honey, we're all resplendent.

Coming home to a place they've never been...

We are at home in Blacksburg! It took awhile, between the long season of packing and cleaning, to the month-long vacation while staying with Caleb's parents, but we're finally moved into our little apartment and completely unpacked. The kiddos love their new (shared) room and have already happily rediscovered all of their toys... so happily, in fact, that I think from now on I'll always keep one third of their toys packed away, and then rotate so there's always something new and exciting. Christmas all year long!

And speaking of, it was a good Christmas. As I mentioned, we were staying with the Weltys for the holidays so we got to share Christmas morning with them. Judah and Erin were sick but still managed to enjoy the new toys and goodies. We had a low-key New Years, and even went to bed early.

So college life starts in earnest this week - I'll be hunting for a job and Caleb will start class on Wednesday. Abby (Caleb's sister, who will be living with us for the semester) starts classes next week and will job hunting as well. Should make for a full and fun 5 months!!

I will post some pics in the next few days. No, really... I promise.

if the exception proves the rule, i guess its true.

Notes to myself for next Christmas (because if I jot it down somewhere, I'll never find it again):

1.) Don't buy cheap wrapping paper.

2.) If you can't resist buying cheap paper, make sure to buy DARK paper, so as not to expose the gift inside because the cheap paper is tissue thin.

3.) Whether cheap or quality, buy paper in solid colors or in patterns that won't dictate how the gift should be wrapped (case in point: I bought paper with snowmen on it... Half of my presents now have upside down or sideways snowmen. ugh).

4.) Don't put the bows on until right before placing gifts under tree. Bows WILL be lost.

5.) Only buy symmetrically-shaped presents. Otherwise have them wrapped professionally.

Count all the bees in the hive, chase all the clouds from the sky...

Our little man is one!! Judah is always busy getting into stuff, taking his sisters toys, and making us laugh with his sour faces :-) He's walking more often than crawling now, and even trying to run to keep up with his Erin. He's drinking from his cup most of the time now, and eating pretty much everything we eat. He says Uh-oh, Dada, Mama, Cuh cuh (for cracker), and a few other things that we're not sure about right now... and he loves to play Dad's guitar!

I wish this picture didn't include the pacifier (for some reason I shudder at non-sleeping children sucking pacifiers!!) but evidently Erin found it for him right before I got the camera out.

walk away, walk away, i will follow...

So my little man is now walking... He's been taking a step here and there for awhile now, but just today I saw him standing up at one piece of furniture, and then take 6 steps over to his toy box.

He's a toddler now! And so while he's still a late bloomer, he managed to beat his sister's walking age by a couple months. 

These pictures are from my Grandmother's swank new penthouse apartment in downtown Ft. Worth - the view is ama-za-zing. 

My two big kids! Seems like just yesterday we were bringing Jude home, and now he's almost one. Time just keeps flying!

so rid yourself of vanities and just go with the season.

So I feel like this blog is dying a slow, painful death. I'm not purposefully avoiding it, I just don't have the time to devote anymore. I'm shocked as I look back through the archives and see that I used to (gasp) post twice a month - who has time for that??

Between these two children who, for some strange reason, seem to need me, and our impending move which consumes every other second of my time, I can't seem to put together intelligent enough thoughts worth posting here.

We are mostly packed up (our storage unit is full, anyway) and we'll be out of here by December 20th. Hopefully. Maybe. If I can ever get my act together. Sheesh.
The kids, I'm sure, are wondering where all their toys are going, and why we've rearranged their rooms several times in the last couple months. They're also suspicious of the strangers traipsing through the house inspecting every corner and measuring the windows for new drapes.
Poor kids. They have no idea that someone else will be sleeping in their rooms in just a few short weeks. It kinda makes me sad that while Erin might always have vague memories of this house, Jude won't remember any of it. Our first house as a family of three. And then four.
So anyway, while I drown my sorrows in this bottle of orange coke (soda or pop for your northerners), enjoy the Halloween pics!

what has been and what's to come

I think we have finally recovered from the post-vaca funk, and now life is returning to normal... Fall is almost here!! Football is in full swing, our fantasty football teams are taking up all of our free time, the weather is getting (slightly) cooler, and I'm ready to start stocking up on Halloween candy. I love this time of year!

