Planes, Taxis and Ambulance Rides...

When I asked my MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group to pray that none of us would get sick this time when we flew to Oregon, I forgot to ask them to pray that we wouldn't ride in an ambulance. Because really, what's a vacation without a trip to the ER in an ambulance?

I spent all of Tuesday getting us packed for our trip, then picked up the girls from their schools and rushed home so we could meet Gary. We then packed the car and headed for the airport. We parked the car in economy parking, boarded the shuttle, and made our way to the terminal. We successfully made it through security, which was a feat in itself because despite making FIVE trips to DPS, I still do not have a Texas driver's license. So instead, I brought my three temporary licenses, a letter from DPS, my birth certificate, my marriage certificate, my Social Security card, my Sam's Club card, three children who look like me, and a note from my mother to prove that I am really who I say I am. Just kidding about the last item. I brought all the others, though. But I digress.

As we were walking to our gate to get on the plane, I had Luke in my Moby Wrap. At some point, my ankle turned under me, I stumbled, and fell forward. I was able to catch myself so that I wouldn't fall on top of Luke, but not before Luke's sweet little head hit the concourse. He immediately started screaming and I was panicked. A passerby told us to file an incident report with the airline, so we continued to the gate and told the gate agent. She called the paramedics and asked us to wait nearby. I started to lose it. Fortunately, they arrived quickly and began looking at Luke. He was asleep by now but we were able to wake him up and he began smiling and cooing. The paramedics determined that he was probably OK, but since he was so young, felt that he should be checked out by a physician.

At this point, the gate agent told us that we needed to decide if Gary and the girls should go ahead and get on the plane or stay with me. Since there were not enough seats on flights to Oregon the next day for all of us, I sent him on to Portland and I stayed behind with Luke and the gate agent rebooked us on the 9:30 am Wednesday flight at no charge. Bless her heart.

I figured that we would just walk to the ambulance outside (since both of us were completely fine), but the EMTs insisted on transporting us on the stretcher...through the concourse, through security, through the main terminal where everyone was checking in...all the while, Luke is in my arms and smiling and giggling at everyone we're passing by. I was fairly sure we were going to end up on the evening news. Oy.

We took a short ambulance ride to a local hospital and as we're disembarking, I'm thinking “This will actually be good that we're coming here by ambulance. They can just drop us off in the back and we'll get in and out of here in no time. Maybe we'll even make that 9:05 pm flight tonight!” Um, not so fast, lady with the giggly baby.

They wheeled us through the back entrance, past all the examining rooms, and through the double doors into the lobby, stopping in front of the reception desk and a waiting room of people staring at us. “Hop down!” the paramedic said cheerfully. Hello? What's the point of coming in an ambulance if you don't get to bypass the waiting room? I could have done that in my own car and saved about $500, thankyouverymuch. OK, a slight exaggeration. I couldn't have actually driven straight to the reception desk. I would have had to park in the parking lot and walk in. But you get my drift.

I proceeded to sit in a swine flu-infested waiting room with about 50 of my un-closest friends for three and a half hours before they called our name. Including a couple of interesting characters, one of whom felt free to shout obscenities at the staff whenever he felt like it. And someone whom I never did figure out if he/she was a man or a woman. And a blessed couple who sat next to me who were so incredibly nice to us and visited with me while I ate dinner out of the vending machine and waited for our name to be called. They were a bright spot in an otherwise out-of-body experience.

While I was waiting, I realized that I had in my carry-on bag both of Leah's binkies, the hand sanitizer, the baby wipes, and the Clorox wipes, which meant that Gary was on a germ-infested airplane with no way to clean it, and no way to soothe Leah. I'm pretty sure I got the better end of that deal.

After finally getting called and being examined by the doctor, I took Luke down to get a CT scan. He was such a good boy, laying there on the table, sucking his binky and looking at all the lights. Fortunately, the CT scan came back clear and they decided he was completely fine. Thank goodness. I was SO relieved to hear that he was OK. I was terrified to let him go to sleep for fear that he wouldn't wake up, but once they determined that he was normal, I relaxed a bit.

