thinking out loud

What's been running through my mind lately...

Texas winters are the bomb.
Texas summers suck the life out of me.
God gave me my hardest baby last.
By hard, I mean really hungry and really awake.
Double ear infections are no fun.  For Jared, or me.
I'm a mean mom when I am sleep deprived.
I really like to eat out.
I'm never going to fit into my old clothes again.
Probably because I like to eat out.
And because of ice cream.

Oh, and what consumes most of my thoughts lately, I am having a heart surgery in 5 days.  It's not a big deal, but still it's my HEART.  And I'd like to work as it should.  Especially now that I have these 4 adorable babies (who will forever be my babies).  Send happy thoughts this way on Wednesday, please.

go 'stros

Ben's boss owns the Astros.  It only seemed right that we initiated our family. It was one of the first things we did when we moved to Houston.  The first game we only took the two older kids, and braced ourselves to only stay to the 5th inning, or so.  Imagine our surprise when around the 8th inning we mentioned maybe we should head out to beat the traffic (not to mention it was pretty late for our early birds) when they asked to stay to the end of the 9th.

I had never been to a professional baseball game before the Astros, and I was amazed at how fun the atmosphere was.  It was a great night, and a nice welcome to Houston!

We took Jared a few weeks later, and he did amazing!  He loved the game as much (maybe even more than) Makenna and Luke.

This little one was the best!  Such a fun night, she cheered, and hollered.  

She sang along to "take me out to the ball game"....

and loved spitting sunflower seeds on the ground.

Luke was such a trooper.  Not only did he hang in there,

and watch the game, but he LOVED the game.  Lots of 

questions about how everything worked, and he wanted to 

know what every number on the score board meant.  Such a smart 

and observant boy!!

a mad libs goodbye

Our awesome friends the Johnson's and Nichols's put together a life saving bag of fun for our kids to enjoy while we made the 36 hour trek from Oregon to Texas.  The highlight?  A handmade mad libs card.  I'll share the joy...(I'll italicize the "fill in the blank" word.)

A Mad Libs Goodbye Card!

To our pretty  friends, the Whitmer's
Love your silly  friends, the Nichol's & Johnson's

"Do you know what today is?" asked Eve.
"Halloween?"  asked Will.
"Oh my Goodness"   I remember!  The Whitmer's are moving today," said Gab    silly-ly.
"That's right", said Eleanor.
"Man, that is stupendous  news", said Holly.
"I know", said Sam.   We've made so many hilarious   memories together.
"Do you remember the time we went to The Berry Farm and ate the toilet?" said Ginny.
"That was freaky!! How about the Christmas   where we climbed M&M's together?" said Gwyn.
"And it was always so fun watching the 3 boastful underpants play together", said Holly.
"How can we let them go to Food 4 Less without us? said Eve.
"It will be really hard because the Whitmer's are all irreplaceable friends, but because we are such great friends, even being separated by 8972 trees can't end our friendships" said Gabe.
"That is 73 percent true", said Sam.
"Our love for them is limitless and every time we are blessed to be together again, it will be like picking up right where we left off!"
"So our parting words for the Whitmer's...Jared  & Luke, good luck sleeping.  Makenna and   Aimee, have fun crying.  Ben, we know you will make lots of humongous    basketballs   instantly!

"As for us, know that we will pray for you daily & miss you minutely!  But this is not goodbye!  We'll close by saying we love you lots and we'll see you soon.

All our love,
The Nichol &  Johnson families


We were all in tears from laughter and also from realizing how much we are going to miss our dear friends.  We love you guys, thanks for the smiles from hours 4 through 28 on the long drive out!  (seriously, we re-wrote the card many times after this first initial one...)

a (hot and) sticky situation

Whoa!  Where to even begin...

Let's start with we moved.  Yup, cross country.  Kind of a big move for us, and it's been an even bigger adjustment.  Texas, as it turns out is the armpit of the country.  Hot, humid, sticky, and stinks (figuratively and literally).

The first two months we were squished in an apartment, now we are spread out in a huge house (both corporate housing, and both the same price, imagine that).

