Well this catches up until Mid March...

Ok so in an attempt to catch up a little.. 
Early March like the same evening I really blogged last (March 8) we had dinner with our new friends Stefanie and and Paul at a local Mexican restaurant. It was a lot of fun and the first time the guys had gotten together. Two thumbs up to the food and company!

Stefanie and I also had a fun day of shopping earlier that week. We both needed some girl time and actual time to shop. You know how it is when the men go, they never really want to stand around why you try on things...silly men! LOL! We were both able to find some cute things and had fun visiting and getting to know each other. Wyatt was just happy to walk around and enjoy being out.

We also met our MOPS friends at the park for a Spring Break play-date. It was so nice here that week and the park was packed. Daniel ended up meeting us for a picnic lunch as well which, was a very nice surprise.

According to the papers "So many fans of the Bassmaster Elite Series turned out in Orange, Texas, for the March 14-17 Sabine River Challenge presented by STARK Cultural Venues, attendance records were not only broken, they were smashed." It was a big event for this area with over 35,000 people attending. We made it out on Saturday and it was much like the Bassmasters Series we went to  in Willis 2 summers ago. We had a great time watching the pros weigh their catches, a concert by country singer Neal McCoy and fireworks. Wyatt was all about the crowd and the room to roam.

After a monthly MOPS meeting in March we met Daniel for lunch and clearly someone had a great time playing with his friends!

Up next more fun.....I know some of you hope sooner than later! :)

Not at all forgotten...

We have been pretty busy lately and the blog is not forgotten. Daniel is still taking the laptop to work, I can't get the old one to connect to the Mi-Fi, and using the tablet requires a lot more patience than I am able to find to blog! LOL!

Wyatt is as busy as a toddler can be and is certainly expressing his indpendence. It.really.happened.overnight and I am still trying to figure out where the little boy who wanted my help has gone. Those that have traveled this road before me warned it would come out of nowhere and they were certainly right! (I guess I really shouldn't be surprised because according to my parents and Daniel's we were both pretty independent and headstrong. That is a surprise right?!?!) HA! He is still a very sweet and funny little guy, but when he feels it necessary can be an Ornery strong headed little thing! Honestly though..I wouldn't change it for the world!

I saw this today on another blog and it is certainly true.

Enjoy a few pictures of life lately.

Over this way..

Daily hike with the dogs

 Yum...

 Daddy's home

Can we go to the big kid side of the park? 

Hopefully I can really blog this weekend! I have so much to catch up on!

For Aunt Kookie and a cute way to make shirts

My poor little guy has had a bad reaction to something in the air this week (Southeast TX always has something new blowing through). You can see it on his face. I think we may actually have figured out a combination that is helping as it looks much better. We  have also learned yet again that if a mosquito is in the area (as common with most kids) they will find him even if inside and they attack and uncovered area. I laughed that possible we need to get him a robbers mask! HA!But..I am kinda not kidding.

 

Anyway, I know Aunt Kookie would want to see the freezer paper shirt I made him. I also figured that since custom shirts are so popular you guys might like to make them! I love custom shirts but I kinda feel silly ordering one for every holiday at $20-$25 dollars. I found myself wanting to keep them nice. So around Halloween I had ordered a few custom shirts at $25 a piece then decided to try these and it is so easy. I will either cut out a design on the Circuit or freehand it. I free-handed his name (drawing it then I use scissors) and obviously didn't get a good seal for clean lines when ironing it so it didn't turn out perfect. :/ Oh well. This is an Easter shirt that will go into Spring as I didn't want a shirt that he would only wear for a week.
A few more creations:

 Winter

 

 Fall

We get compliments all the time and people have even asked me to make them. 

Tips - if you just have plain paint buy some fabric medium so you don't have to invest in all new supplies. I started with onesies because we had an extra package and have moved onto shirts. Some of them have even become favorites of things he wears because they are so soft.  I iron beforehand the shirt beforehand to get out wrinkles and put something between the layers of the shirt so the paint does not go all the way to the back. I have used brushes to apply the paint and sponges and I didn't see a difference. You will probably have to apply 2 coats, allow the paint to completely dry before removing the freezer paper, and make sure you set the design well with an iron before washing. Ours have lasted well and haven't faded. I have fun making shirts with several colors as well and the more detailed a design the harder it is to keep clean lines. Personally, I seem to make them during nap so it is a quick just lets get this done. The more time you take the better they turn out.
 
