Life has a way of moving too quickly to register, sometimes.
In August of 2015, we moved into a beautiful house with a canal view. I love the trees, the feel of our peaceful neighborhood, and the house itself. It's been a good house to experience life in these last 3 years.
Some of what we've experienced has been beyond difficult. Loss is a beast that keeps gnawing at you, even when you beat it back with all that you are.
Recently, we spent nearly 3 months on the road, living in an RV that has the square footage of a galley kitchen and a small bathroom. It wasn't easy and it wasn't always pleasant but it was invigorating in many ways and it taught us a lot about who we can be as a family.
So here we are, considering emptying our house and filling up our lives with new experiences and views of parts of the country we haven't seen yet.
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Sunday, October 7, 2018
Friday, January 2, 2015
January 2, 2015
Whaaaaaaaaaaaaat? How is it 2015 already??? Remember when it was going from 1999 to 2000? That seemed so epic and now we're 15 years later and I'M NOT READY YET! What the heck??
Ok. So now that ONE freak-out is out of the way, here's another one. I will be 36 this year!! Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! This is not even funny. Once upon a time, I didn't understand why people had mid-life crises. I thought "come on... you've seen this age coming for a WHILE now. Just get it together and BE that age." Nope. Not even close to possible. I have been 24 for 12 years and I see no reason to stop now. I will be 24 until I'm old and wrinkly and crabby.
Moving on!
The other day, I received a book I have been looking forward to for a WHILE. It's Ruth Soukup's book: Living Well, Spending Less: 12 Secrets of the Good Life. Last year, I participated in her 30 day zero spending challenge. It was HARD, but worth it. It gave me a better idea of what I was spending money on. The rest of the year, I tried to be more mindful of what I spent and WHY. I feel like we did a better job but there's always room for improvement. This is why I'm so eager to read Ruth's book. I've read the first chapter in a pre-release e-book format but there's nothing like holding a REAL book in my hands so I'll be starting all over shortly.
Also last year, I went through the 40-bags clean-out challenge. I got rid of at LEAST 40 bags (of all sizes) but there's still a long way to go. We let ourselves get overwhelmed with stuff these days, don't we? There's always something 'better' or more useful or newer or cuter... and we get sucked into obtaining those things. Yes, I have used the things I've bought. I've gotten rid of clothes that no longer made me feel good about myself and replaced them with better pieces that I still love. But I still have more than I need. More is not always better, sometimes it's just more.
My resolutions for this year are simple. At least, they seem simple because I haven't actually written them out yet. haha! So here goes:
1. Make more time for reading with the girls. I want them to love books as much as I do and they need to immerse themselves in those 'other worlds' to really get why it's so amazing to be able to read.
2. Take risks. I became an independent consultant this year, something I have NEVER attempted. I am fearful of failure, always have been. But this is something fun, something new, something challenging and I need to climb out of my hidey hole and just do it.
3. Stop comparing what I have with what others have. Oh, this applies to so many things. Other people are better at lesson planning, other people have kitchen gadgets that seem so useful, other people find ways to have cleaner homes, other people have prettier yards, other people dress their kids in cooler clothes, other people have clean kitchen counters, etc etc.
4. Make a damn budget already. Seriously.
5. Get rid of the stuuuuuuuff already. We're off to a decent start with this. We've sorted and purged some toys, bagged up clothes to donate, sold games no one plays, burned old papers we didn't need to hold on to. Today the boy child is sorting things in his room. He's got bags and bags of things to give to younger cousins or donate. Woohoo!
Ok. So now that ONE freak-out is out of the way, here's another one. I will be 36 this year!! Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! This is not even funny. Once upon a time, I didn't understand why people had mid-life crises. I thought "come on... you've seen this age coming for a WHILE now. Just get it together and BE that age." Nope. Not even close to possible. I have been 24 for 12 years and I see no reason to stop now. I will be 24 until I'm old and wrinkly and crabby.
Moving on!
The other day, I received a book I have been looking forward to for a WHILE. It's Ruth Soukup's book: Living Well, Spending Less: 12 Secrets of the Good Life. Last year, I participated in her 30 day zero spending challenge. It was HARD, but worth it. It gave me a better idea of what I was spending money on. The rest of the year, I tried to be more mindful of what I spent and WHY. I feel like we did a better job but there's always room for improvement. This is why I'm so eager to read Ruth's book. I've read the first chapter in a pre-release e-book format but there's nothing like holding a REAL book in my hands so I'll be starting all over shortly.
