A Beautiful Young Girl

Dance Recital

2011-05-12T10:02:00.000-05:00

Jules had her dance recital Wednesday.
She is really enjoying dance.
I have never been good at dance... so I'm kind of amazed at a) how much Jules likes it... and b) that she's good at it!

Here are a couple of pictures.
We ordered the dvd of the dance... and I recorded the dress rehearsal on Monday. I'm trying to get it on youtube... so maybe I can post it on here afterward. (I am low tech... so trying to figure that stuff out takes time for me.) :)

I have better pictures on my camera, but haven't yet uploaded them.

Palm Sunday Egg Hunt

2011-04-20T21:25:00.004-05:00

We went to church with Grammy and Gramps today... and Aunt Mereny and Ella met us for the egg hunt.

It was Ella's first egg hunt, and seeing how she isn't walking yet (not yet 7 months old), I think she enjoyed herself. :)

Jules had a lot of fun too.

2011 update

2011-04-17T21:15:00.007-05:00

Over spring break we tagged along with Aunt Mereny and Ella to visit their family in San Antonio and just take a break.
The San Antonio Zoo was fun.

Her birthday was lots of fun... with just a few wrinkles due to their air conditioning being out.
It's very funny... last year it snowed on her birthday, and this year it was 90 degrees and there were A/C issues!

Overdue post

2011-03-10T09:35:00.003-06:00

I haven't been good about posting lately.
Life is so busy, I haven't slowed down enough to post on the blog in a while.

Since the surgery, Jules' recovery was great. It went as smoothly as possible. She was really good about drinking fluids and eating what was allowed. It's so cute because she remembered the things that she wasn't supposed to eat for a while afterward (specifically chips and popcorn) and she would remind us when it was around.

Last weekend, Jules had her first sleep over.

She had a blast at Caities (although she was nervous about it beforehand).

She fell off the bed while she was sleeping, but apparently didn't even wake up. Just continued sleeping on the floor. (there were pillows on the floor because they had been watching tv on the floor)

This week, I had pedicures with some friends from work. Jules went with us and got her nails painted. She (as always) was really good about being still while the lady painted her nails.

Tonsils, Adenoids, and getting Tubes

2011-01-24T10:12:00.004-06:00

This girl is a trooper. I knew she would be fine and had confidence in the surgery. I was just worried about what her reaction would be post-op. She has done really well.

Here are pictures of when we first went back,

her breathing treatment (she had a rough cough, so they did this before anesthesia)

and eating her popsicle after the surgery.

She came out of anesthesia very calmly. In fact, she kept dozing off with the popsicle in her hand. She didn't like the i.v. being in her hand... but that was the extent of her irritation.

Jeff and I both talked to her a lot about what to expect, read books about tonsils and going to the hospital, and just did everything we could think of to get her prepared. I think that helped a lot... but her naturally calm demeanor definitely helped as well.

the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure

2011-01-19T22:07:00.001-06:00

Welcome to the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure:

I'm going to be walking in the Washington DC 3-day in September. Please consider supporting me in this endeavor!

Dance Class

2011-01-07T08:22:00.003-06:00

In the fall, Jules started going to dance class on Saturday mornings. She LOVES it and looks forward to it every week. Right before Christmas they did a little dance to Frosty the Snowman. These are pictures that I took with my phone.

Surgery

2011-01-04T08:41:00.002-06:00

So... Jules constantly has fluid on her ears, runs ear infections... takes several allergy medications daily.

We were referred to an ENT (Ear, Nose & Throat doctor) and had the appointment yesterday. Long story short, Jules is having surgery on the 21st. Taking her adenoids and tonsils out... and putting in tubes.

Wowee wow. I'm a little overwhelmed. I am completely confident that she will be fine and much improved actually (sleep and eat better, etc)... but it makes me nervous! Anyway... I'm sure it will be great in the end.

Santa

2010-11-30T08:15:00.002-06:00

Jeff took Jules to see Santa on Sunday.
This is a picture of a picture, so not the best quality... (and Susan, you'll find this dress familiar too. She LOVES IT!)

We had a busy holiday weekend.
Jules loved the Parade of Lights... Like jumping up and down, clapping and screaming "Merry Christmas" to the parade participants loved it.

We went Saturday morning with our friends Susan and Kenyon to see Tangled at the Flapjacks and Flick thing that the Movie Tavern does. :-)

Saturday afternoon, we put up our Christmas tree... and it literally took us the rest of the day (except for nap time). We watched Polar Express afterward, and Jules was entranced by it. Afterward, she was ready for Christmas to be TOMORROW.
I told her we have much too much to do for it to be tomorrow!

Holiday Pics and Family

2010-11-24T12:24:00.008-06:00

Yay! I love family pictures.

While Uncle Buck was in town, we took family pictures.
These are the images from the cd.

Ella didn't like it much when they changed her clothes. :-)

Cute Pictures

2010-10-21T08:30:00.004-05:00

A friend of mine offered to do some fun Halloween portraits for Jules. She's building her portrait business (already has a great wedding photography business). Here are a few samples...

Thanks Erin for some truly fabulous pictures!
Check out the photographer's website here.

Ella

2010-10-04T13:34:00.003-05:00

Baby Eleanor Katherine (aka Ella) was born Thursday, September 30th.
Weighed 7lbs, 11 oz. She's a perfect little bundle...

Sweet Cousins

BABY BABY BABY

2010-09-30T08:33:00.000-05:00

My sister is going to have her baby today! I'm so excited that I can't stand it. Probably going to leave work early. :-D

Ballet/Tap Class

2010-09-20T14:04:00.004-05:00

Jules was really looking forward to her new dance class. She thinks she's having class with our friend, Caitie (my friend and cousin's daughter). Unfortunately, we're on the waiting list for Caitie's class (earlier in the day)... but Jules loved the class... and took Caitie not being there in stride. :-)

She followed directions well, stayed on task, and most importantly, really enjoyed herself.

Hoping not to lose it...

2010-09-17T08:02:00.003-05:00

... my sanity, that is. Usually, I'm a very sane person… but sometimes, I think I’m LOSING IT! I have a very full life. Jules is starting dance class and piano lessons. (she did great with piano lessons yesterday!) I’m in school part time, have a full time job, involved in my church and my softball league starts next week. Plus, my sister is about to have a baby and my mom must depend on others (often me) to drive her around until she’s seizure free for six months.

All that being said, I am literally losing it, sometimes. I have lost my wallet twice in the last ten days. Both times, it has been returned with everything in it. Blessed beyond measure. I couldn't be more fortunate. This last time, it was found in the trash can at work. The housekeeping staff noticed that it was there. I need to be more careful. I’ve been overscheduling myself and inadvertently booking two things on one night. (sorry friends!) I’m going to have to slow down or I really am going to go insane.

The other day, I left work early, went to class, drove home from Denton, stayed up later than normal to do homework for the following day's class… dozed off a bit and then woke up for a while. Couldn’t go back to sleep once I got back to bed. Needless to say I drank a lot of coffee the next morning.

I’m moving in with my sister (temporarily) this weekend. I'm waiting for my niece to arrive… and helping her in any way I can. Except for a couple of kids' birthday parties, school and softball, my schedule is clear (that doesn't really leave a lot of open spaces anyway!). I'm going to try to slow down for a while. I’m going to take time to calm it down and be in the now.

I'm so glad it's Friday.

Football!

2010-09-13T13:52:00.002-05:00

When Jules and I watched the Texas game last week, I attempted to explain the gist of the game to her.

