A Night on the Town

My Mom and Dad arrived in town on Friday. It was so good to see them! Mom went with me to pick up the girls at school and then Ali, Mom and I went to the Christian school at which we are going through the application process. (more on that in a later entry) When we returned, Dad and Daniel headed to the airport to pick up Scott. They went to see Daniel's new office and stopped off for a manly trip to Lowe's. The girls enjoyed a peaceful afternoon in the pool. I think the kids got every toy out upstairs, but it was worth it to enjoy adult time in the pool.

Last night we enlisted a very brave babysitter to watch 6 kids and headed out for a night on the town. We started at Sweetwater Country Club. This is a beautiful club in our neighborhood that we have joined and we are loving it. It has full athletic facilities, tennis, golf and swimming. We had a few appetizers and posed for a few pics and then headed over to Perry's Steakhouse at the Town Square. It's kind of a Fleming's type steakhouse and it was delicious. We had so much fun I almost forgot we weren't in Tulsa. We went to bed with visions of OU football players dancing in our heads....excited about the start of football season Saturday!!!!

Girls' Night Out

We were all excited this morning because Allison and the kids were coming to town today. The kids got out of school and the countdown began. Finally, around 5:00 the Fosters pulled in the driveway. They weren't here 5 minutes before all the kids were in the pool. They had so much fun. It feels so good to watch your kids loving being with your sister's kids that much.

My wonderful hubby let me and Ali escape for a little impromptu girls night. I showed her around the city a little bit and then we went to a neat little Spanish restaurant for some dinner. She needed a break from her kids after all day in the car, and I think Daniel recognized I needed some sister time.

The kids are all upstairs having one big, giant slumber pary. Do you think we will actually get any sleep????

This is just the beginning of a GREAT weekend!

New Look

So, how do you like my new blog design? I think it's pretty cute! Jen at Blue Yonder Design helped me with it. If you need help with a redesign just click on the link in the bottom left hand side. She is easy and great to work with.

I am super excited because my sister, Allison, is on her way to my house. In fact, she is already in Texas. My kids are so excited. They bounced out of bed this morning knowing their cousins would be here today. My parents come tomorrow and I am looking forward to a fun weekend with family. Oh, and as an added bonus, we get to watch OU play football!!!! Go Sooners!!!

First Day of School

Well, we finally had the big first day of school. This is the first year that all 3 are in school all day...a milestone for Mom. We live super close to the school so we will be riding bikes most days. Daniel and I were very nervous for them. Luckily, parents are encouraged to come eat lunch with their kids. So, my day pretty much consisted of going back and forth to school. Get this...EG eats lunch at 10:15!!! LUNCH at 10:15!!! Crazy! She was the one we were the most worried about. She does not like to be separated from Mom and quite frankly is a homebody. When she walked into the cafeteria and saw us she said "oh, man! Next time don't come." LOL! That actually was music to our ears. She was having a great day. The same held true for the other 2! Everyone made a friend and had great days.

Cousins and Crickets

Saturday night we went out with my cousins, Courtney and Jacque and their boyfriends to a great Sushi restaurant in downtown Houston. I am SO blessed to have family in Houston. It really helps the social life. I so appreciate them taking me under their wing and including me. We had a great time. The sushi was excellent and the company was even better. After dinner, we went back to David's townhouse. It is in a neat area of town and has a great view of the city from every angle.

On a completely different note, if you know me at all then you know this move has been hard for me. I can be going along having a great day and WHAM...I think of something silly, like a Quiktrip, and immediately feel sadness. There have been several things about this move that have been hard. Some of which I can't share in this blog, but it seems like nothing about this move has been easy for me. So, the next little diddy is simply posted for your amusement and laughing pleasure. We were visiting a church this morning (which shall remain nameless) and were invaded by crickets. YES, crickets. And, they only seemed to find my family. It was absolutely disgusting. They were falling from the ceiling. It started with one falling on EG and of course she was done. She sat in Daddy's lap the rest of the service. I could not concentrate b/c once they would fall they would scurry all around. So, being the prepared girl that I am, I covered my purse. My purse doesn't zip shut and I did not want one falling into my purse so I strategically spread out my church bulletin all on the inside of my purse. I could not sing, I could not listen and I definitely could not close my eyes to pray. Then, suddenly, out of nowhere PLOP. Oh, crud! I knew what happened, but really didn't want to look. Yep, a cricket fell right into the trap of my purse. A HUGE cricket. I would love to have screamed, but I was in church. Daddy was 5 people away so couldn't help me. I had to enlist the poor grandpa sitting behind me. "Um, excuse me sir, could you get the cricket out of my purse?" LOL!!! Seriously, it is a joke. When I told my Mom about it all she could do was laugh. Is God sending a plague of crickets on me? What are you trying to teach me with the move, the drivers license, the crickets, the school????

