Perhaps I am a little crazy for running, every day, in the 100+ degree heat.
But I just cannot argue with the results!
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Thursday, August 25, 2011
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Moved.
I haven't been much use to anyone, 'blog'-wise for the past 2 1/2 weeks. There is a legitimate reason for this. We have MOVED! yes, we have left the wilderness of Southeast Texas, to be official residents of the 4th largest city in the United States, Houston!
We decided a couple of months ago that, just because Rob is a pilot, he shouldn't have to include travel in EVERY aspect of work. (i.e. he was tired of commuting over an hour one way, just to get to the SMALL airport that he is currently working at)
We hunted around, and finally found a place in a relatively, nice area in the north Houston area, which also just HAPPENS to be a quick 10 minute drive from Houston's scenic, 'Bush Intercontinental Airport' which, is where Rob would prefer to be working. (fingers tightly crossed on that one)
I spent as much time as I could, cleaning, packing, and unpacking boxes. Over the past month my life has been full of ALOT of cardboard. It took me probably three times as long as it should have to get all my packing and unpacking done, because my, already clingy baby girl decided to double her efforts.
Her new, increased, output of whine, and 'givemeallyourattentionnow' meant that I typically, only had 5-10 minute intervals during which, I was allowed to attempt, to pack our worldly belongings, before she would decide she had spent enough time NOT dominating my attention.
Moving ended up becoming a project of epic proportions due, mostly to the fact that temperatures in our general vicinity have beenHell-like over 100 degrees, since the beginning of June. We got our truck, the biggest one u-haul had to offer, the night before and started loading some of the boxes, with the idea that it would reduce the amount of work we might have to do in the heat of the day.
It did not.
I failed to take into account the fact that my father-in-law, while incredible, is an engineer at heart, and despite the fact that he showed up at 7:15 the next morning, it still took us over 6 1/2 hours to get the truck loaded. The reason was that he and my husband would stand there, at the back of the truck engineering where everything should go; boxes in the very back, stacked to the top, then all the furniture so that when we unloaded at the new place, the furniture went in first and the boxes didn't take up all the space so there would not be room for the furniture etc. etc..... I will admit, this logically made sense. however, it took FOREVER to get it all in the truck! When we finally got everything in the truck and were literally, getting ready to close it up and leave, we realized something...we couldn't find the key to the u-haul. I asked Rob where he had set it and he told me it was with a few other things he had left on top of his dresser. The dresser had, naturally, been loaded carefully into the truck. The items on top had been packed into a small box by a well intentioned helper, early on. That box had been packed into the back of the truck before ALL the furniture had been carefully placed in their respective positions.
I wanted to cry...
I quickly pled with God to 'give us a break' and my husband channeled his favorite Marvel comic hero, and climbed "spider-like" over all the furniture to the very back of the (now oven-like) truck to start going through boxes to see if we could find the key without having to completely take everything out to find it. I couldn't believe it, the key was in the SECOND box we checked!
Once we made it to the new place, I found that my mother in law came through, and had scrambled last minute, to get some people to meet us at the new place and help us unload the truck. Fortunately, unloading was a good deal faster than loading.
Now we are here, and I must say, I LOVE being an official Houstonian for the second time in my life! We went from having to drive at least a half an hour to get to "town"(pronounced 'Tay-oww-n' for you non-southerners) Just to go to Wal-Mart! Now we live near EVERYTHING! I can drive five minutes in any direction and find, grocery stores, restaurants, post offices, and really whatever I need!
Also, I love the way the new house is set up!
We decided a couple of months ago that, just because Rob is a pilot, he shouldn't have to include travel in EVERY aspect of work. (i.e. he was tired of commuting over an hour one way, just to get to the SMALL airport that he is currently working at)
 |
| Aubrey decided that she would not be happy un-held |
I spent as much time as I could, cleaning, packing, and unpacking boxes. Over the past month my life has been full of ALOT of cardboard. It took me probably three times as long as it should have to get all my packing and unpacking done, because my, already clingy baby girl decided to double her efforts.
Her new, increased, output of whine, and 'givemeallyourattentionnow' meant that I typically, only had 5-10 minute intervals during which, I was allowed to attempt, to pack our worldly belongings, before she would decide she had spent enough time NOT dominating my attention.
Moving ended up becoming a project of epic proportions due, mostly to the fact that temperatures in our general vicinity have been
It did not.
I failed to take into account the fact that my father-in-law, while incredible, is an engineer at heart, and despite the fact that he showed up at 7:15 the next morning, it still took us over 6 1/2 hours to get the truck loaded. The reason was that he and my husband would stand there, at the back of the truck engineering where everything should go; boxes in the very back, stacked to the top, then all the furniture so that when we unloaded at the new place, the furniture went in first and the boxes didn't take up all the space so there would not be room for the furniture etc. etc..... I will admit, this logically made sense. however, it took FOREVER to get it all in the truck! When we finally got everything in the truck and were literally, getting ready to close it up and leave, we realized something...we couldn't find the key to the u-haul. I asked Rob where he had set it and he told me it was with a few other things he had left on top of his dresser. The dresser had, naturally, been loaded carefully into the truck. The items on top had been packed into a small box by a well intentioned helper, early on. That box had been packed into the back of the truck before ALL the furniture had been carefully placed in their respective positions.