I walked back to the reception desk and said, “Excuse me? The EMT told me that you transport people a lot between here and the airport and that I should ask you to arrange for a ride.” The receptionist looked up at me (actually, she glared at me) and said, “Um, I'm not aware of that, but you can call a cab if you want.” I'd like to point out here that Luke's car seat has already been put on a plane and is now landing in Oregon with the rest of my family. So I put him back in the Moby Wrap, called a cab and waited outside. Our cab arrived within a few minutes, and we took a quick ride back to the airport, with me praying fervently all the while that we wouldn't get into an accident since Luke was not properly restrained. We arrive safely, and I make my way to baggage claim to borrow a car seat from the airline, then hop on the parking shuttle. It's now 11:15 pm. The parking shuttle driver was kind enough to wait while I installed the car seat in the van and we were finally on our way home.

I got home at midnight and set the alarm for 5:30 am. I didn't sleep much that night but it was wonderful to be in my own bed. We got up quickly the next morning, grabbed some breakfast, drove to the airport while watching the sunrise (which was magnificent), and had a very smooth flight, where Luke napped contentedly in the Moby while I sipped Diet Coke and watched one of my favorite movies. Bliss.

I learned a couple of things. I learned that as independent as I am, I don't like being that far away from my amazing husband. I missed him terribly. I also realized that it's not really me keeping everyone healthy. That's God's job. And God can do it without Clorox wipes and hand sanitizer. And I was reminded that He is the Great Physician and can keep my sweet baby safe despite my stumbles.

I'm thankful that our vacation was much more mundane after that. It was so wonderful to be with family for Thanksgiving, and to introduce Luke to my brother and sister-in-law. We arrived home safely yesterday and have been relaxing, enjoying each other's company, and catching up on sleep. So, all's well that ends well. :)

Our One Year Texas Anniversary

One year ago today, we left Virginia and began driving to Texas. I cannot believe how quickly it's gone.

I remember that morning well. We woke up, having barely slept the night before at all because Leah spent a good deal of time opening and shutting the sliding glass door in our hotel room (including at 3 am). And we were sore from packing and loading. I was dreading the potential drive – because we had too much stuff for just one moving truck, we had to rent another one at the last minute, which left both Mom and me to drive the cars. Neither of us was really planning on that, and I'd never driven more than a few hours without falling asleep. I was trying to figure out how I would stay awake.

We went to the final walk-through of our townhouse, and Gary said, “I can't believe we're moving to Texas and I don't have a job yet.” I told him we had to trust that God would provide – after all, we felt so clearly led all along the way that this was where the Lord was leading us. No sooner than we finished the walk-through, Gary's cell phone rang – it was the high school here offering him a teaching job! He had a job offer literally 5 minutes before we got in the truck to move. I knew that God had not brought us this far to leave us, but the reminder of His faithfulness was such a comfort.

We got in the trucks/cars and began driving. Gary and Dad went on ahead, and we stopped for lunch at Chik Fil A – where it was “Cow Appreciation Day” - if you dressed up like a cow, you got a free meal. It was a pretty funny way to introduce Mom to Chik Fil A (they don't have them where my parents live). Add to that the fact that we were in a college town and the costumes were extremely entertaining!

The three day drive was so smooth – I especially enjoyed the drive through Virginia and Tennessee – such beautiful mountains! As we got into Alabama, I found myself getting more excited about our new adventure.

We arrived in Texas on July 14th – it was so fun to show Mom, Dad and the girls our new home! We spent the next few days unloading and unpacking. I'm not sure Mom and Dad really knew what they were signing up for when they offered to help us move across country, but we could not have done it without them. They were truly angels.

I've learned a lot over the past year. I've learned that while you can't ever replace dear, lifelong friends, there's still room for new ones. I've learned that I can keep a brave face for my children through a major hurricane even though I'm quietly freaking out inside. I've learned that it's not the big deal I thought it was to take a year to find the right person to cut your hair, to deliver your babies, and to be your primary care physician. I've learned that people here really do want to be friends – that their friendliness isn't fake but very genuine. God has shown me a new level of what it means to rely on Him for my identity now that I'm not working anymore. I've realized that a slower pace of life is what I've craved for years and it's wonderful to have that craving fulfilled. I've figured out that God really did hear my prayers for a friendly neighborhood,“back door friends” and lots of playmates for my children. I've discovered a new level of love, respect and affection for my husband. And I've learned that despite my initial impressions, I really love living here in Texas. I expected to “not mind it” but never expected to love it. But love it I do, and I really don't want to leave. Even though it's sometimes over 110 degrees with the heat index. Even though the cockroaches qualify as small animals that I think you might be able to rope and ride at the rodeo. Even though there are multiple lizards in my garage and one once made it into my refrigerator. Even though it doesn't often snow here. Even though my dear friends from Virginia aren't here and I still miss them terribly. Even though there's no Wegmans grocery store here. I still love it. I love my life here in Texas. It's been a great year.

