Reality Bites

I still haven't figured out how I will handle the inevitable year long vacation on which LT is going to be embarking via the blog. I probably won't mention it much even though it will be one of the biggest things going on with us or affecting our lives this year. Some of that will have to do with my own feelings of safety. Obviously I'm not super spooked by wacky things in cyberspace or I wouldn't blog at all or post pictures of my family. However, there's still an element of my own sanity that I can attempt to protect by all but ignoring this one fact of our lives on Wade's World.

I'm really only posting this today because we have an official date of departure and that seems to have made this whole thing very real in my mind and heart. Even him going back to work yesterday made vacation day seem that much closer. I'm not into counting down the days because that will just be a focus on the inevitable. There are all those things that I want to make sure we do or accomplish before he takes off on his adventure. There are birthdays to celebrate, pictures to take, tiny little legal details we must take care of, etc. The days to make that happen are fewer and fewer.

Pray for us. Honestly, I'm not really as strong on the inside as I like to pretend I am on the outside. This really is going to be a very difficult year. I'm not bitter, at least not today. I knew to expect this and I know that this is part of the life God has chosen for us. I'm perfectly content with that. It's the day to day realities of life that I'm anticipating will be the most difficult. As the days go by, I know I will have to trust that "All of my help cometh from the Lord."

Brrr Cold

While GG and Paw were here, we took them on a scenic trip to Ruidoso, NM. I'm not sure exactly how long it takes to get there from here, but it seemed like we were never going to get there. The boys were definitely not in the mood for a long car ride and I didn't bring the DVD player along because I didn't think the cord would reach the very back seat. That my have been my fatal mistake for the day.

Before we left LT had checked the weather so we knew it was going to be much colder there than it was here. Unfortunately, it didn't register with me just how much colder it would be. LT had grabbed a bag of gloves and ear muffs and I kind of laughed at him, but after we got out of the car, I was sure glad he did!

We did a little tour through the main drag of Ruidoso and stopped at the Schlotzky's/TCBY combo (the only place we've ever eaten in Ruidoso) for ice cream. I needed some comfort food after the traumatic car ride with the non compliant children in the very back seat! Afterward we decided to take a little stroll just to prolong the short span of peace and quiet we were enjoying before strapping the boys back into their seats.

We didn't last long on our stroll since it was freezing cold, but we did manage to get a couple of pictures of the boys all bundles in their hats and gloves.

Mavvy was paralyzed by the cold! His little nose was red as could be by the time we got into the car to thaw out.

Bailey was all about rolling over the ice and through the puddles. He was fascinated by the snow. Since Mavvy was wearing gloves, Bailey decided he needed some too so he's got mine are that were way too big for his hands.

The top picture is the sunset we watched as we were driving back home. It was a much needed diversion for this mommy who was more ready for our ride to be over than the antsy, discontent little boys were!

Trip Pics

We didn't take a lot of pictures on our trip. I kept forgetting to take the camera out with us.

These first two pictures are of the resort. The first was the view out our balcony window. At the end of the parking lot is their big swimming pool, that we never visited.

We took this from across the street of the resort on the mountain. It was a neat location for a resort.
On our way home, I was testing some fo the features on our camera and took this one of the clouds from the truck as we were driving. These are of the Texas Canyon in Arizona. It's a little area between The New Mexico state line and Tucson, AZ. These are just some of the views we were able to see from a rest area. There a lot more magnificent areas along the road, but there isn't anywhere safe to stop and take a picture.

For those of you wondering, Bailey's still doing great with his peepeeing on the potty. We've even made it to the potty in a few public restrooms in the past couple of days. Almost every night, he can go all night without wetting the bed! It's amazing how much longer a case of diapers lasts when only 1 kid is using them.

Can I Go Back to PHX?

Our trip to Phoenix was FAB! If there were an Army post in Phoenix, I think we would volunteer to go there. It was like a shopper's paradise! LT even earned brownie points for going to Ikea not once, but 2 times. The first trip I only bought 2 plastic bag dispensers. After we left, I regretted that we didn't buy any of their little portable potty chairs. So we had to stop on our way out of Phoenix to buy potty chairs and a few storage containers. LT had been to the one in Round Rock once, but I had never been at all. I have a list started of things that I want to get on future visits. I'm already trying to figure out when that will be.

