Date with Mama

On Saturday, Jesse went to College Station with his dad for the A&M verse Army football game. So, Ryleigh and I had the day to ourselves, and we wanted to make the most of the nice weather. She was pretty wild all morning, so I figured perhaps she had some energy to run off. We waited until a bit later in the afternoon, after her nap, then headed up to the neighborhood park.

Of course, Ryleigh ran straight to the swings. That girl loves to swing!


After awhile, she thought it would be fun to explore the rest of the park equipment. I still cannot believe my baby is big enough to do this yet- venture off and play on park equipment. Up high. Off the ground.

Naturally, I followed her up.

While trying to cross over the little bridge, sure enough, Mama slipped. Haha- good thing there was no one else around! I totally splintered my arm up on the wooden playground, but I kept my baby from falling.

Ryleigh loved the slide- didn't matter if she was going down it (with me), or attempting to climb up it. Slides are fun!
At one point, she took off across the playground toward the picnic table, and I thought I heard her murmur "ju." Sure enough, she came back carrying her sippy cup. Must have been time for a juice break!
It was a fun afternoon, watching my little toddler run, climb, swing, and play at the park. Who knew she would grow so quickly?! I'm so glad that she loves to play outside. What a fun time in her life!

She gets that from ME!!

I get the hiccups a lot...and often...pretty much every time I laugh...or even think about laughing!!

Ryleigh looks just like her daddy: same hair, eyes, nose, build. She acts like her daddy: independent and headstrong, but loves to love and needs approval. She is basically a mini-Jesse, according to everyone we know and even strangers on the street.

But guess what?! Ryleigh hiccups! A lot! LIKE ME! I'm not sure that it is a quality or trait to be excited about passing on, but I like it. It reminds me that there is a little bit of me in her too. =)

And lo and behold- it is the FUN side of me! Wahoo!

Always be my baby

What is it about "nigh nigh" time that always reminds me that my baby is still a baby? Perhaps the button-down footie pajamas? Ryleigh clutching her teddy bear? The pacifier we still have not taken from her? The wet, shampoo-smelling hair? The brief cuddles I get before bed?

I'm not exactly sure what it is, but sure enough, at least at bedtime, Ryleigh will always be my baby.

Appreciation

We received power late Tuesday night, and man, I have not been that excited in a long time. I felt like a kid on Christmas morning, eagerly packing all our belongings as quickly as I could...while trying to not look too eager about leaving my sister-in-law's house...so excited to go home and sleep in my own bed.

Since we have been home, my power has flickered on and off more times than I can count, and every single time, panic sets in, wondering if we are about to lose it again.

I have realized how much I take for granted in my life. Having my own home and having my "space" when I need it, running water that you don't think twice about before you drink, light that reaches to all corners of the house, a refrigerator with food and cold drinks, ice, a fence that provides privacy from the neighbors, a clean neighborhood where homes are kept neat, nearby restaurants with a variety of food...

As much as I complain about our "struggles" in life and how we have to work so hard to be able to buy the things we want, I now realize (as corny as it sounds) what really matters. What we need in life, and what we must do when those needs have been compromised.

Since Hurricane Ike, we have spent more time outside. Talking and working alongside our neighbors. Fixing meals that feed a lot of people at one time, not just two of us. Enjoying the silence of no background TV. Reading. Not wearing makeup or fixing my hair. Paying special attention to the PEOPLE in our lives and not the THINGS. I appreciate the people and the generous and encouraging spirits that fill my life. Without the generosity of others, I don't know how anyone could get through this. But we are all here- going through it together- and I think we will come out stronger on the other side, by simply appreciating one another a little more.

I know this post is scattered. I'm not exactly writing in a clear and concise manner, as my thoughts are slightly sporadic about this. A lot has happened, and I'm trying to soak it all in and make sense of all my thoughts. I think the main point I am trying to get across is that I am thankful.
Thankful for the family who let us crash at their place while we had no power.
Thankful for the neighbor's help taking apart the fence and cutting down the tree.
Thankful for the laughter provided by my daughter to keep the situation light.
Thankful for the prayers and sweet comments sent from people who do not live here.
Thankful for my company's emergency relief funds.
Thankful for the work ethic and protective nature of my husband.