Time To Build Another Ark?

It has rained so much here the last 2 days, you just cannot imagine. There are places in Houston who got between 9-13 inches of rain. This morning, I went out to pick up my great-nephews, who live a little over an hour from us. The whole trip took me over 4 hours. Coming home was especially crazy - the freeway was closed in both directions at one point except for the shoulder on one side because the water level had risen so high and it was too dangerous to drive through it. I saw a golden retriever rescued by 2 men who had to swim in order to reach the dog. I also saw this guy on the side of the road at an exit near where we live - just waiting for someone to come help him. There were at least 10 other cars around who were under water just like this guy's car. At times, it was raining so hard and it was so dark that you didn't know you'd driven into the high water until it was too late.

Let's hope it dries out soon!

A Fresh Start

I know, I know. It's been way too long. This has been a much harder pregnancy in some respects. I thought I was really turning the corner on the morning sickness in late January. I was wrong – really wrong. I vomited through the first week of April. I also had a bad sinus infection, bronchitis and a double ear infection for several weeks in March. Add to that the low energy and overall “don't care” mood I feel during the first trimester and it just didn't make for a good combination to get anything accomplished.

The good news is that I'm better now! I've gone over 3 weeks without being sick and I finally have my energy back. Yay! I've been going to BodyPump class at the YMCA, walking, and my nesting instinct has kicked in and I'm busy cleaning out closets. My husband is thrilled. Watch out, Honey, I'm going to start labeling things again!

We had an AWESOME time with my parents, who stayed with us from the end of January through mid-March. It was so fun, and they were an incredible help, especially to me. Most of all, it was just nice to “do life” together for several weeks, and the weather was warm and sunny, so I know they enjoyed it too. We even escaped to San Antonio for a weekend, which is where the picture of the girls (above) was taken.

The girls are doing great in school and here at home and are SO excited that they are having a little brother. Yep, it's a boy! It's been a real mind shift adjusting to the idea that we'll have something other than another princess in our house come August, but we are beyond thrilled and really anticipating his arrival.

School is beginning to wind down and we are looking forward to summer. We're going to try to do swimming lessons for both girls, and Anna Claire wants to take ballet.

OK, I'm off to get kids in bed but I'm officially back into the blogging thing! :)

What We've Been Doing

Sorry for the bloggy break there - we've been sick. I have a sinus infection and mild double-ear infection, Leah has had a cold, and Gary has also had a cold. In the past 24 hours, Leah has thrown up on me (while I was on a conference call, no less), gotten poop all over her new Christmas shoes (they were a total loss - couldn't even clean them with a toothbrush), peed on the floor, climbed up on my bathroom counter and unrolled most of my dental floss, and broken one of my favorite dishes. She also keeps stealing baby Jesus out of the various manger scenes we have around the house and shouting, "MY baby Jesus!" I'm running constantly and can barely keep up with her in between popping 800 mg of Motrin and holding my head because it hurts so badly.

Anyhoo, we've been busy the past couple of weeks! We had a Christmas activity extravaganza last week - I hosted a Christmas brunch for over 30 women from my Bible study (we had a great time), Gary and I attended Beth Moore's Christmas event, we attended a friend's Christmas show at her church, and we drove with friends to have dinner in College Station, TX and see the lights at a local light display - it was so fun! The girls were so exhausted, they fell asleep on the way home (see picture). On Sunday, I took the girls to the mall to have their hair cut and to do a little shopping while Gary worked.

I spent the first part of the week napping whenever possible, and now I'm scrambling to get caught up with work and get our Christmas letters out the door.

It looks like we're going to have a white Christmas in Oregon - it's down in the 20's there and they keep getting snow! Fortunately, my parents were able to find snow boots for the girls so they can play in it. Snow boots are hard to find down here where the weather is often 70 degrees. :)

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year...

