{high adventure}

Rick and Ryan had the adventure of a lifetime this summer!  Rick had been serving in YM, and planning the high adventure since the beginning of the year.  It was going to be 50 mile hike through Pictured Rocks in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and he was really looking forward to going with his Scouts.  Ryan would be 14 in just a couple of months, so he was going to be able to go as well. 

Once we knew we were moving, and would already be gone when the hike was scheduled, Rick was really disappointed.  He would also miss going with Sasha, and they were looking forward to doing it together.  So...we decided that he and Ryan would both fly back so they could still go, and I'm so glad they did.  

It was a true high adventure---difficult, challenging, but extremely rewarding both physically and mentally.  They both really enjoyed it for different reasons, and glad they were able to go.

 These pictures tell the whole story...

 

 

Finished!!  They headed straight to McDonald's, and the boys were able to eat as much as they wanted.  Ryan set a new carb record.  :)  It was a fantastic trip...so glad they could go! 

{first day adventures}

Has it really been a month since I've posted?  So much has happened over the past month, but I'll save that for a later post.  I'll just start with the exciting news of the week...school started!

I'm always torn on the first day of school.  I know we're all ready for it to be here, but I'm just a big baby. :) It was especially hard with the girls, since it's their first year to be gone all day.   To me it's even worse than kindergarten, because my girls were lucky enough to go half day, and it just didn't seem much different than preschool.

That morning dawned bright and early, and we're talking EARLY.  The elementary school starts at 7:45am, and we have to start walking by 7:15am. The girls woke up quickly though--I didn't have to ask twice!  (We'll see how long that lasts, lol.) They were especially thrilled about packing their lunch for the first time ever, and raced to the cupboard to get their new lunchboxes.  The first day makes everything more exciting, doesn't it?!  We were ready and out the door on time, and I left the little boys with Ryan while I walked the girls to school.  Even at that time of the morning it was hot and humid, and after 5 minutes, you couldn't tell I had curled the girls' hair.  I think there are a lot of ponytails in our future!  When we got to the school, they both grabbed my hand, and I could tell they were nervous as we entered the building.  It's a big deal, starting a new school in a new place, not knowing anyone, but one of the best perks of being a twin is that you always have someone with you! After getting them settled, I headed home for round two.  

Ryan catches the bus to his school, and since we're a new street with not many houses, the bus comes right to our driveway! My heart was just pounding for him, and I could tell he was trying not to show how nervous he was.   He has been such a trooper, and I'm really proud of how he has handled all of this, but I was silently praying all day that he would have a good experience. 

By 8:15am, I was down to two!  I would have loved to have had an easy down day, enjoying the quiet (it's all relative), but it was not to be.  The boys had their 3 year well checks that morning, and we were on the road within the hour.  After seeing the same doctor for 10 years, it was definitely an interesting feeling walking into a different office.  The visit went very well, and I really liked the pediatrician.  The boys were pretty well behaved, but it was large part due to the fact that there would be suckers afterward (given by the doctor) if they were good. I had to laugh, because they didn't believe me at first when I told them that Jack and Henry are twins.  They thought Henry was in kindergarten, which I get a lot around here, lol. Actually, I wonder how big he's going to be when he does get to kindergarten!   He is still totally off the charts in both height and weight, and his growth hasn't slowed down a bit. Jack isn't a small potato either, and I'm afraid he will always be thought of as the "small one".  Even Henry likes to tell him "me big, you 'mall".  Happy and healthy is all that counts in my book, and they are both!

We headed home for lunch, and I was hoping I would have some quiet time before we needed to go get the girls.  Unfortunately, that was not to be.  The doorbell rang, and I opened it to a pest control company.  There are a lot of bugs here, due to the heat and humidity, and when you add in all of the construction going on in our neighborhood, hiring a company to manage the bugs is not optional.  I had already hire someone a few weeks ago, when we moved in, and they had already sprayed once.  However, the new company was here to give me some good news...that first application hadn't worked, and there were 250 baby black widow spiders that had hatched right outside our front window.  There were also dozens of wasps nests around the house, and additional black widow spider nests in our garage. So, instead of that quiet time, I spent the next two hours switching services, and making sure that our house was bug-free.  I did have to laugh when the guy who initially came to our door asked me if I was a Mormon! He and his partner were actually LDS too, and both from Utah.  It was fun to have the "Utah conversation", and I always love when I get asked that by total strangers!

