Sunny Sunday

Today was my kind of weather! It's was a much needed warm day to boost my spirits! You know what?? The kids needed it too. They were thrilled when they got so hot they had to shed their jackets and jeans. Us Texas people...we needed this day!

We celebrated by getting slurpees! 72 degrees!! WhoooHoo!

Slurpees are a family favorite from back home. The kids were loving a cool drink on this amazing spring day!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Pity party Saturday

I'm a little sad that I chose today of all days to be internally grouchy. I felt like the motivational coach inside of me that normally snaps me out of weird feelings just wasn't there today. You know when you're playing golf and you hit a bad shot and you're able to brush it off and you ace the next shot. I just couldn't seem to brush it off today. Since I couldn't brush it off I was forced to think about why I was cranky. I thought about it and processed it and that was good for me.

I made sure to put on a happy face for the kids. I didn't want to spread my bad mood. I made the afternoon fun because we had to take advantage of the 60 degree day! We went to the park and stayed for hours. The kids each made two new friends.


But.... NONE of that happened until after I cleaned for hours. I cleaned and organized like a mad woman and I even unpacked a few boxes too. The kids helped me re-organize their rooms and the entire playroom. They each tried on clothes and we're donating all the pieces that they don't want or don't fit anymore. My mood was good for something huh? I managed to get all our spring cleaning done, so maybe this mood was on purpose!

Really though, I need this house to feel more like home.


The sun was shining bright and the weather was a perfect day for this climate. It wasn't good enough for my mood because I was pouting. Mostly pouting because I'm ready for the sun and a house.

One of my favorite memories of my house in Texas was the front room. That room was our home office. The day after we closed on our brand new home I stood in that empty office smelling the fresh paint and new carpet. As I stood there and felt the sun shining through the freshly Windexed windows I was grateful. The sun poured in the windows and through the blinds. I love the sun and I loved that feeling and knew I'd never forget that moment. What's the point you ask?

When the sun shines here we don't get much sun in our house. One side of our house is so close to the next house there is no way the sun can shine in. The other side faces the hill as we are in a valley. I miss seeing the sun set. I miss seeing it rise. { I do not miss the 100 degree August heat! } This part of the country is beautiful because it is so mountainous. Our part of Texas was flat and this scenery is better. Ohio is beautiful and I am really starting to anticipate spring. I think once spring is in full swing I'll be good.

Tomorrow is a new day and I am grateful for each day and each new beginning. I know things can't be the way they were in Texas and I am experiencing real feelings and adjusting to our new environment. I'll never have my Texas house here in Ohio, but I have hope that I'll find something I'll like better than what I have now. Our current house isn't terrible, but it's different. I am excited about being able to paint and hang pictures and buy a new comforter for all our beds. We want a place of our own again!

I am a very optimistic person and I've said it before and I'll say it again...I'm thankful for my bad/off days because they are rare. Having a grouchy day reminds me of how many good days I really have! And to be honest I have tried really really hard to like this house, but I just can't like it.

I know one day we'll look back and remember this house and how it was our first house in Ohio. We'll continue to make more awesome memories here. One day I'll miss living on this street because it is a really awesome area with tons of great people.

Tonight I'll go to sleep knowing tomorrow is a new day and I'll start tomorrow with a clean house thanks to pity party Saturday!

P.S. The picture placement in this post is making me cringe, but my laptop battery is out of juice. Soooo. It is what it is and my OCD will have to deal with it.

dance dance dance

I am one proud mom!  

Layla tried a dance class tonight and loved it.  She didn't want to go AT ALL.  She doesn't want to do anything extra curricular because I think she gets so nervous that she talks herself out of everything.  Good thing I made her go.  She loved it and asked to go back.  

Hallelujah can you hear the angels singing?  

We've been trying to talk her into piano lessons, soccer, softball and/or gymnastics.   I think she was so nervous starting a new school.  I know that was a huge thing for her and it's so different and new.  I don't think she was ready to try more new things, but she's good now!  I hope she will play softball too, but I'm not gonna push her too hard.  Now, she can't wait to go shopping for all the dance attire she will need!

The class was 1.5 hours long.  I wasn't able to watch her, so I was just sitting there in the waiting area hoping she'd love it.  I was worried she was miserable and would be ready to run from the building after it was over.  The last 5 minutes of class we got to watch what they learned for the day.  She was grinning from ear to ear and I knew she loved it.  She'll do 30 minutes of each, Ballet, Tap and Jazz.  When we got home she was showing me all the things she learned and she was even using a few big 'dance' words.  

