march comes in like a lion

This March came in like a lion, lots of roaring and unexpected challenges and one very special treat.

 

Houston

Two Saturdays ago Mary had a seizure/s and was rushed to the hospital for tests. David got the call and was at his parents house in less than five minutes, yet another reminder of how nice it is to be close to them for emergencies. Thankfully she was fine and did well in the hospital even with a roommate!

 

Last weekend, and a little before and a little after, Gil was in Miami for the derm convention and we had Mary for four days. I tend to get nervous around this time of year because it is a lot of responsibility to care for another human being, especially one with health problems.

 

I wonder sometimes what was God thinking? If I were to pick a person who would cope with a terminally ill MIL, I would choose someone tender, caring, selfless and easy going. Not going to fool myself into thinking I am any of those things. When David was struggling seeing his mom in the hospital I didn't know how to comfort him, I just made stupid jokes about Ceasar medication.

In general what was God thinking with me? He made me so different and so bad at all the stuff that makes someone a good person.

Arkansas

Thursday, March 7th 2013

My niece Brynn Leigh was born! I love saying her name, Brynn Leigh and calling her my niece. I love her lots.

Friday we flew to AR to meet her! Went straight to the hospital for the first snuggles. David went to his post with the boys. I swear they think he is their best friend. They love me, but the LUUURVE him, they cried when they found out Dp wasn't staying forever. (They asked him to buy a house in Arkansalt)  I got to take care of Leah and Brynn Leigh but Dp stayed on twin duty all weekend. But watching him play Transformers it didn't look like duty to me.

I brought the boys a scavenger hunt for the park expecting them to half pay attention. But Saturday we went to the park and they were really into it. Brody especially. Things we found I didn't think we would find: birds nest, butterfly, kite, someone riding a bike. Things we found that weren't on the list: duck, bridge, tree stump and fish.  Daddy Cool and David taught the boys to skip rocks. We wore those boys out, Brody asked to go home, he wanted to play on the play ground but he was tired and his feet hurt.

 

Houston

Monday we left mom and Mercer's and BL and flew home. Terrible feeling leaving the people you love. I had so much time with the twins when they were born, and I want BL to know me just the same.

When we got home I noticed the bathroom floor was soaked. My first thought was "David mopped!!" and then quickly realized no, husbands don't do house work. We had a burst pipe in the attic and water was dripping from the ceiling.

When have you ever heard someone say "I was at home and heard a dripping noise and it was a leaky pipe so we turned off the water and called a plumber before any damage was done." ? Never.

ALWAYS " We came home from a trip and the _____room was flooded." Always.

Thankfully

• Pipe was an easy, fairly inexpensive, fix.
• Husband mopped the bathroom floor!!

thanksgiving on mars

Mommy cooked and cooked and cooked. And I ate and ate and ate. The whole break I took an unhealthy amount of naps after eating unhealthy amounts of ham, it was GLORIOUS.

David and I went out Black Friday to look for lights but didn't find anything. I'm a little worried because I've had very bad xmas crafting luck and it is still November. I'm not going to lie, I already have a giant knot in my stomach because of Christmas planning, I wish it was still easy. However, Dp did get my outside lights up over the weekend (Wheels helped - she is such a sweetie). I don't know what it is this year but nothing looks right. Meh. I need an explosion of lights this year.

If you are a 5 year old boy you might ask Santa for a David for Christmas.

Those kids love, I mean loooooooove David. They want to play with him non-stop when we visit. It is kinda a fair fight, 2 of them against 1 giant.

I've been wondering if they are old enough now to file these holidays into long term memory. Will they remember how they liked to snuggle after nap?  Or that I would watch movies with them and watch them play Angry Birds (shockingly well)?

Games Hot with the childrens:

:: Wrestling is still hot (this is when I can play Rescue From Monster)

:: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle the board game (don't throw anything out, this go fish knock off is from circa 1989)

:: Space Invaders - does your Swing Set Space Ship frequently crash on Mars? The Moon? Or Planet Shundelcloon? Then you too can play space invaders!

Next Thanksgiving they will be Kindergartners! And will have a baby sister!  And maybe Grandaddy will have been called home.

Life keeps changing. 

I can't wait for next year to see the boys grow and play with Sweet Monkey, yet at the same time want everything to stay the same. Ecclesiastes 3 says there is a time for everything, but really it should say that everything happens at once. Somehow we are meant to be joyful in the midst of bills, mourning, stress, and frustrations. What a gift! To be able to put our sadness away for moments and enjoy life.

