Spicy Magnolia

Project Life Tuesday: February 2-8, 2010

I recently told you about Becky Higgins’ Project Life Kit that I started for 2010, and it’s been a lot of fun, and so much simpler than the traditional scrapbooking I was doing before. I’m trying to snap a photo a day after for my album, and thought it would be fun to join The Mom Creative’s weekly Project Life Tuesday. So here are the photos from the past week:

 

Tuesday, February 2nd

Fridge Art from our weekend with Eric and Kim. The Mexican food restaurant, Chuys, rocks. ROCKS! (Marla, if you’re ever in Austin, me taking you to Chuy’s is a must. It beats out Chipotle and Freebirds, hands down. And I love Freebirds, which means that Chuy’s simply rocks!)  And “Burn” is a phrase Eric and Kim’s small group in CO uses a lot as a “na na na na boo boo” kinda thing. And because Matt and I are such cool people (ahem!), we were taught its meaning. I used it every chance I got, whether or not it was the proper intended use of it. So there: burn.

 

 

Wednesday, February 3rd

Playing with the pots and pans while I fixed dinner. He’s my little chef who loves to be in the kitchen with me rummaging through the pantry or mixing things with the wooden spoon. He baked some amazing chicken pot pie that night!

 

 

Thursday, February 4th

While Matt is not a coffee drinker, his daily energy buzz is hot chai. He’s holding off buying some from Sam’s to help our budget a bit, but I had some spare change to swing by Starbucks last Thursday and pick up a chai latte for our special hubby/daddy. We surprised him and swung by his office to drop it off before I took Brennan to get his first pair of real tennis shoes. The blurry writing on the lid is a love note, so it’s ok if it’s blurry and you can’t see it clearly. <grin>

 

 

Friday, February 5th

The big boy in his new shoesies! By the way, the boy is going to be severely made fun of because he’s learning all the nouns that I put “y” or “ies” on the end (i.e. doggies, horsey, shoesies, sockies). We went to Sandy’s Shoes and found out that Brennan has a large foot for his age, which should come as no surprise. He’s a size 6, and the gentleman that helped us was amazed at how good he was at walking having just taken off a week ago. Although, he might just tell all his toddler customers that. So far, the shoesies stay on better than his sockies.

 

 

Saturday, February 6th

What a cute little hiney! Ever since Brennan was born, after Brennan’s bath, Matt would bring him to me all wet, wrapped up in his towel to give me kisses. The fresh, clean baby smell is totally irresistible and I’d nestle into Brennan’s cheeks while Matt held him all bundled up. But this weekend, surprise, surprise! Matt sent the character out me walking, buck n*aked! It was hilarious! And there’s something about being in only a diaper or completely n*aked that Brennan absolutely loves. He giggles, he’s frisky, he’s foot loose and fancy free! I hope we don’t have a future streaker on our hands. And don’t worry, I’m still nestling into his proper cheeks. Ok, bad, bad joke, I know! <grin>

 

 

And for kicks, one more picture for Saturday:

My tennis shoe lovin’, jean wearin’, casual hubby decided on his own, that he wasn’t going to get tennis shoes to replace his worn out pair. Instead, he opted for these brown shoes. Ya’ll, this is big. This is huge! I promise with everything in me that I have never mentioned to him how cool I think it would be if he wore something like these over tennis shoes as his every day shoe. Not once. So when we were at the outlet mall a month ago and he said he was thinking about brown shoes, I was stunned. And when we were actually ready to buy a pair this weekend, with no prompting from me (and he can attest to this), he chose these. I was flabbergasted and excited and swooning! I’d still love him in his old tennies, but folks, the southern belle in me is lovin’ these handsome loafers.

 

 

Sunday, February 7th

Super Bowl Sunday with my boys.

 

 

Monday, February 8th

Five months have passed since I dusted our bookshelves, so I think it’s about time I get out the trusty dust rag and Pledge, don’t ya think? It was another rough Monday for me and Brennan. So much so that I spent more time than I would have liked going through Antique Mommy’s and Amanda’s archives for any glimmer of hope from posts they may have written about their experiences with their toddlers. Brennan isn’t a monster, please don’t get me wrong. He’s far from it. But my type-A, need-to-have-a-plan kinda personality really clashes with how parenting is constantly changing and full of so many unknowns. I know I’m not the first one to say it, but if only God gave personalized instruction manuals when a child was born, the world would be a better place. Or at least I’d be a better mommy. Someone, just tell me what to do and I’ll do it. Steps 1, 2 and 3!

I also am deeply battling insecurity and a raging desire to be more than just a mommy, both of which are gnawing at me incessantly, so bring on the guilt as well. It’s no coincidence that I’m reading Search for Significance for a women’s Bible study at church and Beth Moore’s book, So Long Insecurity, which I can’t put down. But at the same time, I don’t want to read another word because it’s too much to take in all at one time it’s hittin’ so deep. I’m not looking for comment affirmation here, just sharing for a moment. And now I’m feeling insecure about writing that last sentence. Should I have or shouldn’t I have? Oh, Lord, rid me of this malady if it kills me!

As I was dusting the bookshelves, I came to the shelf that has these two giraffes and next to them a book called Tall Blondes. While I was in Africa, I fell in love with giraffes. Their grace and gentleness, their strength and their beauty. I brought home these two wooden giraffes not only to remember this magnificent creature that graces the vast expanse of Africa, but even more so because of their stance: a baby giraffe stretching her neck as much as she can to gaze into the eyes of the larger giraffe whom she knows protects her, cares for her, and loves her more than she could possibly fathom. These giraffes symbolize my time in Africa where my eyes were fixed upon Jesus in a loving gaze that nothing could take my eyes off Him, a real mark in my life with Him. They are a tangible reminder to me of where my eyes always need to be.

And the book? Given to me by Gaga, my grandmother, who knew of my love for giraffes as a going away gift when I left for college. In it is a note penned with her chicken scratch saying how much she’d miss me and pray for me when she talked to God. Oh, I miss her so.

