Back to "YIPPEE" Status

Ok, thank you to those that prayed. The rain let up and we spent the rest of the afternoon painting the house. Most of it is finished except for the front. The hard part is over!!!!!!!! It looks great. Why didn't we do this a long time ago so we could actually enjoy it?! Selling sure motivates us to get things accomplished!!

Painting the House - FINALLY!!!

If you read Gabe's blog then you know that we started this process of repairing the exterior in early summer. The cost of the new siding completely blew our budget to pieces, so we had to wait through the summer to save and find a way to paint the exterior ourselves. Our house has gone through one of the wettest summers with only primer on the new and very expensive siding. YIKES!! Well, no longer because TODAY IS THE DAY!!!

A college friend of Gabe's had a friend that owns a paint sprayer. So through a friend of a friend we are saving tons of money. Jake (friend from college) also offered to help paint. What a blessing!

Once this is completed we will only need to do a few more "fix ups" and then the house will officially go on the market! YIPPEE!! Then the house hunting begins!!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

IT'S RAINING, IT'S POURING

Ok all of the above was the original post. YIPPEE just turned into "Oh NO!!" It is now raining. How many weekends in the past month or so has it been dry as a bone?! The one weekend we can actually set aside time to do this massive painting project - IT RAINS! Argh!It didn't rain for long, but now we have to let everything dry out and start again tomorrow - hopefully. Please pray that it will dry out so we can finish this project and also pray that what has already been painted won't be ruined.

Tushy Cushy

BEFORE THE "TUSHY CUSHY"

AFTER THE "TUSHY CUSHY"

Roller skating is no fun with a sore bottom. Problem solved with the wonderful and very plush "tushy cushy"!! Isaac thought it was hilarious to stick a pillow in his shorts. It worked though, no more tears when he fell.

Julia could not let Isaac have all the fun. She wanted her "suit of armor". She looked cute scooting her feet around like she was skating. Such a copy cat!

Birthday Celebration for Papa

Since the kids were in Coleman on Gabe's birthday, we took today to have a birthday celebration for Gabe. The scripture Isaac and I are learning this week is 2 Cor. 9:7 which says, ""...... God loves a cheerful giver." Isaac cheerfully and joyfully helped pick out the cupcake makings and gift (big coffee mug filled with jelly beans) His first idea was to buy Gabe a tree to plant. What a great idea!! He wanted Papa to be able to see it when he came home from work. The only reason we didn't do that was because we are about to sell our house and would definitely want that tree to be at our next house for many years to come. So we will save that and plant a special tree for Papa when we move. We also had fun making the cupcakes. Isaac was a big helper, especially when it came to licking the beaters! Julia wanted in on that one as well !!
We met Gabe at his office for lunch and had a splendid time. Isaac proudly presented Gabe with the birthday balloon and gift. He also "spilled the beans" by telling Gabe what was inside the gift before Gabe had a chance to open it. There is no keeping secrets with a 3 year old!! Julia missed out on the festivities and slept right through everything. That girl could sleep anywhere. As we were walking out, she finally woke up, saw Gabe, and literally lit up. She loves her Papa very much!

Miller Family Reunion

My parents worked real hard to get my sisters and our families up to Coleman this last weekend. Not an easy thing to do considering all of our busy schedules. They "claimed" they just wanted to have a family reunion. Something was fishy from the beginning! Before I tell you the rest of the story about this weekend, let me tell you some back story.

My Dad is the hardest working man I know. He is a man of integrity, diligence, and humble obedience. He has worked faithfully at a job for over 13 years that was very difficult and to say the least undesirable. For several years now, he has been counting down the days to retirement. Literally - he knew how many days left until he could walk away from this job and never look back. Even though, this job was hard on his body, mind, and soul, he never quit and always gave it all he could. At home, my mother faithfully stood by her husband and did what she could to provide a peaceful home to escape the stress from his work.

On Saturday afternoon, my parents gathered us for a family meeting. I admit, I was a bit concerned. How long has it been since we have had a family meeting?!! Well, my Dad only wanted to tell us this........a few months ago, God answered a long time prayer of my parents and the rest of the family. A job opened up at a company owned by some family friends and they offered the job to my Dad. He took it!! My Dad can not only retire early,but he will have the income he was making before, his pension,and he will work half as much!!!! PRAISE GOD!! He has two days left at his old job and will start the new one on Oct. 1st!!

So this last weekend, was a family reunion. I would call it a family celebration. In my mind, there is no one more deserving of a blessing such as this than my Dad!!

Enjoy the "old film"version of our family reunion pics! If you want the music, you have to turn it on with the speaker button below!

Happy 35th Birthday Gabe!!

Today is Gabe's 35th Birthday. We celebrated last night because we will be traveling to my parents house this evening. It was great to have a date and not have to worry about babysitters. I took Gabe to Gruene to eat at the Gristmill. A fabulous, down home restaurant located right on the the river. After dinner, we went on a little photo safari throughout Gruene and then down to the river. The pictures may not be the best, but we like to try our hand at photography now and then.