Last night, Jules was at Jeff's house for the opening Cowboy's game. I got this text: "You can run with the ball, or you can throw it, or you can kick it. If you get to the end, then you get points." This is your daughter.

Heck yes, that's my daughter!

Smartest kid ever.

Labor Day Weekend

2010-09-09T09:18:00.003-05:00

Jules and I took a little road trip to Houston to see the Texas vs. Rice football game. She was great and we had a lot of fun. She wanted her "Baby Bevo" stuffed animal to go see his Daddy. LOL. Had to explain to her that we don't get to go down and see the actual Longhorn. :-)

Summer

2010-08-26T12:18:00.003-05:00

Summer has been great! Since getting her cast off (and subsequently, taking the boot off), we've had fun. Jules got to go to the Circus with Jeff and Poppy. We've tried out several area pools and aquatic centers.

My family took a quick vacation to Turner Falls in Oklahoma. We had a blast...

Pictures to come. I need to get a new adapter for my memory card. :-)

Update...

2010-07-22T14:29:00.006-05:00

Long time coming! It's been a few weeks since I posted anything.

July 9th, Jules got her cast off. Yay! It was just getting to where it was itchy and bothering her. She stuck her hand in the top part by her thigh often to give some relief. I had to get on to her for trying to stick a pen in there. Poor girl. But we're glad it's done!

Daddy took her to get the cast removed.

She only has to wear the boot for two weeks... and can take it off for swimming and bath time. Yay! Tomorrow is the last day of the boot.:-)

We've had more and more time without the boot, trying to get her used to not wearing it. We make sure she wears it while she's at "school" because they're watching so many kids at once, we don't want her to turn her ankle wrong again.

We went swimming twice the day after the cast was off. :-)

She's had a rough cough for about the last month, we've gone to the pediatrician and he's fiddled with the medications. (Jules will even tell you "I have allergies." So sweet.) This week, he decided that, because of her snoring and the cough, and the repeated ear infections earlier this year, we should get her a chest and sinus x-ray. He says "since she has such a big head", that there could be hidden sinus areas that are carrying microbes. Poor girl and her big head. :-) She comes by it honestly though!

She was great at the x-ray place again. The same guy that did her ankle x-ray did the chest and sinus x-rays today.

Trips and Family

2010-06-25T14:53:00.004-05:00

I went on a mini-mission trip with the junior high and high school kids from our church last week. While I was gone, Jules had a blast with her daddy. They went to Austin to visit friends, Houston to visit "Crazy Mike" (who Jules loves to do an impression of - cracks ME UP!) and back to town. They've gotten to spend a lot of time with Uncle Ben while things get back to normal (or whatever normal is) at Jeff's house. Jules has loved it and all of the attention.

While rolling around the forty acres with her daddy pushing her stroller, Jules told him "When I grow up and go to hookemhorns school, and I'm big, and you and mommy are little, I'll carry you."
Cracks me up!

Fractured Ankle

2010-06-11T15:44:00.003-05:00

It's called a toddler's fracture. Google it.
She tripped over a toy on Wednesday and couldn't walk anymore. X-rays...

Visit to an orthopedic specialist today yielded a long leg cast.
Luckily, toddlers heal quickly, so it will be off in 4 weeks.

From Daddy

2010-05-14T21:33:00.002-05:00

She bought this ice cream entirely solo - I sent her with the card to the counter while I stood back and watched her order and pay for it. She gave a polite "thank you" at the end of the transaction, lol, and was super tickled about it.

Daddy Days

2010-05-07T21:30:00.008-05:00

Some great pictures from Daddy:

You can check out the photographer's blog here.

Zoo Run

2010-04-19T08:22:00.006-05:00

While I ran, Jules, Grammy and Aunt Mereny completed the 1 mile fun run/walk at the Zoo Run on Saturday. Jules actually got out of the stroller this time. It was through the zoo.... so they got to see the animals as they were waking up. And she actually walked across the finish line this time! :-) I think this second week, she understood better what the whole thing was about. That's my girl! I would have loved to have had a picture of her crossing the finish line, but I had no idea where their finish line was... plus I left my camera's memory card in the computer.

Funny thing... Friday night I was showing her the t-shirt that we got. She said "Did the runners give it to me?" My reply - Yeah, well, Kind of... She says "That was nice of them." So Silly! A toddler's view of the world is so refreshing sometimes.

Afterward, my mom, Jules and I met my aunt and her grandson, Dan to go to the zoo. Maybe we should have put it off because of the rain, but we didn't. Oh well... we still had fun. Jules got her face painted. She loved it. And she's more capable than any three year old that I know of sitting still.

My cousin's seventeen year old daughter got word Saturday evening that she's been given a $10,000 scholarship for college. I am SO PROUD OF THAT KID!!!!! She has been through a lot in her young years and she has really made a lot of herself.

Opinionated

2010-04-16T12:14:00.001-05:00

(out of nowhere) "Daddy, I don't like that shirt that you're wearing."
"Aww, why do you say that?"
"Well, I like it a little bit. Just not a lot."
"What about it don't you like?"
"I said I like it a little bit. Just not a lot."
"Really? Why don't you like it a lot?"
"Cuz yeah."

One Sunday a couple of months ago she cried... like threw a fit and cried because I wanted to change outfits after I had already gotten dressed.

First run/walk and Spring

2010-04-11T22:59:00.011-05:00

I was going to say that Jules completed her first 5k... but really... she sat in the stroller while her aunt pushed her around for the 1 mile fun run. Mereny and Grammy did that with her and then enjoyed the kids activities with her while I ran the 5k. It was a fun, active morning.

When they crossed the finish line, they gave Jules a ribbon for completing the race. She may not have actually gotten out and walked, but I figure exposing her to healthy, active stuff like this can't hurt.

She LOVES the t-shirt that she got (even though it's like 3 sizes too big). It has a little running duck on it because the race is held at the Duck Pond in Trinity Park. She calls it her duck shirt.

Jeff and Jules went out to his aunt's house in Benbrook today. Jules got to ride a pony, which she always loves.

Easter 2010

2010-04-04T20:41:00.009-05:00

Friday was a big evening. We went to the mall to see the Easter Bunny and did a little shopping. Then, we went home to decorate Easter Eggs. An e-mail that went around the last couple of weeks inspired me to make fun pictures on them before we dropped them in the dye. This was Jules' first experience with egg dye, and she had a lot of fun with it. Easter snuck up on me this year and I was SO not prepared... but somehow (the help from a benevolent cousin in combination with Jeff), it all went wonderfully.

We had a big lunch on Saturday to celebrate Easter with family and friends. Of course, there was an Egg Hunt.

and some tee-ball. :-)

Saturday evening, we went to Disney on Ice. The smile says it all.

She got a haul of little "babies" from the Easter Bunny. Barely noticed the Purplelicious book that she's been dying for... but we'll get to it.

Pay no attention to the Sleepy Grammy in the background. :-)
Easter is one of my favorite religious holidays. If there's a sunrise service, I will do my best to get there. So, we were out the door at 6am to head out to church. I'm so glad we didn't miss it. They released doves at the end of the service and it was wonderful. There was even a bunny there, eating the leaves of the bushes at the church. Jules was a great sport, using the opportunity to cuddle with Mommy under a blanket.