These giraffes are for a day like yesterday, when I need to remember not only how my eyes should be fixed upon Jesus who alone satisfies all of my needs and knows the deepest longings of my heart, but also how His eyes are on me. I cannot flee from His presence and nothing can separate me from His love. Even in my weakness, my mixed up priorities, my lack of knowledge of how to be a mommy, or my raging emotions and insecurity, nothing can separate me from His love, from His constant gaze upon me. I just need to keep my fixed, intent look upon Him.

Sweetness

Well, I went away for a weekend, leaving my boys and girl for the first time, and everyone survived! I guess that means I can take getaways more often. <grin> Just kidding. I wouldn’t be able to survive as I would die of homesickness. The picture of Matt & Brennan standing out front waving me goodbye with Molly’s eyes glued to my disappearing car was enough to slay me. They were in the same position when I got home, and boy, was I beaming. They were, too. Kudos to Matt for holding down the fort excellently, even with a sick baby (who’s only gotten worse with a fever and off-the-charts crankiness). The one upside of a sick baby is that he loves to snuggle. After his morning bottle, he stayed in my arms for an hour and a half, fading in and out, a wretched cough being the culprit of his restlessness.

Where was I? Houston. For what? A celebration. What was I celebrating? Faithfully memorizing 24 verses throughout 2009 with the Living Proof Live blog community. And what a sweet celebration it was!

After feeling like we’d been going non-stop since Christmas, we made the decision that it would be nice for me to go to Houston by myself. Since I’m an introvert, that works well, being that it’s a key way I rejuvenate. And from the moment I got in the car to head south, to the time I drove back in our driveway at home, the Lord was clearly with me and blessing the weekend every step of the way! I was able to meet up with a friend, Lydia, who was in a discipleship group of mine from a few years ago. We ate lunch at Té on Friday and enjoyed some hot tea, even though it was 78 degrees outside. All the ladies who flew to Texas from the north, LOVED the warm weather. I, on the other hand, am praying for a reversal of the warming trend we’re experiencing. My daffodils should not be sprouting yet! The hotel I stayed at even let me have the special group rate, even though when I’d made the reservation they’d given all the special rate rooms away! On Saturday afternoon, I was also able to catch up with my cousin, Nicole, and her hubby, which was a sweet treat as well. Aside from my first and (prayerfully) last time driving on the wrong side of the street towards oncoming cars, which was one of the worst feelings ever, I navigated through Houston pretty well.

I was ecstatic to have time to do fun things I don’t normally have the free-time to do: reading, tweeting, getting caught up on a scrapbook project of sorts. You’d think sleep would have been something I’d taken advantage of catching up on, but nope, I tried to get as much accomplished in my time alone as I could. The Siesta Scripture Memory Team celebration started Friday night and lasted until Saturday at noon. It was incredibly special from the get-go! The LPM staff loved on us so well with all that they planned. I was able to meet some special bloggers, like Amanda, whom I’ve wanted to meet for a long time, and it was such a gift to me to meet her! Then nearly en-route to Houston, I found out that Big Mama and Marla Taviano were going to be there as well. Bonus!  Granted, I probably came across as a psycho wanting to hang out with the three of them as much as I could and of course, I’m the type of person who gets all nervous when I meet people I respect and admire. It’s rather a nuisance, because I feel all unnatural and like a stalker. So who knows what they think of me. But I think all of them are super, incredibly gracious and warm, and I still have a dream to get to know them better. That might just be possible if I don’t come across as psycho. <grin> Or should it be <muahahaha>?  I loved getting to meet several sweet ladies whom I talked to in the taco line or who welcomed me to sit next to them since I was by myself. My Scripture memory buddies, Brennan and Miss Molly, weren’t with me this weekend, but they were sure a part of the journey of feasting on those 24 verses as we’d work on them on our afternoon walks. Instead, a nice lady, Deborah, let me share my verses with her. It was such a great group of “siestas”, and it was an honor to be there!

If you want a run down of the weekend in detail, I highly recommend you read Amanda’s post here on the LPM blog. It gives a fun overview of the events. There are a number of things about the weekend that I am savoring and treasuring in my heart. Most of all, it was a weekend to celebrate the culmination of how the Lord has shown me His faithfulness and goodness to me over the past year, particularly as He’s helped me be a momma. Beth Moore was right when she said that if anyone got a hold of our spirals with all the verses we’ve worked on, someone would have clear insight into what we’d walked through, wrestled over, and rejoiced in all year long. I leave you with the very first verse of 2009 that I memorized, and one I deeply held onto all year long:

And He will be the stability of your times, a wealth of salvation, wisdom and knowledge. The fear of the Lord is his treasure.

Isaiah 33:6 (NASB)

 

Oh, and how could I resist not leaving you with a couple of my favorite pictures of my boys from the weekend (they had a blast together!)?

Here are my boys helping me practice my verses on Friday morning before I left (Matt still has sleepy eyes). <grin>

And then there’s this character:

 

 

I tell you what, while the weekend away in all regards was sweet, there is nothing sweeter than being back with my boys!

Let the Parties Begin

No sooner were the holiday festivities drawn to a close than the next set of parties began…and the biggest ones are yet to come! We just wrapped up an extended weekend with Matt’s cousin, Jason, and his new fiancée, Ellen. Avid foodies, they were the most fun to take through the “mecca of Whole Foods”. Little did I know that place sells $1500 bottles of wine, Portruse (spelling??) to be exact. Jason enlightened me. And if anyone has a chunk of change to drop, he’d like one as a wedding present. Brennan enjoyed a private violin concert, in which Molly thought she would make it sound more beautiful if she barked. It did not make it more beautiful.

The little Texan also made his debut at our State’s Capitol, completely fascinated by the echo resounding from his voice while crawling through its hallways.

We ventured across the city, pointing out its unique highlights, all the while celebrating the special couple…

And eating out at some of our favorites like Z’Tejas and Mighty Fine Burgers, and of course, splurging on homemade food like this Gingerbread Tumble.

It was the first party of the New Year, and there are at least three more this month, beginning with a BIG ONE! Yep, bring out the party hats and the box of Kleenex, because my baby boy is turning one year old on Saturday! It’s already been an emotional week, but a thrilling one as well. Just look at where we’ve come over the past year:

This past weekend marked the first out of three weekends this month of hosting company. I am also going on my own little getaway by myself in south Texas, and I’m quite excited about it. So I will likely be M.I.A. running our bed and breakfast the next few weeks for some of the most superb people in all the world. And partying. And soaking up the last few moments before my baby enters toddlerhood. It’s definitely been a year worth partying!

