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.