It was quickly time to walk and get the girls, and since it was so hot, I thought it would be a great idea to bring them popsicles for the way home. I loaded the boys in the wagon, handed them their popsicles, then packed some for the girls in ice, so they wouldn't melt on our way.  Um, it didn't work.  It was SO hot, that the boys were covered in popsicle juice in the first two minutes.  Their shorts and shirts were soaked, their hands and face a sticky mess.  Of course I didn't have any wipes with me, because that would be too convenient, right?  So, I walked faster.  The girls were happy to see us, and talked a mile a minute all the way home.  We walk home with our friends until we get to our sub, then we each turn a different direction.  Once we turned off, quite a few bugs started circling around us.  This was Kate and Emma's conversation:

Kate:  These bugs are making me crazy, they're flying all around!

Emma:  Well, this is nature, this where they live, it's their home.  We are in their home.  

(leans over and says to me:  I didn't learn that in school, I already knew it.)

Lol.

The girls had a fantastic day, and I was a happy mama.

I knew that Ryan's bus would be late coming home--that's typical for the first day, and even the first week.  They are on the latest school schedule, and he doesn't even get out of school until almost 4pm.  His bus didn't get home until almost 5:30pm, and I had already started calling the bus garage to see if I could find out where they were.  The crazy thing?  He was one of the first dropped off!  He had a pretty good day, likes all of his classes, and most of his teachers.  :)  Off to a good start!

Oh no, the adventures don't end here!  Betcha didn't know that the movie Brave is really about me, did you?   At least in my version, lol. We usually go out to eat on the first day to celebrate, but since Rick was out of town, it would be me...plus Ryan.  Getting free kids' meals from Chili's sealed the deal, and off we went.  It actually went really well, and the kids behaved (for the most part), and I didn't have to cook.  Perfect.  :)

So, there you go--our first day of school adventures. Seriously, WHAT a day!!!  I can't wait for the craziness of the first couple of weeks to wear off, and we can settle into our new "normal".  It will be nice to everything feel routine once again!

{birthday boys}

I simply cannot believe my baby boys are three.  Doesn't it sound so old?

They are darling, and the light of my life.  Everyday is an adventure because they are in our home.  Henry is still very big, and it's been so funny to be new, and hear how old people think he is.  The average guess is 5, lol.  Poor Jack is actually very tall--99th percentile--but compared to Henry he looks small.  They both love to eat, and I swear our grocery bill has doubled since they turned two last year. Their favorite store is Home Depot (they just say "depot"), thanks to nearly daily trips with Poppy, Rick, or me!

 I squish them both daily, usually more than once, because they are simply irresistible!

{Jack}

Jack-Jack
Jack Sprat
Cracker Jack
"Jacky" (what he calls himself)
"enry" (what he calls Henry)
A huge snuggler
LOVES his blanket & his dad
15 different grins, and totally funny
Sweet, and so sassy!
.....

{Henry}

Henry B.
"Dawg"
"Dawg"er
"Me" (what he calls himself"
LOVES the water
LOVES to eat (and eats a lot!)
obsessed with "din-din trucks" (fire engines)
great at puzzles
happy boy!
.....

We had a great day celebrating their birthday.  Rick met us at the pool with pizza after he got off work, and we had a really fun time swimming as a family.  We had cupcakes and presents at home afterward, and we were all excited to see the boys love their presents so much.

Yes...more swimming pictures, lol.  I told you that's all we do here!

{Grin #13}

{I know it's not her birthday, but I couldn't resist her cute little self!}

Happy birthday my darling boys...I love you!

{one big fat catch-up post}

Where do I even start?

We've lived in Texas for almost a month now--I can't believe it!  There were a myriad of crazy, never-seen-before circumstances regarding our relocation company and the equity from our Michigan home which stalled the funding of our house here. Finally it worked out, and after almost three weeks in a hotel, we moved into our house last week!  I feel like I've lived a whole lifetime since we've been here--so much has happened in such a short period of time. This move will remain as one of the biggest events in our life, to be certain.  

So, here's the scoop--you might want to grab a little snack, it's going to be a long one, lol! 

{House}

Okay, so I admit it.  I am one of those crazy people that CANNOT rest until every single box is unpacked, put away,  and organized, curtains hung, and pictures up. I don't know why (I'm sure Rick would like to know, too, lol), but it's just the way I roll.  I also really wanted things to finally feel normal for my kids, which they hadn't for a long time. So, after a couple of very late nights and early mornings, the house was put together.  We ordered couches a couple of weeks ago for our family room, but they won't be here until the end of August.  So for right now, the kids are loving all the open space, and taking full advantage of what they have made into their personal race track.  I've starting refinishing furniture and decor to fit this house, and can't wait until the playroom shelves are finished, but I'm feeling settled. 