3:13 That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God.

spoke too soon

why did i post that last post?
LIFE chuckled and said oh? you are bored? muwahahahhaha

Dp got a job offer last week.
I'm sure everyone read about it on facebook before we even talked about it, can you hear the tension in that statement? (i don't think he will do that ever again) I'm such a pessimist, even with a new job I still see the uphill battle. It is 100% commission and he needs a licence (that he doesn't have) to get paid and we are still a one car family which is just so much fun.

He starts tomorrow and maybe then I will saying something sweet like "good job honey, all my cover letters really paid off!"

Leah, Miguel, B&DD came into town for their spring break.

They are giants, tall and lanky.

They are smart. Corrected me - "Cool dragon!" "That's not a dragon its a serpent." (reading box) "Oh... yeah I guess it is a serpent."

I'm in the middle of our quarter close, so I was working most nights I was there.

Wednesday we went to the rodeo. I haven't been since high school when I went with Christi to see Duran Duran and missed the Big Brother finale. That is what kind of friend Christi is, even when I tell her no you don't understand, this is the finale what if Will wins? after all that and she can convince me to go into a crowd and rely on my vhs recorder to document the finale... whew I have anxiety thinking about it. Ps Will won.
Anyway- we walked 400 miles

• in the parking lot to the shuttle
• from the shuttle around the dome to reliant stadium (it was my first time in the stadium, are you really shocked? I'm still talking about VHSs....)
• went the wrong way and walked ALL THE WAY AROUND the stadium
• found our section but there was a sleeping baby the end of our row, so we went back down, back up and were in the wrong section, back down, back up in the right section, climbed across 20 people and finally sat down.
• back to the shuttle
• back to the car
• to the bed

*did i mention i was wearing closed toed shoes?! that alone was torture.

By Thursday I had been home for sleeping only. I'm a home body so i missed my bed and my cats and my territory. But we weren't done yet.

FIL went out of town so we had Mary duty. So after work I would go home, change, feed the cats and come over to the in-laws to help dp take care of Mary. Thursday was my first meltdown. Friday night, Saturday subsequent meltdowns. Sunday dp intended to take her to church but I was physically a puddle of exhausted. So instead she came over to our house and I cleaned and did 900 loads of laundry, changed the sheets, organized....



 And now it is Monday. I take it back. I'd rather be bored....

this is my post for july

I must write this now or it will never get done. People came back from the holiday with work on their mind and ready to work us hard. So ready for the weekend.

We've had a lot of fun this week.

Wednesday
My mom found something. More on this later.

Thursday
Scentsy party at my house. I'm pretty glad I stopped stressing and decided to buy chicken nuggets. I was happy to have people in my home. Its a little unnerving. What will people think of the way I live? My looney paint choices, and toy mice scattered across the floor? But it was good! Or maybe that was just the sangria talking.

Friday
My mom is a hero, she made so many meals. Feeding the boys and David is a full time job. We grilled fajitas. The boys still call tortillas T-tas. It is still cute.




Saturday
Leah and I had a spa morning. On a whim I decided to wax my lip. Yes. I have noticed some hair where there wasn't hair before. So, instead of stressing over something as silly as a couple of hairs, that maybe no one else can see but they bother me, I waxed them.

That was my break. I worked on a major project till 11pm but I finished and that's what counts. Some weeks really are just terrible. I said I was quitting more than 20 times.

Sunday
We went to the ball game and Minute Maid's AC needs to work a little harder. It was not cool. But it was a good game and it was the boys very first ball game.



It also happened to be my anniversary. I still don't feel like it has been 6 years. It has. For his present, I got him a firepit. And we came home, had icecream and played with fire. I can do that because I'm an adult.



Monday
I took it easy Monday morning. We just laid around with the kitties, who missed me and our special snuggle time. So I had snugglies with the littles.

Big thing at my moms, grilling, happy hour, homemade icecream... yumo.

I know nothing can be the same. But I can't imagine my family not being how it was. There has to be a new normal. Yet, my heart longs for the old times.

Newness
A week ago my mom found a tiny kitten on the front porch. We all love her. She is just the smallest thing you have ever seen.

We were calling her JoJo... when we thought she was a he. But the vet confirmed her femaleness. JoJo weighs 15oz and is 6-8wks. She loves to suck on her toe. It's pretty high on the cute scale.

What is it about a 4 day weekend that feels so good?

littles

Its Thursday.
I don't know if I am happy about it or a little freaked out about how little time I have left in this week. Both.

What do I think about when I am not studying/reading/writing?
- The house is dirty
- Kitties

I'm obsessed with my kitties. Like why Rigby looks the way he does? I came across a kitty, Maru, on Cute Overload. One day it hit me! Rigby looks like Maru!! Maru is a Scottish Fold with unfolded ears. Look! A smashed face and big paws! Twins! (I'm sure everyone cares, pretend it is a comparison between human children)

Lent is coming...
Lent starts next week! That snuck up on me. But what I've decided to do is revisit a failed attempt at not complaining. About six months ago I tried and fizzled. The basic concept is do not complain, be sarcastic, or gossip.