And especially thankful for the men and women who have left their families and homes to work around the clock, trying to restore power and bring some normalcy to our city again. Thank you for your sacrifice.

We're okay

Wow. Ike hit us pretty hard-- I think we all underestimated the power of that storm! We're pretty lucky it was only a category 2 storm, or we would have been wiped out.

I'm sure you have all seen pictures of the devastation, and heard stories of destruction.

I think I assumed that Galveston would be destroyed, and that even South Houston would have a lot of destruction...I never fathomed how far inland the damage would be.

Luckily, we were prepared for the worst. We lost a tree in the backyard, our fence, had some high water (sloshy, sloshy backyard), and have a huge pine tree limb still hanging from the tree in the front yard. No telling when that will fall.

All in all, we were very fortunate. Our street probably had a tornado come through, based on the distinct lines of damage...our house was right along the line, but definitely not the worst-case scenario. Let me put it this way. Once the worst of the hurricane had passed, we headed back to check our house, and had to detour about 15 times and ended up hopping a curb to make it through our last option. When we finally made it to our street, we turned to find two fire trucks with lights on. Talk about panic! Luckily, they were just cutting down several of the huge pines that had crossed over the street.

We are without power, and there is honestly no telling when we will get it back. There are power lines down everywhere, with multiple pine trees laying on top. I think the power companies have turned on as much as they can...the leftover ones still off have damage done, and will take more time.

In the meantime, we are staying with Jesse's brother and sister-in-law. The situation is not ideal, but we know we are fortunate to have somewhere to go.

My work has been calling and calling, already pushing deadlines, and trying to make sure I will be calling into meetings....ERRRR. Our office does not even have power, and yet they want everyone working "consistently."

Anyway, I'm here. Not all together, but certainly could be MUCH worse.

We need to be praying for the people who lost everything. I cannot even begin to imagine what that must be like. Where do you start? How do you begin to piece your life back together? Where do you go? We are fortunate, and if nothing else, we will have a greater appreciation for our power, our home, and our life.

Thanks for the sweet thoughts and prayers. I'll be in touch soon!

It's coming...!! Or should I say, IKE's coming!

We are as ready as we can be...the checklist is complete.

• Gas a
• Boarded windows a
• Cut up low-hanging branches a
• Sand bags a
• Bottled water a
• Extra ice a
• Flashlight a
• Batteries a
• Battery-operated fans a
• Pictures off the wall a
• Bath tubs full of water a
• Cash a

Goodness gracious, we better stinkin' be ready!

At least Jesse had some fun with his preparations.

For everyone out there, please be safe! We'll catch up once Ike has passed- I'm sure we'll all have good stories. =)

Update on Jesse

Thank you all for your kind words, encouragement and support, and prayers these past few days.

The surgery Thursday went very well. Once they gave him the relaxer, he immediately chilled out and does not remember anything afterwards. We stayed in recovery for a few hours; long enough to make sure he was tolerating the medication okay, had no complications from the procedure, and was able to drink juice on his own. He was pretty out-of-it during that time, which allowed me some time to make a few phone calls, fill his prescription, and get everything ready. Once the doctor released him, they removed his IV, got him in the wheelchair, and helped me load him into the car. Honestly, he could have done it himself (he was awake by that point), but I guess it is standard procedure to help.

We stopped on the way home and bought a large smoothie from Smoothie King, which Jesse feasted on for the next two days.

He slept on and off that first afternoon, but overall, felt really good. Friday and Saturday was more of the same. He was talking, attempted eating some soft foods, and was surprised at how good he felt.

Sunday morning, he began to feel some discomfort. His throat was tight and dry, and he had a harder time swallowing. So Ryleigh and I headed to church for the morning, and he stayed home and got some more rest. By the time we got home, he met us in the driveway, smiling and feeling good again.

This whole time, I was thinking, this has got to be too good to be true...there is no way everyone warned us for nothing...