We had a great Thanksgiving weekend - we had Gary's entire family over and he did all the cooking. It was a fun day. On Saturday night, I surprised Anna Claire and took her to see the Nutcracker ballet. Mom used to take me when I was little, so I thought it would be fun to continue the tradition. She had a great time and almost popped a blood vessel when she figured out where I was taking her - she was so excited! Now she wants to sign up to take ballet classes...

Anna Claire also lost one of her top front teeth on Sunday night, so she's excited about that, too. She was concerned she would look weird but I convinced her that she can suck on a mini candy cane without opening her mouth. Also, my dad is going to teach her how to spit through the hole at Christmas when we see my parents, so she's pretty pumped.

I just killed 2 more house plants. Thank goodness my parenting skills are better than my gardening skills. Also, thank goodness for the Lowes guarantee that comes with all plants where you can return them for a refund if you kill them. I've decided that having "foster plants" is a pretty good deal for me.

I've been decorating for Christmas throughout the day and our house is looking very festive. I'm hoping that Gary will agree to go get the tree tonight because I want to finish getting everything decorated. I put a little tree up in the girls' playroom in the window with a bunch of non-fragile ornaments - and I put a miniature tree in each girl's bedroom. Leah's has Sesame Street ornaments on it, and Anna Claire's has hot pink garland, Hello Kitty ornaments, and a glittery star on the top...just like her personality! I've always dreamed of having a house where I could put several trees up, so this is a fun thing for me.

I'm off to get dinner ready - I did a huge project in the kitchen last night (more on that later) and it's a mess. I want to get it cleaned up before Gary gets home...

Halloween Fun

We had a FABULOUS time on Halloween night. We live in the coolest neighborhood - everyone here is so incredibly friendly and welcoming - and they love to get together! We went to a house down the street where practically the whole neighborhood gathered to eat pizza and socialize for about an hour before we all took the kids trick-or-treating. We had lots of little princesses and other characters! So many cute kids...

We are so blessed to be living in an area where the families like spending time together, visiting, watching the kids play outside, and being true friends to each other - this is what I grew up with and it is so fun that our kids have it now too...

The picture on the right is Leah and her BFF, Sydney, who is a month younger than Leah. Sydney has 2 older sisters, one of whom is in the same grade as Anna Claire. Sydney was Snow White, and Leah was Sleeping Beauty.



My favorite mermaid - Ariel. :)




Ariel (Anna Claire), the Alien (Samantha), Jasmine (Sheridan), Snow White (Sydney) and Sleeping Beauty (Leah)

Nesting

After we got unpacked, there was a bunch of stuff that still needed to be done but I just couldn't face doing it - I was on overload. Well, I'm really trying to focus on those things now that will make my house look "finished" - returning a plant I successfully killed to get a new one, replacing a set of blinds that broke, hanging pictures, etc. So, I've been busy nesting. :)

The girls are doing well - Leah is keeping me on my toes - she is very insistent on her own fashion choices every day (which is fine unless it's 45 degrees outside like it was this morning when we took AC to the bus and Leah wanted to wear something sleeveless). She has also hit a major growth spurt and has been eating us out of house and home. She's even waking up in the middle of the night asking to eat. We've also been potty training and it's going pretty well - I'm surprised she was ready this early but once she decided to do it, I got out the potty and the rest is history.
There are so many little kids in our neighborhood - and a few of each at the girls' ages, so it's fun to play together. We often walk down the street after Anna Claire gets off the bus and we play for awhile. I snapped this picture the other day of the little girls - Mia, Sydney and Leah - they are all very close in age and have a fabulous time together. Aren't they cute?

Anna Claire is LOVING school and cheerleading. She has the best time at her games and had the opportunity to attend a dance clinic last Friday night with the local high school's dance team. They learned a routine, learned how to cheer to the fight song, and then got to sit with the dance team and perform with them and cheer on the football players at the game on Saturday night. She thought she was SO big and important! When she got dressed, she came down in her t-shirt and hot pink leggings. I told her it would be better to put on her navy blue leggings because it matched the school colors better, and that if she wore the hot pink leggings, she'd be the only one wearing that color. She looked at me, rolled her eyes, and said, "EXACTLY." It turned out to be a good thing that she had her pink leggings on - she was easy to spot on the field!

