It's been about a month since we moved.
It's been a really long month.
Our boys seem to come down with something every time we venture out of the house, so we end up spending the rest of the week recovering our health. Last Saturday the flu hit mommy within a couple of hours and I didn't feel normal again until late Wednesday. Wow! I haven't had the flu in about 6 years and I think that little bout should last me for about the next 10 years.
Course, guess who got it next?
J 1st and now C. Since they were vaccinated by T-rav's orders, they've recovered from it much faster than I did...Thank the Lord! So I guess I'll admit that the vaccine is OK......maybe.....hmmm......
It hasn't been all bad though. I'm painting such a horrible picture for you that you may be wondering why we haven't just chopped it up to a mistake for moving here, packed our stuff and headed back north. Sickness can sometimes cloud your perspective on things, I know when I get sick it makes me temporarily depressed.
So I shall move on to the silver lining in my cloud of temporary depression......therapy, if you will.
The hilly drive to the house we are renting is very beautiful. When we told folks we were moving here the 1st thing they would say is "the hill country is beautiful!". That ain't no joke. It is beautiful! I enjoy the little drive out to this house because on a few hills and turns my tummy gets little butterflies from the ups and downs.
You know, I haven't felt that since I was kid driving down S. Conwell by the hospital on our way to my Aunts house.....brings back some good memories. My Aunt and Uncle were young and would let us do almost ANYTHING. It was almost like going to Disneyland of Casper....
OK, so I got off subject.
I've discovered this thing of beauty called "H-E-B" and I wonder how I ever managed without this store. It's glorious! For those of you who don't know, H-E-B is a grocery store. Yes, I'm this excited about a grocery store...*sigh*...I used to be kind of cool. But it's not your regular run of the mill grocery stores.....it's like Central Market took a class in humility, decided to not over charge for the "ambiance" and offered more affordable, real prices that people can afford with out sacrificing quality like another place (rhymes with Allmart, if you're wondering).
We got into BSF....a huge plus! They had a spot open in the children's program for both of my my boys as well as a spot for the mommy.....talk about the hand of God, it's almost next to impossible for just a spot for an adult to get in sometimes. This year is the book of Isaiah and I have to be honest I was only wanting to sign up so that I could be forced to read the Bible and so J could have some fun with some other kids....Isaiah has always seem to be "out there" for me. I know I know I know....it's a great book prophesying the coming of Christ....it's important. For some reason I just wasn't super excited like I was about the Life of Moses a few years ago. But of course, His Word never returns void and I have already learned so much in just 2 very short weeks.....blows my mind when I read the notes and the culture context is applied to the verses. Wow. It's all I can say.
We found a great new Pediatrician, Dr. S in Drippin (yes, that's how the locals call it and I'm not one to try to offend the natives my 1st month in town....trying to make friends here folks.) and she is wonderful. I loved our Dr M in Ft Worth, but I knew that even a 3 hour drive for a Dr was a little ridiculous, so when the boys got the flu this week we went and checked her out. They both loved her! She's a mom of 4 and is pregnant with her 5th......she must love kids, cause being around them all day, then to come home to a house full sounds exhausting to me. God built us all differently, variety is something He loves and I appreciate that about Him more and more each year.
We are touring a pre-school next week for J. I'm nervous for him but won't let on because I'm the mom and need to set the example (course I need to repeat that to myself everyday) cause he'll only be scared if I make it scary. If you think of it, please pray for him next week as he starts at his new school. It will be Monday and Wednesdays for 4 hours each day. Not too long, but just enough for me to get a few things done with just 1 baby in tow instead of 2.
I've started going to Zumba at Lifetime Fitness. It's a fast paced latin dance fitness class...just an FYI in case you were curious. So far I've only made it to 2 classes because of all the illnesses. Let be the 1st to tell ya....Wow, what a hysterical site I am! Then I got to thinking the other day that is has been right around 10 years since I was on the Calvary Dance Team for Casper's indoor football team (big time, oh yah!) and 10 years has not been good to this girl...I am laughing right now thinking how hysterical I look in the reflection of the mirror at this class. Folks, I'm not 22 anymore! I'm a mother of 2 very little boys which both came via c-section, 32 years old and ridiculously out of shape. I still love it though and because I'm not there to show off or perform it's become a slight addiction.........I did notice that I still have the rhythm, it's the ability to make the moves "look good" that I've long since lost. It's a random little tidbit about me ;-).
