the 'goings on'...

Well, we have been quite the busy bees agaon...but it's been a lot of fun. This past weekend, I went to church to help cook a meal for the college students with my friends and it was a lot of fun. Kennady got passed around to about 15 different people (or more) throughout the evening and spread her smiles and happiness with everyone. It was a great time....then she got a major de-germing rub-down. So what, mommy is paranoid. :) We went back to the church Monday night also to help out with a finals week Pancake Dinner that they did for the college students too, and that also was a good time. We're really loving being back involved with the church again. And there are so many great people we have met and enjoy spending time with, it's just awesome.

On the homefront, we are feverishly working on getting the yardwork done and completed before Chad potentially leaves us this summer....yes, that's right....another dreaded deployment is upon us (BOOOOOO!). Once again, for the third summer (yes I said THIRD!!) in a row, my husband will be stuck overseas, this time in Kuwait. This is deployment number 5 for us (insert throw-up action here). It's quite frustrating, but we have tried to move past the negativity, though there is more than ever now that little Kennady is here. It breaks my heart to think about all of the growth and fun stuff he is going to miss (insert tears and heartbreak here). Ugh.

Moving on. This weekend is going to be a really crazy one for us! Saturday brings our second go at the garage sale (a little mishap in the newspaper advertisement last weekend (no address was listed)) caused us to need to go at it again. So, I will be doing that at a friend's house from 7-noon, then we have a graduation party for my bestie Elya who is graduating with her Master's in Psychology from 5-8pm, and then we have a block party to go to that is being hosted by our closest neighbors in our new neighborhood from 6:30-?. It's safe to say it's going to be a crazy day! BUSY BUSY, but a lot of fun, I'm sure! Then, Sunday morning after church, we are headed to SA-town to spend Mother's Day with the family. Nuts I tell ya! :)

I have been shopping-shopping for all kinds of fun stuff for the house. Mostly decor-related things. It's been a lot of fun. I'm what some would call a Frugalista, so it's like a game to me to find the best place to buy something for the best price. I have to admit, I've found some pretty awesome deals lately and I'm proud of it! :)

I got my first bouquet of Mother's Day flowers today in the mail from my sister, sis-in-law, and mommy. It was a beautiful set of bright tulips and they are really pretty. So sweet. I LOVE me some fresh flowers! And still to this day, it's surreal to me that I'm a mommy...but it's the sweetest thing in the world. :)

Well, that's most of all the babbles I have available for now. Hope you're having a great week! Now it's on to catching up on my blog readings!! :)

P.S. Happy Cinco de Mayo!!

What to do with myself...

Well, here we are. Not finished unpacking because we are just TIRED of it. I have baby girl all day and nothing else really to do with myself. I would like to get involved somewhere with other mommies, but don't really know where to start. I have also considered picking up a true hobby like sewing cute things that I could potentially sell to bring in some dough. There are several intramural sports going on at the base that spouses are allowed to get involved with, so I would love to pick up volleyball or soccer. I have REALLY REALLY missed playing sports these past 3 years. Now, I have a chance again. Very exciting. I have looked into a couple of temporary daycare options to see if picking up a small part-time job would be feasible for me. Haven't had all that much luck thus far. I honestly don't even know if there are many part-time jobs out there these days. I figure with this being such a college town, that most of the non-serious jobs are probably taken by the youngins'. I will keep looking though. I still have a lot of decorating to do, but can't seem to get all that motivated for that either. We have a lot of yardwork to be done, which will probably cost a good penny, so I'm trying to monitor the expenses.

We are going to San Angelo this weekend to spend some time with the family. We haven't been there in about a month it feels, so we thought it would be a good idea. Grams is just dying to see her little Kennady, I'm sure! Good news on the hair-front...she's starting to sprout some roots! Her head up until now has been pretty smooth with peach fuzz, but I'm glad to say that we are actually seeing some hair arrive! Yay! Before we know it, I'll be french braiding a full head of hair! :) Well, I guess that's it for now. Adios, baby beckons. :)

Cereal & Allergies...

