4th of July

Well of course John had to work on the fourth of July, so the kids and I headed out for the parade in Odessa in the morning with some of our friends. First of all I can't believe that there were no parades...etc in Midland, what a stinkin deal!!! So we piled in their suburban and drove 20 minutes down the highway to partake in some 4th of July delight!Of course my children had to wear red white a blue! We didn't have to wait very long for the parade...if you can call it that! Lets see the flags lead the way, followed by a marching bad, a few trucks with banners and advertisements, a karate group, and the most hilarious display of auto-uniqueness...normally at most parades I've been to there's a lovely line up of classic cars, restored to perfection or close to it, you know a few model T's, Chevy's, etc....well here they had an interesting line up of Lincoln's and caddy's 2 or 3 were pimped with bright paint jobs and hydraulics, the rest were your basic factory line early 90's models....HAHAHAHA....i'm not quite sure why they were even in the line up...quite interesting!I have to say that BY FAR the most interesting float was one put on by a Baptist church...they had huge wood cut outs painted to represent the stone tablets that the ten commandments were on, and then they had a large cross with a man on it wearing a white sheet, splattered with red paint to look (not at all) like blood...now I understand sharing your faith, and I think church floats are great, but where's the taste in this? I almost took a picture to post, but it was just wrong, and in NO way did it reverence the life and sacrifice of our Savior...AND it was just plain creepy...the guy who was posing as Christ was "acting" lifeless and limp on the cross with "blood" dripping off of his head and body, I feel for any kids who don't know the story of the crucifixion, it probably looked like some dead guy dangling on a wood post on the back of a truck.....hopefully their parents could explain....gosh darn it...where are the missionaries when you need them!!!My other big beef with this rediculous parade was that NO ONE THREW CANDY...i'm sure there's a good reason behind it, maybe they've had too many accidents with kids running into the street, or maybe they're very anti-litter....who knows, all I know is that this parade was a BUST! Oh yes, and lets not forget to mention the MANY floats that were proudly adorned with the confederate flag not that I think it's a sin to fly it as it is part of our nations history, especially the history of the south, but gee I don't know it was just weird me being a northern girl and all, it's just not something i've seen in my neck of the woods before! Although I would like to note that that the number of star spangled banners FAR out weighed the number of confederate flags.Well at least my daughter seemed to enjoy saluting the vet who saluted her in play as he drove by in his vintage army jeep!!!

Everyone's been napping, and hopefully we'll find some fun later tonight at the fireworks, that are surprisingly still going forth even though we here in west Texas are in a HORRIBLE drought! Good golly, God Bless Texas!

A night at the movies!

We were going to go to the new water park in Big Spring, TX on Sunday after church...but the other families we were going to go with had to cancel. Carter has been mentioning "Cars 2" alot lately, and since it was showing at the drive in we decided to go! Thankfully Carter had taken a REALLY LATE nap that evening so it worked out well for her to be up late!Of course, my little cheeser, front and present with a big grin! She was excited, although i'm sure she didn't quite grasp the concept until the movie started, we kept trying to explain that we were going to wath the movie on the "BIG" TV!!! This was John's first time at a drive in theater too so everyone was happy and excited to be there!We popped kettle corn before we left, grabbed a few treats at the gas station...and still ended up having to buy an ICEE at the concessions....who can resist it when it's 9pm and 87 degrees outside???!!!Just waiting for the movie to start getting comfy, and sippin that ICEE!Oh, yes we did get a hot dog to share because I realized i'd forgotten to feed my child before we left, so here we are waiting in the concessions diner waiting for Carter's "hog gog"!Who ever decided to put 4 playgrounds (one under every screen and one at concessions) was a genius! Carter loved playing here, she's been asking to go slide for such a long time but it's always SOOO hot, and by the time it cools off it's bed time...she was so brave and finally.....Goes up the stairs all by herself..... sits down and gets ready by herself....Starts off without a shove.....and.....Without hesitation zooms to the bottom of the slide where she.....Does her version of a gymnastics landing and proclaims "TADA I FICK IT!" I don't think it sank in my telling her over and over that she "DID IT" not "FIXED IT" was the appropriate exclamationAll in all it was a fun adventure! The movie was cute as are most Disney/Pixar creations....it just doesn't top the first Cars, but it was still a good addition! And note...of course the jammies that were selected for the adventure...."Teee-moe-mell"! Oh how I love this silly two year olds mispronounced words!!!

