We have moved!

Look out world here we come!  Ok, so we aren't traveling the world but we did move.  We have been in our new house for about a month and and starting to settle in.  We are now in a sleepy little park and trail filled town on the bay only four miles or so from Wes's work and just blocks away from the water...WHICH WE ALL LOVE!!!!  The best part of all is that Wes is no longer having to travel for work and is home for dinner every night!  All of the changes are taking a little to get used to.  I am not even used to having him home full time yet, but it will be fun getting used to him again.

  Morgan sure is loving it here.  She ask to to the beach almost everyday!  She is so much like Hunter in the water...just fearless.  It scares the heck out of me but the joy on her face as her Daddy holds his arm over her and her "swimming board" and helps her jump the waves yelling, "Yeeee Hawww!" is so worth it.  It is such a drastic change from her first impression of the waves; she said they were too "rolly."
 Hunter has pretty much been staying between our home and his Dad's.  I know us living closer to him is a huge relief for Hunter.  He goes to SWAT camp at the High School for a few hours each day and seems to enjoy it. 

Our home is a humble little house with a big magnolia tree in the front yard.  The flower beds and such had not been tended to at all for years when we got here.  Little by little Wes, and I have worked on it and have made it seem more like home.  I will have pictures to show you soon
I still have tons of unpacking to do and lot of lovely guest on the way...better get busy!  

Lots of love,
Heather

More than a mustard seed...

With my dear Husband Wes, still looking for steady employment. I keep thinking about my devotional and the verse about the mustard seed...

"He said to them, 'Because of the littleness of your faith [that is, your lack of firmly relying trust]. For truly I say to you, if you have faith [that is living] like a grain of mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, Move from here to yonder place, and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you.'" Matthew 17:20 (AMP)

Did I read that correctly? NOTHING will be impossible to me? Why then doesn't Wes have work after all these months of waiting? Why is my house a mess? Why, why, why? I have more faith than that little seed. So I have to rely on this again, For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:11-13.

So it is not about faith, it is about seeking Him with all my heart full of faith. I pray that I don't get so busy in my everyday world where it is so common to be surrounded with inappropriate language and behaviour that I don't spend nearly enough time seeking Him. There are so many distractions, so much to do, be here, go there, clean this, sort that, and all the hours I spend driving in that car! But He is bigger than all of those chores and deserves so much more of me. This morning, hours before my family will wake, I sat on my patio and prayed I could always have strong faith, that I would be a better wife, mother, daughter, and friend. That God's love and forgiveness would shine through me. That I could be better at forgiving and receiving forgiveness. That I could show others His love through me. The rest of it, is all small stuff in the grand scheme of things. I believe that God knows our needs and will provide for us just in time and I am so humbled by His forgiveness.

I borrowed the picture from Wikipedia. Take note of the tiny size of those lil' seeds. If faith that small can move mountains, imagine what we can do with our faith.

Happy Father's Day

Proverbs 17:27
A man of knowledge uses words with restraint,
and a man of understanding is even-tempered. (NIV)

Happy Father's Day Wesley! You have worked so hard for us and you deserve more than an evening of rest. I hope that you enjoyed your evening of grilling and family time. I know Morgan loved it. She had a blast playing on the patio with the hose for the first time. She had us cracking us chasing poor Red around with the hose yelling, "DOG SIT!!!" She fully intended on bathing him, I just know it. (Don't forget to double click on the collage to get a better look)And just what did we eat to honor Father's Day you ask? We had steak, sauteed summer squash w/onion and mushrooms, grilled corn and lil' baked potatoes. YUMMY!!!

Hello Summer...We missed you old friend!