Sure enough, Monday rolled around. And Jesse was hurting. Badly. And he was almost out of his pain medication. I started calling at 8:30 am trying to get it refilled....we finally got it refilled at 5:30 pm. Needless to say, we had a miserable man! Then to top off our night, when we got home from getting it refilled (about 45 minutes from our house...UGH...another story, I wont get in to), he was hungry and nauseous. I went to get him some Wonton Soup, that he has enjoyed since surgery. My car died. I had to call him and ask him to come jump me. He came, we tried to jump it, to no avail. Then Ryleigh started having a major breakdown, and Jesse sent me home with her, while I called my dad to meet Jesse up there. Poor guy.

Today has been the worst yet. He is not talking at all, barely drinking anything, and certainly not eating anything. He has been sleeping or sitting in the bath tub- very unlike Jesse.

His post-op visit is tomorrow morning, so we will see what she says. I think he is doing awesome, and I'm sure this is to be expected, as the wounds scab over and come off. (Sorry for the TMI.) All in all, it could be a lot worse, and we are thankful for all the good that has come thus far.

Please continue to pray for his recovery. Thanks!

Surgery tomorrow

For those who don't know, Jesse is going in tomorrow to get his tonsils removed. Yes, it is a standard procedure and is considered out-patient surgery, but as an adult, the surgery is much more difficult than if he had it done as a child. The recovery time is much longer and the nurses have all warned us that this might be the most painful surgery he could ever have.

Please pray for him tomorrow, as he is under anesthesia, and for the surgeon's hands to be quick and efficient. Pray for his recovery: for his pain tolerance, peace of mind, and my ability to deal with a "miserable" husband.

I'll let you know you how it goes!

My Superman!

Jesse decided a few months back (with the urging of his friend, Hayden), to try a sprint triathlon. This weekend all the training paid off, as he not only completed, but dominated his first triathlon! I was so proud of him!!!



Hayden and Jesse woke up extra early and headed to the race so they could set up their transition zone, make sure their bikes were adjusted with full tires, etc. Lauren and the girls and I planned to meet them before the race, and then stay and watch. Well, we left on time, but it took us much longer to get there than we anticipated. Not only that, but once we got downtown due to all the road closures everywhere. I pulled into the first parking garage we saw, which was valet parking for some hotel, we paid them, got the girls out of their car seats, and took off running! It was literally 5-minutes before the boys started! We caught up with them as they were lining up to start the triathlon and managed to snap a "before" picture of the two of them.

On your mark...
Get set...

(Jesse is the 2nd from the left, looking back, and Hayden is the 3rd from the left adjusting his goggles)

GO!!

They had to tread water for a bit, making sure that their entire heat was in the water. I don't think Jesse had expected that, but he said it was not that bad.

The boys had told us they expected to take 20-minutes on the 800-m swim. Lauren stood at one point of the swim finish and I stood at another, hoping to catch different angles as the exited the lake.



Hayden came out first, and I caught him mid-breath. Haha. Hayden is a strong swimmer, and we knew to watch for him first.

Jesse was a few people behind Hayden, but came out of the lake ready to take on the bike!
We ran a little bit, trying to make it to the bike start line. Again, we split, hoping to catch the boys at different views. We totally missed Hayden, expecting him to take a bit longer in the transition. Actually, he saw us in the crowd and yelled "hey!" as he rode past, or we would have missed him all together. Jesse was shortly behind him, and I managed to get a video of him riding by (at the bottom of the post).

After the bike, I waited at the transition area, hoping to catch them transition, and Lauren went to the start of the run.

Jesse made it to the transition first. you can see him here, changing from his bike clip in shoes into his running shoes. He never slowed down...popped those running shoes on and took off!

Hayden came into the transition zone about 10 minutes after Jesse. You can barely see him in the background here, wearing a navy and white shirt, ready to run!
I totally missed Jesse during the run. Lauren said she got a few good pictures of him running, but I missed them.

I did catch Hayden running though!

