Adios 2008!

Okay, so I'm not going to lie and say that I haven't had time to blog lately. I've actually had numerous opportunities but I just can't get motivated. So, today I was thinking about the new year coming and the old year ending and I thought that I really should make a better effort to blog. I'm not one to make many (if any) new year's resolutions but I think one that I'll make this year is to be a better blogger. I think a once-a-week goal is practical and achievable...right?

I'm sure many of you that have kids know that holidays such as New Year's Eve can be a little tricky. You want to have fun and possibly stay out late or meet up with some friends but that can be complicated when you have bedtimes to work around. Plus, finding a sitter on a holiday is no easy feat. So we decided that we still wanted to go and do something fun but still be home in time for Livi's bedtime.

We started our evening by going out to eat at Boston's. Both Koby and I felt like eating some good pizza. We couldn't get Livi to look at the camera so this is the best shot out of about 5 tries!

Then we decided to go bowling. Olivia has never been so we were a little unsure about how she would do. She was a little bit hesitant at first but then we let her roll the ball down the lane with bumpers and she had a great time!

I took a video but I'm not sure if it will post or not. If you listen you can hear her saying, "GO, GO, Go!" to the ball. Too cute!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

A little bit of this and a little bit of that

Again, almost a month since my last post and I'm not even going to try to make any excuses! :) Olivia and I have been hanging out, enjoying the slow season with my job and trying to get ready for the holidays. In about a week and a half Olivia and I will be heading to Abilene for a week-long stay. Koby will join us the day before Thanksgiving so it will be nice for him to have a little bit of "alone" time. I think he already has a list of projects that he would like to work on and I'm sure, if I try reaaalllly hard, I can think of a few things to add to it!

Last year Olivia was only about 6 weeks old on Halloween so we didn't do a thing. No pumpkin patch, no trunk or treat, no handing out candy...like I said, nothing. This year we still didn't make it to the pumpkin patch (where are these things anyway?) but we did dress up and head out the trunk or treat at A&M Church and we also went to the fall festival at the Baptist church down the street.

Zoe and Olivia

There was so much excitement that it was hard to get a good picture. A one year old's attention span is pretty short!

Thanks a mil, MIL!

After a nice, relaxing weekend I'm settling back down into the "real world". You see, for the last 5 days I have had the luxury of having my mother-in-law (MIL) in town. Olivia was a little shy at first but after a couple of hours she was lOvInG the new person (read: extra attention) in the house. We all had a great weekend and Koby and I got to go out by ourselves on Sunday night. We just went to Jason's Deli, nothing fancy but it has become a place that we don't like to go to with Olivia. She eats well there, it's just so up-and-down that we're exhausted by the end of the meal! Anyway, we enjoyed the fact that we picked a booth, sat our drinks down and were both able to go get our salads at the same time! :)


So, thanks Glenda for the yummy cooking, the good conversations, the home decor suggestions, the diaper changes, the story time, the laundry folding...we all enjoyed the visit!!

Once again...

...I have slacked off at blogging and feel overwhelmed that there is so much to say but I don't know where to start.

We had a small birthday party for Olivia at one of our favorite places, J.Cody's and some of our good friends came out to help us celebrate. We had originally planned on having it the weekend right after her birthday but then hurricane ike came through and we cancelled it. Neither set of our parents were able to come to the re-scheduled party but we got to visit with my parents last weekend and then Koby's parents are coming this weekend. Olivia had a blast at the party and didn't cry (barely fussed) the entire time. Our multi-talented and super sweet friend Angela, made the cakes for the party. She decorated to coordinate with the invitation that I had sent out (to the party that was cancelled). Anyway, it was all so special to have friends around...especially since our family is so far away.

birthday cake, goodie bags and invitation

Olivia's personal size cake

I love her reaction here...we had just finished singing Happy Birthday to her and she wasn't sure how to react to all the attention!

What was left of above mentioned cake.

happy girl opening some gifts

We took her in for her 1 year well check and everything looks good. She is walking up a storm, has 6 1/2 teeth (one is only half way in) and is on her way to being a weaned baby (YES!). She weighed in at 21lbs 7 oz (50-75th percentile) and 31inches tall (95th percentile). Getting taller and thinning out...who would have guessed?

