{a roller skating kind of day}

It has been rainy all week.  I'm not just talking about a sprinkle here or there, it's Texas-sized rain.  So...we've been inside most of the week, and finally we were all itching to get out.  The girls have been dying to go skating again, and the boys really wanted to try it.  Ryan stayed home with Caroline, and off we went!

It took us a little while to get situated and lace up all the skates, but finally we were ready to go.  Since it was Jack and Henry's first time, they used cute little walkers to help them around the rink.  The girls hadn't been in awhile, so they were off trying to recapture what they had lost.  I skated with the boys, and it was quite the adventure.  ☺  Henry is 4, but wears a size 2 shoes/skates, and they kept hitting the walker and making him fall. I don't think kids that use them usually have that size of foot.  I showed him a few tricks, and to his credit, he kept working at it, even though he fell quite a bit the first time or two around the rink.  Pretty soon he was doing quite well all on his own, and really didn't fall the rest of the time.  I was so proud of his determination!

Jack also worked hard, but really loved when I skated behind him, holding on to his walker, and making him go fast.  It killed my back, but he loved it so much, I couldn't say no!  We had such a fun time, and too soon it was time for us to leave.  They all made me promise we'd go again before we move, and they got no argument from me--it's one of my favorite things!

I wish I had gotten better pictures, but the lighting in there was horrible.  I also couldn't manage my phone and holding up two 4 year old boys at the same time, so I didn't get any on the rink either.  So...I have some of the kids watching some of the races, but at least I can see them in their skates! I had to take a picture of Jack's skates--they were so tiny and SO cute!  

 

Yep...can't wait to go again!

{jack-isms}

 I adore Jack. He might be the funniest boy ever, and the things he say make us laugh every single day.  My favorite thing is that he makes up words to replace other words, but most of the time they're just close enough that you know what he's talking about.  And it makes me smile every single time. 

Here are a few of my favorites...

"Freezebreak" = brain freeze

"Boodgie" = wedgie

"John the Baptism" = John the Baptist

"Light Bolts" = light bulbs

"Skin of a pickle" = cucumbers

A boy is a "dude" and a girl is a "wife.

"broccamole" = guacamole

Hysterical.  I hope he says them like this forever.

{a conversation with henry}

 Henry was snuggling with me in my bed the other morning, and for a few moments, the rest of the house was quiet, and it was just the two of us.  I took the opportunity to start asking him a few questions, and I loved it so much, I wrote it down just as soon as I could. This boy looks like he's 7 or 8, so sometimes it's easy to forget that he's only four.  This conversation made me remember, and I couldn't stop smiling for the rest of the day.

favorite color:  red and orange

favorite thing to do:  eat "bisketti"

do you want to get married?  NO! I want to be in charge, but not get married.

do you want to have kids?  Yes, 96 kids.

what will you do with them?  play with them..play lots of games.

what will you give them for dinner?  "bisketti"

who will watch them? I will.

what will you do for a job?  be a firefighter

who will watch the kids while you're at work?  I will have a "bruver" watch them, like Ryan.

are you happy?  yes!

what makes you happy?  eating "bisketti"

Notice a trend about the "bisketti"?  He still loves to eat.  And eat.  I wish you could have heard his voice and inflections as he answered these questions--seriously, so hilarious.  And adorable.  LOVE him.

{yes...MORE pool pictures}

Honestly, we live at the pool. We go every single day, and many times we go twice a day.  It's just SO hot, it's the only thing we can do that's outside.  We've got it down to a routine now--suits and sunscreen on; toys, water and snacks packed; bikes loaded up...and we're off!

You'll notice there are a couple of pictures where they are sitting on the side of the pool--it's the mandatory 10 minute rest period each hour, and is often the only time they are still enough for me to get a picture!

So many memories of our life here in Texas will revolve around hot weather...and the pool.  ☺

{bluebell ice cream factory}

I feel very sorry for anyone that hasn't had Bluebell ice cream.  I've had a lot of different ice cream in my life, and it's definitely the best.  It's legendary across the South, and a few other states where it's sold, and it's made just about an hour and a half from here, in Brenham, Texas. They give tours at their factory, and it's been on our list of things to do since we moved here. A friend and I took our kids last week, and it was definitely worth the trip!  

We saw the whole ice cream making process--where they mix it, add flavors and ingredients (we saw huge buckets of marshmallows and nuts going into a Rocky Road batch), and then fill ice cream cartons. They're now the only company that still have the 1/2 gallon container! We also saw all the molds for their ice cream bars and specialty items, and walked through the -44 degree freezer where they flash freeze the ice cream. 

