Better late than never...

Since I am so far behind in blogging, I feel the need to just get it over with and post all the stuff that is clogging up my brain. (No blogging means clogging!) So here are the last two special posts that were part of the series...

#9 - Two words that describe your life right now: FULFILLING and HAPPY

and #10 - A confession: I just bought myself a really fabulous pair of shoes that I originally had no intention of telling Bo about. Until he sees me wearing them. Like this weekend. Because I paid for two day shipping (which I NEVER do). I think after Christmas I might need to put the credit card back in the safe. It is way too easy to go overboard with online shopping. But look how cute I am going to be!



Okay fine, I bought the tights too. But I plan to wear them the other way around, so the peacock design is on the back of your legs. I can't wait!

Two Much to Say

Hello Princess,
I am really late in writing this post because you have been keeping me so busy! And maybe because I don't want to admit that you are a little girl now and not even remotely still my baby... You have had a few health issues of late, including a whole four days of fever while Daddy went out of town. You were such a sweet girl, only a little crabby and tired. We watched way too much TV and lounged around at home as much as we could. Thankfully, you rebounded just in time for Daddy and have been all smiles since.

Your birthday has literally been a month long celebration. First we had your early party in Abilene at the zoo, which was so much fun and easy to enjoy. We ordered cupcakes and just relaxed and enjoyed the beautiful weather. You are starting to learn so much about the animals. It is always nice to be out somewhere and remember that you are getting old enough now to have a bit of independence from Mommy and Daddy. It is great to have older, sweet cousins that will hold your hand and take you off to do big kid things.

Then we had your party on your actual birthday at the house, when our new home was overflowing with friends and family that love you. You were so adorable, just going on and on about how excited you were to have your friends come over. I look forward to watching you all grow up together and spend time with each other's family. I know how much I loved having Christian friends to hang out with outside of school, and I can already attest to the difference it makes to have that support network of your extended family.

And to top everything off, you were surprised with another party over Thanksgiving weekend by your Grandpa and Gigi! They invited lots of family and friends to come on a special hayride and have a cookout. You even got some belated birthday presents (tons of baby dolls, some books, and several cute new outfits!) and had your own cake. I guess waiting a whole month to spoil you on your birthday meant that they were even more excited to see you!

In every way, you are so much more than I could have dreamed of. You are off-the-charts brilliant, and are so kind and loving (when you want to be...) You love to read books, play with your baby dolls, pat on Joe Dog, and especially be silly with Daddy. You like to sing songs in the car, and are amazingly good at matching colors, shapes, and letters.

But enough sugar coating. I have to be honest and say that you are at times a bit frustrating. You are really starting to exert your independence and you want to do everything by yourself. No matter how slowly. Or how much Mommy says she needs you to hurry. You have made the last few mornings a bit of a battle because you don't want me to help with putting on your diaper, putting on socks or shoes (even if you have no idea how to tie them) and especially with brushing teeth. It is suddenly necessary to declare an official state emergency in the bathroom if I take the cap off and put the toothpaste on for you, and Lord help us if I flush the toilet for you instead of you doing it. (Usually, you have to flush it again just to prove a point.)

No definite progress on the potty training thing, but you are getting better about going potty first thing when you wake up. I think I am going to really start using stickers as rewards since you get pretty pumped about them. Your teachers are requesting that we send you more Pull-Ups ("Big Girl Diapers" as you call them) instead of your regular diapers. Maybe they will do all the work for us!

But we love you so much. Every day, all the time. Especially when we cuddle in bed and watch cartoons. Especially when you give big hugs and kisses. Especially when you smile and laugh at silly jokes. Especially when you run over, excited to be picked up at the end of the day. Okay, all the time.

You are my best girl,
Mama

How you doin'?

Post #8, and I will make it fast: Three turn-ons...

Hmmm, is it weird for your Mommy to tell you this? Let's keep it rated PG and just stick with three things that make me so happy to be married to your daddy:

1. Cooking. I love that your daddy is a wonderful cook and there is nothing that makes my tummy happier than seeing him in an apron, master of the grill. You will someday become a snob like your mommy when it comes to steak, brisket, and especially cobbler. Your daddy's is the best!

2. Musky cologne. Your daddy is a fabulous smelling guy. I think the cologne's that I have bought for him range from Burberry to Polo to the men's Victoria's Secret cologne. I love it when he is all cleaned up and lets me snuggle against his shoulder. The smell is so comforting and warm and yummy.

3. A nice butt. (I apologize for the trauma this may cause you later.) I can't help it! I once saw a sign in Fredericksburg that said "Cowboy Butts Drive Me Nuts!"

Icky Yucky Gross

Post #7: This post will be brief, because who wants to talk about this stuff? Four turnoffs:

1. Smoking - bad for your entire body. Lungs, teeth, hair, skin and more.

2. Bad grammar/spelling - I blame having a teacher for a mother, but it totally drives me crazy. And now everyone thinks they can write like they are texting, with their stupid acronyms and missing vowels. (Is this TMI? LOL!)