I know this is one of the many things she'll try in her life.  I'm so happy to see her growing and learning and turning into a little lady!

snow and avoiding the sickies

After living in Ohio I am quite embarrassed about EVER being cold in Texas.  I am NOT complaining about the cold here in Ohio, but it is quite funny to think that we EVER needed big coats or even boots in Texas.

On a related note, I can't even look at a picture of my friends kids back home without thinking, 'Dang put a coat on those babes.'  haha!  And then I realize they aren't in Ohio, so they can wear shorts and a t-shirt in 68 degree weather.

And since I'm really into the weather it seems, we are expecting 3-8 inches of snow tonight and into tomorrow.  The weathermen here are WAY worse at guessing the weather than the weathermen in Texas.  Who knows what will happen?  All I know is I'm avoiding the grocery store because people are cray cray here when the weather gets snowy.  Yep, pretty much like in Texas too.

Check out the map.  All that business is heading towards us. Good grief!

As you know, I've had the stomach bug and so has Gary and both kids.  After the Masquerade ball it seems like everyone I know got the stomach bug too.  It's crazy.  Really crazy.  At least 3 couples have flu like symptoms and two of my new besties are really sick right now.  I keep finding out about more people sick with the bug.  It really is the #stomachbugof2013  It's taken over the whole town.  I'm scared I'm gonna get it again.  Nooooooo!  I've been scrubbing and cleaning the house like crazy just in case!  Today after I dropped Hayden off at preschool I had lunch with Gary and then I came home and cleaned and played with Lily.  She is a wild woman and I don't get to play with her much because the kids usually hog her up!

I have had several people ask me about how she is doing and what is going on in the potty training department.  I'll try to devote a post to her later this week or next week.  She really is doing great.  As many of you know we had a little boy puppy named Bogey.  Well,  he was possessed.  He is the reason I waited so long to get another dog.  She is NOTHING like him and I have never been more thankful!  She is a sweet girl and she is learning the rules of our house quite nicely.

And this is where I write a nice closing sentence or paragraph to end this blog post.  Sometimes I'm so terrible at wrapping up my posts.  Oh well, I never said I was a professional writer and I'm sure I have spelling errors and even grammatical errors from time to time.  What you see is what you get  from me.  Sometimes I write fast and furiously so I can stop the puppy from chewing up her toy basket.  Other times I have go look at the mega block creations the kids have made in the playroom.  Right now I have to cook sloppy joes for dinner because the kids requested them.  They have asked me 458 times when dinner is going to be ready, so I guess I should go cook huh?!

I'm out!

L & L

These two girls are best buddies!

It melts my heart! Lily is getting so big and it seems like her paws just keep getting bigger and bigger!

Right after I took this picture Lily was playing with Layla and playfully bit her arm. Oh gosh...it was meltdown central and Layla declared Daisy was her favorite dog! Heehee!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

the ball and the tooth fairy

If you follow me on Instagram you got an overload of weekend pictures.  We attended the Masquerade Ball in our town on Saturday night.  It was so much fun!  Gary got to finally meet tons of ladies I've hanging out with.  He also got to meet some of their husbands.  We had the best time!

I am so blessed to have moved to a fun town and met so many nice and genuine people.  I have said it before and I'll say it again, this place feels like Mayberry!

Before the ball we had dinner with 3 other couples.  My food was amazing.  I took a photo of it, but it just didn't do the Thai Shrimp Pasta justice, so you'll just have to take my word for it.  My food was so so good!

Wearing masks was so much fun.  It was a little rough walking around though.  I had a few cocktails and then I was walking around in a mask and I thought I was buzzed, but once I took the mast off I was good again.  haha!  The band played fun music and we danced and had a wonderful night on the town.

All the guys looked so handsome all dressed up in their suits and masks.

We had the best night and I'm so thankful to have a place to document our fun times!  These are memories I'll cherish forever!  (excuse the cheesiness) 

Remember this post about Layla losing her teeth when Gary and I aren't around.   Well last night while we were out on the town, our dear sweet lady lost another tooth.  She was thrilled because this tooth has been driving her crazy.  It needed to come out!  The tooth fairy came through big for her.

This morning I really wanted a big breakfast after our late night out.  We loaded the kids up and went to a fun little breakfast place.  My food was so good and it hit the spot.  We ended up having a late breakfast so we skipped lunch and Gary grilled steaks for an early dinner. (He says he can't grill meat without having a beer and the ice on this beer was 100% picture worthy!)  We ended the day playing a little Wii golf and tennis and the kids went to bed early since they too had a late night with the babysitter last night.  Gary and I aren't to far behind them!

How was your weekend?