And the best part?

The ice cream tasting!!!  We were able to taste every single flavor, and then they gave us a huge scoop of whatever we wanted.  Ummmmm...thank you.  They were all amazing, and I  the kids were in ice cream heaven.  It was a GREAT day!!!

Definitely one of the best things about Texas.  ☺

{goodbye school, hello summer}

Wasn't it just Christmas? I blinked my eyes, and it was the end of the year, and school was over. Ryan was elated, the girls were sad, and I was ready to have them home.

There wasn't any pomp and circumstance for Ryan the last week of school, but he did have half days all week, and that was good enough for him. He likes school, and he does very well, but he was so glad to be done with papers and tests!!  There was an awards assembly the last day of school for the girls, and they were SO excited about.  Special awards are given, and all students are given a certificate and recognized in some way.  

Kate was on the honor roll, Emma received the highest academic honors as well as the Citizenship Award.  They were both beaming! So was I.  ☺  After the assembly, I took them back to their classrooms to gather their things and say goodbye to friends and teachers.  They were especially sad  this year, because they knew they wouldn't be back.  They LOVED their teachers, as did I--you couldn't get any better.  In second grade, they have two teachers--one for science/math, and the other for language arts. The girls had the same teachers, but were in opposite classrooms. It really was the perfect setup for them--same teachers, same friends, across the hall from each other, and ate lunch and went to all the special classes together. 

It was a great year--they both did so well, and I can't believe they will be in THIRD grade!!!  

Welcome, summer!

{big girl}

My baby is not a baby!!! This girl...we love her guts.  She is growing up way too fast for my liking, and she thinks she's pretty cute stuff.  And she is.  ☺

Her hair was getting that lovely mullet look, as baby hair tends to get, and it was driving me crazy.  So, I gave her a cute little bob in the back while the front and sides catch up, and I love it.  She looks adorable, but so much older.  

I took a few pictures of her at the park a few weeks ago, so I could capture her new cut, but that proved to be difficult at best.  This girl is always on the move, and thinks she can run with the big kids. I was crawling through tubes not meant for adults so I could chase her down, and she gave me a near heart attack at least three times.  My days of sitting quietly on the bench and watching the boys play are O.V.E.R.

Love these three!!

{hello, san antonio}

With our impending move, and Rick starting his new job in New York, we knew we needed to do one last "Texas Hurrah" before we left.  San Antonio had been on our list since we moved here, and we finally made the trip a couple of weeks before school got out.  

The plan was to leave after the kids got out of school, but things didn't quite happen that way.  Rick got home and packed the truck, and when he went to close the back hatch, it wouldn't latch closed.  We tried it over and over and over again, with no luck. Here we were, hotel paid for, tickets paid for, all plans made, vehicle packed...and we couldn't go. UGH. Of all the moments for this to happen!  Rick and I looked at each other, and decided we still need to go--we would just have to rent a vehicle.  The nearest place to rent one was the airport, so we tied the door down, and off we went!  

Renting a vehicle for eight people is not an easy task at any time, but especially spur of the moment.  The lady at the reservation desk gave us three vehicles in a row that only had seven seats (which we didn't discover until we got all the way out to each vehicle on separate trips). Finally, we did our own investigation, and peered into several large SUV's (we still can't use a mini van) until we found one with eight seats.  The ONLY one.  We went back inside, and fortunately it was available.  Do you know how much an SUV costs to rent?  A LOT.  But, it was worth it.

We dropped off the truck at the Toyota dealership to be repaired, and we were finally off!  Three hours later we pulled up to our hotel, and even though it was really late, the kids were thrilled.  It was the perfect room for our family--a suite that had 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a living room and a kitchen.  We tucked the kids into bed, all of us excited for the next day!

Morning came with the kids antsy for breakfast in the hotel (Yep--Texas-shaped waffles once again!). Rick went down by himself with the kids while I got ready, and before they went down, he had them stand and hold their hands up in the air, pledging their good behavior.  It worked! At least for breakfast, lol.  We headed to Sea World, and got to the gates when it opened for the day. It was already HOT, and I was already wishing we had gone to a waterpark.  ☺

We had a great time. We rode the rides, saw all the shows, ate yummy frozen lemonade, and rode more rides. It was even hotter than we thought it was going to be, but all the ride lines had big awnings with gigantic fans, so it wasn't too terrible.  We purposely sat in the splash zones in the shows so we would get wet!  The kids were so excited to see "Shampoo" (i.e. Shamu, lol), and I was DYING that they named the other one "Conditioner".  It was seriously SO funny, and Rick and I still laugh about it every time we think about it.

