I couldn't find a pumpkin big enough for him to fit in this year (ha-ha), so I'm recycling a picture from 2007. I can't believe we really did this to him...poor kid! :)
Hope everyone has a fun, safe Halloween!
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Happy Halloween!
I couldn't find a pumpkin big enough for him to fit in this year (ha-ha), so I'm recycling a picture from 2007. I can't believe we really did this to him...poor kid! :)
Hope everyone has a fun, safe Halloween!
Monday, October 19, 2009
Summer Wrap-Up
Yes, we’re more than half way through October. But for some reason, I have this blog-induced guilt lingering over me to document a few more things from summer. From our Gulf Shores trip, the house move, surgery, and the early weeks of pregnancy, I wasn’t the best blogger those few months. One of these days (hopefully before baby gets here), I want to get a blog-to-book done, so it will just help me feel that all is right in the world if I get caught up from the summer.
Without further ado, here’s the rest of our summer:
Our church’s version of VBS, called Summer Spectacular, started on the day of our move, so we didn’t quite get the full effect this year. But what we did see was of course spectacular. This year’s theme was Queen Esther. Tate loved getting to see Daddy help haul in Haman on a chariot thing. And he talked for weeks about seeing Mordecai come in the auditorium on a real horse. And the musical cracks me up. From Abba to Beyonce tunes, they make the Esther story pretty entertaining for the adults too. Once again, RHCC outdid itself and provided a wonderful and fun family event.
We did lots of swimming at Mimi & Grandpa’s house, at our local pool, and with all of the cousins. By the end of the summer and after lessons, he was either "swimming" on his own or with arm floaties if we needed a little break. He is a water boy and loves going under, jumping (although that seems to be fading some), playing with sticks and kicking.
This year was a fun one for 4th of July. Tate was so excited about the fireworks and STILL asks to see them whenever we drive by the spot that we parked to watch.
We also enjoyed lots of outside time this summer. Our new house has great shade placement. So even in the heat of day, we’re able to play outside. What a relief…this guy has got some serious energy to work off every day!
Tate also discovered some new favorite songs this summer. Wade has an Ipod playlist for Tate, and this is on a regular rotation. I'm so proud! :) Seriously, how can you not love Neil Diamond?
And the grand finale of the summer was our annual trip to Lake Brownwood. Because of the timing, this year it was only us, the Haynes, the Cranfords, and the Irvines. We missed everyone else. It amazes me every time, though, how we just pick up right where we left off with these friends. We rarely have the chance to see them anymore in regular life, but the trip to the lake each year feels like we see them all of the time. I will always be thankful for these friendships!
Tate had a blast this year. He wasn’t even walking last year, so this time around was very different and lots of fun. He loved the lake, the friends, the donuts, the boat, and the tube. Not sure why I’m even surprised, but he didn’t hesitate a second getting on that tube. That definitely does not come from my DNA.
And oh my goodness, he has a new 8-year-old hero. His name is Austin. Tate talked to and followed Austin around non-stop. And now any time we see an elementary-aged boy with white/blond hair, he asks if it’s Austin. So sweet. And so hard for me to believe. Austin used to be the little 2-month-old I took care of for a few months when I was looking for a job. Time flies.
And I have to give out some props to the husband for a nice end of summer surprise. Some “for no real reason” flowers. Big points for that one!
OK, I feel better now. The summer books are officially closed.
Without further ado, here’s the rest of our summer:
Our church’s version of VBS, called Summer Spectacular, started on the day of our move, so we didn’t quite get the full effect this year. But what we did see was of course spectacular. This year’s theme was Queen Esther. Tate loved getting to see Daddy help haul in Haman on a chariot thing. And he talked for weeks about seeing Mordecai come in the auditorium on a real horse. And the musical cracks me up. From Abba to Beyonce tunes, they make the Esther story pretty entertaining for the adults too. Once again, RHCC outdid itself and provided a wonderful and fun family event.