Twinkies

My friend, Linda, came to visit Wednesday. We jokingly refer to each other as "BFF". This is such an unlikely friendship that only God can orchestrate. She is 20 years older than I am...old enough to be my Mother. We were brought together through our positions with Community Bible Study and our friendship blossomed. We have so much in common. We dress alike, we think alike, we love the Lord, we love to workout and we were both Thetas. Sometimes, it was even embarrassing because we would show up, unknowlingly, to CBS with the same jacket, or shoes or earrings. It became a joke with the other leadership. It can just be plain obnoxious!

She is such a good friend that she came down for 24 hours just to help me put the finishing touches on my house. She worked like a dog hanging pictures only stopping for lunch. She is an encourager, supporter and role model. I love you, Linda. Thanks for coming!!!

Nursery Rhymes

I love nursery rhymes, but the latest one that I read might be my favorite. My Mom e-mailed this to the girls and I thought it was really special. Hope you don't mind me sharing, Mom. We miss you and can't wait to see you!!!

Hi Hannah, Abby, and Ellie Grace,
How I miss each sweet little face.
We went to church - our row was bare.
No one was sitting upon your chair.

We went to lunch with the Foster crew,
All agreed: WE MISS YOU!
BBD is just not the same,
A smaller table when they call our name.

My Wii was silent - no bowling noise.
No need to get out any toys.
My little people are all put away,
No little girls came over to play.

No paper and markers on my floor,
The house is clean but what a bore!
No "cutie girls" were singing songs,
It seems like you've been gone so long!

But two more weeks and we'll be there;
We'll get on a jet and come by air.
Can't wait to see your house, your room.
You better get ready, we'll be there soon.

God has a plan for you and me,
Though sometimes it's so hard to see.
Right now your place is Sugar Land,
So we'll just have to trust His hand.

He'll guide and protect you while we're apart,
And bring some peace to my aching heart.
So you pray for us; and we'll pray for you
Lots of love from Paki & JuJu.

Funny Pictures

Although I would love to rant about my 7 hour ordeal getting my Texas drivers license today...I decided to show these fun pictures from a recent family event. My kids thought they were hilarious. Thanks for doing this, David.

Future Olympian

Tonight we took Hannah to her new gymnastics home. I'd say it was a success. Just look at that big smile on her face. The coach was extremely warm and the other girls were talking and laughing with her. The drive wasn't bad either. It was only about 20 minutes each way. We were home in time to watch trampoline on the Olympics.

I must tell you that I all I wanted to accomplish today was to get my Texas drivers license. Well, to do that you must have a registered vehicle. To get a registered vehicle you must have a state inspection sticker. Wouldn't you know that all 3 of these things are in different cities???? At 1:00 I set out for my inspection in Sugar Land. At 1:30 I headed out to Stafford for my vehicle registration. At 2:15 I started driving towards Rosenburg to get ny drivers license. When I got there the line was out the door with at least 50 people ahead of me. I did not stay! I will head back some morning to be there at 8:00 when they open the doors. Don't you love red tape???

Sunday...

Today we visited Sugar Creek Baptist Church. It is a huge church here in town that has tons of programs and activities for the whole family. I was nervous for the kids. I gave them their choice of going to church with us or to Sunday School. They all picked Sunday School. On the way there it dawned on us we could park in the visitor parking lot! Now that's a perk to being a visitor. We were immediately greeted by a parking attendant who took us in to another greeter who helped us get the kids settled. The kids all went in hesitantly, but nonetheless, they went in. The church service was great. Afterwards, a lady that I had met on facebook through a mutual friend came and found us, introduced herself and even had a welcome to Sugar Land present! Wow! God is good! It was so nice to know someone and have someone looking out for us. We visited with the pastor afterwards who was extremely nice and just so happens to be a HUGE OU fan! Obviously, he is right with the Lord!!! The kids all enjoyed their Sunday School which was also a plus! We are looking forward to going back next week.

