My Babies

Nothing super exciting has been going on lately, that is why I haven't posted in over a month. Brooke had her birthday, which was a blast! She also got to trick or treat for the first time. Matt is still working long hard hours so the kids and I have been staying home so we can spend time with him when he is off. We took family pictures last week but they are top secret until after Christmas. We will be hosting thanksgiving here next weeks so i am getting ready for that. My 24th birthday is next Tuesday but it will be pretty low key with all the family out of town. Anyway, here are a few pictures of the kids, I just uploaded all of them for the past month.

My little cheerleader! She had this on for her b-day party but it was cold during trick or treating so she had to wear a jacket... she wasn't too happy about that one.

This was the day after her birthday, she is pretending to be a puppy :)!

Bath time!!! I love how focused they are on their toys.

My little man hanging out of the bath tub. He loves bath time and even crawled in by himself the other day... good thing there was no water in there!

recap

Much has been going on in the last week or so. Lots of unpacking and running errands. I have some pictures of the house and the kids on my camera, but the cord to my camera is still in one of the packed "office" boxes. The kids have adjusted wonderfully to the house and enjoy the freedom of being able to go anywhere they want. I am on the hunt for a sewing machine so i can start working on the curtains for the house. I haven't done any sewing since my senior year but i was awarded student of the year for the home economics department, so hopefully i can pull of a few box pleat curtains. My dining room is half painted right now. I got some of it done yesterday while the kids were napping but I didn't get a chance to finish today because there was cleaning to be done. Anyway my reason for this post is because I am loving the weather outside! Me and the kiddos played out in front with the neighbors this evening and it was so nice. It feels like Christmas to me. Christmas to me means candy tins, peanut butter balls, chocolate covered pretzels and turtles. My mouth is watering right now and it is still two months away! So I want to know if you have any special Christmas candy or cookie recipes you would like to share. I just hope these cooler temperatures stay around for a while. I will hopefully have the pics posted before the end of the next week.

We're in!

Well we are in the house, actually we got moved in on Friday. It was kind of crazy around here. The movers were about 6 hours early, our appointment was for late afternoon because that is all they had open and they called Thursday to confirm for 8AM. So I headed over there around 6 to get the last of the packing done. We also had the cable company, rooms-to-go and the people hanging the TVs in throughout the day.

When we moved in we decided to put Brooke in her toddler bed. She is loving the freedom and we are finally getting used to it. The first day she didn't even think about being able to get out of the bed, since then we have been playing her game. It has been getting better, she only comes out of her room once or twice each time she goes down. Maddux is loving the fact that he can crawl around anywhere he wants to go. The carpet was a very wise choice for us. I have already met several of our neighbors. The people across the street have an 18 month old little girl and the guy is a cop. The couple next to us have a 12 year old, a 3 year old and a 2 year old. So Brooke will have lots of friends to play with. I will have pictures of the house up when I get rid of all the boxes. Hope you are having a great week!

First Sentence

Brooke said her first sentence complete sentence today... I was upstairs changing Maddux's diaper and she called from the bottom of the steps for me to come down. I told her I couldn't come down right then and to go play with her daddy. She responded with a big "NO", I asked "Why not?". At this point she was half way up the stairs and clearly not happy, " because daddy said bad girl to me." Hahahahaha I could have died from laughter. I called to Matt and asked him why he called her a bad girl and he had no clue what I was talking about. We usually only use the terms "good girl, bad girl" when we are trying to explain why she is in time out. Any way, this is one for the books so I thought I would share it with you all. As of today she also has a new favorite word, people. She has started to point at everything and ask "what's that?" so when her daddy replied "people" to a picture in a book she was hooked. I am not sure she knows how to use it because when we were driving home from Wal Mart today she kept saying it and there were no "people" around. Everyone important in her life has a name and the ones she doesn't know are boys and girls. When we tell her I am a girl and Matt is a boy she says "No, mommy and daddy". How we all have names, be boys or girls and be people?? So confusing for such a small child. She is just now understanding that Bubbah and Maddux are one and the same.

Brooke was a very lovely flower girl this weekend. She didn't throw the petals but she was soaking up the spot light. We definitely have a little diva on our hands! I will see if I can get some pictures, I forgot my camera in the rush of all that had to be done Saturday.

Where has time gone?

There once was a time when life just crept by in the Ham household but these days it is going so fast I find it hard to keep up! We are just 3 weeks away from the big move, and those weeks are sure to pass by quickly. My sweet, happy, precious baby boy is completely mobile... that kid can get from one side of the house to the next in a matter of minutes!!! I thought I had my hands full before, I am in big trouble now! As for Brookie Bear, well the "terrific" twos are in full swing and she has lost all sense of fear. She has found ways to climb on top of tables and counter tops, she knows what she wants and figures out a way to get it. We went to Katy Mills the other day for lunch with some friends, they have two little girls Megan, 3 and Ashley, 5. Brooke absolutely loved hanging out with the girls. After eating at Rainforest Cafe we made a lap around the mall, this was the part that almost had me in tears (and kicking myself for not having my camera). Brooke, Megan and Ashley were all holding hands walking through the mall. They were big girls leading the way. They could have cared less if we were behind them or not. Every time Brooke would get side tracked looking into a store the other girls would redirect her and they were on their way again. I know it won't be long before she will be asking me to drop her off at the mall and not need me at all. As crazy as life may seem sometimes, I wouldn't trade it for the world. I love to watch my babies grow and explore. I feel so blessed that I have such a great husband to provide for us and allow me to stay home with our kiddos. I would be devastated if I had to miss even one second of this. I know being a stay at home mom isn't for everyone but in my heart of hearts I know that this is one of those things God made me for. Well I have a million and one things to get done today, I hope you are enjoying your long weekend.