We did lots of swimming at Mimi & Grandpa’s house, at our local pool, and with all of the cousins. By the end of the summer and after lessons, he was either "swimming" on his own or with arm floaties if we needed a little break. He is a water boy and loves going under, jumping (although that seems to be fading some), playing with sticks and kicking.
This year was a fun one for 4th of July. Tate was so excited about the fireworks and STILL asks to see them whenever we drive by the spot that we parked to watch.
Wade went with a few other guys and their sons to watch a monster truck rally. Clearly we were not up on our monster truck protocol, because neither of us even thought about ear plugs. Wade had to borrow some there. To say that Tate enjoyed it is a huge understatement. Even several months later, he will go up to complete strangers and tell them “I see monster trucks!” Not sure what to think about that. Going to many more monster truck rallies in the future is not that exciting to me. Maybe that’s a Daddy thing.
We also enjoyed lots of outside time this summer. Our new house has great shade placement. So even in the heat of day, we’re able to play outside. What a relief…this guy has got some serious energy to work off every day!
Tate also discovered some new favorite songs this summer. Wade has an Ipod playlist for Tate, and this is on a regular rotation. I'm so proud! :) Seriously, how can you not love Neil Diamond?
And the grand finale of the summer was our annual trip to Lake Brownwood. Because of the timing, this year it was only us, the Haynes, the Cranfords, and the Irvines. We missed everyone else. It amazes me every time, though, how we just pick up right where we left off with these friends. We rarely have the chance to see them anymore in regular life, but the trip to the lake each year feels like we see them all of the time. I will always be thankful for these friendships!
Tate had a blast this year. He wasn’t even walking last year, so this time around was very different and lots of fun. He loved the lake, the friends, the donuts, the boat, and the tube. Not sure why I’m even surprised, but he didn’t hesitate a second getting on that tube. That definitely does not come from my DNA.
And oh my goodness, he has a new 8-year-old hero. His name is Austin. Tate talked to and followed Austin around non-stop. And now any time we see an elementary-aged boy with white/blond hair, he asks if it’s Austin. So sweet. And so hard for me to believe. Austin used to be the little 2-month-old I took care of for a few months when I was looking for a job. Time flies.
And I have to give out some props to the husband for a nice end of summer surprise. Some “for no real reason” flowers. Big points for that one!
OK, I feel better now. The summer books are officially closed.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
U2
Just a few years into our marriage, we missed the chance to go see U2 in concert. After that, we promised each other that the next time they came in town, we were there. So we lived up to the promise and headed out for what we both say is our best concert ever.
That probably doesn’t mean a whole lot considering my vast concert experience (see here). Although, Celine really is amazing live! Anyway, as it got closer and I was mentally adding up all of the costs for this night out in my head, I started to wonder if it would be worth it. Thank goodness Mr. Bono and the boys did not disappoint.
(Me & Wade above, Holly & Carter below, ginormous new Cowboys stadium in back).
The show was amazing. Really, it was amazing. The stage, the lights, the screen, the band, and of course, the music. From where we were, the sound was great. They played a variety of old and new. Some of the ones I enjoyed the most were: Magnificent, Beautiful Day, Stuck in a Moment, Elevation, Vertigo, One/Amazing Grace, and Where the Streets Have No Name.
I have NO idea how the people on the floor made it standing the whole time.
Can you say giddy?
I thought Bono sounded just as great live. And I’m blown away by his stage presence. If I have half his energy when I’m his age, I’ll be thrilled. The only part of the show that I didn’t care for was the spaceship alien video (weird?) and the drop-down-neon-light microphone with the lights on his jacket. It didn’t sound as good and was way too distracting. But everything else was even better than I could have hoped for.
The place was crazy crowded. I’ve heard it was from 80,000-90,000people there. The people-watching was at its best. The majority of the crowd was just around my age if not a few years older. Me and my 12-week pregnant self just sat with my bottled water and watched the hilarity of a bunch of 30 & 40-somethings, mixed in with lots of drinks, mixed in with really high heels, mixed in with uber-coolness. Oh, that was entertaining all on its own.
