[SIDE NOTE: I did a lot of research on them for a LOOONNNGG time (since maybe early September) and really wanted a BOB stroller, but that was just not in the budget. So, I decided on a Tike Tech Terrain because it was half the cost and seemed to have everything I was looking for. But- - -when I went to order it online (because there weren't any stores here in Austin that carried them) they were out of stock, this is so my luck. So, I waited
and waited and waited...checking ever so frequently. After Christmas I checked again and to no avail it was still out of stock. Not just on one website, but ALL of them that carried it. :o( So, my wonderful husband decided to start doing some research for me and ended up finding the BOB stroller that I wanted all along and it was on SALE and totally in our price range! I WAS SO EXCITED!!! It just showed me that there is ALWAYS a reason for everything even if we don't know what "that" is at the time. The Divine power from up above is ALWAYS in charge, even for the smallest things inlife like a jogging stroller. LOL! :o]
Okay...so back to the real story! :o)
Jeff was out of town last week, so we went over to my parent's house. Every evening we would all go jogging ( yes, you heard right! My parent's are still in great shape to go running...sometimes I think I'm trying to catch up to them! LOL!) and we got into a routine of stopping at the park along the way to let Grace burn off some energy before bed. Hence, the reason for Emmie's 1st park experience. She just loved it! She swung on the "big" swing with my mom and seemed to be so content and relaxed. But most of all I think she just loved watching Grace jump, slide, play cafe and just simply run around.
Posing my new jogger.
Testing the new jogger out.
Wheeeeeee!
Grace and her my little pony.
I love the drool.
We're hoping some teeth follow this drool. LOL
Playing cafe.
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Valentine's Day/Emmie's 1st Valentine
We started our celebration early since Jeff was going to be out of town on Valentine's Day. Jeff and I decided at the last minute to take the girls over to my mom and dad's house to spend the night on that Friday before. We woke up Saturday morning and tackled our closet. It was getting our of control with too many clothes and lots of random things that didn't have a permanent home. This was a GIGANTIC task! After 7 yard size trashbags of Goodwill donations and new hangers...our closet is finally free of clutterand is looking GREAT! :o) Yeah, this was our Valentine's celebrations! LOL! Jeff did go get breakfast for us at our new favorite donut/kolache shop, Serena's! I guess this means we are an old married couple. ;o)
On Sunday, we decided to celebrate Valentine's with girls (since Monday would be too crazy with Jeff packing and trying to get Grace ready for school). They woke up to a few fun things from Jeff and I. Then it was off to church. After church, we brought the girls home to take a much needed nap and then the girls got to open up their presents(which was lots of spring clothes and some yummy goodies...well, for Emmie it was baby food.) from their Great Grandma, Mommaw and spent the evening with Jeff's family and the girls got some cute stuffed animals from Nana and Pop.
Valentine's Day, Jeff took Grace to school for me and she,also, had a special present for her teacher, Ms. Hillary. :o) I picked her up from school and we headed to my parent's house for a quick nap and some V-day celebrations. Grace and Emersyn opened up their Valentine presents, which was cute matching outfits for the spring/summer...Grace got a neat little interactive Fancy Nancy book and some yummy heart cookies with sprinkles that Nonie made and Emersyn got a Tag toy phone that makes sounds and some baby food.
We ate a delicious dessert after dinner...a heart-shaped chocolate cake with strawberries on top and sprinkled with powder sugar that my mom made. Yum! Yum! :o)
Thank you everyone for all the fun celebrations! :o)
It's truly wonderful to spend such a special holiday with all the ones we love. :o)
Before school and Grace's party with her friends at school.
Posing in their red and pink.
Grace's gifts.
Emersyn's gifts.
Such a diva!
The original Fancy Nancy book.
Grace loves these books.
She got her first one for Christmas from Santa.
Emmie with her taggie lovie.
I love this picture!
