October 31, 2012

Happy Halloween!

I'm a little late posting this week, but I've been feeling a little under the weather and I have been super busy!

The biggest thing is that William has begun potty training. He wants to go in the potty and gets mad when he goes in his diaper. He has only pooped in his diaper once since we started last week, and that happened first thing when he woke up in the morning. I haven't quite gotten on board with this whole thing. William will pull on me to go to the restroom and I will figure out too late when he wants and then he will go in his diaper just before he gets on the potty. Pray for me. I know he is frustrated with me. Just this morning at the little gym, he tried to leave the gym and I didn't let him (the restroom is in the gym, but he doesn't know that). He sat down and cried and then I noticed his diaper was suddenly full. I felt terrible! If I can ever get my act together, I think he will be trained in no time.

This weekend we went to a bunch of parties. First we went to The Little Gym for their Halloween party. William was Luigi, Francis was Mario and I was Princess Peach. I habe a blonde wig and everything. It was cute! We went from there straight to Francis's work party. They had all sorts of inflatables, race cars, ponies, and food galore. I got to take a tour of the museum at Francis's work. Now I actually know what he does! William liked the example air shower. Well, he liked everything he did on Saturday.
Sunday after chruch we had lunch at Rudy's with our Sunday School class. We then went to a Fall Festival with a bunch of other couples including Angel and Austin and Seth and Arlene. William loved the Fall Fest. I can't wait until we go to the one at our church tonight!

 Monday through Wednesday have been a bit of a blur. I've been cleaning, doing chores and going to all sorts of stores. I did make it to Natalie's house to pick up some stuff for a friend, and she gave William a play grill. He loves it! He's been playing with it every chance he gets. Thanks Natalie!

Well, as I said, we are going to Fall Fest at our church tonight and handing out candy when we get home. It should be fun. I hope I start feeling better soon. I am beginning to think it is allergies, which stinks because I probably won't get over it until the weather changes. Bummer.

I'll write again soon!

October 22, 2012

First off, Happy Birthday to my Father-in-Law! He has reached a milestone today and we are so happy that we got to celebrate with him this weekend. Wishing him another blessed year!!!

Francis's birthday was last Tuesday. We had a great time. I made Lasagna and carrot cake (which were both delicious). I even decorated my first round cake. I was so proud of myself! Francis loved the Avengers in 3D bluray and personalized Luggage tags that William decorated. It was a great evening.

Wednesday William and I flew to Dallas to visit my family. When we landed, everyone on the plane commented on how good he was. I told them this was a walk in the park compared to the ride he took a couple of weeks ago. They were very impressed with him! When we got to my parent's house, I almost immediately left to have dinner at Chick-fil-a with Ashley Duran and Kristin Mahurin. It was so great to see them and meet Kristin's son, Connor! After dinner, William and I went to the Cotnoir's house to meet William's great Aunt Andrea and spend time with my in-laws. We had dessert and played for around an hour before we headed back to my parents house. Then Brandon Nine came over so I could meet his girlfriend over Skype. She seems very nice, and we had a good two hour conversation. William didn't end up going to bed until 10pm! He slept just fine, though and was happy the next day so I guess it wasn't too bad. It was just a busy day!

Thursday I got a hair cut (it's short again!) and my mom, William and I went shopping all over town. William is a better shopper than his dad was as a child. He's a good sport and didn't mind all the stops we had to make. We had dinner with my whole family at Taco Bell that night. It was nice to all be back together again!

Friday was a big day. We (my sisters, mom, Kristen Giles, William and I) went to the State Fair of Texas!!! When we entered the park we could see a big cloud of black smoke that kept growing and engulfed much of the fair grounds. After a short time, we found out BIG TEX had burned down!!!! I took a picture as they took away his charred remains. It made me want to cry!!! Our day at the fair was pretty good. We ate all day long, saw the Marionettes and the Birds of Prey shows, played in the petting zoo, and generally enjoyed the  fair festivities. William especially loved the Fireworks show at the end of the night. He clapped all the way through the Proud to Be an American song. It was adorable! Right before we left, some people got stuck on a 200 ft high swing and they had to call in 19 emergency vehicles to get them down. Although we had fun, I think that that date will go down in infamy in Fair history!

Saturday William and I rode down to Houston with Francis's parents to go to Dewberry Farms and see the Pumpkin Patch. We met up with Francis, his sister and her family as well as out friends Gershom and Kristi and their two little girls. It was a fun day, although I got a little sunburned! William loved the pumpkins and spent a long time trying to pick them up. They were just too heavy! We all had dinner together to celebrate my father-in-law's birthday and then we did cake and present's back at Cyndy's house. It was a great ending to a great day!

Sunday we went to church with Cyndy and Chris as well as lunch with the family before heading back home. When we arrived home, William decided to sit on the potty and go peepee! He got an M&M and that made his day. My child is growing up so fast. I'm not ready for him to be potty trained. He's my baby! He thinks he is ready though, so we are going to give it a shot. Prayers are appreciated.

I am very thankful for all my blessings. I know not everyone has all the wonderful friends and family that I have. I am praying constantly for a specific friend who is going through more than I could imagine right now. Time is so precious, and I forget that sometimes. If I haven't told you lately, I love you!!!