We have come to the point of needing more sleep during the night...mommy has anyways :). We are still doing 3 or so feedings, which is kind of weird being that we have had better sleeping patterns than this before...so I feel a little bit like we have gone backwards. I already give her an extra ounce per midnight feeding than she eats throughout the day, but it hasn't seemed to suffice. I have had many suggestions from other mommies (which I greatly appreciate) and have decided to start with the addition of cereal to her diet. I just recently gave it to her by spoon for the first time ever. She started out okay, swallowed probably about 30 percent, and then ended up getting frustrated and REALLY hungry so I made her regular bottle and mixed the cereal that I had already prepared in with her milk. It seemed to work pretty well and went through the nipple like I had hoped. She has been down for a nap for about 2 hours now. Hmmmm, maybe we have found a solution?! We shall see and continue to hope. I also like to bathe her in the morning so that I have a fresh, clean, smell-good baby all day long, but I suppose I could also attempt the warm bath at night instead. I would like to introduce one at a time though so that I can know which one has what effect. I will keep you posted. :)

On another note, it turns out that I am ridiculously and miserably allergic to this new house. Well, it's not the house, but the fields of Cedar trees behind it. I have attempted taking Allegra (usually the most effective medicine for my allergies) every day of the past 2 weeks or so, and it only works temporarily. The annoying thing is that I haven't had any allergies in about 2 years. Could it be because I was in a different state with a lot different vegetation? Probably. But now I am happily back in my favorite state, dying from the allergies that make this place HOME. I think it's bad enough that I'm going to have to go to an Ear, Nose, Throat, and Allergy clinic here in the near future. Speaking of, I should probably go make that call. Ugh.

"I am proud to be a Texan, where at least I feel I'm HOME!" (said to the tune of "Proud to be an American). In the last 2 days, I applied for a new Texas driver's license (because my real estate license of NC that I never used MADE me change my residency, buttheads!) and I also got new Texas tags for our Tahoe. Now, both of our vehicles are Texas tagged and happy about it! :)

My best friend Nicole is coming to visit us this weekend from Lubbock! I am so very excited. It has been since right after Christmas since we've seen her and that's a LONG time...especially in infant days! She's going to be blown away at how much Kennady has changed in the past 3 1/2 months. It's going to be a blast for the three of us (me, Nicole, & Elya) to get to hang out like old times and to play with the little lady. She is such an entertainer! Good stuff. :)

We have come to a small standstill when it comes to moving in. We have about 15 totes to still go through, but we are making do just fine without whatever is in those totes, so I'm thinking the procrastination can continue for at least a little while longer. I'm pooped in this regard. Plus it's rainy outside and that doesn't help me want to get anything accomplished. So, on the couch and on Blogger is where I am. It makes me happy.

Hope your weeks are going well! :)

back so soon?

Yes, I realize it has been another almost 2 weeks since my last post, but we've been a busy bunch! We have pretty much gotten all moved into our house now. Since we moved in, my parents have visited to help us move a couple more things in and to hang the blinds in all of the windows (because waking up with the sun is WAYYY overrated!) :). This past weekend, my mom, sister, Taylor, brother and sis-in-law came to see us in two separate trips. We got some more stuff done in the house with them here, so that was good. Just having a babysitter for even the smallest part of the day is the biggest help!

What we have left to complete the house:

• purchase curtain rods and hang them
• find rugs for the living room and dining room
• follow up rug purchase with pillows and curtains to complement
• find more frames and hang pictures throughout
• make appts. for dirt and grading service
• make arrangements to have friends and family help with sprinkler system and fence installation
• get Bermuda grass seed blown in

I just bought my swimsuit for the summer. It is a one-piece from Target that is really cute. I honestly can't remember the last time I put on a one-piece bathing suit. It might have been when I was about 11 or so. Crazy! I have definitely come to terms with being a mommy and being unwilling to show my tummy at its current state. Ha. It looks cute on me either way though and it's black and ruched on the sides, so it's 'slimming'. :) Yay.