3. Traffic - Like I haven't complained enough about it on here... Yesterday I had to take that infamous highway 281 and I was reminded of the torture. Said another prayer of thanks for the new house.

4. Saggy pants. I do not want to see a man's butt hanging out no matter how cool he thinks his undergarments are.

Cameron's Carnival

Happy Birthday to our beautiful Minnie Mouse!

Your carnival turned out so cute in the backyard. Both your Grammy and your Savtah came to help out with the party. You just kept saying, "My friends come over!" You were super excited to have Kara and Morgan there to celebrate the big two!


We had fun popcorn boxes and cute cotton candy toppers for your cupcakes.

Your friends looked so cute in their costumes too! Makayla had on an adorable tutu that her mommy had made, and Jack and Emma were dressed up as Woody and Jessie from Toy Story.

We were so excited that the Gilbreaths came all the way from Kerrville to celebrate you turning two!

And the kids had a great time playing games and painting their pumpkins.
You really liked it when everyone sang you Happy Birthday, and you and all our guests ate every bit of the chocolate cake that mommy made.

We still haven't even opened up all your presents. But taking it slow (like one or two a day) means that you are really enjoying each one and really playing with it. I guess now it is time to pack away the things that you have outgrown and be thankful for all your kind friends!

Sing it, Elton!

Post #6: This post is supposed to be five people that mean a lot to you. Too easy! I am going to skip over the expected ones (sorry Bo) and instead choose five people that I don't write about all the time, and just for a little bonus, I'm even gonna tell you why! And in the words of Elton John, "I hope you don't mind that I put down in words... how wonderful life is while you're in the world."

1. Mrs. Cara is the best. Not only did she take fabulous care of you for that important first year of your life, but it is so great to have a friend that understands the phase of life that you are going through. Someone who listens to you complain and says they feel the same way some times. But rather than just listening and moving on, she is the type of person that encourages and makes you smile. She is generous and giving and thoughtful. She is exactly the kind of woman that I hope you grow up to be.

2. Beth Moore. I know that we have never even met in person, which makes this kinda crazy. But her bible studies have forever opened my eyes to the wonders of God's word. How it can totally give me goosebumps with the miracles of its consistency over thousands of years. How it can warm my heart and make me feel that a passage is a love letter just for me. How it can bring tears of joy or tears of conviction. I love studying the Bible with her and love how she is never fake or pretentious about who she really is, good and bad.

3. Mrs. Danielle is such an example to me of following God's leading in your life. She is a great mom to two wonderful boys and is overflowing with love and passion for orphans around the world. She loves to be part of international missions and is giving and loving to all of God's children. She inspires me to believe that each day is a chance to love others like God loves us - unconditionally. She is always an uplifting person to be around and I love sharing bible studies with her. I am truly grateful that our families have become closer and I look forward to watching our kiddos grow up together!

4. Dr. Kara is like my fabulous big sister here in San Antonio. She likes to tease me that I am way too young and that she is so much older, but really I don't think of it that way at all! She is a dedicated counselor, super college professor and always-on-the-go mom to two precious girls that we love. She is my constant source of encouragement and fun, the person that best understands the ups and downs of my marriage and personality, and yet she still tolerates me. I love that she is the most outgoing and friendly person I have ever known (and can't go anywhere without seeing someone she knows and MUST talk to). She is kind enough to let us borrow their extended family since ours is often far away, and she is often self-depricating so that you are not intimidated by her fabulosity. (Yes, she is so amazing that she gets made up adjectives.) She would certainly tell you that she is not perfect and always put together, but I think she is pretty darn close.

5. Your Grammy is the most amazing woman. She is so smart and creative when it comes to teaching her students at school. She is no-nonsense when it comes to expecting the best from them. She works hard to bring in extra grant money and provide new and challenging experiments that have really helped their school improve their test scores. She is really building up a reputation around their school district as that lucky science lady that does such a good job. But most of all, we love her for the glue she is to our family. She is always so generous with her home, her time and her money. She loves to just spend time together, even if there aren't any major plans. She is strong in her faith and has learned such independence and self-reliance. She is the person that will always mean the most to me.

Before and Afters!

First we started with this.

Then the new cabinet doors went up and looked like this.

And today we finally got the glass put in for the last step, and now we have this!


The frosted glass is a bit shiny in the picture, but I really like it! Now we have to hope that the smell from the polyurethane and the glue for the glass eventually goes away. It's a big change that was so much more cost effective than putting in all new cabinets!

And just for fun, here is the new bedding that we got for our master bedroom. I am now a total believer in a duvet instead of a comforter. I am in love with a big fluffy bed!

Wish Upon A Star

This is post #5, six things that you wish you could change or that you had never done... I try not to have too many regrets. There are always mistakes that I wish I could undo, but honestly, they have brought me to the place I am and shaped me as a person. They help me remember that I am a flawed person and that I am always in need of Jesus as my savior. But I think I do have a few things I could mention.

