Many stories to tell
Well so much has happened since I last posted anything but hopefully I can get it all in. Evy has been sick on and off for a few weeks now - tis the season - and is now on the very tail end of her cold or whatever it was. So work has been a bit stressful since a sick, needy baby makes getting housework done hard! You stay at home moms know what I mean. Anyway, it also stresses Gidget out and she hasn't been getting good sleep at night because Evy isn't sleeping well and the circle is just crazy. Hopefully we are on the road back to normalcy! But nonetheless, even when sick, Evy is still capable of being happy and sharing with us her big smiles and laughs. Thanks to a friend of mine I was finally able to capture a good laugh on camera (even though she's not looking at me). Runny nose and all, she was laughing.
Last week I had my first visitors to the ranch and my humble abode. My friends Lari and her son Travis came to visit and stayed Sunday through Wednesday. While in the area they enjoyed Fossil Rim in Granbury, The Dr Pepper Museum in Dublin, and the country life in Morgan Mill. Travis went to a dine-in pizza place for the first time ever - he thought it was only available by delivery! Lari got to help Gidget with the horses and she had a dream come true riding the Fresian, Titan. I enjoyed having my "city friends" come visit me and it was the first time I've seen them since I moved! It was great that they ejoyed the ranch and can understand why I left my corporate high paying job to come out here.
Then I left on Thursday morning to join my mom and future sis in law to drive down to San Antonio for the W0men of Faith National Conference. I felt bad leaving Gidget with a sick baby, sleep deprived, and she was about to entertain her family for a few days. But plans were made - the show must go on! It was very nice to get away from "work" for a few days and Women of Faith couldn't be a better way to do it. Mom and I go every year to the conference in Dallas and this is our 2nd National conference to attend and we always enjoy it. This was the first time for Jill and she loved it! Despite some aches and pains and sickness scares, we didn't let anything get us down and the Lord came through as always. It was incredible and we had great weather! We walked each day to and from the Alamodome and we got to walk down the Riverwalk and allow Jill to see some Texas history (the Alamo!). On our way back to Clifton, we chose to take 281 to see some of the country and give Jill another taste of Texas. I was driving our 4RUnner and in Lampasas noticed the transmission acting funny - grinding and shuddering into gear. When we got into Marble Falls and I stopped at a red light on an incline, the engine died. It would not go back into gear, although it would idle. Great- stranded in Marble Falls! Thankfully I knew someone there and they called their mechanic who happened to have his shop about 100 feet from where we broke down. They agreed to look at it on Sunday (they were closed for the day) so we called our other friends who had attended the conference to come pick us up. We made it home later htan planned, and were not able to attend a dinner we were supposed to but we made it home. And God is good no matter what! It could have broken down anywhere else, but instead happened in a town where we could safely leave it and a mechanic would look at it. And our friends were not too far away and had room to take us home. Here is a picture of mom and Jill showing their frowns next to our broken car.
on Sunday, my parents church hosted a wedding shower for Dean and Jill and it was a blast. I got some great pictures of them but this is one of my favorites. Dean told the story of how they met and how he proposed and that was a blast. He tells it so well! I am looking forward to their wedding in June and having Jill as an "official" sister!!
and I can't leave out this picture. As they opened gifts, I wrote down what everything was and Dean asked what to do with the bows. As shown in the picture, I demonstrated to him what to do with a large bow that had been wrapped around a box. I like this picture because of Dean's expresson.
While it was nice to get back home to my cats and my own bed, Monday was crazy trying to get the house back in order. It was a long day! But now things are settling down and as Evy gets well, things get better. She is so much fun now, sitting up and babbling and she is now reaching out for people. She is definitely a touchy feely baby (not sure how that happened since Gidget is NOT). She sometimes just needs a hug when her feelings get hurt or she gets upset. Its so sweet! I expect she'll start talking soon - she opens and closes her mouth sometimes like she wants to say something but just can't get it out. Gidget is learning some sign language and hopes to use that.
Speaking of home, I think its time for me to go and get some rest. This week is already flying by so fast! I will try to keep posting each week so I don't get behind!