Bailey is doing okay with going to the potty when we're home. He had 2 accidents at school and at church today. That's a little frustrating, but I think he may not know where the bathroom is in his class at church so tomorrow I'm going to make sure he knows where it is. He just woke up crying. When LT went to his room, he was holding himself and screaming hysterically. LT took him to the potty and took his underwear off and he peed and then went right back to sleep. I guess he doesn't quite get that he can get out of bed to go potty in the middle of the night if he needs to.

Mavvy Cole is finally getting 4 more teeth and he's being quite a pill about it. He's had the worst diapers and has just been extraordinarily fussy for a few days. Hopefully these 4 will pop through fast so we can move past this little growing phase!

I'll add some Phoenix pictures later and hope to get back in the blogging swing soon.

Wow Wow Wednesday

For this Wow Wow Wednesday, I'll let you in on a little insider info about where we're going to be spending our childfree labor day/anniversary trip at the end of the month.

We're going to be at the Tapatio Cliffs Hilton Resort in Phoenix. We first heard about TC from a Major in LT's previous battalion. I think he and his family had been there for 4th of July or something. He came back raving about it so we started checking it out as our childfree trip option. We went back and forth for a few days about whether to go to Phoenix or to Santa Fe, NM. I'm not sure if I ever really admitted to LT that I want to go to Phoenix because they have an Ikea. I've never been to Ikea and I've heard all my friends talk about it for years. I know many of you say I will be sorely disappointed, but I won't know that I'll be disappointed until I've walked through for myself! Besides, we'll be on 'vacation' and for some reason I can rationalize spending money on 'vacation.'

After deciding that we might go to TC, LT told the Major about our plans and he has talked his wife into going the same weekend we'll be there. I think LT and the Major have plans to play golf while we're there. His wife and I will probably either find our way to the Spa, Pool or a mall.

I can't wait! I've never needed to get away so badly in my life. This will also probably be our last 'vacation' type trip, other than a trip to Waco possibly at Christmas, before LT heads to 'somewhere in the Middle East.'

More SC/GA Travels Pics

Somehow Bailey managed to make friends with "Grayee" (Gracie), Uncle Josh's cat. I think she did scratch him once to which Bailey replied "Grayee needs a spankin." She did really well letting him pet her! He spent countless hours looking for her and telling us that "Grayee mihing" (Gracie's missing).
We took Bailey to ride the Charlotte Light Rail and he LOVED it! We took it from it's furthest point out into Downtown. We unloaded to go to the potty in some high end grocery store and then waited for it to come back to get us. Bailey was in Train Heaven, but did get a little bored on the return trip. It was well worth the $2 or $3 that it cost us to ride.
For some reason, LT was in a good mood and decided that we all needed milkshakes after we got off the train. Maverick enjoyed his so much that he fell asleep drinking it! I had to pry it out of his mouth and hands to keep him from spilling it!
We spent our last night on the East Coast with our friends, Chris and Jen, in GA. We took all of the kids to Chick Fil A for dinner. I'm not sure why we gave Chris the two little boys to walk inside. The little guy who took our order was shocked that we could place as big of an order as we did and not forget anything. He asked me if we ate out together all the time and I told him that we were just passing through. We made some sort of impression on him! We probably would eat out alot together if we lived in the same town, but it would have to be Chick Fil A since our combo of kiddos wouldn't last 2 minutes in a sit down restaurant.
Bailey and Emma Grace picked up right where they left off last year! They were super cute together, but I think Bailey frustrated her because all he wanted to do was play with the train table! Any time Emma Grace wasn't in the room with him, he was asking "Where's Emma?" I'm not sure how I coerced them to sit in this chair for a picture, but they did it and it turned out really well!

Home Dusty Home

The weary Wade travellers made it back to El Paso around 11 last night. The day was pretty uneventful except for Maverick's refusal to sleep on our flight yesterday. I downloaded all of my pictures so I'll be spending a few posts sharing pictures from our trip.

Here's the beginning. These were from our 'surprise' parties on Friday night. There were easily as many kids at the party as there were adults since just about all of our friends have at least 2 kids! We were a baby making group of people. Here are Ben and Harrison enjoying their barbecue/chick fil a dinner. I can't believe how grown up these 2 are! It seemed like they were each a foot taller since I saw them in October.Xan and Payton posing for a picture. Xan is Nikki's daughter and Payton is Harrison's sister! They're both cute as can be!Bailey and Josh were being a little bit mischievious with the cake as we were cleaning up! They were sticking their fingers into the icing for a little snack! Fortunately, Jake ate a good bit of the end of the cake so the little boy germs weren't a big deal to him.

