Trombo Tales

Happy 3rd Birthday, my dear Hannah!

2011-09-07T14:09:00.001-05:00

It's been 3 years since the day you entered my life, and I have loved every moment of getting to know you, this beautiful person whom God created with such a rich, funny and caring personality. It amazes me to know all of YOU is bundled up in the little body of a 3 year old because you have a great big personality.

You constantly make us laugh, like the other day when Daddy had shaved his legs for his race and you said so sweetly as you caressed his soft skin, "Daddy, you are so beautiful." :) And then, when we took you to the zoo the day Chloe started preschool and all you wanted to see were the "Mangos" and the Tyrannosaurus Rex. And how you ask us over and over and over if we know what happened to Daniel and the Lions' Stand. Once recently, you saw me banging the ground with a garden tool trying to uproot a weed and you asked, "Mama? You spankin' dem ants?" You are so so so funny and you are so ready to laugh almost all of the time.

You are also very smart. You pick up on everything... when you choose to listen. A lot of times, you tune the world out and it's difficult not to get mad at you. I know you are not intentionally ignoring me but really absorbed into what you are doing in the moment. I wish I could see all the thoughts racing in your head in those moments. You've learned all of your ABC's but still get some of their sounds confused. And you know how to count to 18. You try so hard to know what Chloe knows, and when you don't, you are a good student for your big sister who teaches you with such patience. Not only does she teach you numbers and letters, but she teaches you how to do things and also about God and how He takes care of you. You remind us, but yourself even more, that He is always us and is watching over us. You do this especially when you are going somewhere where I will have to leave you, such as Sunday School or Gym class.

You are a little bit of a daredevil. You had staples in the back of your head this past year after you fell off the couch and hit your head on the coffee table. Though it happened 3 months ago, you still talk about it quite often. I think you loved that Daddy took you to the doctor then because you always mention it as if it were a special date. :) You still jump on the couch though... You also got on your bike and headed down the steep hill next to our house. You don't yet know how to use your breaks, and if the Lord had not brought a special person (who does not even live here!) to catch you at the bottom of the hill, we would probably still be dealing with the repercussions of that incident. The Lord proved to me that day that He has His hand on you and sees you.

Hannah, your sensitivity and caring spirit amaze me constantly. You exhibit such gentleness sometimes. You care for bugs so tenderly. Once I caught you closely watching an ant crawl up your arm. This is so drastically different than your sister. You just wanted to watch him and see him up close. You love animals just as much, but you are a little more timid around them because they are bigger. You are also so sweet and caring towards someone who is hurting or who is sick. You don't forget to check on them and ask how they are feeling without being prompted. You are very good at caring about others and not only having eyes for your own little world.

You and Chloe are so sweet together. I think you two are as close as you could be without being twins. Your daddy and I wanted for y'all to have this relationship and we foster it and encourage it because we know it will be so important through out life. Y'all have so much fun together and love each other well. You allow Chloe to have her way many times but you do it in a way as to not let her run all over you. So many of your qualities just amaze me because they seem far beyond your years.

I pray for you constantly, sweet Hannah, that the Lord would use these qualities to bring glory to Himself and that you would love Him so intimately. May the next year of growth and maturity be exciting for you as you spend less time with Chloe and find more of yourself. I am excited to continue to get to know you. I love you, little one!

Kentucky in April

2011-06-23T20:36:00.014-05:00

This is a LO-O-O-ONG overdue post that is very LO-O-O-ONG. In April, we took a road trip to my sister's house in KY for a week of vacation and for Easter. We had such a great time! It was very hard to leave, but we were glad that we weren't all tired of each other by the end of the 6 days. :)

The very first night, we ended up all sleeping on the floor of the basement together for the last half of the night because the tornado sirens went off. We carried all the kids down first after waking them from deep sleep. Then, between sirens, Matt and Jon ran up two flights of stairs to get blankets and pillows and flash lights and water. They even hauled the air mattress that Matt and I were sleeping on. After getting all settled, around 3 am, we hear a hisssssssssssing and realize that our air mattress has a hole in it! Once again, we get up and rearrange ourselves and finally get a little sleep before the kids are up in the morning.

Most evenings, we herded the kids to bed and the adults (and Josh) played games. Since my sister's and my birthdays had just occurred, Matt had a spectacular idea of getting a cake for us to celebrate. He decided we needed a double-doozy cookie cake from Great American Cookie Company. I think the kids got one piece each the whole week and we adults (he-hem... Matt) ate the rest. It was super delicious! And a great way to end each day!

We introduced Joshua to his boy cousins; Jude and Brennan were very sweet with him...

Tough stuff

Josh: "Ohhhh, so that's how you look super cool!"

***

We played at a park that had an awesome dog park and a community vegetable garden where you could plant your own section and tend it and reap from it. Very cool! And because it rains A LOT there, the gardens do very well. Everything was so beautiful, lush and green! Of course, the cool weather was a plus also!

***

My BIL, Jon, was able to be off for most of our time there, so we took advantage and drove to a forest to hike. We didn't do much hiking but it was still fun and the kids were still worn out.

Jon gets these ideas in his head; i think he and his boys are half animal...

Jude: "My turn, Dad?"

Can you spot the monkey in the tree?

Not sure what they're doing...

"Crouching tiger"

My Sista, Sally and her husband, Jon and boys, Jude & Brennan. I just love 'em so much! Sally is an inspiration to me as a wife, mom, friend, sister, person in general!! It says a lot that I look up to her since she is my youngest sister!

Sal & Brennan

... & Jude

This boy cracks me up! He's posing! Ha!

Goofy kids!

...more tough stuff

There's 4 years between us, almost to the day. I loved growing up with her. It's fun because there is just about the same difference in years between us as there is between Chloe and Josh. I remember trying to make her laugh as a baby; I remember just adoring her! She was a real life baby to play with! :) Now, she is one of my best friends.

***

Like I said, it rains A LOT in KY. We spent one morning at an indoor inflatable play-land. It's hard to get good pictures of people moving so there are aren't many.

***

Easter...

This is the best picture of the four of them.

Hannah is imitating Sally, who was trying to get everyone to look up. :)

Sweet brothers :)

Sweet Sisters :)

Jude & Brennan: "Are you sure this is going to work??"

Josh: "AHHHHHHHHH!"

I think Josh loves getting his picture taken as much as I do. I thought about doing this very thing in the family pictures we had to take.

The older boys were willing to give it a try and it mostly worked!

Easter egg hunting inside because of the rain...

Doing Resurrection Eggs with the kids.

I was very proud of them for not tearing into their eggs right away.

Except for Hannah... I think she opened and ate about 6 eggs before I realized what she was doing quietly over there. :)

***

Thank you, Estes family, for having us in your home for so long, for giving up beds and bathrooms and for involving us in your lives for a week! We all love all of you!

Happenings in Tromboville

2011-05-06T10:09:00.013-05:00

I just wanted to add some pictures of the last few months... ones that I love and wanted to share with you.

The Warrior Dash

Matt & I have decided to do 10 things together that we've never done together before in honor of our 10 year anniversary in June. We can't really go anywhere because of Josh, so this is a fun way to make up for it. We did the Warrior Dash In March, which is an obstacle course 5K. Many people dress up for it; we went as Mr. & Mrs. T. We put quotes on the backs of our shirts from The Mr. T.

I was only 2 months post partum so I felt a bit sluggish going around that course, but it was a lot of fun and we got COVERED in mud from head to toe. Afterwards, we cleaned off in a lake and then went to dinner at Cheesecake Factory. Thanks to my parents for keeping our kids (I first wrote "girls" but that doesn't apply anymore!).

I got a lot of comments on my beard. I kept wondering why people were staring at me and then, I'd remember. :)

Look at those beautiful eyes! It's no wonder I still get wobbly in the knees. ;)

Mary's shirt: "I pity the fool that goes home cryin' to his Mama."

Matt's shirt: "What's my prediction? PAIN!"

Yes, the Viking hats come with the race.

***

Hannah Banana loves to get in the dirt and mud, even in her pretty dresses and ballet clothes.

***

Fishing at Grammie's & Pops' pond

What they caught fishing... Just kidding! It was pretty yummy though!

Hannah playing dress up in Grammie's clothes.

One of my favorite past times when I visited MY Grammy's house.

One of Josh's favorite Aunts.

Mamie holding Josh

Grammie and Josh

***

Sometimes, I look at this child and wonder how I was so blessed to have a child with beautiful curly hair. Someday, she's going to look at herself and wonder just the opposite. :)

This poor girl was blessed with my mass of hair, but cursed with the most sensitive head on the planet. She is tormented by wanting to have it short with no tangles versus having it long like a princess.

Daddy's girls.

Can you see that Hannah decided to dress Matt on this Sunday morning? He already had shorts on, so she decided he needed a shirt and shoes. These are the ones she picked out... a dress shirt and dress shoes. And she wouldn't let him take them off.

***

Our friends Brad and Lauren came to visit and brought their little puppy, Maggie. Maggie, as a puppy, of course will put everything in her mouth and try to play with it. It became a saying that weekend to put something up high "so Maggie can't get it." Even though it's been a few months, every once in a while Hannah still says it.

The girls LOVE Mrs. Lauren. She is one of their favorites! :) We all love Mrs. Lauren.

The Babes - which is which?

2011-02-22T18:48:00.003-06:00

I changed the picture of Chloe. This is when she was a month old or so.

Joshua Matthew - His Birth Story

2011-02-16T11:07:00.013-06:00

Joshua Matthew joined our family on January 23rd at 7 lbs and 20.25 inches long. We are so blessed to have him with us now and are so thankful for a quick safe delivery! If you don't want the details, just skip the next part... :)

Joshua was born on his due date, which only happens about 3-5% of the time, so they say. It was a Sunday and that morning I started having contractions about 20 minutes apart. Though I'd had contractions since week 28, I think, these were actually on the mark, every 20 minutes. That gave me the first clue that we'd probably have a baby within the next 24 hours. They weren't bad; I didn't have to stop what I was doing or anything. Throughout the day, they got closer together... every 15 minutes, then every 10 minutes. They were about every 6 minutes by the mid-afternoon. I decided to lay down for a nap on the couch and they went back to every 10 minutes.

Contractions aren't comfortable, but they are even less comfortable when your 4 year old is trying to brush your hair and your 2 1/2 year old is climbing in your lap and pushing on your belly. I was having to push them away sadly, but they weren't understanding. So I sat there, after my nap, in labor with my girls glued to my side. It was very hard to concentrate on being relaxed as they got more intense!

I went ahead and told my parents that they could make their way here since they had a 3 hour drive and it was getting late in the day. Matt's mom called just before 6pm to see if she could take the girls for us. Matt declined since we didn't really know how much longer it would take. Well, not 5 minutes later, I had a very intense contraction and my water broke! I immediately hit the floor, on my hands and knees, thinking first about messing up my couch! I quickly realized that was the least of my concerns because my contractions went from 10 minutes apart to 1-2 minutes apart!! And they became VERY intense! I could hardly get to the bathroom. Matt called his mom back right away and I finished gathering a few things, barely able to walk, and then headed to his truck to wait. Lyn got there within 15 minutes, if not sooner, but it felt like an eternity. All I could think about was trying NOT to have the baby in the truck as I had contraction after contraction with only about 30 seconds in between them.

Finally, we headed for the hospital and I made Matt keep his hazards on. (Some people are just so rude by the way. You'd think that a person coming up behind you with their hazards on and on the road that takes you to the medical center, that MAYBE you should move over and not create a blockade with the car next to you!) Anyway, Matt pulled up to the ER entrance because we knew I couldn't walk; the security guard tried to tell us that we needed to drive around to L&D, but Matt wouldn't have it. Matt had to go park the truck so the security guard, who I don't even know, talked me through the two or three contractions I had on the way to L&D. He was very kind. Within 10 minutes, I was in a delivery room. The nurses hopped to it once they realized how quickly I was progressing. I was only dilated 5 cm once they finally checked me, but within 15 minutes, as I let my body relax more, I was already to 10. I asked for some pain meds but no epidural; there wasn't time anyway. The nurse said it'd only take my pain level down to an 8 from a 10, but I really prefer them for the effects they have AFTER delivery. Thankfully, the doctor on call, who we couldn't get a hold of initially was found and he got there just in time.

At 7:05pm, I started pushing, but it took a few times and lots of readjusting to get comfortable. Once I was where I needed to be, it took two major pushes and out he came at 7:25! The doctor let Matt announce to me that it was a boy and I was thrilled! ... also a little bit scared as our new life of raising a little BOY flashed before my eyes! Matt had picked Joshua's first name, but he let me pick the middle name, so I chose Matthew, after his daddy.

Here are some pictures...

