I have pictures of to share.

This one is a beautiful mountain snow scene that she painted especially for me, and hangs in my living room.
She really loved lighthouses and Thomas Kincaid paintings, so she painted this one, and it came out great!!! My brother actually owns this one, but I still have the picture from when I had it in my house for a time.

I recently found a little journal entry that my friend Pennie wrote for me the week my mom died. I would like to share it with you.

"She will be remembered as a wife, mother, grandmother, friend, and and child of God. A strong woman with a big heart. A bright shining face that lit any room she entered. She touched many lives and was blessed with faithful and loyal friends. She was a beautiful person inside and out. She would do anything for anyone. She appreciated the little things and could find good in anything. She had many quirks about her, like her books, her crafts, and her sense of humor. She loved life. If you ask her what she loved most, she would say 'My family.' Her hugs and smiles will be missed, but we will see them again in God's great Heaven."

October

I have noticed that most of my posts are simply about events or funny things that I come across, and I never really share my heart. I don't know why...but I feel like I need to right now. I am not an eloquent writer, and I don't even know what I want to write, so just bear with me for a bit. I think I need to process...

October is really a month that I would just like to erase from the calendar most years. Other than my beautiful niece's birthday (I love you, R!), it is really a somber month. This year marks the 5th year of my mom's death. October 7th would have been her 62nd birthday, and she passed away on October 24th, 2003. It really does not seem possible that it has been 5 years. It really does not seem real that I am 30 years old and have been without my mom for 5 years.

My mom... She was a beautiful woman. She had a gorgeous smile and the most flawless skin you will ever see! She had a youthful glow about her that always caused shock among those who asked her age.

She was very loving, and loved her family with all her heart, just like a momma should. She kept this family together, and unified us in a way I didn't completely understand until she was gone. We are still close, and love each other immensely, but things are just different in so many ways.

She was my best friend. She was the one I called when anything happened in my life...good or bad. She was the one that would cry with me when I called in tears, only to cheer me up by the end of the phone call. She was the one I really loved spending time with, even during those crazy teenage years.

She loved animals like no one I know. We were constantly catching stray dogs and finding their owners (or keeping them) because she couldn't bear the thought of them being out in the cold or in the traffic. We always had a dog, or 2 or 3 in the house. Not always well-trained, but always well-loved and spoiled rotten. My brother even has Simon, the cat she managed to take in during her last few years. A really cool cat!...but my dad hates cats and swore he would never have one. My mom could soften anyone's heart to an animal! :) I can clearly tell I inherited this trait! And I think my baby girl inherited her Grandmomma's love of animals, even though she never got to witness it.

I have so many wonderful memories of my mom, but for some reason feel sometimes like I am starting to forget things. That is causing more sorrow this month than ever before. Will I slowly forget more and more over the years? Do I remember her voice? Do I remember her smell? It breaks my heart that my husband and children never got to meet her (Kris and I met 4 months after her death)...and I always swore I would talk about her enough to make them feel like they knew her well. But have I done that? Will I be able to follow through with that promise?

I have been in a serious funk for the last few weeks, and I just can't seem to pull myself out of it. Maybe it is the pregnancy hormones making things worse, maybe it is me allowing myself to mope...whatever it is, would you pray with me that God takes this from me? I don't want to NOT grieve her, but I want to grieve with the promise I have as a believer in Jesus Christ, and not allow it to paralyze me. As I remember more, I will probably post more. She was an incredible woman and deserves to be remembered.

Here is a photo of her and me at Christmas, probably around 1996 or 1997. It is one of my favorites.

"That's Funny Right Thar...I don't care who you are!!!"

It doesn't matter who you like, McCain or Obama, this is equally funny on either side of the fence! :) Btw...don't forget to pause my music on the right, and have your sound turned on! :)

Hoping this doesn't offend...it's a bit liberal, 1 or 2 ugly words...but still hilarious!!!

Catholics VS. Prebyterians

***Edited to add: I entered this info on Snopes.com, and this email is indeed a fake. (Thanks for making me think about that, "Mommy"!) These signs were not actually churches debating from across the street from one another, but instead created on ChurchSignGenerator.com. A little better, actually, to know 2 churches weren't actually arguing this way...but still a bit comical, don't you think? :)

I got these pictures via email from my sister in law recently, and they made me laugh out loud! These 2 churches are aparently across the street from each other, and had a disagreement of sorts. Enjoy!