Side Note: The kids at church sang at the beginning of the service this morning (the 10:30 service). Jeff sent me another text with her version of the lyrics... "Rise and shine... keep God growing, growing"
:-D

Birthday Fun

2010-03-31T07:55:00.010-05:00

On her actual birthday, we had a fun Mommy/Daughter day with some shopping, some playing, (unfortunately a trip to the doctor and antibiotics for an ear infection) and eating where Jules wanted to eat. She spent a couple of hours with Daddy in the late afternoon and then we all met up for dinner. Grandparents, parents and Aunt Meredith all made it for the dinner. Jules got to wear one of her princess dresses that Santa brought her for her birthday dinner. She's been dying to wear one of these outside of the house. :-D

Her Birthday Party was held on Saturday. She loved the bounce house birthday party! I think we all had fun!

Sunday morning, after all of the festivities, Jules wandered out of her bedroom and the first thing she said to me was "Mommy, thank you for all my presents." with a sweet little smile. :-D Maybe we're doing something right.
I reminded her that lots of her friends and family gave her these presents.

Being Three

2010-03-22T15:37:00.003-05:00

I got a text message from Jeff yesterday afternoon that said this:

She is singing a song from church today, "this is the day, this is the day that the George has made..."

I laughed until I cried.

I will attempt to update about her lovely birthday weekend soon. I must find my camera. :-)

Teeny Tiny Baby

2010-03-16T08:35:00.002-05:00

This is how Jules explains newborn babies. She has a new cousin. Jeff's sister Jennifer had her baby this morning. Welcome to Jules' new cousin Claire!

Their birthdays are only three days apart.

Preparation

2010-03-12T08:25:00.004-06:00

Our good friends have a new house with a pool, and they asked if we wanted to take swim lessons with them. We're ready to lounge around at their house all summer!
Now, we have to get ready to be safe around the pool. :-)

So, we're getting ready for summer!

These two girls think they already know what they're doing and they show it by how brave they are!

Birthday Pictures

2010-03-10T08:27:00.000-06:00

I took Jules to get some pictures taken for her third birthday. She did really well.

Spring...

2010-03-06T21:07:00.003-06:00

Well, it looks like the weather is starting to get nicer. We're looking forward to some sunshine. Friday evening we went to the park on the way home. Nice day. Jules is getting brave. I followed her up to the highest slide!

Today, we went to the remodeled/renovated Museum of Natural Science and History. Jules has been several times with her Daddy... but this is the first time I've been. It was great. A couple of hours of hands on entertainment! Our friends have a membership so we didn't even have to pay. Also, Aunt Meredith's sister-in-law and nephew were in from San Antonio so we all had a fun time.

This is Catie, Caden and Jules in the dinosaur foot print.

And in the courtyard, Jules enjoyed building a building. This wheel barrow was just her size.

Sweetness

2010-02-25T08:51:00.001-06:00

It just makes your day. I went in to wake Jules up to get ready this morning. She starting singing, half asleep, "Jesus Loves Me"...

Such a sweet girl.

Snow Day!

2010-02-12T13:27:00.004-06:00

We've had a real winter this year! White Christmas and a good day of snow in February! Here are some pictures from our fun.

She's getting pretty accurate at throwing snow balls!

The Horses

2010-01-19T10:33:00.003-06:00

Jules loves animals. She and Jeff went to the Stockyards on Saturday and she got up close and personal with a few. I think she fancies herself a COWGIRL.

The Christmas Season

2010-01-05T08:01:00.003-06:00

We had a wonderful Christmas.
Baking, decorating, buying presents... we tried to fit it all in. :-)
Christmas Eve, we had a lovely snow which made travel difficult.

Jules left cookies and milk out for Santa... and had a great marathon of gift opening all day (and really for like 2 weeks). I'll post pictures soon.

Holiday Baking

2009-12-16T20:59:00.003-06:00

We did some baking to give for presents. Jules and I made sugar cookies tonight. It was lots of fun. Jules is the Queen of Sprinkles! She really enjoyed decorating. Next time, I'll add other candies to help decorate. Red hots and sprinkles don't lend a lot toward creativity.

I hope Jules doesn't plan to eat all these cookies... cuz I have plans for them!

Comparison

2009-12-15T13:29:00.004-06:00

3 years of smiley Santas.

Christmas Themed Weekend

2009-12-13T20:21:00.008-06:00

Friday night, Jules visited with Santa. She did really well. She's never cried with him, but she was a bit more nervous about him this time. That's why Cow joined her. After Santa, we had dinner with the family. Aunt Meredy and Uncle Buck are going to get a new house, so we got to learn about it! :-)

Saturday, we went to see The Princess and the Frog with friends. :-) Dark theater doesn't lend to good pictures, but we had pancakes during the movie and had a lot of fun! Afterward, Jules hung out with Kenyon and her mommy, Susan, and I did research for my Final Paper as well as completing a different final. :-D What a blessing!

We joined our church's Progressive dinner and had a lot of fun. Yummy food, good friends, and the last house had an indoor play area! NICE.

I am very lucky that Jeff was otherwise occupied this weekend. Jules and I got to spend a lot of fun, quality time together.
Today, Jules went to church with Grammy and Gramps to make things more simple for me. Then, we went to my (Mom's) family Christmas party. Enjoyed spending time with the cousins.

Rough Week

2009-12-07T10:32:00.007-06:00

Last Sunday, (8 days ago) Jules starting feeling bad. Monday, I took her to the doctor, and it turns out she had strep. Fevers all week, ended up trying a couple of different antibiotics. By Friday, the third antibiotic finally worked and Saturday, she was feeling better. She has SUPER grandparents. Gramps watched her in the mornings and took a day off work to watch her. Grammy took an afternoon off and I took a couple of days. Jeff was able to help out Friday afternoon and took her to the second doctor visit.

She fought fevers so much that she ended up getting a couple of fever blisters on her top lip. Poor kid.

Saturday, we took a trip to the mall to help Aunt Meredy pick out an Angel from the Angel tree. We waved at Santa again. Sunday, she and Daddy went to Grapevine Mills Mall. She watched and laughed at the skateboarders in the skateboard park. Apparently, she loved it when they fell.

She got to ride the Carousel and got a really cute ballon animal/tree.

We're so relieved that she's feeling better!

Fun weekend... full of thanks

2009-11-28T19:45:00.006-06:00

I got off early on Wednesday, and we had a fun afternoon. Jules and Grammy made pink cupcakes again. :-) Yay! Pinkalicious.

Thursday, we had a fun morning, and Jules took an early nap before she headed off to Daddy's house. There, she met Daddy's girlfriend, who will be moving into their house in 2 weeks. Whew! I'm praying for the kiddo! Lots of changes ahead.

Jules came back home Thursday evening and watched a bit of the Longhorn game before konking out.

Friday, we put up the Christmas tree (Jules' favorite part is the lights) and then had some fun before nap time.

Pretty much right after nap, we headed downtown to see the Parade of Lights. We went with my cousins and their kids and had a lot of fun. I'm lucky that Jules is still around 30 pounds because she spent the majority of the hour on my shoulders. :-)

Saturday morning, we headed to the mall to pick out an Angel from the Salvation Army Christmas tree. Then, we had lunch with our friends Caitie and Kelly followed by shopping for our angel.

Jules helped me and Gramps put up Christmas lights after nap time.

Pictures!

2009-11-15T13:31:00.009-06:00

We had pictures taken. Over the last few years, I've tried to get pictures taken every 6 months or so. This is the first time we've gone to a studio to get them taken. Portrait Innovations was great. Here's a taste.

Camping

2009-11-09T08:26:00.007-06:00

We had a fun weekend. We went camping with Aunt Mereny and Uncle Buck. They are awesome to camp with... Buck loves camping, so he pretty much does everything.

It was dark when we got there Friday night, so we didn't even know our tent was on the water until the morning.