My favorite moments after having a baby are finally holding them in my arms and being face-to-face with the one you've been getting to know distantly, in a way, for the past 9 months.

Happy Daddy!

The girls LOVE, LOVE, LOVE their new brother! Hannah kept singing Happy Birthday to Joshua and Chloe kept saying, "I finally have my brother! See? I told you it was a boy!"

I don't think she could be more excited!

Hannah had separation anxiety from Mommy, so she sat in my lap most of time they were visiting. She didn't want to leave my side for a while.

Chloe feeding Josh. I made a bottle especially for the girls to have this experience.

A funny story... I was burping Josh one time and Chloe said I wasn't doing it right (I guess because it was taking a while for him to burp). She asked to hold Josh so she could show me how to do it. As I supported him, she showed me how to pat his back, which is exactly what I was doing, and now takes full credit for teaching me to burp him. She said, "I showed you and now you can do it by yourself next time!"

Hannah and Josh. These two are going to be great together! Hannah already says, "I can't wait for Josh to get bigger and he can jump wif me on de bed!"

Mommy trying to spend time with the girls and keep things as "normal" as possible, although they really aren't.

Our new little family of 5!

The girls are adjusting well! Chloe is always incredibly happy having Josh around. Hannah has more of a rough time not being able to come sit in my lap when she wants to all the time. But I've tried really hard to make it a point to snuggle with her when I have empty arms!

Joshua is sleeping fairly well. He's now making it 3-4 hours at night versus 1-2 at the beginning. At first he was constantly hungry and I thought I would never make it if that was how he'd always eat, but he's leveled off now.

We are excited about the dynamic a little boy will bring to our family! Thanks to all of our family and friends who have provided meals and child care over the past few weeks as we adjust! We love you!

Matt's Half-Ironman - My Superman

2010-11-26T22:11:00.006-06:00

Matt fearlessly conquered his first Half-Ironman in November. It was only his 3rd triathlon ever; the other two he did in July- a sprint tri- and October - an Olympic tri. When the man dreams big, he dreams big. He did it in about the time he hoped for, slightly slower, but only by 30 minutes. Considering the first place man finished in 4 1/2 hours, I think Matt did an excellent job finishing in 6 1/2 hours after less than 6 months of training. I mean, the man just got a bike last April and just learned how to swim with proper technique this past summer. He has also been finishing his Bachelor's degree, started a new job this fall, and practically cared for all three of us girls this summer while I had morning sickness. And he did it all while not neglecting his family. If you need a lesson in Balance, talk to him! He seems to have mastered it! He is just amazing to me. :)

Here are some pictures of his day...

Hannah helping Daddy get ready.

Realizing how freaking cold the water is going to be.

He was one of the only ones who opted NOT to wear a wetsuit.

Getting ready...

There he goes!

He says his body went into shock when he hit the water. He couldn't breathe or move for a minute.

Check 1 - Finished the 1.2 mile swim.

Now for the 56 mile bike ride.

His bike at the transition area after he left for his run.

Now for 13.1 miles running... or jogging, I should say.

A smile on his face as he finishes.

What a haus! :)

(That was actually on his high school letter jacket... "Haus." ;)

Still standing, a little bloody, but he did survive...

...enough to make the 1/2 mile walk back to the car.

I am SOOOOO proud of you, my love!! You challenge me and inspire me and push me to a whole new level in all areas! I am thankful to have that constantly in my life.

Our First Sleep-Over

2010-11-08T13:18:00.005-06:00

A little while ago, we had our first sleep-over. Our friends, The Hvass', let us keep their girls for a night while they enjoyed a childless evening and morning. It's something that my mother-in-law does for us on a regular basis so we thought we'd pass the favor along since we enjoy it so much. The girls had a really good time together and I think they REALLy enjoyed having friends to play with the moment they woke up. Since we have the crib set up and an extra twin bed in there that are not yet being used, it was the perfect time to host a baby and a toddler. Everyone was very well behaved. The only hard moment was when Chloe took a hard fall outside and scraped her knees and hands pretty badly (for a 3 year old, at least). Here are some pictures from our morning...

The girls watched Mickey Mouse Clubhouse while I fed Natalie her bottle.

I tried numerous time to get a picture of all four girls together, but these are the best I took.

After watching a show, they all decided they needed to dress up for breakfast. We have Hannah H., aka Fairy Princess, Chloe, aka Snow White, and Hannah T., aka Sleeping Beauty and of course, Baby Natalie, who looks like a real-life babydoll. We had a royal breakfast of toast and jam and fruit. :)

Flour Power

2010-10-19T22:56:00.005-05:00

You see, Matt looks so sweet and awesome in this picture below with Chloe and Hannah; they adore him. And he is pretty wonderful... for the most part.

But then, he has this evil, cruel side of him that preys on his pregnant wife when she is trying to play an innocent game of hide and seek with her children; the woman who can't move quick enough or run fast enough to get away from his torturous schemes because of the life growing inside of her that will bring him more daddy-adoring offspring.

You cannot see it, but he drenched all of us, including his poor children, with the hose. The sweet little ones did not know how to react to their father laughing cruelly at them as he hosed them down. Then, as if to seem apologetic, he retrieved towels from the house, yet it was all part of his evil plan for he returned with a hidden bag of flour amongst the towels and proceeded to dump it on me, the little girls' mother, in front of their eyes. The poor souls now have no idea what to think of their father for he has played a mean trick on their mother. Thus, their rose colored glasses are scratched and they must now face the reality of HE who is their father... a man who started it all, over 10 years ago, when he dumped out a bag of leaves that I had just raked from the yard just so that I'd go to lunch with him. What the heck was I thinking?

Just simple silly stuff

2010-09-28T22:25:00.004-05:00

Chloe has a weird imagination when it comes to making up names. She will definitely NOT be naming our new baby. :) Few people get to experience this with me, but this weekend, at my parents' house, they witnessed it. Matt became "Sha-nini from Tanini" which, she explained, is in China, and he was also my mom's cousin. For some reason, I couldn't stop laughing and I began to cry. She became concerned and got a Kleenex to wipe my tears, which then made me laugh more. It was just one of those moments that ended up being funnier to me than it probably was to any one else. But it was good opportunity to teach her that some people cry "happy tears."

Tonight, Chloe called me into their room because Hannah had taken off her diaper, which is a common occurrence at night now that she's potty training. I go into their room and Chloe has changed into her outfit for tomorrow; Hannah is buck-naked and trying to put socks on. They have such a great time in that 1-2 hours before they fall asleep at night. We don't restrict them to their bed because they really have no other time when they are "locked" (not really locked but required to stay in there) in a room together, forced to work things out themselves. It happens to usually be the most peaceful time for them too, when they seem to get along very well. I wish I could be a fly on the wall sometimes to hear them interact in that room.

Tonight, I also dropped my cell phone in their room and didn't realize it. Chloe brought it to me after a while. Matt, who came home after they'd gone to bed, walks in the door with a big grin on his face and tells me he'd just had two conversations on the phone with Chloe and that his mom had tried to call me to say that Chloe had just called her too. :) I asked Matt if he told Chloe to bring me my phone, but he said that she kept saying she'd get in trouble if she came out of her room so she would not bring me the phone. I suppose this means I should tell her to never use my phone without asking either!

I can't remember the other stories I wanted to write down. Maybe tomorrow!

Trouble with the tongue

2010-09-21T19:59:00.004-05:00

I'm writing to share that Chloe burnt her tongue on a candle today. I was thinking she was a tad bit smarter, but obviously the attraction of the flame was just too much. After blowing the candle out (which she had to get up on stool to even see), she touches her tongue, for some unknown reason, to the glass jar that it was in. Maybe it's because it was a pumpkin pie candle and she was hungry... I don't really know. She spent the next 20 minutes with her tongue in a glass of ice water and that seemed to take away the pain completely. So if ever this happens to you, you know what to do now!

A few pictures of the munchkins who love and "hate" each other more and more everyday...

How Chloe fell asleep the other night

Cheese!

Everyday, I ask myself, "What am I going to do with that hair?!"

Can I stick to it?

2010-09-08T21:09:00.002-05:00

I so enjoy reading other peoples' blogs, keeping up with their crazy lives and somehow feeling better about myself afterwards, now knowing that I am not the only one who has issues. I'd really like to chronicle the lives of my growing children and of their mom and dad, who figure the parenting thing out day by day, or sometimes maybe not at all. I'd really like to chronicle God in our lives and be able to look back and remember, like in Nehemiah 9, the good and the bad times, but always the consistency of Him being there. I hope I can stick to it. I am not so good at sticking to things unless I have some accountability with people expecting results. I'd say I give myself a lot of grace when it comes to not following through. We'll see how it goes. I make no promises though once Baby #3 comes in January. Right now, I'm hungry and need to shower before MOPS tomorrow. Adios!

Picture Post

2009-12-07T20:12:00.011-06:00

These are just random pictures of our last few months. Enjoy!

That little girl LOVES her daddy!

Just had to share this face with you.

Visit from Aunt Amy

Hannah loves to tickle her own belly-button. Here she is saying, "Tckle, tckle, tckle."

Camping with Brad and Lauren

Notice the little person at the other end from Matt who is trying to help.

Chloe had them trotting like horses through the "rainforest" as we looked for Diego. ;)

Lauren is trying to attract the local wild life.

Chloe enjoys her first Smore. She thought it was yummy!

Fun Outside

Halloween

Hannah stands

2009-09-03T13:32:00.003-05:00

So she's a little behind her cousin Brennan who is 3 weeks older and is walking very well. But Chloe didn't walk until 14 months either. I'll be excited for the day, but we are celebrating every moment!!

Brad and Lauren Snead's Wedding

2009-08-23T15:46:00.007-05:00

Chloe was the flower girl in Matt's best friend's wedding on Friday. Matt was a groomsman also. We were so privileged to be a part of their big day. We are so thankful for their friendship. Here are some of our pictures of the rehearsal and the wedding day. I didn't include all of them because the bride and groom have yet to see any of them possibly.

Chloe practicing walking down the aisle.

Chloe waiting in line for her turn to go.

The wedding day, on our way to get ready.

Daddy and Chloe

My smokin' hot husband :)

Mommy and Chloe

Daddy and Chloe again

Lauren and Chloe

Chloe was so excited to be the flower girl!!!

She loves Lauren and Brad and often asks about them.

Matt and Brad, the groom.

The flower girl

Brad and Lauren Snead

It took forever but Chloe finally took a picture with Brad and Lauren.

I wish Hannah could have come to be part of these great family pictures, but thanks to Matt's Mom, we were able to leave her at home. I don't think I could have handled having them both there!!!

It was a beautiful day and a beautiful wedding! We had fun and Chloe did really well as a flower girl. Once Mr. Brad coaxed to her to come toward the front, she took off straight to Daddy. She also danced into the night at the reception. I am so proud of her because she was so well behaved and did really well staying up very late two nights in a row.

Congratulations, Brad and Lauren!!

Hannah

2009-08-13T10:50:00.009-05:00

Happy Birthday, Sweet Hannah!

I can't believe this day is already here! You are growing so quickly that I cannot keep up with you! We have not been as quick to push you to do new things as we were with Chloe because we now understand how fast you will grow!

You are such a joy to my heart! You are always smiling or laughing; even when you are upset you will grin at me through your fussiness. You are just so goofy, too! I can't help but laugh at you and your mannerisms. Everything you do is so light-hearted! You catch on to things so quickly; I only have to show you once or twice and you proceed to do it yourself! You LOVE your sister Chloe soooo much and light up when she gives you attention. You girls make each other giggle and laugh. Your light heart is good for the melancholy spirits of Chloe and I. I can't tell you enough how thankful I am that you are in my life.

My prayer for you is that your happy heart is tempered with a sensitive and compassionate spirit, that you will love people well and see beyond their flaws to who God sees in them. Your name is a reminder of God's promise and His Grace. I pray that you will cling to His promises as you grow and come to know Him and that you will pour out His grace to those around you as you have experienced it yourself.

I love you, dear one. You are precious to me.

Love,

Mommy

I just had to add this picture of Daddy when he was little.

You two are two peas in a pod! You look like him, you act like him, and you even eat like him!! The same things he doesn't like, you don't either! :)

San Fran, CA

2009-08-03T21:27:00.032-05:00

Matt and I left the girls with my parents and flew off to San Francisco, CA for 5 days. We went because we had signed up for the San Fran Half Marathon that was on that Sunday so we decided to make a vacation of it for just the two of us. It was my first time to leave the girls for that long. It was hard to leave them and I nearly wanted to back out, but I knew my husband would not feel like he's number 1 to me if I sent him to San Francisco by himself. :)

**Day 1**

At the airport waiting for our delayed flight to SF. It's so foggy there!

Matt with "Roxy", our rented VW. He wanted to match our car. :)

The view of the bay outside of our window.