Thanksgiving Remembrances

Happy December! I can’t imagine a better way to start out this first day of December than with the arctic blast blowing through Austin; Christmas music playing; a fragrant pine candle lit; some much needed time spent with Jesus and the reminders that living “for the greatness of God is to live a great life” and that “His greatness is big enough for the two of us”; a happy, babbling baby crawling about; and a cup of hot tea in hand. It’s only 9:30 a.m. as I’m writing this, but it’s already a glorious December day.

It seems longer than a week ago that we boarded a jet plane for the Oakland/San Francisco area to spend Thanksgiving with Matt’s family, hosted this year by Matt’s sister and her hubby. Despite his ear infection, Brennan traveled amazingly well; you’d never have known the fella was sick. Even the two-hour time change wasn’t an issue. He fell right into Pacific time without a hitch and was much more flexible with the comings and goings and adjustments to his schedule than his momma. Oh, the lessons I learn from that child are a hundred-fold.

I loved how Antique Mommy recapped her Thanksgiving with a list of things she’ll remember, along with a few things that she won’t. Here are some of the highlights, precious moments that will remain etched in my heart over the passing of time from this Thanksgiving.

• Sunset gazing. Our first night there, we drove up to the highest point in Berkeley to watch the sunset over the bay. We enjoyed appetizers and champagne as we toasted to being together as a whole family, the first time in over two years, I think. It was breathtaking and cause for pause.

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• The food. I mean, how can a foodie not remember the food!? Kim has become quite the chef extraordinaire! The girl doesn’t pick simple recipes either, so a lot of time and love went into preparing not just delicious food, but works of art. (These photos were from our picnic and day-outing in Sonoma.)

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• The mornings with my boys. The three of us, along with Papa and Nana, stayed in a house in Berkeley that was graciously shared with us for the week. It had a fantastic view of San Francisco (it’s a bit hazy in the picture below). The three of us were the early morning risers and enjoyed mornings out on the deck. I’ll never forget playing peek-a-boo with Brennan that spurred deep laughter by using Matt as the object to hide behind; how Brennan would lean in towards my face to give me kisses; and what my little boy looked like the morning of his first Thanksgiving.

• Brennan’s ability to brighten lives. I know the sociability of my son will likely vary throughout his young life, but I hope and pray that the friendly outreach he has toward all people, particularly towards those considered unlovely and lonely, will be a character trait he exudes the rest of his life. Right now, Brennan is constantly waving to any passerby, whether or not they take notice. The three of us went out for breakfast on Friday morning, a quiet, drizzly and still morning. As we sat together as a family, laughing and sharing our highlights from the week, there sat a middle-aged lady in the corner of the restaurant by herself. Alone. Buried deep into a book. She could very well have been content and happy. She also could have felt very lonely as she sat solo the day after Thanksgiving. Brennan was persistent in turning around in his high chair to wave at the lady. Between every bite of his pancake and banana, his little body would twist around with his arm and hand extended moving in an up and down motion. She finally caught his eye and a grin appeared at the simple, friendly gesture. I’m not sure how she walked in, but she left her table with a smile on her face that morning.

• The special, beautiful touches. I can name few people who will go out of their way to lavishly make their guests feel welcomed, treating them as the most special people in the world. Kim is one of those people. Along with her hubby, Tom, they have the gift of hospitality. Even with a young toddler, she worked on extra, finishing touches that set the tone for the whole week: personal welcome signs on each of our bedroom doors; gift bags of a picture frame for me and Matt and Thanksgiving bibs for Brennan; notes written on our name cards at the Thanksgiving table; Scripture verses tied to our glasses for each of us to read aloud. She had a few personal helpers that week: Tom, Ruth (Nana), and her younger sister, Melissa, whom I know were all integral behind-the-scenes servants to see Kim’s creativity projects fulfilled!

• Family bonding. This took place over the course of our few days in California, but Thanksgiving Day was the most meaningful as we gathered around the table together to celebrate and give thanks for so many blessings we’ve been given, mainly each other. After the little boys went to bed, each of us went around the room answering a question we’d picked out of a bowl. We shared things we were thankful for; how we’d seen the Lord’s faithfulness demonstrated the past year; and what character trait of the Lord’s had been most evident in our lives right now. Tears and laughter ensued. As Truvy from Steel Magnolias aptly said, “Laughter through tears is my favorite emotion". Hands down, that was the most special moment of the trip for me.

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• Cousins. Seeing Brennan and Jadon play together for the first time! It was our entertainment for most of the week. <grin>

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Things I will likely forget but are kinda fun to mention:

• Ed & Tom both stepped in fresh dog poop on our way to dinner. Thank goodness for baby wipes!

 

• It was a good thing Ed drove slowly to Tom and Kim’s place on Thanksgiving and that we didn’t need to get on the freeway, because look who left my walking shoes on top of the car:

• It was not my best moment: waiting for the Christmas Tree lighting to take place at San Francisco’s Union Square. It was taking forever and well, the excitement of being in the cold with all the Christmas lights with Brennan for the first time quickly wore off with the overwhelming sensation of feeling claustrophobic in the mass of people. And Brennan’s reaction to the tree lighting: he burst into tears because the crowd’s loud cheering scared him. But we got some really cool pictures:

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Any Thanksgiving remembrances (precious moments or likely to forget moments) that you’d like to share?

(You can click on “View Full Album” to see enlarged pictures).

A Glimpse into a Gal’s Mind

A few weeks ago, me and my hubby left Brennan with my folks for an extended weekend getaway to the Lost Pines Resort, where we got to enjoy the niceties of not having a baby around, with extra sleep being at the top of the list!  Other pluses included relaxing by the pool, floating down the Crooked River Pool, reading (I finished my first book in who knows how long—I couldn’t put it down!), roasting marshmallows for S’mores by the campfire, and simply reconnecting away from the hustle, bustle and daily pressures of life amid scenes like this:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don’t we look relaxed?  That’s the first of three pairs of sunglasses I’ve bought in three weeks.  Gone are the days when I was able to keep a pair of sunglasses for at least five years, to no fault of my son.  It’s all on me.