Womb Baby, 11 Weeks

I realized the other day that when I was pregnant with Emmalyn that I posted every week with what was going on "in the womb." Maybe I was a little obsessed, but it was still cool. :) So, I thought "why should this pregnancy be any different?" Well, I don't think I will post every week, but every now and then is still interesting, right? :)

So, this is what is going on with the development of the baby right now. I am 11 weeks.
How your baby's growing:
Your baby, just over 1 1/2 inches long and about the size of a fig, is now almost fully formed. Her hands will soon open and close into fists, tiny tooth buds are beginning to appear under her gums, and some of her bones are beginning to harden.
She's already busy kicking and stretching, and her tiny movements are so effortless they look like water ballet. These movements will become more frequent as her body grows and becomes more developed and functional. You won't feel your baby's acrobatics for another month or two — nor will you notice the hiccupping that may be happening now that her diaphragm is forming.


This is what happened last week: (I include this because it is a little more interesting than this week...more seems to have happened last week!)
Though he's barely the size of a kumquat — a little over an inch or so long, crown to bottom — and weighs less than a quarter of an ounce, your baby has now completed the most critical portion of his development. This is the beginning of the so-called fetal period, a time when the tissues and organs in his body rapidly grow and mature.
He's swallowing fluid and kicking up a storm. Vital organs — including his kidneys, intestines, brain, and liver (now making red blood cells in place of the disappearing yolk sac) — are in place and starting to function, though they'll continue to develop throughout your pregnancy.
If you could take a peek inside your womb, you'd spot minute details, like tiny nails forming on fingers and toes (no more webbing) and peach-fuzz hair beginning to grow on tender skin.
In other developments: Your baby's limbs can bend now. His hands are flexed at the wrist and meet over his heart, and his feet may be long enough to meet in front of his body. The outline of his spine is clearly visible through translucent skin, and spinal nerves are beginning to stretch out from his spinal cord. Your baby's forehead temporarily bulges with his developing brain and sits very high on his head, which measures half the length of his body. From crown to rump, he's about 1 1/4 inches long. In the coming weeks, your baby will again double in size — to nearly 3 inches.

This is what he/she is looking like these days...
(Btw...these descriptions and pictures come from www.Babycenter.com.)

Just had to share!

I look forward to the day I can blog about the funny things my kids say, but until she starts talking, stories like this will have to suffice. :)

So, we have been telling Emmalyn about the baby for weeks now...but she's 1½...we don't expect her to get it, right? Well, she was sitting in her high chair the other day and I was standing next to her. She is really into her baby dolls these days, and she was currently pointing to one on the couch saying "baby, baby" over and over. I asked her "Where is the other baby?" She turned to me, lifted my shirt and kissed my belly! It was sooo adorable! Yep, I shed a tear or two. (You aren't surprised, are you?)

She has sent continued to do that a couple more times, and I smile just as big every time! :) :) :)

What a JOY parenthood is!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It seems real now!

Well, yesterday, Kris and I finally made it to the OB for my first prenatal visit. (It was rescheduled twice because of hurricane evacuations!) The doctor confirmed that my due date is April 25th, 2009...but we will probably have him or her about a week early because I will have to have a scheduled c-section. The hospital where I am delivering does not allow you to try a natural birth after having a previous c-section, so, I don't really have a choice. (I am actually okay with it, after doing research about VBAC's...I don't think I would want one. too risky) So, we will probably welcome the newest blessing God is giving us about April 18th. :) :) :)


The doctor (who I actually LOVE, and was happy to see again after not seeing her for a year and a half:), was unable to find the heartbeat with the Doppler, so she sent us in for an ultrasound. It was kind of nice to see our little peanut...that was a fun surprise! And we heard a nice, strong heartbeat on the ultrasound machine. His/her heartbeat was 179! Ultrasounds are hard to read, but when you are in person, and can see them wiggling...it is easier...and REALLY cool!


It just seems like this pregnancy is different. I guess with Emmalyn, most of the excitement and , well...ahem...obsession...was because it was not only about her, but about us becoming parents for the first time. That was really exciting! Not that this pregnancy is any less exciting, but I am just not as obsessed. Maybe because I know what to expect this time around. Maybe because I have a toddler running around that distracts me from my own thoughts and requires my 24-7 attention. Whatever it is, it all changed a little yesterday. (Especially for Kris...he says it is "very real" now!)


So, this is what we got to see yesterday! (I know ultrasounds are a little difficult to read...his head is on the left, and he is lying on his back....but we don't know the sex yet.)

Can you believe she is ready for this?!