To entertain our two crazies while we cleaned up, we taught them to play 'broom horse.' Maverick never caught on, but Bailey did. Feel free to laugh at the surprise ending. Jake and I did! (Do not try this at home. These stunts were performed by trained professional crazy kids. No one was seriously harmed in the making of this video.)

More east coast travel stories to come, after we get our house straightened up! It must've been windy while we were gone because there's a layer of sand on every surface in our house and all the toys in the backyard look like they were dropped out of a tornado!

Wow Wow Wednesday

After our trip to Charleston, I thought I'd pass along some links to a couple of B&B type places we've stayed on some of our travels. I highly recommend all of these places or I wouldn't pass along their info.

The first is where we stayed the past couple of nights in Charleston - The Ashley Inn. Our room was 'quaint.' We stayed in their smallest room because it was less expensive, but it had a private bath and Jake's not into sharing bathrooms with strangers! Our breakfast each morning was delicious and we met a couple from Lake Norman and from Western Canada. The Innkeeper is a retired gentleman, but I would say he can't be much older than 60. The staff was very helpful, as well. It's located about 12 blocks from the Charleston Battery, but is a convenient location for getting on and off the main Charleston peninsula. The owner actually owns the Canonboro Inn, too.

Probably our favorite place that we've ever stayed is the Inn on Pamlico Sound on North Carolina's Outer Banks. The views of the sound are amazing. Their daily breakfast was over the top! We had belgian waffles, yogurt parfaits, eggs on a cloud and all sorts of flavored coffees. The Inn has an in home theater room and loads of dvd options. They keep their refrigerator stocked with complimentary beverages and snacks. We would be regulars there if we lived closer to NC!

No review of places to stay would be complete without Beulah Land, the cabin owned by my GG and PawPaw Wade in Pigeon Forge, TN. Anyone who knows me well, knows that I always get car sick travelling to Buelah Land, but have a great time while we're there. It's a great place to just hang out and relax and do nothing. I can always find a good deal or two on our trips into Pigeon Forge to eat. You can also take a scenic drive to Cades Cove to catch a glimpse of some of the wildlife that roam the Smoky Mountains.

If you're heading to Las Vegas and want to stay off the strip, we highly recommend Montelago Village at Lake Las Vegas. I do need to give the disclaimer that we've never actually stayed here. We discovered it on our first trip to Vegas and fell in love. The area has a neat Tuscan feel and is a much slower pace than what you experience on the strip. We like to just go sit on a bench by the lake and talk. Of course talking is much better when sipping on a cup of coffee or eating an ice cream! Next time we go, we're going to suck up the cost and stay there! We have actually stayed at Treasure Island and the Stratosphere.

Since We've Been Gone

We're really enjoying our trip to SC. We spent the past 2 days CHILDLESS in Charleston so what's not to enjoy!

Friday night, we had a birthday party for Jake and me. Both of us were trying to pull off parties for the other via Jake's mom. I was aggravated with Jake because he never said anything to me about it, but I knew that he was up to something because his mom called me asking me what we should do since we, his mom and I, were already planning something when he came up with an almost identical party plan. Looking back, we probably should've all come clean and not tried to pull any surprises. Instead, I ended up aggravated because we didn't pull off a surprise. However, I did manage to get Jake's 'best' friend, Brent, to the party without him knowing so I guess I did pull one surprise off. We had a good time seeing some of our close friends from FM, but it really is difficult to hang out when all of our kiddos need supervision! I told Jake that if I had the money and could pull it off, I would get his parents' cabin in Pigeon Forge one weekend and invite my buddies from here up there for a kid free - mommies only weekend! I'm serious about attempting to pull it off at some point in the near future.

Saturday, my mom and I took a trip to Hamricks and then onto look at cameras. We have identical cameras now. We purchased the exact same cameras by complete coincidence. Now we're both sort of looking for new cameras. Hers needs to be replaced because her battery door is duct taped on causing her camera to always think the batteries are dying. I just want a better camera. There's really nothing wrong with mine. I just want something faster and better!