And then to watch each person and their personal concert-style moves. My favorite was the guy with the Arsenio Hall arm thrust/lasso-a-rope combo move. Loved it. I’m sure someone else is writing a blog somewhere about me and my head bob/hip twitch, but isn’t it just funny to watch people get into the music?
So even as I crawled in bed at 2:00 a.m. and was still tallying how much everything cost, I don’t regret it at all. In fact, I can’t wait until they come back again.
That probably doesn’t mean a whole lot considering my vast concert experience (see here). Although, Celine really is amazing live! Anyway, as it got closer and I was mentally adding up all of the costs for this night out in my head, I started to wonder if it would be worth it. Thank goodness Mr. Bono and the boys did not disappoint.
(Me & Wade above, Holly & Carter below, ginormous new Cowboys stadium in back).
The show was amazing. Really, it was amazing. The stage, the lights, the screen, the band, and of course, the music. From where we were, the sound was great. They played a variety of old and new. Some of the ones I enjoyed the most were: Magnificent, Beautiful Day, Stuck in a Moment, Elevation, Vertigo, One/Amazing Grace, and Where the Streets Have No Name.
I have NO idea how the people on the floor made it standing the whole time.
Can you say giddy?
I thought Bono sounded just as great live. And I’m blown away by his stage presence. If I have half his energy when I’m his age, I’ll be thrilled. The only part of the show that I didn’t care for was the spaceship alien video (weird?) and the drop-down-neon-light microphone with the lights on his jacket. It didn’t sound as good and was way too distracting. But everything else was even better than I could have hoped for.
The place was crazy crowded. I’ve heard it was from 80,000-90,000people there. The people-watching was at its best. The majority of the crowd was just around my age if not a few years older. Me and my 12-week pregnant self just sat with my bottled water and watched the hilarity of a bunch of 30 & 40-somethings, mixed in with lots of drinks, mixed in with really high heels, mixed in with uber-coolness. Oh, that was entertaining all on its own.
And then to watch each person and their personal concert-style moves. My favorite was the guy with the Arsenio Hall arm thrust/lasso-a-rope combo move. Loved it. I’m sure someone else is writing a blog somewhere about me and my head bob/hip twitch, but isn’t it just funny to watch people get into the music?
So even as I crawled in bed at 2:00 a.m. and was still tallying how much everything cost, I don’t regret it at all. In fact, I can’t wait until they come back again.
Friday, October 09, 2009
Giveaway
So here's an area that my sister & I are pretty different. I couldn't sew a button on to save my life. But somehow my sister, Shannon, developed some pretty impressive and creative sewing skills. She opened an online store a few months ago selling adorable baby burpies and pillowcase dresses. So to launch her new fall dresses (how cute are these?), she's hosting a giveaway.
Sunday, October 04, 2009
For Baby Chase
The three of us were able to participate in a very special memorial ceremony with many of our friends and the friends of friends across the country to honor Baby Chase.
We knew Mark & Chelsea while we were all at ACU, and then Wade & Mark were able to work for the same company for a few years in the early days post-graduation. We’ve come to think highly of them and value their friendship, even one from afar since we don’t see them that often.
So we were completely heartbroken and devastated with the news that the baby Chelsea was 34 weeks pregnant with had died from a blood clot in the umbilical cord. I just haven't been able to stop thinking about and praying for Chelsea, Mark, and their three daughters. I don’t think anyone can imagine going through something so difficult. From the communication we’ve read and heard, they are handling this with grace and strength. They asked for those that wanted to honor Baby Chase to do so with a balloon release, similar to what they were doing with their own family at home. Their daughters are going to collect pictures and put together a scrapbook of all of the different people thinking of this special family. You can see many of the others here.
My prayer for them continues as their grief will surely go on in the days to come. Prayers that their hearts will be healed and renewed, and that they will settle in the peace that passes all understanding.