Buck's cousin and his family were there as well... and Jules and Miss P had some fun together.

Bubbles and the park...

Jules is very lucky to have such a great aunt and uncle!
After the park, we took showers... then Jules and I headed home.
We had a fun Saturday evening at the mall with a friend of mine. Then Jules and I crashed early. We were exhausted!

Learning Fast

2009-11-05T13:18:00.003-06:00

I don't know when kids generally learn to do these things, but Jules has started dressing herself. She can take off and put on her pants, take off and put on her socks, take off her shirt, and she's getting there on putting it on... oh... and she put her shoes on by herself yesterday. She amazes me!

Daycare is having picture day today. I'm curious how it went. She picked out her dress and let me curl her hair (2nd time ever). Her hair is getting so long. I might actually consent to a trim after the holidays.

This is the dress she picked out for pictures.

Halloween 2009

2009-11-01T18:59:00.004-06:00

We went to our church's afternoon trunk or treat festival and then went Trick Or Treating in our familiar neighborhood. She raked it in and enjoyed every minute.

Then she enjoyed handing out candy until bed time.

October Pictures

2009-10-31T20:55:00.015-05:00

Hangin' with Kenyon

Grammy's church's fall festival

Pumpkin Patch with Kenyon

Making Pinkalicious Cupcakes with Grammy!

Pics from the fair.

Halloween Pictures will come tomorrow. We did have a blast.
These are just pictures that I've missed uploading over the month.
In looking at them, I realized that I've worn very similar outfits every Saturday for about 2 months... just different Longhorn shirts! LOL

This is it

2009-10-23T08:38:00.004-05:00

the first halloween costume that she got to choose for herself.

The princess was also able to find a tiara that's on a headband. And she has the perfect shoes for this already at home.

I'll be taking it up a bit so it fits better, but the great thing about that is that she'll be able to play dress up in it for a long time.

I have to say that Kid2Kid ROCKS.

What will she be for Halloween?

2009-10-22T09:19:00.002-05:00

Last year, as well as the year before, I purchased Jules' halloween costume the day after halloween for the following year. Half off is awesome, right?

Last night while I was talking to her about Halloween and brought out the costume to gauge her interest level, she hid the costume... twice.

So, apparently, Jules is not so into Elmo anymore. Daddy wants to get her something that she likes, so I told him to go for it.

Grammy finally bribed her with candy to get her to try it on. So, here's my cutie... but apparently this 3t Elmo costume is up for grabs if anybody needs a costume!

Some pictures from the past two weeks

2009-10-16T16:03:00.008-05:00

Went to the fair and won a puppy at the midway!

Relaxed!

Had a Pinkalicious Evening! Made Pink Cupcakes with Grammy.

When Daddy got back to town, he took her to Chuck E. Cheese, as requested.

We celebrated Grammy's birthday this past weekend.

Found the umbrella she wanted and it made her smile!

2 weeks!

2009-10-12T09:11:00.002-05:00

I promise to update with pictures sometime this week... but we've had a great couple of weeks. We went to the state fair. Spent some good time with our friends. :-D

I got to go to Kansas City for a few days that was wonderful renewal and motivation.

Apparently I didn't need it that badly.

2009-09-24T10:42:00.001-05:00

I am a mess.
This morning, I got coffee when I stopped for gas... so I paid for it all inside.
Then, I got in the car and drove off without pumping the gas!

About 10am, I realized that I had forgotten to get the gas! I just called the gas station and they said - "yeah, $25, right?" Now they know me! So I'm going to go back and get my gas after work.

Birthdays and Friends

2009-09-20T20:11:00.012-05:00

We had another big weekend.

Birthday party for our friend who turned 3! Caitie had a Cowgirl birthday party and Jules LOVED riding the pony.

Jules and Caitie (the birthday girl)

When we got home Saturday afternoon, our friend Kenyon came to play for a while so that her Mom and Dad could shop for a new house.

We did a little bit of everything, and probably had a little more sugar than Kenyon is used to.

Jules trying to push Kenyon on the swing.

Starting a new book club?

After Kenyon went with her Mom and Dad, Jules and I headed to Aunt Mereny's house to watch the football game. Jules crashed around halftime (and apparently had a good hard sleep considering she woke up in a great mood this morning). We had fun over there.

Today, our church had an open house and Jules had her first taste of "big kids" Sunday School. After church, there was a big barbecue and bounce houses. Daddy took her home for a nap right after eating.

Then, Daddy had a big play date with lots of kids for Jules' "Unbirthday".
It was every kids' unbirthday... so everybody got a cupcake with a candle to blow out and a goodie bag.

Big Weekend

2009-09-15T07:00:00.004-05:00

My aunt, through one of her classes, found out about a community theater in Hurst that has adult as well as children's productions. Jules loves the Aristocats movie, and this weekend was the last weekend that it was running, so we had to check it out.
It was so fun! And Jules recognized the music in it, of course.

Waiting for the show to start.

It's hard to see (pic from cell phone), but it's a pretty cool little theater. It was kind of crowded because this is a WONDERFUL thing to do on a very rainy weekend.

Sunday, Jules and Daddy went to see the Dinosaur movie at the Omni. Here's one she saw outside as well. She says "Dinosaurs are stinky!"

Labor Day Weekend

2009-09-08T09:24:00.006-05:00

Jules and I had a nice long weekend together. We had lots of fun with a paint with water book that Grammy bought her, playing with play-do, magnetic paper dolls, building castles, and making food. She went with me to a baby shower on Sunday afternoon as well... she slept through most of it. ;-D

Here are some of our random pics.

pink ice cream!

She has this little tape player that has a microphone. She just figured out how to make the microphone work and we sang together on it ... she said "like at church!"
Too true.

Cravings!

2009-09-04T09:28:00.005-05:00

Jules woke up yesterday morning begging for macaroni cheese. She definitely knows what she wants! I did talk her into yogurt for breakfast instead.

I told her that I'd let Daddy know she wanted macaroni & cheese for dinner, but other things got in the way and I forgot. Apparently, during her bathtime tonight, she remembered and insisted on a bowl before she went to bed.

It's probably fine that she was up a little late. She got to spend more time with him before his long weekend.

Busy Busy!

2009-09-01T09:32:00.004-05:00

The girl loves some Mexican food!

I've started school. Going for my masters... end goal to be a School Librarian. I LOVE BOOKS! Jules is having a blast... playing around. Daddy got her Barbie Jeep working. Luckily, he has a big backyard, so there's plenty of room. It was a gift from a neighbor.

Sweet Girl

2009-08-27T14:36:00.004-05:00

This Morning

Well school has gone well this week. It has been and will continue to be an adjustment... until all the change becomes the routine. We've definitely changed things up on her.

She loves the art and thought the "Music Guy" was funny. Her teacher, Ms. Burke, is "nice". (although I know that she's pretty strict and does a great job of keeping the 2 year olds in line)

I think the mornings are the worst for Jules. She's not used to being asked to be interactive or a self starter in the morning. She usually cuddles and eases into her day. So it's kind of hard for her to get moving (let us fix her hair and get dressed before leaving the house). I can tell that she's starting to understand the routine more over this week, though.

Here are a few pictures of her from right after school on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Loving on Missy (the dog).

playing play-do with Mommy

First Day of School...

2009-08-24T09:30:00.000-05:00

Today is the first day of school... for a lot of people.

Today was Jules' first day at day care... aka... preschool or school.

Drop off was fabulous. I was a wreck for the 3 days previously, although apparently I did an okay job of not showing her. She heard kids, and wanted to go meet them. No problems when Mom left.