Sunday afternoon, Jake and I left the boys with the Wades and headed down to Charleston, SC. We've about decided we're going to retire in the Charleston area, but we've got about 22 more years before we really get to make that decision! We went on a dinner cruise around the Charleston peninsula Sunday night. Monday, we walked our butts off. We did some shopping and bought a Charleston print that I can't wait to get framed and hung on the wall in our bedroom. It poured down rain Monday night and the good tourists that we are ate at Chilis and then went to a movie!

This morning, we woke up and ate breakfast with our Canadien friends at the Ashley Inn then went on our mission to get a Trademark Properties shirt. Their downtown store wasn't open the first time we went by so we walked down to the battery and took some pictures of some of the beautiful, old homes in Charleston. By the time we got back to the Trademark store, it was open. Jake got his shirt and felt like his trip to Ctown was worthwhile! The only thing that could've been better was if Richard had been there to shake our hands and take a picture.

We were glad to get back to FM tonight to see our little boys. They enjoyed their time with GG and PawPaw. Mavvy apparently woke up on the wrong side of the bed after his nap this afternoon and was pretty fussy tonight. I think his stomach must've been bothering him because he was gassy and had a very yucky diaper. He even called for his 'dahdy' to come change it!

No Major Drama

Today is LT's 30th Birthday!! Happy Birthday, Love! We're finally checking the same age group box again.

For everyone wondering, we made it to SC in one piece. I don't have any major drama stories to share. I did tell Jake that driving to Phoenix to catch our flight was a big mistake about an hour into the 6.5 hour drive there. We pulled out of our driveway at 5:06am. I was absolutely exhausted and didn't know how I was going to survive a very long day! I could barely stay awake and was afraid to doze off in the car because Jake said that he was exhausted. We stopped in Deming, NM to change diapers and the boys' clothes and get some breakfast at Mickey D's. Then I drove to Tucson where we stopped for snacks and a bathroom break. Jake took us from there to the airport.

Bailey was so excited to ride the bus from the economy parking garage to the terminal. He grinned ear to ear and said "Weee" every time we turned a corner or took off. He didn't want to get off at the terminal and stood and watched the bus drive off while he waved and said 'bye bye bus.'

Once we were at the airport, we checked in our baggage (too bad ALL of my baggage can't be checked that easily) and rode the escalator up to the terminal level and got something to eat and let the boys play. Bailey hung out with me and my $8 salad. He at a $1 apple and a $1 bag of chips and played with Thomas and his coaches. Jake and Maverick went for a little walk.

We made it through security okay. Bailey was cooperative and took off his shoes and put them in the little grey box and willingly put his backpack in, too. We played a little while longer, and handed out the benadryl until it was time to board.

Once on board, we strapped Bailey into his car seat and got ourselves situated. Mav was a little wrestless, but was asleep in Jake's arms by the time we took off. Bailey played with his trains and a few other odds and ends toys I brought for entertainment until it was finally necessary, about an hour and a half into the flight, to pull out the always faithful portable DVD player. Max and Ruby were just the company he needed to make it through the rest of the flight. He didn't fall asleep until we landed. Mav was a little bit restless when he woke up and we expected that. I ended up having to trade seats with Jake to keep Mav from knocking off the DVD player or smacking Bailey.

When we got to HOTlanta, we rode the train and escalator to the baggage claim area - another thrill for Bailey! As we got to the top of the escalator, there stood Benny in the crowd of people waiting for their loved ones to come riding up. We loaded all of our stuff up and hit the road to Fort Mill. We got home around 2am or so and the boys weren't really ready to go to bed. We let them explore for a few minutes until the adults could no longer keep our eyes open. They cooperatively went to bed and we all slept like logs. I'm not sure what time the boys really got out of bed because GG and Paw Paw were eager to entertain them until we got up.

So far I've gotten my hair cut - really cut - and we've toured the big city of Fort Mill to see the progress of the constant development going on here. I've forgotten how beautiful spring time in SC is! In one short years time, I've grown to appreciate the brown of the dry desert, but don't think I'll ever not love the 4 true seasons of South Carolina! I've also grown to appreciate the dry heat of El Paso. I've been glistening since I got off the plane in Atlanta. It really is amazing how much difference the humidity makes.

Get Back!

Bailey has a new phrase and I'm not sure where he got it from unless he's copying us. Maybe we tell him to "Get Back!" more than we realize. Now, any time someone gets close to his stuff, he says "Giht Baaah!" Sometimes he puts his hand out like he's signaling a stop. I just hope he doesn't say this little phrase to the wrong person and end up in lots of trouble.

