Saturday, November 14, 2009

Cruisin'

Paul and I went on a cruise to celebrate the fact that we've made it 7 years without taking that "till 'DEATH' do us part" thing too literally.  Just kidding.  By the Grace of God, the good times have far outweighed the bad and we've been blessed with a happy marriage and two absolutely wonderful little boys.  I am thankful every day that God allows me to spend my life with this man who loves me so much and who is the best father ever to our boys.  I love you Paul.  Thank you for loving me back!!

Towel Art


You can buy books on board to teach you how to do this, but we didn't want to spoil the magic. 





We were scheduled to leave Galveston at 4:00 Saturday afternoon but they had a lot of supplies to load and we ended up leaving several hours late.  I didn't think much of it (except that they couldn't open the casino until we were at sea and I was looking forward to playing roulette) because we were supposed to be at sea all day Sunday and dock in Progresso about 8:00 Monday morning.  We made it to Progresso by 8:00 Monday morning all right, but we had to make up time to get there.  I spent Sunday morning sick because the ride was so bumpy.  But thanks to Dramamine, a good nap, and a sweet hubby by the afternoon I was able to enjoy the festivities.  This was that first morning...
   

I was really wondering what I'd gotten myself into!!

On Monday we docked in Progresso.  The boat we were on was called the Ecstasy but we actually honeymooned on the Fantasy.  We didn't realize it, but now the Fantasy does the same exact cruise as the Ecstasy but leaves from New Orleans.  When we got off of our boat the Fantasy was "parked" next to us! 



We weren't very impressed with Progresso, but mostly because the tour company we were with was horrible and we literally almost missed the boat that afternoon.  We did see some Mayan ruins that were very interesting. 


The view from the top of one of the structures.



           Posing on one of the pyramids

That night we had a Midnight Buffet Mexican Feast.  All of the food on board was AMAZING - Except the desserts that is.  We're not sure why, but they were all horrible!  They were pretty though!!!

 


Cozumel was our favorite.  We went on an ATV tour through the jungle where we got so muddy that we threw away our shoes when we got back to the boat, but had an absolute blast doing it!







So after our ATV tour we did a little sight-seeing in Cozumel.  We ate lunch at an authentic Mexican restaurant that was amazing, and did a "Little" bit of shopping...




See all those bags my hubby's carrying?  Yeah, most of them are full of pottery!!  We brought lots of Talevera pottery back to my mom & aunt - and none of it got broken!!


We had such an amazing time.  Thanks Mom & Aunt Nelda, for taking care of all FOUR of our boys for us and allowing us to relax and enjoy each other!  And Paul, thanks for 7 wonderful years. I hope for 70 more with you.  I love you!!



Thursday, November 5, 2009

The Pumpkin Patch

I wanted to get some pics of the boys at the pumpkin patch, so off we went.  This was actually the weekend after Paul and I got home from Mexico, (I'll post pics from that later), so we were both beat, but it was our last chance to go.  Nathan was more interested in jumping in the bounce houses and doing all of the other fun activities there than in posing for pics, but we managed to get a few not-too-shabby ones, and we all had a good time, too.




















This was actually our first family outing to a pumpkin patch - yes, we're bad parents - but I'd say it was a success.  Joseph posed for some super sweet pictures and Nathan played on every bouncy-thing there.  Paul and I had a good time too.  I just love our little family.  :)

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Ok, Ok, I'll Update...

Since I haven't updated since August, and my good friend Lisa resorted to begging, I guess I'll get busy updating you all on the Perot Happenings.



August...

Here's a pic of Nathan on his first day of Pre-K. I can't believe my sweet baby boy is really off to 5 day a week school!! I am so, so proud of him. He's already learned so much and his 1st 9 weeks report card was excellent. His teacher says he's really good in class and he must have lots of friends there because the whole class runs to greet him when we walk in every morning. He's still as sweet as ever!!