At 20 months (as of today, coincidentally), she is officially starting to use this!
We had a feeling she was ready because she has been patting her diaper when she needs to be changed and acting very curious when I use the potty. During the evacuation, I walked into the bathroom at the hotel to find this:
I think she wants to try, what do you think? I had planned on starting the whole potty training business when she turns 2, but then...we are expecting another baby 3 months later. So, would there be regression issues? Should I wait until after the baby is born to even try? With all these questions on my mind, I consulted my family's parenting expert...my sister, mom of 5. :) She suggested I go ahead and get a potty chair and put her on it at least before bath time at night. So, we did! And the very first night I put her on it, she teteed on the potty! (Is there a proper way to spell tetee?) I was so proud! I'm not sure she gets it, but will if we keep it up, right? :) So, we are starting the potty training game...but at a very relaxed, non-hurried pace! (And the potty is so cool! She LOVES Elmo, so we got one where he tells her exciting things like "Way to go!," "Congratulations!," and "You're growing up just like Elmo!" She loves it!!!!!!)

Here is her cheesy, excited expression when she discovered the potty, and then noticed mommy trying to take her picture!

You know you’re from the Gulf Coast when….

A friend on an online forum shared this today, and I laughed out loud a number of times. I just had to share it on my blog! Any of these sound familiar, my friends in the Gulf Coast?

1. You have FEMA’s number on your speed dialer.
2. You have more than 300 ‘C’ and ‘D’ batteries in your kitchen drawer.
3. Your pantry contains more than 20 cans of Spaghetti O’s.
4. You are thinking of repainting your house to match the plywood covering your windows.
5. When describing your gutted house to a prospective buyer, you say it has three bedrooms, two baths and an open air feel to it.
6. Your SSN isn’t a secret, it’s written in Sharpie on your arms.
7. You are on a first-name basis with the cashier at Home Depot.
8. You are delighted to pay $3.50 for a gallon of regular unleaded.
9. The road leading to your house has been declared a No-Wake Zone.
10. You decide that your patio furniture looks better on the bottom of the pool.
11. You own more than three large coolers.
12. You can wish that other people get hit by a hurricane and not feel the least bit guilty about it.
13. You rationalize helping a friend board up by thinking It’ll only take a gallon of gas to get there and back.
14. You have 2-liter coke bottles and milk jugs filled with water in your freezer.
15. Three months ago you couldn’t hang a shower curtain; today you can assemble a portable generator by candlelight.
16. You catch a 13-pound red fish - in your house.
17. You can recite from memory whole portions of your homeowner’s insurance policy.
18. You consider a vacation to stunning Tupelo , Mississippi .
19. At cocktail parties, women are attracted to the guy with the biggest chainsaw.
20. You have had tuna fish more than 5 days in a row.
21. There is a roll of tar paper in your garage.
22. You can rattle off the names of three or more meteorologists who work at the Weather Channel.
23. Someone comes to your door to tell you they found your roof.
24. Ice is a valid topic of conversation.
25. Your drive-thru meal consists of MRE’s and bottled water.
26. Relocating to South Dakota does not seem like such a crazy idea.
27. You spend more time on your roof then in your living room.
28. You’ve been laughed at over the phone by a roofer, fence builder or a tree worker.
29. A battery powered TV is considered a home entertainment center.
30. You don’t worry about relatives wanting to visit during the summer.
31. Your child’s first words are hunker down!
32. Having a tree in your living room does not necessarily mean it’s Christmas.
33. Toilet Paper is elevated to coin of the realm at the shelters.
34. You know the diff erence between the good side of a storm and the bad side.
35. Your kids start school in August and finish in July.
36. You go to work early and stay late just to enjoy the air conditioning.
37. Your garage smells like gasoline.
38. Your more concerned about someone stealing your generator then your car.
39. You get excited when you see an Entergy truck in your neighborhood.
40. You get really excited when you see the cable guy.
41. You can create memorable meals with a can of SPAM and one gas burner.
42. You are prepared to wait in line at Starbucks for 2 hours to get a cup of coffee.

There's No Place Like Home

Well, we got home Saturday, but this has been my first opportunity to post. We are SO very glad to be home! Emmalyn has been in a better mood since the moment we got home. I think we have a home-body on our hands! We are so very grateful that we got to spend time with family, and were not in a shelter without privacy or paying hundreds of dollars for a hotel to keep a roof over our heads. But there's just nothing like your own bed, your own surroundings, and the comfort the baby obviously feels here at home. :) Thank you Kim and Dad for letting us stay with you! It was wonderful to see you!

So, when we got home, we found practically no damage to our home! Praise the LORD!!! Our fence will need to be stood back up in a few spots and the greenhouse that came crumbling down will need to be cleared (we wanted the greenhouse torn down anyway), but other than that...nothing! :) :) :) In fact, when we drove into our driveway, we found that Kris's parents and sister had mowed and edged and pulled weeds, pulled all the plywood off the windows, AND moved a play scape into the yard for Emmalyn! She was so excited! It was a friend's that had been given to us a while back, but we kept forgetting to just go get it. We were so very grateful and excited upon return home!