He's been so good the past couple of times I've dropped him off at the CDC while I went to work. He pulls his backpack in, helps me drop off "Bro," walks to his room and joins his class without a fight. I've been so proud of him and even took him to Sonic yesterday for a half price Apple Juice Slush.

Maverick is so close to being a walker! He just needs to do it. He's got great balance and has started taking an occasional independent, no holding on step. Maybe by the end of the month he'll get it! Can you believe that he'll be a year old on Friday?

In other news and maybe this is a request for prayer for a miracle since I'm sure you all remember our last airplane experience! We have tickets to go to SC for a visit at the end of April - all 4 of us!! There's been a little bit of drama getting all the tickets because Airtran didn't process Jake's ticket correctly so it messed up our Rewards credits. I had to call this morning to make sure we didn't lose the credits for good. Thankfully the girl was able to process the ticket over the phone and apply our credits for the departure flight and now we're all set.

More Travel Drama!

The lights of El Paso have never been as beautiful as they were last night as we flew into the wonderful city that we call home. The boys were sacked out on top of me and I just gazed out the window reflecting on the day that began with what might have been disaster.

On our flights to SC, Bailey refused to put his seatbelt on in the plane so we had to make arrangements for someone to hold Maverick so I could hold Bailey. Never once was this an issue on all 3 of our flights! I was prepared to start scoping those Maverick holders out as we began our day of travel yesterday.

As we boarded our first flight from CLT to BWI, Bailey and I had been assigned seats that weren't next to each other so I needed to get that straightened out. Then, I was told that I had to sit in an even row because that's where the infant life vests were, but apparently only on the aisle seat. So I was in the seat the flight attendant wanted me in and had made arrangements for the woman across from me to hold Maverick. We were ready to go until the anal retentive, by the book, flight attendant informed me that Bailey HAD to be in his own seat and that the lady across from me couldn't hold Maverick for various reasons. We pull away from the gate and I get all this information and am attempting to hold Maverick and force Bailey who is kicking, screaming and squirming out of his seat belt. Another flight attendant came and looked at Bailey and told him he had to sit in his seat. Like that was going to work!

Did I mention my tears?

So, they stopped the plane and called the pilot to tell him there was a child who was unwilling to sit in his seat on the plane. Eventually, the pilot came back and stroked my arm and assured me I was doing everything right. Another woman offered to move seats so she was sitting in an even row with a life vest so she could hold Maverick. The pilot went back to consult with the flight attendant about the issue and it came down to Bailey being OVER 2. Apparently the regulation is that any child over 2 must sit in their own seat. The pilot walked back to me and looked at me eye to eye and said "I just need you to tell me that he's 18 months." I looked back at him and said "He's 18 months." The pilot smiled and off we journeyed into the wild blue yonder, about 30 minutes later than our departure time. The irony in it all is that Bailey fell asleep and I was able to buckle him in to his seat belt before we left the runway!

Even though my time on that flight was emotional and one of the most horrible experiences of my life to date, the Lord used it to remind me of the GRACE He gives us so freely. He knows that I can never live up to His standard, but has provided His perfect grace to cover the difference. He makes up the 12 months we needed for Bailey to be able to sit on my lap. He provided a pilot who's willing to overlook a regulation so that a mommy could travel home with her 2 babies to be back with their daddy.

I really am in awe of how significant the smallest things are when I think about His perfect plan for me. He knew yesterday I needed to be on the plane with that particular pilot so that we weren't removed from that plane to come up with an alternative travel plan home.

On our other 2 flights yesterday, I got the brilliant idea to strap Maverick into the seat with the seat belt while I held Bailey. Never was his age an issue with any other flight attendant!

No Service

Sorry for the lack of posts lately. We're in SC and for some reason I can't log into my blog to post at the Wades and we have limited wireless signal here at the beach so I'm trying to get this on here as fast as I can. Our trip out wasn't very fun. Let's just say Bailey and the Fasten Seatbelt sign are not friends! If not for some kind people willing to hold Maverick for take off and landing, we would've been escorted off the plane in Atlanta and Baltimore. Not fun!! We're having a good time getting to see family and friends here, but we're ready to get home to our own beds! Maverick is having a hard time sleeping so I'm having a hard time sleeping! Bailey's done alright, but he did fall off the bed here at the beach condo last night and has been waking up before 7 am every day. That's pre 5 am to my body so you can imagine the exhaustion that I'm fighting.