Here's a pic from a family trip to the Fort Worth Zoo...in August. :) Nonnie and Poppa were in town that weekend, too. This was on the train ride from the back of the zoo to the entrance. We'd already walked the whole zoo and were a little hot and tired...did I mention it was AUGUST, and we live in TEXAS??? Not the best pic, but these days getting all 4 of us in one pic is nothing short of a miracle!





September meant Joseph's First Birthday. I took these pics a few weeks before he actually turned 1, but I thought they turned out pretty cute. Don't let these fool you, he and I fought for what seemed like hours to get a few good shots. He's a handful!!







His actual b-day is September 22, which was a Tuesday this year. That night we just ate dinner at my aunt's house and had some cupcakes, which he LOVED - obviously!!




For his birthday party we "tailgated" at Aunt Nelda's house. He was a popular little guy with family here from 3 states! We all had a great time. Thanks again for hosting Aunt Nelda!!!





October had some exciting events as well...
First of all, Nathan's class went on a field trip to the pumpkin patch. I went with them so I got this picture of his very first school bus ride. He was BEYOND excited that he was getting to ride a bus, even though the buses at his school aren't yellow. I just thought this was sweet.



Go ahead. Just TRY to get 14 excited 4 year olds to all look at the camera at once, I dare you. Yeah, not happening. This was the best we could do, but hey, we all survived!



Look for near future posts featuring Nathan and Joseph at our family outing to the pumpkin patch, Halloween, and the cruise to Mexico that Paul and I took for our anniversary.

Saturday, August 29, 2009

Beach Pics

A few weekends ago we ventured south for a visit with my brother and his girlfriend. It was exciting for several reasons...




1. Don't tell Cameron, but he's in LOVE!!!! He and Ryan are obviously meant for each other and it is so much fun to be with them. He fits perfectly into her family, and she fits perfectly into ours too. We are SO excited and happy for them!


2. We got to meet Ryan's family for the 1st time. They were wonderful to us and made the whole visit comfortable and fun. THANKS EVERYONE!!!! We had a GREAT time!!!



3. Ryan made an AMAZING dinner for us that night. Thanks Ryan, everything was delicious!!


4. Nathan and I rode uncle Cam's horse, Doc. Ryan's house is on the same property as her parents' house and also her grandparents' house. They have a lighted riding arena so we were able to ride after dark, aka after it cooled off a little.





5. WE WENT TO THE BEACH!!! On Sunday we all went to Galveston to the beach. There were so many of us we had to take 3 vehicles! It was an absolutely wonderful day. The boys both loved the beach. We also had dinner at a very nice seafood restaurant and shopped around downtown Galveston.














Sorry some of the pics are so small. I guess the setting on the camera was too little. I tried to stretch them a little so you could see them better- that's why they're a little fuzzy. The jist of it is that we all had a fantastic time and can't wait to go back to see "Aunt" Ryan and Uncle Cameron again. We love you guys!!!!

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Paul's 20 year high school reunion was this past weekend. This pic was taken in his dad's backyard before the Saturday night event. We had a great time visiting with our friends Shawn & Marja Liner. Paul and Shawn have been friends since high school and stood up for each other when they got married. Shawn & Marja have a daughter, Maggie, who was born 14 hours before Nathan. As you can see, Nathan & Maggie are great friends even though they only get to see each other once or twice a year. Destiny???? We'll see...





These are just some fun pics I've taken of the boys recently. I'm sure you'll agree that they are absolutely adorable!!













Joseph turned 10 months old a few weeks ago. It's so hard to believe we're already making birthday plans! He's still trying to figure out crawling, but seems to enjoy trying. When you've got 24 lbs to lift it's kinda hard, after all! I, in the meantime, am enjoying the fact that he ISN'T mobile yet!
Nathan starts to Pre-K in a few weeks. I am SO not ready for him to be in school 5 days a week! It just does not seem like he should already be starting school. He's totally fine with school- at least once he gets there. He's a little like his Momma & Daddy in that he doesn't like getting up in the mornings, but once we get there he darts off to play with his friends. I have to beg for bye-bye hugs!!
This weekend we're heading for Houston. My brother's girlfriend, Ryan, lives there, so we're going to go stay a few nights with her. We're going to drive to Galveston on Sunday to spend the day at the beach. We are all SO excited! This will be our first time to meet Ryan's family and we are really looking forward to it. We LOVE, LOVE Ryan and can't wait to see her and Uncle Cam!





