Green Thumb

I've been dying to find a little hobby that I can call my own for the longest time.  I just want something I can do that is fun, cheap, and "my thing".  Gardening had been nagging at me for awhile and so I decided that I would try my luck (or green thumb) at it while I was out for Spring Break.  Yesterday, we went to Lowe's and stocked up on some things for me to get planted this week; flowers, pots, seeds, potting soil, gloves etc.  Today I got started on all of the flowers and herbs--it was time for some color around our house!

I had so much fun with all of it.  I'm hoping to plant an actual garden before the week ends.  Going to try my luck with spinach, cabbage, squash, chili peppers, jalepenos, and cilantro.  Hopefully, I have as much fun with that as I did with this!

Off Roading!

Ok...I don't think I've ever had as much fun in a vehicle than I did last Saturday off roading with my family!  Who knew something like that could be so awesome?!  We took the top off the jeep, which we have named "Black Betty" or "Betty" for short. :)  We headed up in the hills to Blue Ridge and found a couple of small trails...even found some snow.  That was Addy's job--locate the snow!  Pretty sure she said, "Where's the snow?" about 894 times.  We then went back down the hill to find another gnarly trail, Jack Flat Trail.  I got to drive on this one and I LOVED it!  So much fun.  We definately found a new hobby and are looking forward to many more adventures!

Happenings

Well hello, blog world, its been while.  Since my last post, there have been a few "happenings" around these parts. 

First off, I'm proud say that we have a potty trained little girl living under our roof!! Yippeee!!  For the past three weeks, Miss Addy has been in "big girl panties".  I decided one Saturday morning a few weeks back that she was going to put some panties on and no diaper.  We were going to be home and it was a long weekend so I thought what better time to try?  She ate it up!  Granted, we had been working towards this moment for quite some time to little avail...to the point that I was thinking, "Is this ever going to happen?". Lol.  Our girl was not only ready, but so proud to be a "big girl"!  With the new panties (...and let me tell ya, there are a lot...Dora the Explorere, Minnie Mouse, Disney Princesses, Disney Fairies...laawwwdy...) came a newfound "Miss Independent" stubborn streak.  There have been a few more timeouts happening at school and home.  We are working through it though--doing our best to say consistent.  She is much more of a decisive person than I am--no doubt about it, she knows what she wants.  End of story. 

Next change is our new car...last weekend we turned in our Rav4 for a Jeep Rubicon 4 door 4x4.  Its pretty cool.  Dusty and I have actually been dreaming and talking about this car for a couple years now.  It feels like us.  It fits us.  Some of y'all may remember my FJ Cruiser years ago...when I had to give that up when mommyhood entered the picture, I was inconsolable.  Well this Jeep puts the smile right back on my face.  We are taking it out on some trails this weekend...hopefully they are open, been a lot of snow up in the hills lately. 

Finally, we bought our tickets to come home this summer!!!!!!!! Addy and I will be heading back to TEXAS on June 21st...Dusty will be heading out July 1st.  Addy and I get to stay much longer--until July 25th--but due to work, Dusty will only be there a week.  Little time is better than no time, right?! I cannot wait to kiss that Texas soil.  I cannot wait to hug my family.  I cannot wait to be with my HEROES family.  I cannot wait for some brisket and Shiner Bock beer.  I cannot wait to see those big Texas blue skies.  I cannot wait!! 103 days!

30.

"All the world is a birthday cake, so take a piece."-George Harrison

As most of you know, because I make sure everyone did know, I turned 30 a couple weeks back.  It is a bit surreal saying "I am 30."  I actually had to say that out loud recently--don't remember why--and I remember thinking, "WHAT did i just say?". Lol.  I'm actually quite OK with it, better than the alternative of not being here to celebrate another birthday.