Oh yeah Rita, I got your message super late the other night, I am sorry your hair didn't turn out the way you wanted it to. That is the beauty of hair, you can always grow it back out and try again.

Great Day

Today was Maddux's 6 month doctors visit, it was a week late do to the doctor being booked solid for school physicals. Maddux is 24 inches tall and 17.5 lbs. The doctor said this makes him 90% for height, 50% for weight and 100% perfect... but we already knew the last one. Maddux was really good up until shot time. He got 4 shots and one medicine by mouth. We have been cleared to start giving him some table foods along with his baby food, so tonight I am going to go get some biter biscuits to start him out. We have a few of these really cool net things that are like a paci but instead of a nipple it has a net. You put the food in it and he can gum on it without the worry of him choking. The first picture was taken at dad's birthday dinner which was the day after his official six months and the second one was from today when we got home from the doctor. He is growing so fast!!!

In other news, our GC called today and gave us our closing day!!! I am so excited to actually have a solid date! It makes everything seem so much more real. We have one month and four days to get packed up, which sound like a lot of time but I figure I will pack a few boxes everyday during nap time so I don't get overwhelmed. We have a few thing to get sent in to the lender for the mortgage but everything looks great from that end. Now I can start getting things in line for the move, such as setting an appointment with a mover, getting the electricity and cable scheduled for activation, etc. Is there anything you wish you would have gotten done early for your move or something you forgot you really needed? I would really like to know, I seem to always forget things on the list that would have made the move go smoother.

Last and probably least on the scale (but still pretty high up on my list), I got my hair cut!!! If you have seen my facebook in the last two days you will know this was a big ordeal. I have been wanting to cut my hair for a very long time now, but Matt wasn't to sure about it because I have always had pretty long hair since we have been together. So for my husband I kept it the way it was. Recently he saw pictures of short hair styles on the computer that I had been looking at, so he told me to go ahead and do it, worst case scenario I could grow it out in a few months. I came home from lunch with mom and Meg Tuesday and the kids went right to sleep so Matt suggested I go get it done then while he was home. Not having time to make an appointment anywhere else I went to the place down the street (I have been going there since 8th grade but haven't been happy with the service the last year or so.) I went in with a picture of Selma Blair from Hellboy 2 but came out looking like Johnny Depp from Willie Wonka. I could have cried! I think there was a communication error and me being the non confrontational person I am, I told them it was just right and left. Before I had even made it home I made an appointment with a girl at the beauty shop my mother in law goes to to get it fixed. Matt thought it looked fine and like any other man didn't understand the need to get it fixed. Well the happy ending to the story is that the girl was able to fix the mess up and it is even better than I could have imagined. I can't exactly explain it but I feel like a new person... or more like the old me before kids. It is no secret that for a while now I have felt like I was in a rut. Not that I was depressed, I just felt like I had lost a part of myself in the shuffle of being a mom and a wife. I am sure it is all in my head but I feel like I am alive again. When I was younger I was so goofy and outgoing, I feel like it has been pulled back out. For the past day I have been flirting with my husband like we did when we were dating and talking to people while I am out and about. I know it sounds crazy but I think my haircut changed my life! haha... lesson learned that it is cheaper to go to the nice place and get it done the right way rather than paying for two haircuts in the end. Anyway, I feel like I am on top of the world and couldn't be any happier with my life! Well I hear my little angels rustling around up stairs and I have got to make dinner. I hope you are having a great day too!

Jail Birds!

Here are my two little jail birds... Mom got these outfits in Cali. Don't they look so cute all ready for bed time??

This cute sibling affection quickly turns into this..

Brooke pushing away as soon as Maddux starts to grab her back!

But in the end we know she loves her brother.

Here's the cop with his inmates!

These picture were taken about a month ago but I just found them on my computer... I thought they were lost forever but apparently I just put them in the wrong file. I hope to get some new pictures tomorrow.

Mixing Things Up

I am getting so tired of having the same things every week for dinner, the menu rarely changes. it has gotten to the point where I don't even enjoy cooking anymore. Do you have a favorite meal you would like to share? It can be a quick meal or one that takes all day to prepare, I just want to mix things up a bit.

Color Inspiration

So I have finally gotten a solid plan for one room in my house, Brooke's. As with every other room, I was having trouble figuring out what I wanted to do. I knew I wanted it to be her retreat and something a little larger than life. I want her to enjoy playing in her room so that our living room doesn't become the toy room. Right after Tammy's shower mom mentioned having a quilt made for Brooke out of the left over fabric from the sugar and spice table cloths, this gave me the colors for her room. Although I love pink and I love chocolate brown I couldn't figure out how I was going to paint the walls without either color overpowering the room... Tammy took the chair rail idea and I am not a copy cat, lol! So this is what I ended up with...

The pink chair was one of her Christmas presents that we will put in her reading corner.


I found these two pillows at Home Goods today in the clearance aisle. I had already decided on green for the wall color but needed a way to bring it in, I think these will work nicely. The big green pillow has piping similar to the front pillow. These will probably lay on the floor with a few others that have not been found yet.