Sunday, July 5, 2009

Under the Weather and Still the Sweetest Kid in the World

Our whole family spent the 4th of July under the weather. Not exactly our plan for our holiday weekend, but such is life. Joseph has a double ear infection, but thanks to several days of antibiotics he's doing better. Friday night Nathan started crying saying his ear hurt. Nathan is not a crier- he takes immunizations without crying, so we knew it was a for-real-deal. I got him in at an after hours clinic to find out he probably has swimmers ear (outer ear infection), but the dr couldn't be 100% sure because he had earwax covering his eardrum. Lovely. So we've been putting antibiotic drops in his ear 2x a day but he still cries out suddenly that it hurts. I see another trip to the dr in our near future. I am SO missing our wonderful Dr. Bharani in Broken Arrow. The only bad thing about having a pediatrician you love and trust so much is that he's been impossible to replace since we moved. Joseph has been seen by FOUR different pediatricians and I'm still not 100% satisfied! And then there's Dr. Vaidya, our ENT in Tulsa. THE BEST ENT IN THE WORLD! Since this is Joseph's 3rd ear infection in a row we're probably headed toward tubes and I'm seriously thinking of taking him back to Tulsa. Nathan hasn't had any ear trouble since getting his tubes at 15 months, but if this keeps up he'll be needing an ENT again, too. So, not only are my babies both sick, I woke up yesterday with mild flu-like symptoms. I slept most of the day, thanks to my wonderful hubby. So far today I THINK I'm better, but I'm waiting to see if the fever & achy feelings come back once the Tylenol wears off.

Nathan woke up crying in the middle of the night last night, which is highly unusual for him. When I went to check on him he said still mostly asleep, "help me with Blankie". (Meaning he wanted his blankie spread out over him). So I did. Then he said, still mostly asleep "pat my back for a little while". So I crawled in bed with him and started rubbing his back. With his little eyes closed and in the sweetest, most sincere voice he said, "Thanks Mom. Thanks for all you do for me." And he drifted off to sleep. As I laid there and held him I just thought about how much I love him, and how very blessed I am to have these two angel-boys in my life.

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Funny Stuff...

So you know how kids are always saying funny stuff? Well, I'm thinking maybe if I write all that funny stuff down we can all enjoy it over and over again. So here's Nathan's most recent, crack-me-up episode...

Nathan to Paul: "Dad, am I being difficult?"
Paul: "No buddy, you're not being difficult. You're being really good."
N: "I'll be difficult tomorrow."

The next day...

Me to Nathan: "Nathan, you are being difficult"
Nathan to Paul: "See Dad, I told you I'd be difficult tomorrow."

Enjoy.

Friday, June 5, 2009

Perot Happenings

Wow, it seems like a lot happens between my posts. We moved into the new house on May 13, as I said in the last post. Needless to say we are still getting settled in, but all things considered it's going pretty well. The boys have both adjusted beautifully, so that alone makes everything okay. Even Binks and Bailey seem to like their new back yard. It's almost as big as our other one but this house has a sliding patio door from the breakfast area. They LOVE being able to see in and are usually curled up right in front of it. Our house is in a neighborhood that joins my Aunt Nelda's neighborhood. It is WONDERFUL to live so close to her. On days I don't work I cook dinner and she comes over to eat with us. It's also great because, since we lived with her for almost a year, we're constantly running back there to get something we've left there. We've joked that she'll be finding our stuff until she moves out of that house! It's amazing how much stuff we took there little by little.