We were also able to feast like kings and queens!  The food was a-maz-ing!  Look at that dessert bar.  My plate wasn’t big enough!

Brennan was treated like a prince himself, and I’m happy to report that his momma did pretty good leaving him.  It helped that I called about three times a day.  When surrounded by families who brought their kiddos with them, it pulled my heart strings just a tad to see little boys running around, and it beckoned my lips to say countless times, “I can’t wait to bring Brennan here one day; he would have so much fun!”  Somehow, this getaway already feels like months ago.

One of the books Matt started reading was For Men Only by Shaunti and Jeff Feldhahn, “a straightforward guide to the inner lives of women”.  On a number of occasions, the two of us talk about an illustration we once heard a speaker use of a waffle and a plate of spaghetti to describe male and female communication styles, respectively.  A waffle, being very compartmentalized, is used to illustrate how a man has to stay on one topic of discussion and thinking before moving onto the next, whereas a woman’s is more like a plate of spaghetti where each noodle criss-crosses with the other noodles and maneuvers itself all over the plate.  While it looks like a mangled mess, it is in fact, cohesive and intricate. 

Despite having that helpful image to understand each other better, it was shocking to my hubby when he read that many women said they “thought their thought lives were almost like busy computers with multiple windows open and running all at once, unwanted pop-ups intruding all the time, and little ability to close out or ignore any of that mental or emotional activity until a more convenient time.”  He was even more overwhelmed when he read a specific conversational illustration the authors provided to prove such a point.  After asking, “Okay, hon, what is in your brain right now?”, she proceeded to list off at least eight different things that she was mulling over at that very moment.  Like the author’s sudden realization, Matt finally came to grasp how my female ability to multitask both thoughts and emotions impacts how I relate to him every single day.  He was baffled that I thought like that, which came to a huge surprise to me because, well, isn’t that the first thing guys should know about girls?  <grin>  For being married nearly seven years, he surely circumnavigated through that very well without giving me any indication that he knew otherwise.

So I thought I’d give my hubby (and you, dear Internet peeps), a peek into my thoughts and emotions yesterday morning (yesterday, because that’s when I started this post) that ran all over the place.  I’ll save you the grief of too many details though.  So within a course of a few minutes, this was the rollercoaster ride:

• How is it that a girl from Texas has more winter clothes than summer ones?  My closet is no indication of our locale.  Thanks for the wonderful and unusually long Fall, Lord, but please bring on the 50-60 degree temp so I can wear clothes I love, clothes that “cover a multitude of sins”, as Jill wittingly says.
• I want to blog so badly.  But what do I blog about?  I’m in a big-time rut.
• Stellan, Stellan, Stellan*.  Jesus, please carry Stellan through today.  Bring him through surgery successfully, safely.  After being land blasted by friend after friend battling the clinching jaws of death through cancer, and aching for other friends going through so much, it would sure be nice to have a sweet victory here, Lord.
• How can I get Brennan to better understand “no touch”?  He keeps going after those awful outlets.
• Gotta make Matt’s lunch.  Everyone’s eaten breakfast but me, and I’m hungry.  Matt’s lunch first though, he’s leaving soon.
• Should I go to Sprouts and then the Target on Louis Henna, or should I go to the Super Target on 1431 to nail two birds with one stone?  The latter, because then we might be able to hit Hobby Lobby on our way home.
• Stellan.  Stellan.  Stellan.  I gotta check Twitter to see if there are any updates.
• Brennan needs a haircut.  Should I try to do it on my own?**
• Why haven’t I packed yet?  We’re visiting Pops and Meems in just a couple of days, why didn’t I start to lay out clothes earlier?
• Thanksgiving is just two weeks away.  THANKSGIVING IS JUST TWO WEEKS AWAY!!???
• Do I have a cold or a sinus infection?  I don’t want to go to the doctor again, so please just let it go away.  I’m really complaining about a measly little sickness?  Get a grip.  I have so much to be thankful for and our health is a huge one!
• What do I need to do before we leave town?  Water plants.  Laundry.  Pack.  Grocery shopping.  Blog.  Will I be able to blog?
• Matt and I need help and wisdom in how to be on the same page with teaching Brennan.  How are we going to do this parenting thing together well?
• Brennan’s first birthday is just two months away.  That girl whose pictures I just saw of her son’s first birthday looked awesome and so creative.  How can I do that?  Do I want to do that?  How can I make it simple and special?  I wonder what so-and-so did for her son’s first birthday.  I’d wanna do it like she did. 
• I need to start sacrificing sleep to get things done.  There’s too much to do.
• I hope Brennan takes good naps today.***
• Stellan.  Stellan. Stellan.  Jesus, please!
• Gotta cancel Molly’s reservations at Dog Boy's.  Don’t forget to email so-and-so about a package delivery.
• Does the post office have a postage meter or can you only buy stamps?****
• Does my shirt go with my pants?  What will I look like to other people if we go out?  Makeup day or no makeup day?  Itty bitty makeup day it is.
• What bagel do I want this morning?  Hmmm, breakfast.  I’m hungry.

Suffice it to say, I could go on.  And on and on.  But I think hubby will get the picture, don’t you think?  Only God in His wisdom could have designed a woman’s mind and emotions to work the way they do.  And thank God that He gives us the peace and wisdom we need because goodness, He sure knows we need it!

* I’m sure most of you all know about Stellan, but if you don’t you absolutely must read this.  If you need to be encouraged to see the power of prayer like I have been lately, you really must catch up on baby Stellan.  It indeed is a miracle I hope to remember the rest of my life, and to God be the glory! 

**Today I tried to trim Brennan’s hair on my own, and it was the biggest mistake ever.  I was in tears.  It messed up our morning entirely until we asked Matt if we could stop by for a pick-me-up and visit him at work.  I butchered my son’s precious golden locks, taking a chunk of hair next to his ear.  His bangs are cut above his hair line, all crooked, and it just looks horrible!  He just laughed and has no idea, but I know!  Big mistake.  Big!  Huge!

***That “today” was yesterday, and no, good naps were not to be had.  I’ll blame it on the 6th tooth that popped out…that makes 3 in the last week and a half!