I'm hoping the rest of her day goes just as well.

I know that she will blossom and thrive with the structured schedule and curriculum that they offer.

Growing Up

2009-08-07T09:30:00.003-05:00

Here's a picture of Jules with her Uncle Cory... They loved each other. It's so sad that he won't get to see her grow up.

Jules is learning a bit about chores. She helps Gramps feed the dog. Gives the dog her treat after she comes inside (Missy -the dog- minds Jules better than she minds Gramps.) Last weekend, she helped Grammy do the dishes... and lately, she's claimed the job of setting the table.

This morning, we were driving to the babysitter's house. My sports talk radio station was on and I actually throught I might get away with it... for a minute or two. But then Jules insisted on MUSIC! So I turned on the mix station . Nice try Mom! She wanted HER music! So... she's happy for a second... then she says "Sing! Mommy!" Ummm... okay. So we sing "If You're Happy & You Know it" and other silly songs all the way to the babysitter's house.

We have definitely progressed from the same song over and over again. It's not so bad if you only have to hear each song once!

Kids

2009-07-30T13:35:00.000-05:00

Children are a precious gift.
Don't be afraid to bring your children up in the foundation of your beliefs. Help your children to know that they are loved and that no matter what, you will still love them and be there for them.

Jesus loves me, this I know. For the Bible tells me so.
Little ones to Him belong, they are week but He is Strong.

Weekend in San Antonio

2009-07-27T10:13:00.000-05:00

We went to San Antonio for Meredith's southern reception.

Brian's sister hosted this party and it was a lot of fun. It is super hot in San Antonio right now. They haven't received the benefit of the rain we've gotten in the last couple of weeks. So, first thing we did when we got down there was swim in the hotel pool. It was a good reward for 5 hours of driving.

Jules only napped in the car on Saturday, so it took her a while to warm up to her new friends (Brian's nephews) in San Antonio. But she caught on quickly.

She's a veteran on the wagon...

She was a dancing fool after the dj's got going.

Much better dancing pictures on my camera... as well as a funny video. So stay tuned for that!

Sunday, we stopped in Georgetown because Gramps had an urge to go on a tour of the Innerspace Caverns. Jules' favorite part was the little tram (read: train) that you take down into the cave. She wouldn't walk inside, so my arms are a little sore from carrying her. Gramps and Grammy took turns as well, but I didn't want them to have to walk with her too much. I felt bad for Jules, because we were delaying her nap a bit by taking this tour. Otherwise, I probably would have made her walk (at least some).

See the little stuffed animal she has? Dad's cousin (who lives near San Antonio) came to the reception Saturday night and brought Jules a stuffed cow... which of course is named "Cow". My daughter is so logical! Jules loves it.

We went for a Dairy Queen treat (and lunch) in Georgetown before getting back on the road to home.

I have some better pictures on my camera, but will have to download (upload?) them later. These are all from my phone.

Toy Story

2009-07-22T09:37:00.000-05:00

So Jules is on a Toy Story kick. The song that's stuck in my head right now totally fits...

Strange Things Are Happening to Me...
Can you hear it?

When things changed at our houses, I swore off crafts... gave away a lot of fabric, sold my sewing maching. Not sure what was going through my mind. I just KNEW I wasn't going to be doing stuff like that again.

Well, apparently I was wrong. ... DUH!

Babies are popping up everywhere. Surprising, right? No. But I've been asked to make a sling... so I figured I'd give it a shot. Last time I made one, it was pretty simple. Well, there's an urge there. Thinking I could make quite a few of them and sell them on esty or something. We'll see how the gift making ones go and how I feel after that. I could probably make a $10 profit or so on each one if I keep my costs down.

I LOVED my sling when Jules was an infant. It was something like this.

She was secure, felt good next to me... and I had two hands to DO THINGS!
So am I crazy or anything?
Strange Things...

Party Time

2009-07-19T06:35:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, Aunt Mereny and Uncle Buck had a reception to celebrate their wedding.
We had a lot of fun. Jules cleans up real well. :-D

I keep forgetting to get ahold of my camera, so we have to deal with the stinky camera phone.
We have another party to celebrate the wedding next weekend, so maybe I'll remember the camera for that one... Hopefully other people will send me copies of their pictures.

Congratulations Aunt Mereny and Uncle Buck!

2009-07-08T17:44:00.001-05:00

Their wedding was July 4th on the beach!

Austin

2009-07-08T08:28:00.000-05:00

Jules and Jeff went down to Austin to visit Uncle Ben and other friends this week.

She's gotten lots of swimming in as well as quality time with Uncle Ben, of course.

Day at the Zoo

2009-07-04T06:53:00.001-05:00

(OFF TOPIC) My sister is getting married today in Mexico. I can't wait to see their pictures and celebrate with them! Congratulations Mereny and Uncle Buck!

Jules, Grammy and I went to the Zoo Friday since we had the day off for the Independance Day Holiday. We were supposed to meet friends there, but the friends got caught up and got there a couple hours later than us.

We had a lot of fun and saw lots of animals. Jules says she wants to go again!

We perused the gift shop as we left. Grammy introduced Barney to Jules (in an attempt to encourage her love of numbers, she bought her a counting Barney DVD) a couple of weeks ago. Well, did you know that the Barney "Let's Go to the Zoo" was filmed at the Fort Worth Zoo in 2003? We just couldn't pass it up and purchased it today.

Smartie Pants

2009-07-01T09:05:00.000-05:00

Friday evening when Jules got home from the sitters, she kept saying over and over again "We not say stupid."
During bath time, I finally asked her - Jules, who said Stupid? Of course, she said it was Jett. (the babysitter's son who is almost 4)

Monday evening, we were playing blocks in the den and Gramps was telling me about some frustrations of his. "these stupid people don't know... blah, blah" and Jules interrupts with "We not say stupid."

LOL
Gramps promptly apologized and changed his adjective to ignorant. :-D

Update

2009-06-29T10:41:00.000-05:00

In pictures!
Things have settled down and we're getting into a new routine. We've had quite a bit of fun the last couple of months.
baseball game

Her new best friend and sidekick: Introducing: Teddy Bear!

new (been in the garage for a year and a half) swing, courtesy of Gramps!

swimming
She's gotten very brave.

We had a rousing game of tee-ball the other night. It was quite hilarious and if the ball had been heavy in anyway, I'd have a bump on my head. Fun.

If you haven't heard in other ways, Jeff and I have separated. We're both adjusting well. Jules is going with the flow. We keep looking for signs of anxiety or problems adjusting... but she's doing great. Counting to 15 now and knows what a lot of the numbers look like. She loves singing and often regails us with Twinkle Twinkle Little Star over and over and over and... ;-D

Favorite songs to sing lately:
ABC's
Twinkle Star (her title)
E-I-E-I-O
Ring Around (the Rosie)
Cookie Jar (the chant of who ate the cookies from the cookie jar)
B-I-N-G-O
etc, etc.

Oh and recently found loves:
The Little Mermaid (yes, I'm a Disney Mom and proud of it)
Cinderella
The Lion King (just this weekend - she LOVES the beginning)
Barney (thanks a LOT Grammy!)

Sorry so long... just some catching up!

Life

2009-04-26T06:45:00.000-05:00

Things are changing in our lives. Please bare with me if I don't clue you in right away or update as often as I have.
Thanks!

Riding the Choo Train

2009-04-19T06:53:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, Mom, Meredith, Jules and I went to the Main Street Arts Festival. We decided to avoid traffic and parking issues by taking the TRE train into downtown. This was the best part for Jules. We got to ride the CHOO train!