Here is the tutorial I used Sir Bubbadoo Tutorial She goes into much more detail so read this to really understand! I have found several online but this was the best detail.

Overall, I have found this as an easy way to make super cute personalized shirts that I don't care if we play in the dirt or stain! :) Let me know if you have questions and I hope you enjoy making them!  Don't worry I still have more adventures to blog about hopefully soon!

Catching up and making friends

Before we moved here I met a lady in Austin and she said something to me that didn't completely sink in until after we arrived. She said "The people are so nice and will go above and beyond to help you." I know several areas of the country where I could say this about as well so when she said it I was kinda like ok yeah the people are nice. I guess maybe it is that I know we aren't leaving in 3 months, that I can plant some roots, the people I meet could become friends I will see often, we need to meet people that can become our extended family, and we need to be completely comfortable here. In our short time here, I can say she really was right. Of course not every person you meet is as "sweet as pie" but most have been open armed welcoming us and following up on the house search, if we have you learned the area,  did we find a pediatrician for W, and do we need a recommendations for anything?  It has been comforting. That said (take a deep breath NWA and Dallas peeps...we still love you more!) LOL!  

 Around Town

Daniel is taking the laptop so much that I keep forgetting to blog. I attempted it on the tablet. I had a post almost completed and it lost power..that wouldn't have been bad however, in the time I got it plugged in the MiFi lost power as well and it was gone. I was so frustrated after figuring out how to blog on it and then transfer pictures that when nap-time was over I just gave up!  This post is all about catching up and lots of just randomness. I tried to make flow..it doesn't. :/  You will see we have been pretty busy making new friends and getting to know them better...which directly relates to my opening statement! **I even sacrificed my phone charger for you unknowingly (hey thanks W)  in the dog water while typing this**


Ok now back to us - Valentines Day was perfectly low key and much more perfect than we could have planned. Wyatt and I picked up Daniel for lunch and we headed to Fuzzys Tacos. Yummy! The restaurant was full of couples attempting to celebrate Valentines day over lunch away from the kiddos! It made us laugh and we enjoyed a "date" with Wyatt. After lunch W and I headed to the store to get the essentials for a shrimp dinner. I also grabbed the last of what I needed for W's and D's valentines day man box. After nap we had a fantastic dance party outside while waiting for D to get home. He surprised me with tulips however, unfortunately they were already dead. HA! While driving back to town to exchange them for new ones lil guy fell asleep and was out for the rest of the evening.  We hadn't planned on anything huge but to have dinner as a family, eat a cupcake, bath for Wyatt, then bedtime..but the night was much easier! Honestly we could not have asked for a better relaxing evening. Daniel and I had dinner and a relaxing evening full of funny Thursday night TV.

 

Day at the art museum- This town has so much to offer in regards to fine arts. The local art museum was putting on a children's day. We knew that Wyatt was a little young but went in an attempt to get out of the house. They had some really neat activities and he even made a few heart valentine creations. We enjoyed walking through the museum and quickly browsing the art. Wyatt pushed the stroller through all 5 exhibits so by the end he was was pretty tired. We want to go back to actually look at the art at some point. LOL!

 Trip to port A-  After a week of cold weather and rain, Wyatt and I made a much needed trip to Port A so that he could walk around Target and the mall. We had the best time. We had actually met D for lunch, but I ordered something extremely spicy so we ended up at Chick-fil-A for a late lunch/early snack for Wyatt amongst all the shopping excitement.

Delta Downs - We ventured over to the casino in LA for the seafood EXTRAVAGANZA one Friday evening. I was a little worried about taking a kiddo into a casino. I wasn't exactly sure if it was allowed. I was surprised at the number of kids and they were completely welcome. I think it is obvious that someone had a great time!

 Music festival-Daniel decided he wanted to go to the Boomtown music festival two weekends ago. After he spent the entire morning studying he came home and we loaded up a well napped boy ready for an afternoon/evening of music. We arrived and were not impressed with the lack of enthusiasm about the event from one of the coordinators so much that we decided against going in. I had heard about a Gumbo Festival on the news that morning where all proceeds went to a girls shelter. So we went to that festival instead. It ended up being a lot of fun and they had live music (best of both worlds). We tried several types of gumbo and have determined what we like and don't and were able to learn a little more about the secrets of good gumbo. We decided this event will be one we will attend again.