Late that afternoon, we had finally had our fill, and we stopped at a restaurant to get dinner. That night everyone slept well!  The next morning we woke up and headed to some large caverns that were on the way home. They had recommended to us by several friends, and we thought the kids would enjoy them.  Unfortunately, Caroline and I had to turn back, because she was extremely fussy (naptime), but Rick and the kids loved it.  When they came out from the tour, OF COURSE we had to stop by the fudge and ice cream shop.  We left with more fudge than we should have, and tummies full of yummy ice cream--the perfect thing on such a warm day!

Our ride home was quiet--all the kids fell asleep--and I actually read a book! We got home in the early evening, which is perfect--still time to feed kids and get them to bed, plus unpack. With school the next day, it was an extra bonus that night.  

It was SUCH a fun trip, and I'm so grateful that we were able to make it work. It was the best "last hurrah" we could have asked for!

 

 

{may randomness}

I take a lot of pictures.  Right now I'm collecting a photo every day, and when a year is up (in October), I'm going to get them printed and put them in a book.  I'm really excited about it, and plan to do it every year. No scrapbooking or fancy embellishments--just cute pictures with fun memories attached.

-----

Camping in the backyard! There is no summer camping in Texas, so this is one of the last nights we could get away with it.  Popcorn, a movie, and sleep under the stars? What could be better?

 Yes, I took a picture of the milk.  But hello??!!  99 cents? The way we go through milk, this was an extra amazing deal.  We bought a lot of it, and the kids put it to good use.

 

Oh, this girl.  Already a shoe obsession.  ☺  Try as she might, she just could not get this American Girl doll shoe on her foot.  Although I love the leopard...she has good taste! 

 

Yay! Finally another lost tooth! This girl just turned eight, and had only lost two teeth until the last couple of weeks.  Now we're up to five, she's missing both front teeth, and looks absolutely adorable.

 My Mother's Day chefs!!  Rick wore that chef's hat when he worked at a restaurant many years ago as a teenager, and Kate loved wearing it as his sous chef.

 I love this sweet picture of Emma and Caroline, caught in an unaware moment. This baby is loved!!!

 

I was able to attend a blogging conference in SLC the very end of April, and had a great time!  I have worked closely with so many bloggers over the last five years, and it was so fun to finally meet them in person!

 

This is in the lobby of the Little America hotel, where we stayed, and where the conference was.  My favorite parts of the weekend were moments like this...this was spontaneous picture of a group of us just chatting. I loved talking to other women that know exactly what I do--and what it's like to balance blogging, being a mom, and juggling the rest of your life.

(Eighteen25, LandeeLu, Lil' Luna, Lolly Jane, 30 Handmade Days, Kiki & Co., Or So She Says, Diary of Dave's Wife)

Yes, that is Hobby Lobby, and yes, I took my boys there. It was a moment of desperation.  Lol.  I also ran into a reader that recognized me from my blog, and it was so fun to talk to her! Although I'm not sure how she recognized me, because I was in yoga pants with hair pulled back and no makeup--nothing like my blog picture. She definitely got the "real" me!!!

 My cutey cute girls at their 2nd grade program! 

{pool time}

As the weather starts getting warmer, the biggest thing we have to look forward to is the pool opening.  It opened the third weekend in May, and of course...we were there!  

The other kids were there too, I just couldn't capture them fast enough.  ☺ It's only open on weekend for now, but as soon as school is out, I'm sure we will be there often. We've already been four times!! It really is so convenient to have it so close--it takes just a few minutes to ride bikes or drive, and we can stay as long (or short) as we like.  My good friend and I are planning to go together as much as possible, so we can tag team the kids. We plan to take advantage of pool as much as we can before we leave!!

{the week of all weeks}

They say things happen in threes, but this week it was way more than that.  We are all SO glad that it's behind us.  It started out innocently the end of the week before, when a few kids started to not feel well.  It didn't really keep them down, just slowed them down a little. My parents were still here, so we had extra hands which was nice, and we were handling everything okay.

And then...

Monday hit.  The photographer was schedule to come that afternoon to take pictures of the house so we could get it listed. My dad had spent the better part of the weekend painting, and we had matched the paint of the house and purchased it at Home Depot--thinking it would work.  Monday morning we discovered that the paint color was a match, but not the sheet, and we could see every single place that had been touched up or painted.  I frantically hunted down the manufacturer of the paint, where the builder bought it, and the nearest location, so I could go get some to re-paint...quickly.  If not, we would have tape off and paint every single wall we had touched up.  