We knew Mark & Chelsea while we were all at ACU, and then Wade & Mark were able to work for the same company for a few years in the early days post-graduation. We’ve come to think highly of them and value their friendship, even one from afar since we don’t see them that often.
So we were completely heartbroken and devastated with the news that the baby Chelsea was 34 weeks pregnant with had died from a blood clot in the umbilical cord. I just haven't been able to stop thinking about and praying for Chelsea, Mark, and their three daughters. I don’t think anyone can imagine going through something so difficult. From the communication we’ve read and heard, they are handling this with grace and strength. They asked for those that wanted to honor Baby Chase to do so with a balloon release, similar to what they were doing with their own family at home. Their daughters are going to collect pictures and put together a scrapbook of all of the different people thinking of this special family. You can see many of the others here.
My prayer for them continues as their grief will surely go on in the days to come. Prayers that their hearts will be healed and renewed, and that they will settle in the peace that passes all understanding.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Just One Of Those Days
This is just one of those series of events I need to document so I can have a good laugh one day.
spent 3 fun days in Atlanta with Garyn, Zach & Campbell
didn’t venture outside much because it rained non-stop
spent hours upon hours talking and laughing just like the good ‘ol roomie days
sad to leave the house at 2:45 p.m. to head to the airport
immediately starts pouring rain
can see maybe 3 car lengths in front of us
one side of Hwy. 85 is shut down from a wreck
our side of Hwy. 85 is a parking lot
hwy. 85 is flooded
a typical 30-45 minute drive takes 2 hours
say our goodbyes
4:30 p.m. flight is cancelled
on 8:30 p.m. flight
walk through terminal T
walk through terminal B
oh fun, an airport spa
get a pedicure
8:30 p.m. flight in cancelled
on 10:10 p.m. flight
walk through terminal A
cell phone battery dead
oh fun, a store for cell phone batteries
walk through terminal T…again
eat dinner
finally sit down at gate since it’s getting close…9:30 p.m.
odd guy sits in front of me and falls asleep with his head on his thigh
still no plane
odd guy answers phone and says “hang on, I don’t know where I am”
still no plane
odd guy tries to get ticket agent to tell girlfriend on phone that he’s at the airport
at 10:30 p.m. they say the plane is stuck on other side of airport
still no plane, but odd guy tries to check in with boarding pass anyway
odd guy is now labeled drunk guy as he stumbles over people
boarding begins at 11:00 p.m.
drunk guy escorted away from gate by security
spent 3 fun days in Atlanta with Garyn, Zach & Campbell
didn’t venture outside much because it rained non-stop
spent hours upon hours talking and laughing just like the good ‘ol roomie days
sad to leave the house at 2:45 p.m. to head to the airport
immediately starts pouring rain
can see maybe 3 car lengths in front of us
one side of Hwy. 85 is shut down from a wreck
our side of Hwy. 85 is a parking lot
hwy. 85 is flooded
a typical 30-45 minute drive takes 2 hours
say our goodbyes
4:30 p.m. flight is cancelled
on 8:30 p.m. flight
walk through terminal T
walk through terminal B
oh fun, an airport spa
get a pedicure
8:30 p.m. flight in cancelled
on 10:10 p.m. flight
walk through terminal A
cell phone battery dead
oh fun, a store for cell phone batteries
walk through terminal T…again
eat dinner
finally sit down at gate since it’s getting close…9:30 p.m.
odd guy sits in front of me and falls asleep with his head on his thigh
still no plane
odd guy answers phone and says “hang on, I don’t know where I am”
still no plane
odd guy tries to get ticket agent to tell girlfriend on phone that he’s at the airport
at 10:30 p.m. they say the plane is stuck on other side of airport
still no plane, but odd guy tries to check in with boarding pass anyway
odd guy is now labeled drunk guy as he stumbles over people
boarding begins at 11:00 p.m.