Folding party - The next day we were invited to a Folding Party by a MOPS mother. The dads got meet, hang out, and watch the kids while the moms folded origami for an organization called

 

It is an amazing an organization started and run by kids ages 6 and 9. Paper for Water started when two little girls heard about kids in other countries not being able to go to school or play because instead they had to haul water. They decided to do something about this so they started folding paper and making ornaments. They knew how to make origami ornaments because their dad who is half-Japanese taught them for fun. They sold them at their local Starbucks and various events and in less than two years they’ve raised $122,000 for wells in India, Africa and other countries! They have spoken at the UN..um...can you imagine what they will do as they get older?!?!
The mom that hosted is the aunt of these two little amazing girls. Go check out their FB page to see the ornaments. I am still amazed!

 

After we finished folding we watched the kids play and then had a yummy dinner. We were able to get the tour of the "gardens" where they live as well as, the truly amazing historic house of her parents. This area has a lot of history because of all the oil wells and some of the houses and stories are fantastic! We had a great time and look forwarding to continuing to get to know all of the families better.

Fire station -The next week Wyatt and I had an opportunity to go the the fire station for a field-trip. Of course we had not ever done anything like this with a group and it was during naptime but overall Wyatt did just fine. He was a little young, but I knew he would enjoy the big trucks, tires, etc. I also knew that several of the other kids his age were going so if nothing else mama and kiddo would be socializing. They let the kids get int the trucks and Wyatt thought that was pretty cool. He even let a firefighter pick him up and take him in one of the big trucks. Wyatt sat on his lap and looked around. At that moment I think he really felt like the big kids that were doing everything!
The firehouse is a HUGE 2 story building that is state of the art and a replacement from Ike. It is the main station for the town and houses almost 20 firefighters. They were extremely patient with all the kids and showed them every aspect of the house and operations. They even had a firefighter come down the poll and get dressed like he was going out for a fire. They gave the kids a hat upon leaving and my guy loves it. After we all had lunch playground and my guy crashed as soon as we got in the car from all the fun.

Shangrai La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center - Wyatt and I met our new friends Meredith and H for some fun at the Gradens on Tuesday of this week. It was much more than I ever imagined and much like the Dallas Arboretum..but with a LA coast twist! LOL! It was really neat!  We walked the trails and then let the boys play in the kids garden for a long time while we chated. They enjoyed playing in the sand, little house, looking at the gardens, and having a snack in the little Arandack chairs etc.  We walked over to the Bayou as well as, the bird watching area and I was impressed.  We had a great time and can't wait to get together with Meredith and H again. They boys are so close in age that I think they are going to be good friends. They shared cheese and crackers and if that doesn't say friends at that age...what does!? :)

 

Thursday we met our new friend Stephanie for lunch. She and her husband just moved to the area as well. They are also staying in the park and one day I stopped to say hi. They are also looking for a house and she is completely new to the RV lifestyle. She is super sweet and I know we will definitely be hanging out. Wyatt really liked her and thought she was so funny.

 

Well, I think that catches you up on the total randomness of learning the area! We have been keeping busy meeting people and making quick day trips. Daniel is still enjoying the new job and is getting more comfortable with all the new responsibility. I am still extremely proud of him and know that though we didn't plan this, we are where we are supposed to be at this time. So what is new with you?

 

MOPS and a first for us..

FYI I started writing this on  2-19. Daniel is taking the computer to work so it makes it very hard for me to find time to blog! :)

So since we travel full-time and please don't gasp but...we have never had a "play date." Yeah I know. It is not that I didn't try... Ok- I guess I should clarify like one that was scheduled to be a playdate with a group. Of course we have played with lots of babies: Andrea's, Reb's, Jill's, Jenn's, Shani's, Victoria's, and all of the cousins. (So I guess we have!) LOL!

Anyway, Daniel came home last week and said that he saw in the paper an add for a MOPS group. I got so excited I started jumping up and down. I called the next day for information and found out that the next meeting was on Tuesday. The lady in charge was increadibly nice and expalained the organizaiton as well as, what the moms do and what the babies do. It sounded like a lot of fun. The moms have time to hang out and on meeting days the babies play under the supervision of fantatic childcare volunteers.

All ready to go!