Dusty went above and beyond to make sure I felt special and celebrated for not just one weekend, but two.  On my actual birthday, he organized a bit of a party where some of our family and friends came up to the house for beer and BBQ--two of my favorite things.  We had a great time hanging out with everyone and I was overwhelmed at how many showed up for little ol' me.  Dusty, Addy, and myself took the next day off and had some fun family time fishing at the pond near our house.

This past weekend, Dusty had more surprises in store for me.  We headed to the coast early Saturday morning, just the two of us!  I had been there once before on one of our visits, but didn't really spend much time.  I LOVED it!!  We went to Avila Beach, where we stayed, Pismo Beach, and San Luis Obispo.  Beautiful.  All of it.  We first went to Splash Cafe and had THE best clam chowder I have ever eaten.  Oh. my. word.  (Sorry, Pensacola, you got nothin' on this chowder!)  We did some walking around, some shopping, and some hanging out on the pier just staring at the Pacific.  We headed over to San Luis Obispo that evening where we saw Dusty's nephew, Casey, who is going to school out there.  SLO is AH-mazing.  How fast can we move there?! Lol.  It is such a cool town.  The whole vibe in this town is "chill".  Loved it.  We visited a few bars and ended the night with some amazing sushi.  To die for sushi.  :)  We absolutely enjoyed our little mini vacay--just the two of us.  We needed it.  I think every couple does every now and then.  More of our time was spent laughing and I can't even tell you what we were laughing about half the time! 

All in all, 30 was GREAT! The only thing that would have made it better would have been spending it with my Texas family.  My mom's birthday and my birthday are one day apart and growing up we always celebrated together with at least a dinner or something.  So that was a little hard.  I'm thinking that's why Dusty had so much planned for me--didn't want me to have time to be sad. Lol.

I am grateful to be 30.  Never thought Springville, CA would be where I would have celebrated it though.  It's funny how life works out...never know where it will take you!

"Life has more to do with what typed of experiences you've had, and what you've learned from them, and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated."-Unknown

Christmas morning!

Addy discovering the swingset left for her by Santa!

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Truth.

I came acrss this blog post on Facebook last night thanks to someone else posting the link.  I read it.  And then I read it again.  It is so true.  And it spoke to me.  I just had to share with y'all.

2011 Lesson #2 : Don’t Carpe Diem


I can tell you that I have already had a few "Kairos moments" today...but some things should just stay "Kairos".  :)   If you don't know what I mean by that, than go read it!  If you are a mother--read it NOW!




Live. Laugh. Love.

I'm baaaaack!

Hello world!  Guess what Santa brought me this Christmas?  Internet at our house!! Yippee! It was no easy feat being that we live in the country...thank goodness for Hughes Net and their Christmas specials!

Let me catch yall up!  I haven't posted since before Thanksgiving...I guess I better bring yall up to speed.  All of Dusty's family came up to our house for the day...lots of food was had, horseshoe games were played, and football was watched.  My kitchen never looked so small as it did that day! 

Dusty did his usual frying of the turkey and once again, it was YUMMY!  Toni and I spent most the morning/ afternoon in the kitchen whipping up the rest of the stuff.

It was a beautiful day up here on Thanksgiving so fortunately, we got to spend a lot of time outside!

It was a great day filled with fun and family.  It was hard not being around my family in Texas and, of course, I shed a few tears.  However, I decided that I needed to find the silver lining which was the beginning of new family traditions!

On to Christmas!

Preparing for Christmas was SO much fun this year!  Addy really had a handle on what was happening.  She knew it was Jesus' birthday and that Santa Claus was heading her way!  I think we discussed both people multiple times a day leading up to Christmas--she was so excited. 

Her preschool did a Christmas recital early in December.  This is one of those parenting moments I had always thought about...getting her hair curled and getting her dressed.  Then getting to see her on stage with her little classmates singing in front of an auditorium of people!  Dusty and I couldn't have been prouder!  She was not shy one bit!