After realizing how long I had been waiting, hoping to see Jesse run, I decided I better high-tail it to the finish line, or I would miss him finish.
I got there, and within a few minutes, Jesse came running into the finish! His goal was to be under 2 hours, and his finish time was actually 1 hour and 40 minutes...20 minutes under his goal! He ran 8.5 minute miles, which is pretty awesome, having completed a swim and a bike ride by that point!
Hayden came in close behind Jesse, also beating the 2 hour goal, finishing in 1 hour and 56 minutes. Again, pretty stinkin' awesome!
By the time the race was over, both girls were pretty over it...as were Lauren and I. It was insanely hot and the sun and heat were wearing on us. Not to mention Lauren had forgotten her stroller, and Hayley only wanted Mommy to carry her.



So, Jesse wanted a picture with Ryleigh, and she was not exactly cooperating, but oh well. Both girls calmed down once we got them in the car with air conditioning, juice, and Elmo!

It was a fun day, and I was so incredibly proud of Jesse. It has only been 2 days, and he is not sore at all. The triathlon was definitely not as hard on his body as the marathons have been, so hopefully he will continue down this path for awhile and give his feet/legs a break! He wants to try an Olympic-distance marathon next, which is essentially twice as much as the sprint triathlon. I think he can do it for sure, especially if he continues his training.

If you want to see him on his bike, take a look at the video. He is the one who flies by, passing on the outside, (number 1551). Go Jesse!

6 Random Facts

I’ve been ‘tagged’ by Lindsey, so….

Here are the tagging rules:
1. Post the rules on your blog
2. Write 6 random things about yourself
3. Tag 6 people at the end of your post
4. If you are tagged, DO IT and pass it along

Random Facts About Me:

1. I am addicted to chocolate. No, I am not exaggerating. I buy chocolate in bulk and hide it around my house so Jesse does not realize how much chocolate I eat! Every time that show "Intervention" comes on, Jess looks at me and says how much our family needs to help intervene between me and chocolate... my thoughts are this: Yes, I could be much healthier (and probably skinnier) if I did not eat so much chocolate. But, if I like chocolate, and it improves my quality of life, why should I quit?? (The first step to overcoming an addiction is admitting you have a problem...I am on my way to healing!!)
2. My sense of smell is incredibly strong. The slightest hint of a smell can either send me to the kitchen looking for something equally tasty, or send me to the bathroom gagging. This was quite a problem when I was pregnant, because literally every single smell sent me over the edge: gasoline smells driving down the highway, greasy fast food, trash, animals, weird spices...you smell it, it got me. I thought that perhaps my senses were just heightened due to the pregnancy, but I have found that I still smell things abnormally well...I'm just not having to run to the bathroom every time. =)
3. I could watch Pride and Prejudice over and over and over and over. In fact, I do. Almost every single time Jesse leaves town, I plan my P & P night and settle in to the couch in my pajamas, ready to fall in love with Mr. Darcy all over again. \
4. I really enjoy cooking. Lately, we have been on a budget and have tried to cut-back on eating out. I have cooked literally every night, trying new recipes and making old favorites. I receive recipes to my email and love to try new things. Most of the time, they are actually pretty good! If anyone is interested in starting a recipe blog, we could totally set one up, and all share recipes with one another!
5. I have a TERRIBLE memory. I forget even the most momentous occasions of my own life. (This is incredibly frustrating for Jesse, who constantly has to remind me of special things and memories that should be known by the female of the relationship, not the male...) I blame it on the fact that I fell on my head in high school, cheering at a football game. Haven't heard that story? Well, the short version is this: we were doing a back-tuck ripple, and the mascot was running in sync behind us. Well, she ran a little too fast and bumped into me mid-air. Exciting, huh? Nothing like falling on your head in front of the whole school. Should have seen the ER though- blue and gold everywhere! Standleaders, cheerleaders, football players...I must have looked popular. Haha. All that to say, if I ever forget something important about YOUR life, I apologize in advance, and please don't ever take it too personal. Blame the mascot!! =) (Not really...)
6. I love when my house is clean and organized. It does something to my psyche and puts me at peace. I can handle pretty much anything you throw at me if my house is clean. When it is messy, any little thing can set me off. It is almost as if it throws me off balance. This is not good; especially having a toddler who loves to destroy clean rooms!! Haha, I'm learning to let go, but it does not come easy for me. I just love cleanliness and organization!