Not long after we moved in Paul got a kidney stone. He's had them a lot in the past, and they are always horrible, but this one was exceptionally bad. It first hit him on a Tuesday night and by Friday night we were in the ER. They gave him 3 doses of IV pain meds before it even touched the pain. Long story short, 3 days in the hospital, 2 procedures, and a week and a half later, he's finally feeling okay again. Thanks to Aunt Nelda and Mom, (who rushed down here asap) for taking care of my sweet babies while I stayed at the hospital with Paul. And by the way, if you ever need to be in the hospital in the DFW area, I highly recommend Baylor. We use the one located in Grapevine, but I hear they're all that good. We've spent a lot of time at that hospital in the last 8 months, including 2 trips to the ER, and they've been wonderful to us every time. (Hopefully that will be useless information to you!!) :)

Nathan and Joseph both started a new school this week. Although I REALLY didn't want Joseph in daycare at all it's just gotten too hard for me to get much done with him at the office with me. Nathan's been in a 3 day a week preschool program since last fall, and he really likes school, so it's been easier for him. Joseph and I, however, haven't ever been away from each other, (except for the aforementioned hospital stay). I wasn't sure how either of us would do, but I'm proud of us. We both made it through the week really well. So for the rest of the summer I will be home with the boys on Mondays & Tuesdays, then it's off to work and school for the rest of the week. I can't believe my sweet Nathan will move into the Pre-K class in the fall! He's gotten so big so fast it just breaks my heart! Thank goodness he's still a cuddler, and when he won't cuddle with me Joseph will. Have I mentioned lately how much I love my boys? They are amazing little people and I am so blessed to be their mom.

Sunday, May 17, 2009

A new place to call home...

Well, we did it. We moved into our new house this past week and are starting to get settled in. It's a bit challenging because the house we rented is considerably smaller than the one we lived in before, and there were only 3 of us living there! However, we think it's going to work. It's in an adjoining neighborhood to my aunt's and is actually within walking distance of her house, so that makes it really nice. It has a big backyard so Binks and Bailey have lots of room to run and play, and we're going to get a swingset for Nathan so he can have fun back there, too. We looked at some bigger houses, but were either concerned with the neighborhood or the size of the backyard with all of them. When this house came available, even though it was smaller than we really wanted, it seemed like the right thing to do. Nathan says he really likes it. He has his own bedroom and a play area, so he's happy. Joseph is still trying to adjust. Last night was our first night to stay here and he cried off and on until midnight or so when I finally put him in bed with Paul and me. He slept great then! It's now almost midnight on night #2 and he's still asleep in his bed, so things are looking up. Speaking of sleep, I haven't had much lately, so I'm gonna sign off. Goodnight!! :)

Friday, April 24, 2009

Updates...

Wow...I've really gotten behind in this whole blog thing. I'm good about reading all of your blogs though- does that count?? I just realized it's been almost a month since I've posted. Here's why...

We FINALLY got an offer on our house in Tulsa! I have mixed feelings about that because, as most of you know, I love my house. However, I realize that despite my emotional attachment to the first house Paul and I lived in, Nathan's first house, the house where we celebrated birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays, and the house where the majority of our married life memories (not to mention our children, hee hee) have been made, the logical thing to do is sell it. I mean, we haven't lived there since July of '08. We really should sell it, right?? It might not be quite so bad except the buyer, who is practically stealing the house from us anyway, keep in mind, INSISTED on keeping my refrigerator too!! I don't mean like "negotiated" or paid extra for it. I mean like deal breaker kind of insisted we throw it in at "no additional cost to the buyer". But again, logic tells me this is the best thing.

We've been looking at houses here and have found a few that might work. We will hopefully have a decision made by Monday of next week, which will probably give me a huge sense of peace. I'm trying to become more of a go-with-the-flow kind of person, and I think I've made some progress in that area over the past year, (call it a survival tactic) but I still have quite a way to go. Pray I don't lose my mind during this, yet another, transition. We still hope to transfer back to Tulsa in a year so we're only going to rent here. The last thing we want is to buy here and then be stuck with another house in a state we don't live in anymore. So, although the rental selection is pretty slim right now, it is a much more simple process than if we were buying again. In my life, I welcome simple.