We have some fun outdoor things planned this weekend that we're looking forward to - the weather here is SO beautiful right now! It's a little chilly in the mornings, and about 80 degrees in the afternoon - low humidity, sunny, a light breeze. Just amazing - I'm loving it!

Let's Play Some Football!

So, we're going to the BIG GAME tonight between our high school and their major rival. It's a big deal here. A REALLY big deal. There was a pep rally this morning at Gary's school at 4:45 AM. No that is not a misprint. They have another one today at 1:30 PM. It's serious business here. So much so that I can't find a babysitter for next Friday night - EVERYONE goes to the football game here.

Anyway, we're going tonight. We're going to tailgate and bring a picnic. Anna Claire is very excited to watch the cheerleaders now that she's been to a few lessons. She's all about doing her cheerleading moves in our house - she's constantly practicing her split jumps and her dance routine that they're going to perform tomorrow at halftime at the local YMCA football game. My mom told me that she spent a good portion of my childhood talking to my feet because I did handstands in the kitchen. I think I know what she was talking about since I now spend a lot of time talking to AC's pom poms.

Leah and I have had a great day just cuddling on the couch, watching Frosty The Snowman, and potty training. She is so proud of herself. She's not a particularly cuddly child, so I'm taking whatever I can get and loving every minute of it...if I blink, she'll be as tall as AC and not able to fit in my lap anymore.

So, last week, Anna Claire had just come home and we opened the frig to get a snack, and staring at us was a LIVE green lizard. I completely freaked out. I really did not expect that. Anna Claire was quick to point out that it was an "IVY green lizard." I was quick to point out to my husband that I thought it was probably part kimono dragon. Turns out it was a baby lizard and he was hiding under my deli drawer. I called Gary at work and told him I wasn't cooking or opening the frig until he got it out of there. He was a dutiful husband and came home to protect us from the dragon and took the little guy outside. I feel like I've done pretty well with the large roaches and the geckos in the garage, but the lizard in my frig was more than I was willing to take on!

Stop Teasing Me!

So I had my first Texas haircut late last week.

I went to the salon, sat down, and told the lady, “I’m not sure what’s wrong with my hair – it just won’t hold a style down here in Texas! Maybe I’m not using the right product or something. As soon as I go outside, it goes completely flat.”

Stylist: “What styling tools do you own?”

Me: “Well, let’s see, I have a hair dryer, a flat iron, a set of hot rollers, a curling iron, and an entire collection of round brushes in various sizes.”

Stylist: “Do you have a teasing comb?”

Me: (picturing my mother in the 60’s) “A what?”

Stylist: (ever so condescendingly) “A teasing comb. It’s how you get your hair to stay where you want it.”

Me: “Um, no. Where do you get one?”

Stylist: (suspicious that I probably won’t buy one on my own and probably a little horrified I have no idea where to buy one) “Here, I’m going to give you mine. Keep it in your purse, honey. You’ll need it to spruce things up a bit if you’ve been out and about.” (she then proudly presents me with a hot pink teasing comb and shows me how to use it)

Me: “Wow. This really does work. And I don’t look like I have a beehive!”

Stylist: “Do you wash your hair every day?”

Me: “Yes, why?”

Stylist: “That’s terrible for your hair, honey. All you do when you wake up in the morning is tease it up a little, and it will look good as new!”

Well, darned if she wasn’t right. And I don’t look crazy or anything. My hair just looks like it's been freshly blown dry. Gary can't run his fingers through it anymore, but after 7 years of marriage, that doesn't really happen much anyway.

You know what they say – the higher the hair, the closer to God! Ha ha.

I think I’m officially a Texan now…

Random Thoughts

I went to a great class at my church today. It's called "After the Boxes Are Unpacked." Isn't that a great name? It's for women who are new to the area. There are 26 of us - several from different countries, many of us with young children, and everyone has a story. We had a great time and even went to lunch afterward. I spent a lot of time looking around the classroom wondering who I would end up being good friends with...

It's weird, though - I have a hard time believing that I'll get close to any of them. I think I left such a close group of girlfriends in VA - and we got so close when I had cancer - these are the women who helped me shop for a wig, who took care of my baby when I couldn't, who made meals for me, who kept me focused on God and prayed for me when I couldn't pray, who took me to chemo treatments, and who pretended to be my sisters and told ridiculous stories so they could get into the recovery room at the hospital to see me (you know who you are, girlies). They cheered me on when I just couldn't do it anymore, and provided me with tumor-humor when I needed a laugh. They have seen me with yellow eyes from chemo, with no hair, and as weak as I can get. These are not just friends - they are SISTERS.