Thank you Jesus for our precious baby! Until next time!

(don't hold your breath, no, really...)

Happy Birthday Olivia!!

Today is sweet Olivia's 1 Year Birthday! We are so very proud of her that I could type all day and all night long and not even begin to describe it. She has filled our lives with such joy, laughter, pride and love. Olivia, we love you so!

Catching our breath!

Again, long time no blog. It seems like August was just a blur for me with the chaos of my first turn at the duplexes. But, we all survived with only a few bumps and bruises! Now that everybody has moved in I finally feel like I have some time to relax and just be. It has been incredibly nice not to have to answer my phone non-stop all day and coordinate the flooring people with the cleaning people with the painter guys with the maintenance people...you get the idea.

So, I'm at a point where I feel like so many things have happened (like my 10 year high school reunion, our 8 year wedding anniversary) that I don't really know where to start so I think I'm just going to post some pictures and call it a night!

Just a picture of Livi being cute in her Sunday outfit.

This is our entry way table and Olivia really likes to climb up and dig through my purse/diaper bag. She automatically goes straight to my wallet and out of all the cards I carry she always pulls out my debit/check card, my emergency credit card and my Victoria's Secret card. What can I say, the girl already knows about the essentials of life!

I used to just keep Olivia's bows in a little box in her dresser but lately I've been getting annoyed with having to dig them out so I decided to try my hand at being crafty and made her a little bow holder. I chose black and red gingham because it matched her bedding. And of course the "O" is for "Olivia"!

Today Olivia got her first haircut! I probably could have done it myself but I was too scared to completely mess up so little miss thing went to the salon. It was so cute, the hair dresser was able to put her hair in a little ponytail and then cut it for us to keep!

Before (back)

After (back)

Feeling like a big girl in the chair...

Not so sure about the cape and the stranger taking our picture...

All done! What do ya think? :)

Wordless Wednesday

For you, Tia

I can't wait until the next time I get to see you, Tio, James, John and MoMary!
Love, Livi

I'm Confused

Here's the deal...I'm thinking that it is time to get Olivia a new car seat but I don't know which one to buy. As usual, I'm driving myself crazy trying to research and pick the "perfect" one. The problem with this is 1) I don't have time to thoroughly research every car seat out there and 2) the stores around here seem to carry a limited selection.

I know that I still want the option to keep her rear facing since I've read that this way is safest, but I would also like to have her forward facing for trips. The seat needs to be SAFE, comfortable, have a reclining function, good quality, affordable and it would be nice if it was cute! I don't want to spend a million bucks, but at the same time I know that most times you get what you pay for and when it comes to my baby girl's safety, there is no price too high.

So, PLEASE help me. If you know anything about a particular car seat, good or bad, please share.

9 Months and Counting

Hello Blogworld! We still exist!

It's been quite a while since I've been on here to blog. I've checked when friends updated but that's about it. We've basically been up to the same old same old around here. I've been crazy busy with work and so has Koby. Olivia is growing by leaps and bounds and we still can't believe that God has blessed us with such a beautiful, healthy baby. She has taught me so much about myself and life in general and she is only 9 months old!

Here are just a few facts about her since I haven't been good about keeping you up to speed:

• She sleeps all night (yes!) but has been waking up earlier and earlier lately. She was up by 7am today.
• Her bottom two teeth are completely in and has two more cutting in on top.
• She absolutely LOVES to play ball with Izzy. She cracks up like nothing else!
• She has really started to prefer her daddy at certain times. If we meet Koby for lunch she cries when he gets out of the truck and if he leaves the house in the evenings she follows after him and gets sad. :(
• She is learning the word "no"...mainly because we are trying to teach her to stay away from the dog food.
• Her favorite song is "Barbara Ann" by the Beach Boys. She dances to it and it melts my heart.
• She is a really good eater for the most. Her recent favorite is black beans and cherrios, not necessarily together.
• She says "mama", "hi", "bye-bye", and sometimes "da-da" and she also makes some really sweet sounds with her lips. It makes me smile.
• She is starting to test her balance and sometimes lets go of the furniture when she is standing up. She took a couple of steps the other day with Koby holding both her hands.