That's it for now. Till next time!

October 16th, 2012

First off, I just want to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the love of my life, my sweet Francis. He turns 26 today. It feels so old and so young at the same time. We've come so far babe, and I can't wait to see what's ahead. I love you!!!

Last Wednesday I headed to Abilene with William (no Francis) to see my family and enjoy Hardin-Simmons University Homecoming. It was a blast! Wednesday was my mom's birthday, so we went out to dinner at Red Lobster where we had an adventure unlike any I've had before. I won't go into it, but it ended in William wearing a paper towel loin cloth out of the restaurant...yeah.  Thursday, my sister Danielle was crowned one of the Princesses of the Homecoming court. She looked amazing! She had the best dress by far. William kept wanting to get on stage with her and as soon as the ceremony was over, he climbed right up and gave her a big hug. It was adorable! Thursday my parents and I took William to Frontier Texas, a museum about the taming of the Wilds of West Texas. It was a lot of fun and William really enjoyed getting to walk around and experience cowboys and Indians. Thursday night we went out with my parents, Danielle, my grandparents and my Aunt Cheryl for a second birthday dinner for my mom (complete with cake) at Carino's. The cake was from McKay's and it was delicious!!!

Friday, I got to have lunch with my friend Rebecca, where we were able to catch up and spend some time together. I miss her! Friday night, Rebecca babysat so I could attend SING and see Danielle perform in the ITs. Her group won the most creative award! I am so proud of her and all she is doing.

Saturday was a big day. After running into a couple we know from College Station, I got to see a bunch of people I know including Rebecca, Crystal, Haley, Kristen and another Melissa. After attending the Education breakfast, where apparently at least a couple of my (awesome) former professors read this blog, I was able to take William to the Kid's Posse Roundup. William got to play in a ball pit, jump in a bounce house, ride a horse and put his hand print on a sign for the football team. We got caught in the rain at the end, but it was still a great time! We had a BBQ lunch and then headed with my parents and sister to the HSU football game. Danielle was introduced at half time, after which William and I decided to head home. We had a delicious dinner waiting at home made by Francis. Overall, it was a pretty perfect day. The icing on the cake? William said "sweetie!" to my mom. That's her grandma name. She's so happy!

Sunday, we went to church and we had Francis's birthday dinner at Roadhouse Steakhouse. He wouldn't let me tell them it was his birthday. Lol, he didn't want to have to sit on the sawhorse while they sang to him!

I have spent yesterday and today packing (I leave for Plano tomorrow) and preparing for Francis's birthday. I made a round carrot cake and decorated it for the first time. It turned out pretty good! And I think it will taste delicious. I am going to start making Lasagna soon. That should also be yummy! I hope Francis likes his gift!

In other news, William has decided it is time to start potty training. I'm not sure I'm ready, lol. He brought me an infant toilet seat yesterday (which I bought on a whim the other day because it's cute), and when I sat him on it, he pooped! He's so smart! I'll let you know what happens on that front, but with all the traveling we are doing, I'm not going to push it right now.

I suppose that's it for now. Time to get back to work!

October 8, 2012

I wish I could say things are getting back to normal, but with the holiday season fast approaching, nothing is further from the truth. I am finally over being sick and William actually slept through the night (6:40-400am) last nigh for the first time since we've been home. Those are the big pieces of news.

We stayed in most of last week except Friday when we went to Baby Story time with Heidi and her daughter Lillian. It was so great to catch up. Saturday, Francis slept in until 11am and then we all went to lunch and bought our Halloween costumes. I won't tell you what we bought, but I am excited. William has four different costume events this year, so I figured he probably needed a costume, hehe. It should be fun!

Sunday was restorative to my spirit. Being back at church was amazing. I am not even talking about the fact that everyone said they missed us and wanted to know all about our trip (though that was nice), there was just something about being in the house of God that really lifted me up in a way I sorely needed. I had women all day long encourage me. From Sunday school to lunch with friends to a recipe party and ladies night out, God surrounded me with amazing Godly ladies who truly blessed me. I hope someday I can do the same for them!

I have met three neighbors in the past week (two of them today). This made me notice something about myself. I have much more confidence to step out of my comfort zone since my trip. What's the worst that can happen if I try to talk to someone? They can ignore me. There are worst things in life. Anyway, I actually walked down the street to introduce myself (something I never would have done before) and found out our new neighbors have a 17 month old little boy named Oliver! The couple is so sweet and William and I got invited to a playdate!!! This morning I met a lady with a 4 year old who was riding his new big boy bike for the first time. It was so cute. But the biggest thing I did was introduce myself to the woman on the corner who I find very intimidating. She always wears black, has extremely liberal stickers on her car, and walks around with two German shepherds generally avoiding eye contact. But I happened to pass her house as she was coming out to get the mail, and I swallowed my fear and spoke to her. You know what? She smiled really big and was very nice! My preconceptions were incorrect. Our conversation was short, but I think that getting to know her might be a good opportunity to be show Jesus's love. All that to say, I am finally beginning to feel like I live in a neighborhood and not just a conglomeration of houses. Our street has finally finished building and everyone is moved in. Now let the community building begin!