(sunset on the ranch)
Ahhh this is the life
The weather has warmed up again which is GREAT. I love where I live! Every day that its warm, I take Evy out in the stroller and we walk up the road to the highway and back. Its exactly 1 mile from the house up and back, with several inclines and uneven road - very good for resistance! If for whatever reason I can't take Evy I go by myself anyway. I need the excersise thats for sure! We've also gone down to the barn several times while Gidget had lessons because people love to see the baby. Its been fun. Tomorrow is Mothers Day Out at the ranch for the MOPS group. Moms and their kids will be coming out to feed, brush and ride the horses. I'll have Evy in her pack-n-play so that I can help manage the kids in the brushing area! Its supposed to get up to 80 which will be PERFECT. My finger is slowly healing - I have to wear the finger brace a few more days, its still sore if I bend it too much or put pressure on it. But at least its not crooked or anything like that. Here is a picture that I took with my cell phone the day afterwards - all swollen and pretty. I took a picture of the bruise that shows where the fracture was on the underside but it looks more obscene because well, its my middle finger!
This has been a week of a few milestones with Evy. She's 6 months old tomorrow and so we are beginning the removal of the pacifier. They will probably continue to use it in the church nursery simply because its "chaos control" and she may continue to need it at night occasionally. But I'm hoping to eliminate it 100% during the day from now on. The problem has been more that she doesn't really need it but that its given to her to keep her quiet, mainly in the evenings. She went all day without it and was fine - I just had to divert her attention a few times and distract her. SHe took 3 naps just fine without it. I'm sure there will be a bit of "separation anxiety" since she has a bond with it, but all the books say the sooner the better! I spent the night in Andrew's room last night to attend to her so that Andy and Gidget could sleep. THe night before she was up all night fussing - we are pretty sure its definitely teething this time. She had a fever Sunday night and a little bit on Monday and then it disappeared but she's been fussy. Gidget only got maybe an hours sleep and Andy had to drive to Houston early this mornign and needed sleep. So I did night duty which consisted of twice giving her the pacifier again and a few other times just listening to her cry to be sure she didn't choke. They say its normal for babies to wake during the night but that eventually they'll learn to go back to sleep without much fuss. THe problem is every time she fusses even if its just for a few seconds, it wakes Gidget up and interrupted sleep can almost be worse than none! We pray that it doesn't continue and that she learns to sleep through the night quietly. WIsh us luck on the pacifier thing! Here is a picture I got yesterday - up until the last day or so she has not grasped the concept of holding on to things and putting them into her mouth. But slowly she is figuring it out and I tried to capture it with my cell phone. I gave her a teething biscuit to chew on and she actually had it in her hand and held it into her mouth for several seconds! Just long enough for me to run for my cell phone to capture it and she took it out of her mouth. But at least you see her holding it which is a big deal!! If only we could get her to put her teething toys and sippy cup into her own mouth - I bet it won't be long!
On another note, I am constantly in awe of my surroundings and each night that I walk to my little dwelling I stare up at the sky (and sometimes trip on things because I don't watch where I'm going) because the stars are gorgeous. I really thank God almost every day for bringing me out here. I pray I never take the beauty of this world for granted!
Have a great week y'all
bones and bruises
well okay so I don't have an x-ray to prove it because that was a waste of money I couldn't afford. But in all my 29 years and 4 months I have never broken anything (not even when I got run over!!) but I live on a ranch for 2 months and break a finger. Not just any finger but my MIDDLE finger on my RIGHT hand. Do you know how much you use your middle finger?? Its a very important one. Thankfully I only broke it at the tip and so the knuckle still bends a little bit. I just can't put a lot of pressure on it and wear a finger splint to protect it. I am always flipping people off due to the splint lol! But it must be accident week at the Blue Stem because I hurt my hand on Monday (on a gate by the way) and then yesterday Gidget came off one of the horses. HE spooked and being as big as he is (He's a fresian) she came off. It was a long way to fall and she just happened to land on the same hip where her cell phone was in her pocket. That didn't help matters! She has a very large colorful bruise and bump on her rear on the right side. literally her butt is bigger on one side, its kind of funny. But we are just glad that neither injury was worse than it was because both could have been. I'm bowling tonight - something tells me I won't do too well. But I'll have fun!!