To top it off, Henry was very sick--totally lethargic, and other details I will leave out.  Ryan was home sick, throwing up, and we were trying to keep him hydrated and out of the hospital.  Caroline was also sick, fussy, and wanted to be held all of the time.  The house still had to be cleaned, the walls painted, and all the kids taken care of.  In a few hours.

Somehow we pulled it all off, and if my parents hadn't been here, I don't know what I would have done.  It was CRAZY, and lots of prayers pulled us through.  The house was painted and cleaned, the photographers came...and then I took Henry to the doctor.  The poor boy seemed like he was at death's door, and it was actually pretty scary.  After some cultures were taken, it was discovered he had salmonella poisoning, and the CDC was monitoring his case, just to make sure it wasn't an outbreak.  

My parents left the next morning--Tuesday morning--and then our bad luck continued.  In the middle of the night, we woke up to Caroline screaming.  We went in to her room to check on her, and it was clear she was very ill. She was struggling to breathe, her little chest was retracting severely, and she was frantic. We gave her several breathing treatments, and after about an hour, she had calmed down enough that we could put her back to bed.  In a couple of hours, she was up again, and this time it was worse.  At 3am I took her in to the Emergency Room, and we didn't have to wait at all--they took us right back and starting more breathing treatments. After three of them, plus a dose of steroids, she hadn't improved, and they decided to admit her.  

She was immediately hooked up to a million things, which meant we had to stay on the bed--and not really move anywhere else.  I held her most of the time, and fortunately she slept quite a bit that next morning.  When she woke up, it was hard--she didn't feel well, but she didn't want to stay on the bed either.  Trying to entertain a sick 14 month old in two feet of space for a couple of days is quite the challenge, and thanks to some really amazing nurses, we made it through.  They spoiled her rotten--brought snacks, books, and even figured out a way we could for a walk around the halls. Rick came that night and stayed with Caroline while I showered and changed (I was still wearing my pajamas from the night before), and brought some much needed relief...and chocolate.  Fortunately, she began to improve, and we were able to go home the next afternoon.  Meanwhile, Henry was still sick, so fortunately, Rick was able to stay home with the boys and take care of him.  

 

I've had some really crazy weeks in my life, but I have to say, this has definitely made the top three.  I'm just so grateful that everyone is okay--we made it through with everyone now well, and our house went up on the market as planned. 

{emma the ballerina}

Emma absolutely loves ballet.  I think it's in her bones. She loves to dance, but she also loves all the stuff that goes along with it--the pink tights, ballet shoes with ribbons tied on, her teachers--everything.  

Her fifth ballet recital was this past weekend, and she was pretty excited about it.  Nervous too...but she's come a long way since that first recital when she wouldn't go more than a few steps onto the stage.  The ballet this year was "Esther", and her costume was pink, flowy, and of course she adored it.  Once again, it was time to sew ribbons on ballet shoes! I was much better at it this year.  ☺ But...her favorite part is still the hair and makeup!

Dress rehearsal went smoothly, and the performance was the next night.  Because we had sick kids at home, I took Kate with me to watch Emma.  We prepped her in her costume and makeup, then left her in the dressing room with the other girls and "moms in charge". Even the three year olds stay backstage the entire performance, and it's quite the professional production.

It was a lovely show, but it was LOOOOOONG.  As in THREE hours long!  Emma did a beautiful job, and as always, it was a treat to see her on stage.  Rick showed up at intermission with flowers, and he stayed for the rest of the ballet.   Kate fell asleep with about a half hour to go, around 9:30pm--she just couldn't hold out any longer. 

It's going to be sad to leave this ballet studio when we move...it's been a wonderful place for Emma, and she's loved every minute of it.  We're so happy she got one last recital before we left!  

{our next family adventure}

This is happening!!! We are headed to New York!!!

This is a huge move for our family for a number of reasons. It's not the first time we will move cross country--we've done that twice before--but it has some definite significance.  

First of all, Rick left Deloitte after twelve years, which in and of itself is significant.  Deloitte has been very good to us over the years, and we are grateful for that job, and all it's done for Rick and our family.  He's been able to work with some really wonderful people, and I know he's learned a lot.  But at the end of the day, it wasn't the job he wanted to stay with for the rest of his life, and we knew we needed to move on. He's really looking forward to the challenge of this new position, and the company matches up with not only what he was looking for, but our family as well. Our family lifestyle had greatly dwindled over the past couple of years, with Rick being gone so much that sometimes a whole week went by without the kids seeing him.  We were ready to find something that would have him home more, plus match his career goals, and we've found it!

