Trick-or-Treat

I took full advantage of Ethen not having a care in the world about Halloween this year. Emalee wanted to be a princess and what goes better with a princess...then a frog! I know I probably won't get to dress them in duo costumes for long, so I'm doing it while I can!

We took Emalee to Safe Night at a local casino. She got LOADS of candy! She was less then thrilled about the haunted house at the end of the "candy walk" and was a little shaken by it. She came out and said "I was brave!"  Ethen slept through the whole thing. :) 

We then headed to a local neighborhood and let her do some trick-or-treating.  She sounded like a broken record "Trick-or-Treat, Happy Halloween!" at every house. I was a little surprised when she announced she was done for the night, but I was more then happy to be done too!

Pumkin Patch

Tommy was home for the weekend so we took the kids to the 3rd annual PDOP Pumpkin Days in Pahrump. Emalee had a blast, the weather was perfect, and it was nice seeing some familiar faces!

 

 

That night Emalee and Daddy carved pumpkins. They have done this together every year since Emalee was born....Mommy is not a huge fan of it, and Daddy and Emalee could both spend hours doing it!

 

Ethen: 5 Months!

5 Months Old

Our little man is 5 months old! His little personality is evolving. He loves to smile and laugh....and talk! His other favorite thing to do is jump! If he's on your lap, hold on tight! And when he's in his exersaucer it looks like he's going to tip it over. I'm not sure where all of his energy comes from because he is always awake and never sleeping! ;) Ethen has 2 teeth (on the bottom), he is rolling from belly and back and can almost roll from back to belly if he could figure out what to do with his hands :). We've started food, which he now prefers over bottles. I can't believe how much, and how quickly, he is growing. We love you Ethen!


First 2 teeth!

A YEAR has come and gone....

My last post was Emalee's 3 year pictures and we were living in San Antonio, Texas. I am so sad that I let my blog slip so far behind. It's not that I don't enjoy doing it (if I could make a living doing it I would!), my issue is my time management.  So instead of overwhelming myself by trying to work backwards and cover all that I've missed, I will create a summary or "nut shell" of what has happened in the last year. Buckle-up, because here goes....

1.  We left Texas and moved to Reno, NV. Texas was NOT for me...it was hot, humid, busy, did I mention it was hot and humid? I am grateful for the experience, but I was ready to leave. While living there I did meet some great people, I took a stab at the retail world (NOT my forte!), and experienced a culture unlike any other!

2.  Tommy was hired with Atlas Contractors as a finish blade operator. Anyone who knows my husband, knows that he loves heavy equipment. For him they are like giant toys!

3.  I was blessed with a job with Washoe County School District. We are crazy and planned a move to Reno without jobs.  I was hired within a week of moving to Reno, after waiting on their hiring list for 2 years prior...everything just fell into place.

4.  Again we were blessed....when I found out I was pregnant a month after we moved to Reno.  Surprise, it's NOT the flu!

5.  Emalee started going to daycare and loved it! She is a social butterfly, loves her school (and so does Mommy) and has her teachers wrapped around her little finger. She excelled in all academic areas and developed a love for all things artsy crafty.  She loves to draw, paint, and create....she has such an imagination!

Emalee's 1st Day of "School"

 6.  My pregnancy went pretty well, other then the sickness which I did NOT experience with Emalee.  We found out in January that we are having a BOY!! Emalee cried at first and said "I want a sister!!!" but she eventually came around. She was very involved with every part of preparing for her brother. She helped pick out his room decor, she got to see him on ultrasound movies, and she talked to my belly nonstop!

7.   Emalee turned 4. I have no clue how that happened?! It feels like she was born yesterday.  She is such a ball of energy. She is growing into a little lady. She loves to go shopping, wear dresses, and have her hair done.  She is becoming more and more independent, many times wanting to do everything herself!  She loves to help in the kitchen, whether it's making lunch, or baking, she is right there with her stool to help you!