This evening we had Daniel's brother and his wife and sons, along with Daniel's parents over for swimming and dinner. The kids had a great time and I actually was able to get in the pool for the first time. Their boys are awfully cute and the girls love playing with them. Daniel made HUGE progress on the garage. We were able to get both cars in tonight....aren't you proud, DAD????

Oh, and I found the scale in the very last box...bummer!!!

Good Friends and Good Food

Last night Daniel and I met some of my sorority sisters and their husbands for dinner at Pappas Steakhouse. This has been on the calendar since we found out we were moving. Of course, finding a sitter was a bit tricky, but through some recommendations I was able to find a good Christian girl in her young 20s. (of course the kids aren't awake yet so I don't know if she passed the "fun" test or not) Although we are both exhausted from the week, we needed a night off and without kids.

It was so fun to see everyone again. No one has changed a bit and it's funny how you can pick up right where you left off. We laughed hard and long till they kicked us out. Thanks, girls, for letting us crash the night! Oh, and did I mention how delicious the food was??? The diet starts Monday!!!!

AAGGGHHH....

I didn't know how else to title this blog because that is pretty much how I am feeling right now. I have been living in so much chaos (or, as I like to call it "box hell") for the last few days. Our wireless internet still isn't working so it was a major feat to even be able to get on to blog. We have accomplished so much in the last few days. We had the upstairs recarpeted, the family room repainted, surround sound installed, t.v. mounted and have a painter scheduled for next week to paint the kitchen cabinets and entry hall. Doing these things has really helped us feel more like we are at home and not living in someone else's house. We still haven't even attempted to unpack the garage. Daniel's mom unpacked my dining room yesterday and that was a huge help b/c now you can walk in the front door!!! There is nothing on the walls and still boxes to unload, but it is getting better. I can't find my bathroom scale which is actually just fine with me because I'm SURE it wouldn't be right--hee hee. Our goal is to get functional this weekend so we can start a normal routine on Monday. I have got to get back to the gym and start cooking in and stop eating out. So, as you can see by my scatterred-brained writing that aaagghhh really is the best title. More organized thoughts later....

The Eyes of Texas Are Upon Me

Wow! I don't even know where to start. So many major life changes since I last blogged. The packers were 4 hours LATE showing up on Friday. Of course, I was stressed, but they somehow managed to pull it off. I don't think I will ever pack myself again after this. It was so great. They did everything. It was really nice. They came back on Saturday and spent all day wrapping up furniture and loading the truck. Saturday night I went to see Mamma Mia with my Mama. What a cute movie. (Side bar- lots of young girls in the theater- like 9 and 10 years old. It's my opnion that this movie is not appropriate for that age. The plot itself is a reason to not let them go.) However, the singing and choreography was really fun. It's like High School Musical for adults.

I digress. Back to the move. We hit the road bright and early Sunday morning. 7:00 to be exact. We stopped off at our house to get the dogs and let me tell you how sad and depressing my house looks without "life" inside it. It made me really sad. Anyhow, the drive was a piece of cake. Well, for me. I drove Daniel's car with Hannah and he drove the suburban with 2 labs and the 2 little girls. I don't think his drive was quite as relaxing as mine. We arrived in Houston at my cousin's house at exactly 3:00. Not bad time!!! Courtney offered to take the girls off our hands for awhile so we could get the dogs boarded and check into the hotel. She took them swimming at my Aunt's house and that was perfect medicine after being in the car all day. We went back over there around 5:30 for hamburgers. It is so nice to have family in town. It was really great of them to have us over and make us feel so welcomed. We are blessed to have family here on both sides to help us with this transition.

We are staying at the Town Square in Sugar Land. It is really the focal point of this town. If you get a chance you should click the link because it is such a neat area. We closed on our new house this morning at 9 a.m. and we now officially own 2 houses. Not exactly our plan, but we are resting assured that God is in control of this situation and not wasting too much energy stressing about it. We went to the house so the girls could see it again. It really is a nice house. I don't LOVE it yet, but I'm hopeful once we get in there and start making some memories I will grow to love it. The girls swam in the pool for a bit. They just couldn't wait. We had housecleaners there today. Tomorrow we have new carpet installed upstairs and several repair men coming by. The truck doesn't unload until Wednesday.