Will I ever meet anyone like that here?

First Week of School - Finally!

OK y'all - go get yourself a drink, go potty and then come back and pull up a comfy chair, because this is going to be a long post...

I FINALLY found the cord that connects my camera to the computer. And I was sick the last 2 weeks with bronchitis so I have a bunch to catch up on.

First, we'll cover the first day of school for Gary and Anna Claire, which was last Monday. We have a tradition that I get up early on the first day of school and make a nice breakfast for Gary before he leaves. I made blueberry muffins and eggs. Here's Gary enjoying his breakfast - doesn't he look ready to hit the ground running? :)

When I woke Anna Claire up at 6:30 am, she rubbed her eyes and said, "Momma, it's still NIGHT outside. Is this the time I'm going to have to get up every day?" I said, "Yes, honey," to which she replied, "We should find me a school that starts later so I don't have to get up so early." I didn't have the heart to tell her that once she gets to high school, she'll be getting up even earlier!

Here's Anna Claire's new backpack and lunch box - Barbie backpack, High School Musical lunchbox.

Here's Anna Claire in front of her school...she is SO excited to go in and see her teacher! Mrs. K is newly married (3 weeks!) and has taught for one year in another school district. She graduated from Baylor and is so cute. Anna Claire kept looking at her and saying, "You're SO pretty..."

Leah decided to take the bull by the horns and hang up Anna Claire's backpack for her.

My sweet girls - Leah wants to be big so badly!

Anna Claire absolutely LOVED school - and is still really enjoying it. She has met some great little friends - both in her class and on the bus. She informed me this week that she'd prefer it if I didn't wave goodbye to her once she's on the bus (apparently I was embarrassing her).

Gary had an equally great first week of school (now 2 weeks) - his kids are very polite, and his co-workers have been so helpful and friendly. He is teaching in a school that's only 3 years old, so it's a real treat for him to have the latest and greatest technology, his own classroom, and even better - the school is less than 3 miles from our house! No commute! It really is so nice, and we are getting to spend lots of time together as a family as a result.

So, in other news, we were spared Gustav's devastation - which we were very thankful for. We're hoping that there aren't any other hurricanes that come our way.

I am really enjoying getting to know the ladies in my neighborhood, working out with them at the Y, and spending time with Leah. It's amazing how quickly her vocabulary picked up after Anna Claire went to school last week. She is really talking a lot. Leah definitely misses her big sister, though - she walks around the house saying, "Shissy.....Shissy" (her way of saying "Sissy", which is what she calls AC). I am also enjoying working from home - I have a pretty good schedule of working during Leah's naptimes, and on Tuesdays and Thursdays while she's at Mother's Day Out. I also often work a couple of evenings a week after the girls have gone to bed. So, I have the flexibility I need but still get to keep my feet wet in my work, which I love.

We are going to our first high school football game this weekend, which will be fun. They play at a local stadium that seats 30,000 people! I cannot wait to see what this is all about. Anna Claire is SO thrilled that she will be able to watch the cheerleaders. She begins her cheerleading lessons next week, so she'll be taking notes, I'm sure.

Welcome to the South

Yesterday, the girls and I ran to Potbelly while we were out doing errands to grab a bite of lunch. We had just ordered our sandwiches and were getting ready to pay, when AC said to the cashier: “We just moved here from Washington, DC” (not really sure why she felt compelled to share this but this was one of the less embarrassing things she’s shared so I was OK with it). The cashier said, “Really? My name is Jim, and I moved here 2 years ago from Chevy Chase!” Quickly, another employee said, “Hi! I’m Carla, and I used to live in VA Beach. It’s so nice to meet you. Can I help you find anything here in The Woodlands? Do you need directions anywhere?”

I was very aware at this point that we were holding up the line. I got my debit card out to pay, and Jim said, “Nope. It’s on us today. We’re just glad to have you here and want to welcome you to your new home.” If this had been DC, that never would have happened. By this time, the Type B personalities in line would have been looking at their watches, sighing loudly and rolling their eyes. And the Type A’s would have been yelling by now. Instead, when I turned around, everyone was smiling, waving “hello” and saying “Welcome!” I was so shocked. It made me smile the rest of the day. I do get a little impatient with how slow things are, but I think it will be good for me.