****The post office only offers stamps, no meter.  And the guy who helped me laughed at me saying, “You’re out of breath?” when I walked in, having not seen the 25 pound baby/carrier I just lugged inside with a box of letters.  Clearly, I need to lift weights more regularly. 

Two Characters

Who wouldn’t have fun with these two characters?  Guy, who will be one year old next week, and Brennan had the best time playing with each other last week in El Paso!  Oh, how I loved finally getting my hands on that precious love bug!  I’ve only seen Guy through our video camera on Skype, and so to actually see him in person; feel his chunky thighs; hear his giggle without the muffle of the computer speaker; and gaze into his blue eyes was such a gift to me.  And yes, I treasured each moment I had with his momma, too.  <grin>

Brennan was a super traveler on the plane rides, which I was most grateful for since I was traveling with him by myself.  But somethin’ happened to that kid’s naps; they were all topsy turvy.  Have you ever tried falling asleep with the sounds of your child’s screams and crying echoing repeatedly in your mind?  It’s like how after riding a roller coaster you fall asleep feeling like you’re still riding the roller coaster, but this time it’s just the constant sound of screaming.  The little boy would not stop screaming for nap time, and even during the middle of the night he kept tossing and turning.  We both ran on adrenaline last week since we were so excited to be with our buddies, but we came home pretty tired.

I think we’re slowly getting the nap thing worked out as my hunch is that Brennan is dropping one of his naps.  So we’ve been reworking our schedule the last few days and so far, just taking two naps is doing the trick.  Although he’s a space cadet during dinner, ready to doze at any moment.  What has your all’s experience been dropping a nap?  It makes me wonder how future traveling is going to be with a kiddo who is getting used to his sleeping environment/crib.  I’m already apprehensive about traveling at Thanksgiving and entering a two-hour time zone difference.  Any suggestions?

I digress.  Our time in El Paso was so special!  After watching Guy for the week, Brennan sure did come back wanting to try all sorts of new things which I wrote about here and has since been caught standing up in his crib…which has now been lowered.  It made me so sad!  Corrie’s sweet parents were very generous to watch the boys for two nights while Corrie and I lived up the night life.  Not really.  We’re tired mommas.  After staying up until 11 p.m. the first night, it did us in for the rest of the week.  We paid for that extravagant use of time.  We also had an unexpected treat of visiting with Aimee Feuille, her parents, and baby Egan!  He’s the spitting image of his daddy.  By the way, Matt and I want to know where the phrase “spitting image” came from.  It’s a peculiar saying.  I know I could Google it, but who better to ask first than my Internet peeps?

I am so excited it’s September and Fall and that our fun activities are starting!  We start MOPS this Friday and our music class next Wednesday.  And here is a kind forewarning that I am going to be on hiatus for awhile.  I am prepping for eleven house guests over two consecutive weekends coming up the end of September/beginning of October.  We have family coming for Brennan’s dedication weekend, bless their hearts.  And then the five girls I lived with my senior year in college are Austin bound for a reunion!  I can’t wait!  But my to-do list for cooking and cleaning while keeping up with an insatiable explorer is keeping my nose to the grindstone.  I’ll be sure to come up for a breather every now and then and check in with ya’ll.  Happy 09-09-09…at nearly 9 p.m. <grin>

This and That

• When I wrote about Brennan’s bed-head here, I wasn’t kidding around:

• I’m going to be scarce around here for the next week or two (like I’m not already), but we have some fun travel adventures ahead of us!  At least Brennan and I do; Matt has to stay at home to bring home the bacon.  We’re ever so grateful!!  First, Brennan and I might venture up to Dallas on Saturday with my folks to visit my aunt and uncle and my grandfather.  Then on Monday, I’m flying solo with the babe to El Paso to visit my dear, dear friend, Corrie, who is in town from Jordan with her baby boy, Guy!!!  Ya’ll, I can’t tell you how excited I am!  We weren’t expecting to get to see each other for at least another year, but we have been so blessed by this unexpected gift to see each other and meet our baby boys, who are only four months apart.  And well, I’m opting NOT to take the computer!  I can always use a good separation from it every now and then.

• The three of us joined our special friends, Jimbo, Beth and little Amelia for breakfast last Saturday at The Omelettry.  I once again devoured two humungous chocolate chip pancakes, two eggs, and three (or was is it four?) slices of bacon.  How was it that I left still feeling hungry and wishing they’d given me three pancakes, I will never know.  I’ve gotta do something about this appetite of mine or I’m going to be in hot diggity dog trouble!  I loved these pictures that Beth took:

 

 

• Football starts next weekend!!!  And I have a surprise for Uncle Mac.  I’ll just leave it at that for now.

• Most importantly and least trivial of all my other “this and that’s” is a prayer request once again for our dear friends, Robert and Aimee.  I first wrote about their journey walking through Robert’s treatment for testicular cancer here.  The update they received in April was very good, but late July, they discovered the cancer has come back with aggressive force.   They moved at rapidly fast pace to get Robert up to Indiana to start high doses of chemo and stem cell transplants to help him survive such high doses of chemo while Aimee went back to her parents’ place with her two little girls to await their birth of their son, who was born this very afternoon!  If you want frequent updates and to view Robert’s videos, visit “Fighting Back”.  They have a tough, tough journey ahead of them, but God is able!  I know you all have prayed before and I humbly ask you to keep praying for them.  If you’re on Facebook, there is a group called “Pray for Robert Feuille and his amazing family” that you can sign up for and it has specific prayer requests as well.  Thank you. 

God’s blessings, dear friends.

 

Gallivanting

While Daddy was at work slavin’ away and earnin’ some bacon for us, me, Brennan, and Molly gallivanted our way down to San Antonio to play with Pops and Meems.  Most days we took it easy with an errand here or there, like to Hobby Lobby where Meems helped me put together some family frames.  I’m finally getting some pictures on the walls of our Chunky Monkey.  If you’d stepped into our home a few weeks ago, there would be no proof that we had a child.  Well, except for the toys.  And the highchair.  And the carrot fingerprints on the fridge next to the highchair.  Oh, and the child himself.