We are also simply amazed that we are home so soon! Entergy rocks!!! They have been working VERY hard to restore power to the area, and we are very grateful! Our original estimates were 3 to 6 weeks, and we were home, with power in 9 days! :) :) :) This is faster than Rita! Latest news says they have already restored power to 88% of Southeast Texans! WOW!

Kris and I feel like we barely experienced the storm. We simply stayed with family for a week, having quite a bit of fun, and returned home to a house that already had power, cable, and a mowed yard! We are praising God for His protection, but I can't help but feel a little guilty. There are people in our own church and in our neighboring towns that got 4 feet of water in their house, and they are completely ruined. We, as a church family, can help repair homes and try to replace essential items, but we can't do anything to replace photo albums and family heirloom items that are lost forever. It breaks my heart to see all the devastation. As you drive down Hwy 365 or any street in Bridge City, you see home after home with ALL of their belongings out on the street to be carried away with the trash. I just wish there was something I could do.
Some people say it is just stuff, but this is the stuff that made their house a home! Your home is supposed to be a safe, comfortable place, and these families have lost that sense of security and retreat. Please pray with me for these families. Specifically... our friends Bryan & Kathryn and John & Amber. I am also praying that God will give me the words to say, and ideas of what I might be able to do to help.

Please also pray for my friend that hasn't made it home yet. Jana is having a pretty rough time, and is in NC with her 2 and 5 year old boys, and without her husband, and 37 weeks pregnant! Please pray for safe return travels for her on Thursday! Be safe, Jana!

God is Good...All The Time!

So, most of my readers are fully aware, but if you are not... Hurricane IKE hit our little corner of Texas late Friday night! The devastation right in our back yards is pretty scary. But, the LORD for some reason decided to protect our little city. Cities in our backyards have feet and feet of flooding, and structure loss. We have heard from friends that stayed behind that our house fared very well. We have some fence damage and it knocked down the greenhouse structure...but Kris has been wanting that gone for a while anyways. :) That is all that is visible from the street. (I am still hoping the inside of the house is fine...that no water seeped in.) We have heard that most of our town was saved, and most of our friends and family have been spared. Praise GOD!

BUT...some of our friends have not been so lucky. Our dear friends (one of the ministers of our church), Bryan and Kathryn most likely have many feet of water standing in their home AND their precious little 3 year old girl fell and broke her collar bone and arm the day of evacuation! Please pray for the Alvis family!!! They say their daughter is on the mend, but still in pain.

One of Kris's closest friends over in Bridge City also has between 2 and 7 feet of water in his house, and no flood insurance! Please pray for John and his family.

As for an update from us...we are currently in Central Texas with my family. We originally evacuated with Kris's family to the Arlington area, and came here on Sunday when we realized that our home will not be livable for quite some time. We were with my dad last night and Sunday night, and will be headed to my sister's tonight(Tuesday). We will stay with my sister until this weekend. We are waiting and watching the updates from home. We have been told that we will be without power for 3 to 6 weeks! So, we need to stay here. We don't want to be in our home without air conditioning or refrigeration with a toddler! We have heard rumors of power being restored faster than expected though... we are hopeful!

If it does look like it will be a long time (by this weekend), we will be moving into my brother's empty apartment. This is where I am again amazed at how God works! My brother moved out of his apartment last week to move to Portland, OR. But, his rent is paid through September and his lease is not up until the end of October! So, we have a place to go to have our own space, and not intrude on my family and their routines for such a long time! Plus...Kris will not be getting paid while we are not home, so we have been worried about finances. Well...my brother's apartment is 3 miles from one of the biggest hospitals in Texas. A place where Kris can work PRN hours and sustain us during this time! GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME... AND ALL THE TIME GOD IS GOOD!!!

I am so very thankful for the way God is providing for us, but so very burdened by those less fortunate right now. Please praise Him with me and pray with us for those in all of Southeast Texas who desperately need help...and need Him!

I will try to update where we are and how we and our family and friends are as often as I can. I would love to hear from my blogging friends that have also evacuated, if you haven't already updated. :) I love and miss you all...and pray for quick, safe return to all of you!

We're Outta Here!!!

Yep, we are evacuating again. I just wanted to write a brief update to ask for prayer as we travel northwards. We have yet to decide on a final time, but it will either be tonight at about 11:00p.m. or tomorrow (Friday) morning at about 6:00 a.m. Either way, we are headed to the DFW area, a town called Mansfield. We will be traveling with DH's parents, sister, and a friend of ours from church with her daughter and aunt. Hopefully Ike will leave us as unaffected as Gustav did, and we will be home by Sunday or Monday! :)

Emmalyn is not feeling good...I think it is just teething, but she is running a fever and in a very foul mood! And my pregnancy exhaustion and nausea are pretty miserable right now. Traveling is not what I would chose to do this weekend! Would you pray for us? :) (And for Kris...this doesn't sound fun for him to have to deal with!)