I called last night to see if I could skip the first two legs of our flights home and was informed it would cost me $491.50 per ticket - That's $983 just to skip two legs of a flight I've already paid for so that we fly straight from Atlanta to El Paso and avoid going back through security in Baltimore! Since I'm obviously not going to pay an additional $983, I will probably have lost most of my mind by the time I get off the plane Saturday night. At least I can be better prepared knowing I have to go back through security with the two kids at BWI!

There are more stories to come....I miss my computer closet!!!

Packed, but not Ready!

We're mostly packed except for the essentials that I'll need to make myself presentable in the morning. I'm having nightmares of toting my children and the myriad of STUFF I've packed for on plane entertainment purposes through 2 airports by myself. I'm also not able to check in online so I'll be standing in line waiting for my boarding passes in the morning, which is probably good because then I can make sure Mav's name is actually on it for this trip. That'll save me the breakdown I had at the security checkpoint in May when we flew to Waco. I'm praying the boys will sleep most of the first leg of the trip and that Bailey will be well entertained with his new Thomas magnetic book that I bought him the other day and the alphabet flip chart I got to reinforce the wonderful job he's doing of recognizing his letters. He can even spell KIA, wonder why?? I do have the dvd player charged and packed, but since Bailey may not realize I even have it I can pull that out when I need the BIG GUNS! I even moved our carry on stuff to a bigger bag so that I could squeeze in 2 Thomases! If he wants to take Mack, he'll just have to carry him cause there's 'no room in the inn' for him. We'll see what he thinks about at 5 AM! Good night and I'll catch you guys from the East Coast.

I've Been Everywhere

I feel like I've spent the last 4 days in the backseat of our minivan riding! Well, I did spend Wednesday and Thursday in Jake's Rodeo with hit or miss (mostly miss) air conditioning! Since Jake's parents arrived Monday, we've been to Las Cruces 3 times, Mesilla 3 times, White Sands, and all sides of El Paso via every possible route! We've been as close to Mexico as you can get without crossing the border. Needless to say, I'm tired of riding. I think Jake said at one point today we had driven 270 miles and we weren't even home yet. I also feel like I've gained 20 lbs in the past 4 days. I'm not even on vacation, but I seem to be eating that way. I'm avoiding the scales until next week!!

Jake and I were able to get away on Wednesday night. We spent the night in Las Cruces and enjoyed a couple of games of bowling. I won both times! We walked through the little shops in Mesilla. They have lots of cool Native American and South American art and trinkets. There's also lots of sterling silver and turquoise jewelry to look at and buy if you're into that kind of stuff. At least I know where to go if I ever need replacement figurines for my Nativity set that my friend Kathy gave me as a wedding gift. Her mom was a missionary in some South American country at the time so Kathy had purchased it on one of her trips to visit her mom. They had lots of similar pieces at the shops in Mesilla. If you're into history, you probably know that Billy the Kid was hung or hanged in Mesilla.

Today we ended our outing at White Sands, NM. I was thoroughly impressed and we'll be returning soon! From the highway, it just looks like mounds of white sand, but once you get into actual White Sands Park, the sand gets whiter and whiter. The dunes get taller and taller and it's just white sand as far as you can see. Those who know me best know it takes alot to impress me, and I was thoroughly impressed! It really was phenomonal! Some friends said we should go sledding while we were there, but we didn't have sleds! Where do you buy a sled in El Paso in the middle of the summer? We'll have to get creative with what we use for our sleds until we're able to find real sleds.

Here are some pictures of the boys at White Sands and a couple of other places! One day I'll learn to take my real camera with me when we go EVERYWHERE! I'm definitely getting my money's worth out of the camera on my Razr!

Maverick loved putting his hands in the sand. I never saw him eat any so maybe he'll be less of a goat than Bailey was or is! Bailey probably ate sand today and I just didn't see it.

This is Bailey's footprint in the sand. He was chasing Jake up a dune and I thought his little footprint was cute!

Bailey running back toward me when he figured out I was coming up the dunes with them. He thought he was in Heaven having all this wide open space to run through. He even picked a little handful of flowers and carried them all the way back to the van. When he didn't feel steady walking down the hills, he'd just sit down and scoot to the bottom. I'm sure he had sand in his crack by the time we left the dunes!