These are two HUGE baskets we will be using as toy boxes. I was a little worried about it being overkill on the patterns since the quilt will have several different ones, but I am hoping these stay nice and organized in the closet so it shouldn't matter anyway.

This is a REALLY rough draft of a wall mural for her back wall, the background color will be green and the pink blooms will be a lighter pink (I didn't have the right color pencil). Now I need to find a projector to shoot it up on the wall, I don't think I can draw free hand. The tree also won't look so sparse, my hand got tired by the time I got to the bottom branches. I think I will get creamy white sheets and silky curtains. I am still debating if I will keep her doll house book shelf or put a low one under her window to make use of the space. Here is my big question, I really want to put one of those round tree swings hanging from the ceiling like it is hanging from the tree (we won't have any trees big enough for a swing until Brooke is too big for them), what do you think? I would put those big pillows under it to keep her from falling and hang it really low to the ground, but this is where the bigger than life part would come in. Thanks in advance for your input, I am sure some of you are thinking I am crazy.

Happy Birthday!!!

Happy Birthday to my two men. Matt turns 24 today, I have been calling him an old man, he says he feels like one. Never in a million years did he think he would be married with 2 kids and be a police officer at this age. I guess I changed his plans! Maddux will be 5 months old tomorrow, time sure does fly! I love you two very much!

Looking Back

At this very time 3 years ago I was sitting at Chili's with my parents and siblings enjoying my last meal as a single woman and a Goode. Since then it has been a whirlwind. Matt and I went into our marriage too young to even get a hotel room for our honeymoon, Matt's mom had to make the reservations. We were both pretty much unemployed. Matt was tutoring and going to school and I was a nanny making $200 a week. Soon after we got back from our honeymoon God blessed me with a job that would provide Matt the opportunity to continue school and not have to work full time. Like most marriages there were still times when all we had left in the pantry was tuna and top raman, but I cherish those days. The only thing we could afford was to pick up Chick-fil-a and cuddle on the couch. In August we got our fur baby, Jessie. Matt got her for me so I would quit asking for a baby, but sure enough in February I found out I was pregnant with Brooke. We had always planned to have me stay home with our children so Matt set out to find a new job. In April he started the application process with HPD and it wasn't until October when he finally started the academy. Just after our first anniversary we welcomed our nephew in to the world. Mom and Dad made the move out to Waller which shook my world, I cried like a baby cause we couldn't just pop in for dinner anymore. It was a lesson in independence that I desperately needed. October 29th, 2007 Brooke was born, I had never felt such a outpouring of love deep inside until I saw her face. WE as a couple became WE as a family. We moved to our bigger apartment in December and things only got crazier from there. Matt's schedule was ever changing and the academy took a toll on us all. I suffered from postpartum depression for a few months but thankfully we all made it out sane. Almost exactly 6 months after Brooke was born we got pregnant with Maddux. We knew we were going to need even more space so at the end of our lease we moved into mom and dads old house. What a blessing it has been, we have been able to save money and are now in the process of building our dream home. Maddux completed our "typical american family" on February 11, 2009. They say that having a baby, a change in careers or building/remodeling a home is the most stressful things on a marriage, Matt and I have done all of these things before we have even gotten out of our newlywed stage. It hasn't always been easy but having such a loving and thoughtful man by my side has made it all worth fighting for. I look forward to the decades of married life I have ahead of me. I hope things do slow down a bit once we get settled but I know that God will never give us more than we can handle.

Matt,

You are the love of my life, I have known that from the first date. I can't imagine going through any of this without you. Everything great in my life has been with you and because of you. I look forward to growing old with you. Big kisses! I love you!!!

Happy Birthday Mom

Hope you had a great day today... We love you so much! Enjoy the rest of the week at the beach.

It takes a degree to register for college!

I have spent the last week or so trying to get things lined up for Matt and I to take classes this fall... it has been so confusing! I have been in touch with people at both schools trying to figure out what I need to do to register, what classes we need and I am still praying I did our FAFSA forms correctly. I just remembered why I got turned off from going to school right after I graduated. We are making slow but steady progress. I have picked my classes for fall, they are waiting in my 'cart' until we hear back about financial aid. I just started on Matt's stuff today so he is supposed to have a meeting with the rep from Mountain State to find out which classes will transfer from UH. I was very excited after my meeting to find out that I get to start on all regular college courses except math... I was expecting much worse. I only have to take 2 math classes that are below college level, there are 4 total. Anyone who knows me knows I hate math and never excelled at it, I probably would have done better if I put forth more effort in high school, but you can't change the past. So I am signed up for one of my math classes, Texas history and an intro to college type class. I haven't declared my major yet but I am pretty sure it will be early education. I thought about going for interior design but teaching is more stable and I would have off most days the kids did. Anyway, that is what is new around here... adding more to our plate on top of new baby, buying a house, Matt becoming a trainer at work... I think I can handle it though!

June Pictures

I am finally posting pics from June. It was a busy month, I have 207 pictures in this months file. I erased a total of 1092 pictures from my memory card yesterday cause it was almost full.

These first two are from our play date with Colton at the beginning of the month... Brooke loves Colton!

This one is of Matt and Maddux playing baseball on the XBOX360... I thought it was so funny how into it Maddux was.

This last one is of us at Brian's graduation party... Brooke and Maddux were both napping.

I am hoping to get a really good picture of all of us when we go to the beach next week but we will see how that goes... it is almost impossible to get everyone in the same place at the same time and have everyone looking at the camera.