Happy Birthday Emmy!

8.  On May 29th, two weeks and 3 days after Emalee turned 4, Ethen Thomas was born.  He surprised us, he was ready to make his entrance into the world....June 12th was just to far away. :) He was born at 9:45 p.m. he weighed 5 lbs 13.5 oz and was 17.5 inches long.  He came out screaming, and has never stopped!

Sweet Boy

9.  My One-Year-Only contract with the school district landed me in the hiring pool with 300+ other teachers, and only 120+ positions to fill.  I was not picked back up for the 2012-2013 school year (feels like Deja Vu)!  It seems like every time I have a baby, I lose my job. Maybe someone is trying to tell me something?!

So there is the last year in a "nut shell."  The kids and I are spending some time in Pahrump with family, while Tommy continues to work in Reno.  The construction world up there is in good shape, and the economy is recovering quickly.

Actually sitting and thinking about, writing about, how busy the last year was makes me realize that I am one lucky girl. I have a husband who loves me unconditionally, he does anything and everything he has to do to support our family and make sure our kids are taken care of.  Emalee is a "big girl" with such a sweet personality.  She absolutely LOVES being a big sister! Ethen is 4 months old, has 2 teeth, is rolling over (tummy to back), and he loves to talk.  He is either really happy or really mad.  He NEVER stops moving...this little guy is going to give me a run for my money. I have so much to be thankful for. Not just my husband and my 2 amazing kids, but the love and support from all of my family and friends.  It is so easy to think about the things you are lacking, or the "failures", that I often overlook all the things I HAVE.  Reflection, it's a powerful thing!



Love these 2!

I will end with this with one of my favorite quotes....

"I think I've discovered the secret of life - you just hang around until you get used to it." ~Charles Schulz

Family Photo's

Since we did Emalee's 2 year pictures ourselves, we didn't get a family picture last year. So We decided to go to a studio this year since our last family photo was when Emalee 18 months old :) I am really happy with how they turned out, and glad that Emalee cooperated!

My baby is 3!

It's hard to believe that Emalee is 3 already. I still remember the day she was born like it was yesterday. She brings so much joy to our lives. She is full of energy, humor, and she is sometimes too smart for her own good!

She is going to be tall like her Daddy! At her 3 year check-up the new pediatrician took a double take at her chart and said "This is a 3 year check-up?" Her favorite things to do are sing her ABC’s, counting to 10 (sometimes you go to 15), playing with her kitchen, and all things princess. She talks all the time. She also enjoys being outside with Daddy in the garden, she even has her own watering pail, gloves, and gardening tools.


This year for her birthday party we went to Chuck E. Cheese…her favorite place. Her friends Carson and Skyla came, along with cousin Nate. She played her heart out, got to meet Chuck E., and cried when we had to leave. She loves playing all of the games there, but most of all she loves earning the tickets!


Mommy and Daddy love you very much Emalee. You give each day meaning, and you teach us every day to stop and smell the roses and appreciate all of the “little” things life has to offer. Happy Birthday Baby Girl!

Children's Museum

I had been wanting to take Emalee to the children's museum since we moved here. Since we had my nephew Nathan over the weekend, we thought it would be the perfect time to go check it out.

Both of the kids had a blast! Emalee was running from place to place. A lot of the exhibits are built to smaller scale, so they were just her size. We had to pull her out of the play house, she absolutely loves to play in the kitchen and make "coffee." There was also a bank where she got to be the banker, a grocery store where she got to shop using a miniature shopping cart and the boys were the cashier and the bagger. I think the two older boy (Nate and Tommy of course) had just as much fun as Emalee.

There was also space station area, a shadow area, a hospital, and an outdoor water area. There was so much to see and do. This will definatle be a place that revisit, espceially during the hot ummer months when playing indoors is ideal!