Updates on my boys:
Well we'll start with T-rav. He loves his job! Which helps his mood a lot and then in turn makes our house very merry, not that it wasn't in Ft Worth but I do notice he's a little more patient with me these days. The company he is working for is called Three Rivers Operating. It's a smaller privately owned company with only 21 employees, I think. He is apart of the whole "starting from the ground up" process and I can tell it has really blew out some of the cob webs that had been building up in his brain. I'm thankful that we have been blessed with a new job that T-rav really enjoys. Don't get me wrong, he loved XTO....it was ExxonMobil that was killing him.
J is still a very energetic 3 year old. His 3 are turning out to be sooooooooooo much better than his 2's ever were. He says some of the funniest things and really keeps me laughing these days. He's been gifted with a heart of encouragement and thankfulness. He's always so thankful for simple things like, me folding his clean laundry, catching him before he falls, taking him to Chick-fil-A....these are things that I get a huge thank you for with out any prompting. He also is a great encourager. When I was sick earlier this week, he would come in our bedroom and crawl up on the bed and then ask me "mom, you doing ok? I was just checkin on ya. I'm praying you get better....and you will......soon mommy."
I'm so blessed, he just makes me smile.
So little brother C turned 10 months old 10 days ago. I was feeling so sad that it went by so fast but then I've been reminded these past few days that this is the start of my favorite age. I love this age!
He's starting to take a few steps
He's not real steady when he stands alone....I think he's still got some ear issues
He loves to use the furniture as walkers....chairs, end tables, the little kids table....whatever he can move around really. We do own 2 walkers but he's not really a fan of them.
He babbles a lot, but knows that saying "mama" will get his favorite person in the world which makes me think he really does know he's saying mama, for his mama. Would that count as his 1st word? or does it have to be a word other than mama?
He is starting to lunge for T-rav when he gets home from work, makes me kind of sad because this was the start of mommy not being so great and daddy hanging the moon when Jackson was little....only a little more time and I'm sure I will have lost this one to daddy too.
He loves his big brother and will go crawling all over the house till he finds him. J is pretty good with him, but there have been a few moments that I've had to intervene because C was destroying J's latest Lincoln Log creation. He has a hard time understanding that babies don't know they are ruining something.
This picture is from the end of December, when he 1st started climbing on things
He loved messing with the shutters in the living room and our bedroom at our old house
Busted!
For New Years, Gramie and Papa showed up with more Christmas gifts.
Hurry, hurry Papa, open it, open it! I think he was telling Papa "faster, faster!"
He also got to open all brother's presents this year too.....what a 3 year olds dream!
C throwing a fit in the high chair. He prefers his human high chair....mommy's hip
Papa and J out back enjoying lunch
Gramie and Papa bought J a bow and arrow set at Cabela's when they were here. He wanted to go out back and target practice just like daddy does with his bow
Daddy teaching him "the release"
Fast learner.....he had it down. Check out that stance. You can tell he really studies and watches daddies every move.....no one told him how to stand he just knew
Showing off for Papa trying to earn his man card
a kindred spirit. In December, NO ONE could hold C but mommy. That is until he discovered his best friend Papa
Now in Austin.......He's found one of brothers "arrows" to his bow.
Want it mommy?
K, I'll just gnaw on it a little
This is the "squishy face" he does.....it's much cuter in person
J just teasing C.....holding him captive when he tried to crawl off. Brothers!
Another one of his squishy face.....still the camera can't quite capture it
We moved to the right city....our future muscian
serenading his lil bro
C starring out the back door at our "pets"
The boys got a few hours of entertainment out of crawling and dancing around on these boxes. Notice how filthy the bottom of J's feet are and C's hands......so gross!
Flowers T-rav got me when I was sick. They were still beautiful even after 3 days of neglect. Another quality H-E-B product ;-)
The moon the other night.....so beautiful!