Nemo Me Impune Lacessit

Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of officer Henry Canales who passed away last night. Anytime HPD loses an officer in the line of duty it is very hard on everyone. He is survived by his wife, 17 years old daughter and 15 year old son. Rest in Peace.

Happy Fathers Day

Dad, All my life I have looked up to you, followed you around with a hammer or drill, I wanted to be your little side kick. You taught me to be respectful of others and myself. You showed me how to self reliant and not have to depend on other people to take care of me. You were the only one who could defeat me on Monday Night Raw nights in the Goode household. You were brave enough to teach me how to drive stick shift, even though I almost ran us through a brick wall in the suburban. You showed me how to just sit back and enjoy the quiet in a deer stand or fishing on the lake. You fell asleep sitting up on the couch when I had colic and in your arms was the only place I felt at ease. You showed me the "proper" way to mow a lawn and wash a car. You always greet me with a big hug and tell me I am beautiful (even when it is obvious I have been up all night with one of the babies). I will never forget the weekend you let me "hang pipe" at Phoenicia or the countless evenings by the grill, talking on the porch swing watching the sunset. You constantly encourage me to do my best and succeed. You are always just a phone call away when my car won't start or there is a strange dripping noise coming from behind the wall. You gave me my dream wedding and made me feel like a princess. Thank you for all of these things, mostly for always showing me how much you love me and letting me know I will always be your little girl. I love you dad!

Matt, You are such an amazing father to my children. You are a great provider for our family. I know it isn't easy working 50 or 60 hours a week but you still carve out time to play on the floor with Brooke or change Maddux's diaper. I know that we are your number one priority and I couldn't ask for anything more. We love you so much and I hope we show it to you everyday so you never forget. I know I don't say it enough but thank you for your many sacrifices. I love you babe!

Progress on the House

We finally made it by the house with our camera. I was hoping to walk through and take pictures but we totally forgot that Matt's days off are when other people are working, so no one in without a hard hat. Anyway, we got a few pictures from the front... to me it seems like this part should take the longest and since they are almost done with the framing we should be moving in next week, I know it's not the case. We still have quite a ways to go. Still it is neat to see your house coming together in stages. We will have a walk through in 2 or 3 weeks after the electrician and plumber come out before they do the dry wall.

Busy Busy Shockingly Busy

Well we have had a busy month this past month. Brian' graduation weekend we had to take Maddux to the hospital for a really high fever. By the time he got well it was time for Matt and I to head out to Port A. We had a great weekend together without the kids. We didn't get to stay as long as we would have liked but Matt had to get back to work and we needed to let Billie get some rest before she headed back to work on Monday. It was really nice to reconnect with each other, we have both been so busy for different reasons and haven't had much time for each other. Matt also enjoyed hanging out with my family, his work schedule prevents him from going out to Waller most weekends so he misses out on a lot. We mostly sat by the pool all weekend although we did sneak out for a late lunch just the two of us and I was treated to a pedicure (something I haven't done since Meagans wedding). We also went to the aquarium with Will but I think I prefer the one at Moody Gardens. All in all it was a good weekend, one of my favorite parts was the three and a half hour drive to and from where we had nothing to do but talk and it wasn't two year old talk!!! I sure did miss my kiddos though. When we drove into Rosenburg and I started to recognize stuff I got little butterflies in my stomach I was so happy to pick up the kids. The big smile Maddux had on his face when he heard my voice just melted my heart, kids are the greatest. Monday I went to visit Miss Tayler, she is so beautiful! She is a mommas girl though, I don't know how Tammy does it because that girl doesn't want anything to do with anyone but her. I have spent much of my week so far purging our home of all the junk we don't need anymore. It was kind of sad boxing up things like some of Brooke's old stuffed animals but she never uses them and would be appreciated more at some other house. I am really bad about keeping stuff even though I know I will never look at it again so I am trying to break that bad habit. I have a few pictures of the kids I need to post but Maddux just woke from his nap so it will have to wait a while. Hope this post finds you well!

The Week in Pictures

We had a big week this week

My baby boy turned three months old this week... time flies!
Here he is in his big boy bouncy seat, he is holding up his head so well.

Brookie Bear finally let me put her hair in a pony tail... I think she is learning it is a lot cooler off her neck.

And we had Tammy's shower... we took a belly picture at my shower but apparently we aren't able to do that when one of us isn't pregnant anymore, lol

Doesn't she look GREAT!!! Only a few more weeks until Tayler graces us with her presence. I just hope she doesn't come while I am on vacation!

Someone snapped this picture of Brooke while we were at the shower, she is starting to look more and more like a big girl and less like a toddler. I love my babies!

My family also had a stomach bug that daddy brought home from work. We went to the zoo last Tuesday with Aunt Meagan, Auntie and Davin, I didn't get pictures because I am scared to take my camera somewhere it might get lost. Billie took off yesterday because they were having people working on their house so Brooke went over "to keep her company". I got a lot done around the house. Matt started his new extra job this week so he is even more busy than before. I am trying to get my house totally clean before Friday so I can go over to Tammy's house for a play date.

Why I love you mom.

This is for the four special moms in my life. There are many more that I love and have made an impact on my life but these ladies deserve a BIG thank you.



Meagan, You are such a great mom... and sister. You work so hard and are always on your feet (in heels no less) I wish I could get as much done in one week as you do in one day. Davin loves you so much. Thank you for helping me be a better mommy to my kids and letting me rant and rave when I get frustrated. I am so thankful that you and I have been able to go through this side by side. I love you c-ster!