Also last year, I went through the 40-bags clean-out challenge. I got rid of at LEAST 40 bags (of all sizes) but there's still a long way to go. We let ourselves get overwhelmed with stuff these days, don't we? There's always something 'better' or more useful or newer or cuter... and we get sucked into obtaining those things. Yes, I have used the things I've bought. I've gotten rid of clothes that no longer made me feel good about myself and replaced them with better pieces that I still love. But I still have more than I need. More is not always better, sometimes it's just more.
My resolutions for this year are simple. At least, they seem simple because I haven't actually written them out yet. haha! So here goes:
1. Make more time for reading with the girls. I want them to love books as much as I do and they need to immerse themselves in those 'other worlds' to really get why it's so amazing to be able to read.
2. Take risks. I became an independent consultant this year, something I have NEVER attempted. I am fearful of failure, always have been. But this is something fun, something new, something challenging and I need to climb out of my hidey hole and just do it.
3. Stop comparing what I have with what others have. Oh, this applies to so many things. Other people are better at lesson planning, other people have kitchen gadgets that seem so useful, other people find ways to have cleaner homes, other people have prettier yards, other people dress their kids in cooler clothes, other people have clean kitchen counters, etc etc.
4. Make a damn budget already. Seriously.
5. Get rid of the stuuuuuuuff already. We're off to a decent start with this. We've sorted and purged some toys, bagged up clothes to donate, sold games no one plays, burned old papers we didn't need to hold on to. Today the boy child is sorting things in his room. He's got bags and bags of things to give to younger cousins or donate. Woohoo!
Monday, June 27, 2011
There and back again!
This last week is a BLUR! I'll try to recall at least the most important parts...
Wednesday, Chad was hoping to take Ben out on the boat with his dad to do some night fishing. An appointment made the group outing impossible but he still took Ben out to at least spend the night on the water.
Thursday morning, I scrambled around to get the girls ready and we met the boys at the lake at about 10am. The water was so much nicer than the last time we were out. I think the girls were a bit apprehensive of 'daddy's boat' after the last excursion. No wind advisory this time, tho so we made it without getting tossed up and down in our seats. We went to a little cove with a decent shore and splashed around for a few hours. Lily took a little while to get used to the water but once she decided it was ok, it was incredibly hard to keep her out of it. She wanted to try to sit in it with Daddy and dunked her own face a few times. Izzy was running around in the water with Ben, as if she'd always been comfortable in the lake. The last couple of times, it took work to get her to get in up to her ankles!
Friday, we packed up and headed to Galveston. Well, Kemah. It's a little town about 25 miles north of Galveston. They seem to pick up a lot of the 'overflow'... for a town of 1,773 it's pretty busy. They have a boardwalk with lots of carnival type rides, restaurants and little shops. The girls got to ride the Red Baron and Carousel with me - first time on REAL rides, I think. Ben did a whirly ride that I can't recall the name of. Looked like fun, tho.
We drove around for a little bit and seemed to see all there was to see in Kemah. I'm sure if we'd walked around more, we'd have found something intriguing but it seems like it's just a little bedroom community that picks up the extra tourist traffic.
We had dinner at a place called T Bone Tom's (yummy chopped beef sandwiches and fried pickles!) and then called it a night. Well, as I recall, the girls and I did and Chad took Ben back out to the boardwalk for a while. I was so sleepy, it's a bit foggy.
Saturday morning, we headed to Galveston to check out the beach and Moody Gardens. Moody Gardens looked like a fun place to go but SO expensive. Every attraction had separate admission pricing! They weren't just a bunch of rides or anything... they have a Rainforest Pyramid, Aquarium Pyramid, water park, paddle wheel boat, theater, discovery center. And charging upwards of $15 a person for EACH thing. So off we went to the free beach. :) I think the girls were a bit overwhelmed by the speed of the surf, even if it wasn't that high. Lily managed to entertain herself, picking up little clams out of the sand and spitting sand out of her mouth every time she stuck her fingers in. Ben took off and enjoyed the water with Chad.... I think it's the first time he's seen the Gulf. He said the water didn't taste so great, tho. hehe As it was closing in on lunch time, we called it a morning and headed back to eat and lay the girls down. Izzy passed out HARD but Lily had napped on the way back to the room and was just being her normal crazy self. Chad took Ben to the NASA Space Center till it was dinner time and we headed back to T Bone Tom's. (I keep wanting to say F Bone because that's what their sign actually looked like. Choose your fonts wisely, folks!)