The babies are BOYSThey turned 3 last week. Three. Tres. Trios. They are officially little boys. But I love them at this age. They know me and want to play with me, although I left dp do all the rough stuff cause 2 on 1 isn't fair.

We went to Abilene last weekend for their party. Lots of LEGO fun.
Don't you wish you had a twin to help you bust open a pinata? Don't you wish you had a giant for an uncle?

So that's all. Busy weekend ahead. Will emerge for food and sunshine if available. Now accepting candy and caffeine as fuel.

here is where we all blog about our Christmases

This Christmas was fully crazy and stress-filled and I could have used a week of prep time and two more days just to soak it up and enjoy. But at least it finally cooled off. Christmas Eve Eve we had the windows open. That's just silly.

Christmas Eve we did a thing at my parents.

Those boys. What a hoot.

And after the thing went to watch David's parents sing in their Christmas Eve service. I'm not saying church is a bad thing, I like church, but I don't like church in the middle of the night. Its it much too late, and I get grumpy when I am sleepy. It was also raining, and I get grumpy when the hem of my pants are wet. I was a tad grumpy throughout the whole thing.

After church, by this time it is early Christmas morning and Santa didn't come because we were still awake, we went home to ready the house for Christmas breakfast with David's parents. Thank goodness we stayed up to get everything ready because we over slept Christmas morning.

And when you get the call at 8am asking which is your house and your hair is sticking straight up, you still have your mouth guard in, sleepy crusties in your eyes and realise you have to make breakfast in 13 seconds... it feels a little like HOLY crap! So it went something like this:

Me: David! Brush your teeth! Ok- while I get the peaches and wassail going you mix up the waffel batter.

DP: Rodger

Me: David! take this trash out while I light the candles and try to fix the waffle batter.

DP: Rodger

It was a mad dash. I'm glad it wasn't a total disaster. Somehow we made "spiced" peaches, gingerbread waffles, eggs, sausage, rolls from 3 Brothers, wassail and coffee. And after breakfast I had written a little min-advent devo and after that his parents drove to DFW while we collapsed.

Christmas just didn't feel quite right this year. I'm not sure what it was. Nothing feels the same anymore, like everyone was aware that from now one everything is going to be different.

Sorry to keep you waiting... a study of the feline life. mmmmmm jealous!!

anayeee

The boys came to see me this weekend.

*Note the delusion in that thought, (a) the boys were brought, (b) they came to see Michael's family, MeeMaw, and MiMi (c) I don't care about said delusion, I bribed the wee ones with presents.

And not only presents but I play hide and seek, trick or treet, pretend to sleep (that's my favorite) AND they were on my croquet team! They love Anayeee - not a delusion!!

Brody

He loves to giggle, and organize- see those mallets LINED up?! Wow.

Dylan
A silly boy, he is a sweetheart! And he likes to frown in pictures. Don't you love that hair? MeeMaw
She made it out to meet our new cousin Jarrod. Congrats Elissa! She is getting married on Saturday.

pep-less

There is a woman in my office who is always in a good mood, if she had a ponytail it would swing back and forth that is how bouncy her walk is. She works hard and plays hard, the woman even works out on her lunch break. That annoys me.

I have no energy to move. I am so tired and definately have no pep in my step. That can sum up September- which was heavy laden with my health problems, family struggles, school, work, "fall cleaning" and a quick trip to Abilene. And last Saturday we met Logan, Jeni and Chris in Waco and went to the zoo.

The good parts...

Maybe I am just getting old and there will not be anymore days where you spring out of bed refreshed.

ps- in case you were wondering what should accompany stewed bush meat please refer to the Bush Meat Cookbook. Side dish-Plantains. "Plantains are like bananas with machismo."

le tired- it pours

The last several months have been an overload, the good, the bad, the hot, the heartbreaking, the joyful, the peaceful, the whirlwind, the sweet and cuddly, the cold and painful, blurry and sleepy.

I guess the summers filled with Family Feud, sleeping till 1, vacations to Grammy’s are long gone. Summer… gulp… is business as usual. Sadly. Am I a grown up? We have been so busy.

:: MeeMaw bought a new pair of pants this week. I love this. When my heart gets heavy at the thought of the future, she reminds me that life goes on.