Korea Week 4

Home again; home again. Jiggidy Jig.

I am late writing this week, but to be fair I am both very sick and very tired. William has not adjusted to the time zone yet and I have strep. I will make this as brief as I can so that I can get in a much needed nap.

After I wrote last, Francis, William and I boarded the train in Busan (after taking the free hotel shuttle to the station) and after 2 hours and 45 minutes, we arrived in Seoul. Because we were at both the starting and ending point of the train, we had no issues getting our luggage on because we had plenty of time each place. After finding a cab who creatively fit all of our luggage in his car, we made it to our hotel in the bustling quater of Myeong-dong in Seoul. I saw more English than Korean in this area and heard nearly as much. Our hotel room was nice though extremely small, and they did not have a crib so we all had to sleep in a bed somewhere between a double and a queen size. I got no sleep, but it was not the end of the world.

Our first night we headed down to Itaewon to do some shopping. Again I heard and saw more English than Korean and after 3 1/2 weeks, it was slightly unnerving to understand all that was going around me and not to have to rely on gestures and broken Korean to get around. I know I am odd.

Wednesday, we decided to take a bus tour of the city. Leaving the subway, Francis fell down part of the stairs while holding William and screwed up his good ankle. He limped the whole day, but is fine now. After catching a bus, we stopped at Doeksugung Palace. While touring it alone (since Francis was in so much pain and needed to sit), I fell up a set of stairs while holding William (who survived both falls without a scratch) and embedded a bunch of gravel in my shins in knees. It was not fun, but I decided if Francis could carry on, so could I. The rest of our day trip included the Yongsan Electronic Mall, The national Museum of Korea, The Korean Wat Memorial Hall, and  Daehakro, Changgyeonggung, Chandoekgung, and Gwangwamun Palaces. It was a VERY busy day. The Electronic Mall was so bright inside that I thought I would go blind. When we finally went outside, it felt dark even though it was midday. The National Museum of Korea is one of the Largest Museums in the world. We only did one small wing and the Children's section because there were just so many people! It was gorgeous though. Speaking of gorgeous, one of the prettiest things we saw all day was the Korean War Memorial Hall which honored every war and event in which Korean men have fought. Francis drooled over all the antique planes, tanks, missile launchers and boats, but the actual memorial was beyond what I can describe. It was indoors and when you looked up, it looked like the pointed cieling never ended. In the center was a round pond/fountain with a single light in the middle. It was so simplistic yet so powerful. They museum had relics from every war in which Koreans have fought with particular attention to the Korean war. It was fascinating. As for the palaces, they all look the same. Open air with similar pagoda designs. I couldn't tell them apart if I tried.

Thursday morning Francis, William and I went down to Gangnam in Seoul because of the song that is so popular right now. It is a ritzy place! I would equate it to Beverly Hills. To get back to our side of the River Han, we took a river cruise which showed us the beautiful city scape. We worked our way back to Itaewon in time to finish shopping and finished up our night with a trip to the top of Seoul tower. We were told it would be at least a 2 hour wait by some of Francis's coworkers, but we went straight in and up! It was an amazing view! I wouldn't have traded that chance for anything. Such a great day!

Friday was our last day in Korea and we decided (because we are crazy), to take a DMZ tour. I will never be the same. We visited the third tunnel that the South Koreans found that was dug by their neighbors to the north. That was eye opening. We also heard about many of the precautionary measures the South Koreans take in case of an attack. I am so glad we did this last, or I would have been very paranoid! We visited an abandoned train station and observation deck where we could see over the border and look at a couple of villages, but the rain at this point was so think we could hardly see a thing. Finally we visited another train station that the furthest north in South Korea. The tracks used to connect through to the north, but they have been shut down for many years now. The South Koreans desperately want to reconnect with their counterpart, but from the looks of things, that time is still far away.

We had a safe trip home with very little stress. After all the traveling, I guess William was used to it because he was an angel on the plane. Everyone around us complimented him on his behavior. We saw my parents at DFW and then my in-laws spent the night at our house on their way back from Bastrop in order to watch William for the night. They are SO sweet to have helped us out.

Our whole trip was a resounding success and I am so glad you took the time to read about our adventures. I know we were crazy to take a 1 year old halfway across the world, but if I had to do it over again, I wouldn't change a thing!

The past couple of days have been an adjustment period. William has grown so much! He can now climb out of his crib as well as climb on the beds and couches. Toys that use to be too heavy for him are now easily moved and manipulated. He can walk up the stairs using only his legs and feet now instead of having to crawl up. His 2T clothing is starting to fit rather well and his larger 18 month clothing no longer fits. He is filling out his crib when he sleeps a lot more. He can use a fork and spoon with minimal trouble. He can now run after and catch the dogs with no trouble. He can even do the shape ball puzzle on his own!!! I can't believe how much he has grown!!! 

Ok, I seriously need to go to bed. William and I went to the doctor yesterday. William has a staff infection on a cut on his left pinky and I have strep. Hopefully we will both heal quickly and be back to normal in no time!!!