Sunday - we went BACK to Galveston, road the ferry around and saw some dolphins. :) Only a few of them actually leapt out of the water completely but it was still cool to spot them. And coming back to the original port, gulls and pelicans were flying right in front of the upper deck so we were able to see them up close and personal. Brown pelicans are so pretty.
The drive home - ugh. So long! We stopped at the Sam Houston statue, where the children were all underwhelmed. It was neat but SO hot outside that they just didn't care for picture taking.
Dinner with Justin and Sunny, who took care of our puppies while we were gone. :) Lily kept stealing my food so eventually, I will have a picture or two of her holding my corn on the cob to post. She was so happy to see her 'nana sunny'. I don't know why she calls her nana at first. Silly girl.
Wednesday, Chad was hoping to take Ben out on the boat with his dad to do some night fishing. An appointment made the group outing impossible but he still took Ben out to at least spend the night on the water.
Thursday morning, I scrambled around to get the girls ready and we met the boys at the lake at about 10am. The water was so much nicer than the last time we were out. I think the girls were a bit apprehensive of 'daddy's boat' after the last excursion. No wind advisory this time, tho so we made it without getting tossed up and down in our seats. We went to a little cove with a decent shore and splashed around for a few hours. Lily took a little while to get used to the water but once she decided it was ok, it was incredibly hard to keep her out of it. She wanted to try to sit in it with Daddy and dunked her own face a few times. Izzy was running around in the water with Ben, as if she'd always been comfortable in the lake. The last couple of times, it took work to get her to get in up to her ankles!
Friday, we packed up and headed to Galveston. Well, Kemah. It's a little town about 25 miles north of Galveston. They seem to pick up a lot of the 'overflow'... for a town of 1,773 it's pretty busy. They have a boardwalk with lots of carnival type rides, restaurants and little shops. The girls got to ride the Red Baron and Carousel with me - first time on REAL rides, I think. Ben did a whirly ride that I can't recall the name of. Looked like fun, tho.
We drove around for a little bit and seemed to see all there was to see in Kemah. I'm sure if we'd walked around more, we'd have found something intriguing but it seems like it's just a little bedroom community that picks up the extra tourist traffic.
We had dinner at a place called T Bone Tom's (yummy chopped beef sandwiches and fried pickles!) and then called it a night. Well, as I recall, the girls and I did and Chad took Ben back out to the boardwalk for a while. I was so sleepy, it's a bit foggy.
Saturday morning, we headed to Galveston to check out the beach and Moody Gardens. Moody Gardens looked like a fun place to go but SO expensive. Every attraction had separate admission pricing! They weren't just a bunch of rides or anything... they have a Rainforest Pyramid, Aquarium Pyramid, water park, paddle wheel boat, theater, discovery center. And charging upwards of $15 a person for EACH thing. So off we went to the free beach. :) I think the girls were a bit overwhelmed by the speed of the surf, even if it wasn't that high. Lily managed to entertain herself, picking up little clams out of the sand and spitting sand out of her mouth every time she stuck her fingers in. Ben took off and enjoyed the water with Chad.... I think it's the first time he's seen the Gulf. He said the water didn't taste so great, tho. hehe As it was closing in on lunch time, we called it a morning and headed back to eat and lay the girls down. Izzy passed out HARD but Lily had napped on the way back to the room and was just being her normal crazy self. Chad took Ben to the NASA Space Center till it was dinner time and we headed back to T Bone Tom's. (I keep wanting to say F Bone because that's what their sign actually looked like. Choose your fonts wisely, folks!)