Okay, now you know a few extra random things about me. My turn to tag you!

I tag Sarah S, Sarah P, Shelley, Stacey (open your blog!!), Cheryl, Susan (get back on your blog!), and everyone else who reads my blog!! =)

Jibber Jabber

Ever wonder what it sounds like when a 15-month-old has a tea party with herself?

Haha! Ryleigh received this Cinderella tea party set for her birthday, and I waited to open it, so she would have something "new" to play with later. This week she suddenly realized that there were items inside she could not get to, and kept bringing it to me as if she wanted inside. So, I opened it. We have been drinking tea ever since!! Haha. Funny girl.

Haircut attempt number 5,458...

For those of you who have read my blog for awhile, you know that I always do this. I get nervous, and analyze hairstyles for awhile, find one I like, and decide to go for it. And yet, if you look at each "before" picture, you realize that I always go back to my same, long, straight, boring hair.

Well, I was at that point again. And once again, decided to try a change.

BEFORE

AFTER

It is totally not how I went in there expecting to come out, and to be honest, on my drive home, I was slightly bummed. But then I walked in the door, Jesse whistled at me, smiling! (He hates when I get my hair cut..."likes it long," etc.) He was literally beaming, saying that he absolutely loved it and it is by far his favorite haircut ever. I thought perhaps he was just trying to lift my spirits, but then for the rest of the night, he continued to compliment me, and even played with my hair, running his fingers through it later while we sat on the couch.

So, I guess it is a go! Now to attempt to fix it myself... always the difficult part. =)

Miss Ryleigh

I have not posted a Ryleigh update in awhile, and since I know a lot of you only visit my blog to see pictures of Miss Thang, I thought I would oblige.

Ryleigh is now 15-months-old, and wow, does that girl have personality! Headstrong and independent, curious and intelligent, girly yet messy, and sweet as can be. I know I have said this before, but it just keeps getting better and better with her!! Though this new stage of her development has definitely been harder in some ways, it has also been more fun. Ryleigh is communicating to us all day long, and "talking" up a storm. Literally, she starts jabbering the second she wakes up and does not stop until she falls dead asleep. She has recently realized that she can fluctuate the sound of her voice, and loves to squeal at her highest pitch and volume...just for our reaction.

We have really learned that parenting and disciplining begins right away. Like I said, Ryleigh is very headstrong. She does not like to be told "no" and already has the fit-pitching down. I must say, I was not prepared for that. I thought that was supposed to hit during the 'terrible-twos' or whatever. We are learning that she has selective hearing when it comes to being disciplined. She will blatantly ignore my cautions and corrections, and will try to ignore Jesse's first words. However, once he raises his voice, she immediately obeys. We just have to work on listening the first time, and obeying any adult, not just Dad (though I am immensely glad that she already respects and obeys her father.) It is exhausting, to say the least, trying to be consistent with discipline all the time, and yet we know that is the only way that she will learn and understand how serious we are. This is a learning process all-around!

On to the good things. =)

Ryleigh loves to give hugs and kisses. She will randomly come over and hug my legs, tucking her face into my thigh. When I pick her up, she throws her arms around my neck and squeezes with all her might. If I ask for kisses, she smiles and eagerly leans down to plant one right on my lips. Haha. Cutie pie! She also smiles when she says Mama and Dada now, which of course, just melts our hearts.

How powerful is the love of a parent!! I certainly did not understand the overwhelming love and emotion until little Miss came into my life.

Well, if you actually read my update before scrolling through pictures, I am impressed! For you who have waited so patiently, here you are!

This was the first day I attempted to pull all her hair into pigtails. It is finally long enough!