drunk guy escorted away from gate by security
board plane
woo-hoo, I have an entire row to myself
plane sits at gate for another hour
freezing cold and paranoid about swine flu, but I use the nasty airplane blanket anyway
10:10 p.m. flight finally takes off at midnight
all lights off on plane and time for quiet…so I think
on wi-fi plane and man behind me skypes overseas and speaks in loud, foreign language
no sleep
woo-hoo, I have an entire row to myself
plane sits at gate for another hour
freezing cold and paranoid about swine flu, but I use the nasty airplane blanket anyway
10:10 p.m. flight finally takes off at midnight
all lights off on plane and time for quiet…so I think
on wi-fi plane and man behind me skypes overseas and speaks in loud, foreign language
no sleep
diverted flight pattern becomes tour over texas to avoid major storms
3-hour flight turns to 4-hour flight
finally land at 3:00 a.m. (4:00 a.m. Atlanta time)
my Dad picks me up at airport (yes, Dad of the Year)
wait, where is the luggage
after waiting 30 minutes, told it didn’t make it on flight
get to bed at 3:45 a.m.
bag shows up at house 19 hours later
3-hour flight turns to 4-hour flight
finally land at 3:00 a.m. (4:00 a.m. Atlanta time)
my Dad picks me up at airport (yes, Dad of the Year)
wait, where is the luggage
after waiting 30 minutes, told it didn’t make it on flight
get to bed at 3:45 a.m.
bag shows up at house 19 hours later
all worth it for time with a great friend
Friday, September 18, 2009
Purple, White, Purple, White!
If you went to one of those colleges whose paraphernalia is sold at random grocery stores…just because…then you won’t understand this post.
I loved my college years. I had a great time, learned a lot, met great people, etc, etc. But one thing that was not on the list (at the time) was going to crazy fun college football games. I’m pretty sure I can count the number of games I went to on one hand (all were during pledging), and I’m pretty sure my high school games were a little more exciting. Ouch.
But ACU’s football team has had this turnaround in recent years and is actually ranked #2 in their national conference. I’m no football expert, so I’m sure there’s some explanation regarding offensive-strategy-ball-moving or something. Whatever they did, they need to keep doing it!
Because we are the kind of Wildcat fans that we are, we braved the never-ending rain (it seriously rained 3 of the 4 quarters) and went to cheer on the team at the Dallas Cotton Bowl stadium last weekend. I almost cried with relief when we saw that there were seats under the overhang, so we were dry the whole game.
It was a bummer that the rain was so bad, because there weren’t many people there at all. We were finally hoping for that “big college football” experience. Oh well, it was still fun. And we won with an interception return for a touchdown during the first play of overtime (do I sound impressive or what)! Keep it up Wildcats!
I loved my college years. I had a great time, learned a lot, met great people, etc, etc. But one thing that was not on the list (at the time) was going to crazy fun college football games. I’m pretty sure I can count the number of games I went to on one hand (all were during pledging), and I’m pretty sure my high school games were a little more exciting. Ouch.
But ACU’s football team has had this turnaround in recent years and is actually ranked #2 in their national conference. I’m no football expert, so I’m sure there’s some explanation regarding offensive-strategy-ball-moving or something. Whatever they did, they need to keep doing it!
Because we are the kind of Wildcat fans that we are, we braved the never-ending rain (it seriously rained 3 of the 4 quarters) and went to cheer on the team at the Dallas Cotton Bowl stadium last weekend. I almost cried with relief when we saw that there were seats under the overhang, so we were dry the whole game.
It was a bummer that the rain was so bad, because there weren’t many people there at all. We were finally hoping for that “big college football” experience. Oh well, it was still fun. And we won with an interception return for a touchdown during the first play of overtime (do I sound impressive or what)! Keep it up Wildcats!
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Ummmmm?????
We headed to our first MOPS class of the year and both had a great time. As I went to pick Tate up from his class, I saw several of the adorable kid's family picture paintings airing out in the hallway. I was thinking to myself how cute, this will be a keeper for sure. Ummmmm...not sure what I'm supposed to think about this?
Isn't there someone missing?
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
The Latest News
It’s old news on Facebook, but I thought it was finally time to update the blog with the news of our upcoming arrival…
Baby Strz is due to be here April 22!