The boys are great. After months of practicing, Nathan has finally mastered spelling his name. (Just the Nathan part. We'll work on Nathaniel when he's 12 or 13. :) The process of teaching him this task was rather interesting, even to a "Child Development Specialist". We started working with him months ago. We'd say "N-A", he'd say "N-A", we'd say "T-H", he'd say "T-H"...you get the drift. Then we worked up to 3 letters at a time. He's been able to repeat what we said for a long time but couldn't tell us even the first letter by himself. Then one day it happened. The light bulb came on and he just knew it. Now he goes around spelling his name all the time and is suddenly interested in learning to read. Now it seems he learns something new everyday. It's wonderful and amazing and I am SO VERY PROUD of my big 4 year old!

I'm proud of Joseph, too. He is SO enjoying sitting up to play with his toys. Yes, we learned to roll over and sit up all in the same month. Not exactly the "norm", but I think God throws me those curve balls with my own kids because I'm so used to thinking in terms of "average development" and "therapeutic activities". Last Sunday we visited our church in Tulsa and our Pastor, Deron Spoo, conducted Joseph's baby dedication. It was such a special day for us. Baby Joseph was surrounded by our family and the people of FBC Tulsa welcomed him with overwhelming love. It was wonderful to be "home"!

It's been a big month for all of us and the craziness isn't over yet. We'll have several trips back and forth to Tulsa in the next few weeks and will be busy setting up a new house. Thank goodness for Paul. He is so strong and really helps me get through the chaotic times. Our kids seem a lot like him. Nathan has always been able to easily adjust to whatever situation he's been put in, so I'm sure he'll do just fine. Joseph seems fine, too, as long as he has me and some food close by. As long as I have my hubby with me and my kids are happy, I'll be happy too.

Friday, April 3, 2009

Big Night for Joseph

Tonight was a big night for the little guy. First, he finally mastered rolling over! He's been trying so hard for so long, but he got it. Paul, my Aunt Nelda and I all witnessed his big accomplishment and clapped and cheered for him. He was all grins!

THEN, as if we hadn't had enough excitement, he got to try his first veggie. Squash. Yes, I know. He's 6 months old, it was time. He's been getting cereal for quite a while now, and I do mix in a tiny bit of juice because he's not a fan of the plain stuff, but this was his first taste of true, big boy food. I was looking forward to seeing a funny, scrunched up little face when he tasted it. The little turkey just ate it like he'd been eating it all his life. No big deal. The bad news: I didn't get the good laugh I was hoping for. The good news: I didn't get squash spit back in my face. I'd say all in all, tonight was a success.

Monday, March 30, 2009

Snow Much FUN!!!

We spent the weekend in Tulsa and it snowed SIX INCHES! After snowing almost all day Saturday it finally stopped and Nathan and I got bundled up to go play. We had SO much fun! He didn't quite know what to think when I threw the first snowball at him, but then it was on! He'd say, "Mommy, look that way", then he'd throw a snowball at me when I wasn't looking. Little turkey. :) I built a snowman that ended up being taller than Nathan. Nathan sort of helped me, but was really more interested in trying to knock him over than anything. Finally I told him that if he'd let me get him finished and we got pictures then he could do whatever he wanted. So I got the snowman finished and we had a family photo shoot. A few minutes later Nathan looked at me with those big, brown eyes of his and said, "Mommy, you said after pictures..." All I could do was grin and say, "You're right. Go get 'em". "WOOOOHOOOOO!!!!!!!!" was the exact response I believe. And so began the fall of Frosty. Not due to rising temperatures, just the all-boy excitement of a 4 year old who had permission to destroy something.
The View From Our Front Door
Nathan & his Daddy
Isn't he cute??

Nathan & Mommy

"I'm gonna get you, Mommy!"

It's not so easy to make a perfectly round snowball!

"Helping"


Our snowman