 

I was worried how Wyatt would do from our previous experience of trying to leave him in a childcare situation. He.blew.me.away and I am not sure if I have ever been so proud of him! (Probably jinxing myself here!) We walked in and a few people tried to hold him while I filled out the paperwork. He wasn't having it. I got a nervous feeling my stomach...as I check the appropriate boxes and wrote a brief note about his favorite things and his stuffed monkey. We walked in the nursery/2 and under room. He started to get a little nervous and then I saw "the amazing car" on the floor. I handed it to Wyatt and he was so excited! (This kid loves cars, tractors, trains, etc). I could tell at this point I still needed something else for him to play with. One of the workers said they had a play kitchen across the room...We have a winner. I walked him across the room and showed him how to open close the doors, turn dials etc and he was in heaven. He put is car in the oven opened and closed the doors. I hugged him and quickly walked away! He was so happy and when I looked back from the door (with tears in my eyes) I knew that more than anything this was going to be great for him (and for me).

When the meeting was over as I walked back down the hall I heard a kiddo crying and it made me nervous. I could tell it wasn't mine however, still I walked a little faster as I approached the door to his room then... I saw W asleep in a stroller holding onto his monkey. I immediately broke out in a huge smile as I knew he had to be comfortable! (I didn't want for him to be miserable the entire time and for the sweet childcare workers to be miserable with him crying.) He was starting to wake up and they quickly told me he had fun, played, had a snack, and then started getting fussy. They said they walked him up and down the hall and he fell asleep. It didn't surprise me at all because that is his schedule! (play, play, play if late nap fussy... small snack and then he is out) LOL! They said he was a happy guy. Of course as soon as he saw me, he got upset so I picked him up and he was all smiles!

We quickly ran a few errands, came home for lunch, and W went down for a long nap. He woke up recharged and mama had a nice long break!  (It is amazing what a few hours can do for you!)

After nap playing outside and a "naak" in his "kar"

And as for me....well, I enjoyed the meeting and having some fun time with the other moms. We  talked, reflected, laughed, etc. I am already looking forward to the next meeting or seeing the other mama's as playdates arise.

And since I am now posting this a week later...we have been around our new friends a few times and have had fun! Hopefully I can blog about those soon!
 

Happy Valentines Day...

Happy Valentines Day! 

 

 It is gorgeous here....

We "may" have just had a dance party outside...

Clearly someone enjoyed it!

Lots of love!

The first two weeks were not as expected but..things are lookin' up!

Some of this probably will not be very interesting...I just want to document it! 
As I previously mentioned we arrived late on a Thursday and spent the weekend stalking the area as we typically do. We found Kroger, the hospital, Daniel's work (which we were scared of the facility upon first glance but he is actually the Director at a different facility..that is so much nicer!), looked at other RV parks, and spent time checking out  other areas of town. We made a trip to Beaumont (the big city lol) to hit up Sam's to stock up on a few essentials i.e. dog food.

Sunday we visited a church and upon first impression were not excited. It should be noted that this entire area flooded with Issac and many places either didn't renovate, are still in the process, or are selling and building a new location. The church was completely flooded and they  are holding services in the gym. We didn't know that when we walked in the main part of the church and it stank  of mold like nobody's business. I of course got a headache immediately. Then we attempted to put Wyatt in the nursery for the first time. Didn't go well. We always take him with us and sit in the back of the church in case we have to take him out. I have several special toys and books and he snacks on Goldfish and yogurt melts. Fifteen minutes into the service they came and got me and said he wasn't happy. He really wasn't that upset until he saw me. I stayed with him for about 10 minutes and he wouldn't let go. I cringed as I saw him stick several balls in his mouth. (Believe me, I know this is normal although I could tell they weren't really clean.) So after a few minutes of chatting with the sweet ladies in his room I decided to take him with me back into the service. He was fine and sat and played like a good boy.