Tammy, I can't say enough to express how blessed I have been to have your friendship. It isn't always easy being a wife to a cop or a pregnant mother of a toddler/ preschooler, you are the only person who knows exactly how I feel. Thank you for letting me text you at 2 in the morning to vent or helping me to see the light at the end of the tunnel or for fueling the fire when I am right! lol... You are such a great friend, I couldn't ask for better. I will always admire your strength and determination. I promise I will be by your bed to keep you company and make you laugh when Tayler is born. Love you girl!

Billie, Thank you so much for loving me like a daughter. You have come to my rescue countless times when I am dead tired and need some rest. You always drop everything to be a last minute babysitter just so Matt and I can have a night out. Thank you for coming to keep me company when I am lonely. These last three years we have shared many laughs, tears and yes even a little gossip. I couldn't ask for a better mother in law. I love you!

Last and most of all...

Mom, I could say thank you a million times and it wouldn't be enough. You make me the woman I am today. You never realize how much your mother has done for you until you become one. Thank you for holding me even when I cried relentlessly through the night. Thank you for taking my hand and catching me when I fall. Thank you for waking up several time through the night to put cream on me when I had chickenpox. Thank you for holding my hair when I got sick. Thank you for telling me 'no'. Thank you for making me stick with things when I wanted to give up. Thank you for the countless hours you spent at football games, competitions, fund raisers and sitting outside of the dance room when practice ran over. Thank you for taking us to movies, bowling alleys, amusement parks and awana camping trips. Thank you for making every homecoming and prom so special and sticking up for us when dad couldn't understand why we didn't just wear the same dress as last year. Thank you for going to the gym with me at 5 in the morning before practice everyday. Thank you for walking the mall with us every fall for back to school shopping even though that was the last place you wanted to be. Thank you for always trying to find fun new yummy stuff to put on the table for dinner. Thank you for making my wedding so special even though I changed my mind a lot and we went a little over budget. Thank you for coming home early everyday only to drive half way back to the office just to get me to work and then coming back at midnight to pick me up. Thank you for taking us to church even when we put up a fight. Thank you for staying up all night waiting for me to get home from a date. Thank you for teaching me what it means to be a wife, a mom and most of all a woman of God. I can only hope to be as great of a mom to Brooke and Maddux as you have been for me. I love you!



Happy Mother's Day Everybody!

Done and Done

Well we went to the design center today to pick everything out. We got almost all of the upgrades we wanted. The only thing that I really wanted that didn't fit our budget was hardwood floors through the house. We settled for tile in the wet areas and carpet in the rooms that will be used most by the kids. We figure the little ones will have the carpet worn out in about 5 or 6 years so at that time we can put the wood floors down. We got the new front loader washer and dryer which was a big must for me. I was very worried about making such final choices but Matt reminded me that it is our house, we can change whatever we want whenever we want to. Now I can start thinking about paint colors. We are going to just hire painters to come in after we close because the home builder wants to charge too much for doing each room a different color. It is a relief to know that stage is done. All we have to do now is meet with our contractor once a month to make sure everything is to our specs. There were so many choices but it helped that I had a good idea of what I wanted. The consultant was great because she ran the numbers for everything we wanted and from there we decided what was most important to keep. End of August is when we should be moving in, I can hardly wait. I hope everyone has a great weekend! Happy Mothers Day!

Writers Block

I have gotten on my blog everyday since last Monday but when I sit down to post my mind goes blank. The only exciting thing that has happened was Saturday when we went to see Rent but mom already posted about that. Brooke went to the Dr on Wednesday for her 18 month visit, everything went well. She had to have 4 shots and a skin test... I am not sure what it was for, I hope that doesn't make me a bad mom. I have been trying to keep the kiddos home this last week since that baby died here and Houston from the swine flu. Matt took off Saturday and Sunday night to relax. He stayed with the kids while I was at the play and we all had a lazy day on Sunday. We are going on Friday to pick out the stuff for the house at the design center. I am totally nervous about it, being that I have always been a renter I have no clue what my style is. I don't want to get into the house and regret everything that I put into it. When I lived with my parents and finally got my own room, I painted it once or twice a year, beautiful bright colors. I would change my bedding and rearrange my furniture all the time. Now that it is our house I am scared to be that bold. I think it is a combination of wanting it to look like an adult space (not a teenagers) and wanting it to suit every ones taste that comes in. My mother in law likes a more traditional style, my mom has more of a country "lived in" style, Meg has a more contemporary style, I have... no set style. There is a great designer on HGTV named Angelo Surmelis, who's blog I follow, a lot of his designs are very eclectic but in a warm welcoming way. If I could afford to hire him to do my house I would, but I am not going to kid myself. I have been looking at design magazines and cutting out things that catch my eye,but I don't know how to bring it all together. I also have tried to figure out my style by my closet but most of the stuff in there is from pre marriage time when I was a teenager. My biggest worry is the kitchen and the bathrooms, you can easily change paint colors and accessories like light fixtures but flooring, counter tops and cabinets are another story. I guess I better figure it out in the next few days. Well at least I thought I had nothing to write about. Happy Cinco De Mayo!