Speaking of said child, here he is at Hobby Lobby.  I better not plan on keeping him still in that grocery cart for very long.  It must be moving, and not just moving back and forth, but going somewhere.  Fortunately for me, Hobby Lobby is a big store with many aisles.  One of the aisles had feathery boas that I used to tickle thoroughly annoy Brennan.  At least I had fun, in a very cruel sense of the word.  Also fortunate for me is my Momma’s spatial gifts whereby I could leave her by herself to pick out the frames, matting, and picture orientation.  Bless you, Momma!

Here he is again in the eleventh aisle we perused.  By the way, I don’t normally take random pictures of my boy while running errands like this.  One of Matt’s stipulations in letting his family gallivant for a week was to email him pictures on a daily basis.  Oh, and my brother has also requested I send him random pictures like this throughout the day as well for his “Brennan file”.  I aim to please. 

My Momma was finally able to bring the furniture of Gaga’s she received back to San Antonio, and has started getting their home situated with the new items and unpacking all the boxes we brought from last summer.  We’d reminisce and talk about Gaga; go through the old family pictures and treasured keepsakes we’d found but hadn’t seen in awhile; and worked a bit on getting their home settled.  But who could really get a home settled with four pups and a cutie patootie who wants to climb all over you and practice his standing?  Gallivanting and playing was the order of the day, anyway.

Someone let someone get into the paper towel…and her Tupperware…and let him pull her hair…and play with her makeup brushes, etc., etc., etc…!  They need a sign that says Grandchildren spoiled here.  Oh, wait.  They do.

 

Daddy works most of the week in Corpus Christi, but he made special exceptions this week and came on Tuesday and Thursday nights to have dinner with us and see Brennan before he went to sleep.  I love my Daddy.  Tuesday night, Brennan kept waking up through the night and I was exhausted and emotional.  I missed getting to say ‘goodbye’ to Daddy before he left for Corpus and was very sad about it.  I called and left a message on his phone.  Although trying not to sound too sad, I told him I loved him and missed giving him a hug goodbye.  Thirty minutes later, who walked in the door but Daddy, who hadn’t quite made it out of town yet and “Couldn’t leave without saying ‘goodbye’ to his little girl”.  I love that man.

That man is who we celebrated last weekend!  I made a carrot cake, which we delved into the night prior to his birthday to make sure we enjoyed as much as we could.  I also love the man who worked hard for his family all week, even did a few ‘honey-do’s’, and drove down for the weekend to be with us.  Matt was thrilled to see his little boy again declaring, “His hair even got thicker!”

Does this cake look like it’s on fire or what!?

This is what Matt and I are going to look like when we’re older.

One of the things we did for Daddy’s birthday was pick out a new T.V. for them.  They had a seventeen year old telly that was super frustrating.  After saving their gift cards to wait for the right moment, they were finally ready to make the big purchase.  We made a special trip to Best Buy to pick it out together.  To make a long story short, the T.V. didn’t end up fitting the cabinet and the exchange was a nightmare.  But finally on Sunday afternoon, Matt was able to install their new T.V.  Thanks, hubby, you helped with that in so many ways!

Obviously, someone was pretty fascinated by it.

For Pops’ birthday, I repainted a watercolor painting I’d done in the 4th grade that had faded.  Talk about a sad reality check at how old I am now…my elementary art projects have faded…badly!  And we helped him with a ticket to Sea World.  Instead of a conventional package this year, we used Brennan and put papers in his pockets that symbolized each gift.  So after church on Saturday night, Pops had to go searching through Brennan’s person to find them.  We were nice and didn’t put them in his diaper.  By the way, kudos to Meems who changed nearly every poopy diaper of his that week and received a nice amount of spit up on her as well. 

We gave Pops a card that you could record a message which Meems and I worked tirelessly on for two days to get a decent recording of Brennan’s babble.  But the cat got his tongue.  For two days.  That, and he got distracted by having the colorful, noisy card in his face at inappropriate moments like a diaper change.  At what was probably the last possible time for us to get anything, Meems unexpectedly got Brennan into a giggle fest and it was perfect!  Pops had giggles on his card! 

 

I’ve never seen Daddy more enamored than he is with Brennan.  

After Brennan went to bed, we enjoyed a flavorful chicken curry meal over a couple of rounds of Clue.  I’ve already put the order in for my birthday dinner next year to be the same thing.  But with chocolate cream pie.  Two of them.  That worked out to my advantageous really well this past year.

On Sunday, we were stoked because we were taking Brennan to Sea World for the first time!  It’s just one of my most favorite places on earth.  I heart Shamu.  And the dolphins…who need names, don’t you think?

We hit Shamu first.  By all accounts of this picture, you can see how enthusiastic, over-the-top-excited, I was to show Brennan Shamu.  It’s kinda scary.  It was during his naptime and he whimpered a bit at the noise of the crowds, but then other times he watched in amazement.  I think he’ll grow to love it.  He’s just gotta.  I mean, who doesn’t love Shamu!?

Then we took a stroll to the penguin exhibit, particularly for the A/C.  It was sweltering hot (which, by the way, we’re on something like our 42nd day of triple-digit heat!!!!  And we need rain, desperately!)  Anyway, it was cool and dark in there so we sat on one of the benches and let Brennan take a nap.  I caught Meems closing her eyes, too.  So I closed mine as well.  Forget March of the Penguins, penguins are popular for more resourceful things like a dark, air conditioned exhibit!

Our next and last stop of the day was at the dolphin show.  It’s a toss up as to which he liked more:  the dolphins or the people sitting behind us whom he kept turning around to gaze upon.

  

It was a mighty fine week, thank you, Pops and Meems!  And without disclosing too much information, Daddy has a really big birthday coming up next year.  And well, Daddy, if you think this year was a blast, just wait ‘till next year.  Just you wait! 