Playing with her bouncy ball- she loves to play ball with her Dada
And yes, that is a toy car. As girly as she can be, she also has definite tomboy attributes as well! Cars, balls...not many dolls that she plays with yet.
Riding around on her Disney princess car
Check out that mouthful of teeth!! If nothing else had changed making her look older, that fact alone makes her seem like such a KID to me. On a side note, she absolutely loves brushing her teeth, and always says "ahhhh" as she opens her mouth wide.
Easily entertained...
First attempt at a ponytail. Yes, it all went back okay, with the help of a few clips, but it came out pretty quickly and easily. It looked cute while it lasted though!
A typical day in Mama's office, playing with toys, reading book, and sharing smiles. =)
Well, there you go! Hopefully you all feel more caught up on Miss Ryleigh's life, and seeing the cutie herself in pictures. She continues to bless us with her sweet life, and we are thankful for all that she has brought to our family.

Finished

Yes, I finished the Twilight series. The last book had several crazy twists I had not expected, and there were several instances that made me want to skip ahead just so I could breathe a sigh of relief...but I controlled myself and stuck with the storyline.

The series was very entertaining. If you are looking for a little suspense and make-believe, I would recommend it!

Astros

Last week, Jesse and I finally fulfilled our Father's Day gift to my dad-we went to the Astros game with my parents. We left Ryleigh with Julie and the four of us had a fun night at the game. We sat way in the outfield, so the perspective of the field was slightly different than what we are used to. I had been cooking a lot up until that point and had not eaten out in quite awhile, so it was splurge night! Hot dogs, nachos, large sodas...you get the drift.

It was a fun night, and I enjoyed spending time with parents. We love you Dad, and again, Happy (late) Father's Day!

Chunks

Hi blogland.

In case you have not noticed, I typically write in chunks. I dont get much time, and yet there is a lot I like to share. So, when I get a chance, I try to write a few posts at a time. I dont know how annoying that is to you, the reader, but, hey I do the best I can.

So, if you ever see a new post, continue to scroll down. There is a good chance there might be a few new posts. =)

Thanks for reading!

Obsessed

My sister, Julie, has been telling me about the Twilight series for quite awhile. I always told her how dumb it sounded...who wants to read about vampires and werewolves?? Julie was so obsessed that she went to some launch or something at Barnes and Noble at midnight, the night before the last book was released. I officially thought she was crazy.

Then my friend Stacey mentioned it to me. It's not that I value Stacey's opinion more than Julie's, but her enjoyment of the book made me think.

I grew curious.

Then, while walking through Target I saw a large display with the Twilight series. I stopped and read the back cover, considering. The books were on sale, so I bought the first one and figured "what the heck."

I did not read it for well over a week. Life got in the way and I was not particularly concerned about when I got around to reading it. Then last Thursday evening I was bored, and picked it up.

I read ALL weekend long. I did not watch the opening ceremony of the Olympics. I did not finish painting the office like I planned. I read. I finished the first book, Twilight, around midnight Saturday night. Sunday, as soon as church was over, I went to Target and bought the second book, New Moon. I finished it Monday night.

So, now it is Wednesday, and I'm going crazy. I want so badly to go get the third book...but I know I should withhold until the weekend. I'm not very productive while reading, because I become obsessed with the storyline and cant put it down until I'm finished. I went last night and the store was sold out of the third book, Eclipse. Perhaps that is a sign...

For those who might be interested, I will say this. Do not go into it thinking that it is some great literary novel. It is certainly no Pride and Prejudice! However, if you like the Harry Potter series (which I never read, again thinking the storyline sounded dumb...might have to reconsider...) then you will enjoy this series. It is very easy reading. Sometimes the books are slow to start, but then there is a hook, and once it catches you, you cannot put it down.

I am clearly caught on the hook, and I imagine I will finish both of the remaining books by the end of next weekend. I'm crazy like that. =)

8-8-08

Well, 8-8-08 was a very special day in our family. For quite a few different reasons...some foreseen, others, total surprise!

On August 8, 2008, Jesse's grandmother, affectionately known as Grandma Gertie, turned 88 years old. Did you catch that? She turned 88 on 8-8-08...creepy, right? Actually, I think it is pretty stinkin' awesome.

