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Goodbye to Texas

The move is just a few days away. We are almost finished packing as I sit here and write this days before we load the truck up. I can't believe we are leaving Texas. Our little family started here in Texas. We actually have an official Texan who is apart of our family. Sariah, being born here, will always wonder why she loves the Longhorns and says Y'all. (That first year imprints a lot you know.) There are so many good memories that we will take with us, so many friends that we will keep in touch with, and lots of tears as we say goodbye to the beautiful state of Texas.
If you would of told me when I came to visit James the first time over 2 years ago that I would fall in love with Texas I would of laughed at you. I thought Texas was all desert, tumble weeds, and cowboys. Boy I sure was wrong. Dallas is beautiful. There are green trees and birds everywhere. So many fun places to see and explore. A load of parks and lakes to play in when the weather is good. Which the weather is good 75% of the time. We loved being in Texas, especially the Dallas part of Texas, and I would love to come back here one day. It's a great place.
We will miss you Texas...and all our Texan friends!

Packing

I really dislike packing with a passion. I thought I would just say it out loud and let the world know that I truly despise organizing boxes and suitcases for long extended periods of time. I dislike living without all of my stuff accessible. If anyone would like to come and do it for me, you are totally invited. Please call first so I know that you are coming and you don't show up to a mess and me screaming at a box.
Seriously, why is it such a stress to pack? Why am I making this such a stress. I really wish I had a fairy godmother who could just bippity boppity boo and make every thing so nice and organized. Organization was never ever my middle name, just ask a number of my college roommates, mission companions, or any family member and they could tell you that procrastination was more of my middle name.
I like every thing to be clean when I pack it as well, this makes it even harder. Clothing is the last thing to be packed because I so strongly dislike traveling with dirty clothes. Downside to having children is that they are always dirtying their clothing which means I am constantly having to travel with dirty clothing or they look like white trash half the time. Maybe by the time I am 50 and have 5 plus kids I won't care as much and I will be a pro at this packing thing. Or maybe we will have maids, LOL.


Doing his best at helping...LOL. In all seriousness Justin is a huge help when it comes to cleaning the house. He likes things to be neat, especially his room. He might be a little OCD in cleaning his room at times having to organize it all. He is a great helper!Doing her best to get me to pick her up when I want to be packing.
Just the beginning not even close to 1/4th of the way done. Taken 10 days before we pack the truck.

Memorial Day as a Texan

We spent Memorial Day with one of my good friends Beth and her fam. It was lots of good food and fun times.

Beth got Sariah this swimsuit for her birthday so we had to wear it at the pool with Beth to witness before we moved away to Arizona.
Daddy and Baby Girl getting used to the water.

Justin loves to swim. He jumped right in and away he went. He is such a good little swimmer.

These puppies are sooo cute and if we ever get a dog I would like to get one of these cute little guys.

The Grill Master. Oh it was sooo yummy.

Daddy and Baby Girl. She was so tired and had sunscreen in her hair to make that fancy do.

I got in the pool for a few minutes with Sariah. She really was too tired to enjoy it this time. But I am sure after many a hot day in AZ she will love the pool.

He is such a cutie, gotta love the smile!

Funny things big brothers do.....

On Saturday we were out and about for a good bit with the kids. Justin was in charge of watching Sariah for a little while and this is what I found when I returned. He tied a balloon to her to see if she would fly away. It was so funny to me, I had to take a picture to document the moment. I don't know how long she had been crawling around like this but it entertained them both for at least 15 more minutes after the pictures was taken. I wish it was a better picture but this will do for posterity sake, enjoy.

What kind of food are you?

Seriously is this what people think of me? I need responses to this....truthful responses....don't mince words let me have it.

You Are French Food

Snobby yet ubiquitous. People act like they understand you more than they actually do.

What Kind of Food Are You?

Agility Training for Moms

Agility is the ability to change the body's position efficiently, and requires the integration of isolated movement skills utilizing a combination of balance, coordination, speed, reflexes, strength, endurance, and stamina.

As a Mom being Agile is important but you don't know this until you are running down the sidewalk with your 7 year old. As you jump into the air to hit the speed limit sign, because you were racing to the sign in the first place, you realize as your left foot lands on the line where the sidewalk meets the grass that you should of probably practiced these movements a few times before executing the motions. The following pictures will show you the results of not being in the best agile condition.

Right hand injured from impact with concrete.

Notice the size of the left ankle compared to the right.

Close up of the left ankle in all it's puffy soreness.

Wound on the arm from impact with concrete.

Ouched up left hand the right one looks worse I think, at least it hurts more.

Skinned up knee.

Justin's Class Play

Justin's class put on a play about the 7 continents. Justin and his group were in charge of the continent Asia. It was really a cute play how they made their own costumes and acted it out.

Here is the Narrator and you can see Justin's cute face smiling at me on the far left.

Justin is in the middle with Asia written on his shirt. He did such a good job. He practiced his part over and over. The word that he had a hard time saying was Vietnam and we worked on it for a good long time. I was so proud of him when he said it correctly during his turn. It's one of those weird things that a mom gets all excited about.

Sariah sat in her Daddy's lap and watched the whole play without making a fuss.

Daddy with his kiddos.

The whole family after Justin's play.

Hope Ya Know....

Celebrating Sariah!!

It was so much fun to have a party to celebrate our little princess turning 1. We had great friends come over to visit, yummy treats, and lots of smiles.

Justin loves entertaining and playing with his sister everyday, here they are before the party begins.

She kept wanting to know what he was doing so she wouldn't look at the camera.

She asks Beth...."Did you bring me a present?"

Cute puppets from friends.

PJ's and bath balls from Beth

Cake time....she looks confused..."Why are all these people singing Mom?"

You can see the smoke coming off the candle. She wanted to touch it so bad. Thank goodness I was quick to notice.

She loved eating her ladybug cupcake.

We also had yummy Popsicles instead of ice cream. (So much easier to clean up!!!)

Birthday Beauty! Notice the red icing everywhere....red might not of been the best color for the icing, good thing I dressed her in red too.

More presents!

"Look Mom it's a ladybug on the dress from Grandma Ladybug! I love it!!" (Seriously she gave the dress a kiss ...she loved it that much!)

The toy that I don't know the name of was a big hit. She was walking everywhere and loving it.

She has such skinny legs.

Mommy and the Birthday Girl! So happy are we!

Aunt Laine and Uncle Miguel with little Miss. You can see how she is grabbing on to Miguel. She kept wanting to give him kisses. It was way cute.

Big Brother and Laine and Miguel

I loved this picture of Sariah at the end of the party. She climbed up on the couch and just chilled with our friend Brandon. It was so cute. She would of fallen asleep, she was so worn out, but I grabbed her and put her in the bath.

Playing with Daddy before bath time.

Giving Daddy Kisses. Baby girl loves to give her Daddy kisses.

The Ladybug Cupcake Birthday Cake

In my mind I had this wonderful idea for Sariah's birthday cake, I wanted it to be a ladybug. A few months back my friend Heidi made a turtle cake out of cupcakes for her son who turned one so I thought I might be able to do it for the ladybug.

I started by making the cupcakes with a box cake and some vanilla pudding to make them moist. YUM...they really were moist. I made big and little cupcakes.

The hard part was figuring out how to get the cupcakes to all stay together when I iced them...I resorted in using a round cake pan.

Then I had an awesome friend make me some red icing that was perfect in every way.

I used Bliss Chocolate pieces for the spots and black licorice for the legs, eyes, and line down the back. I know it doesn't look professional or anything but I loved my little ladybug cake. The kiddos loved it too! It's a memory that I will definitely keep for a long time.