I also ordered Kennady a noise machine for her room. It is SOOO quiet in her room that it even drives ME crazy. Ha. I figured that if she is anything like her mommy and daddy (which she definitely is in many other aspects), then she would love and appreciate the sound of a fan, white noise, rain, or waves while she sleeps. Maybe it will result in a little longer sleeping spurts?? We shall see.

I just got Kennady's nursery finished with all of her furniture, hung her curtain, and hung the decorations on the walls. It feels good to have her own space and to be able to see all of her stuff altogether. It's all been in pieces for the past several months. It's amazing how much stuff a 4 month old can accummulate. Seriously...:)

Well, that's all I really have for now. My best friend Nicole is coming into town to visit us this weekend, so that will be fun! She hasn't seen Kenna since she was 3 1/2 weeks old right after Christmas. She has changed SOOO much since then! She won't even be able to believe it, probably.

Hope all is well with everyone! Have a great week!

CLOSING today!!

OMG! It is officially 'closing on the house' day and we couldn't be MORE excited! We are slowly getting back to a more normal, permanent, stable lifestyle and it feels fabulous. It's like a huge burden has been lifted, though having our condo in NC still on our stressors is getting kind of old. It'd be super-duper if it would be erased from our lives for good sometime soon, but we're going to hang in there and keep the faith that something productive will happen with it in the near future. But, OMG! We are buying our house today!! :)Woo-hoo!

I will be honest and say that we are going to miss being roomies with my bestie Elya and her husband John. It has been a lot of fun seeing them everyday, cooking and eating dinners together, and getting some short breaks from the little lady with E-time (where Elya plays with her for about an hour each day). We will have to figure out some way to meet up and keep some of these dinner dates going in the future. It's been a lot of fun.

Here is a picture of our house from the outside:

We will be turning our own key to this place after just a few hours of signing hundreds of papers...it's going to be a good time! haha. Can't wait!

Holy Moly, double awarded! :)

"The Honest Scrap award comes with a caveat or two. First, you have to tell your readers ten things about you they may not know, but that are true. Second, you have to tag 10 people with the award. Third, let all the people you've given the award to know that they've gotten it (comment on their blogs or something). And finally, make sure you link back to the person who awarded you."

I was given this award by Cassandra and Chelsey, so here are my 'things':

1. I just recently bought myself my very first 'smartphone'. Prior to now, I had the basic flip phone that pretty much came free with a contract renewal. It made calls, set alarms, took pictures, and sent texts. That was pretty much it, but I was very happy with it for many years. I would consider myself a mediocrely-tech-savvy person...definitely not someone who has to have the latest gadget as soon as it comes out though. I got the Droid Eris (the girly version of the Droid), and I love it! It has so much info, so many games and abilities, and is pretty much my little handheld computer. I use it so much! Consider me a convert. :)

2. Along with my husband, I have become quite a fan of bottled Coca-Colas (the Mexican kind made with real sugar cane) and bottled Dublin Dr. Peppers (also made with real cane sugar). We ordered a case of them from Dublin and they were worth it! :) You can find the Mexican cokes on the Mexican food aisle at Wal-Mart (or at Sam's for wayyy cheaper). :) We may be addicts, but we are really trying to cut back on this evil habit. Ha.

3. I never thought I could love something as much as I love my Kennady. I've always heard parents say that, but seriously...somehow I can love her more and more every day that passes. It's easy and unconditional.

4. I am about to pee myself over how happy and exciting it is to think that Chad, Kennady, and I are all going to be in our own HOME (something which many of you probably take for granted...we have been practically 'homeless' nomads for the past year+ and it is SOOO getting OLD!). It's going to be amazing to have a place that feels and really is HOME to us, with friends and family all around us, like it's supposed to be! Yay!

5. Chad and I have pondered and think that we deserve a little relaxation and added happiness, and therefore have decided to purchase a hot tub for ourselves (and anyone that ever comes to visit too, of course :)). We went to look at the spas yesterday and my heart got all giddy. Gotta love a hot tub! :)

6. We are considering becoming Sam's Club members since we can get diapers, wipes, and formula for a lot cheaper than at Target and Wal-Mart. We will probably start buying meats and some freezable things in bulk too, so I think it will pay off! That's exciting!