Grandma Gertie has had a rough summer. If you remember this post awhile back, you will remember that Grandma Gertie was recently diagnosed with an aggressive cancer in her liver and colon. She has been going through chemo treatments, and the treatments have started to wear her down a bit. It has also been hard because we are not able to be around her as much as we would like; she has chemo every other week, and because children carry extra germs, she is not allowed to be around Ryleigh except for the weekend right before her next chemo treatment. Apparently, right after chemo, she is especially susceptible to infection, while her immune system is torn down. Not to mention, Grandma Gertie is not exactly in the mood for visitors after chemo, because it totally wears her out. As it turns out, the day we decided to celebrate her birthday, Grandma Gertie was feeling incredibly tired and was not all that excited about hanging out...until we got there.

We met up at Justin's golf course, and rented one of the party/meeting rooms. Jenn was up there during the day, decorating and making it feel and look special. (Jenn had all of the boys AND Ryleigh while decorating...poor girl. She never ceases to amaze me with her multi-taking abilities.)

We enjoyed a yummy meal, and had fun chatting and laughing. Grandma Gertie sat at the head of the table, as the designated guest of honor.
Jean Ann was in town, switching in for a round of chemo. Since Grandma was diagnosed, Jean Ann, Carolyn, and JD & Carol have taken turns taking Grandma to chemo and hanging out afterwards. This was Jean Ann's week!

Can you tell they are siblings, or what?

Jesse was horribly sick. He had been sick for about three days, and had not slept (at all) in two nights. He also was concerned about attending, for fear of getting Grandma sick. However, he realized (at the last possible second, as usual) that he needed to be there this year. He did not want to look back with regrets. Sooo...we put him at the opposite end of the table from Grandma Gertie, and he smiled and waved from a distance...but he was there.
Happy birthday, Grandma Gertie!
More presents??
A good time was had by all, and we really enjoyed loving on Grandma Gertie and letting her know how thankful we were that she was born, 88 years ago.

Obviously her birthday made 8-8-08 special for foreseen reasons....so what was the surprise special occasion??

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BRENT AND SUSAN GOT ENGAGED!!

Hooray! It was a total shock to all of us, and even Susan was surprised! Brent did a really good job- asking my Dad's permission, surprising Susan, saying and doing sweet things, getting down on his knee...the whole bit. You see, Brent had picked the day for a reason. They started dating on June 8 awhile ago, his jersey number and lucky number is 8, and the date was 8-8-08...if his lucky number is 8, he couldn't get much luckier than that!

I'm so happy these two are happy and will finally become husband and wife. The date is set for next summer, on 7-8-09, haha. They do love their 8's don't they?? I think Susan said it is actually a Wednesday, but they don't care. They're all about the numbers. I'm just happy, and looking forward to sharing in the day they say "I do."

Congrats again, Brent and Susan! We love you guys, and are happy to welcome Brent to the family. =)

Happy 2nd birthday, Hayley!

Hayden and Lauren's daughter, Hayley, turned two last week. We got to help celebrate her birthday in style, at the Cox's house Sunday afternoon.

Hayley is really at a fun age, smiling a lot, enjoying every thing and every one. She is a sweet girl, and Ryleigh and I had a lot of fun playing at her party.
Dad and daughter, throwing some hot dogs on Hayley's new two-sided kitchen grill. One side has the traditional "kitchen," and the other side was an outdoor kitchen, complete with a kind of scary, light-up and sizzle grill. Kept the girls entertained for quite awhile though...
After singing happy birthday and pretending to blow out the candle, Hayley took a bite out of the cake! Haha, so funny.

On a side note, how awesome is that Elmo cake? Mrs. Cox made it herself!
The girls are really interacting together now, and had quite a fun time playing on the couch together.
Congrats on surviving the first two years, Lauren and Hayden! One down, one on the way, and how many more to go??
We love you guys! Thanks for inviting us to be a part of Hayley's happy day.