I cannot believe how much my anxiety level has gone down since we moved. It's amazing. I think this is just what the doctor ordered. :)

We’re Making Some Progress

We have the top level of the house completely unpacked and everything is in its place. It looks fantastic. We just need to hang a few pictures.

I also finished our bedroom and bathroom, leaving the study, dining room and living room to complete as far as unpacking goes…and we’re almost there. Then, Gary and I need to do a day of picture hanging downstairs and I need to get the curtains I ordered for the kitchen, and we’ll be all set! Pictures coming soon, I promise! (as soon as I find that blasted camera)

In other news, we are having a good time getting settled here...we find a way each day to get to know the area better. Anna Claire is very excited about school starting, and she has decided that she'd like to take cheerleading lessons this fall for her extracurricular activity. They have a league through the YMCA that we belong to and that's how she'll participate. She's SO excited.

Leah is having a tougher adjustment to life in Texas. She is very clingy, very moody, cries a lot, and you never really know what you're going to get when you're with her. She's developed a terrible fear of going to bed at night - she screams for almost an hour, despite many hugs, kisses, stories, leaving the lights on, etc. Nothing seems to really work. She is sleeping peacefully now, but it's been really rough. I'm often at a loss as to how to help her - it's especially hard because she is so tiny and doesn't talk well yet, so she can't really verbalize how she's feeling. Add her hot temper to the mix, and you've got a lethal combination. We're already praying for her future husband. He'll need to be a godly man of unending patience if the mood swings continue!

Leah has also been sick twice just in the time that we've moved...so my next big project is to find a doctor and possibly a naturopath who can help us figure out if she's allergic to something or if she has an immune issue. Although the pediatricians say, "Kids just get sick a lot," my "mommy gut" is telling me that it's just not normal for a child this young to be on antibiotics all the time and it's not normal for her to be sick every 2-3 weeks (seriously, the longest we've ever gone is 26 days between illnesses). I have to think that her being sick is a lot of the bad mood - I'd be in a wicked bad mood if I were sick that often!

Well, I need to head to bed - Anna Claire starts Vacation Bible School tomorrow morning and we have a busy week ahead, including work for me, exercise classes at the Y, women's Bible study on Tuesday morning, and hopefully having the girls' pictures taken this week for Leah's upcoming 2nd birthday. And next week, we head to Oregon for a few days!

Now that our internet service is connected correctly and we're not unknowingly hacking into our neighbor's network anymore, I should be able to post more often. And as Gary discovered by calling the computer repairman, "Happy Wife = Happy Life." :)

Ten Things I Love About Texas

1) The neighbors are very friendly
2) Egg and cheese whole wheat kolaches
3) Pappadeaux
4) Our local YMCA
5) Our new home - we have so much space!
6) Blue Bell ice cream
7) How inexpensive everything is in this area
8) We already have friends here
9) I only have to work part-time
10) Our new church

OK - what I really don't like about Texas - the cockroaches. They're HUGE. I'm telling you, I could slap a saddle on one of these suckers and ride him down to the market to pick up some dinner. Seriously. I'm not exaggerating. And the timing is uncanny, because while I was in the middle of typing up this blog post, what crawled across the desk? A cockroach. I nearly fainted dead away.

So, I'm happy to tell you that one cockroach was fatally harmed (actually maimed and drowned) in the making of this blog post.

And I'm callin' the pest control service at 8 am tomorrow. As my little brother said when he was a toddler, "I be back when bug gone!"

Has Anyone Seen My Stuff?

We've been here almost 2 weeks, and I have yet to find the following items:

1) Leah's crib tent (which keeps her from crawling out of the crib)

2) My Zyrtec (did I mention I take this for a heat allergy, which causes me to break out in hives? And have you noticed where we're now living? Sure - it's TEXAS - in the SUMMER!). Sorry to be cranky - I'm just very itchy.

3) My pink flats (Debbie, you may have to send me yours since I know you have the same pair)

4) The bedskirt for Leah's crib - obviously not as important, but her room does have an unfinished look without it.