River Walk

We took a trip down to the San Antonio River Walk the other day. This is considered a "tourist" spot to Texas locals, kind of like the strip is to Vegas locals. :) We took the boat tour and learned a lot of history about San Antonio, and Texas, and really enjoyed ourselves. We are trying to get out and wee all the things there are to do here. The hardest factor right now it TIME...there just doesn't seem to be enough of it! :)

Feeding the Ducks!

Today Emalee and I went to Landa Park, and this time I remembered my camera! It is a great park, with a lot to do. There are different play areas, each one geared to specific age group, a few different lakes/ponds, a train that goes around the park, walking trails...you could spend the entire day there! Emalee likes to play on the big kid toys, but that causes Mommy heart failure, so we try to stick to the toddler area. :)

After we played for a bit, we headed over to feed the ducks. This is an activity that usually involves Daddy because I do NOT like birds, ducks, or any other kind of feathered creature. But I figured it was time to suck it up. Emalee was a little hesitant of the the loud noises they were making, and didn't like it when they came towards her. But she warmed up to the idea and eventually would yell at the ducks "Get here ducks!" It was to funny.

Landa Park also has an amazing tree, every time I have been there I am just in awe by it. It is over 300 years old, and the pictures just do not do it justice. I can literally sit there and just stare at it.

As we walked back to the car Emalee decided she wanted to stop and sit on a bench in the park, so I stopped and sat with her. Little did I know that doing that would make her want to stop and sit on EVERY bench along the way...and the park is full of them! :)

Holidays

Wow, it's been a long time since my last post, and it seems like so much has happened. In October our laptop crashed and I lost A LOT of my stuff...like my Halloween pictures! Now I make sure that every time I upload pictures, I also save them to a jump drive right away. Lesson learned! Right before the holiday season hit full blast, I was blessed with a job! This is the first job I've had since Emalee was born, not counting helping with the construction business we had back home. I am working nights and weekends at Dressbarn. Retail is a whole new world for me, it's not rocket science, but it IS a lot of hard work!

This was our first holiday away from our family. It was nice to not be completely alone, having my brother and his family here sure helps, but it's still not the same. We spent Thanksgiving at their house, and we had a nice relaxing day, and I had my first ever barbecued turkey! :)

Christmas Eve I worked until 6:30 and came home to a house full, and my husband making "Grandma Betty Burritos" which are a family tradition. They were amazing!! I was beat, and we had to get the house ready for Santa so we skipped out on the other family tradition of playing Pictionary, and were in bed by 10:00!

Christmas day was also very relaxed this year. We let Emalee sleep in, took our time opening our gifts, and then headed over to Kim & Tim's. We had Christmas dinner over there and had a blast playing with Nate's new Kinect. The only thing that was missing was the rest of our family.

January seems to be rushing by! Tommy and I work split shifts so it feels like we never see each other. Sometimes we pass on the sidewalk as he gets home from work with a quick "Hello, Goodbye, I love you" all in the same breath. Emalee is growing like a weed! She loves to sing her ABC's, she can count from 1-10 (now were working on going to 15) and she loves to read and color. She also loves to play with her new kitchen she got for Christmas...her favorite thing to make is coffee! :)

I am hoping to do a better job of keeping up with our blog, now that we are in somewhat of a routine.

San Antonio Zoo

Today we took our first family outing since the big move. We visited the San Antonio Zoo! We had a great time, enjoying the beautiful surroundings and going through all of the animal exhibits. They have an area designated just for tots that is very interactive and everything is their size. We will definitely be returning to the Zoo!

The Big Move

Well, we finally did it! After talking about, and wanting, to move for well over the past year and a half, Tommy got a job offer in Texas and we jumped in head first. We did think about it a lot before we made our final decision, but in the end we both realized it was what was best for us and our family.