Celebrating small steps

You know how in elementary school, when you did a good job and the teacher would tell you to pat your back, well I am patting my own back tonight. For the first time in a long time I have felt in control of my home and my life! I straightened up yesterday before Tammy, Meg and Bri came over, so when I woke up this morning there wasn't an overwhelming mess. I got Brooke set up with a glass of milk while I fed Maddux. When he was done he played on the play mat while I made some pancakes. After we finished eating we played a little bit and then laid down for a nap. We woke up around noon so Matt fed Maddux while I made some lunch, for the first time in a long time we ate at the table as a family. What a difference this makes, Brooke is much more calm. Afterwards I unloaded the dishwasher from the night before and washed what was in the sink. Brooke and I read some books while Matt played some video games then it was time for the kids and Matt to take an afternoon nap. I relaxed while the house was quiet. Maddux didn't sleep long but I was still able to check my e-mail and pay bills with him in my lap. When Brooke and Matt woke up I got started on dinner. Brooke helped me pour the can of peas into the pot and stir the potatoes. She has become quite the happy helper in the kitchen. She even loves helping unload the dishwasher, her job is to put away all the Tupperware and hand me the silverware. While everything was cooking Brooke and I sat at the table and played with stickers, Matt and Maddux had male bonding time. We sat at the table again for dinner and when we were done Matt took the kids into the living room while I did the dinner dishes. I finished just in time to watch our shows at 7. I got some laundry folded while we were sitting there. Afterwards Matt gave Brooke a bath while I picked up her room. After she went to bed Matt and I enjoyed a bowl of ice cream with each other and I fed Maddux. He just laid down with his daddy, I have to wake Matt soon so he can go to work. I just felt like everything worked today. I know it can't be perfect everyday but my goal is to have more days like this one. I especially enjoyed our meals at the table instead of in front of the tv. We talked with each other and I wasn't caught up on a tv show when we finished so it was easier to get the dishes done right away. I still got a 2 hour nap in the morning and watched my favorite shows this evening. I am just proud of myself and Matt for working together to get stuff done. Sorry for the long post, I just wanted to write everything down so I could show myself how productive my day was so I will keep it going. Hope your day was as enjoyable!

The wait is over!

We have officially been approved for our loan... up until today we had only pre-qualified for it. We are very excited. It certainly was a tense week around here while we were waiting to hear the final word. The best part is that our monthly payment is going to be less than we had expected. Now all of the fun happens!

Maddux on the move!

My baby boy rolled over for the first time yesterday! I put him down on his tummy for his nap time and when I went to get him up he was on his back. I don't know how he did it, I don't think Brooke rolled over until she was around 4 months. I guess this means no more unattended naps on the couch for him. In other news Brooke is putting everyone on punishment. She spent 10 minutes trying to get Jessie to sit in time out, when she realized that wasn't going to happen she put her favorite stuffed animal Joey on the time out chair. It was funny because she would be playing with him and all of a sudden she would say "No No Joey" and run over to the time out chair, turn her back on him for a few seconds, then pick him up and give him a big hug. I think he went to time out 4 times yesterday evening. I worried at first because she took him over there so many times but at least she gave him a hug when he got up. She also brought my cell phone to me and asked to talk to daddy, so I dialed his number and she talked to him for a few minutes and then he had to get back to work. Both of my babies are growing so fast, Brooke will officially be 18 months in 6 days! Makes you stop and enjoy it while you have them this way. I wouldn't trade staying home with them for any money in the world.

More pictures...

Here are some more pictures I wanted to share. My little man is getting so big, I can't believe it has been 2 months. Matt says he is beginning to look like Brooke but I still think he has my dads forehead and chin.

Here he is laying on his play mat.

Big sister keeps a watchful eye on Maddux.

Here is my fur baby, Jessie Poo... Brooke loves her (I'm not sure if that love is mutual)

Brooke is a total Ham in front of the camera... nothing like her mommy :)!

Catching Up

It has been over a week since my last post, one long crazy week. Easter Sunday the kids and I went over to my in laws house, while Matt stayed home for some shut eye. We had planned on doing an egg hunt for Brooke but it rained all morning. Instead I took Billie and Sarah out to the model home since neither had seen it yet, Billie loved it and Sarah was wanting one of the huge houses for herself. On our way home we stopped to take pictures in the blue bonnets, that wasn't very successful either. Both kiddos were tired and Brooke was terrified of the cars driving by the field. We stayed home Monday and Tuesday, during nap time I was getting paperwork ready for the mortgage company. I was really regretting not unpacking those boxes when we moved in. We will only be here for a few more months so I just got what I needed and left the rest. Wednesday was Sarah's 21st birthday so Billie and I took her out to eat with the babies. Thursday my mom and I went out to the house so she could see it, the cleaning crew was there so she didn't really get to look at everything. I think she liked what she saw though. Friday morning Bri came over to watch the little ones while Matt and I went to the design center. Our appointment to pick everything out is next week. We only have 3 hours and they charge for any time over that so we wanted to get an idea of what upgrades we would be getting. That night Billie came over to stay with Brooke and Maddux while I went out for Sarah's birthday party. I had tons of fun, Matt wasn't able to go so I invited Cristina to come with me. Us moms showed those college girls up, they just sat there while we danced the night away. I guess when you don't get out much you make the most of it. Saturday I met Bri and my cousins up at the mall, then went to mom and dads to celebrate Greek Easter with them. For the last three days I have been been trying to catch up on everything from sleep to chores to just hanging out with my babies. This week should be pretty relaxed, just sitting by the phone waiting to hear from the loan officer. Below are some pictures of Brooke and Maddux in their Easter outfits.

SOLD!