Seriously?

Again? Are we seriously talking about evacuating again? Where are these storms coming from? and why to these meteorologists keep tracking them to us? This is Ike's 5-day forecast as of Monday at noon, according to www.wunderground.com. Don't think it could get any closer than this!
I think THIS bears repeating:
Thanks, Jana, for sending me this particular piece of flair!

Let's pray that this moves away, soon!

Where Do I Begin?

Well, we have had a VERY crazy couple of weeks around here, and I have had a lot to write about, but very little time and energy to blog. On top of a hurricane evacuation and 30th birthday celebrations, the pregnancy fatigue has kicked in FULL FORCE, and I am miserable. Even blogging seems like a daunting task these days. I don't remember it being this bad when I was pregnant with Emmalyn. But, I guess I will start in the beginning....hurricane evacuation plans!!! Yep, we had to evacuate again for a hurricane. You might remember that 3 years ago this month, we headed to Temple (usually a 5 hour drive) with our 3 mutts in the Trail Blazer...and 23 HOURS later, arrived at my dad's house to live with him for 2½ weeks! With Kris not working, and 3 dogs causing problems, this was not fun, financially or physically! BUT, we live in the armpit of Texas, otherwise also known as Hurricane Ally...so this is apparently not UNcommon! (Read...I want to move back to central Texas!!) So, as Hurricane Gustav threatened to hit our little town, we got the heck out of Dodge! We left at 4am (No, you read that right...4 AM!) on Sunday morning (Aug.31st) with a 19 month old who apparently thought this was hysterical. We thought she would stay asleep as we transferred her from her bed to car seat...but no, she thought it was funny that the dog was in the car with her and giggled for 30 minutes! Cute, but not so great for the rest of the day. She was a very tired, grumpy baby for the rest of the day.

We ended up in a hotel in Temple, about a 3 minute drive from my brother's apartment and 15 minutes from my dad, so that was a blessing. We got to spend quite a bit of time with them while we were there. All in all, we were there 3 days, leaving early Wednesday morning to come home. Emmalyn was not in a very good mood most of the time there because she had been taken out of her element and out of her routine, so we were ready to get home and have our happy-go-lucky baby back! :) But, we did sort of get a mini-vacation, and got to spend time with my family....not to mention, Gustav didn't even hit!!! :) :) :) So, we came home to NO damage! WooHoo!!!!! Not the homecoming we received after Rita in 2005. So we are praising God for his protection over the family and home, and for the blessing of family time!
OH, AND DID I MENTION I AM 30?!?!?!?! How did THAT happen? When did I "grow up?" Well apparently, it happened, and I received a very sweet celebration of my birth with my family and friends. My awesome hubby, Kris, surprised me last Saturday night (the night before evacuation) with a surprise birthday party at his parents house with most of my closest friends! :) I was so happy that people actually came when they probably should have been at home packing and boarding up their homes! Thank you to the LeBlancs, Starks, Paines, Mike, Cheryl, and Kelli for being there!!! It was an honor to spend my birthday with all of you! And thank you to my precious husband, mother in law, father in law, and sister in law for all the time, preparation, and love that you put into that party! (And we missed those that couldn't be there terribly!) It was really fun, but we headed home at 10 pm and got up at 2:30am to finish packing, and left at 4am. Sunday was a very looooooong day!

The second part of my birthday celebration was equally special! We went to a quaint little Stagecoach Inn and had dinner with my WHOLE family! Kris, me, Emmalyn, Kris's parents, sister, grandparents, my dad, brother, sister, and 5 nieces and nephews, and my best friend from Austin. It was really fun to have everyone together, and get to celebrate with all of them! I don't think we had everyone together since the wedding! :)

Here is a picture of the whole family! :

A couple other favorite photos of that evening....my sister and I, followed by Emmalyn looking pretty cute as she proudly gets up in a rocker by herself! :)

Oh, and did I mention I got an iPod from my hubby!? :):):):) As well as a number of other lovely gifts from other friends and family! And Daddy gave me the serenity prayer charm in August when we were last in Temple...how timely! :) Thank you to everyone!!!

I think my 30's are going to be the best decade yet!!!!!!!

What would we do without the internet?

Well, I recently read my friend Jennifer's blog about the time we spend on the computer, and thought...this is so true!!! Then, I found this button (actually a piece of flair on Facebook), and just had to share it with all of you! :) I now have a blog, MySpace, and Facebook! And actually waste spend time almost every day checking each one of them! But honestly, what would we do without them? Especially being a stay at home mom...my computer is frequently my only connection to the outside world on certain days. And my time on TitusTwo.net actually provides more encouragement, teaching, and fellowship than I could get in person. I didn't think I would ever get into the forums like my sister did, but they are wonderful...and addicting!