:: I used to be able to say I am a fairly healthy person. These last few months have shaken me to realize that I might not be as healthy as I thought nor want to be. Sometimes you just have to accept the path you are on even if you never saw it coming. And yes, another MRI. I just can’t stay out of those things.
:: If you have been caged for many many years, when you are freed will you know to fly out the open door? I am getting ready to take my first flight out of darkness into the blinding light. And this will go down in history that sometimes you CAN win, sometimes they will tell you no, tell you it is impossible, but you can never stop fighting. Someone will hear you, someone will stand up for you, this time I did win the war.

“When nothing is sure, everything is possible.”
- Margaret Drabble

And now after an abstruse post...

A photo essay of the previous weeks.

we stopped by

I think we visited everyone we knew in the DFW area this weekend. I can not believe we crammed it all in.

The goal was to go up for my best friend Jeni's mom's wedding, see Logan before his 1 year b-day, Grandaddy's 80th birthday, meet our new twin cousins.


Friday
Spent the morning/afternoon at the dr's. (long story)
Left Houston at 330ish.
Got to Lewisville in time to meet people at the rehearsal dinner.
Jeni and I got froyo and David and Chris played video games... you can almost hear dp's happy gargle in the distance


Saturday
Woke up, went to the church, got the ladies dressed.
Had a wedding!
Left Lewisville at 330ish (a trend this weekend) to head toward Ft. Worth.
Played pear pickin' outside, wagon rides, slide all before dinner.
Grammy icecream! oh wow.
Talked with the cousins, and played with the boys.


Sunday
Woke up, played with the boys and went on the where is the red truck hunt.
David realised he left all his clothes in Lewisville.
930 we head back to Lewisville, pick up clothes, and watch Logan open his birthday present.
Onward to Dallas!
Met Elizabeth and Isabella, David's cousin's new twins.
Had lunch with Aunt Marilyn, Lisa, Lori, Voung and Miles the doggie.
330 left for Houston


Goals achieved!

Of course I didn't get pictures of the important stuff, like granddaddy blowing out the candles, or the wedding, or the new twins... But here is the good stuff!

1919...

Ninety years ago my sweet (and sassy) MeeMaw was born.

She wasn't born in a hospital.

The house she was born in didn't have electricity.

And she never had a birthday party! Ever!

Until her 90th birthday!

Saturday was MeeMaw's birthday, and she would have been happy to simply let it go unnoticed with a quiet family get together as we usually do. But seriously? Ninety? So my parents and aunts and uncle planned a little party for MeeMaw and her friends.

We all got up early Saturday and headed over to move furniture and work on "the flow." (word of the day) All the little ladies from her bible class came over about 11am. The family got together after the birthday party for a family lunch of fajitas... mmmmm.

It was such a happy day. But I found myself tearing up (I am doing it right now too). I missed my PawPaw, I wished he could be here, that David could have met him, that he could have seen the twins. So I tried to get off that line of thinking and then we started taking pictures, and seeing MeeMaw with the twins just touched me. I am so thankful for her, I am so thankful she is healthy and a firecracker. I would love for MeeMaw to be around another ninety years.

Ok. Happy thoughts. Happy thoughts.

Precious right?

** It was sunny this weekend!! ahhh! So the kitties took advantage....

And so did I. I am learning photography, on a film using camera. This is challenging to me, more than I thought I would. I want that instant gratification of seeing the shot right away. We went to the park and took some photographs.

My first assignment was bracketing- taking the same shot 3 or more different times to see which settings are right. I got some pretty good shots, some that I would like to get digitized.

I still have lots to learn, but I love doing it. This isn't something that comes natural to me, grumble. But the feel of the camera in my hands is nice, and I really like looking at the world a different way.

In someways that is what writing is to me, showing the world in a different point of view.

boring my bloggers...

So I have been toying with retiring my blog. I don't really have much to say anymore.

* I don't have kids. and the amount of pictures I post of my kitties is becoming unhealthy.

* No house. No virtual tours.

* No exciting job news. In fact I am more ashamed of my work than anything.

* No exciting weekend reviews. I am pooped on the weekends and poor. All of my friends are tired and poor. Although not in the poverty line this year! WooHOO!

What do I even have to say anymore. My life is boring.

But, we did make a quick trip up to Ft. Worth this weekend to see the boys. What do can I say to tell you how cute they are? I mean they are just precious.

Also, Grammy made her famous chocolate ice cream. It is seriously in my dreams. And this year she made it with a dark cocoa, holy moley, out of control good.

While we were up there I got to make a quick trip to Lewisville to see Jeni. She is 8 months pregnant!! Super cute. I also got to see their house for the very first time. It was so nice to see her again. I hadn't seen her since October. I am going up there next weekend for her baby shower and hopefully I will have some pictures. Can't wait for this ginger baby!

So, as I mentioned before, that is it. Cause that is my life.