Passing Down the Travel Bug

The travel bug on my side of the family is at least three generations deep.  It’s now being passed down to the fourth generation.  At least that’s what I like to think is happening since my little Chunky Monkey enjoyed his first out-of-State vacation so much.  A week ago last Friday, me, Brennan, and hubby ventured up to Washington D.C. for a weekend with my brother and sister-in-law and a five day visit with Matt’s family in Charlottesville, VA.  Although we had an hour delay sitting on the tarmac in Dallas, Brennan traveled very well.  Much more so than his parents, who 1) started getting really anxious and frustrated with the delay (that was just me); 2) had a misunderstanding on where we were to meet after going in different directions at the Dulles Airport, which resulted in Matt carrying all most of our bags PLUS Brennan in the stroller onto a shuttle to the rental car place all on his own; 3) realized that hubby had not retrieved all of the bags, but only most of them…he’d forgotten the checked bag with the car seat in it; 4) after two additional and unintentional hours spent at the airport getting situated, we went ten minutes in the wrong direction trying to get to our hotel.  Ten minutes ain’t so bad, but when you topple it upon numbers 1, 2, & 3, it didn’t make for a pretty picture.  While I complained and was more like a wife who was rottenness to my hubby’s bones (seriously! Proverbs 12:4) , little Brennan just went with the flow with much patience (like his Daddy).  Oh, precious boy, I learn so much from you!

Brennan traipsed across D.C. the whole weekend; that little one barely got any naps!  After getting settled into the hotel on Friday night, we went over to Mac and Julie’s place in Arlington.  Julie made a fabulous dinner of cashew chicken, salad, and an incredible brownie-like dessert that once I get my hands on the recipe, it’s all over for me.  I’ve never known a more pleasurable way to put on ten extra pounds.  We also were able to enjoy watching the movie Bride Wars; it was quite funny! 

I played my first role of Momma Bear on Friday night.  Well, make that early Saturday morning at 4 a.m.  Apparently there was a room of young teen girls in the room next to us who decided to squeal and talk at 4 a.m., waking both me and Matt up.  Fortunately, Brennan was still knocked out despite being right next to the wall with their shrieks.  All of our small attempts to get them to be quiet failed.  I’d had enough, nor was I willing to risk my baby’s night of sleep.  Especially after a group of guys joined the party next door, that did it for me.  I walked next door in my PJs, knocked on their door and told them, as kindly but as seriously as I could, to please be quiet or move the party to another room.  They politely obliged and were fairly quiet the rest of the morning.  <Big momma bear growl>

So onward we went with our day, commencing with a walk around Mac and Julie’s neighborhood in the hip/fun Clarendon area.  It was a gorgeous and delightful day to meander about.  Our tummies started rumbling, so we ventured downtown, a mere five minute drive from their place, and went to a well-known hole-in-the-wall, famous for their chili:

BEN’S CHILI BOWL

 

An empty basket of chili cheese fries.  I had to share the basket with Matt.  I could’ve eaten it all by myself.

I don’t remember exactly what we were talking about over lunch, but it obviously provoked something in Mac.

Whatever it was, Brennan must’ve thought Uncle Mac and Aunt Julie were pretty funny. 

Without a doubt, I left Austin with a fairly quiet, still baby only to return with an active, babbling 5 month old who wiggles, squirms, squeals, and will hardly sit still anymore!  His most favorite past time:  jumping on anything and everyone; he loves to practice standing and jumping up and down.  It was the activity that guaranteed us a happy baby.  

One chili cheese burger, three chili smokes, and two baskets of chili cheese fries later, we wobbled down the street…

 

to change Brennan’s dirty diaper in the car.  This was the first of a few public diaper changes, the worst one being a nasty explosion on Sunday, in which the poor baby obviously paid a price from my intake of chili. 

Our aim was to make it to the Museum of Natural History to see Brennan’s eyes pop wide open at the sight of the dinosaurs, but the little guy desperately needed a nap.  So while he snoozed in the Bjorn while scoping out the sculpture gardens, the four of us found a nice bench by the fountain and enjoyed chatting.

Hanging Brennan upside down is Matt’s new kick.  Brennan loves it!  In fact, he loves all things “Daddy”!  It’s incredible to see that little boy get such delight at a big, goofy man.  Of course, being the serious one that I am, I asked Matt to please look up on the Internet to make sure it wasn’t too early to start hanging Brennan upside down before doing it.  <grin>  Obviously, he got the green light.

Everywhere the baby went, the lamb was sure to go.

In the afternoon, we went back to Mac and Julie’s for some down-time.  Mac played NCAA Football on the Xbox while me and Brennan snoozed a bit and Matt and Julie went for a bike ride.  For dinner, we headed to the National Harbor and had a great meal at Rosa Mexicano.  We stuffed ourselves silly with the delicious guacamole made right in front of us.

 

On Sunday, we went to Mac and Julie’s church, The Falls Church, and enjoyed a wonderful service!  Then we headed back into the city for lunch at Founding Farmers, a tasty restaurant owned by a collective of family farmers where only the freshest food is served in one of the most environmentally friendly settings I’ve seen.  For example, they serve only twice distilled water.  I chowed down on my Southern Fried Chicken Salad. 

We enjoyed the rest of the afternoon back at Mac and Julie’s relaxing and playing “Clue” out in the courtyard surrounded by gorgeous blue hydrangeas.  It is always so sad to depart our loved ones.  What a gift it was to see Mac and Julie in their welcoming abode and to now be able to picture where they live as we think of them daily.

Sunday evening, we were picked up by Matt’s parents and headed to Charlottesville!  Brennan has changed a lot since they last saw him at 4 weeks old, and it was fun for them to get to see Brennan at this new, active stage.  We were able to introduce Brennan to his other great-grandfather.  A priceless moment was when Grandpa prayed a blessing over our baby boy…a blessing that Brennan would grow to be big and strong, and a good athlete.  <grin>

Much of Matt’s extended family lives in Charlottesville as well, and they were able to come over for a brief get-together Monday night.  Here is Matt’s cousin Alex, with her precious baby boy, Malachi.  It was fun introducing the two babies to each other.

We were able to celebrate Aunt Melissa’s birthday with her on Tuesday!  Brennan picked some flowers for her on our morning walk and presented them to her like a gentleman.  It was so fun to watch Aunt Melissa play with Brennan; I learned some play tips from her, and Brennan delighted in his good buddy!  We had the pleasure of seeing her new place, too and having a lovely birthday luncheon there.  I would be remiss if I didn’t mention all of the yumminess Ruth made us all last week; I pigged out!  I’ve got some fun, new recipes to try out, that’s for sure.  A highlight for me was getting a pedicure with Melissa; we had the chance to soak our feet and sip on a glass of wine for 30 minutes before they got started on us!  It was delightful girl time!