But, lest we think we are alone, this is an addiction activity sweeping the nation! They even have blogs like this one telling us moms how to "fancify" our blogs, discussion groups, and "blogrolls" for women to join to find other moms who have jumped on this bandwagon! You can even make money doing it! But honestly, you really can learn a lot from some of these blogs. Many of them are written by more experienced moms than myself, and give more information to help you, then just sharing pics of their (although adorable) kiddos! :) There are even directories to help you find these! And if you start blogging, and wonder what a carnival, meme, or widget is...just go to Blogging 101, and they will gladly help you along!

Come on...join us....everyone's doing it!!!

And just in case you forgot...you have to get a MySpace and Facebook too...just in case you would like to know what that girl who sat behind you in Algebra in high school is up to these days! Or your best friend's sister's husband's uncle's electrician... I'm telling you...you can find anyone you want! :) :) :)

Big News!!!

Emmalyn has something she would like to share with all of you!!!


It's official! A blood test on Monday confirmed that Kris and I are expecting another bundle of joy in April of 2009!!! We are SOOOO excited around here!!!

Coffey Anderson

Have you heard this guy?!?! Kris and I are lovin' him! You may have actually seen him on "Nashville Star," but I'm kinda glad he didn't win...so he can keep doing worship music exclusively! :) He is actually the cousin of one of Kris's co-workers...small world, huh?

I have seen a bunch of his videos on GodTube, and like them all, but I think this is my favorite song. It's called "All Ye," and I have had it in my head all day! I especially like the hip hop beat that he starts after about 2 minutes, 10 seconds. :) Check it out! And look at some of his other stuff at his MySpace page and GodTube.

Part Three: Saturday Night

The biggest reason for going to see my family this particular weekend was because this year my sister just turned 40(Aug. 8th), my brother 35(Aug. 7th), and I will be 30 in 2 short weeks! :] ! So, we decided we needed to party! (As much as conservative 30-40 year olds do!) My sister's boyfriend has been wanting to take her out country dancing for a while...and this is the perfect opportunity, right? Well, she got herself some boots, Wranglers, and even a fancy belt and belt buckle, and he got them starched up right! She looked so cute! This is Kim and Eddie all dressed up and ready to go. Aren't they just TOO adorable?!?! And the roses...he brought for her...aren't they beautiful? And before we left for the evening, we had to take a shot of the whole group:
Me, Kris, Cal (my awesome brother), Kim, and Eddie:
Pretty cute, aren't we? :) So, we put the baby to bed, tell the nieces and nephews NOT to call unless the house is on fire or someone is bleeding :), and head out at about 8:30 p.m. (For those of you who know me, this is dangerously close to my "pumpkin" time, as hubby calls it.) I got a fix of Taco Cabana, a yummy restaurant that isn't in my area, that I hadn't had in 4 years, and head off to Dallas Night Club to do some two steppin! Well, we pull into the parking lot and wonder "Are we so early that NO ONE is here yet?!" Nope. Dallas is no longer a dance hall. CLOSED. DOWN. Windows boarded up and everything! So sad....now where do we go?

Well, Eddie used to spend a lot of time in places such as these, so he had one more in mind. We drive another 20 minutes to a place called Ropers. The empty parking lot gave us an eerie feeling, and then we read the note on the very closed doors. CLOSED. DOWN. Seriously? Are we seriously all dressed up with nowhere to go?! This is Texas, people! Why are the dance halls closing down?!

So, we proceed to pull in to a gas station to find a phonebook and find somewhere to get my sister dancin'!!! My brother thinks of this place called the Broken Spoke...an iconic Texas dance hall where everyone from Bob Wills to George Strait have performed. But, it is another 30 to 40 minute drive! But, we had to go, right? So, we went.

We danced and enjoyed the band until after 12:30am! Ten years ago this would not have phased me, but now, at almost 30...I was exhausted! And 10 years ago, I would have been able to sleep in the next morning...now I have a toddler that doesn't care what time I went to bed, she is waking up at 7:30 or 8:00 regardless! Not to mention, as a Christian, I no longer drink the night away...so time is now very real!

But that was not the end...then we went to an awesome 24 hour restaurant to have migas and pancakes, and did not return home until 2:00 A!M!

Saturday night was an adventure for sure, but we certainly all had a great time! :) (And yes, we were all up early the next morning, all very droopy-eyed!)