I wanted to cry...
I quickly pled with God to 'give us a break' and my husband channeled his favorite Marvel comic hero, and climbed "spider-like" over all the furniture to the very back of the (now oven-like) truck to start going through boxes to see if we could find the key without having to completely take everything out to find it. I couldn't believe it, the key was in the SECOND box we checked!
Once we made it to the new place, I found that my mother in law came through, and had scrambled last minute, to get some people to meet us at the new place and help us unload the truck. Fortunately, unloading was a good deal faster than loading.
Now we are here, and I must say, I LOVE being an official Houstonian for the second time in my life! We went from having to drive at least a half an hour to get to "town"(pronounced 'Tay-oww-n' for you non-southerners) Just to go to Wal-Mart! Now we live near EVERYTHING! I can drive five minutes in any direction and find, grocery stores, restaurants, post offices, and really whatever I need!
Also, I love the way the new house is set up!
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| Munchkin zone-Aubrey's side |
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| Munchkin zone-Andy's side |
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| Living room-view from front door |
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| Living room-view from dining room |
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| Dining room- from living room |
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| Kitchen |
Monday, August 1, 2011
Come With Me, to a World of Pure Imagination!
Just a little while ago I got to experience something really special. Truly it warmed me to my very core and nearly brought me to tears as I watched:
I was feeling the need for a quick chocolate fix, so I went through all of my kitchen cabinets, freezer, and refrigerator, and came upon a container of dark chocolate frosting just sitting there, very innocently in my refrigerator (no it was not purchased with a cake in mind) I pulled it out and grabbed a spoon, determined to have just a spoonful or two to satiate my craving and put it back. As I was SLOWLY enjoying the first of my two spoonfuls ( a little salaciously, I might add, its a good thing no one else was there to see, it felt very naughty...) My baby daughter looked up at me with that look that said, "Momma, I want some!" How could I refuse such a request? From my only daughter no less! How could I refuse her? I couldn't, so I didn't. I scooped just a tiny bit on the end of the spoon and proceeded to give my daughter her first REAL taste of chocolate.
It was magical.
She opened her little mouth and closed it over the end of the spoon and, as her little tongue got its first wave of chocolate-y goodness, her eyes opened wide and she sucked it down, opened her mouth again and made the little "Aaaa" noise that I know translates into, "More of that, NOW!!" I gave her another small taste and watched my little girl, fall in love with chocolate.
Magical!
I smiled a little bit and looked into her big, blue, eyes and said, "Yes, its incredible isn't it? It's called chocolate, and it never gets old! It is always as amazing as it feels now. It never judges you. It never calls you fat. It will always be there for you when you need it. It will not be mad when you ignore it for a while, and it will always welcome you back with open arms when you are sad and need it. I personally have always loved chocolate, and I am so glad, my little girl, to share this moment with you!"
It was the first official "girl thing" that I have bonded with my daughter about,
I was feeling the need for a quick chocolate fix, so I went through all of my kitchen cabinets, freezer, and refrigerator, and came upon a container of dark chocolate frosting just sitting there, very innocently in my refrigerator (no it was not purchased with a cake in mind) I pulled it out and grabbed a spoon, determined to have just a spoonful or two to satiate my craving and put it back. As I was SLOWLY enjoying the first of my two spoonfuls ( a little salaciously, I might add, its a good thing no one else was there to see, it felt very naughty...) My baby daughter looked up at me with that look that said, "Momma, I want some!" How could I refuse such a request? From my only daughter no less! How could I refuse her? I couldn't, so I didn't. I scooped just a tiny bit on the end of the spoon and proceeded to give my daughter her first REAL taste of chocolate.
It was magical.
She opened her little mouth and closed it over the end of the spoon and, as her little tongue got its first wave of chocolate-y goodness, her eyes opened wide and she sucked it down, opened her mouth again and made the little "Aaaa" noise that I know translates into, "More of that, NOW!!" I gave her another small taste and watched my little girl, fall in love with chocolate.
Magical!
I smiled a little bit and looked into her big, blue, eyes and said, "Yes, its incredible isn't it? It's called chocolate, and it never gets old! It is always as amazing as it feels now. It never judges you. It never calls you fat. It will always be there for you when you need it. It will not be mad when you ignore it for a while, and it will always welcome you back with open arms when you are sad and need it. I personally have always loved chocolate, and I am so glad, my little girl, to share this moment with you!"
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| From Mommy |
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| To Aubrey |
It was the first official "girl thing" that I have bonded with my daughter about,
and it made me smile.
Yay, for mother/daughter bonding!
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