I am proud to say that Matt and I are owners of an empty lot! Construction on the house will begin in the next few weeks. Matt went to look at the house yesterday and loved it as much as I did. he wanted to put down the earnest money right away but I talked him into waiting a day so we could talk about everything. We got up this morning and were even more sure about it than when we went to bed last night, so we drove out to the office and signed our contract! We are on a lot that backs up to a baseball field and is across the street from the park. There are already 7 officers in the neighborhood. On or way out this morning we met one of the sheriffs and amazingly ran into a lady who's son goes to Southwest Christian Academy. Billie used to tutor him. We are very excited about this next step in our lives. It was pretty nerve wrecking to write the biggest check of my life today, I can't imagine what closing day will be like. Here are a few pictures of our lot... I will be out there often to check on the progress and will post more pictures as we go. This is the baseball field out back...

We picked out the brick and trim colors today. We will go to he design center and pick out the interior things in about 2 or 3 weeks.Thank you for your prayers and words of encouragement both on the home buying and Matt's work. Love to all!

Prayer

Matt really needs prayer right now. He has been getting so discouraged about work lately. He loves his job and works really hard, he has even been offered a brand new "shop" (police car) as a sort of reward for being proactive during his shifts. The only down side is that the media has been giving our boys in blue so much flack lately. We don't get the newspaper so Matt reads articles on chron.com and the negative comments show how little appreciation people have for what they do. These men and women serve our city and put their lives on the line everyday and all anyone can do is point out the few bad situations that have occurred lately. It gives everyone on the force a bad reputation and no respect. It isn't just strangers who feel this way but people we know as well. I think if people walked in their shoes for one day they would see how hard it is on not only these men but their families as well. Matt has been on the streets for a year now and I still worry about him. My biggest fear is that someone will come to my door at 3 in the morning and say that my husband has been injured or killed. I have told him that if it comes to it I would rather him shoot than get shot, of course we both hope that it never comes to that, but in the area he works in there is that possibility. Please just pray that the moral of not only Matt but all police officers will not be crushed by the things being said about them and the way people treat them. I know that there will always be people critical of them but hopefully they will be able to see past that and remember why they do what they do.

That Feeling...

This is the only way I know how to explain it...

You have been dreaming of your wedding day since you were a little girl, now the day is fast approaching. You try on what seems like a million dresses. You have almost lost hope when the sales lady brings in one of her favorites. Looking at it on the hanger you can tell it isn't really what you had in mind, but you decide to try it on to make her happy. You get help with the zipper and turn to look in the mirror... you begin to cry. This is the dress, you feel it. For the rest of the day you can't stop smiling. It is all finally real and you can picture the rest of your life with your soon to be hubby.

I got that feeling yesterday. Billie and I drove out to a new neighborhood we saw online to see what they had to offer. Matt's time is so limited I wanted to make sure it would be worth him making the trip out there. We went into 3 beautiful model homes, they were either way out of our price range or a little too close to our max for my comfort. The kids were getting tired and hungry but I wanted to look at the last models before heading home, so Billie stayed in the car. I looked at the two two-story homes first, which were amazing!!! They were my favorite so far. Then I decided to look at the one story, it was more towards the middle of our price range and figured it couldn't hurt. As soon as I walked in I got THAT feeling. I walked through the rooms and I could picture this house with our furniture, our pictures, most importantly our family. I probably would never have looked at it if it weren't so conveniently located next to the big houses. All I can think of is how perfect it would work for our family. It doesn't have all the formals and play rooms that I had in mind but to be on the realistic side, there is nothing I dislike more than cleaning... fewer rooms would probably be best for me. The way the neighborhood is set up, no one has a neighbor behind them. Every lot backs up to a lake or a park. There are probably only about 20 houses complete so far and 5 of them are owned by fellow "men in blue" (cops). Everyone we passed waved, lots of young couples with children riding bikes, walking and just hanging out outside talking to each other. I even saw a girl walking two dogs like Jessie. Matt is interested, he will go take a look at it on Friday, but him being the practical one wants to look at more options. I know that is the smart thing to do but in my heart I feel like we will come back to this house. For the time being I am praying that God will help me to really see the other houses. I want to make the right decision, even if it means not building this house. I just wonder if I will get this feeling again.

Addiction

As I am sure everyone knows, looking at houses can be tiring and overwhelming. I thought if I started thinking about how I want to decorate my very first home it would keep me upbeat. I bought a few decorating magazines and started watching HGTV. I am addicted to that channel. Brooke watches her shows while I make breakfast and we eat but other than that every free chance I get it is on. I watch the shows about buying and selling houses, decorating indoors and out. The only problem is that now I want to take little things from almost everything I see and roll them into one. I think it will be even harder for me to settle on a house. I would really like an older ranch style home because they have so much personality and potential. But with older homes come the likelihood for major problems. I don't want that! I would love to build our own home but I am sure that it is way too expensive. I have found that most of the homes in Houston area are cookie cutter, it may not be the same as your neighbor but you can bet someone else on the street has the some floor plan. Why can't you have the best of both worlds? Newer and pre built with lots of personality and charm. I am sure I will walk into a home and fall in love with it when we actually start touring the houses... pictures online just don't do them justice.

I hope to take Easter pictures of the kids this week... weather permitting.

I'm still here!