And Sunday, I got to see one of my dearest friends (and the one I have definitely known the longest) for lunch! Then we dropped my niece off at camp (it was on our way home...how convenient), and headed home. We were exhausted from a long weekend, but it sure was sweet spending such great time with friends and family!

I didn't get a new picture with Jenn on Sunday, but here is a good one from the last time we saw each other, in April of this year.

Part Two

So, the next "leg" of our vacation was Friday night, when Kris and I got to join Kim (my sister) and Eddie (the great guy she is dating) for a Round Rock Express game. (They are the Triple A Team for the Houston Astros, if you were not aware.) We had a wonderful time...it was a LOT of fun! I hate to admit, though...that I forgot my camera! :(

The seats were amazing! Eddie works for Blue Bell, and these are reserved seats right on the first row behind the batting practice spot for the visiting team. The players were close enough to reach out and touch! (Don't worry, I kept my hands to myself. lol!) If you wanted to say something negative about that team, you had to watch your volume...he certainly would have heard you! One of my favorite parts was watching that team's ball boy. He was a grown man, but had Down's Syndrome, and was clearly loved by his teammates. He high-fived each them as they came out of the dug out, and danced to every country song the stadium played. It was sweet and funny to watch. :)

The Dell Diamond also puts on a really fun fireworks display every Friday night, so we got to watch that at the end of the game...very cool!

Thanks again, Eddie, for sharing your seats with us! We had a blast!

Part 2.A

Saturday night will definitely require it's own post, so I will tell you here about Saturday morning. Living so far away, I rarely get to attend any of my nieces or nephews sporting or special events. We were lucky enough to be there this time for my nephew's ("W") basketball game down at the YMCA. :) Watching a bunch of 7 and 8 year olds play basketball was fun! W's team had more players than the other team, so my sweet nephew offered to play for the other team. I don't think he liked it very much though...I believe he felt disloyal once he was "in the other color." But, here he is on the court:

And this is how the busy toddler kept busy during the last quarter.
While the women-folk were at the basketball game and park, the men-folk played a round of golf. When they got home, we got some sweet family photos.

Dad with all of his grandchildren:
Dad with his original 3 children, Kris was taking the photo. :)

Sweet Time with Family and Friends...Part One

I'm sorry it has been a while since my last post. I have been one busy lady! Last Thursday through Monday we spent time with friends and family about a 5 hour drive away. It was so much fun! We did a LOT, and I will tell you about it a little at a time. :)

Part One:
Thursday, we arrived at Pennie's house, where I finally got to meet her precious daughter, who is now almost 4 months old! If you will remember, I told you about her birth here. She was a doll, and I sure enjoyed holding this precious newborn! Emmalyn even reacted well, loving on her and returning her pacifier every time she dropped it. It was so sweet!!! This gives me hope that she will be a great big sister some day. :) Pennie and I also thoroughly enjoyed getting to spend some quality time together. (Kris, btw...went to play golf Friday morning with my brother so he wouldn't have to listen to all the "girl talk." lol)

Precious Baby:
Emmalyn leaning in to hug her: (Don't worry...we were right there, and she didn't hurt her. :)
A picture of the 4 of us. (It was a lot harder to get a picture with all of us smiling and looking at the camera than we anticipated!) Emmalyn is leaning over to hug the baby...
Pennie and I have been friends since college, about 8 years. She is so much fun, and entering this journey into motherhood together has been great! I really hate that we live so far from each other, but we talk on the phone a lot. The time in person was great, and it made me really miss her! We stayed the night, and left after lunch on Friday to head up to my sister's house...

Much Ado About Nothing

I got a call from my friend Kristin yesterday asking "Are you leaving or staying?" To which I replied..."What are you talking about?"

Apparently, while I was oblivious in my house, not watching television or listening to the radio, the rest of my area was planning for a possible hurricane! So, I turn on the Weather Channel, and sure enough...Tropical Storm Edouard is planning a track right for us! And they say it is very possible that it will turn into a hurricane before it makes landfall! Good grief! I sometimes hate living in Southeast Texas! I never worried about this mess when I lived in the beautiful Hill Country of Austin!

So, I spent the rest of my evening worried about what to do. Our plan was to stay, unless we lost power. If that were to happen, we would just pack up and head to the Hill Country, where we are already planning on going on Thursday morning. Kris was hoping NOT to have to go into work...who wants to get out to go to the doctor when there is a "hurricane" headed right for us, anyway? So, I prayed that this would not cause the trouble Rita caused almost 3 years ago, and went to bed. It was supposed to hit around 10 or 11 a.m. today, so I had time to expect the worst, right?

Well, when we got up at 8:45 this morning...it had already hit! I thought I heard some hard rain about 5:00 this morning, but assumed that was just a foreshadowing of that to come. Nope. That was it. So, now, I sit and look out the window at a little rain and wind. Talk about anticlimactic!!!