Summer is FINALLY here. I am so excited and motivated to begin a new season as a family. Hunter's first day of freedom was awesome! We met Wes on his lunch break at Trinity Park for a little picnic and swinging time. After we deposited Daddy back at the shop we headed to the Botanical Gardens for a walk. Just me and my children, soaking in the tidbits of sun peaking through the enormous trees above us. I enjoyed talking to Hunter while Morgan gazed at everything. Eventually we took her out to walk with her big brother and she was so amazed that she was wearing shoes! She stopped every three steps to bend over and look at them. Up until then, she always pulled them off as soon as I could get them fastened. We then ventured to Central Market and had so much fun tasting the fresh veggies and fruit. I heart Central Market! We ended our day at Mason's Birthday party. It was fun in the pool for Hunter and good time with our friends just hanging out. What a great life!

Happy 1st Birthday Sweet Morgan!!!

Our beautiful lil' Princess turned one this week. It amazes me that we have shared our world with her for a whole year already. We all love her so much more than our hearts could imagine. Everyday my children amaze me in different ways. We are so blessed with the two of them.

Between Hunter's school events and baseball games, it has been a crazy couple of weeks leading up to her Birthday. We weren't even sure if we were going to be able to have a party as our schedule was so tight. At the very last minute we were able to pull a great party with wonderful friends and Grammy too! Friends came from near and far to celebrate with us. I made dips, Wesley grilled and the kids ran around playing and trying to act like the big boys. Morgan relished in the glow of all the attention and even put one a show for us when opening her presents. She loved her cake and had to have a bath after the mess she made with the icing. At some point during the party I looked down and Hunter was fallen asleep with her sitting on his back playing with new toys and kids crawling all over him. He is such a great big brother! I guess she does share...only with her Hunna!

I think she is thinking, "Seriously Mom! Pictures while I am eating...again?"

I am always telling myself to write things down as the kids do them so I don't forget when a milestone happens. I know I am forgetting to list a few things but this is a good start to a list of where she is at. Morgan started walking pretty well about a week before she turned one. She was cruising with her toys and the furniture for about four months before she went more than ten steps alone. She is saying, Dada, Momma, Bubba, Hunna (Hunter), Dog, Yes, No, That, Banana, Nana, Good, Love, and I am sure I am forgetting some. While she can wear 18 month clothes and is healthy looking, she can still wear 6-9 months clothes. She loves to splash and swim in the garden tub and even likes the shower. She is still nursing in the early morning and at bed time and sleeps throughout he night most nights. She will eat so many things that we eat but her favorites are cheese, bananas, bread, pasta, Nilla wafers, cheerios, green beans, apple sauce, flour tortillas, guacamole and beans. She has a HUGE appetite. I have never seen a baby eat as much as she does.

Still Given' it to God...

Wes completed his job at the power plant in Colorado and has been home for a month, so it is no surprise that I have gotten behind on my blogging. I am totally fine with it though. The past month has been awesome having my Hubby home. It has also been emotional, restful, stressful, fun, and a whole lot more all rolled up into a big ball called family. Wes has been helping with everything here. He let me sleep in for weeks taking Hunter to school and tending to Morgan when she woke up. He has been trying so hard to make up for time lost with the kids. I am so proud of him. I know that some husbands don't do the domestic thing, but he is really trying. Both kids (and Mommy) have enjoyed him being here. Hunter loves having Wes here to attend and coach his baseball games and practice. I think he also likes to pawn some of his chores off on Wes. Morgan has been a little bundle of laughter and tears. All of us had to readjust a little to having him home when we are used to him being gone. It is a good adjustment! Now we are just praying and trying to give our worries to God while we wait for Wes to find a new job. I have more peace than normal and am trusting God that he will provide for us. He always has...

Hunter is doing so well in school. He has been able to pull off almost straight A's all year in his Pre-Ap classes. Only twice has he come home with a B on his report card. It amazes me that he is such a natural athlete and is still able to do so well in school while being so girl crazy! He is now taller than I am standing about 5'8 and 175 lbs. He is still between a 12 and 13 shoe. He looks like a giant next to his 12 year old friends. I am going to miss him so much this summer and am already dreading saying goodbye. Morgan already idolizes him and he just beams with pride when she calls him by name. She yells, "Hunna? Hunna? Hunna!!!" and he come running with the biggest smile on his face. I never imagined they could be so close with such a big gap in age. We are so blessed.