When we got home I surprised Gabe with a dance on the back porch under Christmas lights as we listened to the song he wrote for me when he proposed (Open the Door) Then came the cake (ice cream cake from Cold Stone... mmmmmmm good!) and presents. We ended the evening by watching part of Gabe's favorite movie, The Lord of Rings, with full volume. Remember, no kids around. We can be as loud as we want!!

Happy Birthday Gabe!! I Love You 1st!

Enjoy the slide show. If you want to hear the music with it, you have to turn it on.

Ahhhh... so this is what time off is like!

I have thoroughly enjoyed my "vacation" thus far. Yesterday I spent most of the day shopping. Well let me say "looking". I didn't do much buying, but did find a few bargains on things I would have never even noticed had the kids been with me. My shopping plan when Isaac and Julia are around is usually plan ahead, know exactly what I want and where it is, go in, get it, and get out as soon as possible. Otherwise, I end up with two cranky kids, a store full of pitying and even judgemental eyes, and of course an exhausted and rather frazzled me.

I had a relaxing lunch at Chipotle (love the chips there), met Gabe at Borders on his lunch break, then headed home for some couch time and a movie. The movie I watched was called The Ultimate Gift. It was spectacular. Clean, positive and encouraging (huh - sounds like the tag line for KLOVE) Anyway, I would highly recommend it.

Today I plan to do more work around the house. No worries.... I will make sure I meet my quota of "QVR: Quality Vacation Relaxation"!!

Home Alone!!

Well, the kids just drove off with my Dad. I am home alone! I don't know whether to be happy or sad. Of course I am happy -- I get 3 "vacation" days!! How often does that happen for a stay at home mom?! But I am sad to see my kids go. I miss them already. It is entirely too quiet in this house. It is funny how noisy and chaotic this house is with Isaac and Julia around. That noise level is completely normal to me. This silence is not! And yes, I shed a few tears when they left but didn't let them see me cry. No need for their sappy Mom to ruin their adventure with Granddaddy.

Plum Wore Out!

He literally fell asleep while playing. He wasn't particularly sleepy when nap time rolled around, so I gave him permission to play quietly in his room while Julia napped. This is how I found him. Notice the headphones... I guess he "soothed" himself to sleep with Dr. Jean.

Julia: the Charming ,Social Butterfly

Julia climbed into Isaac's suitcase the other day as we were getting ready for our trip to Houston. She fit perfectly.... well almost! She got in, smiled at me, and said "Bye bye". Then she closed the lid. She was not going to let us forget to take her along!!!

She has been so funny lately. Gabe and I went on a date the other day and left the kids with some friends. As we were leaving, I said good-bye to Julia. She looked at me, climbed in my arms, and turned to wave bye-bye to our friends. Um, nope. That was not how it was supposed to play out. She is determined to not be left out of anything!!

She has also become quite the social butterfly. Quite a remarkable difference from the irritable and fussy infant that wanted only Mama! We were at the library on Tuesday (the lost teddy bear day!) and stayed for story time. Might as well, we couldn't find that silly bear anyway. So we were sitting on the floor, when Julia got up and started wandering. She wandered her way to another mother (one we do not know at all), waved a precious "hi" and then made herself at home by sitting in the ladies lap. The woman graciously cuddled Julia for a few minutes. Julia then made her way around the room giving hugs, kisses, and even taking books to people for them to read to her. She knows how to get what she wants and is not afraid to make it happen.

She could charm just about anyone and I mean anyone. We were at Wal-Mart last week. Julia was doing her usual waves and sweet faces to everyone. A big, burly biker guy walked past (he was seriously tough looking) With just one Julia smile and wave, he was instantly transformed into a baby, blubbering softy . It was hilarious!

I absolutely adore my daughter.

Belly Buddies!

This past weekend we visited Gabe's brother Matt and his wife April. They are expecting their first child, a sweet baby girl, in late October. After investigating Aunt April's baby belly closely, Julia sat back on the couch and lifted up her shirt. I could just imagine her thinking, "Where is that baby they keep talking about? Is there one in my tummy?" So cute!! Julia kept poking her finger in April's belly button, then in her own. I love this age. So inquisitive!

GREAT NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bear has returned!!!!! In Isaac's words, "He was just hiding from us"!! It has been such an emotional roller coaster today. Bear is like a member of our family. I can't tell you how many tears I have shed over this Bear. Go ahead and laugh now - it's okay!!! Gabe has been equally distressed throughout this situation. Isaac, as I have said before, was completely calm and collected. No worries! He is such a big boy!

So I had all but given up looking for Bear. I have searched all day. We got home from dinner earlier and Isaac said he wanted to push the button to open the garage. We would normally go through the front door, but I said okay and off we went. As I was carrying Julia in, I happened to look down at our bike trailer. And there he was -- hiding in the deep dark pits of the bike trailer. Who would have guessed?! At home the whole time!! I can't tell you how excited I was. Though Isaac had played the part of "Mr. Cool" this whole time, he ran to Bear with a huge smile and hugged him. I can't even begin to describe the smile beaming from his face.

So Lessons learned.....
1. Bear stays at home or in the van at all times!
2. Isaac is growing up entirely too fast and needs to slow down!
3. Bear, though loved very much, is still just a "thing"!
4. God answers big, miracle prayers and small, lost teddy bear prayers!!!