 That said and this could be a total fluke and combined with the cough he had in Austin...I know kids catch anything...Tuesday at about 3am he woke up so incredibly congested.  (Side note to add that a horrible random pediatrician we saw in Austin completely dismissed us when we asked about a random cough that started. It did go away when we left but he just brushed us off when we asked him to listen just be safe since we were moving. Grr) (Another side note...I will always go with my mama instinct as far as, something doesn't seem right and a feeling about a doctor! Ok enough of a rant! But for real...we do know best because the mama guilt...whew!) I did get him back to sleep and  he was a snotty mess all day. That afternoon he started coughing but didn't act like he felt bad. (I had talked to a few friends and family on the phone and told them if he started feeling bad I was going to take him in as his cough started sounding rough) Poor baby didn't sleep at all on Tues night.  I called first thing in the morning over 25 pediatricians in all the surrounding cities and NONE of them were accepting new patients due to the flu season. Luckily, someone Daniel works with told him about an Urgent Care about  25 miles away that took little ones and off we went Wed morning. After about four 4 hrs we were transferred via ambulance to the ER where we were until almost 5pm. He had low Pulse Ox levels and respiration with a high heart rate. They said when we arrived at the Urgent Care he was in Respiratory distress. It wasn't fun. Long story short..no flu, no RSV, no pneumonia,  the end result after about 8 x-rays, many many  many, tests and 4 breathing treatments- Croup and Bronchitis with double ear infections.   We had an amazing doctor and if we need care and are able to make the trip we will go back to that hospital or Urgent Care clinic. After that day I was spent...I know many many people go through  horrible emergencies but having to hold your child down during tests and x-rays is not fun! (I can't imagine what some parents and babies go through and it really makes me count my blessings!)
I had packed a backpack as I knew we might be gone awhile at Urgent Care. However, the trip to the ER threw me and the backpack was in my car. Luckily I had put a cup, some snacks, a book and a diaper in my purse.  Of course my charger was in the backpack so my phone died, extra clothes, his shoes etc. Then on top of this Daniel had to leave work and drive over to pick us up to take me to my car. We are incredibly blessed to have a healthy boy and that Daniel's  work was so understanding and willing to let him do what he needed to do. While we waited for daddy, poor baby was starving when he started feeling better and the #1 mom that I am, I got him a cup of fruit and a special cookie in the snack area of the hospital. He deserved it..mama deserved it!He was feeling so much better that evening and the next day however, mama was still spent.

Not feeling well, in the ER and then wait am I sick. Let me play in a box!

As soon as Wyatt started feeling better of course Daniel got sick. Really..why does that always happen? We decided if everyone was well by Sunday we would go the Mardi Graus Parade. I am so glad everyone was better and we went. It was a lot of fun and the town puts on a great parade. We heard from many people that it really wasn't as large as the other parades in bigger cities but for us it was perfect. We got lots of beads not even trying. Wyatt enjoyed dancing and clapping. What more can you ask for?

 

 Daniel is back full swing in the MBA program. He is taking a heck of a financial analysis course and we both can't wait for it to be over..yet he just began the class! HA! I keep telling him it is ok to be frustrated, we moved, he started a new job, and is now in the hardest class of the MBA program so he can be stressed.

In other fun news, little man and I have been getting out as much as possible. We made a trip to the library for the first time ever this week. He was all about it! Lots of room to roam!

We found a fantastic park with a huge castle. It is on the river and absolutely amazing! LOVE!

I mean really. I want to climb all through this as well!

 In other big news- Two weekends ago, Wyatt also finally took several unassisted steps. He has been walking along things and cruising for many many many months but would not let go and take more than 2 steps at once. For months, he has been pushing toys and walking behind them, holding our hands, and holding onto our pants legs. We have been working with him however, he wouldn't do it on his own. He finally decided it was time! We squealed with joy! He has done it several times since but isn't completely consistent doing it full time. He will stand up in the middle of them room and take 4 steps, clap, laugh and drop down and crawl as fast as possible. Obviously he can walk and (in many doctors words is incredibly strong)...our space is so small he doesn't need to! LOL! He is walking more and more outside just barely holding onto our hands so we know he is getting good practice. It just a huge step for us and I wanted to remember it!(This is just another lesson in each kid is different and will in their own time.)

Nannie and Papa sent little dude a super cute hat. He is quite the fan...

On a side note...besides Wyatt, Daniel and the dogs, I am keeping busy with clients. Several people took a break with the holidays and are now back. I have to toot their horn (you know you love to read the blog:) as you are all doing FANTASTIC and regardless of your goal :compete in your first race, finish a longer race, faster time, loose weight, gain muscle, keep fit while pregnant, or just continued overall health..you guys amaze me every day! Yes you know that I think you are a Rock-star! Remember:the goal is keep moving even if for just a few minutes a day. It is heart month ladies so park out just a little further, walk down one more isle, half that regular pasta with some whole wheat or high fiber (you won't notice), select fat-free, 1% fat, and low-fat dairy products, limit your salt intake, and do a few squats during a the commercial break. All easy tips to make your heart healthier!

Well, I think that about catches you up. It rained this weekend so we skipped out on the parade we were planning to attend. We decided against standing in the rain! HA!
We can't wait to continue exploring the area and experiencing all that is has to offer. Now that I am caught up, I am ready to blog more frequently!

Hope all is well with each of you!