Sunday - we went BACK to Galveston, road the ferry around and saw some dolphins. :) Only a few of them actually leapt out of the water completely but it was still cool to spot them. And coming back to the original port, gulls and pelicans were flying right in front of the upper deck so we were able to see them up close and personal. Brown pelicans are so pretty.
The drive home - ugh. So long! We stopped at the Sam Houston statue, where the children were all underwhelmed. It was neat but SO hot outside that they just didn't care for picture taking.
Dinner with Justin and Sunny, who took care of our puppies while we were gone. :) Lily kept stealing my food so eventually, I will have a picture or two of her holding my corn on the cob to post. She was so happy to see her 'nana sunny'. I don't know why she calls her nana at first. Silly girl.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Elbow or knee?
I have a hard time figuring out if I'm getting jabbed by elbows or knees lately. I THINK the jabs in the upper right quadrant are knees and feet. They're crazy strong. And at the same time, I'll get little jabs in the lower left quadrant and I can feel something wedged against my hip bone. I'm thinking that's Izzy's head. She does turn from time to time and actually stretch out crosswise, making me look like I have a large football in my stomach. That's always fun/cute.
Tomorrow is 31 weeks. Only 9 to go!! I think I'll be taking off in 7, to have time to relax and really get the house ready for baby. Seems like it wouldn't take a full two weeks to do so but I don't want to feel pressured.
Heather and Shane are all engaged and whatnot. We went to Ben Wheeler to spend Mother's Day with G-ma at her church. After services, we set up for a taco lunch in the fellowship hall. Tacos are always a good way to recover from sermons... Anyway. I digress. Once everyone was ready to go, we all stopped in the foyer so Joel could say a quick prayer and he caught everyone a bit off guard when he ended with a special request for strength and courage for Shane, "to do what he needs to do and ask Heather what he needs to ask her..." I've never seen anyone propose in real life before, so yay on two counts!
I think Heather's going to be a stunning bride. I want to start looking at dresses for her... dammit.
Tomorrow is 31 weeks. Only 9 to go!! I think I'll be taking off in 7, to have time to relax and really get the house ready for baby. Seems like it wouldn't take a full two weeks to do so but I don't want to feel pressured.
Heather and Shane are all engaged and whatnot. We went to Ben Wheeler to spend Mother's Day with G-ma at her church. After services, we set up for a taco lunch in the fellowship hall. Tacos are always a good way to recover from sermons... Anyway. I digress. Once everyone was ready to go, we all stopped in the foyer so Joel could say a quick prayer and he caught everyone a bit off guard when he ended with a special request for strength and courage for Shane, "to do what he needs to do and ask Heather what he needs to ask her..." I've never seen anyone propose in real life before, so yay on two counts!
I think Heather's going to be a stunning bride. I want to start looking at dresses for her... dammit.
Thursday, March 8, 2007
Marching right along...
Peanut is moving right along. About 13 ounces now and probably 10 inches long, head to heel. At the same time as I'm amazed by how much larger I'VE gotten, I can't believe Peanut is that big already. Growing like a weed!
Tomorrow is a second ultrasound to figure out exactly what showed up on one image. Could be nothing, could be something... apparently it takes a Maternal/Fetal Medicine Man to figure it out. Doesn't look like the boy can take time away from work for this appointment but I don't think he really has to. Just more pictures of the cutest little Peanut ever!
Kimberly is having a boy according to her ultrasound today. I know she wanted a girl and I was really hoping we'd both have girls... would have been lots of fun. Oh well. They'll still be ridiculously close.
Joel and Stacey had their little boy on Tuesday. Levi was incredibly talkative about the 'beebee' and announcing everyone's names. He's almost got mine down... if you know what he's saying. heh. He's convinced that everyone has a beebee in their tummy, even him. Ridiculously cute child. He'll be jealous of the attention the babies get but I really do think he's going to be excited about all the new playmates.
Work is becoming quite tiresome. Yesterday I was in a funk all day and couldn't pin it on any one thing. I'm not worried about the dr appointment tomorrow and knowing the gender of our little one is crazy exciting (no more IT!)... just couldn't shake the FUNK. Today is a bit better but I think the lack of truly restful sleep is just getting harder to deal with. Once Justin has a car and can be here every day, I might try working shorter hours and see if taking a nap or just being able to sleep in will help. I don't like feeling run-down for no reason.
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