It is wonderful how God used this little hiccup in our lives to teach us some big spiritual lessons. This is the third time we have lost something very important and significant in which God has returned to us. The diamond from my wedding ring, Julia's Baby (bunny), and now Isaac's Bear. I am beginning to wonder if God is trying to make a point. Things are just things, no matter the value we put on them. Gabe shared with me last night that he had prayed all day for our little lost Bear. In his words, he prayed fervently. Why do we not pray this fervently every day and for things that are definitely more crucial than a lost teddy bear? First Thessalonians 5:17, "Pray continually." Enough said!!

Sad News

I regret to announce that Isaac's beloved Bear is missing. Isaac had him with him as we were running errands yesterday. The last time I saw Bear was when we were at the library. Without going into details our short trip to the library was VERY chaotic to say the least. We didn't even realize Bear was gone until bedtime. Gabe and I did our usual search when Bear goes missing. He was no where to be found. I wasn't sure how Isaac would react. This would be the first night in his entire life that he has not slept with Bear. As Isaac usually does he surprised me and was not upset at all. His words, "That's okay Mommy, I will just sleep with Henry and Button Bear" (2 of his other cuddle friends - but have never before equaled Bear) We were the first ones at the library this morning. I had the workers looking, but nothing -- no Bear. I was heartbroken. Bear is very special to us and has been with Isaac since he was born. I know it is silly to be sad over a stuffed bear, but for those of you that know me well enough know that I am very sentimental. When I delivered the news to Isaac that Bear was most likely gone and not coming back he said, "That is okay. Maybe some other little boy needed him to cuddle with". Where does he get this wisdom at only 3 1/2 years old?! I asked Isaac if he thought he just didn't need a cuddle buddy anymore. His answer was "No, I will just save up my money to get a new one"! Isaac and I prayed that God would watch over and protect Bear wherever he is.

Surprise Date

I have to take a minute to brag on Gabe. He surprised me Saturday night with a date. Doesn't sound like much to most, but he arranged the babysitters (thank you Sara and Jenny) and planned a relaxing and fun night out. THAT IS HUGE!!! -especially when there are two little ones in the picture!! This simple act was a wonderful way to show me love. We often get caught up in our daily lives and when I say caught up I mean sucked into the rushing current. Days, weeks, and even months go by before we realize that we haven't done anything for each other much less together. When Gabe told me about our little, spontaneous date, I admit that I shed a few tears. It was such a thoughtful and loving thing to do. Thank you Gabe, I love you 1st!!

First Day of School

It is official......Isaac is a Pre-K student!! Today was our first day of home school. All in all, it went really well. The schedule I set allows for plenty of Julia friendly activities in the morning and good one on one with Isaac in the afternoon.(while Julia naps) It has been apparent to me for quite awhile that Isaac's primary love language is quality time. So he thrives on the focused attention that this setting allows.

It still amazes me that he is the age of the students that I used to teach. Where did the time go? I absolutely love that we are home schooling and that I have the privilege to be Isaac's teacher. It also amazes me how much he already knows. Not to toot my own horn or his, but he knows much more than most of my students did at 4 years old. My big challenge will be to keep him interested and excited about learning.

Grammy Gifts

Last Christmas, my Mother (aka Grammy) gave me, my sisters, and all the grandkids a Sunshine Basket. What is a Sunshine Basket? My Mom has created these baskets for several occasions, but basically it has lots of individually wrapped gifts that can only be opened one at a time. The baskets we were given last Christmas had one gift for each month. I admittedly was concerned at first how Isaac would react on Christmas morning when given a basket of gifts and unable to open but one. However, he surprised me and handled it without a problem. Anyway, the kids and I have thoroughly enjoyed our Grammy gift days every month. Today was that day!! Isaac got a portable CD player with headphones. May I just say, HE LOVES IT!! He has been walking around most of today listening to Dr. Jean (children's music) ,dancing, clapping, and singing along. Just now he put the headphones on Bear and said, "He's a rock star". I asked, "Is he dancing to the music?" Isaac replied, "No he is just for cuddling." A cuddling rock star - nobody could ask for a better Bear!!

Sound Asleep

It is funny that we are getting all of these pictures of Julia sleeping in the funniest places. I finally caught Julia asleep in her feeding seat and captured this picture. She started doing this a few weeks ago. The first time it happened I quietly tiptoed away to get the camera. As I was backing up to take a picture I tripped over the noisiest toy we have. Of course, Julia's eyes popped open. I have tried at least 3 other times without success. This time, however, I caught her in the act!! This is something Isaac NEVER did as a baby. Very unique to Julia. Today it happened as I was working with Isaac on some school. I just left her there to take a cat nap so we could get something accomplished in peace and quiet. When she woke up, Julia picked up right where she left off - eating her snack without complaint!!

Julia's Camo

True to the Landes family, Julia has her very own camouflage onesie! Couldn't let her grow out of it before I snapped a picture. Of course, the outfit has it's share of ruffles and bows. Gotta look cute even in camo!!