Morgan is still a mess. Our little Princess is a tad bit spoiled...I wonder why. I tell her no and I am firm, but she still wants her way and cries when she doesn't get what she wants or if we tell her no. She has also taken to hitting us when I won't let her nurse. She has four teeth and more on the way. Obviously, this is not comfortable for me. It is like having a little razor gnawing at me when she eats! She hasn't taken more than 2-6 steps at a time but is still walking (running) behind her push toys and stands without assistance all the time. I know she will do it in her own time. We have giggled so Hunter pushing Morgan in her wagon. She loves it and brings it to him begging for more! I have several meals waiting to be cooked and frozen so I have to run. Ciao!

It's Raining, It's Pouring...

Everyday this week while I watered my plants, I wished it would rain. I have always loved rainy days. A good rain can wash away a lot of things and makes the world look clean and new again. Thank you Lord for the rain. We needed it so badly. My heart breaks for other the families that lose sleep at night afraid that a drought induced fire will burn their homes and ranches. I feel more at peace today knowing my parents can rest a little tonight not having to worry about the dry conditions. I am going to enjoy this wet weekend resting with my family and praying for Wes to hurry home safe and sound. Maybe I see just how many songs about rain I can find for us to listen to...
Morgan and I had a great time playing on the porch while it stormed this morning. This was her first puddle to play in. Correction...this was the first puddle she didn't create to play in. She ended up really dirty and wet but it was so worth it watching her try to catch the rain drops with out stepping on the grass...that is still uncharted territory...for now anyway.

Well butter my bun's & call me a biscuit...

I was very blessed with a girls weekend in Canyon Lake! My wonderful SIL, Amy, mentioned that she and her Momma were going to the Round Top Antique weekend and I asked if I could go with them. There is no feeling quite like inviting yourself to tag along on someone else's weekend away but I couldn't help myself...I needed to get away. Plus, I love Round Top and had gotten some pretty cool antiques there ages ago when we lived in neighboring Burton, TX. Plus, plus, it was free since Amy's boss loaned her the use of her time share and they happened to have an extra room. So I packed up the kids, dropped Hunter off at my brother's, and Morgan and I hit the road. Hunter was excited to spend time with the boys....I was excited to get away from boys. With only a few rounds of 'You are my Sunshine', Morgan was a content passenger in the truck. After zooming along for a handful of hours we happily arrived with notes of "Take me down to the River, Comal County Blues, and Southbound 35" still lingering in my head. It was pretty late Friday and were welcomed by the girls into our suite...IT WAS GREAT! We were in a"Presidential Suite" which was pretty cool. This place had two full kitchens, two full baths (one with a jacuzzi tub & laundry room), a living room, two king bedrooms, and a great view from the patio. Thinking back, I think my favorite thing was that I didn't have to clean, find, or organize anything there and we watched HGTV the whole time!!!!
Saturday morning we woke and had a fresh fruit breakfast together and then headed out for an adventure. We decided Round Top was too far and taking it easy seemed really appealing. None of us were in a hurry or had a preplanned agenda. We just headed out and decided on Historic Gruene, Texas. The weather was absolutely gorgeous! We shopped the antique stores and such, had wonderful food, walked and walked, and had great conversations. Later in the day we sat and swung in a storefront porch swing and chatted while I nursed Morgan. I didn't even know how much needed this time surrounded by women who are so loving and supportive and just fun in general. Thank you so much Amy. I pray this is the beginning of a wonderful tradition.