It has been a while since I have blogged, a combination of not knowing what to say and not really having anything to say. I have noticed that no one I "follow" has posted anything new lately either. I guess everyone is on break. The kids are all doing well, Maddux is totally out of his sleeping stage and keeping me busy. Brooke is learning a new word everyday it seems like, today she came up to me and asked for a banana... it is nice to know exactly what she wants and not have to deal with crying as much. Jessie had a friend over the other night, Ziggy is her best friend. They spent all evening out in the yard running around. Matt has been working a lot, in fact he is leaving for overtime in an hour or so. Meagan and I went to see Les Mis on Saturday, I wasn't a huge fan but it was nice having a girls night out with my sister... Ms. Robin, you will be happy to know I almost finished my margarita at dinner (I don't think I can keep up with the grandmas but I am working on it :)! I have to go get dinner out of the oven but I hope to see some new posts this week!

overwhelmed

Have you ever had so many things going on in your life that you can't even think straight? It is taking everything I have to not retreat to my room and sleep until everything clears up. We are trying to get ready to buy a house, keep our current house in decent enough condition for the real estate agent to show it, keeping the kids occupied (Jessie being home has helped with that) and trying to reconnect with my hubby. They aren't lying when they say buying a new home, or having a new baby put a strain on any marriage... we are doing both. It's not that we are fighting, we don't have time for that. We just miss talking to each other and being able to hang out. He is working a ton of overtime and when we do talk it is about stressful things like filling out loan applications or calling the insurance company to make sure Maddux is covered. Our opposite schedules don't help things... I thought I would get used to Matt having night shift by now. We are in agreement that it is all in God's hands but at the same time God helps those who help themselves... we aren't going to wake up one morning and be in a new home. I guess all we can do is keep on keeping on, it is only a season. I said I wanted to become more dependant on God and He is seeing how serious I am about that.

The difference 24 hours makes!

It is so beautiful today! Not anything like this past weekend. The sun is out, there are birds singing and it is warm enough to wear shorts. This is the most exciting because I still can't fit in my blue jeans very well but I can wear my shorts from last summer. I still haven't been able to join a gym yet, we are waiting to see where we will be moving to in the next few months. Until then I will continue chasing kids and walking when it is nice enough outside. Today I will be doing my walking indoors unfortunately, we are in need of a wal-mart run and those are never quick. At least pushing the cart will help work out my arms. I guess I should go wake up my brood so we can get going. I hope you are enjoying your day!

A Means to an End...

Just be forewarned, I will probably not make much sense of this post as I can not repeat the entire sermon from today, but I will try my best to explain the things that stuck out in my mind most... with out writing a novel.

So I went to Riverpoint today, they had a great worship service that led into one of those rude awakening sermons... you know the ones that you need to hear but don't want to? The Sermon came from 1 Samuel when Saul became jealous of David and sent out his men to kill David. God said he would deliver Saul into David's hands and let him decide what to do. So we are in a scene where Saul is in a cave "taking a leak" (as the pastor ever so gracefully put it) and David sneaks up and cuts a piece of his robe off. When David went back to his men he felt bad for doing so and told his men that no one was allowed to harm him because, even though Saul was trying to kill David, Saul was still his master. I am sure you have heard the story, moving on. Even in the midst of his life being in danger, David saw God and trusted his will. He showed mercy to a man who surely wouldn't do the same for him. My troubles are so much smaller than David's and yet how many times do I forget the things he has promised me and screwed up. How does David keep from letting fear get the best of him? He could have easily killed Saul and been able to go back home and stop hiding... but he knew the things God had in store from him and let God take care of Saul. David doesn't use God as his way to become king, becoming king is part of his journey following God. Do I use God as a means to get to the end I have planned (my goals in life)? I want my ultimate goal in life to be to follow Him, and just let life happen. I am far from this point and I am only human. I know it will take a lot more work and dedication than I have probably ever put into my relationship with God but I am willing to work. Two things the pastor said that I think I will use to help me with my journey:

Don't just try to cope with difficult times, grow from them. Just coping will make you bitter. (Oh so true for me)

I am more interested in my comfort than my faith, God is more interested in my faith than my comfort. (We all know doing things God's way isn't always easy.)

Anywho... I really enjoyed church and I think we will visit again next week. Brooke really enjoyed it as well, she is becoming quite the social butterfly in the nursery. She loves being around other kids. I am off to bed now, it has been a LONG day, actually weekend.

Brrr... It's cold out there!

We went out to mom and dad's today for their 4th annual company crawfish boil. This is one of the events we look forward to all year, good food and good fellowship. It was wet and cold but we still had fun. Brooke and Davin were soaked cause they wanted to play outside where it was sprinkling, we couldn't keep them in the tent! We were tuckered out by the time we got home... Matt, Brooke and I missed the afternoon nap that we depend on these days. Hopefully Brooke will sleep all night. She has been running a fever for the last few nights so she hasn't been sleeping very well. She seems to be a lot better today so the odds are in my favor. I am going to church with Matt's mom tomorrow morning, which I am very excited about. I hate going by myself so I haven't been in a while. Brooke really loved Sunday school last week which really got me thinking that I need to get her in church now. I know she doesn't know the difference but I want her to grow up with the Christian values my parents instilled in me. I am hoping that if I have Billie to go with I will be more consistent in going. I also want to get plugged in somewhere. I really loved our old church but I didn't feel like I was plugged in anywhere. They have a great newlyweds group but I was normally the only one without my spouse there, and as a stay at home mom I didn't really fit with the college and career group. Billie's church is a little bigger than our old one so I am hoping to meet some other young mothers. I guess I will report on it tomorrow or Monday. I wanted to post a few pictures of Brooke in her new tent.