I made the girls shirts and had their bows made to match.
Before church.
Presents from Great Mommaw.
Lila opening her present.
"Hurry up, Uncle Jeff, get this thing opened!"
Emersyn opening up her V-Day present from Nana and Pop.
Cousins playing.
Giving Papa a sugar.
Fancy Nancy book
Sweet helper.
Got cookies?
Hmmm...this looks like my food.
Sisterly love or more of a love squeeze? LOL
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Galveston Trip
We went to Galveston to visit my brother the day after the snow storm and the weather couldn't have been any more perfect. I hadn't been there in years. Probably not since my grandparent's use to take my brother and I to Houston to watch the Astros at the Astrodome and occasionally we would take a drive down to Galveston to site see and grab lunch, which is a long time ago. We did a lot of visiting, Chad took us on a tour of his campus and showed us his "classroom" on the water, the Cape Gibson (which is an old WWII naval ship). To see this up close and personal was amazing! Pictures don't do it just...It's HUGE! We toured the town a little bit...most of the city has rebuilt since Hurricane Ike, some are still in the process of rebuilding and some are just taking it as a loss. We got to see some of the cruise ships that dock in the port. That was really neat...part of me wished I was sitting on that cruise ship sipping on a drink ready to set sail to a tropical destination, the other part of me would rather get on a plane and fly to that destination instead of sailing on a ship. We celebrated Jeff's birthday down there and ate at Olypia's, which is a seafood/Greek restaurant. The atmosphere was really cool, but the food wasn't spectacular. Who needs good food when you have good company? We watched the Super Bowl down there while munching on sloppy nachos with homemade cheese sauce and turkey sliders, that were to die for! We had so much fun and it was so good to see Chad and learn a little bit about what his life will be like for the next 3 years. :o)
The port of Galveston.
Not the best picture, but we don't have too many pictures together.
The boys.
Awww....
Cheeeese!
The birthday boy and his little helper opening presents.
Yum...bubble gum!
This looks like it could get a little out of hand. Grace has a mischievous look on her face.
Too cute!
A little nap with Daddy...Emmie woke up first.
Papa and Grace watching the new Tinker Bell movie before the Super Bowl started.
I'm not sure who liked it better...?
Chad in his uniform before heading off to school.
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Snow Day/ Emmie's 1st Snow
A couple of weeks ago, we had a strange snow/sleet/ice storm hit, which is always exciting and fun. It started out with Jeff flying in at the same time the storm was beginning to hit. I was a little worried he was going to get stuck in Dallas because they always get it worse than we do, but he made it to Austin. As he proceeded to drive home the roads were starting to get a little icy and ice was forming on his windshield and he couldn't do anything to prevent it...which was really scary. I was a nervous wreck...ONE because I had just watched the 10PM news and they were reporting ice on the roads and to stay off. TWO because we live a good 45 minutes from the airport. THREE because when I first talked to him I could hear his windshield wipers on the windshield trying to get the ice off that had already formed and trying to keep it from forming more and it wasn't helping at all and FOUR because I couldn't talk to him on the phone to see if he was alright due to him needing to concentrate on safe driving skills. He did make it home eventually...it just took a really long time.
The next morning we woke up to about 2 inches of snow (which delayed our trip to Galveston by a day) and of course we had to get out and play in it and take pictures because after all it was a first for Emersyn (which by the way she hated...well, not the snow, but all the wind. It took her breath away every time it blew. So, while Jeff worked in his office, she ended up watching Grace and I from the office window! :o)
Fun was had by all! :o) See for yourself.
Grace and I taking a walk in the snow. The sun was so bright, I had to use my shadow to shield her to take a picture.
All dressed for a snow storm. LOL, she can't move! :o)
Mommy and her girls.
Emersyn chilling in Jeff's office.
Grace attempting to make a snowball on top of this rock.
Grace and Our neighbor, Aubrey playing in the woods across from our house.