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity Jig

Well we all made it back safe and sound from our Spring Break vacations. Morgan did great on the plane coming home and made everyone around us laugh at her "knee surfing". When there was strong crosswinds or turbulence, she would stand on my knees with her arms out like a surfer bouncing all over the place while laughing and squealing with this look that said, "what a great ride Mommy!"

I think I miss Wes more now than I did before I got there to see him. It was so wonderful watching him play with Morgan and seeing her just light up when he smiled at her. It is hard watching the man you love be so tired from working so hard to give you security. It was so easy for me to selfishly get my feelings hurt when he fell asleep before the movie was over or when he promised to play cards with me. I read my devotional and realized I needed to change my attitude. God would not be pleased at how I was behaving towards my husband and realized that all it would take was some venting and a few ugly critical words to blow everything I hold so dear out of reach. Wesley, I am so amazed by you. Yes, like all marriages, there are times you frustrate or irritate me, but you are wonderful man and I am so honored to be your wife and the mother of your children. If I haven't told you enough, thank you and I fall in love with you more every day.

Being on a budget, I just stayed in the 28 foot toaster oven, I mean RV most of the time in Colorado with the exception of our daily walk at the pond and going to Wes's softball practice and game. Who'd a thought it (yes I said it that way) that a RV could be so DANGEROUS for a toddling baby. Morgan was bent on scaring me to death. She snuck up to the bed to hide from me while she ate a cookie and then "threw" herself down the stairs (all 3 of them) backwards hitting the back of her head and face. I was only a few feet from her but I stepped in her car seat and tripped and fell onto the floor right on top of her screaming the whole way down. I should have just yelled "TIMBER"! Of course it all happened in slow motion to me and all I could think about was the actress who just hit her head and died skiing and OMG my baby just hit her head, with a mouth full of cookie none the less!!! THEN she stood up on the couch (I had it folded out into a bed) and took a nose dive, on purpose, landing flat on her face... I saw her do it...from the bathroom, while I was being sick if you know what I mean. THEN she crawled over the wall and would have flopped all the way over...but I did catch her that time. Needless to say I cried a lot, checked her over and over for bumps, dents, bruises, changes, broken bones, wouldn't let her nap for fear of a concussion, and told myself I was a horrible mother for not holding her safely in my arms the entire time I was there. THEN she tried to attack Wes and jumped on him while he was laying face down on the bed...(apparently he is bouncy...I never noticed before) the first time she landed on her head, feet sticking up in the air out of the laundry basket he panicked and I yelled at him...the second time she landed safely on her back in the laundry basket...AND LAUGHED!!!! Hunter was not like this. He was cautious and examined EVERYTHING before acting. Morgan is a DAREDEVIL! I am doomed to a life of grimacing when I hear "hey Ma, watch this, no hands"! I know I was a good kid growing up so I blame this on Wes. I am suffering because he is getting paid back for being such a rotten child I just know it! What luck! I am so glad to be home...with flat, level floors.

Monday Mush...

I am really tired. I have been staying up until 4 am for more than 7 days in a row and it is getting the best of me. I really want to feel rested and energetic so that I can get more done at home and actually get some real exercise. Not that my Cabin Fever Exercising wasn't real. I truly enjoyed cleaning out my pantry and using the cans as weights...even better was the look on Hunter's face when he saw me. I was able to get more done than I thought I would last week and that always makes me feel better.

James bought Mom tickets to take us girls and our kids to the Stockshow and Rodeo on Friday. It was really nice relaxing and just spending time with family. It was Morgans first rodeo! She wasn't phased at all by all the noise and such. My nieces and nephew were adorable as always and it was great getting the kids together for an afternoon.