Our life and routines have changed so much in the last year... Last fall, Erin was still in diapers. This fall she's potty-trained and is learning her two- and three-letter blends in phonics. Last fall, Judah was a bun in the oven. This fall he's crawling everywhere, pulling up everything, and cruising along any furniture within his reach. If he's bored in his bed he pulls up on the railing and scoots around the edges. What happened to my colicky newborn? Oh that's right, he's now a colicky 9 month old...

Since Caleb has a couple of classes to finish up for his bachelor's degree, we'll be heading down to Blacksburg for the spring semester. This will be a nice change of pace for all of us, and we're looking forward to new possibilities.

I'm also hoping that THIS year I'll finally get an early start on Christmas shopping since the holiday season will also be filled with moving chores. We'll see.

Next post will have pictures, I promise.

three little girls.

photographs...

in the army now.

Its official... the J-man is crawling. Army crawling, that is. For awhile he was using a combination of rolling and scooting and twisting to go places (and oh, the places he would go!). But now, as I sit here and type, he's pushing off with his little feet and pulling himself arm over arm to reach his toys... In a straight line, at that. How did this happen?? He can barely sit up by himself, and very unreliably at that. His accomplishments are very disorganized, much to his mother's chagrin. Maybe he's aspiring to be like his sister... Until 2 months ago, I was convinced that she'd be reading before she ever agreed to be potty-trained. We've narrowly avoided that catastrophe...

In other J news, he continues to chow down on his sweet potatoes, carrots, and occasionally some sweet peas (disguised with a little applesauce, because Jude doesn't go green without coercion). He is drinking from his sippy cup at lunchtime, and even gnaws on leftover pizza crusts when available. Any food within reach is fair game, according to Jude... he lunges for whatever he can get and tries to stuff it in his mouth before we have a chance to react. Yep, we stay busy.

It's the Free Market, stupid!

On Thursday, June 12th, John McCain was in rare form...again...when he said:

"I'm very angry, frankly, at the oil companies not only because of the
obscene profits they've made, but their failure to invest in alternate
energy."

Thank you, John McCain, for your rousing rendition of that timeless
liberal agenda we fondly call socialism! How dare these companies
commit the cardinal sin of making a profit. Don't they understand that
true patriots work for free? Maverick certainly does, he's spent a
career fighting to keep patriots laboring for the government as long
as possible. (Don't let his latest flip-flop for tax cuts deceive you,
that sly devil is trying to win an election!)

And thank you, John McCain, for your righteous anger over companies
having the gall to follow a mission statement. How dare Exxon-Mobil be
the "world's premier petroleum and petrochemical company"! A company
trying to focus on what they do best...yes Maverick, that is an
obscene travesty for a big government lover such as yourself. Too bad
you weren't around to give the Wright Brothers a good verbal thumping
for their failure to invest in bullet trains!

It's becoming apparent that if John McCain wins, the Free Market loses.

summershine

Time for the monthly blog update - for some reason I can't seem to muster anything more frequent...

Erin is taking swim lessons with her cousin Carrie, and they are loving every minute of it. For picture of the two bathing beauties, see here. Erin is still growing like a weed and is already wearing a few size 6X dresses (courtesy of cousin Abigail), and has already outgrown the summer sandals I bought her in April. Her latest obsession is bicycles and wondering when she'll get her own... I think next summer will be the perfect time, and maybe this way we can avoid the whole tricycle stage and move straight to something with removable training wheels.

Judah is growing fast as well, although he hasn't been quite the chunk that his sister was at this age. He is moving around quite a bit (rolling, scooting, etc) but still seems to be resistant to sitting up (the one thing I need him to do!). His grumpy nature hasn't won him many friends among family yet, but we love him, frown and all :-) I have a feeling he'll grown into a fiercely loyal and protective young man.

Caleb and I are gearing up for the Warren family vacation this August... Us Virginians are meeting up with the Warren and Russell Texans for a week in the Tennessee mountains - a welcome vacation for all of us. Erin is looking forward to a week of playing with cousins, Caleb plans to get his fill of fishing, and I plan to RELAX. We're not sure how Jude will fill his time, but I'm sure it will involve demanding lots of treats from the Papa... and I'm sure the Papa will indulge him. We can't wait!!

Apprehension.

For some reason, this reminds me of Eloise Wilkin's "Where Did the Baby Go?"

Fun with friends

Morning playtime

Polygamists

I will admit it’s hard to have sympathy for the FLDS polygamists in Texas.