 

Once Brennan went down for bed, nearly every night, the five of us stayed up and played “Clue”.  I’d forgotten how awesome a game it is!  Matt kicked booty!

I was somewhat skeptic about our vacation actually feeling like a vacation traveling with a baby.  I was pleasantly surprised.  Brennan traveled well; he slept through the nights even though he was a consistent early bird; and I was able to enjoy some down time since so many people were around that wanted to play and help.  One of the exceptions was Wednesday when the poor fella was either teething or going through one tough growth spurt.  The unknowns of what makes him restless, unable to nap, and terribly fussy undo me the most.  Fortunately, he perked up for his Papa, Nana, and Melissa because they graciously babysat him for us Wednesday night while me and hubby enjoyed a tasty meal at Timberwood Grill and the fabulous movie, Up.  We were like giddy high school sweethearts.  <grin>

Thursday we got to have lunch with Matt’s cousin Jason, who happened to be in town at the same time.  It was a highlight to catch up with him.  We went to another VA hotspot:  Five Guys Burgers and Fries to enjoy yet another greasy fare.  One of the other highlights was seeing Brennan master rolling over from his tummy to his back!  Thursday night, Ed and Ruth prepared a special early Father’s Day celebration and we grilled steaks out.  We were blessed with fabulous weather, even though it was June.  However, upon returning to Austin, we’ve been blasted with heat indexes of 105 degrees.  For.  Cryin’.  Out.  Loud.

Despite my personal aversion to the Yankees, I was a good wife and dressed Brennan in his New York Yankees onesie that Matt bought him last year as part of my Father’s Day gift to Matt.  <grin> 

Friday we shared a relaxing day together.  Matt enjoyed a special breakfast date with his momma and all of us hung out at the pool for a bit, too.  Brennan got to show off his swimming skills to Papa, Nana, and Melissa.  That evening, we had a lovely dinner out at Mono Loco near the downtown mall. 

 

We arrived home on Saturday evening, and while we miss all of our family and it was hard to say “goodbye”, it is wonderful to be home.  We were greeted by sweet Molly, who spent the week with Pops and Meems.  My Momma was so generous to not only drive Molly up and drop her off so we didn’t have to worry about picking her up, she also had a meal prepared for us!  So upon getting home, we dropped our bags in the entryway to unpack later and were able to sit down together as a family to some homemade Mexican food that we’d been craving.  I’m trying to gear myself up for the week, getting Brennan back on his routine (putting him to bed the last two nights have been rough), and helping him adjust to not having constant attention by so many different people.  <gulp>  How can it be that sometimes I’m afraid of a baby???

It was such a nice vacation and a special time visiting family!  A great many thanks to all of our family for graciously hosting us, for spoiling us with love and fabulous meals, for loving our little boy soooo much, and for giving us precious memories.  We miss you all a lot and can’t wait until the next time we get to be in your presence again!  

As for Brennan, he’s finally all snuggled into his crib for the night, probably dreaming of this so called “travel bug” that his Momma keeps talking about, wondering how a creepy, crawly bug can help him see the world. 

There’s Nothin’ Like a Good Strawberry Cake

 

Even though our trip to Celina was abruptly cut short, the three days Brennan and I shared with our friends was wonderful!  There’s nothing like going to the country and basking in the silence, the beauty.  Jill’s folks’ home is always a retreat to me and Matt, and remarkably was still such with a 3 month old to take care of!  The weather in Celina was a bit uncooperative for all the "firsts" I envisioned Brennan taking part in:  swimming, riding the "Gator", and getting dirty in the garden.  Wind and rain were the two culprits.  And it was cold for April.  Not as cold as ya'll who experienced April blizzards though!  Burr! 

Brennan and I had the best time traveling up to Celina with our friends, Jill, Harrison and Haddie!  The kids were all troopers.  Brennan slept the first half of the way, and after our stop for lunch, he was mesmerized by watching the other two kiddos for the duration of the drive.  It made me giddy looking back at the three of them all lined up.  Needless to say, he crashed when I put him to bed that night! 

In addition to the car ride up in which Jillie and I were able to flap our gums the whole way, there are a few highlights of our trip to share:  first, being in the company of Jill’s folks, Pappy and Nana!  They sure know how to make people feel welcomed and loved, and we chowed down on some awesome food.  My most favorite:  a strawberry cake.  Ya’ll know that I am a die-hard chocolate fan addict, but the other chocolate options I had to eat were in strong competition with this divine strawberry cake.  The cake won 5 out of 6 times (I ate a lot of yumminess…at least twice a day).  And it would be totally rude of me to tempt ya’ll with the strawberry cake without providing the recipe, so it’s down below.  I made one today for some guests we’re having for dinner tomorrow night.  Spring time is the perfect time to make this southern favorite.  Bonus:  it’s super easy!

Another highlight:  visiting our dear friend, Lindsey, and her cutie, Gibson!  I sure wish we got to see them more often than we do, but I’m glad that on occasion, we can sneak in a personal visit. 

 

Harrison and Haddie are quite the helpers!  And they love little babies!  As you can see in the picture below, they’re enjoying assisting Lindsey push precious Gibson in his stroller.

Of course, the one opportunity we had to play outside while I was there was a highlight, too!  It was windy, but it didn’t take away from the fun of sliding, playing in the sandbox (with sand that felt like it had been specially shipped from Hawaii!), and swinging.

 

My little man in the shirt and shoes that Harrison once wore.  Don’t you just love the loafers!?

Strawberry Cake

1 white cake mix

1 package of strawberry jello

4 eggs

1/2 cup of sugar

1/4 cup of flour

1/2 cup finely chopped strawberries

1 cup of vegetable oil

1/2 cup of milk

Blend all ingredients and cook at 350 degrees for 23 minutes in three round cake pans (grease beforehand).  Let cool, and layer each cake with icing.  Cover the entire cake with remainder of the icing.

ICING

1 cup of butter

2-16 ounce packages of powder sugar

1 cup finely chopped strawberries

Gotta go make the icing for the cake I made today, and I am stoked about licking the bowl!