Christmas rolled around super fast!  Suddenly it was Christmas Eve.  Again, all of Dusty's family came up to our house for the day/ evening.  The plan was to eat dinner and open presents, however, we were all guilty of snacking too much on all the little appetizers, so not much dinner was had.  Instead, we played board games--hadn't done that in ages and it was so fun!  We finally got around to presents and the kids had a blast.  Addy was pumped!!

Once everyone left, Dusty and I got busy with Christmas morning plans.  I began cooking our yummy breakfast casserole for the next morning as well as preparing the "Christmas Tree room" (as Addy calls it!).  I found the idea on Pinterest--my newest addiction.   Dusty and his best friend, Chuck, spent the cold evening outside putting Addy's big SURPRISE together.  Santa brought her a swingset!!   

The idea was for Addy to tear through the paper the next morning to get to her presents!

Addy awoke ready to open presents and see what Santa left her.  I'd be lying if I said Dusty and I weren't just as excited to see her do it!

Once she finally discovered the big surprise outside, we couldn't stop her!  Her reaction was priceless and so happy I got it recorded!

Christmas Day was spent at our house, just the three of with Duke.  Addy played and played and played all day long.  The homesickness hit me that afternoon when we Skyped with the majority of my family partying it up in Muenster.  It was truly strange to not be there.  It sucked actually.  Up until that moment, we had been SO busy that I hadn't had time to dwell on it much.  But like I said earlier, the silver lining is that Dusty and are able to begin new traditions.  I miss my family and cannot wait until June when we can head home for a bit!!

I go back to work Monday and I'm pretty sure I'm not going to remember how to do it since I have had three wonderful weeks off. Lol.  I've treasured all this time I had to spend with Addy and I know I'll be a sad Momma come Monday morning when I drop her off at school and I head back to work.  She is the coolest chick around.  :)

My New Year's Resolutions are going to be to blog more frequently and keep everyone updated more regularly.  Additionally, I'm back on the "get healthy" train.  Lordy.  I have gained 16 lbs since the summer and moving out here! Ack!!  I'm not ashamed.  But, if anyone remembers how stressed I was this summer during all the upheaval in our lives and then on top of it all--new house, new job, new people, new daycare, new life...I'm just glad I didn't gain 26 lbs! Lol!

Love to all!

Update! And "Month of Thanks"

Well, hello blogging world, it has been awhile!  How is everyone? Things are going fabulously here in California!  We are slowly, but surely getting settled and acclimated. (Although, I’m still on Texas time and am reminded every night about 8:00 when I think to myself, “It’s only 8? Crap!”)

Addy continues to thrive at her preschool.  It was a huge adjustment not just for her, but for Dusty and I too.  We were spoiled at Ms. Rachael’s back in Sachse!  Addy was one of only about 10 kids with 2-3 teachers.  She got lots of attention and LOVE.  Here at her new school, it’s not so small.  She is in a normal size class—I think about 20 kids her age with 3-4 teachers. And it is much more like a school setting, which the teacher in me loves because that will get her that much more ready for Kindergarten in a few years.  (Yikes!) She is potty training…some days are better than others.  M&M’s are our gold to get her to sit on the potty!  Some days she wants nothing to do with it, though.  We do our best to keep it routine and consistent, but she is really good at testing that. J  Any suggestions out there?!  She talks like CRAZY! Oh my word.  She never stops.  Full on conversations with this girl and we LOVE it.  She keeps us entertained and on our toes all the time.  She had a great Halloween and dressed up as Minnie Mouse.  We took her to a Trunk or Treat at one of the churches down in Porterville where she got to meet “Cinderella”.  Oh my word was this girl star struck.  She was still talking about it this morning. LOL.

Dusty and I are doing well also.  I’m getting the hang of my job more and more and really am enjoying it…most days. J  I am serving a completely different population of kids than I used to, but I love it.  I do miss my days in DP though and can’t wait to go home in the summer to work at HEROES!!  I think I’ll be home with Addy for at least a few weeks and Dusty will be there for part of it depending on his work schedule.  Can’t wait!