Here it comes!

I didn't think to warn her about the noise... it was a little startling.

She loved looking at all the trees, creeks and rivers on the way there. I'm glad we were able to get a window seat.

In front of the train afterward...

Coloring (painting?) a tile in the kids section.

And sitting by herself on the train on the way back... She felt like such a big girl!

Easter...

2009-04-18T21:20:00.000-05:00

Easter weekend was fun. Saturday we went for a family party and Easter Egg hunt. They have some great bluebonnets out there in the country, but Jules acted like she didn't like the grass being above her toes... so I didn't get many pictures of her in them.

Sunday, we went to church and then home for a nap... then to Grammy's house for another egg hunt... at which Jules was the sole hunter. She had everybody at her beck and call. She made Meredy and Uncle Buck hold her basket. Quite amusing.

A couple of days after Easter, we were talking a walk / wagon ride in our neighborhood. One of our neighbors showed Jules how to splash in puddles. It was very cute! Right home to the bath afterward!

Oh... and I had to add an awesome picture from Jules' 2 Year Pictures.

Please contact me if you'd like the photographer's information. I'm not sure how she would have me give credit.

Nice Reminder

2009-04-16T08:09:00.000-05:00

I've shared my Upper Room daily devotional with you guys before. This was a nice encouragement for me to keep "trucking on" and improving myself.

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
-Colossians 3:15-17 (NRSV)

Today's Scripture

Jesus said, "You are like light for the whole world."
-Matthew 5:14 (TEV)

SOME years ago while studying abroad, I was sad and homesick. My studies were proving more challenging than I had expected. One morning I was especially downhearted, feeling sorry for myself, when I heard a sound, "Tap! Tap!" Looking out my window, I saw a young, blind woman. The tapping sound was produced by the stick she was using to make her way.

Despite her handicap, she determinedly made her way along. As I reflected on what I saw in this young woman, I was encouraged to continue with my studies and, in due course, completed them.

Christ calls us to put forth our best effort in any task. We never know who may be watching us - someone suffering from a debilitating disease, a colleague at work facing financial challenges, a young person discouraged because he can't find a job, a young couple trying to cope with a rocky marriage, a member of our own family in distress. All these as well as others may be looking for encouragement and inspiration that could come from our example. This is precisely why Jesus reminds us, "You are like light for the whole world."

April

2009-04-08T14:00:00.000-05:00

Weather is crazy in April! Last weekend, Saturday was beautiful... and Sunday was blustery, windy and chilly. :-$

Around Jules' 2nd birthday, we started teaching her to tell us that she was two... but we taught her the hand sign in the form of the longhorn. So she'll show you two that way... but then also say "Hook 'em!" ;-D

Saturday, Grammy and I took her to see the Northeast Mall Easter Bunny. She did great! Got a little nervous right before she sat on his lap, but he played peek-a-boo with her, and that made her laugh. Used the candy bribery a little this time, but the Easter Bunny doesn't give candy! Luckily, Grammy had a sucker in her purse. Good old Grammy!

Sunday, Jules and I went to Grammy's church (the church I grew up going to) and did the Palm Sunday thing there as well as the Easter Egg Hunt there. Grammy loves to show off her girl. Aunt Meredith and Uncle Buck came to watch the hunt as well. It was fun! Even in the blustery wind.

We had Jett and Phoenix over Sunday evening as well. Here's a little insight into the fun we had... It was a really good night as (what I have termed) "Three Musketeers Nights" go.

I didn't get a good picture of Jules that night... so I'm not sharing the one where she's crying... or the one where she doesn't have pants on. ;-D
Also... notice! No bad pictures of Daddy... ;-D

Jeff's Article

2009-04-06T18:00:00.000-05:00

Another Article in the FW Star Telegram... check it out.

http://www.star-telegram.com/245/story/1300364.html

Success

2009-03-29T21:15:00.000-05:00

We have had a wonderful week.

We started casually potty training Jules about 2 weeks ago. We had thought that we wouldn't plan anything that weekend... and just stay home and concentrate on it that weekend. Anybody who knows us knows that we just can not go a weekend without plans. So we casually started introducing panties and all that.

Last weekend, we started putting her in panties whenever we are home. Had a few accidents. Well... starting Wednesday, she stopped having accidents. Yesterday and today, except while she was sleeping, she wore panties (even at church) and we HAVE NOT HAD ONE ACCIDENT! I am such a blessed Mom. (especially since I put my mom through the ringer when she was trying to potty train me.) She'll be wearing panties at the babysitter's house this week.

Yesterday, we were home most of the day. So cloudy and chilly.
Today was a beautiful day... thank goodness because we got her 2 year old pictures taken. Can't wait to see them! I'm sure they're going to be cute.

For fun, I painted her toenails yesterday afternoon. She wanted the color off immediately... but I put off taking it off until this morning. Then, she wanted it back on this afternoon... and off immediately. I don't think she quite understands!

Oh... and my new job is going really well. I will be helping train a company for Trauma First Aid... who contract with the military. Wow. Heavy.

2 Year Old

2009-03-24T13:57:00.000-05:00

We went to the doctor yesterday for Jules' 2 year check-up and shots.
Unfortunately 1 was the flu shot. I would have said no to it if he hadn't kept calling it the HIB shot. :-( She did really well though. No reaction to the first one and just a little upset after the second one.

Stats (from memory)
33inches tall. (taller than I expected!)
26lbs, 4oz.
51 cm head circumference... still a big head

REALLY... is she ever going to cross the 27 pound threshold??? It seems like she's been between the 25-26.5 pound range for 18 months. Just a little exaggeration.

She's very interested in the potty lately. She runs around with and without panties frequently... It's going to be an adventure! We're very lucky that our babysitter is on board with helping. We're sending panties over there today. She's going to have her hands full with two 2year olds potty training! (Phoenix turns 2 in a few weeks.)

Jules birthday party was Saturday. We were blessed with a gorgeous day. We had it at a park... and luckily, the initial forecast of rain was changed to beauty!
Many of her (and our) friends and family attended... and it was so much fun.

Uncle Buck made balloon animals for the festivities. It's awesome to have him around!

The toddlers even pulled out a few of the toys after opening presents.

A friend of mine from high school made the cake. It was BEAUTIFUL! And apparently very tastey since there were only 2 pieces left when all was said and done.

Sunday, Jeff and many of the men in our church made breakfast. Jeff was in charge of omelettes. Yumm!

And the girls...

Happy 2nd Birthday Kiddo!

2009-03-19T08:40:00.001-05:00

She came back last night like a whip! She was large and in charge. Jeez... getting your own way for 48 hours can really be a beating for your parents. ;-D

This morning she got to have pancakes and then we were off to go see Aunt Meredy. She's going to have a fun day!

I miss my girl...

2009-03-18T16:15:00.000-05:00

She's only been gone about 34 hours. Mema's bringing her back sometime after I get home from work. I know she's had a blast, and I'm looking forward to spending the evening with her.

Spring Break

2009-03-16T10:23:00.000-05:00

This girl is in high demand! Aunt Meredith wants to spend a day of spring break with Jules... and then Mema (Jules great grandmother) called and asked if Jules could come up to the lake with the other granddaughters for part of the week. I get a little nervous about this...but those other two grand daughters love Jules... and Mema will take great care of her. So we're shipping her out!

It's going to cut my commute for most of the week. That will be a nice break for me.