There's probably much more but I can't think of anything else. Oh, I did take her for her 9month well check yesterday and she weighs 20lb 10oz and is 29in tall. I think the doctor said that puts her in the 90th percentile for height and 75 for weight so I think she is thinning out a little bit. She still has the yummiest little thighs tough!

We are looking forward to a visit from Koby's brother and his wife. They are coming to visit over the 4th of July weekend from Reno, NV. They own a gym called Freestyle Martial Arts. They have never been to College Station and we haven't seem them since Christmas of 2004 so it is a really special visit. Also, I have my 10 year high school reunion coming up in August! I cannot believe I have been out of high school for 10 years!

Until next time...bye!

My sweet angel

Olivia is 8 months old! How time flies...

Where did April go?

Part of my job as property manager is processing rent payments at the beginning of the month. I've gotten quicker at it, but it is still a tedious task that I don't always look forward to. I think the most annoying thing is waiting for all the tenants to finally decide to pay their rent. It forces me to stay extra organized to make sure I don't forget anything. Anyway, as I was processing rent earlier today it really hit me that it was already May. It feels like April just started the other day! Time goes by way to fast these days.

We've been busy as usual around here. I'm working really hard at getting all my units leased for August, Koby is still trying to finish up the huge tree planting project on campus and Olivia is busy crawling all over the house! She is saying little words (babbling would be a better description) and is still eating really well. Today she had prunes for the first time and seemed to like them just fine. I took her to the doctor earlier this week...I jumped the gun because it was just a cold. But, they weighed her and she's 20lbs! She is growing so quickly.

We took a trip to Dallas a couple of weeks ago and visited my new little niece Ashlyn. She is so sweet and tiny! I'd post a picture but I just realized that I didn't even take one! We also saw our friends the Team's and my best friend from high school JJ. It was a busy weekend, but I'm glad we made it up there. We always have lots of fun in the big D!

Emma and Olivia

Kenley was such a sweet cousin. She calls her "Olivia Kate!" Me and JJ
On the way to Dallas we stopped off and took some wildflower pictures. We were looking for bluebonnets, but I guess we waited too long because all we found were these little yellow flowers (which I don't know the name of). They were really tall so it was kind of hard to get a good picture but these were among my favorites.

Our next trip is coming up soon. We will be heading to Abilene for Mother's Day weekend. It will be my first MDay! I was pregnant last year and everybody said I was included, but I didn't agree. So now I can truly celebrate the blessing of having a sweet, loving, beautiful baby girl!

Speaking of mothers...Happy Anniversary momma (and dad)! Today is my parents 33rd anniversary! What an accomplishment!

Remember "the Blog"

Yes, it has been a very long time since I've posted. I think this might be becoming the rule rather than the exception. There is just waaaaayyyyy too much to do and I have to say that posting on the blog has not been up there on my priority list. But, I know there are some faithful followers out there that probably more than anything just want to see pictures of sweet Olivia. So, because it is already 10pm and I can hardly keep my eyes open...enjoy!

About a month ago...gazing up at her daddy

In Delaware

close up shot in NYC

playing outside on a nice day

eating some avocado

Home, sweet home

Olivia and I are back from our spring break travels and now I'm trying to play catch up with all my work stuff and just a few household things. We had such a great time visiting with Irene, Philip, James, John and Rosemary (and Fara too!). Olivia did so incredibly good on the airplane and I couldn't be happier with her cooperation.
But, now that we are home it is a different story. I guess she got used to being in my arms (or Irene's, or Philip's, or Fara's, or my dad's, or being entertained by the kids...) that now that we are home she is extremely fussy and annoyingly clingy. As in it feels like I came home with a different baby altogether. I'm hoping that as the week continues on that she will feel more at home and return to being the sweet, content baby that she is.
I will post trip details and pictures later...

We miss you Campbells!!!!!!!