Can't you see it? That little patch of dark blue to the veeeeerrry far right.

Our hotel room at the Westin.

I have to brag. I got our room for $60 a night. It was by the airport but that really did not bother us. We drove Roxy for the first 3 days and after that, we were just a ten minute walk to the BART station in Millbrae, CA, which is where the hotel was.

After a jog along the bay, we headed up to the city to check it out and have dinner.

This is a theater downtown that we almost went to.

Cool building, but I don't know what it is used for.

I like old architecture but nothing is that old in San Fran because in 1906 there was fire that spread throughout almost the entire city. Most everything was built since then.

Pier 39

Matt and I at Pier 39. Unfortunately the sign is behind our heads. :)

It was so stinkin' windy and cold so one of the first things we did after dinner was go buy San Francisco sweatshirts.

Still Pier 39

The view from our restaurant window.

This is the K-dock which is famous for the hords of sea lions that congregate there to sleep and relax.

The view of the city from our restaurant on Pier 39.

Pier 39 Carousel

View of Alcatraz from Pier 39.

I was to afraid to go because Matt was talking about actually touring the prison itself. No way! It would have been nice to tour the bay though on a boat.

Fisherman's Wharf

Us in our new SF sweatshirts.

Another view of the city

**Day 2**

We took a day trip down to Monterey to see the bay and the Aquarium. On our way, we stopped in Santa Cruz for lunch and a stroll. We ate at the BEST pizza place called Kioni's. It was sooooooooo good! The Monterey Bay Aquarium was also wonderful. It was way better than Sea World and well worth the 1 1/2 hour drive to it from SF. The facility is made for children so it made us both miss our girls even more!

A street in Santa Cruz

Another street.

actually, probably the same street, just a different view.

Santa Cruz

Monterey's Fisherman's Wharf

Monterey Bay is behind us. There is also a little sea lion on the rocks behind my head.

The shoreline at the Bay

Another view of us and the Bay

A penguin at the Aquarium.

This Orca jumps out of the water below just for pictures. :)

Beautiful jellyfish

More beautiful jellyfish

Sea horse

Did you know there are many, many different kinds of Seahorses? They had just about all of them at the Aquarium, I think.

Little Seahorses (not babies)

They really are tiny and they mate for life. You can tell which ones have chosen their partners because their tails are intertwined.

Monterey Cannery Row

**Day 3**

This day was our favorite day. After going to the expo to pick up our race day packets and to drive part of the course, we took another day trip while we had Roxy up north across the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito and to the Muir Woods National Park where the tallest trees in the world are. They are Redwoods and are related to the Giant Sequoias. The Giant Sequoias are larger around but are not quite as tall. We ate lunch (pasta, of course, since it was the day before our race) in Sausalito, then took a shuttle to Muir Woods. It was a very curvy road and we both got a little car sick. But the fresh air in the woods and a little snack helped us recover quickly. We took a 4 or 5 mile hike through the woods and mountains. It was probably in the upper 60's. I think we both finished getting relaxed here, in the peace and quiet of the trees. We both realized how much we have missed the out doors. We wanted to spend another day or two hiking if we could have. Thankfully, the hike didn't ruin our legs for our race!

Golden Gate Bridge

Muir Woods

Yes, we are standing in front of the TRUNKS of those trees behind us.

They are hollow inside.

Me in a trunk of a tree

(Here, Sally, you can save this pic. We didn't get one of us putting our arms around one, but maybe this will do to show the enormity of it!)

**Day 4**

Race Day!! I woke up at 3a.m. and couldn't fall back asleep for the 3:30 a.m. alarm. We needed to leave by 4 or 4:30 to drive downtown and park in time for us to get to our corrals so that we could start at the correct time.

Below is the only picture we got of the two of us before the race which was taken by a girl who was standing near us who happened to be from Austin. Matt finished in 2:02:18 and I finished in 2:12:55. I just couldn't believe I went 1 1/2 minutes faster per mile than my long runs at home. It really makes a difference running in 50 degree weather versus 80 and 90 degree weather! The hills were not a problem for either of us since we'd been running them at home which was good because the last 4 miles was one hill right after the other.

This day was my second favorite day. After the race, we drove back to our hotel room, grabbed lunch on the way, took hot showers, I took a nap while Matt returned the rental car, and we lounged in our hotel for the rest of the day. We took a dip in the hot tub that afternoon which felt awesome to our weary legs. We ordered pizza in for dinner and rented Angels and Demons. It was great to be able to lay around and not be expected to do anything.

**Day 5**

We headed back to the city to do more sightseeing since we'd only seen the piers so far. Matt wanted to take me to the Wells Fargo Museum. As some of you know, Wells has been around for a looooooong time as they ran the first stage coach system in the West. The Bank has been around since 1852 and was one of the first banks during the Gold Rush Era.

After the bank and some lunch, we rode the old cable car toward the west of town but it ended a lot farther away from where we thought it would so we decided to walk the rest of the way to Golden Gate Park. On our way we took a few detours so we could see other sites in the city. We walked through The Fillmore district which became famous during the Jazz era. We walked to Alamo Park to see the Painted Ladies (think Full House). And then we walked some more. We probably walked 5 or 6 miles just trying to get to the Golden Gate park and my feet hurt sooooooo badly by the time we got there. Most of the attractions were closing soon by the time we got there, so it wasn't worth it to pay to see them. We did go to the Japanese Tea Garden and it was very pretty. If only people would respect areas that are meant for quietness and calmness, it would have been a lot more peaceful. We stopped and had Jasmine Green tea and a snack in the garden and that was a nice experience.

The day and the trip ended with a taxi ride to Union Square where we ate Cheesecake Factory and took desert back to the hotel.

The bank where the museum is in San Fran. There is also one in L.A.

One of the old stage coaches

Blackberry, old school.

(Thankfully, Matt DID leave his at my parents house.)

Grace Cathedral

We thought the gargoyle type things were pretty interesting on a church.

A cable car and the street that I am thankful we did not have to walk up. :)

Matt on the cable car waiting for the ride to begin.

The view back down the street from the top of the hill.

That's Bay Bridge in the back ground which goes to Oakland.

In front of the Painted Ladies in Alamo Park

At the Japanese Tea Garden

Beautiful landscape and architecture

**Day 6**

We traveled back to my parents' house and to the heat with great anticipation to see our girls. They did very well away from us for that length of time. When Chloe saw us she ran from way far away to give us hugs. She wouldn't let go of my neck for a while. We were so happy to be together again! After dinner with Mom and Dad and Amy, we drove the 3 1/2 hours home to a hot house and no A/C!! If only we'd known! But thank the Lord, it was repaired the next day.

Back in Texas

Thanks to my parents for watching the girls for us and providing a safe, comfortable place for them to stay. Thank you to everyone who supported us and prayed for us during our trip and our race!

Sweet Sisters and Cousins

2009-07-20T15:31:00.010-05:00

In June, me and the girls went to my parents' house to spend about 5 days (?) with my sister and her girls who were visiting from out of state. Here are some pictures from our visit.

Trying to get the big girls to all sleep together.

It didn't work unfortunately! The idea sounded good to them for a little while though!

Lala, Kaye, and Grace

Beautiful Grace. She has such a sweet personality, so fun and laid back.

Grace and me looking at pictures on the camera. Grace is learning how to take pictures.

At one point we didn't know where Gloria went. Then we saw her quietly sitting on the rocking chair eating her grapes. She is independent yet needs physical affection to restore her. She is quiet unless she is tired, but she smiles and laughs so easily!

Cowgirl Chloe (sitting next to Princess Grace)

This is the "castle" that my dad borrowed from a friend. It had never been outside so my dad felt he shouldn't use it outside either. He literally squeezed it into his living room. It barely fit!! But was a blast to use! I just wish we could have had it when Jude and Brennan were there!

Kaye, Lala and Chloe playing play-do. They played so well together the whole time.

Sweet Halle!

She loves to giggle and smile! I really enjoyed hanging out with her and can't wait to see how her personality fits into all this craziness!

Chloe and Gloria, again, playing so well together.

Hannah and Halle

Do you see the size difference?!?! Hannah's only 8 months older than Halle but she is twice as big!

We really enjoyed cousin time (and sister time!)! The girls did very well together. I wish it hadn't ended so soon! We love you, Birdies!

The WHOLE Gang (minus Matt)

2009-06-21T16:41:00.011-05:00

In the beginning of June, the girls and I went to my parents house where all of my sisters and their families already were. We had an excellent first few days with all the kids together; they entertained each other well and played very nicely. They have a tipping point though and right now it's at about 3 days; at least it is for Chloe.

Anyway, we had lots of fun watching and listening to the older kids, Jude, Grace and Chloe, interact. It was especially rewarding to watch a sweet interaction between them such as sharing a toy or doing something for another or taking turns without an adult doing any prompting.

The big kids at the pool. Thanks for the picture, Sally!

Kaye's girls have tu-tu's so they shared them with my girls. Grace wore hers ALL the time, non-stop. She is truly a little princess.

Gracie in her princess pj's, tutu and awesome tights!!

oh, of course her tiara!

You can tell Hannah is not so used to the frilly stuff. Look at that look on her face!

Who does she look like? Is it Shera or Wonder Woman? I think she is just trying to be a Super Sleuth from Tigger and Pooh!

****

One evening we spent outside playing with rocket balloons that Uncle Jon bought for the kids. You blow them up and then let them go and they shoot into the air; where they fall, no one can know. Many of them landed in the neighbor's yard behind us so Aunt Amy went to rescue them. I don't think she knows I caught a picture of her doing this. She is just proving she is still so much of a kid at heart!

Grace sharing with Hannah

Part of that afternoon was spent racing. The big kids went back and forth, back and forth over and over again. Jude would say, "On your mark, on your mark, on your mark, Go!" I have it all on video but it won't upload to the blog. It was a lot of fun and used a lot of energy!

Uncle Jon felt the little ones were missing out on the fun!

And there goes Lala with Aunt A

****

The five of us girls, or should I say Women, were able to go out for an afternoon together while the babies slept. We had a sweet treat at Le Madeleine's and then went to Charming Charlie's to find some "stuff." Thanks, Mom, for the treat!!

Amy, Kaye, Sally, and Me with Hannah-banana.

We were actually cracking up because Amy had set the camera up on a timer so that no one would have to come take the picture for us. But that attempt failed when Scott jumped in front of the camera and we got a nice picture of his butt. To avoid any more hassle (thanks, Scott), Ken, Amy's boyfriend, picked up the camera to take the picture but we'd forgotten to take it off the timer setting. We sat there for 10 seconds smiling and trying not to laugh before it would take the picture again. I know that story's not funny to anyone else, but we were really trying hard not to laugh.

****

My Momma, aka Grammie, aka a great cook

****

Pops always has a kid or two on his back or in his arms.

Hannah really liked spending time with Aunt A.

In fact, all the kids love her to death!

I got to spend sweet time feeding little Halle (rhymes with Sally), my newest niece.

She is so tiny! But I'll have to say she was very well behaved. :)

Jude is definitely all boy but he has such a sweet, caring, and sensitive side that will win him a great girl someday!! After we took the big girls out one morning, we came back and Jude runs up to them and says, "I'm so glad to see you!" Then, he puts his hands on Grace's cheeks and calls her "Sweet darlin". :) What a great kid!

Dear Gloria... she always has at least one shoe on. The girl loves shoes!

I am so glad these girls love each other. Chloe went with Sally and Jon the night before Hannah and I went. I was told that when Grace saw Chloe, she ran to her and gave her a BIG hug!

Thanks, Grammie and Pops, for letting us invade your house! It was so much fun to be with everyone again!

Eight is not Enough

2009-06-08T19:59:00.007-05:00

Sometimes, I take you for granted. Sometimes, I speak to you as if you'll always love me, always be there for me, as if your feelings don't matter, but only mine do. Sometimes, I serve you only grudgingly as if it is an annoyance rather than a pleasure, a sacrifice rather than a blessing. Sometimes, I forget to be thankful for or recognize how hard you work to provide for our family without complaint, how PRESENT you are as a father and husband, how sensitive you are to my emotional ups and downs. Sometimes, I can't believe that I actually get to have you as my own, that you actually want to be committed to me for as long as we both shall live, that it's not just out of obligation to our vows but also out of desire for me.

...but you remind me everyday, you tell me everyday, you prove to me everyday how unceasingly and unconditionally, how steadfast and long-suffering, how confident you are in and how thoroughly you love me. It is through and through; not an ounce of me doubts it. Your love heals me and protects me; it carries me when I am down and takes my load when it is too heavy. I know it comes from the very deepest part of you. You have taught me of a greater Love even without you knowing it or pursuing it because It is such a part of you.