Today, she's at Ashley's.. with Jett and Phoenix. Tuesday, she gets dropped off by Daddy at Aunt Carrie's house and gets to make the trip out to the lake. She'll come back Wednesday evening. Then, she gets to spend the day with Aunt Meredy on Thursday! Miss Popular.

We went to -yes another- birthday party on Saturday. Here are a couple of pictures.

It's beginning to look a lot like...

2009-03-15T23:14:00.000-05:00

sunshine! So glad that the weather forecast is looking great for Saturday's birthday party. The first time I looked at the 10 day forecast, it said raining. Whew! I believe that I am COMPLETELY blessed.

Thank you Lord!

Good News!

2009-03-12T21:17:00.000-05:00

I got a new job! Toward the end of the month, I will be an Adjunct Instructor for TCC. Basically, this means that I will be a Corporate Trainer/ Adult Education Instructor. The timing couldn't be better... even if I had been pretty impatient about it.

Catching Up

2009-03-04T08:29:00.000-06:00

Jeff and I had a wonderful Anniversary Celebration. It was nice to be able to show our appreciation for each other... away from the hubbub of all the people/creatures that we care for.

Jules got to spend the night with Grammy and Gramps Saturday night. She had a blast, but she definitely missed us. She was a bit clingy when we got to Grammy's house for lunch. At lunch, we celebrated Aunt Meredith's birthday. Here's a picture of Jules picking the sprinkles off of her cupcake. She's a strange one!

I'll have to take a full length shot of her in this outfit. Meredith bought it for her. It is SO 80'S! And super cute.

She's so fun. She sings (or tries to) with us on the ABC's, songs on the radio, the Wiggles, Mickey Mouse Club, etc., etc. She's all about dancing too. It was hilarious watching her and Jeff dancing the other night. We are lucky parents.

Her birthday is 2 weeks from tomorrow! I can't believe that she's almost 2.

Our Anniversary

2009-02-27T09:10:00.000-06:00

It's tomorrow. ;-D We've been through a lot in 5 years!
What doesn't kill us makes us stronger, right!?!!?

We're taking time out tomorrow evening to spend together and celebrate this achievement. And that's what it is... an achievement. Marriage isn't easy. Love is work... and we've grown a lot together... especially in the last 6 months.

Jeff got a great deal at a beautiful hotel near Grapevine. So, we're going to get out of our "real life" for a bit and just enjoy each other's company. I'm really looking forward to it!

Update

2009-02-23T21:15:00.000-06:00

I'll have a better Jules update later this week...
but I got the call that I've been waiting for and (although it takes the time because of the bureaucracy of a college) as long as nothing crazy comes up... I'll probably have some good news soon!

E-mail me if you want more details. I just don't feel comfortable with too much information in a public blog. :-D
amy kati at gmail dot com

It's a good thing...

2009-02-11T15:30:00.000-06:00

It's a good thing that we love our kids so much and that so many of the things they do... we think they're cute.
Of course, if it was somebody else's kid... I'd probably think not so nice things!

Sunday afternoon, I was sitting at the dining room table. Jules brought me this magnetic paperdoll that she was given for Christmas and asked me to open it. I told her that because we can't keep track of puzzle pieces, we weren't going to open that package at this time.

She immediately went to Daddy and asked him to open it! Wow. Now, he was standing about 5 feet away... so the great Daddy and good husband that he is... he backed me up. And then, in funny Jeff fashion, he told her to ask Mario. (the pug!!!!)

I had another example of my initial comment, but at the moment... I can't think of it. So, I'll add it when I think of it!

Oh... had a good interview yesterday. Hopefully, something comes of it. What's horrible is how the human mind and emotions work. I felt great yesterday. Today, I start to have doubts and wonder how things went from the perspective of the two interviewers. Am I going to get that phone call that I'm waiting for? Ugh... to be human.

The Girl is Growing Up

2009-02-05T21:10:00.000-06:00

I think she's getting ready for potty training. Her daddy and I have talked about it for a while and are trying to get her familiar with the potty.

The last couple of weeks, when we're home, she turns to tell me "I poop." I check her pants with nothing being there... then I'll smell it about 5 minutes later. Hmmm... she knows when it's coming.

Then tonight, while I was applying for some j.o.b.s online, she took off her pants... No big deal right... but she took her diaper off too... then came to get me to help her sit on the potty (which lasted about a second and a half). She's never taken her own diaper off before.

I know boys do that all the time, but girls are much easier. (IMO... at this point) ;-D

She also ate her own apple on her own for the first time tonight. She gave me a few bites, but she was definitely in charge of that apple.

Austin

2009-01-27T16:35:00.000-06:00

We had a great time in Austin last weekend. We left after rush hour Friday night, so although she had a hard time falling asleep, Jules slept about half of the ride.

Saturday morning, I took Jules on a run with me. Unfortunately, the temperatures dropped considerably... so Jules got a little miserable after she finished her pop tart. So... after about 20 minutes, we headed back to Uncle Ben's house. The three of us went to the Omelettry for breakfast. Mmmm... somewhere we hardly ever go to and really enjoy. And their canteloupe was tasty. They even gave Jules toys to play with.

Post nap, we headed to campus to get some swag.

Notice her trying to figure out the Hook 'Em fingers!

For dinner we went to the Salt Lick. It was on The Travel Channel a few weeks ago. Everybody should check it out... super tastey!!!!

Eva, Adrian, Jeff and I went dancing afterward. Thank you, Uncle Ben and Aunt Jamie for letting the kiddo spend the night!

Sunday morning, after a quick breakfast, we headed home. My parents provided a great lunch (which Jeff grilled).

Our babysitter called and offered to let Jules spend the night so that I could have a birthday date night and so that I wouldn't have to wake up early Monday. We are SO LUCKY!

Brrrr!

2009-01-14T20:35:00.000-06:00

Not so much today, but it's been rather chilly!

Last weekend, Jules and I went to a friend's birthday party. Jules had a blast with ski ball... but decided to be the "Ball Girl" after a few tries.

You'll notice, she actually let me put her hair in a silly ponytail. We were fixing it all day, but it basically lasted.

Jules and I had a girls night with Grammy Saturday night. We watched Mamma Mia and ate popcorn. Notice the after effects of Jules' ponytail. More like a mohawk.

I went to get Ralphie, our new dog, neutered today. Since we got him at the Humane Society, that's where we took him. I left work early to go pick him up and found out... he had previously been neutered! I was wondering where his dangles were. Unfortunately, they had already anesthetized him before they noticed. So he still can't eat until midnight tonight. Luckily, they didn't cut into him.

I've been jogging every day at work. Trying to improve each time. The guy on Biggest Loser last night got up to 7MPH at the end of his work out. Surely I can get up to 6MPH! Anyway, I'm working on it.

A Touch of Success...

2009-01-13T16:20:00.000-06:00

Cory registered for classes at TCC! Both boys will be enrolled in school this semester. They both have jobs... I actually hung out with both of them in the living room yesterday and we talked about "stuff". (This is rare... Jerry's just not very social.) It was a nice evening.

I pray for both of them that God leads them in the right direction for their lives and that they use this ability to go to school now to build success for themselves.

Jeff

2009-01-06T22:54:00.001-06:00

is going to have another article in the Dallas Morning News on Thursday. This one is about Emily.
He added a link in the comments.