{Daily Life}

It's pretty hot here.  Okay, it's really hot, but it's mostly super humid, which has made the most difference. I thought I lived in a humid climate before, but I didn't know anything, lol.  You can actually see it--you think it's fog, but it's not.  Sometimes I can't even take pictures with my camera, because the lens fogs up as soon as I open it.  So, it's basically too hot to do anything by swim, which is why pretty much all the pictures I have of us are at the pool.  The clubhouse is just a minute drive or five minute walk, and with an Olympic-sized pool and huge splash area (up to about 2 feet of water), my kids want to be there every minute.  We go in the morning, in the afternoon, and at night after Rick gets home from work--we basically live there.  The hooks I made for the back hallway were intended for backpacks, but right now they have towels and swimsuits on them, because we use them so much.  Who knows? I might even get a tan.  Oh, never mind.  Lol.

I am missing the park, though, and can't wait until October when I can actually take the kids out to play.  Someone explained to me that everything is opposite here--just like everyone hibernates in the winter in Michigan, the same is for the summer here in Texas. Then October and November hits, and everyone is outside--camping, bike riding, parks, etc.--the town comes alive.  I just spent a long winter inside, and now a long summer, so I'll be especially ready for some mild weather!  Some trips--like to the zoo, are waiting for that weather, and we're all looking forward to them.  We have discovered some really fun things here, and can't wait to find more!  I have to say, we are loving all the amazing restaurants and shopping that's just within minutes' drive.  Mexican food is my favorite thing, and after coming from a place where it was non-existent, I can't seem to get my fill!  Even my kids  are constantly requesting our favorite Mexican restaurant-I haven't always put up much of a fight.  :)

The heat and humidity have also put a slight damper on my running schedule.  My perfect running temperature is about 40 degrees, which I've discovered I'm not going to get very often around here.  It's too hot to run outside right now, although I do see a few crazy people out there. So, I'm confined to the treadmill for now, but it's just another reason I can't wait for October!  

{Church}

Wow.  This has been an experience in and of itself!  The first week we were here was the first week in our ward's existence--we were now part of a brand new ward--that day!  The growth is unbelievable here, and they took two wards, split them, and made a third ward--ours.  The next week I was called to be in the Primary Presidency, and it has been a roller coaster ever since, albeit a good one.  First of all, I've never served in Primary before, except a very short two month stint as chorister when we first moved to Michigan.  I've always served in either Relief Society or Young Women, so a totally different change of scenery. Secondly, we were starting with no teachers, staff, materials, manuals, or budget, and that provides for a different experience altogether. I'm also in charge of the Primary Program, which is in a couple of months. You know the term "trial by fire?"  This is it, lol.  I do love it, though, despite the intensity. I thrive on being busy, I honestly enjoy it, and it's been a fabulous way to meet people.  I work with a wonderful group of girls, and those kids, I tell you--they are hilarious! It's a big Primary, and only going to get bigger, but the more the merrier, right?  :) I'm glad I get to serve in this capacity, and get to know all those great kids!

{Kids}

Can I just say--what troopers!!!  They've been dragged around from place-to-place over the last month, but their resiliency has impressed me.  We're still not caught up on sleep, and nap schedules are totally out of whack, but overall, they're doing really well. They talk about Michigan a lot, and their friends there, and I'm glad we can do that, yet still move on here, at the same time. They are making friends at church, who will all go to the same school they are.  The girls are excited about a birthday party tomorrow, and life for them is going forward very well.  Our neighborhood is brand new, with only a couple of houses, but with ten houses under construction right now, we know of several families headed our way in the next few months.  One is an LDS family with 5 kids, and they will be right across the street. We're looking forward to meeting them, and all of our new neighbors.  

The night we moved in...

Being so silly!