As for the location...I am THRILLED!! The kids cheered when we told them we were headed back to snow--they've missed it terribly the last couple of years--and each one of them can't wait to get there. I think I'm most excited about the four seasons, and most especially the fall.  The holidays just never felt quite right when it was 80 or 90 (or 100) degrees.  I made a little list of all the things I was excited about in New York, and the things I would miss in Texas...

{NEW YORK}

-Four seasons!!!! 

Fall leaves, pumpkin patches, apple farms, crisp mornings in the fall, snow, spring flowers, beautiful summers...

-The weather

The heat has just about KILLED me. Until you've lived in it, and experienced it, there is really no way to describe how oppressive the heat and humidity are, at least six months out of the year.  I used to complain about the snow, and I'm sure I will again, but honestly, all I have do is remember what a Texas July is like, and I'll be cured.  

-Being able to enjoy the summer with my kids

It's just too hot in Texas to go outside at all in the summer months, unless you're at the pool.  With so many little kids, it's not really easy to take them to the pool, and especially not every single day.  Whether you're in cold weather or hot weather, you're inbound part of the year, and I would much rather be inbound during the winter, when the kids are in school.  I haven't been to the park in the summer for two years with my kids, and we're ready to go back!!!

-The country life!  

Man, have I missed living where it's quiet!  Our neighborhood is quiet, but to go anywhere, you're in major traffic, all of the time. I miss space, trees in my yard, two lane roads, and peaceful nights. 

-Land

We plan to build our next house, and we are looking for at least 2 acres to build it on.  After being SO SQUISHED on our Texas lot, we're ready for a big yard, lots of trees, campfires under the stars, a big treehouse, and plenty of space for the kids to run around, play, and explore.  I took it totally for granted in Michigan, and now I'm grateful that we'll have the opportunity to have it again.

-Location

We will be close to SO many places to visit, and things to do, and we've already started making our list.  New York City, Washington DC, Pennsylvania (Pittsburgh, Hershey, Philadelphia), Toronto, New England...and so many more.  Most importantly, it's only four hours from Midland, and we all are looking forward to a lot more face time with our dear friends there.

-Rick's schedule

This should really be in the first spot, because it's the most important! No more busy season!!!  ☺ Of course he will still be busy, and have busier times, but it won't be nearly like it has been.  We already have plans to go skiing every winter, which we've never been able to do.  I grew up skiing (although I'm terribly out of practice now), and I can't wait to teach my kids.  He will be home more, earlier, and even though he will have to travel some, it will still be less than what we're used to now.

-Running

This might seem like a silly thing to have on my list, but the Texas weather has been a huge deterrent in my running goals. I've not stopped running, but I haven't been able to go the distances that I was used to before, because I can't do it in 90+ degrees--which it is more than half of the year, and I HATE the treadmill. I still run on it, but there are only so many miles I can run on it until I die of boredom. I have some goals that I would like to accomplish, and I'm looking forward to pursuing those, and getting outside more to run.

{TEXAS}

-Flip flops all year long

Okay, I'm sure I will still wear them a lot in NY, but I have to admit, it was so nice to never wear socks.  Ever.  Unless I was wearing running shoes.  Ballet flats and flip flops are all I've worn for the past two years, and it will be an adjustment to wear more than that on my feet.

- REALLY GOOD Mexican food

Good Mexican food was pretty non-existent in Michigan, and since we've moved here, we've become totally and completely spoiled. I have not one favorite Mexican restaurant, but THREE.  Leaving them will be very hard, because I know it just won't be the same.  My kids have already requested their last meal in Texas, so we will be stopping at Pappasito's on our way out of town.  It was our first meal here, and now it will be our last.

-Friends

We've made some good friends while we've been here, and it's always hard to leave that behind.  We are making the most of our time left, and since it's summer in a couple of weeks, we'll have more opportunity to do so.

Yes, the NY list is a lot longer than the Texas list, which is a good thing.  We knew we were supposed to move here, and as hard as it has been, and as glad as we all are to leave, we've learned a lot. We're hoping that this will be our last move for a long time, and we're all ready to put roots down and make a permanent home for our family.

Now our house needs to sell...quickly!!!  We're ready to go!!