Their behavior appears to at least be socially unacceptable and at most morally reprehensible. Their homemade clothing, compound lifestyle, large birth rates, strange religious beliefs and train of wives…inspire most of us to imagine that they are the type of people we expect to break the law and in turn expect the government to reign in. At least that’s what the media believes and in turn that is what most of America has come to believe.

Maybe this explains the lack of conservative outrage…the subconscious opinion that “weird people don’t have rights”.

How else do you explain the lack of outrage when hundreds of children are taken from their homes, given unauthorized pelvic examinations, and indefinitely placed in state foster homes without any convictions or filed charges?

How else do you explain the lack of outrage when a government uses military tanks and weapons to seize and search personal property, sequester children and imprison adults based on an anonymous tip from a person who had been previous accused of making false reports? Even though the state law CLEARLY says that the court must have an “affidavit sworn to by a person with personal knowledge” of the abuse (of course there is always that pesky Bill of Rights issue too…)

How else do you explain the lack of outrage when the government justifies their behavior by suggesting there was “possible abuse” of children as well as evidence of broken bones? Don’t confuse possible to mean they actually have any evidence. And while some of the alleged abuse is sexual the rest of it is described as “beatings”. Could it be possible that “beatings” is a CPS codeword for spanking? Oh and since when do children never break bones?

How else do you explain the lack of outrage when the government justifies their behavior by claiming they have pregnant minors…only to have multiple warrants quietly rescinded when the government admits these women aren’t really minors?

How else do you explain the lack of outrage when the government tells a new mother that her infant is now under the state authority and if she leaves the hospital she will no longer be able to see her child?

Have we forgotten that the Government does not own our children, it does not own our families and it does not own our land? No matter how much we dislike these people’s behavior, they are innocent until proven guilty! And even if they are found guilty, why are we punishing the women and children when allegedly they are the victims of these crimes?

On a side note, when was Texas' government hijacked by big-government Republicans? Forced vaccinations and GPS units on truant students have just been the latest attacks on freedom to hit the news...something I would expect from Massachusetts, but Texas?

ah, the sentiment of love...

I married this man (the bearded one) 4 years ago today, and it has been the happiest, funniest, and most wonderful 4 years of my life. I love you, Caleb!!

children get older, i'm getting older too...

OK I guess its time for another Judah update... He's 4 months old now, and getting more fun and sociable by the day. He and I traveled to Texas last weekend (pictures soon) which entailed his first plane ride, and he was such a trooper! He was a little nervous meeting the family but warmed up enough to show a few of his sweet smiles :-)

As for his tricks, he's been rolling from tummy to back for a couple months now but is finally in the last couple of weeks rolling from back to tummy. He thinks this is SO cool, as he can pretty much get to whatever toy he sees while playing on the floor, and is already WAY more mobile than his mother wants him to be right now! On the plus side, it has made nighttime a little easier since he can now find whatever sleeping position that suits him all by himself, and thus has no more excuses to have me running in there 3 times a night. Poor kid. He also loves to suck on his fingers and is now working on getting his toes which are still proving to be elusive. And while he's still a big-time Momma's boy, he loves to be entertained by Erin (so long as she doesn't "pat" him too firmly on the head) and gives his biggest smiles to his Dad when they play together each evening.

All in all, he is growing up too fast and I only hope I'm getting all the pictures necessary to successfully document his childhood. I need to clone myself a few times (without so many of the hormones) so I can keep up!! :-)

i'll think of a mermaid lagoon, underneath a magic moon...

Here are a few snapshots of Erin's birthday party... the theme (if you can't tell from the pictures) was "Tinkerbell Princess Party". She invited her two cousins (and two helpers - thanks Molly & Mary!!), and the girls had a fun time of games, hair glitter, hot dogs, and cake.

Erin and Carrie

Caroline, Erin & Carrie

Little Jude wasn't about to miss out on the action, and the girls made sure to keep him entertained...

The Tinkerbell cake

Blowing out the candles!

Her Tinkerbell doll with matching dress :-)

i built my life around you...

Waiting for her 'friend Dad' to come home...

Showing off some birthday presents...

Today my sweet girl turned 3. I have wracked my brain trying to figure out where the last 3 years went, and didn't I JUST bring her home from the hospital?? Erin Grace made us parents. She showed us what 'love at first sight' felt like. Her presence in our lives has given us yet another reason to give God thanks... and cry out for His wisdom and grace. Watching her discover her world and listening to her articulate her thoughts on that world is like being given a second childhood. I can't imagine life without her, and I barely remember life before. We love you, Erin!