Eight years is NOT enough. I thank the Lord for every moment with you. I thank you for spending your extra moments with me. You bless me just with your presence. I am excited about the next 8 or 50 more!

Happy Anniversary, dear Love!

I love you!

Mother's Day, a curly head and more...

2009-05-17T21:34:00.010-05:00

I rarely ever get pictures with my girls, it seems. We were just sitting outside waiting for Daddy to finish mowing the lawn. I'm glad he ran in to get the camera. I love you, Chloe and Hannah!

Chloe LOVES to play cars! She asks to play almost every day and she picked out cars as her new toy with Gramma at the store the other day rather than anything else. But don't think she's too much of a tomboy yet... Daddy had to wear the pretty pink hat in order to play with her. :)

****

My Mom had had a hard week before Mother's Day so we went to surprise her spur-of-the-moment and showed up at her house 11pm Friday night. My dad knew we were coming, but she had no clue. I hope she didn't have plans for a nice relaxing weekend! ;) Here are some pictures of our time there. Unfortunately, she and I didn't get any pictures together.

Grammie, Chloe and Pops (the angel)

Doesn't Grammie just look beautiful in this picture?

I wish Hannah had made it into this picture, but she was sleeping.

Hannah's hair is even more curly than Chloe's was and it seems to be growing up, all on top of her head.

This is Hannah's goofy face that she makes when she gets excited. While she makes it she breathes really quickly in and out of her nose so you can hear it. I really need to catch it on video. It occurs multiple times a day and just makes me laugh every time!

Enjoying breakfast together.

Reading a book before bed time with Daddy. Reading with Dad is one of Chloe's favorite things to do.

Chloe wants to do whatever Hannah gets to do so she wanted to wear Hannah's hat. Silly goose, it doesn't even fit!

Ways they make me laugh...

2009-05-04T08:09:00.004-05:00

I am sorry I haven't written a good update in a while. I just have so many little things to say but not any huge long story, the list keeps getting longer and longer and more overwhelming.

I'll start with Chloe...

I LOVE having a two year old!! Yes, she is obstinate, incredibly independent and loves her personal space. But she is so quick to catch on to everything! She is very observant and not quick to speak. Chloe loves to dance and is learning to sing. She is also still in love with Bob and Larry from Veggie Tales. She has become so considerate and caring and always has her own opinion (imagine that!). The other day I was leaving to go out and she looked at me and said with excitement, "I love your green shirt, Mama! You look so pretty!"

Chloe is so sweet to her sister. She shares her goldfish with Hannah so that i don't have to keep reaching over the stroller to give Hannah her snack. They give each other hugs and kisses. They stay up in their room playing and entertaining each other when they should be going to sleep. :) She is also a 2 year old though and has her moments of selfishness and greed. She is big on personal space so it is taking some time for her to actually want Hannah around to play with toys and such. She doesn't like it if Hannah touches her. But she's getting better about that.

Saturday was Matt's birthday, but I hadn't made cards yet with the girls as of Saturday morning. While I was out on a run, Chloe went and found a card that Amy had written to me. Matt saw her go get her box of crayons and take the card into the guest room so that she could decorate the card in secret. She came out and brought the card covered in blue crayon to Matt and said, "Happy Birthday, Daddy!" She did this totally unprompted. She has such a sweet heart and loves her daddy sooooo much!

Every weekend, Matt and Chloe have a special date together and go to the library to pick out books to bring home and read that week. Chloe looks forward to it all week long and is so excited to spend alone time with Daddy. Sometimes, they go eat Subway afterwards or run some errands together too. We have found it is something she needs. When she doesn't get quality time with him, she gives him the cold shoulder... really! She won't give him hugs or kisses and she very obviously prefers me to him which it is usually the other way around. For a week we couldn't figure out why the sudden change, then we looked back at how late Matt had been working and how he'd been gone on the weekend as well. Chloe is very much like me in that way.

Chloe is speaking pretty well, but she has some words she can't say of course. We have fun with that, although I probably shouldn't admit that. ;) Matt has been trying to correct her when she says a word wrong, but I'm not so strict about it. I love it when she says "oakameal" instead of oatmeal or "shuggle" instead of "shovel." Pretty soon you find yourself saying it the exact same way. :)

Hannah is hilarious; she has a very happy heart! She smiles so easily and is very cuddly. She has this funny face she makes that I can't help but laugh at! I need to get it on video. Within the past few weeks, she has started rejecting baby food and will only eat "big-people" food; she pulls herself up to standing; she drinks from a sippy cup mostly by herself, and she says, "Da! Da! Da!" very excitedly and does a little dance when she sees Matt. :) She loves her daddy too!

I am starting to wean my sweet little baby, which I have very mixed emotions about. The girls are staying with my parents in July for about 5 days while Matt and I go to San Francisco. I am so excited about the freedom, but I hate the idea that I won't have an excuse any more to just sit and do nothing while I cuddle my little cuddle bug and provide for her needs from my own being. Neither of us are quite ready for it so I am trying not to push it. But I also want to honor Matt by doing it in time for SF. In my mind, having Hannah weaned in time for this trip will show Matt that I am first his, then theirs.

I have been very bad about taking pictures lately (I took a total of 2 on Friday at our first trip to Seaworld ... 2!! I am so mad at myself!), so I am going to be more intentional about it now. I'll add some more when I have more.

Love to you all!

Thank You, Jesus!

2009-04-09T22:59:00.004-05:00

Matt and Hannah

2009-04-09T22:54:00.003-05:00

Do you see a resemblance?

Look-alike Meter

2009-04-09T22:50:00.001-05:00

MyHeritage: Family tree - Genealogy - Celebrity - Collage - Morph

Look-alike Meter

2009-04-09T22:44:00.001-05:00

MyHeritage: Look-alike Meter - Free genealogy - Free family tree software

Giggles

2009-02-27T14:27:00.002-06:00

A Visit From Our Dear Estes Family

2009-02-27T13:46:00.004-06:00

My sister and brother-in-law and their boys came to visit us for a few VERY short days last week. It went by way too quickly, but we REALLY enjoyed having them here. Sally and I got to spend more time together (sans kids) than I had anticipated, thanks to Jon and Matt. It filled up my heart. Time with her is refreshing to me. She was gone for a year and it was hard to connect heart-to-heart through the telephone or internet. Being able to just "be" for a few days and enjoy day to day life together was great. We also had some fun and some laughs which is always good for the soul. :) Here are some pictures...

Little B (Brennan) is so funny! He smiles at everything and everyone. He doesn't like to play by himself. And he can bend all kinds of ways and he is SO strong! He started crawling this past week! Go B!

"Arrgg, Matey!"

Chloe is big on personal space. Jude isn't.

We wish that we could capture this wonderful smile on camera all the time, but Sally caught it right after his usual camera smile, just before he stopped smiling. What a good looking kid!

Silly-ness. What the Estes' call the "Happy Asian Face." :)

(Which they can do because they are Asian. :)

Me and Sally

Sally and Chloe... Sweet lovin' time.

Sally and Chloe. Sweet Silly Time!!

Something made her laugh... I have no clue.

Crouching Tiger

The REAL Little People.

Jude is explaining something to Chloe, but who knows what it is!

The Little-er People

Just before Sally and Jon left, Sally and I walked outside to find Jon sitting with the kids in the grass. It was a sweet moment. Chloe LOVES her Uncle Jon. She even pee'd on him 3 times while they were here. You don't pee on just anyone, you know. Only the ones you love. :)

More Cuteness

2009-02-22T19:51:00.002-06:00

Here is another story that I will have to delete one day...

Chloe has started squeezing her eyes shut when she poops. It looks fake to me, and I don't know where she picked it up. Anyway, what else do you do with your eyes closed? You pray. So the other day when I first saw her doing it, with her eyes squeezed shut, trying to poop, she starts praying, "Thank You for Grammie and Pops and... (she looks up at me) BIG POO POO!! .... (she closes her eyes again) ... Grammie and Pops and Amy."

She cracks me up.

25 Random Things I Love about You, Matt

2009-02-12T19:47:00.007-06:00

You love me so well; so much better than I deserve.
Your laugh is contagious. I can't hear it without at least smiling, even when I'm mad at you.
You are sooooo hot.
You are right most of the time, so I know I can trust your decisions.
Although you are right most of the time, you still let me be right some of the time.
You work very hard and you are determined to be indispensable at your job.
You are good at everything you do... except yoga. :)
You are incredibly intelligent and your mind works so fast.
You love our girls completely and are "best buds" with Chloe.
You come home from work every evening in a good mood, whether or not you've had a bad day or not... that's something I need to work on and really admire of you.
You are very sensitive.
You value my job as much as I value yours and you let me know this.
You have GREAT legs!
You like things to be organized and you like to be productive, but you'll also just sit on the couch with me and watch T.V. while the dishes aren't done and paperwork needs to be filed in the office and Chloe's toys aren't put away.
You are my very best friend... I'd rather be with you than anyone in the world.
You make me laugh ALL the time.
You are good at asking questions.
You do everything 120%, which can be exhausting at times but is very motivational as well.
I am in-love with you, even after all this time. It shows me how great a guy I have.
You come home to your family every evening instead of going out with co-workers or to happy hour.
Chloe wants to be just like you. She looks for you first every morning even though you're usually already at work. She wants to drink coffee and she says she's going running because that's what Daddy does.
Your eyes make me melt; they are a gorgeous blue and say a lot to me, mostly about how much you love me.
When I am in your arms, I feel I am in the safest, most comforting place in the whole world.
You love me exactly the way I am and help me to realize all the pressure I feel is put on me by myself alone.
You are running your second half-marathon... through your training, I have seen determination, discipline and strength of mind and body that I have not seen in you before. It is a dream come true for me that you want to go on running dates, that you want to eat healthy and enjoy when I cook healthy meals, that you want to be a healthy role model for our children and you see the importance of that lifestyle.

I love you more than my life.

I am a better wife, mother, daughter, and friend because of you.

I wouldn't want to do life without you.

God has blessed this family by giving you to us as our leader.

Happy Valentine's Day!

She's listening...

2009-01-18T15:58:00.002-06:00

A conversation we had today...

Matt got home from his 10 mile run and I gave him a hard time about how stinky he was. A little later, he was stretching near the couch while Chloe and I sat on it.

Chloe: Daddy's yucky.

Daddy: What?

Chloe: Daddy's yucky.

Daddy: Well, fine. (In a sassy, yet joking manner. Then, he left the room to stretch elsewhere.)

Chloe to me: Daddy has a bad a-i-tude.

*******

We always talk to Chloe about having a good attitude versus a bad attitude and how she needs to fix her bad attitude when she is grumpy. I guess she is paying attention when we talk!

The Chlo-ster - Happy Birthday, my sweet love!

2008-12-17T16:16:00.004-06:00

First day

First camping trip

First Tae kwon do tournament

First Elmo

First deer ride

First bike!

SECOND BIRTHDAY!!!

Happy Birthday, my precious little girl! We love you more than words could ever describe. Though I was always told that by my parents, I never understood it until the day I met you. You mesmerize us, you enchant us, you have our hearts. No day will ever go by that you are not loved.

Lord, thank You. Thank You. Thank You for this precious Gift.

***********

Happy Birthday, Gloria!!! I am so thankful for your life and the sweet spirit inside of you! I know you from afar but that does not mean I love you less!!

Potty Training

2008-12-12T19:52:00.003-06:00

This is one of those posts I am going to have to delete before Chloe can read. :)

We have been potty training Chloe for a week now and she is doing really well. We are down to fewer and fewer accidents every day and I am so excited! I am so sick and tired of PEE!! I thought I'd share with you a few of our "fun times" as we are going through this stage:

1) The other day, Chloe was helping me unload the dishwasher and ended up peeing INSIDE the dishwasher.

2) I was transferring her laundry from the washing machine to the dryer when something fell on the floor. I thought is was maybe a rock so I picked it up. It was NOT a rock.

3) Chloe has figured out a way to keep me from putting panties on her: keeping her feet as far apart from each other as possible.

4) When Chloe wipes after going pee-pee, she says, "Gotta wipe the honey."

5) Chloe keeps calling the Disney Princesses on her pull-ups Jesus.

Chloe & Hannah Update

2008-11-10T20:53:00.002-06:00

Chloe is almost 2 years old, but a lot of people mistake her for already being 2 because she is tall like her daddy. She is very quick to learn right now and she repeats everything she hears. She can count to 10 with a little help, but is still learning colors and letters. She refers to herself in third person most of the time, so she calls herself Chloe, or she'll ask herself a question as if she is prompting you to ask it. For example, she'll say, "Hungry, Chloe?" or "Me help you, Chloe?" or "Cookie, Chloe?" and then she'll smile real big and say, "Okay, Chloe" to answer her own question. She makes it sound like it was all your idea in the first place.