We are beyond excited at the thought of another little one. Today was the first sonogram, and seeing that little flicker of light flashing so strongly provided a great sense of relief.
I’m almost 9 weeks along and have tried to be as patient as possible as I waited for this morning’s appointment. The time quickly got here, and we quickly got to experience that awe and wonder of seeing a tiny life working so hard at growing inside me. Amazing.
So far, I can already tell a big difference this time. I guess it’s because I’m chasing around an energetic 2 year-old (almost 3!), so I’m much more tired and the time is going much faster. I’ve felt the usual grossness of early pregnancy, and shockingly, all of the pants are already much tighter.
Tate can tell you that there is a baby in Mommy’s tummy, but I’m pretty sure he doesn’t quite know what that means. Or know how much his life will be changing in just a few more months. For now, we’re soaking up all of our time with just him.
But mainly, I want so badly to express my gratitude for this gift of new life and the future that it holds.
Baby Strz is due to be here April 22!We are beyond excited at the thought of another little one. Today was the first sonogram, and seeing that little flicker of light flashing so strongly provided a great sense of relief.
I’m almost 9 weeks along and have tried to be as patient as possible as I waited for this morning’s appointment. The time quickly got here, and we quickly got to experience that awe and wonder of seeing a tiny life working so hard at growing inside me. Amazing.
So far, I can already tell a big difference this time. I guess it’s because I’m chasing around an energetic 2 year-old (almost 3!), so I’m much more tired and the time is going much faster. I’ve felt the usual grossness of early pregnancy, and shockingly, all of the pants are already much tighter.
Tate can tell you that there is a baby in Mommy’s tummy, but I’m pretty sure he doesn’t quite know what that means. Or know how much his life will be changing in just a few more months. For now, we’re soaking up all of our time with just him.
But mainly, I want so badly to express my gratitude for this gift of new life and the future that it holds.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Tate's First Day of Preschool ~ 2009
Today was Tate’s first, first day of preschool. I’m assuming over the next 2 more years it won’t quite be as big of a deal. But for today, it was. And it was fun for us all.
He started at a church preschool that is about 5 minutes from our house (loving that!) and will go twice a week. We know several of the teachers and several friends that also go there, so it’s nice to see many familiar faces.
This morning we took the obligatory front porch pictures, and Tate was pretty excited to show off his backpack and new lunchbox. (I quickly reminded myself that we must paint that door black and plant some flowers.)
On Tuesday, he had a Meet The Teacher day where he was dropped off in the classroom while the parents had a meeting. He did great and didn’t seem bothered by me leaving. Well this morning was a little harder. I think all the commotion, excitement, pictures, and the fact that Mommy AND Daddy were leaving him caused him to get a little upset. So we did the super-fast goodbye. When I peaked in two minutes later, he had a giant car and was happy as could be.
I was a little teary, but that quickly went away as I strolled through the nice, quiet aisles of Target by myself. :)
He started at a church preschool that is about 5 minutes from our house (loving that!) and will go twice a week. We know several of the teachers and several friends that also go there, so it’s nice to see many familiar faces.
This morning we took the obligatory front porch pictures, and Tate was pretty excited to show off his backpack and new lunchbox. (I quickly reminded myself that we must paint that door black and plant some flowers.)
On Tuesday, he had a Meet The Teacher day where he was dropped off in the classroom while the parents had a meeting. He did great and didn’t seem bothered by me leaving. Well this morning was a little harder. I think all the commotion, excitement, pictures, and the fact that Mommy AND Daddy were leaving him caused him to get a little upset. So we did the super-fast goodbye. When I peaked in two minutes later, he had a giant car and was happy as could be.I was a little teary, but that quickly went away as I strolled through the nice, quiet aisles of Target by myself. :)
His teacher said he did great. The only things I got out of him were that he ate his brownie (a special first day treat…probably the first and only thing he ate), played outside with a wagon?, talked about yellow, and sang. Sounds like a good day!
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