{School}

I registered Ryan for school last week, and registration for the girls is in a couple of weeks.  It's been really interesting to see how different states and school districts run their education program.  The schools here are truly top-notch--The Woodlands is nationally ranked in everything from sports to debate, and the curriculum is challenging. When we signed Ryan up for his classes, he could choose Pre-AP classes in every subject, and that was separate and on top of Honors Classes.  Education is really, really, important here, and I'll be interested to see what's it's like for the kids to acclimate from what they've learned so far. and Elementary is K-4, then there are intermediate schools for grades 5 & 6.  Junior High is grades 7 & 8, 9th grade has their own campus, then 10th-12th in high school.  The schools are so big here, that I think it's good to have the grades spread out a little more.  The time schedule is also very different--elementary goes from 7:45am to 2:45pm, and the junior high is 8:50am to 4pm--totally opposite from what we're used to. Ryan will still be riding the bus, and I'll walk the girls to and from school. It's right next to our clubhouse, so a 5-10 minute walk, which I love.  Both schools are brand new within just a couple of years, due to all the growth.  

All in all, we are doing well, we're happy, and enjoying Texas.  We miss our friends terribly, think of them every single day, but we're creating a good life here.  

{home}

{Home} is the best word in the dictionary.  

I'm sleeping in my own bed tonight, which right now is my definition of heaven.  The movers unloaded the van yesterday, and I started unpacking today.  Every box is unpacked and put away except the Master Bedroom, and that's just going to have to wait until tomorrow!  The house is clean, and I'm just over the moon that we finally have a place to call our own. 

It has been the most insane last few weeks, with so many crazy and unforeseen circumstances, and I have to say my gratitude level is off the chart right now.  I'll post the full story later, but for now, I'm off to bed!

{a texan 4th of july}

Well, things kind of got off to a rough start around here.  We arrived last Saturday afternoon, and our movers were here first thing Sunday morning, ready to unload.  Unfortunately, due to an account mix-up, the equity from the sale of our house that was wired to to the title company for our house here was delayed--and we still haven't officially closed yet (but will tomorrow, YAY!).  Our movers finally had to to leave on Tuesday afternoon, and moved all of our things to storage.  It will be at least another week before they can get another crew here to move it from storage to our new house.  Hotel life continues... for another week and a half.  

We had really hoped to be in our house and unpacked by the 4th of July (because I'm a crazy person like that, and can't stop until every box is unpacked and everything is hung on the wall), so we could relax and enjoy the day. In the end it worked out like that, because there was nothing we could that do but relax!

One of the perks of living in a hotel is a beautiful pool and hot tub, and we've certainly been taking advantage of it, especially with the weather.  It's warm enough that you can swim anytime of day...literally.  The night before the 4th we took the kids to the pool and spent hours there, and while they all loved it, no one quite matched the exuberance of my Henry.  He is the first one of my children that truly has no fear of the water--almost too much so.  Armed with his puddle jumper in place, he would just jump in the pool--regardless of which section, or how deep the water.  He didn't care if the water covered his face, got into his eyes, or filled his mouth--he loved every minute of it.  Thankfully I had Rick with me, because it was a full-time job just keeping that boy in line.  Love that kid.

"One more time, Momma..."

Jack preferred to lounge...

The girls were in action so much, this was the only shot I could get!

All the bigger kids got together and played games--Ryan had a great time.

After we swam the afternoon away, we headed to Market Street for dinner, and the Waterway, which is in the center of The Woodlands.  It's spectacular, especially at night.  Every tree is always lit in Christmas lights, all year long, and with the water everywhere, it's stunning.  Market Street is an outdoor shopping area, with every store you would ever want to see, and plenty of yummy restaurants. There are also fountains where all the kids come and splash--it's a very popular spot, almost all year! We needed to still stay family-friendly, so we took the kids to The Cheesecake Factory for food, and cheesecake, of course! After we finished dinner, we walked through Market Street, and Rick watched the kids while I went into Pottery Barn.  ☺

The next morning after breakfast, we headed south of Houston to Galveston, which is an island on the Gulf of Mexico.  It's only about 45 minutes away, which was the perfect distance for the day.  The San Padre Islands are a few hours away, but they were just too far away to do in one day.  We'll definitely be there this summer, though!

It was a lovely day.  We ate seafood overlooking the water, then took a ferry to Port Bolivar, hoping to see some dolphins, which have spotted quite a bit recently in that area.  The weather was hot, but not overwhelmingly so, and with the wind from the boat, it was quite perfect.

It was exactly what we needed, especially since we are experiencing homesickness.  It was really fun to see more of the state, and we enjoyed the drive to and from--taking in all of the beautiful woods and scenery along the way.

Today, on this Independence Day, I'm so grateful for my freedom, my country, my beliefs, my friends, and my family.

How incredibly blessed are we.