1. I wish I could resolve the legal mess left behind after my dad passed away. I just want to make sure my mom never has to worry about it all again and that she is taken care of.

2. I wish I could correct my vision. I wear contacts almost every day, but I would love to get surgery to permanently give me great vision. I probably would have already done it, but I heard that pregnancy can alter your vision after you have already had it corrected and I have no idea when we will have another kid. Maybe someday!

3. I wish I could change the adoption process to make it easier and less expensive. It seems like there are so many wonderful families out there that are willing to care for children, and it is sad that it usually takes years and about $25,000 to make it happen.

4. I wish I had never stopped wearing my retainer. Two years of braces and my teeth were all good, and now they are moving around again. It doesn't bother me enough to start all over again with braces, but I regret not taking better care of them when I was younger.

5. I wish I could take care of all our debt. I would say we are pretty normal people with a car payment and a mortgage and student loans, nothing out of control or too big to handle. But money is the biggest hot-button issue that Bo and I fight about. It is just stressful to have debt at all, and my one seriously ridiculous wish is just to have it disappear. Wouldn't that be nice?

6. And on a serious note, I wish I could do more international mission trips. I think when God calls you to go somewhere, it is because he is calling you to action to do something about it. And I know that even though I am not called to be a full-time missionary, he has given me a heart for missions and fundraising to improve the quality of life for people in other countries around the world. At the top of my list is China since I think it is a possibility in the next few years, but I would definitely love to go to work in Haiti or Africa sometime in the future!

Do I Ever Cross Your Mind?

Okay, this is post #4, seven things that cross your mind a lot...

1. "Is it 5:00 yet?" The afternoons are usually the hardest time for me at work because I am anxious to get home and spend time with my family.

2. "Where are those shoes?" Since I tend to wear uncomfortable high heels most days, I tend to take them off as soon as I get to the house. Which means I have piles of shoes in the living room under the coffee table, by the nightstand in our room, in the middle of the closet, by the back door, and sometimes in the bathroom. I go on a hunt every few days to round them all up and herd them back to the shelves where they belong.

3. "The next thing I want to change is this...." The problem with doing home renovations is that you get the urge to change everything all at once. And I know that it is not reasonable on our budget to makeover every room. So I just envision all the updates I want to do eventually. (but really right now)

4. "I love our bed." Every night when I lay down, I think to myself, I should have done this about an hour ago. It is so cushy and now that we have our fabulous new duvet, I feel like it is even more fluffy and luxurious. I would still love to get some insanely high thread count sheets (that magically never wrinkle) but it is certainly not keeping me from enjoying hitting the hay at night. And not wanting to get back out of it every morning.

5. "Cameron is so stinkin' smart." I am sure most parents are biased and think that their child is brilliant, but when everyone else seems to tell us that you are super smart, I tend to believe them. I wonder what you will be interested in when you are older and what you will eventually do with all your talents.

6. "I wish I exercised more." Not because I am crazy about my weight, but mostly because I know I would feel better. I miss doing yoga in a real class and I often wish that I had an eliptical machine that I could work out and watch TV on at night. I think I am going to have to figure out a way to make this a priority.

7. "I could go for some dessert." :)

Mommy's Must Haves

Here's Post #3 - Eight things I couldn't live without... (and yes, this post is about ten days in the making because I got distracted with my crazy kitchen cabinets...)

1. The DVR - Being able to record TV is greatest thing ever because I generally can't watch a whole show in one sitting and have no idea when they come on. Plus get to fast forward through the commercials!

2. Chapstick. Specifically, Burt's Bees is both mine and your daddy's favorite since it tastes sort of like peppermint and honey. I like some lipsticks, but I can't stand when my lips feel dry, so I have to put it on every night before I go to bed.

3. Chocolate - In all its forms. Every day.

4. My ladies bible studies - I feel so energized and encouraged after spending the evening with my friends. We have tackled some heavy topics and gotten to know intimate details of each other's lives. It's so nice to know that I have people to call in the middle of the night when the worst happens.

5. Hot water. I like to take really really hot showers, and having been to a country where hot water is sort of a gamble day to day, I have decided that I would rather just be stinky for a day than have to take a cold shower.

6. Clear nail polish. It is useful for all sorts of things, but I hate to leave my nails plain. Just a nice shine makes me feel like I am more put together, even thought I keep my nails very short all the time. Easier for texting!

7. Family pictures. I love seeing you in my office every day. I love seeing my daddy and mom with me in my wedding dress when I sit at the computer. I even have a picture of Rose, our girl from Ghana that we are supporting, staring back at me in the bathroom. I love being surrounded by family pictures more than expensive art.

8. Facebook. I know it is sad that I am addicted. I really love being able to keep up with so many friends that I don't get to see all the time. But I am cutting back! I did away with a lot of the games that used to be a huge time suck and am on there strictly for updates. But who knows if it will even still be a big thing by the time you are old enough to read this? Interesting....