Chloe LOVES to be outside, go on walks, play with balls, look at cats, try to climb trees, watch the boys on our street play ball (She'll point to them and very excitedly say, "Boys!!"), run around and fall in the grass, play at the play ground, play with her baby dolls, watch me cook dinner, draw and color and dance with Daddy. She has a good imagination - she has started making her farm animals talk to each other and she plays "mommy" to her baby dolls(*** see story below). The other night a neighbor brought over their 4 week old kitten to show Chloe. They named the kitten Chloe after my Chloe (their dog's name is Grace, like cousin Grace, and the boy's name is Scott, like Uncle Scott - Chloe is quite confused with it all, I'm sure). Anyway, Scott brought a football with him and Chloe paid no attention to the kitten; all she wanted to do was play with Scott's ball! I think we have a little tom-boy in the making! When Matt is home on the weekends, she gets so excited to watch football on T.V.!

***Matt, Chloe and I were in the living room hanging out together. Chloe picked up her cabbage patch doll and started patting it's back. She whispered, "it's okay, baby. it's okay. sorry, baby, sorry." We thought it was odd that she was saying sorry to baby when she had done nothing to it and she was being so sweet. Then, all the sudden, she raised baby above her head and whacked its head on the coffee table!! Matt and I were laughing so hard (silently) that we were in tears! We didn't want to encourage this behavior so we tried to keep her from seeing us laugh but it was soooo funny! Then, Chloe made her sad face and picked up baby and patted its back again saying, "it's okay, baby, it's okay." She definitely did not learn this from me just in case you were wondering. I do not condone banging your child's head on the coffee table!***

Hannah is growing fast! We looked at pictures of Matt last night of when he was 3 mths old and they look exactly alike! I plan to scan one in and post it next to her picture so you can see. It is amazing! She is working on rolling over right now but has a ways to go. She has a very pleasant spirit and smiles and coos at me all the time. She has started to notice Chloe a little more which is exciting because that means she'll stay entertained! She is the exact opposite of Chloe, as in Chloe did not like to be rocked to sleep; Hannah can't fall asleep without it. Chloe did not want to be held all the time; Hannah always wants to be held. This means Chloe has never been a cuddler, but Hannah is all the time! Chloe was/is very independent so it'll be interesting to see how her personality shapes Hannah's personality.

Sorry that there are no pics with this post. I just wanted to give a little update on how the girls are doing since my last few posts have been just pictures.

Random stuff because it's easier to post that way...

2008-11-05T09:59:00.008-06:00

With the second kid, and thereafter I'm sure, you have to make it a point to take pictures. I was looking at my pictures of Chloe from the last (almost) 2 years, and I have them divided month by month for her first year; then after the first year, they are divided by event. Poor Hannah... her ONE folder is called "Hannah pics".

Anyway, here are some pictures of our last few weeks. Keep in mind they are in reverse order.

This is what happens when a baby has a big sister. You come back into the room finding either less or more on Baby than when you left the room. Hannah didn't seem to mind the headband too much at first, but then it started poking her in the eye. At least it matches, right?

Chloe wanted to wear her own headband also. She could be a Rocker from the '80s... except for her Darby and Pooh shirt.

This is what happens when Hannah is with Daddy... always, without fail.

Matt's mom says Hannah looks exactly like Matt did when he was a baby. Chloe's and Hannah's baby pictures no longer look very much alike. Chloe was so much a mixture of the two of us that you couldn't tell who she looked more like. Hannah looks exactly like Daddy, but is short like Mommy.

******

Trick or Treat!

Chloe went as Darby from My Friends Tigger and Pooh (the little girl who replaced Christopher Robin, for those of you who are not up to date on your Disney shows). We put her in our neighbor's wagon and piled all her Winnie the Pooh characters around her. She did very well. Matt would walk her, hand-in-hand, to the door and tell her to say "Trick or treat!" She wouldn't say it. The next day we were going shopping and Matt made her hold his hand in the parking lot and she all the sudden said, "Trick or treat!" in the meekest little voice! Little Love thought we were still getting candy!

In the above picture, you'll see Chloe's hands folded together. That's her new thing while she is waiting or riding in the stroller or the car. She'll sometimes twiddle her thumbs too.

Chloe and her neighbor friend, Sara Kate, are inspecting their loot. We went to Sara Kate's house after trick or treating for their annual chili cook-off. I didn't make any, but we had chili originating from Texas, Georgia, Alabama, and California. I have to say I like Tanya's (Sara Kate's mom) the best, even though she is from Georgia. ;)

Chloe stole my Broncos jersey. I had to post this picture because it's one of the few times she was actually smiling for the camera!

*****

Month of Birthdays

The month of October was filled with 3 birthday parties for Chloe's friends. Sara Kate's was first at Pump-It-Up and then Aiden's was at the same place the next weekend. Chloe was last there in March when she was about 15 mths old. Now she is 22 months old and she enjoyed it so much more. She wore me out though because she wanted to do the most difficult things over and over and over again, including the ladder below. It was part of a bigger obstacle course that ended in a steep slide. She had no fear. I have realized that although she is very adventurous, she is careful and is very observant before she tries to tackle something. It's like she runs it through her mind before doing it.

Above is sweet Sara Kate. She has such a darling personality. She ADORES Hannah and constantly attends to her when she is with her. And she is so good at sharing her toys with Chloe. Soon, SK will have her own baby brother to love on!!!

Chloe's friend, Aiden was way too fast for the camera to get any good pictures.

The last party we went to was a little girl in our playgroup who is Chloe's age. Her birthday was on Halloween and we had a fun party of pizza and cupcakes! (I couldn't get my blog to upload any more pictures for some reason.)

Picture Post

2008-10-20T13:02:00.003-05:00

Chloe & Mommy making cupcakes

Hannah & Aunt Amy

Chloe LOVES spaghetti!

Mommy & Hannah - she kept trying to put her hands over her face so I had to hold them down.

Aunt A & Chloe

Grammie teaching Hannah how to play Settlers

Hannah fell asleep with her head resting on Pop's hand

Chloe in Pop's shoes

Chloe didn't want Daddy to read TO her...

She wanted him to read WITH her.

Two peas in a pod. :)

Happy Day, Gracie Girl!!

2008-10-06T15:29:00.004-05:00

We hope you had a fun weekend with Grammie and Pops and at your birthday party!! You are such a sweet, joyful spirit and I wish we could know you better!!! One day, we will never have to be apart!!

Happy Birthday, Gracie Girl!

Random Picture Post

2008-09-20T18:26:00.008-05:00

Hannah Elizabeth

Mommy and Hannah hanging out on the couch.

Special Grammie and Hannah time.

Chloe decided she wanted to "play" with Hannah so she climbed in beside her.

Chloe's first attempt at assembling Mr. Potato Head, aka "Toe Head", by herself.

Chloe sporting a cool outfit which include a few of her favorite things:

Aggies, America, and Bob & Larry

"You can't resist me, Mommy."

Hannah at about 5 weeks.

Chloe somehow knew instinctly that you are supposed to climb trees, so Gramma helped her get up into this one at the park. Chloe likes to play with dirt, climb trees, and throw balls. I think we have a little tom-boy developing...

Oh, and she loves to watch football with her daddy! Go Broncos!!

Chloe enjoying the swing. I took it from a long way away so it's pretty fuzzy.

Mommy and Chloe watching the other kids play at the park and enjoying our beautiful weather.

One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish

2008-09-09T21:00:00.003-05:00

Is anyone else reminded of the song "My Humps" by Black Eyed Pea when you read the following Dr. Seuss excerpt? Yea, you just try to read it now with out that beat in your head...

"Bump!

Bump!

Did you ever ride a Wump?

We have a Wump

with just one hump.

But

we know a man

called Mr. Gump.

Mr. Gump has a seven hump Wump.

So...

if you like to go Bump! Bump!

just jump on the hump of Wump of Gump."

How can I read this book to Chloe now without "My Humps" song getting stuck in my head? I can hardly make it through those two pages now with out bobbing my head to the beat. Then, I realize what I'm doing and start laughing. I'm glad Chloe remains clueless because I'd hate to have to explain that song to her...

Good bye, my dear sweet friend...

2008-09-06T09:42:00.005-05:00

My dear Ally... we miss you already. Lucy does too. You were her best friend, and you were always there for me. You were our first "child". I remember the day we found you in the pound in College Station; you were shaking from fear and you would not move; you were skin and bones. What drew us to you? I don't know, but we knew we wanted to rescue you, love you, and protect you. You wouldn't move from the same spot on the floor for days. Then, you eventually moved to the couch. You wouldn't eat out of a bowl because you were afraid of it so for a good 2 years you ate directly off the floor. Goofy, dog. :) You always had your quirks. You would not go to anyone but me for a while and then, you finally felt safe with Matt too. We made a small family and you allowed us into your circle of trust. You allowed me to cry to you through the years of a difficult marriage, then miscarriages, anger at God, and moves, and you were in my circle of trust. You heard things that I never told anyone else. Your circle widened to include my whole family as they showered you with love over the years. You eventually became our little hostess when people came over, sitting so politely as if you wanted to join in on the conversation. You went from being introverted and fearful to being loving, compassionate, playful and sweet.

I will miss your sweet presence, your peace, your hand shakes, your snoring, the way you would hop around before we went on a walk, the way you'd stop abruptly in the middle of our walks to lay in the grass in the shade. I will miss the way you flattened your ears out to the side and, with your tubby body, looked just like Yoda. I will miss your contagious smile. Anyone who really knew you would agree that you were the most well-behaved, disobedient dog. You knew the rules but you did only what you wanted to do.

I can't thank the Lord enough for the season of life that included you. Now, that season is over and we have to move on... as little as I'd like to move on without you, my friend. I personally don't believe that dogs go to heaven; I believe that your job is specifically for here on earth. But I have no doubt that you guys are used by the Lord to minister to people, that He uses you to touch our lives. Through you, He did. Thank you for your friendship, your loyalty, and your love. Thank you for loving my girls. You will always be in my heart.

I love you, Ally. I miss you.

Sweet Sisters

2008-08-15T20:14:00.006-05:00

Chloe on her Birth day

Hannah on her Birth day.

Just so you can compare them. I think they look like sisters. :)

Chloe loves Hannah. She wants to be near her, looking at her, pointing out her body parts, giving her a blanket, anything she can do! She looks at Hannah while she sleeps and whispers, "Sleeping." Chloe tried to pick her up already (which we know she can do because she started picking up Matt's 6 lb weight ball this week and throwing it. Maybe she's watching too much of the Olympics. :), but thankfully, I stopped her. The two pictures above are actually amazing because it is very rare that Chloe will actually look at the camera and smile! We'll update with more pictures and some videos as we have time and energy!

WAAAAAAAZZZAAAAPPPPP HANNAH!!!!

2008-08-14T10:29:00.007-05:00

Hannah is here! She arrived at 8:33 Wednesday morning to this bright world; 4 weeks before her due date. She was perfect, 10 fingers and toes, 6 lbs 9 oz (exactly the same as Chloe) and 18in long. She has great strength in her neck and muscles (from Matt's sculpted physique of course); she is nursing super well, and the nurses are stating she doesn't even look like a preemie! We're glad she came early or we might have had a 9lb baby instead!

A special thanks to the Grandparents. Grandma Trombley had agreed earlier to watch Chloe when we went into labor, but I'm sure she didn't expect to get the call at 2:37AM!!!! She was awesome though, and made the trip (normally 15-20min) in 11 minutes from the moment we called!!! She watched Chloe all day for us while we took care of Momma and Hannah and she did it all with a smile, and lots of sweets for Chloe! :)

The Achgill clan also rushed into action, going into work super early (4:30 am) to be able to drive over and meet Hannah and take over for Grandma Trombley last night. All three of them even kicked in to help clean a bit since we didn't quite have time to straighten up at 2:30am.

And the biggest kudos goes to Mary. She was AMAZING! She took on her contractions head on and showed them who was boss! When it was time to push, Hannah came out so fast because Mary pushed soooo well. Hannah took slightly longer than Chloe to come, but Mary did so well I think she's ready for 10 more! :) Just kidding.

Anyways, we are getting to know Hannah, who may look like Chloe but has her own Hollywood smile and funny faces, and trying to recover from one of the greatest moments of our lives.

2008-07-24T21:09:00.004-05:00

Welcome to the world

Brennan Ezekiel!!!

We love you and can't wait to meet you!!

Love, Aunt Mary, Uncle Matt, Chloe, & Hannah

Weekend Picture

2008-07-10T21:17:00.005-05:00

A picture Amy took during our 4th of July weekend with Grammie ("MiMi"), Pops ("Bops"), and Amy (Amy is actually "Amy")...

