Hmmm, what to title this post...?

I have been lazily enjoying life with my kids and hubby. I've been in a "when I get around to it" mood regarding pictures and blogging.

Today I have some things to be thankful for:

1. My dad. He's the best and he knows everything. He really does folks, whenever I wonder how to do anything I think either "what would my dad do," or "I'll call and see what dad says."

2. My husband. He is an amazing father and provider and is as laid-back as they come! And, I quite like him.

3. Our safety. This was touched off by a horrible day at church

-We went to get into our car after church and there were cops and police tape everywhere.

-Someone had broken into a ton of cars in the church parking lot while we are all inside. They got us. They popped our lock and took our dvd players, all the kid's dvds (which were burned copies), my cds (they will be sorely disappointed by my collection), our gps, our sunglasses, Seth's car and house keys, and Seth's wallet with everything from credit cards to military id and driver's license inside. Why does the military insist on putting ss#'s on things? Grrrrrr. Someone has ALL of our information, the keys to Seth's car and to our home.

-We are having all of our home locks changed today, and the car lock. We are having ADT service activated tomorrow, and we are now "Life Lock" customers.

-Stupid morons, they also took my make up bag! Now I feel violated AND I will be ugly tomorrow.

-Most importantly though, is that we are all safe. Someone in our ward was not as fortunate, and we are praying for his recovery. A man was in the parking lot and confronted the burglars. He was shot. REALLY?

-The stake President helped me call and cancel our credit cards and helped me with the kids while Seth filed police reports and called too. Then the President excused himself to go be with the brother in our ward in the hospital. We only lost things/money, please pray for Brother Lundeem.

-I can't wait for my new church building to be done!!!!!!! Did I mention I wore a sweater to church today because it's freezing in our building? Well I did, and then spent a lot of time talking to cops in a 104 degree parking lot. I would like to puke on the burglars and then smack them for upsetting my 3 year old. The whole way home Logan cried and said "someone took our dvd players, that was NOT nice mom!"

-We are safe, and will now be safer after our fortress is constructed (ADT, new car locks, new home locks, identity theft protection), I am way freaked out that they have my home address in my gps...........oh man.

Oh yeah, yesterday we went to Austin and had a great time. On the way home we were dying of heat and our car thermometer read "108"! On the freeway. blech. I have been open-minded about Texas, but my mind is (rapidly) closing.

Time to update.

I got tired of blogging; so I stopped. I didn't stop reading others', I just stopped my own blog. But, now I have some things to blog about.

1. Seth's mom visited for the last 2 weeks of February, it's so nice to have a grandma around!

2. We spent the entire month of March in Utah! It was awesome, too bad it was freezing cold.

3. We returned to Texas with my family in tow. They came for their spring break. Our pool is open and it was in the 90's for their visit. Too bad everyone got the flu........it was a less than perfect visit for them. dang it.

4. We are back into our own routine, our house has gained 2 braided rugs......I love them.

5. Two days ago it was 102...........I think it's too hot in Texas. Today is lovely though.

While in Utah my mom rented a photo studio and took pictures for me. It was so much fun! When she came to San Antonio she took family pictures for us at one of the old Spanish missions here. So here are a few selections.

I love the look on Eli's face. Logan was being a butt, as usual, and Eli was leery of him!

We call this "parenting at its best." Our children are playing in a well.

The trees were really cool, Eli was a bit caught off-guard though. :)

Here's a redeeming shot of my Eli.

I'll post more in a day or two, I'm off to plan this weekend's activities.

February 20th

There's nothing remarkable about today's specific date. I was looking through our pictures on the computer, and I found a folder that was labeled 2/20/10, exactly one year ago today. I wanted to post some of them, just to see how much we've grown and changed in one year's time.

****Correction, there is something wonderful about today's date. Grandma Farnsworth is coming to visit us; she lands tonight at 11:30 pm.

2/20/10: Logan loved to run (still does), but the pants he was wearing are now Eli's, and they are snug on him!

2/20/11: Logan is potty trained and has had his tonsils and adenoids removed. He's talking now!
2/20/10: Our toys took up the dining room and were always all over the house.
2/20/11: Our toys have their own room. Every few days mom brings in the back-hoe and the fork lift and we scoop the crap (toys) back into their respectful bins.

2/20/10: These belonged to this

2/20/11: Those have grown into these, which now belong to this




2/20/10: "home" was a rental in Severna Park Maryland. I'd like to go visit our friends.......
2/20/11: "home" is our own, in Texas.

2/20/10: But, amidst all the change, we have our constants.

2/20/11: Here's to another year filled with *less* change, and the same amount of undies with frog-boots!

The Great Snow Day of 2011.

Two weeks ago, it snowed in San Antonio. Can you believe it? The day started like any other day for me. I got up, wished it was Saturday, and opened my blinds, but this time I saw a thick layer of frost on the ground. Some of that "frost" had even collected on the neighbor's rooftops and on the bottom of the kids' slide. Then I noticed that Seth's car was still in the driveway. I found him downstairs and not at work, obviously. Work was cancelled, it was a "code red." School was cancelled. The neighborhood was filled with the laughter of kids playing in the 'snow' in the streets. I have never been more confused in my whole life. I just kept thinking, "is this for real?" "school is out?" "CODE RED?" and, "Where is the snow?"