5) The furniture attachment to my vacuum

6) My Bible

7) My Norah Jones "Come Away With Me" CD

8) My digital camera

9) The Johnson & Johnson Head-to-toe Baby Wash I bought before we left VA. I have two very smelly chillins who need a bath…


If you know where I might find some of these things, I'd appreciate it. I really miss them.

New Beginnings

Howdy! (as you can tell, we're in Texas now)

Sorry to leave everyone hanging - we obviously made it past Tennessee. The computer in Mississippi didn't work, and once we arrived in Texas, we were going at full throttle trying to get moved in, unpacked, and put things where they're supposed to be. We still have a lot of that left. As I type now, there's "miscellaneous stuff" in every room, hallway, nook and cranny. And now that I woke up early and surveyed the house while it's still quiet, I'm pretty convinced that this "stuff" is having babies at night. There's WAY more of that stuff now than when I went to bed. Ugh.

My parents were absolutely AMAZING through the entire move. You wouldn't have believed the physical gymnastics they performed to help us get packed, moved out, loaded into the trucks (yes, truckS - we had to rent two to get down here), unloaded, moved in, unpacked, pictures hung on the walls, curtains hung, boxes flattened, clothes washed, shelf liner laid, etc. And in the middle of all this, they managed to also keep the "fun quotient" up for both girls by readily administering kisses, hugs, baths, fun snacks, reading stories, swimming in the pool, etc. They were incredible and I have no doubt that they'll spend the next few months sleeping to catch up.

We had a great drive across the country. Dad and Gary each drove a truck, and Mom and I drove the cars. We had a great little caravan going. Thanks to my dad, we also each had radios so we could all talk to each other. Anna Claire was particularly fascinated with this part of the trip. I'm happy to say that the drive was completely uneventful and went just as planned. Well, except the fact that I packed 10 DVDs (for our fabulous new DVD player in the minivan) for the girls to watch, which subsequently got packed in another box in the moving truck. Bummer (more for Momma than for the kids). I will say that since I had the girls with me most of the time, I'm really tired of the Hairspray soundtrack - it was the only thing that Leah would listen to without screaming and pointing at the radio. We made it to Meridian, Mississippi before I waved the white flag and just could not go another mile listening to Hairspray, so I ducked into a Sam's Club quickly and bought 2 DVDs...and the rest of the trip was heavenly.

Leah is definitely showing more of her personality lately - and feels free to share her thoughts/desires/demands with anyone at any time. Terrific Twos, here we come! She is a very opinionated little girl, and is either very happy or very mad/sad/frustrated/hysterical (insert any negative emotion here). No grey area for her! But she adores her Papa (my dad) and Nana and is so proud of herself that she can now say their names.

Anna Claire was much more easygoing and we had a great time chatting, playing Travel Bingo, singing, etc. She loved riding in the "big trucks" with Papa and Daddy.

We have been so blessed with friendly neighbors here - 3 have already come over to introduce themselves - and they all have little girls! People are so amazingly (and genuinely) friendly here. We also have some dear friends who brought dinner over for us last week - what a godsend, and it was delicious. We're very excited to finally live near them and have more opportunities to see them. It's also been fun to see Gary's family and know that we're living nearby now.

We visited a great church on Sunday and felt very comfortable there. We'll definitely be going back again for a few weeks to see if we'd like to make it our church home. There's a great Bible study offered for women there - "After the Boxes Are Unpacked: Moving On" - I plan on attending when it starts in the fall.

I'm starting to adjust to my new life here...the lonely moments do come and I desperately miss my girlfriends in Virginia. It is bizarre to be back to work already but not have any reason to get dressed and go somewhere. Not coming into the office and seeing all my amazing work friends is really tough. I had an incredible network of people I loved there and it's a huge hole in my life not to have them with me "in person" anymore. I also was really sad on Sunday morning not to see the members of our Small Group at church - the lonliness hit hard then. I know I'll meet new people - and I'll even become very close to some of them. It's just not the same.

I have to admit, though, that I do love Texas. The people are friendly and helpful, my home is beautiful (I will post some pics as soon as I can eradicate all of that "misc. stuff"), I get to work part-time, the food is great, the area we live in has lots of trees and is pretty, and the shopping is fabulous. I can't wait to discover more of this new land that we now call "home."