Chloe and Bambi

(Such a great picture, Amy! Thank you for getting it!)

Some Anniversary Fun, Father's Day, and a Few Videos

2008-06-17T16:40:00.009-05:00

Matt and I had our first weekend away last weekend and stayed downtown over night. Saturday morning, Gramma, Matt's mom, came over to stay with Chloe and we went to lunch, then headed downtown to find our hotel and spa. We had a couples' massage Saturday afternoon. They offer a couples shower or sauna before the massage, which I explained to Matt beforehand. His response to this was, "But I already took a shower today." So romantic.... Anyway, the spa place wouldn't let me do either anyway since I'm pregnant. This was Matt's first massage and thankfully, his went well. I think my girl was afraid of me (being pregnant); she bruised me on my neck and shoulders and barely touched my legs and feet, so I didn't enjoy mine too much and wouldn't recommend the place to anyone. Matt did enjoy his and says he would go back. It took me 8 years to convince him he'd like it and now he's talking about what kind of massage he'd like to get next time. :) If only our husband's would listen to our advice the first time!

After the massage we saw a movie and then checked into our hotel; it was just too stinkin' hot to be outside and enjoy the Riverwalk. We headed to Ruth's Chris steakhouse for dinner reservations; they seated us downstairs in a secluded area and called us by name and everything! It was so nice! They give you a complimentary cheesecake for dessert with "Happy Anniversary" written in chocolate on the plate. Everything was so delicious and we were stuffed by the end of it! Those are the only pictures we got of our weekend unfortunately as seen above in the slide show. We tried walking down the Riverwalk afterwards but we were so hot and it was sooooooooo crowded that we could not even walk next to each other or talk. We finally went up to the street to avoid the bigger crowds. Just like an old married couple, we retired to our room by 10:00!

Sunday, we woke up late enough to make it to Pappasito's just before the crowd came so we could get Matt his Happy Father's day mug. Even though we were without Chloe, we still decided to go. We then saw another movie and headed home afterwards to spend sometime with our daughter before the day was over. All in all, it was a great weekend and nice to be away for a night. I had to literally keep myself from thinking about Chloe, or I'd start missing her so much.

Thanks, honey, for the lovely weekend. I enjoyed just being with you no matter what we did!

When we got home, Chloe was taking a nap so I was chomping at the bit for her to wake up so I could hug her! Matt and I went in to her room to surprise her and the first person she asked for was Gramma!!! Though I wish she had missed me more ;), I am so thankful she is attached to Gramma and loves to be with her. It does make leaving her so much easier. When Gramma went home, Chloe cried her eyes out!

Chloe and Matt shared some time together after she gave him her gift and card. Chloe loves to sit and stand on Matt while he is lying down. Whether he is on the floor or on the couch, she treats him as her own personal jungle gym. She plopped herself on his stomach on Sunday and wanted to read books with him.

Then they enjoyed a lovely picnic together at the coffee table. Chloe rarely ever wants to be away from her daddy's side when he is home. She follows him from room to room. She also calls him on her cell phone when he is gone. Chloe LOOOOOOOVVVVVVES her daddy!!

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Sally asked me recently to post videos of Chloe so here they are....

This video is of Chloe and Daddy playing together.

Chloe loves to go get Daddy's socks for him and this time wanted to put them on since Daddy had just put his on.

Still going strong...

2008-06-09T20:00:00.003-05:00

Matt and I have been married for SEVEN years now! I can hardly believe it! I look at my husband and I am more in love with him than I ever was before. What a blessing that is! Thank you, Lord, for your faithfulness to our marriage! He knows we've been in drought at times in the past, but He has led us to years of plenty. We have both only become more full and rich side by side than ever we could alone. I am so thankful for this man who knows me so well; even in my darkest of nights and even in my brightest of days... he knows me well. He leads us and guides us, and I would go to the earth's very end to follow him. He covers me, protects me, loves and cares for me; he is safety and comfort and tenderness, yet a rock to me. His touch gives me rest and peace. He has shown me how to love; how God intended love to be between a man and woman, a husband and wife. He has been a picture of Christ to me.

Matt, you are my mate for life. I love you.

Our new addition

2008-05-21T19:46:00.003-05:00

We have finally decided on a name for our new addition to the family. Her name is now...

Hannah Elizabeth

Hannah means GRACE and Elizabeth means GOD'S PROMISE. We are confidant that the Lord has great plans for her and pray that she experiences His grace early on and relies on His promises to lead her throughout her life.

******

Yesterday, I asked Chloe if she could say Hannah. She thought I said banana and let me know she wanted some to eat by pointing at the bananas and signing food. We are working with her on that. At least tonight, when we asked if she loved Hannah, she said, "Yeah." But then again, she also loves bananas. :)

Our week with the Birdsells

2008-05-16T13:11:00.008-05:00

Kaye and Mary

At the end of April, Chloe and I visited my sister, Kaye, her husband, Scott, and their two daughters, Grace and Gloria. It was our first time to meet Gloria, who shares Chloe's birthday, only a year younger. Chloe LOVED her immediately. She quickly learned her named and called her "Laa-La" the whole time we were there. Two weeks later and she still asks for "Laa-La" just about everyday. She would give Laala kisses without provocation and she would try to feed her a bottle and give her a paci. She would bring Laala a blanket and just be so sweet and gentle with her. I caught this picture of one her sweet kisses for Laala:

Gloria is so sweet; she has a very sweet disposition and is very laid back. She really only cries when she's hungry or has gas. She loves all the activity that goes on around her, and she loves attention and cuddles! She looks so much like her daddy! I wonder how different these two girls will be because Grace is a little daredevil, very adventuresome. If she can't reach it, she finds a way to reach it. And she'll test every limit; she's very independent. But Miss Gloria seems like she is just the opposite so far!

We tried to play outside a lot to allow Grace, or "Dace", and Chloe to run off some energy. They would switch between playing in the toy jeep and sliding down the slide.

Grace & Chloe

Me & Gloria

Grace is only two months older than Chloe so we considered trying to have them sleep together since they both sleep in "Big Girl" beds, which is actually a twin mattress on the floor. We tried several times, and each time the girls would go back and forth between playing together, destroying the room, and fussing. Eventually, they both fell asleep right behind the door and we had to wake them up to be able to put Gloria in her crib. Then, of course, they wouldn't go back to sleep. We decided after several tries that we'd all get better sleep if they were separated. To make a long story short, Chloe ended up taking the queen size bed that I was to sleep on and I had to move to the couch. She evidently likes her space when she sleeps.

Grace & Chloe chilling out on the bed

I have to explain this next picture. If you look closely, Grace has her foot up behind Chloe and is looking right at Chloe. She is planning something... The next moment, Chloe is face down on the floor after Grace has kicked her off the chair. You think they are so innocent... until you meet Miss Grace. ;)

If you watch closely, Chloe gets her payback...

Unfortunately, I left my camera at home, so I don't have any more pictures of our week yet. We really enjoyed being with the Birdsells. I enjoyed the few times that Kaye and I weren't too tired to have a nice deep conversation also. I hope we can see you guys again sooner than later!! We love you, Birdies!!

Happy Mother's Day!!!

2008-05-11T07:50:00.004-05:00

Happy Mother's Day to YOU, Mom!!

Happy Mother's Day to each one in this picture as we've all been "mom" to each of the children!

(I know... this picture is WAY pre-pregnancies, but we all look good! :)

My Biggest Loser

2008-05-05T09:54:00.014-05:00

I am writing this blog because I have to share how INCREDIBLY proud I am of my wonderful husband and the journey he has taken since last June to make himself healthy.

When we dated, Matt was slim and trim. He still had his football-playing figure. He even played college football for a season at ETBU while we dated long distance. Below is a picture of us heading to our first date at the Underwood's wedding in July 2000.

Once we got married and he went from being a waiter at Chili's, on his feet most hours of the day, to an 8-5 office job, naturally he began to gain a few pounds. By December 2003, he hit his max, we believe at over 300 pounds. Here is a picture of us at Christmas that year.

Soon after that Christmas, he began Tae Kwon Do and lost a significant amount of weight, bringing him down to the mid-200's. But for some reason, we did not continue to attend that school and the interest was lost. The pounds again piled on. Matt's two favorite staples were and always will be pizza and ice cream - not good "dieting" foods. He was also very focused on his career and single-minded in pursuing success in it, so health was not his priority. Matt also hated any form of exercise that did not include some type of sport; he absolutely hated to run.

In my mind, having a health degree, I struggled with his lack of concern. It hurt my feelings in a way because I felt like it was his responsibility to do what he could to make sure he was around longer than the age of 40. He is also at risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease because both run in his family. At the age of 26, he already had high cholesterol. I saw it as selfish and uncaring to not make his health a priority. Most people who are overweight don't think of it as being selfish; they don't see how it can affect the lives of the ones they love. Losing Matt early scared me and I prayed for many years that he would desire to be healthy again.

Once Chloe came along it became even more of a heart breaker for me to see him not care so much about his health because now he was responsible for her life as well. Here is a picture a few days after Chloe was born in December 2006...

Matt had always talked about how much he enjoyed Tae Kwon Do and how he'd like to do it again someday. When we moved here in February 2007, we happened to move just down the street literally from the same Tae Kwon Do school that my brother-in-law, Jon, went to growing up.

In June 2007, Matt received several hurtful comments from co-workers about his weight. They were saying these things in jest, but he internalizes words just like many people do, so he took them to heart. He realized his need to change so he signed up for TKD classes, three times a week for one hour each. He quickly realized that he was not conditioned to fight; he was slow and uncoordinated. He knew that in order to be up to par with the rest of the adult class, he had to do some homework. He slowly took up running on the treadmill; as much as he hated running, he knew it could get him results faster. Plus, he could do it at home. At that time I was still trying to lose my baby weight, the last lingering 10 pounds that would not go away. My friend, Rachel, asked if I'd like to do a half-marathon in November, so in July, I began to run again on my treadmill. I could barely go 10 minutes, but I began to see results right away. Matt and I kept each other accountable and I was always encouraged to see him run. When I didn't feel like doing it, I'd see him running and it'd spur me on to continue to get to my goal.

Matt also watched more closely what types of food he ate and how much. He ate many of the same foods as always but cut back his portion sizes significantly. He also would opt for a healthy snack rather than running out for ice cream or candy. Don't get me wrong, we still have pizza and ice cream at least once a week, but instead of devouring a whole large pizza himself, we split a medium. He still eats his fries too, just half of them. And he has tried to cut down on eating out, so I try to have healthy meals for him at home as often as possible. He is also drinking a lot more water. And he has educated himself on knowing when and what to eat and also how to anticipate hunger so that he can plan to have a healthy snack ready.

Matt began to have to cinch up his size 46 pants with his belt and his 3XL shirts were hanging off of him. He got comments at work a lot, but he was determined not to buy new clothes until he reached a certain point. Finally, I just bought him some cheap pants so that at least once or twice a week, he would not look so silly trying to keep his pants on. :) He wouldn't let me buy much though. He just kept shrinking and shrinking.

In March, Matt proudly hit his goal and has lost 90 pounds since June! He has not ceased to have people come up to him to congratulate him and let him know how good he looks. People that he worked with years ago, see him now and rave about him. It has evidently gotten around the Wachovia campus here, which employes several hundred people! Our friends and family are so proud too. I knew people were noticing when my girlfriends started making comments about how good my husband looked! ;)

I have seen a HUGE change in Matt as well. His confidence has increased; his energy level is so much better. He has become an all around better father and husband since he now has it in him to love on Chloe and me when he gets home from a long day at work. He seems more balanced, if that makes sense, more calm and less stressed about issues with work or home. Our marriage has never been better either. I look forward to so many more years with him and praise the Lord for his transformation. I look forward to being active with him and finding hobbies that we both enjoy. I look forward to being good, healthy role models for our girls (yes, we are having another little girl in September!). The Lord has blessed me so much through this man He gave to me to love, honor, cherish, and respect.

Here are a few pictures of the "after" Matt from our recent trip to the zoo:

Matt will be competing in the National Tae Kwon Do Championships in July, if a nagging injury doesn't keep him from it. And he continues to run a few times a week, going faster and farther. He also swims every once in a while and will probably do so more this summer with the pool opening. I still haven't convinced him to run a half-marathon with me (I was never able to run the one my friend invited me to). His thinking is, "Why the heck would I run 13.1 miles for no reason?" Evidently, he doesn't LOOOOOVE running yet. ;) But I am thankful he does it.

I hope Matt's story encourages someone. He has definitely inspired me and continues to inspire me. He even holds me accountable to what I eat and how much I exercise. :) I never thought that would ever happen, but God is good and He is far more than capable of changing us.