We went by our new elementary school, Commonwealth. We had a tour with the principal. She was extremely gracious and made us feel so welcome. We really got good vibes from the school. We were able to see the classrooms and meet some teachers. It was really great for us and the girls. Thursday night they have a new family orientation and next week is meet the teacher. Oh, and we have a 4th grade girl living next door and a 5th grade girl across the street so Hannah was excited.

My emotions the past few days have been all over the map. Sometimes they change several times within the hour. I know it will get better and I am just trying to focus on what's right in front of me. If I look too far down the road (even as far as the weekend) I get sad. The only thing constant in life is change.

Home

I can't believe I am actually starting to pack up things. I love this house. It holds so many memories for me. We moved into this house when Hannah was 4 and Abby was 1 and Ellie Grace was on the way. We had 2 kids in cribs in this house and saw them graduate to big girl beds. We've had birthday parties, church parties, OU watch parties, Christmas, and family events in this house. I can't believe we are actually moving out of this house.

Leaving this house is so much more than leaving a house. It means I'm leaving this life behind. We are leaving our school, church, family, friends and a way of life. I'm leaving my routine. I'm leaving my gym, my cleaners, my grocery store, my drug store, my doctors, and dentists. This house is a home. We won't be sleeping in this home ever again. Weird!! Instead, we pack up to move to a new house...set to make it into a home.

This will probably be the last Tulsa Blog and the last blog I post for several days. We have 2 days with packers and movers here and then head out at the crack of dawn on Sunday morning for Houston. When I blog again, it will be as an official Texan from the house above. Ya'll come back now, you hear?!

Extended Family

Today we said goodbye to our extended family. No, not actual blood relatives, but our church family. We first went to Evergreen on their 1 year anniversary. The church didn't even have a building, but were meeting in a school. We had been searching for churches all over town and were pretty much weary and down to the last place on our list. When we first went to the service, we immediately fell in love with the pastor. The next test was visiting Sunday School. What were the chances we would actually like that too? As it turns out, we loved it. We found everyone at Evergreen to be so warm and welcoming. We immediately felt a part of a family. We have both been to churches all our lives, but this was the first time either of us felt so connected.

The next few years saw many changes. We added 2 more children to our physical family, many more members in our church family, spirtual growth for Daniel and me, baptisms and baby dedications, and the completion of a long awaited church building. Daniel and I were blessed with the opportunity to serve in the college ministry, and most recently in the newlywed class. We have loved our time at Evergreen. It is so hard to think about leaving because we know how special our church family is. It is scary to think about finding a new church home. I know God already has a place for us to serve and connect. That's one of the neat things about His family. We have extended family everywhere. We just need to find them!

Happy Tears and The Bucket List

Today was pick up day at camp. For some reason I had it in my mind that we were to pick up at 9:30, but when we got in the car and I looked at the paper it said pickup between 8:45 and 9:15. YIKES!!! We went as fast as we could, knowing we were probably stressing our daughter out by being late. We arrived at 9:20 (not too late) and the second I got out of the car I heard "MOMMY!" and Hannah came flying up to me. She threw her arms around me and held on tight and started crying. I said "what's wrong? Did you not have a good week?" and she said "They're happy tears. I'm just happy to see you!" My heart melted. After all of the moving tears I have shed the last month, it sure was refreshing to have some happy tears!!!! Oh, and in the car on the way home Hannah pulled her 9th tooth!

Although I have never seen the movie "The Bucket List", I understand the premise to be that the man is dying and the bucket list is everything he wants to accomplish before he dies. I may not be dying, but I have a bucket list of my own before leaving T-town. Sadly enough, my bucket list consists soley of places I want eat before we move. Yes, yes, I know Houston has much better restaurants, but they don't have a Los Cabos, Bistro, Pepper's or Teds. Daniel probably thinks I have forgotten how to cook and I'm worried I am going to pop a button off my shorts. All this eating out is killing my waistline!!!! There will be time for eating healthy in a couple of weeks!!!