Tommy headed to Texas before Emalee and I. He was here for a month getting into the groove of his new job and finding us a place to live. Emalee and I stayed behind at my parents house which allowed the rest of the family to spend time with her. We even made a trip down to California to see her Great Grandparents, Great Aunts & Uncles, and her cousins.

Our moving weekend started off great, but didn't end so well. Our moving truck broke down TWICE, and ended up being towed the last 176 miles to our new house. We did our best to keep positive about the whole situation even though it added more stress then we would have liked to have.

We are settling in our new place. I have a few stray boxes here and there, but for the most part we are unpacked. All of our neighbors are extremely friendly and we have received a warm welcome to the neighborhood. We even had an unexpected visitor the other day, the Mayor of Selma (the town we live in) showed up to welcome us and see if there was anything we needed! I have heard all the talk about Texas hospitality, but I really wasn't expecting it to this extent. :)

Not a day goes by where I don't miss my family and friends back home, but we are so excited to begin this new chapter in our life. There are so many new and exciting adventures to be had!

Family Vacation

This past weekend we took a little family trip down to Long Beach, CA. We went to El Dorado Park (the park is huge!) where we rode the train, attempted to feed the ducks, and had a nice picnic lunch. After that we headed down to the Long Beach Aquarium. Once we got there we realized how CROWDED the place was, but decided to make the best of it. You could spend the entire day there, there is a lot to see and Emalee loves animals, all she kept saying was "Fishy." We were all getting a little overwhelmed with the crowd, it was hard to see or do anything with the number of people that were there. We then decided to head outside and walk around in Shoreline Village. Emalee rode the carousel, we shopped a little, and just enjoyed being down on the water.

For dinner we headed down to one of our favorite spots, Ruby's Diner at the end of the Seal Beach Pier. Tommy and I hadn't been there since I was pregnant...which was a long time ago!

Over all we had a great trip. We enjoyed spending time with Aunt Cathy and Uncle Tim (my godparents) and we all had a great time!

4th of July

We weren't sure how this year would turn out. Last year we were out of town on the 4th and the firework display was much smaller then Pahrump's. We spent the afternoon at my parents swimming and barbecuing, then headed to the park once the sun started to set. Emalee did fine, she wasn't scared, there were no tears...but she fell asleep! She slept next to my mom for most of the fireworks, until the finale woke her up :)

Our little fish

Emalee absolutely LOVES the water...she gets mad when she has to get out!




Swimming with Shuggie



Just came down the slide, we did this for hours! :)

Loving the pool

Emalee turns 2!

I am still kind of in shock that Emalee is 2 ALREADY!! Time has literally flown by :)

We had a birthday party for her over the weekend. We had her favorite...hot dogs (with ketchup, of course), and I made cupcakes for her. Her Great Grandparents came in from California for the weekend, which is always a special treat.

She was spoiled rotten by all of our family and friends. She got adorable outfits, jammies, dress up clothes, movies, money, a scooter, a tricycle, swim toys, a baby doll & a stroller, and Leap Frog ABC's. She is a 100% GIRL and loves to dress up in her Tinkerbell costume and her tutu. She is also very into baby dolls and being a "Mommy" so the stroller and baby doll have gone just about everywhere with us. She also loves her new tricycle and scooter...Mommy just needs to get the helmet to go with!! :)

At her 2 year check up we were told that she growing just fine, measuring in at 3 feet tall already...I think she's going to be very tall like her Daddy!! We are looking forward to all the new adventures of toddler hood. :)

Mommy & Daddy love you Emalee...Happy 2nd Birthday!!

Emalee's 2 Year Pictures

Today was our first attempt at taking "professional" style pictures without the professional! ;) Since the picture place we've used since birth is now closed, we figured why not try and do it on our own?!

There were definitely challenging moments, when our "almost 2 year old" didn't really want to sit still and pose, so we had to be quick and ready to snap a shot at any moment.

We aren't quite sure if we will do this all the time, but it was a fun experience, and as she gets older it should only get easier...hopefully! :)