So, it looks like our day will continue as usual. Oh, and Kris did get called into work about 9:00. There were 2 patients waiting for him. What is the urgency, people?

Happy Half-Birthday to Emmalyn!

I cannot believe how fast time flies when you have a child! Yesterday was Emmalyn's 18 month birthday! How did this happen? How did my precious little newborn turn into an active, growing toddler? As of today, she is closer to her 2nd birthday than her first! Okay, I can't think like that...too much to handle for this emotional momma!

Some favorite photos from last summer:

Some favorites from this summer:

We are enjoying her so much these days, though! Even though she throws more fits than we ever could have imagined, and the lack of communication abilities really frustrates her and us, we love watching her grow and learn new things! She amazes me daily at what she understands and can do! She has been following simple directions like "turn out the light" and "hand that to Mommy" for a while, but as we increase our expectations, she impresses us as she accomplishes more. She is not talking yet, but I know she will when she is ready. I am going to mention it to her pediatrician at her 18 month check this month, but I am not overly worried yet. I know many of my readers have older kids and toddlers and will think "duh," to many of these...but they are all fairly new to us and still impress US. :)

Some things she does that impress me:

*She gives lots of kisses and hugs, with and without being asked to do so. When I picked her up from the church nursery last Sunday, she was busy walking around giving kisses to all the other babies...too cute!

*When I ask her if she is hungry, she runs to her high chair. When I ask her if she wants to take a bath, she runs to her bathroom. When I ask her if she needs a diaper change, she RUNS AWAY from me! lol!!!

*She can identify and point to many body parts...head, hair, nose, eyes, mouth, ears, arms, shoulder, knees, feet, toes, hand, belly button...etc. The really funny part is when you ask her about her belly button, she lifts her shirt to point to it, then wants to lift YOUR shirt to find yours. :)

*She can tell you that a dog says "woof woof", a tiger says "roar!", and that a cow says "moo!"

*When asked "where is _____" she can point to people in the room. Last week was the first time we asked her "Where is Mommy, Where is Daddy," and continued with Grandma, Grandpa, and Nanny...and she successfully pointed to the right person every time. She also does that with her toy photo album that has my family members. (I hope when we go see all of them next week she will recognize them easily!)

*When we say "Let's pray" she gets excited and closes her eyes, but they only remain closed momentarily. We are trying to get her to say Amen...no luck just yet. When I say Amen at the end of her nighttime prayer, she knows to turn around for me to rock her to sleep. :) (She LOVES her Bible, by the way...points to Jesus on the cover and kisses His face. SO SWEET!)

*She walks around with my keys trying to put them in every door handle. Yesterday, she tried to open the car door herself...funny.

*She successfully used sign language yesterday! I was SOOO excited!!! I haven't been very consistent with teaching her, so she hasn't really tried it. But yesterday, we were sharing a bowl of ice cream, and she was yelling at me for each bite. I told her "No screaming, you need to say more or Mama if you want another bite." Well, she shocked me when she immediately quit screaming and did the sign for "more." She did it again for Daddy last night, and he was equally impressed. :)

*She gives high five.

*She can finally climb up on the couch, get into her rocking chair, and ride her riding toys by herself.

*She will grab the remote and point it at the t.v. and press buttons. It impresses us that she understands that the remote has a connection to working the t.v. She will even turn it around the right way if you hand it to her backwards!

*The other day she was standing up and trying to walk around the tub during her bath. I told her that if she kept getting up, that we would have to get out of the tub. At one point she stood up and I asked her "Do you want to get out?" I was amazed when she shook her head NO and sat down! I guess I just don't expect her to understand reasoning like that.

*She knows how to use "pretend" toys appropriately. She puts the cabbage patch doll's bottle up to it's mouth, puts the phone to her ear, and rubs the plastic lipstick tube around her mouth like she is applying lipstick.

There are probably others...but this just gives you a peek into our daily activities that bring this first time momma such joy! Here is a video I took yesterday. It is a little long...2½ minutes, but cute. :)

I am praising God today and every day for allowing me the honor to be this precious little girl's mommy!!!

43...seriously?!

I knew my child was a bow-head, but oh my goodness!!! I didn't realize it was this, well, out of control until I put them all on separate ribbons yesterday! And this doesn't even take into account the 10 or 12 tiny bows she had when she was a newborn! (The ribbon on the right is her new paired bows for her precious new pigtails these days.) To be fair, I get these bows VERY cheap or free because most of them are made by a family member. :)

And I just had to share this picture, too. Emmalyn is very proud of her new ability to open her closet door, and I just happened to catch a kodak moment when she turned around to show me her proud smile. :)