Carter sat and watched most of the movie but got silly punch drunk towards the end, and couldn't sit still, it was also too exciting to have access to all of the knobs and buttons, and things of such that are in the front seats, all in all I think the horn got honked twice, the radio got turned off about five times, and she spent a good portion of the movie with her head out the sun roof or the window like a little puppy!

Owen ate a bottle, fussed for a few minutes then ZONKED, he slept in the back seat through the whole movie!!! What a good little champ!!!

I love that we've always taken our kids with us pretty much everwhere since they've been born. It can be quite the challenge, and sometimes ends up very badly with flared tempers, tears and exhaustion....BUT it's all in the name of family time, something that's very precious to us...John's work schedule allows for VERY LITTLE time together, we try to make it quality time, but so much of it gets eaten up by daily routine....sleeping, eating, bathing...etc....so we're SO thankful that we were able to spend this time together!!!

Owen Boy Update

Since both of my children are taking extremely long naps today, I thought I should do a little update on my Owen boy!!!

He's getting SO BIG...many jaws drop when people find out he's only 2 and half months old! He's sure trying his best to catch up to the size his sister was at this age!!! He's slowly but surely starting to really get into a schedule, although he's not sleeping through the night, he is only waking up once in the middle of the night....he LOVES to sleep on his tummy just like Carter did, and will sleep MUCH longer and more sound if I put him on his tummy, but I just am not brave enough to do it at night until my babies can roll over on their own....when I do lay him down on his back, he's EXACTLY like Carter...I know he'll stay asleep if he puts his arms up by his head...I wonder if there's some odd genetic explanation as to why both of my children sleep this way???!!!!

Owen chilling pool side, while we swim, to try and beat the heat!!! He does get pretty sweaty in his car seat, and swing when we're outside, but we don't linger too long in the heat, and he obviously is hydrated by drinking so much throughout the day! I think the noise of everyone swimming is soothing, because he'll usually sleep the whole time we're playing in the water....so far every pool we've been to has been to cold for such a little guy, we dipped his feet in, and boy was that a mistake...and he let us know it!!!He's such a smiley and happy baby!!! He's also becoming quite "talkative"...I LOVE baby coo's and gurgles...he chuckles in his sleep and has since he was first born...i'm trying to find his funny bone, so far his most ticklish spot is under his arms, and the sides of his chest...he's come so close to doing a full belly laugh...but darn it....it still eludes us!!! Every night before sleepy time, I rub him down with lotion and try tickling him and talking to him to get him going, it works.......ALMOST....hopefully we'll get that first true laugh soon!!!Thank you Aunt Kathy for the cute sunglasses! Don't you think Owen looks like one pretty cool dude in them?! Carter thinks it's SO funny that brother has "gass" too!....yes, that's right, for the life of me I can't get her to pronouce... "GLASSES" it ALWAYS comes out as "GAS" hahaha! Whenever we're out and about and she talks about gas, I just chuckle...she also loves to "fix" things, unfortunately it sounds like she's swearing when she says "I fick it"...like just today in the mall, she tripped and fell...I look back to see a few teenagers trying to help her up, of which she declined their help...jumped up, clapped and said "TA DA....I FICK IT"!!!! Everyone around just laughed and ...awwwwwwwed...."how cute"!

SNAKES

I've said it before I'll say it again...Snakes are sneaky slithery, sick creatures....now with such an aversion to these nasty little creatures....WHY oh WHY does my daughter have to be SO obsessed with them???? It all started one day when we were at John's grandparent's house...we were coming up the back path when Carter's great grandpa killed a snake by stomping on it.........To this day...more than 3 months later, she will still talk about "Papa...stomp...sneek" (while pumping her foot on the ground!) I'm SOOOO surprised that this incident didn't traumatize her...but rather piqued her interest in these slithery creatures!!! The next most talked about snake experience was when we watched an animal planet show on snakes with our neices at John's sister's house....she still (a good 5 months later) will tell me about the "Sneeks TV"!!!Most people don't equate snakes as a cuddly creature to nap with, but to my 2 year old...there's no question as to who or rather what's going to sleep in her bed! This is a snake she got as a prized for traveling so well on our way to Iowa, we picked it up at a tourist shop in North Platte.Lucky girl...she got to touch real snakes at the children's museum here in Midland...the staff kept trying to get me to touch it too, but I so quickly declined....I was tempted truly I was...I don't want my kids to witness my fear and disgust over such creatures and feel that they should be afraid too (clearly not Carter's problem!) But good golly lady, don't be shovin that thing all up in my face when i've made it clear I don't want to get any closer to it!You just can't miss the pure delight in Carer's face over meeting this snake in person!!!I know this seems like a silly thing to post about, but it just completely shows the fun and spunky, ironic nature of my "teemomell" (tinker bell), "strawbee cake" (Strawberry Shortcake) and "Sneek" loving daughter daughter!!!