My Sweet Love

2008-05-02T05:11:00.002-05:00

Happy Birthday

to my very best friend in the whole world!!!

I love you.

I'm so lonely I could Cry......

2008-04-27T22:51:00.002-05:00

This week Mary and Chloe are visiting Mary's sister Kaye in Florida. While this leaves me free to pursue whatever Manly pursuits I wish, (eating snacks, rearranging the furniture for maximum game playing, watching the NFL draft for 4 hours straight) it also really sucks. So I made a list of the top ten things I miss about Mary and Chloe when they leave me.

Top Ten Things I miss when Mary Leaves

10) Her Cooking

9) The smell of her hair after she washes it

8) Making her laugh, and getting to listen to it

7) Her pregnancy moments (recent developments)

6) Her "Mary" moments (permanent development)

5) Pre-Sleep Discussions

4) Her Touch

3) Looking into her eyes

2) Coming home kisses

1) Sharing days with my very best friend

Top Ten Things I miss when Chloe Leaves

10) Tickling her, and hearing her laugh like crazy

9) Reading books with her

8) Driving up to the house and seeing her recognize my truck

7) "DADDY!!!!"

6) Going home for lunch and sharing lunch with her

5) When we're on the floor and she runs up to give me a hug

4) Helping her find her pacifier during the night

3) Watching her explore news things and experiences

2) Teaching her new words, and working on her puzzles

1) Her sloppy kisses!

Come home quickly my girls!

Matt

Time Flies

2008-04-10T15:36:00.015-05:00

I'm sorry it's been so long since I last blogged. We've been fairly busy with birthday parties, doctor's appointments for all three (actually 4) of us, out of town trips, out of town guests, and so on.

In early March, we went to Pump It Up for Chloe's friend Naomi's 2nd birthday. Daddy got to take her on all the bouncy stuff. Since I was only 14 weeks or so pregnant, I chose to sit it out and just take pictures. If you know Chloe, it's very difficult to get any picture of her looking at the camera so we didn't have very many good shots of the party. By the way, isn't my husband studly? I must say he looks so hot, but I'll blog more on that later. :)

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Chloe never lost her baby hair as some babies do so it has just kept growing and growing and growing. First, we did hair clips with bows. Then, we did one pony tail to the side. Now, we are at two pig tails. She is very good at letting me do them because she HATES having her hair in her eyes. It is long enough to go almost to the end of her nose. She looks like she is one of The Beatles when her hair is down.

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In March, we had our friends Brad and Lauren visit us a few days before Easter, and we were able to go stuff ourselves silly while watching the Aggies play and win their first game in the tournament. For Easter weekend, we visited my parents and sister, Amy, and had a nice time with them. Matt and my dad played golf, admitting that since by the end of hole 9 they had hit the ball enough times to equal an 18 hole game, it was probably time to stop. They figured they played twice the game for half the money. :)

Me and my sista

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Chloe's and my most recent trip took us to visit our friends, the Greenes. Shanna, Michael and Jonathan hosted us for 3 days a few weekends ago. Unfortunately, Chloe's and Jonathan's napping schedules were quite opposite, but I think we made it work pretty well. Jonathan is a very flexible little man. We made a trip to the mall for some lunch on Friday and played at the indoor playground. Friday night, Shanna and I splurged and ordered 3 pieces of cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory, drove 30 minutes to go get it while dragging our little ones with us, then drove 30 minutes back home to put the kids to bed and enjoy our treat! It was delicious and so fun!

Sunday afternoon, we went to the duck pond and park. Jonathan loved watching the ducks and chasing the birds. It was like he knew what to do when he got there...

This is what Chloe did almost the entire time at the duck pond...

Don't worry, it's just ice water, but I hardly have one picture of her without this big Sonic cup in it!! Once she was done drinking, she rummaged through my purse looking for food. SO I have a ton of picturesque pictures of Jonathan by the water, looking at the ducks, etc... While all I have of Chloe involves her drinking and eating. :) It was a hot day though, I have to admit.

We finally walked over to the park where they had a separate toddler sized play area. If you need to get a picture of Chloe smiling, just put her on a slide because that's the only place you'll get one. All she wanted to do was go down the slide over and over and over...

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This is what we do in the mean time when we don't have much going on... We play outside and get good and dirty. Chloe is the best at getting messy but it's funny because she doesn't like it when her hands are dirty!

Bob and Barfing

2008-03-13T20:35:00.005-05:00

I have a couple of cute stories about Chloe that I just had to share. Story One...

Chloe likes to watch Veggie Tales. It is on T.V. on Saturday mornings so I DVR the shows, and we watch them while she drinks her milk throughout the week. They are the same exact shows you pay $10-15 for at a book store but with commercials. Her favorite part is the beginning when Bob the tomato welcomes everyone to his house and they all sing a song together. She gets a big smile on her face and says "Boba, Boba." Well, yesterday, we were in the kitchen, and I pulled out a bright red tomato to put in our salad. Chloe points to my hand and says "Boba, Boba." I showed her a tomato again tonight just to make sure I was hearing her right and sure enough, she says "Boba, Boba." She is so darn smart!!! How she put the two together, who knows, but I am so proud of her! It's a good thing she doesn't realize yet what "Boba's" are for. :)

Next story...(This story is kind of gross so if you have a sensitive stomach you may not want to go on. Don't say I didn't warn you!)

As many of you know, I am pregnant, and I'm just now starting my second trimester. I've had nausea and vomiting throughout the first trimester, but finally got anti-nausea meds at 12 weeks. I'm at 14 weeks now and thought I was in the clear. I was quite surprised when right after breakfast this morning, I had to run to the bathroom. Chloe is also avidly walking now so she follows me wherever I go. So we are in my bathroom and I'm standing there pucking my breakfast out and Chloe's standing behind me going, "Ha ha ha ha ha!" I'm trying to block her with my body from getting into the potty area or getting splattered with vomit and at the same time trying to aim correctly. I'm sure it was a funny sight... minus the puck of course. I'm sorry if you don't feel the same way. I'm sure it's one of those things that, if you have kids, you at one point wondered what you would do if you were in the same situation. :)

(I'll spare you a picture here of some vomit. :)

Chloe Update

2008-03-07T15:12:00.006-06:00

About a month or so ago, Chloe decided she was ready for something new. After Matt got home from work one evening, he sat a few feet away from her, held out his arms to her and she just stood up and took about 5 or 6 steps towards him! I happened to have just turned my head to watch her reaction to seeing Daddy, so I was so glad I didn't miss that special moment. And I am sooooo glad her first steps were to her daddy. That is special because I have been able to see so much more since I stay home with her. We caught her second try on camera...

It took her a while to get comfortable so after that first day, she didn't seem interested in doing it much more. But last week she decided she'd had enough and started to walk EVERY WHERE! She especially loves to be outside. She pushes her baby up and down the side walk. The other children on our street are finally beginning to take notice of her now since she is walking. One little boy who is about 2 brought her some strawberries to eat the other day! It was so cute! She, of course, could have cared less about him but wanted to eat all of his food! He, on the other hand, was so shy and googly-eyed. :) Aw... maybe he has his first crush!

Chloe loves to push her stroller around and find things around the house to put in it. After a grocery trip recently, she helped me unload the groceries....

Helping Mommy unload the Ziploc bags

Chloe has taken to playing in boxes lately. For some reason, she likes to play in them. We had a play group at our house the other day, and I thought it'd be fun to leave her boxes out so the other kids could enjoy them as well. Not one child even glanced at the boxes. They seemed to be more in the way than anything. I guess I should be thankful that my child is entertained so easily... and cheaply!

Chloe feeding Baby in the box

Chloe with her milk, her Elzie, and her pillow, ready for her pretend nap

My parents came recently (Matt and my dad added topsoil and new sod to our entire front yard in one weekend!) and bought Chloe a picnic table set. She has enjoyed eating her snacks and drinking her milk while lounging in the chairs. She does get quite frustrated though when she can't get her bottom aimed right so she ends up on the floor rather than in the chair. We are having to teach her that it's ok to fail/fall sometimes. :)

Chloe also tries to mimic what we say. Sometimes it sounds similar, but mostly not. She did try to say strawberry the other day for my mom, and it wasn't half bad, just funny enough to make you laugh though. We are definitely at the point where patience with communication is key. It's so hard to know what she means most of the time!!

We are enjoying this stage of her life so much, but it's hard not to wonder about the future and how she and her new brother or sister will interact. I can hardly wait for that day!!! Oh, and by the way, I am pretty sure we are NOT going to find out the sex of the baby, so it'll be an IT to us until September!

Favorite Blue Jeans

2008-02-23T19:55:00.002-06:00

I've been able to wear my favorite (pre-pregnancy :) blue jeans again for about 7 months now which I have thoroughly enjoyed after gaining 40 pounds during my pregnancy with Chloe. I have two pair, both from American Eagle, which I LOVE to wear. They have held up amazingly well... clothes seem to do that when you take a year off to wear maternity clothes. I don't buy jeans very often because it is just so hard to find the "perfect" fit. My jeans are always there when I want to dress up or dress down; I have a favorite pair for each of those occasions. But, to me, both still go best with a t-shirt and flip-flops. :)

All this to say, my jeans are going on another hiatus and will hang quietly in the back of my closet. Not because the weather is already getting warm (we've hit the 80's on some days), but because around September 9th, we'll be welcoming Baby Trombo #2!!! We are just about at the end of the first trimester and we've been able to hear the heart beat twice and also see him/her on ultrasound. We praise the Lord for allowing this little one to make it since, as many of you know, I have a history of miscarriages and we knew there could be a risk of it happening again. I prayed for several months before I had peace about trying again without first tackling the issue that could be causing the miscarriages.

I have to admit that it is a bit difficult for me to announce this on our blog because I know several women right now who have not been able to get pregnant either the first time or after the first child, or who have had miscarriages or other situations that have kept them from getting pregnant; women who yearn so deeply to bear children. My heart hurts so much for them. It isn't fair, but to think that life would be fair is childish, I suppose. I just know we've not all been given the same purpose or the same path to fulfill our purpose. I am thankful that the Creator of the universe rarely lets me depend on my finite knowledge before reminding me how infinite His knowledge is. I am thankful that He knew what was coming in our lives, in our marriage, so that He made us have to wait almost 3 years before having our own baby girl. He also knew where we needed to grow before we could be her parents. He knew exactly the time and the place of when it would happen, all along He knew it. He knows exactly WHO the lives are that He creates, no mistakes, no mishaps. He knows exactly how and when He will use our children to bring glory to His name, just as He does with each of us. I am thankful that His ways are higher than my ways and His thoughts are higher than my thoughts. He is still good.

Videos of Chloe

2008-01-27T10:33:00.000-06:00

Chloe has been a busy little bee. We've had some yucky weather lately so we haven't been able to be outside much which she is sad about. She would spend the whole day outside if she could. She is working on getting two molars these past few weeks so she'll have 10 teeth. She is going to walk very soon, we think. But she is definitely like me in that she wants to do it in her own way and in her own time. She won't even let us help her. She has learned a few words & signs in the last week. She learned to say juice, lunch, and almost breakfast and is working on Jude and Ally. She can sign milk now. I have not worked with her a lot on the signs but she has still picked a few of them up. She can give kisses and hugs and she is a very speedy crawler. She has finally torn holes in one pair of her jeans. I still really enjoy being at home with her though it is hard to find things to do to challenge her sometimes, especially when we can't go outside. It's all a matter of thinking outside the box though. Most of her favorite things are not conventional baby toys, but things like empty boxes, keys, cell phones, and these metal hoops that we put on our ears and wrists and say, "so pretty!" You'd think it would not be hard to find simple things around the house that she'd love to learn about and play with. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the videos.

Over due

2008-01-26T13:36:00.000-06:00

I am sorry for not updating our blog sooner. I have just been procrastinating.

For Christmas, Matt, Chloe and I drove to Houston early Christmas morning to surprise my parents after a few failed attempts to see them before Christmas. It was also my sister Amy's first Christmas home in a few years so it was really nice to spend the holiday with her, as well as with my grandmother and her friend, Patty. We had a fun day of eating, opening gifts, eating, playing games and eating. :) Then, we headed home around Chloe's bedtime that evening because Matt had to work the next day. Oh, I can't forget one of Matt's reason for wanting to go... he had to show off his new "toy" to my dad... his new truck. I am surprised he hasn't taken pictures of it yet now that I think about it; otherwise I'd post them here....

Here are a few other pictures from Christmas Eve with Matt's family and Christmas day...

Chloe & Grandpa

Chloe & her new Elmo from Grandpa

Chloe & her new baby from Grammie & Pop. She knew what to do with her baby right away. She held the bottle up to the baby's mouth and then put her in the stroller. She'll be an excellent big sister.