So last night we went to a friends to watch the Super Bowl. I am not sure which part was more fun, cooking in the kitchen with Hunter before the party or just hanging out in the kitchen with the girls. I think I needed some grown up time! Hunter seemed to need the guy time too. I am disappointed in myself because I ate horribly (I think a whole bowl of dip on my own!!!) and I let my sailor mouth back out. I am not sure when this week it escaped my lips again, but that filthy sailor girl needs to be captured and silenced again. She is not the Mother or woman that I want to be. I know that I can have a blast, be funny, and hang with my friends with out it. I don't think it bothers anyone else, but it bothers me, and I beat myself up over it. Lord, please forgive me and help me to forgive myself. Help me to be a better example for my children.

Momma gave us four dozen farm fresh eggs from her home so Hunter made his first batch of deviled eggs. They were really good. I don't like eggs but I did taste a little for him to be sure others would like it. I was really proud of him. He also helped make a Ham and Pineapple Dip and the Pineapple Upside Down Cakes. He loved the cake so much he said we should make one every week. Just what i need no my diet! I love him working and learning in the kitchen with me. Morgan wasn't much help as she woke an hour early from her nap and made the kitchen a little busier than we would have liked while playing "Chef" with her big brother.

All My Heart...

11 For I know the plans I have for you", declares the Lord. "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call upon me and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me WHEN YOU SEEK ME WITH ALL OF YOUR HEART. 14 I will be found by you. Jeremiah 29:11-14

This are some of my very favorite verses in the Bible. I have pointed out to Wes several times in the past that I think I am failing in the area where He says "with all of your heart." So many can quote verses 11-12 easily but stop there. Why is that? Do we just want to hear that He is listening and nothing else matters? I want to seek God with all my heart. So many excuses, words, memories, and thoughtless actions/reactions jump in there and get in the way for me. I am not perfect. If I we were Jesus would not have had to die for our sins. However, I truly want to honor God and seek him with all my heart. I am going to continue to pray about this. I am going to spend more quiet time talking to God and less watching TV. I am going to guard my words and actions. My children are watching and there are so many little things I regret doing. It is my job to teach them to love God. How can I tell them to love God when my actions are not Godly?
Lord, please help me to be a better example for my children and all those that I meet. Please let your forgiveness and love shine through me with out a spoken word needed. Help me to find supportive, uplifting, positive, like minded friends. Help me to make a positive difference in the lives of those I love and those who may not yet know you. I know your tugging at my heart. I feel you Lord and I am honored and scared all at the same time. Help me to read your word and understand it. Thank you again for all of my beautiful blessings.

Rant for the day...

Okay, I need to rant and then I will feel better and not be ugly to anyone. I read somewhere to remember that once you throw a stone you can't take it back. So here is me just venting...

Why don't I just tattoo a welcome mat on my back. Seriously! I must have issues with just rolling over and getting walked all over. Why is it that I am always getting walked on by those I love the most. Is is because I always come running no matter what, that I am just glutton for punishment? How is it that I can be the friend that listens and listens, but is rarely heard (Not directed at you B), the person that is told, "I don't want to talk about that, enough about your friends/problems/life, your upsetting me with that," but is supposed to sit still and listen when your ranting on and on about whomever has upset you that day and respond at the proper time or you get upset? If I respond at the wrong time you get upset and say I am interrupting. I can't win for loosing. Today, I called someone dear to me to check on her. She was very upset and blue. I try to calling when Morgan is laughing to cheer her up. So here I am working hard to get Morgan to laugh for her and she tells me to hold on so that she can watch TV. Um hello! If your busy when someone calls, let them know in the beginning and ask that they call you later. I have way better things to do than sit and listen to you watch TV!!! You see it is all about balance, give and take, respect. If you don't respect me at least let me walk away with a little dignity. I mean whats not to respect? I am a great Mother and wife (not perfect, still human), but great none the less. I am a good friend who values and holds on to her friendships for a lifetime...not just when it is convenient to me. I am forgiving, funny, smart, and try to bring everyone up and not down. So why why why do I put myself through this? Ideas anyone?

To my dear children, DON'T BE A DOORMAT! Life is too short. Be kind, be loving, and know when it is best to just walk away.