Best Buck Deal!!!

I'm always pleased to find great deals...this is the best one yet that i've come across this summer! Seeing as how it's been over 100 degrees every day since we've been in Texas, it just makes sense that the city has 3 or 4 public pools...the best one we've been to yet is the Washington Aquatic Park...it's on the opposite side of town, but worth the drive considering it only costs one dollar!!! Kids 2 and under are free, I only have to pay one dollar....it's so convenient because I can put a life jacket on Carter with arm floaties and let her loose...there's a separte toddler pool that's only a foot deep, so while she's playing and I keep an eye on her, I can still take care of Owen...thankfully he usually just snuggles in the stroller for a snooze while we play. The life jacket rental is free, there's life guards everywhere, the pools are SOOO clean, there's a few shaded picnic areas and outside food, floaties, toys, blankets and chairs are welcome!!!! We couldn't ask for anything more....I do believe this Sunday we're going to go in the evening for the family swim time!!!

Carter is getting to be such a big girl....she's very hesitant to get in the water and explore at first, but with a little silliness from her mother...and encouragement from her little "boyfriend" Jackson....she'll do just about anything!!! Jackson is such a sweet little boy, his family is from Utah, his dad is selling alarm systems, and his mom Christy is a gem! There's a few other "wives" that we're getting to know...it's a little tricky as they all live in the apartments because they're part of the original Midland group. It's nice thought that at least I still have Katoba and her girls here in the hotel as well, so we get to see a few familiar faces!!! The past two weeks John's cousin Kristy came out to visit her husband who is head tech (John's boss) and i've had fun getting to know her one on one, she comes to chat with me late at night when we're both all alone waiting for our husbands to come home....Carter adores her, and Owen likes to smile and coo at her too!!!

Carter and Olivia sure had fun riding on my back, it's the only way I could get them so play in the water at first! Later they got brave and branched out on their own!!! I have to say it was fun for me too! I know I look a little silly, but I just really didn't care, helping my kid have a fun time is what it's all about! I was so surprised that we got a few pictures together where we're both smiling and looking at the camera....it's SOOOO hard getting a two year old to look AT the camera, I'll cherish these few pictures! My Carter is such a funny girl...just silly to the bone, I SO enjoy the time I get to spend with her each day, laughing and teasing and snuggling...what fun we're having this summer!!!!

John's Birthday

We celebrated John's 29th birthday last Sunday. His birthday was on Tuesday, but these fellas work such odd hours, 6 days a week, so a Sunday celebration it was!!! We had croissant sandwiches, and Reeses Blizzard Cake, the Hotel has a nice lounge down in the lobby, so we gathered with a few friends and family. I meant to take pictures of everyone, but this is all we ended up with! It's been a while since John and I have been captured on camera together, so I really cherish these pictures!!! Thankfully on Tuesday morning we're scheduled to get family picutres done at Portrait Innovations...they're SO cheap, and for the price you get pretty decent pictures...YAY! The only picture we have with both kids is from Owen's blessing, so i'm even more excited to get this done...the best part is that I only bought a few clearnace items to complete our coordinating attire!!! Carter and I will be in sweaters, the boys in polos, we'll all be barefoot in jeans...I can't wait to see how they turn out!!!

Hotel Living...

Ok, so I've had a TON of people ask how it is living in a hotel....I know at first thought it would seem frustrating or annoying, but let me tell you folks, with a little creativity, it can be VERY easy, fun, and rather relaxing!!!

The biggest problem with where we're at now is that we're not in suites, so bye bye to the full fridge, stove, kitchen sink and dishwasher that we had in Iowa, and hello to....uhhhh....well, a teeny tiny fridge (yes we go to the grocery store a lot for fresh food)...a little microwave, and a multi purpose bathroom sink!