Here's Benny, Jake's dad, enjoying his Texas Brisket at Rudy's! He was so impressed that I think we're going back tomorrow for lunch. Did I mention I feel like I've gained 20 lbs? I'll be eating a turkey sandwich! No more brisket for me!

This was from our trip to Chick Fil A that I mentioned a few days ago. It was the perfect ending to an eventful trip to Chick Fil A. As you can tell, Bailey's not too sure about this cow standing on 2 legs on the side of a busy street.

A final note from Jake - - He says that I need to get better blogging friends! I guess he's bored looking at the blogs that don't seem to change that frequently. You'll notice that he doesn't have his own blog!

Pictures from Beth's Graduation

Maverick was all smiles and ready to go be a big boy for his Aunt Bethany's graduation. He was good until he heard someone with an air horn and that made him mad!
This was our attempt to get a picture of me and the boys with Bethany after she walked across the stage. We weren't very successful, but we all know that Bailey no longer cooperates for pictures. I also don't know if we knew which camera to look at and when!

This is Jake with Sarge, a Springer Spaniel that lives across the street from my dad. He comes to visit once a day or so and always gets a treat. Jake had a Springer Spaniel when he was a little boy so he loves it when Sarge comes to visit. He says when the boys are old enough to take care of a dog, they can either have a Springer or a Boxer who lives outside!
Here was Bailey being patient, waiting for graduation to begin, reading his Thomas the Train ABC book. I'm sure he can recite the ABC's as many times as he's read this book, but he's too stubborn to reveal his smarts. I started singing the Alphabet song in the car the other day and he started shaking his head and waving his hands while he screamed "NO!"

Home HOT Home

We made it back from Waco yesterday all in one piece. It's really an easy drive from there to here, but it does start getting long when you go for hundreds of miles looking at fields of oil rigs and not much else. All the way home, as we'd go through these little barren towns, I would ask myself and sometimes we'd ask each other how people live in these places! I guess I'm spoiled and have always lived in decent sized cities so small town, rural living is a foreign concept to me.

Now that we're home, I have several missions (Sing with me all you Little Einstein fans "We've got a mission...."). 1) Join a gym with childcare (and a military discount) so I can go workout during the day and take the kids with me 2) Make friends with other stay at home moms so I can get out of my house during the day 3) Start weening Bailey from his "pa" (pacifier) 4) Get us all in some sort of routine - if you know me, you know that I am not a routine kind of person. Discipline isn't my strong suit, so routine is a challenge! I have other "missions" that I need to get to, but I won't bore you with those details.

I'm starting to get worried about our whole swamp cooler situation. It's not even the hottest part of the summer and it doesn't get very cool in our house. Last night I came and slept on the couch for a little while because it was cooler in the living room than it was in the bedroom. I'm sure us not being home for 4 days and having no circulation had something to do with yesterday's heat. We've talked about buying a window unit air conditioner, but I just can't get past the redneck look of that from the outside of the house! Our other option is just to have a fan in every room.

I'm Back!!

The adventure to El Paso is well underway. We left Fort Mill Sunday night around 8:30 and drove to Lithia Springs, GA. We woke up yesterday around 7 - Bailey is having a hard time sleeping so everyone else in the room does, too. We stopped for a chicken biscuit and started the long day of travel. We managed to make pretty good time. We got to Fort Worth around 9 last night. Maverick never really slept yesterday in the car and spent a lot of his day screaming at us! I think he was lonely and bored and probably a tad uncomfortable being strapped in to his car seat all day. We're going to spend this morning and early afternoon with my dad and stepmom, who are driving 2 hours up to Fort Worth from Waco. They've not met Maverick yet so they're in for a treat today. I think we're going to either drive another 4 hours or so this afternoon or go ahead and drive all the way to El Paso. It's another 9 hours from here. For Maverick's sake, we may break the drive up a little bit and do some today and the rest tomorrow. It's almost better to be in the car than in a hotel room, though. Bailey gets bored being trapped in one room when he wants to be roaming. He tends to stay in trouble! In the car at least he can watch his dvds and eat snacks and there aren't as many things he can do to get in trouble. We'll see how we're feeling later. Jake cancelled our room at the Inn at Fort Bliss for tonight so that may play into our decision, too.

My week without constant internet access was interesting. Maybe today in the car I'll try to think of a "Top Ten" list or something as a concise synopsis of the 'fun' events of last week. I hope I didn't lose too many readers in my absence!!! I'm back and should be able to keep this thing updated pretty well from here on out.