Celebrating 5 years

Jesse and I had our 5th wedding anniversary last Saturday, August 2. I cannot believe it has been five years already. I always thought that this anniversary marked something special; like, if you can make it together five years, you are set for life. Haha. Funny how our minds function in small intervals like that. I will say though, that having shared five precious years with this man, I am more certain than ever that we will not only make through this life, but enjoy the ride as we go. =)

Originally, we had hoped to go all out for our 5th anniversary. A romantic getaway weekend, a nice stay downtown, and a fancy dinner were all ideas...ideas eventually tossed to the wind. Here is how it all went down instead.

The week before, I began looking for creative wood gifts for the traditional 5th anniversary present. I found some really cheesy ideas and was not very excited about them. Then I found this wooden, engraved, personal frame, and thought it would be very nice. So, I ordered it! (Of course, it had our names, and our anniversary date on it, but you get the drift.)
Well, last Thursday afternoon there is a ring at our doorbell, and since I was in my office working, Jesse answered the door. I thought nothing of it. Until he brought the package, addressed to me, into the office. Considering I had not thought of anything else for an anniversary gift, he couldn't see this one early!! I practically dived at him, ripping the box from his hands, and running past his questioning face to go hide the box.

Friday afternoon, we were talking, and brought up our financial situation. Without going into detail, let me just say that the rising cost of living and the lack of raises for either of us, is really starting to hit us in the pocketbook. We have gone through slumps before, but never for the duration or consistency that we have been fighting our budget this time!

ANYWAY, so back to Friday afternoon. After discussing our finances, we brought up our anniversary. Obviously, we had put off planning a getaway weekend because we had no money to do it. We put off staying somewhere nice, again, no money. But, Jesse had already gone ahead and made reservations at our favorite nice restaurant, Perry's. After further discussion, I convinced him to call and cancel our reservations- again, no money.

I asked him point blank if he had gotten me anything for our anniversary, since he is notorious for procrastinating. Seriously- worst gift procrastinator in the world. He admitted that he had not. I told him to save the money on our typical gifts (card, flowers, etc). He said, "but you already got me something! Now I will feel bad!" To which I admitted that the gift was really more for both of us than just him. Jesse would not let up! I finally marched into the other room, grabbed the box, and handed it to him. (Yes, to those following the storyline, I gave him the only traditional gift we had for each other, a day early. How is that for "traditional?") Luckily, he really liked the frame and actually was very sweetly-appreciative of my sentimental efforts.

So, what did we do to celebrate, you ask?

We enjoyed each other.

We spent the day hanging out, playing with Ryleigh, and being sweet with one another. Late in the afternoon, we dropped Ryleigh off at my parent's house and had a nice night to ourselves. We did some shopping (with coupons! haha) at a few of our favorite places: Old Navy for me, and Sports/Shoe stores for him. He picked out a few new razorback tank tops for me, because he loves when I wear razorback tanks, which I think is strange, considering I think I only own two and rarely wear them in public, due to my self-consciousness about arm chub...Jesse likes them and he was very encouraging about my body, trying to help ease my self-consciousness.

On a side note: I just love when he is sweet and complimentary to me. It is not that he is ever mean or derogatory to me. But Jesse is a quiet man, and he often keeps the compliments quiet along with his other thoughts. When he is openly and passionately complimentary, it stirs my heart and still gives me butterflies in my stomach. I love this man!

After our shopping/hanging out, we went to Pappasitos for dinner. It was a Saturday night so we had to wait for almost an hour before we sat at a table. But without Ryleigh, the wait was not so bad. We sat at the bar, talking, sharing a drink, and watching the Astros. For dinner we split fajitas. I had forgotten how good their fajitas are, but man oh man, they were good!

We picked up Ryleigh, headed home, and put her to bed for the night. Then we had more hang out time...and fun with the camera!

I love my husband very much. I can rag on him from time to time, but the truth is, Jesse is a great man. He is my biggest supporter and Ryleigh's biggest fan! We are blessed to have him in our lives.

I'm thankful for the past five years; and even if we were not able to "do it up big" this year, that just leaves much to be desired as we celebrate again in the future.

Happy anniversary, babe! I love you, and look forward to the next five!