Cooking in the microwave is actually quite easy, and I bought a small George Foreman grill to do meats on....so the other night I made a delicious grilled chicken, Mexican rice, and refried beans....might I say it was delicious, and I got a huge kick out of being creative....yes, I have to cook in the bathroom because it's the only safe space (heat resistant counter) to use the grill and our toaster....Unfortunately as my mother so lovingly pointed out...the bathroom is, well....a bathroom so some necessary activities that don't usually go hand in hand with cooking also take place in there as well....AT LEAST not at the same time... right!!!

I just have to laugh at our daily life here....in the morning we brush out teeth, and get ready for the day, then I wash the sink so I can wash dishes and bottles, then I wash it again to give the baby a bath, and then wash the sink again so that it's ready for whatever comes next!!! It's pretty frustrating that we don't have a bathtub (only the handicap rooms have tubs, we have 2 person granite shower) so Owen gets bathed in the sink most of the time, although he's outgrowing it and I shower with Carter...I bet you can guess how well that goes with a two year old who hates getting splashed....I lure her in by drawing snakes on the glass shower wall (with bath foam) for her to "wash wash wash" then I surprise attack her with washing her hair and body...the screaming only lasts a few minutes...then she laughs and tells me all day that she had a "sssower" with "sneeks"!!!!

Thankfully, I have very well behave children...we brought a lot of Carter's toys, so she's pretty well entertained all day...Owen's a good little guy and doesn't fuss too much....my biggest concern in a hotel was being too loud for the hotel guests above, below and next to us, but I have to say we do pretty well, no complaints yet!!! We don't have a separate bedroom, so when Carter needs a time out I have to send her to the bathroom...it's really funny to hear myself say in serious mommy tone "Carter do you want to go to the bathroom".... or "Carter go to the bathroom until you're done crying".....it just sounds so funny especially since she's not potty trained and has no other reason to "go to the bathroom"!!!

Nap time is easy peasy...I just close the curtains, have Carter lay down on Daddy's side of the bed, tell her to close her eyes for a rest...and within minutes...SHE'S OUT!!! AND I can go about my business without her ever waking up, I can visitors, housekeeping can come and go, Owen can cry, I can watch TV, be on the computer....etc....and she stays asleep...yes I know I'm VERY BLESSED!!! Owen is starting to nap about the same time, and goes to bed about an hour or so after Carter...he wakes up to eat once in the middle of the night and then again in the wee hours of the morning, but hey that's pretty good!!!

Riding the elevator up and down, up and down to go from floor five to one to do laundry gets annoying, but Carter loves to have "my's earn" (my turn) to push the buttons, she's learning the numbers 1 and 5 really well!!! Not having to pay to do laundry makes up for it though...they have new whirlpool duets (my dream machines!) and don't charge a cent!!!

The kids and I spend time at the community water park with other wives and kids that are here for the summer as well, we go to museums, walk the air conditioned mall, skype with family, and most days just carry on a normal routine with play time, movie time, quiet time, nap time, food time....etc. We do miss Daddy during the day, if he's working locally he's often in and out all afternoon/evening which can sometimes be really hard on Carter....he doesn't get home until usually around midnight, so we really love our lazy mornings, we all pile in our bed and watch Sponge Bob, Phineas and Ferb, and Mickey Mouse Club House all morning, and then slowly get ourselves moving with breakfast and showers...a couple times a week we get to go out to lunch or dinner with John, my new favorite place is Sam's Club, just across the street, you don't have to be a member to get in, and you can get a Famous Nathan's hot dog, and soda for $1.70...or we can get pizza, soft pretzels, ice cream sundaes...etc....we also LOVE Rosa's Cafe and Tortillaria mmmmm!!! That's one awesome thing about this desert land....there are fresh tortilla's made and sold everywhere!!!

So far we've had great hotel staff taking care of us, I love having housekeeping come every day...it's nice to have everything freshened BUT I do miss caring for house and home (minus the scrubbing the toilet part!!!) We've really enjoyed having the internet again, and cable!!! Oh I'm SO addicted to the food network channel, TLC, Lifetime and BRAVO!!! We also enjoy being able to access Netflix....thanks Nana Pattie!!! The air conditioning is oh so lovely, and the convenience of the pool is nice as well all in all, it's been a really great experience, one I'd be willing to repeat.....well, maybe....there's still a few months to go before the final judgement can be made!!!