First Article - StarTelegram

2009-01-05T08:51:00.000-06:00

the day after the introduction - who knew?!?!
http://www.star-telegram.com/242/story/1122741.html

I think anybody who grew up in the area can relate. And what a cute picture of him!

article

2009-01-04T20:51:00.000-06:00

Jeff's introduction as a writer in the Star-Telegram ran today. Check it out if you get a chance.
http://www.star-telegram.com/242/story/1120988.html

New Year's Week

2009-01-04T13:07:00.000-06:00

Our good friends Adrian and Eva came in for New Year's eve and New Years day.
We had a good time. Jules came and said hi to them and played with them for about an hour before she went to Grammy's house.
Rena came to join us and we all played Cranium to ring in the new year. Even though the girls answered a LOT more questions right, the boys had lucky dice rolls and ended up winning. Here are a few pics.

Our church's band, Professor D was on the Dallas Victory Plaza New Year's Eve celebration. I flipped out and kept yelling at everybody - Hey, There's John! Hey, There's Brent! Hey, There's Scott!. I was excited to tell them that I saw them this morning. It was very cool. But I'm sure I was quite irritating - especially on New Year's Eve.

For lunch (and black-eyed peas) on New Year's day, we all ventured over to my parents house. Jules helped Grammy make corn bread.

That evening, we all went to Joe T. Garcia's for dinner, and then we walked around downtown Fort Worth. They still had the huge Christmas tree up and Santa's platform... which Jules checked out very closely.

Friday night, Jules tripped over her blankie (Money is it's name) and we had a little CSI investigation to find out what happened.

Jules basically told us over and over again what happened. Jeff had been watching her come down the hall when it happened, so he sat down with her and they described to each other in English and Spanish, the details... just to get it straight. She told us about it again on Saturday morning. Must have made an impact!

Jeff made a really good turkey pot pie Saturday afternoon. Wasn't it pretty?!?

We went to church this morning, and Jules set a record by wearing her bow for about ten minutes! And then being willing to put it in again after taking it out. Wow!

Dull

2008-12-30T16:37:00.000-06:00

Life is dull since the holidays are over. I have a funny pic or two to share. Hopefully, I'll add those tonight.

I'm doing really well on eating better. I'm logging everything and have made great progress. Check out my boring fitness blog. I'm trying to think of something to spice it up... because it really is boring. Link on the right.

Christmas Eve and Christmas

2008-12-27T21:26:00.000-06:00

Christmas Eve is usually the party for Jeff's Mom's family.
Since Jeff is now the children's choir director at church, we had a commitment to be at church for the Christmas Eve service. We went to the Brown family party afterward.

Here's a picture of all the kids after the Silent Night song during the candlelight finish of the Christmas Eve Service. They were singing We Wish You a Merry Christmas.

We weren't at the Brown family party for long. Jules got to open her presents, we said hi to everybody and then we were off. Even at that, we didn't get home until 9:30pm. Jules was cranky and didn't want to read a book (Mommy was hoping for The Night Before Christmas.) or leave cookies out or anything. Santa's going to think we're scrooges!

We're going to have to figure out something that works for our family. The Brown Shindig is notoriously a late event. I'd like Jules to have some "home" Christmas Eve traditions... but we have 362 days to figure something out. No pressure.

Santa came:

He brought Jules the Care Bear, a computer game, a big magna doodle, and dominoes.

I think she got 4 baby dolls from various sources, not to mention 4 stuffed animals that are her size and even more smaller stuffed animals. The kid is not hurting for toys... and Santa knew that.

Jeff and I got each other new couches for Christmas, and we got great gifts from our parents and Ben. This Christmas was pretty much all about Jules.

Jules helped Uncle Ben stir the eggs for Christmas breakfast... and then she ate a TON of them.

The casseroles were a hit. (Although, I had very little to do with that. It's nice having a husband and brother in law who love to cook.) And thanks Mom for the addition of the wonderful potato soup!

The night ended with a hot game of trivial pursuit with all five (that's right - all five were at our house at once!) siblings duking it out!

Left to right - Jenn, Ben, Cory, Craig (Jenn's husband), Jerry and Jeff

Friday, we decided that since Emily passed away last week, Mario needed a playmate. I picked out this little buddy at the Humane Society. We've named him Ralphie, in honor of the goofy kid on The Christmas Story. He's very calm but still likes to play with Mario. He's a terrier mix with brindle coloring and a white belly as well as a few other white markings. He has big floppy ears and many times, one sticks up while the other flops... like this picture.

Christmas Eve Morning

2008-12-24T13:28:00.000-06:00

Jules and I slept in a little this morning (7:15!) and then went to have breakfast. We had pancakes and eggs at McD's. I know... but it's actually pretty good!

Then, we set off to see Santa Claus. She was a little nervous about it, but I talked it up and bribed her a bit. If you sit on Santa's lap, you get candy. While we were in line, she just kept saying "candy" and pointing at Santa. She did really well.

Compare to last year: She didn't even know about candy at that point.

She's 9 months old in this one.

We went to the mall play area around 9:30 and had the lay of the land. Here's Jules in her "big red car". She loves the Wiggles, so it's appropriate. She's leaning out because she thinks that will prevent me from getting her in the picture. Silly girl.

She's napping now. We'll go to church tonight and then to the Brown family Christmas party. The great thing is that we get to spend all day at home tomorrow. My parents and Jeff's parents will come over and his siblings will be in and out all day.

Holiday Weekend

2008-12-23T09:23:00.000-06:00

We had a great weekend. Somewhat laidback, and definitely fun. Holiday parties abound.

Friday - Jules spent the night with Jett and Phoenix. Jeff and I went to his work holiday party.

Saturday - Mommy got to sleep in while Jeff brought Jules home. :-D Thank you for that!!!! Then we went out to breakfast and did a little shopping - Jeff and I decided that our gift to each other would be a new couch and chair... so we were looking for that. We kind of lost track of time... so we were a little late to get to Aunt Meredy's house for our family Christmas.

We all raked it in. We exchanged names, but my parents did stockings for all of us. They do it up right! Jeff and Jules were exhausted after such a busy day, so we went home to nap... then more shopping and Jules ended up spending the night with Grammy and Gramps so we could try to finish up our shopping (Target is open late this time of year...)

Sunday - Jules wore her super cute "Claus" outfit to church... then we immediately drove out to Bowie, for the Young Family Christmas Party. It was awesome to see everybody. I think we all had fun. Nana came over to our house for dinner afterward, and then Jett and Phoenix came over so that their parents could have a date night. FULL HOUSE! Exhausting and fun... that's what the holidays are all about!

December 19th.

2008-12-19T23:22:00.001-06:00

Last December 19th, we went in for Jules 9 month check up to find out that she had an ear infection. This year, we went today because she has had diarrhea since yesterday. Just a virus, but we got all the proper instructions.

She actually weighs less than she did at her 18 month appt... but I guess that happens when you have a stomach virus. 24 pounds. And she did not want to let him touch her. But in the end, she decided that if she could look in his ear, he could look in hers... and so on.

I'm supposed to find Jules a new pediatrician, so if anybody knows of one with a good office staff in the mid-cities, North Fort Worth area, please let me know. This visit reminded me. Stupid doctor actually told me that I should put bows in Jules' hair. Think I don't TRY?!? She was only in a boys t-shirt because she has diarrhea and went through all of her own clothes at the babysitter's house!!!! I didn't feel the need to explain all that to the terd.

With Love

2008-12-19T08:50:00.000-06:00

We all gave her kisses and cuddles this morning, and she passed away at the vet after a couple of seizures on the way there. I can only imagine how horrible that was for him. Bless him for being the strong one and taking care of her.

I'm going to have to dig up a couple of pictures of Emily.

Added: One of my favorites... like daddy, like dog.