The kiddos have been busy this summer with soccer and basketball camps, drama classes, and volleyball leagues.  It's been a fun and much needed diversion from the newness of Houston, and the homesickness we've all been feeling.

On the 36 hour road trip out here, we made a couple of stops.  The first being a berry farm, well, that's what we told the kids.  Bless their little hearts they were such troopers about it.  As we pulled into Knotts Berry Farm, though, their expressions were priceless!  We were riding a shuttle in, and Luke got glimpses of the rides from behind the gates, and told Makenna how much fun it looked.  Makenna agreed saying, "it looks amazing, but we were going to a berry farm instead.  Sorry Luke."

It was so funny to see them realize that Knotts Berry Farm was an amusement park, and not a berry farm.  Maybe I won the worst mother of the day award, but it was so worth it!

 Jared's second favorite thing to do, next to the monster truck ride.

 My favorite thing to do.  This was a perfect end to a perfect day.
Ben surprised us as we were finishing up dinner, and had everyone
pick out a delicious looking pastry.  We  brought them
all back to the hotel and did some taste testing of each others choices.  

 The car ride.  This, unfortunantly, was not the norm.  Don't judge the car too bad...
all we initially brought to Houston was shoved in that van!  The moving van won't be coming
out for a while.  We packed that van down tight.

 Jared's birthday, and the apartment.  His birthday was magical, filled with
swimming, balls as big as him, and his favorite treats.

 Jared at soccer camp.  This boy loves soccer, and is actually
really good!  Since he was old enough to walk, he's been kicking a soccer ball
People will always stop and tell me how he's a natural.  Go buddy!

 Makenna's lego creation.  She's thoroughly enjoying these bad boys right now.
I love how her little brain works, she has got the best imagination
and will put things together in ways I'll never think of.

all things Jared

A catch up post...

 Jared fell of the center island in the kitchen and broke both the bones in his forearm.  Ouch, I know.  The sad part is that he was so tough, I wouldn't have taken him into the doctor, with the exception that I could see the bones pushing down in the wrong direction.

This boy is seriously tough.

Jared is super attached to his blanket.  I wash this blanket every week and Jared hates it every time.  I try to distract him with something while I sneak the blanket away, load it in washer, and dry the blanket.  It usually works.  Usually.

This time, it didn't.  He sat by the washing machine for about half an hour waiting for it to come out.  It broke my heart watching him (and his cast) only wishing for the comfort that a blankey can bring.

luke for the win

Luke drew a picture at school the other day...It was a picture of 2 people with swords.  When I asked Luke who they were he told me it was him and Satan fighting.  I asked him who won the fight, and he emphatically said that he did!

I sure love that boy.

so much personality...and christmas

Ben gave me a box of chocolates on Christmas Eve, and I mistakenly left it in the living room unattended for days now.  I just caught sight of it with the box lid laying on the floor, and no sound coming from Jared, who I knew was in there.

I found Jared hunched over in the corner by the tree obviously hiding, I assumed I'd find him covered in chocolate, but instead found him fondly and gently holding an ornament that he knew he shouldn't be touching, and with a clean face.  huh.

I totally expected to find a scene reminiscent of this one:

This was Luke at about the same age, who found a bowl full of home made almond joys.

Since it wasn't Jared, I turned to Makenna and Luke who had both followed me into the room and gave them 'the look'.  Makenna instinctively says, "It wasn't me." and throws her hands up. Luke steps closer and says, "Ooo, can I have one?"  I laughed, and told him "no".  Without missing a beat, he so sweetly said, "okay, then can I have two?"

A glimpse into Christmas this year...

Luke has asked for one thing for months now.  A remote controlled helicopter.

Santa delivered, but it only lasted about 5 runs, then a small piece broke.

You've never seen a sadder boy  

Luke's present to Makenna, Crossfit shirts.  She really was thrilled.

Makenna knew exactly what she wanted to give Ben this year...rings.

Makenna had no idea what this was, but hasn't broken away since.

Random cuteness I found on my camera. Thank you Jared, I love it!