Here's the thing though: there wasn't even snow on the lawn. Can you even see it in the picture? I was so confused as to what the stuff really was: frost or snow? People freaked out down here. The snow was melted before noon, and everyone was driving 15 mph. However, when it rains here, it's like a hurricane. There are flash floods and rivers that run in the road (seriously). People drive in that like it ain't no thing. I'm much more afraid to drive in blinding flash flood rain storms than in pretend snow with sunny skies and all wheel drive. I think we are the only people in San Antonio who own a Subaru Outback. BUT, guess who was prepared for the snow day! Hah!

Since Seth had a surprise day off, we drove to Walmart (which was completely desereted, and so were the roads) and bought Mario Kart for the Wii. It was the best fake-snow day ever!

Frozen!

Sunday was 84 degrees, Monday was too. Seth told me later that day that it was supposed to get down "into the teens" by Wednesday. YEAH RIGHT! I had the same attitude as the people who watched Noah build an ark. YEAH RIGHT! It's San Antonio, "cold" has a much different meaning down here.

BUT, it is 28 degrees currently, balmy if you're in Utah, but it's 4 pm and is below freezing here Texas. Weird. I had forgotten what it was like to hear your furnace running. Tonight's forecast? 16, above zero that is, with a windchill into the single digits. This means I will actually have to wear my winter coat, for the first time ever since moving to San Antonio.

"Natives," or rather, those who aren't accustomed to cold weather, are donning long trench coats, gloves, and I did see a man in a Russian-style fur cap! Nice. Friday's forecast says "chance of snow." Bah! We'll see.



Our train table has been getting a lot more use since we can't go outside and swing!

They're blessings, and I love them.

Perhaps it's the sunshine and warm San Antonio weather; perhaps it's the ever-growing spot of "unclutteredness" in my garage, perhaps it's the fact that both of my children are napping; I really don't know what caused me to reflect on the following things, but I did and I thought, "hmmm, wow, I'm really lucky."

-I have not been to the dentist in 3.5 years. Today I am still cavity free, never have had one, and I have a nice straight smile. Never have had braces.
-I have 20/10 vision in both eyes (according to the DMV). I've never had Lasik, and have never worn glasses or contacts.
-I've carried 2 babies, one was ginormous, and my stomach has snapped quite nicely back into place. Not perfect, but I am in awe.

Some girls have nice legs, small bums, or are just tiny and cute all over. I am not one of those girls; however, I have great teeth and by the DMV's standard "perfect" vision.


PLUS: We have a great backyard and we hang out there in our undies and frog boots. Well, by "we" I mean Logan of course :)


PLUS PLUS: Our "toy room" as Logan calls it is nicely organized. Thanks to the built-in shelving and The Land of Nod.

Dreams.

I figured I'd title my post nonchalantly, as if I've been blogging this entire time....as if I haven't been absent for well over a month. So I'll continue with the front. Life in general has improved a lot around here.

Eli is happy and walking, and is just all around, a quiet and contended child. He is getting some molars, but whatev, he just takes it all in stride. His current hobbies include: sleeping through the night consistently.............yeah! And, eating out of the garbage, and saying the words "juice" and "boop." Boop means 'toot,' and Eli is always right there to inform me when he has had a "boop." Oh I could just eat him up!

Logan, ahhh, Logan. sigh. He is now a 'big kid' because he can now use the words to tell you that he is a big kid and that "I do it." He.........wait for it.........(this just makes me giddy) USES THE TOILET ON HIS OWN. I couldn't imagine this happening until about age 8. But he does it! I am so happy. He sings now. He uses imaginative play. He doesn't snore. He breathes through his nose. He likes to brush his own teeth. He hates sunbeams. He is everything I hoped he'd be by age 3 and 1/2. He has made such huge, huge improvements since having his T&A. Still easily frustrated, but he is now learning to deal with life. Yet another dream come true.


(Logan "takes rests" everyday. He looks at books and plays with toys in his room during what used to be nap time. However he snuck out and got into the computer desk. He found a marker and he "drawed on my face." and legs, and toes, and in between his toes.)


One more thing was also surgically removed with his tonsils and adenoids. And we miss it: sleeping. Shortly after his surgery, a 'switch was flipped' and Logan woke up one night shaking, sweating, screaming-for 3 hours. I was sure he was going to have a heart attack. Atleast I would've had a heart attack if I had been that freaked out. This lasted for a couple of weeks (now he sleeps on our bedroom floor)

Logan has been my champ sleeper since 18 months of age. 8pm-8am in his room, oft times playing, but in his room and not bugging us. No more of that. I have empathy for you, Kerry Strom. At our follow-up visit with our ENT I mentioned the no sleeping and he said that anesthesia, in children, although rare, can cause night terrors and or hallucinations---poor kid. Also, interesting: theory has it that Logan was not getting 'good sleep' and probably can't remember what it is like to have dreams since his issues have been going on for about a year and a half. So just normal dreams freak him out.

He is sleeping now, but every night at about 12:30, he comes crying into our room, lays on the floor next to my side of the bed, and spends the rest of his night there. Sheesh. Atleast we're sleeping, and hey, someday he'll be a teenager and I won't have him within my arms reach.

Over time I think he'll get used to sleeping again, and I am thrilled with the results of his surgery! I even cancelled our ACN appointment. Yes! I love being able to communicate with my Logan. I love him so much and I am so happy to see him thriving!I'd say it's a dream come true for me.