7. I, on occasion, have really strong desires to be on a cruise ship. It's a fun vacation and a great way to 'get away' and have a blast. We hope to go on another sometime with some friends or family this time. We think it would be crazy fun!

8. I hope that this summer is filled with fun stuff like trips to the park, river floats, home gardening, small shopping trips to San Antonio or Dallas, tanning, lake fun, and crafts. I can't wait for the warmer weather to stick around and for the wind to subside...seriously, GO AWAY WIND! :)

9. I have considered starting a couple of businesses. Not really seriously, but I have a few ideas for them. Some include sewing cute baby things and selling them, others include wedding planning/coordination with friends, and starting a school for ladies that teach small things that we should all know, even if our mothers weren't able to teach us them. Such as basic sewing, cooking, formal dancing, etiquette, how to dress a table, etc. Very Martha Stewart-ish, but it would be a lot of fun!

10. I think I may finally become a coffee drinker. Lord knows that based on how my dentist visits (yes, that was plural) went last week, that I don't need to add anything else to my reportoire that would have negative and lasting effects on my teeth, but it does taste good. I am still a wussy coffee drinker that only really ever drinks it when someone else brews a pot and I still add 2 creamers and like 3 sugars, but maybe one day I will become less of a wuss. It does taste REALLY good with all of those goodies in there though. :)

Well, that was my ten. I would tag people, but I'm really not good at that, so I hope you enjoyed! Talk to ya later! :)

Updates, much needed...

Well, we are all still alive and kickin, though you wouldn't be able to tell from my blog. Hopefully there are a couple of people out there that are still willing to read up on me to see what's happening and haven't lost ALL faith in my inability to find time for blogging. Man, has life been a slight rollercoaster this past month. Chad, Kennady, and I all made our move to Texas (praise the Lord!), and have been happily and gratefully living with my best friend Elya and her husband John in our new town for the past 3 weeks or so. Thank God for gracious and loving best friends, cuz otherwise, we would seriously be homeless or extremely uncomfortable in a hotel somewhere with no kitchen...bleh! We are so blessed by them.

During our stay, we have been tearing up the A-town roads in hopes of finding a house to make our home. The process has been an up and down one that has taken a little longer than expected, but we think we have come to a conclusion at this point, hence why I have a minute to take to catch you up on all of this. We went under 'option' on a house that turned out to be a lemon that was going to need WAY too much work, time, and money to fix so we passed on that one and decided to tear up the streets again. After seeing about 25 more houses, we had still only found 2 that met our criteria and that we would really consider moving into. A little dishearted, we decided to go to a Parade of Homes that went on last weekend and saw 16 new and beautiful homes in which we really enjoyed ourselves, looking at and seeing different floor plans, and speaking to the builders. When we finished there, we considered the idea of building over a 4-6 month period and were all gun-ho for that. Then, we had a small epiphany. We remembered that one of the houses featured and just finished last week was in our price range and that it was close to meeting the 'everything we wanted' criteria, so we went to see it again. We were awe-struck again and decided to put a bid on it. As of today at 5:30, Chad & I are currently under contract for a beautiful, brand new house that we CANNOT wait to get into! Now, the process is in the hands of the banks and we have a small window of time (potentially 20-45 days, give or take) to hang in there before we finally get to have a HOME of our own again! We are so excited! :)

On another note, the Cozarts took Kennady's 3-month pictures a couple of weekends ago and they turned out SUPER-CUTE! Though, I am having the hardest time choosing which ones I want in what sizes, etc. But, I guess having a photogenic baby is not the 'terrible' thing I make it sound like it is, so really I'm having fun. :)

Today and tomorrow I have dentist meetings and I HATE the dentist. Please pray for me. The amount of work I need done is ridiculous. Turns out pregnancy did not agree with my teeth. Boo.

There really isn't a whole lot more I can think of that I need to say right now, so I hope that someone is out there, reading this blog so that I am more motivated to post in the future, haha. :) Hopefully I will be able to post the cutest and most giggly video ever, featuring miss Kennady soon. She just lights up our lives. :) Goodnight all!