We are in love with our house and the beautiful country in which we get to live now.  We are lucky. We are blessed beyond measure.  It doesn’t matter what stress our day might have caused us, as soon as we turn onto our little road, it melts away.  It is simply breathtaking where we are.  As much as I love it, I’m still struggling with being homesick.  I just miss so much about Texas.  No place like it.  I miss my family.  No one like them.  And I miss my friends.  They are the best.  With all of that being said, we are happy.  I am happy.

Speaking of happy…my parents are coming to visit on Friday!! I couldn’t be more excited!!!!!!  I will post about that next week!

In honor of November and the upcoming holiday of Thanksgiving, I’m going to start my “Month of Thanks” a day late.  Today, I am thankful for the beautiful land we get to look at every single day.

MIA

I know I have been MIA for almost 2 months now, but bare with me, I will be getting back to this soon. I promise. Life has been crazy, but in the best way. We have yet to get Internet in our new house--a little bit harder when you live in the country like we do now--and when I do, I'll be blogging regularly again. Don't forget about us!!!

Life is good!!!!!

Update!

**Pictures are randomnly placed throughout post. :)**

Hello! It has been awhile since my last post and my, how things have changed! We are here...in California. It took us two full days of driving and one hotel stop in Grants, NM, but we made it! The kids, Addy and Duke, did great. The first day was the hardest on both of them, but by day two, they were old pros.

 

 

I am happy to be here. I am. Really. Leaving Texas was one of the hardest, most gut wrenching experiences of my life. It goes without saying that leaving my family, especially my mom and my dad, ripped my heart out. They have all lifted us up through prayer, love, and support and I feel it. The morning we left, I was able to calm my crying (sobbing, more like it) a few miles down the road from my parents' house, but started up again when we crossed over the TX/ NM border. I watched Texas disappear behind me in the rear view mirror and felt that aching in my heart again.

 

 

~~Oh Texas...you have been a good friend, but I know we will see each other soon. You have my heart. I am a proud Texan through and through and don't think I won't brag about you to my new friend, California.~~

The arrival here was made much easier by Toni's welcome! She transformed what was her room to Addy's room. When I walked in, Addy's crib was put together, her changing table was in there, her dresser painted by her Daddy was in there, her toy chest, and her rug were all in there making me feel like a piece of "home" was waiting on us. I don't think Toni will ever know how much that meant. I shed many a tear leaving our home, but more specifically, Addy's bedroom. SO many memories.

As hard as it was to say goodbye to family, friends, and our first home full of memories...I still feel that this is right. So many things are falling into place with ease. I have a job, I start tomorrow. Addy has a preschool, she loves it already. Dusty continues to exceed at his job, loving it more everyday.

I am nervously excited about my job. I will no longer be a classroom teacher. I am the new Transition Specialist for the Lindsay Unified School District-a town about 10 miles from here. I will be coordinating the transitions of kids entering preschool and exiting high school under the SPED umbrella as well as writing all the IEP's and facilitating meetings. I'm sure there is more to it than that, but that's all I know at the point! I start tomorrow. (the street I work on is lined with palm trees with a backdrop of mountains! No forgetting where I am!) I think I may even have an office! Crazy!

 

 

This summer was a whirlwind. I know a lot of people that love us had doubts about this move...some may still have those doubts. Something is telling me that this is right for our family. I feel like we have been "led" this way. It did happen fast, but the signs were there. Dusty and I talked about that on our long trip and we both said that we feel God puts these signs in front of us and leaves it up to us to make heads or tails of it. We did just that...we called "heads"!

 

 

When Dusty left Texas six or seven weeks ago, it tore me up. Tore him up too. But he said something to calm me that still rings in my ear that I will leave you with...he said,

 

 

"Babe, think about the story we are writing...think about years from now when we can look back and say how brave we were then and that there won't be anything that can stop us once we get through it."

 

 

And I think he is right...what a cool story...