A Special Friend

We had a special friend come visit last weekend...








He came bearing gifts & the kids loved them...

He played games...










... and even held the baby a lot:)

It was tons of fun to have him here! Thanks for your visit, Uncle Beef!

A Good Book

Having been reminded by a friendly blogger (see Amy in my links to the right) about eating right and exercise being a part of our responsibilities as Christians - I decided to pick up one of my favorite and most convicting books (in the eating category) and re-read it. I HIGHLY recommend it for anyone. Dr. Sears does a wonderful job of outlining how to teach your children to eat right and make healthy choices. I'm not saying I'm a pro at eating healthy by any means, but I have picked up some great tips that are working with my kids... and if you don't have children, it's still a great read about how what you eat affects your health from when you're born to the end of your earthly life. It will definitely make you think twice about the things you purchase in your next trip to the grocery store!!

The Pool

This is what we do most days for at least an hour and a half or so - that is, when it's not raining! Our neighborhood has a pool and it has been wonderful!! They love to play in the baby pool and I love the time to just lay by the side and read...

On a more comical note, there was a lady at the pool the other day with her kids. When she got in, she loudly exclaimed, "Well, I guess they turned off the heater this week!" I asked her what she was talking about and she said they usually leave the pool heaters on until mid July when the sun will warm the water itself. (I did notice the water was a little chillier than usual, but I didn't really think anything of it!) I had to laugh. I just can't imagine having a pool heater until mid-July. She asked why I was laughing and I told her we swim from the end of March through the end of October some years in La with NO heaters. She could not believe it!!

The New Stay at Home Mom

The top ten things I've learned since becoming a stay-at-home mom:

10. it is impossible to do anything before the contacts go into the eyes in the morning
9. peanut butter, jelly, and apple juice must always be on the grocery list no matter how often you shop
8. there is less time during the week for laundry than i anticipated
7. theme songs for any nick jr show that's on in the morning after 8am (and probably any recurring songs within the show like backpack, rescue pack, or many of the backyardigans melodies)
6. babysitters during the day at least once a week are of utmost importance
5. going to the swimming pool everyday will not turn your kids permanently into prunes
4. daughters require way more maintenance than sons (at the Sears' at least)
3. my hair will not come out no matter how much i pull on it during the day
2. videos aren't going to ruin my children - in fact, some of them are VERY educational!
and
1. engineering is much easier than being a stay-at-home mom

Jen was beautiful!!

It's been a while since I've been to a wedding of someone I am close to. I mean, I've been to weddings lately, just not of those with whom I share roommate experiences... and Jen's was wonderful:) She was a beautiful bride and certainly had the "glow." I'm so glad we got to go! Chet and I left the kids with my mom and uncle at my uncle's house in Dallas and headed out for the wedding - and we were not disappointed by the event. Jen was gorgeous, Brad cried (and let me tell you - I can usually keep it together at a wedding, but when the groom cries - the tears flow), the reception was loads of fun, and most of all, I got to see one of my dearest marry a man with whom she will share a precious lifetime with. Yay for Jen and Brad!!

Here are some of the fun friends I got to hang out with at the reception...Beach-trip lovin' Bufkin

Beth Ann (whom I know better now through blogs than I did back in the day) and Groper Ginn

Stacy the snow-ski queen Colvin

and fashion-police Meg & the girl whose most likely least enjoyed rooming with me - I could be cruel to Jill - but it was all in fun!!

Some Highlights

we have arrived!


helping with the unpacking

more helping with the unpacking

the first ponytail

at the neighborhood playground

her favorite place at the neighborhood playground

the fishing i see in the evenings from our deck

My 3-year old

HAPPY BIRTHDAY STONE

He was 3 on Monday, although he thought he was already 3 since we had his party in La before we left. Either way, it's official now. I have a 3 year old and he is a joy!

His party was the Cars theme. He loves that movie and watches it as much as I'll let him. I try to limit it to once every 3 days or so, but sometimes I give in. Anyway, the cake was made by my friend Christine Griffith. She's the best cake maker in the Sport regional area, I think. Stone has a hilarious fascination with traffic cones, so I figured why not - it goes with the theme! Once again, Christine amazed us with her talent...

Since the last post, I've...

• hosted a three-year old birthday party for 40 or so guests at my parents' home
  
• packed randomly assorted things like socks in boxes with cleaning supplies, craft items, & pictures
  
• driven through 2 states to get to my new "home state" with a 1 & 3 year old (with the much appreciated help of my mom)
• watched movers unpack crates of boxes and move them through my muddy yard into my front door and down to the basement all while getting very few scratches on the paint
  
• unpacked NUMEROUS boxes of randomly assorted things packed by others - for instance a sewing machine with Christmas decor and an Easter egg
• lived 12 days without cable tv or internet (which, I must say, was easier than I expected)
• unpacked things I never knew we owned
• separated the "immediately necessary" items from the "can wait to be unpacked" items
• re-packed the "can wait to be unpacked" items
• taped paper over our windows for privacy until our blinds are installed " in 3 to 4 weeks"
  
• said a tearful goodbye to my mom at the airport after 10 days of her wonderful help
• visited a new church by myself (due to storms on saturday night with kids in & out of our bed)
• enrolled my son in VBS at a church down the street & took him today
  

Now, I am finally in communication with the rest of the world - pictures will follow soon.