Chloe with Amy & Grammie

We really enjoyed being with family over the holidays but we really missed the Estes' and the Birdsells. We can't wait for the day when we all get to be together again!

We were also able to be with friends during the holidays too. Our friends, Brad and Lauren, came to visit us for the weekend before New Years, and we had fun just hanging out and playing Settlers.

"Hold me, Uncle Brad!"

Chloe was anxious to get back down into the dirt.

Chloe was dancing in this picture. She must have had a song in her head. :)

The holidays flew by for us which is always kind of sad. I am so thankful for friends and family who don't believe in just getting together for holidays. We are surrounded by loved ones whether physically or in "cyberspace" who love us all the time.

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-24T21:34:00.001-06:00

Merry Christmas, Estes'!!

We miss you sooooo much,

but we hope you have a

Merry Christmas

and a

Happy New Year!

We love you more than you know!! We are giving you BIG hugs in our hearts!

Chloe is waiting for a kiss from you....

Happy Birthday, Chloe AND Gloria!!!!

2007-12-17T22:50:00.000-06:00

Chloe Ruth on her Birth Day

I have waited all day to post a "Happy Birthday" to my one year old, Chloe Ruth, in hopes of including my new niece, Gloria Noelle, who was born this evening!! Yep, they share a birthday! How fun!

Chloe & Pops

My dear little Chloe is no longer an infant, but a TODDLER! How can this be? How are we the parents of a toddler already?! No, she's not yet toddling, but you can bet she will be soon! She won't allow us to help her walk; she wants to learn all on her own. Hmmm... I think she may have a bit of her mother in her. :)

Aunt Amy & Chloe being silly

My reminiscing of one year ago today was made very real when my sister Kaye called this morning to say she was going to have her baby today! After a hard day of labor, Gloria Noelle entered the world at 18 inches long, weighing 5 lbs 8 oz. How glorious! This photo is from my mom's cell so I'll add more once I get them...

Gloria Noelle Birdsell

(2nd daughter of Scott & Kaye)

Lions and Cows

2007-12-08T20:26:00.001-06:00

Lately, we've been working with Chloe on recognizing animals and the sounds they make. Now, this is not as easy as it seems. There have been many times when one of us has made a sound for an animal and the other's been like, "That's not what that animal sounds like." :) Hopefully, Chloe doesn't get too screwed up by this. I guess we should just take her to the zoo.

Anyway, Matt has taught Chloe how to "roar" like a lion. :) My sweet, innocent Chloe crawls around on the floor roaring. She also knows how to "moo". Her favorite book is Moo, Baa, LaLaLa by Sandra Boynton. She picks it up and says "ooooooo" as she hands it to us (or throws it at us, which is usually the case) for us to read to her. She is a little delight to our lives! We laugh so much!

Chloe has reached the point when she is absorbing everything and catching on so quickly. She recently learned to brush her hair, and she also realized what her hair bows are for. She picks it up and presses it to her hair, then lets go. She looks at me like, "Is it pretty?" Chloe knows what to do when I ask her if she is hungry; she goes straight to her chair. She knows what a tree is and says "tee." She knows what a light is and what a dog is which is called a "dee." Everyday she seems to learn something new. It is SO exciting to watch her learn about her world. We feel so privileged to be able to teach her!

Socks

2007-11-26T20:44:00.001-06:00

This is what happens when Mommy asks Daddy to put Chloe's socks and shoes on... :)

I do have to admit that it was quite cute. And it was kind of cold outside... ;)

Pictures

2007-11-15T10:24:00.001-06:00

Chloe and I played with the camera in the backyard the other day. We had lots of fun! She ate dirt and leaves and enjoyed getting dirty! We headed straight for the tub afterwards because she was a mess! :)

The Princess and the Chicken

2007-11-01T22:23:00.000-05:00

Have you ever heard of this story? :)

One day, there was a little princess who was so unhappy. She could hardly stand how horrible her day had been! On top of that, her mother made her dress up for Halloween! She screams, "This thing is itchy!! Can't anyone understand me?! Hello?"

But Mommy comes, swoops her up, kisses her sweet cheeks and all is forgotten. Yeah, right! All the while, the princess is thinking, "I can't put my arms down! It itches! Get this thing off of me!"

Once she has seen how precious she looks, she finally begins to understand her true calling... (ha! ha! ;)

Meanwhile, the chicken is realizing that in order to steal the attention from the princess, he must be as or more adorable than she is.

Once they are ready, the princess and the chicken go off to trick-or-treat together. Along the way, they meet some friends...

As the evening comes to an end, the princess and the chicken sit down for a break to go through their spoils.

The chicken retires early, but the princess sneakily stays behind and devours all the candy!

"Oh, no! I've been caught!" she says. Alas, her parents still love her and could not stand to be away from her a moment longer...

THE END.

Where do I begin?

2007-10-19T10:20:00.001-05:00

God is so good! He blessed us with another few days to be together! My sisters and I and our babies and Jon and my sweet parents were able to spend one more weekend together (sorry you missed it, Matt and Scott). Just when we thought it'd be years to come...

Thanks to Grammie and Pop and Jon, the four of us girls got to spend several hours shopping on Saturday, helping Sally check things off of her to do list. Of course, she wasn't the only one shopping. I think all four of us scored! It was fun to not have the stress of keeping babies happy the whole time. We each reached into our inner child and got ICEE's from Target (which then made our blood sugar drop to sickly levels; it was actually hard to finish the shopping trip. How on earth do kids do it? Ugh!). I found some cute black sandals, but Sally said I looked like a hooker, so I decided to return them seeing as they were for me to wear to church. Amy found a cute hand bag though...

... and she was sweet enough to buy me one as well; although,

I think I'll just use mine as a purse, Amy. :) Aside from shopping, we spent a lot of time in the evenings playing SpeedUno. Sally and Jon taught us to play. I think we all finally got the hang of it by the end of the weekend. There was one incident where I got sprayed with milk from Kaye's mouth, which then resulted in several of us wetting our pants and my dad laughing himself to tears. Who knew Uno could be so darn fun?

Sunday, we spent a few hours with the babies outside and were able to watch them explore this environment. Grace is an adventurer; she has no fear. She will do anything and try anything without a second thought. It is fun to watch her joyful free spirit develop. Kaye & Scott just better watch out because who knows what Grace might attempt with her little sister!

Jude, on the other hand, does not like the grass so it was funny watching him throw the ball and then realize that in order to get it, he'd have to step in the grass. He'd reach as far as he could...

Chloe decided it was safest to stay right on the blanket. In just about every picture, you can see the uncertainty. She is quite the opposite of Grace!

One place Chloe is VERY comfortable is in the bath!! We threw them all in the tub together after playing outside and as Amy said, "Man, Chloe comes alive in the water!" She loves sloshing around and getting wet. I hope she enjoys it as much next summer when we start swim lessons!

I'd love to post every single one of the pictures I took over the weekend, but I'm afraid it'd get quite boring! You can watch them as a slide show at the end of this post. Even though, all of us have become sick due to our weekend together with colds and sore throats, it was all worth. I love each of you so much!

Oh yeah! Before I forget, I have to include one very sweet story. On Friday evening, when my dad, or Pop, got home from work, all three of the babies were thrilled to see him! Jude absolutely adores Pop and wanted to be held immediately. Chloe smiled and waived right away and Grace crawled over to join the party. Here is a picture of the sweet moment that I know my dad will NEVER EVER forget. I'm sure he never realized how much he'd love them, or, even more, how much they'd love him...

Fall Fun

2007-10-18T12:02:00.001-05:00

Our neighborhood mommies organized a day to go to the The Pumpkin Patch out in Medina. It's about an hour away but it is a BEAUTIFUL drive! The day happened to be Columbus Day so Matt was off and we went as a family. We had fun showing Chloe the animals. She kept calling the horse a dog, but considering they had a miniature horse not much bigger than our dog, Lucy, I can understand how she was confused. :) Anyway, our day was filled with a petting zoo, a hay ride, and a picture on a cow.

Chloe is not too sure about this...

Somehow, my head got cut off in most of my pictures with Chloe.

We had fun even though it was hot and muggy. Hopefully, next year, Chloe will enjoy it a bit more too.

Chloe's figured it out...

2007-09-27T20:15:00.000-05:00

Our child is just amazing! I know everyone thinks that about their child, but how can I not say it too? Chloe decided to eat with a spoon tonight!! I had been feeding her some prunes, but she kept grabbing for the spoon, so I just finally gave it to her to see what she would do. She immediately put the spoon end in her mouth. She played with it a bit and then held it out and made a scooping motion with it. I put the prunes in front of her and she dipped her spoon into them, and then put the spoon in her mouth again. It's just amazing how fast babies learn! You can see it for yourself...

I must admit, she is such a cutie with those prunes all over her face. She seemed to really enjoy herself!

Family Football

2007-09-09T21:16:00.000-05:00

Of course, this weekend is the first weekend of the NFL season so we had to get all dressed up and go watch a game. Not just any game but that of the Denver Broncos (as most of you know, Matt is a HUGE fan, having lived there from birth through the 3rd grade. He has stayed true to his orange and blue). The Broncos, thankfully (very thankfully for those of us who have to live or work with Matt), won by one point with a last second field goal. Chloe got to experience the vast expanse of emotions that her daddy feels AND expresses (rather loudly, I might add). Several times, I caught her looking at him trying to figure out why in the world he was dancing around and waving his arms in the air, screaming at the box mounted on the wall that was filled with colorful people.

Anyway, we had fun as a family. Matt and I have watched many Broncos games and have eaten many wings at sports bars over the years because half the time, the Broncos are not on our local cable stations. It's kind of a tradition for us for football season. Chloe and I, of course, came late and watched the last quarter of the game because there was no way she'd make it through the whole thing, but still, we got to keep up with our tradition. And we plan to keep it up as long as possible. Here are some pictures of us in our Denver Bronco garb.

Aren't I just so adorable in my very own Broncos jersey?! (We had to add the bow because she looked like a boy without it! Sorry, Matt, if she's going to grow up liking football, she's gonna look pretty doing it! :)

Sweet, Sweet Family Time

2007-08-17T10:21:00.000-05:00

Recently, we took a small vacation with my entire family. All of us got to be together, all husbands, all babies, all sisters and my parents. We spent a few days on a lake. A BIG thank you to the Martins for blessing us with the use of their home. I'm sure that your house serves as the back drop for many vacation pictures on many peoples' refrigerators! Thank you, thank you!!

We played lots of games - Settlers, darts, ping-pong, Catch Phrase, In a Pickle, and card games. We jet-skied and bobbed in the lake. We laid out in the sun, and we ate A LOT of food! We had girl talk time, which after 45 minutes, was interupted every 5 minutes by one of our husbands peeking in the door asking when we'd be done. They just can't live without us. It was still a productive girl talk time. We made a few very important decisions... ; ) It was over all too quickly. I feel like I needed at least one more day.

Matt always teases me because my sisters and I often say, "But it could be the last time!" or "It'll be the last time for a long time!" This time we could truly say it'll be the last time we'll all be together for a LONG time. Lord-willing, Sally and Jon and Jude will be leaving in a few months to move overseas for a few years. Amy's furlough is over at the end of September so she could be off again to travel the world, and of course, Kaye, Scott, Grace and baby Birdie2 live a few states away. Mom and Dad are still rock solid in where they are and Matt, Chloe, and I aren't moving anywhere anytime soon.

It still hurts to know that my very best friends are, or will soon be, the farthest away. I can't even think about it without tearing up. It is not a hurt of someone leaving, but of part of me being torn away. Though a person can make new friends and have very close relationships, it's hard to replace someone who has been in your life from the very beginning, someone you know inside and out, someone you can be honest with and expect honesty in return on a level that you don't often get with even your closest friends. Someone who will expect righteousness from you, not just because it is right but because she knows beyond a doubt that you are capable of it because she has seen you through the course of your life, through your ups and downs and ins and outs, and she has seen you rise and fall and rise again. She is someone who scratches your back and caresses your arms and plays with your hair knowing you need that loving touch without feeling awkward and not expecting it in return because she knows sometimes you just NEED. To have friends whom I can trust and rely on, who will fight for me in prayer and will call me out when I am wrong, to have sisters who will love me unconditionally and will accept my differences because they know their own, who will wait patiently while I try to get my life back in line with the Word, who will encourage, who will cry, who will clean my wounds and shower me with love; to have these in my life... God has revealed Himself to me. I can see Him clearly, WHO He is, because of who my dear sisters are. Thank you, Lord. I can see now why You have blessed me so richly; You want me to know You.

I love you, my family, no matter where you are. My cup overflows...

Happy 30th Anniversary!

2007-08-13T20:57:00.000-05:00

Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad!!! Thanks for sticking it out and for showing us how it's done!!