Forever and a year

Okay, so sometimes when it's been a long time since something has happened you hear people say, "it's been forever!" But I thought I needed to add the "year" part because it's been an extra long time since I've blogged. ;)

My absence hasn't been because there's nothing to blog about. Lots has happened lately. Really I've just been busy with my new job. It's going great and I feel like I'm catching on to things but at least for now, it is taking up most of my free time. Thankfully, Olivia has consistently been taking 1 1/2 to 2 hour naps so I get most of my work done then.

Koby's been busy as ever at work. He has this huge tree planting project going on and has been coordinating it for a long time now. Last week was when the digging actually started and one of the contractors hit a gas line while he was digging. It was a HUGE mess. The media caught wind of it so it was all over the radio and the evening news. Koby was devastated. Texas A&M has this system called Code Maroon to alert all the students/faculty/staff when something goes on and they sent a big message (via e-mail and text) about the gas leak. So now, several of Koby's co-workers have taken to calling him Code Maroon. It's definitely not his favorite nickname!

Last week I made an emergency trip to Abilene because my dad had a mild heart attack. He is fine now (thank you Jesus) and will be making a trip to Delaware with me and Olivia. Oh, I guess I hadn't mentioned...I'M GOING TO DELAWARE!!!! I should be packing right now since I leave bright and early Monday morning, but I figured I needed get my blog fix and post some pictures. Olivia, my dad and I will be going to visit Irene, Philip and the kids. I can't wait! I believe a trip to NYC is also on the agenda!
(I just have to add in that when I got back from the long drive home from Abilene I walked in to the most immaculate home! Koby had spent the last few days cleaning the whole house. It was so refreshing I can't even describe it. The bathrooms were clean, floors were mopped and vacuumed, laundry washed and put up, microwave cleaned out...he even took the time to clean the washer and dryer! I think I'm going to keep him for another long while!)

Olivia is growing by leaps and bounds. She will be 6 months old next week and is eating some solid foods now. Mainly just rice cereal but I plan on introducing some veggies and fruits when I get back from Delaware. She is probably about 2 weeks away from crawling, at most. She's getting up on all fours and rocking back and forth quite a bit. I know I've said this a million times before and I know I'll continue to say it another million times in the future but, I CAN'T BELIEVE HOW FAST SHE IS GROWING!

Okay, I've got to go and get lots of stuff done because it's really an hour later than what the clock says....don't forget to turn you clocks forward an hour tonight or you'll be late to church tomorrow! Until next time!

Backward progess?

I needed to get some things done on the computer today so I put Olivia down on her tummy to play on her jungle mat in the living room. I knew she wouldn't be content for very long since she was getting a little bit tired, but I kept typing away at my e-mail just waiting for her to start fussing. Well, I guess I got carried away and then I realized that I hadn't heard her so I ran in the living room to find her content and staring up at the ceiling fan. I guess she figured she'd had enough tummy time and just wanted to hang out on the carpet! She is just growing so fast. She's also learning how to reach out for me when she wants to be picked up. It's pretty sweet!

I've been busy training for my new job this week and feel like things are going well. There is a lot to learn in a short amount of time, but the owners and my predecessor have assured me that they are only a phone call or e-mail away if I need them for anything. I'm still really excited about the job and so very thankful for the opportunity!

On another note, Olivia has been "sleeping through the night". I've found that this phrase is hard to define and varies from child to child, but she has been sleeping an average of 9 or 10 hours a night for the last week. Plus she's been taking about 1 1/2 hour nap in the afternoon. It has been wonderful!!!!! I am really enjoying this phase and I hope it lasts another good while! :)

She loves to reach out for the water spray at bath time and she has also decided that she likes to lounge in the tub. We used to contantly put her back in the "right" position but she always wiggled back to this position. Oh well, at least she's getting cleaned!

Back in the saddle again!

Whoohooo! I GOT THE JOB!! I went in for my official interview on Friday, then for a follow up interview yesterday and then shortly after noon today I got the offer! I am so excited and overwhelmed at the same time. I've known about this job for about a month now, but it seems like everything happened so quickly. This is literally an answer to our prayers.
You know, it's amazing how the Lord has provided for us over the years. I tend to get so caught up in me, me, me that I don't give credit where credit is due. I've taken so many "leaps of faith" only to credit myself when things work out in the end. So, Lord, I thank you. Thank you for giving your life just for me. I thank you!