The Hour which I first Believe

This is the next book that I will be reading, and I am chomping at the bit to receive it.  I keep checking my mail and front door step like it's Christmas or something!  I don't want to start another book b/c I am afraid it will come and I will have to set that book aside.  So I have been forced to read the invigorating Toddler 411, Toddlerwise and What to expect the second year.  It is interesting and I do enjoy reading about what is to come with Alyson.....except for the temper tantrums.  I was at the doc's office today and there was a little girl around 2 who was screaming at her mother in the waiting room; I had to think......what would I do in that situation.  You can't do what the books tell you to do, which is get up and leave.  Some say to ignore them, but then you have the "on-lookers" like aren't you going to control your child......., not sure what I would have done.  It is one of my fears and I know it is coming, I will let you know how I do.

So what else is new......our wood floors are ALMOST done, sheesh it has taken forever.  I went to Macy's today to look at the chairs we are possibly getting, I love them - very "me".  The college leather couch of Daniel's does not quite go with them, so hopefully that thing will be out of the house sooner rather than later.  Tonight we pack and hopefully get on the road at a decent hour tomorrow.  We are staying with friends and then heading up North where Daniel's grandparents live to celebrate the 4th and his mom's bday.  Should be a good time, I will take pictures!

About an hour ago I dropped off a piece of my portfolio to be entered into a design awards competition.  I am up against a lot of good entries, but I was told I was the first to drop anything off, that counts for something right!!  I am nervous and of course would really like to win, but I'm just not sure. 
Oh well, it is good to enter and I get to go to a fancy gala no matter who wins.

Hope everyone has a happy 4th - BE SAFE~!!

Why can't a mouse eat a streetcar??? Why o Why o Why

Have you ever heard this song?  It's by Anne Murray, I used to listen to her songs when I was little and now Alyson listens to them to.  There is a song, titled.  "Why, Why, Why"  This is how I feel at the moment.  There are things in life that I just cannot make sense of.  What is GOD trying to teach "us", what is his ultimate plan and why can it be so hurtful along the way of finding out............

This coming weekend we are going to Dallas to visit some great friends we have not seen in awhile and also to celebrate Daniel's mom's birthday - July 4th.  Such a cool date to be born!

Have a Happy Tuesday!

Friday

It's Friday and I am ready for the weekend.

I finished my book last night, The Art of Racing in the Rain.  It was very good and I am looking forward to this Tuesday to attend my first book group.

This week has been a little rough for me, it is always hard to come back from a fun filled weekend to a jam packed week.  Needless to say, I am looking forward to some downtime.

Tonight, we have movie night with Daniel's sisters.  I want to watch "The Fisher King", but I think Daniel will shoot me down for something "cooler".  Tomorrow I think we might go shop for a love seat to complete our living room, then we are having some friends over for dinner.  Sunday, we might have some out of town guests drop by for a visit, but Sunday is pretty much open.  I am looking for to a relaxing weekend.

Tired with a chance of Fog

We are back and I am in a fog.  I will write more about our River View trip later this week.  We had a wonderful time and cannot wait till next year.  Pics are attached :)

to excited to sleep

I feel like those kids in that Disney commercial, when they are going to bed the night before they leave for Disney World.  Yes, I know it is just camping and I know that the water level is going to be crappy and I know that it is going to be amazingly HOT.  BUT - I am still so excited.  I love going to the Frio with my family.  We have such a great time and it is just something that I look forward to every year.  I do not think I am alone in my excitement, seeing that I have received numerous text messages from my cousins counting down the days :)

I will make sure to take lots of pics.  

"I'll be back again next year (at Garner State Park) I'll be back again next year (at Garner State Park)"

In the western part of Texas, 90 miles from San Antone

"There is a place I go each summer, when I get the urge to rome.  I stand out by the highway; if I couldn't get a ride, I'd walk to GARNER STATE PARK."

Alyson (3 weeks old) at the Frio

Ha! sorry, 2 more days and we are off to the Frio~!  I am so so excited, we do this as a family every year and it is so much fun.  My dad's family started the tradition practically before my dad was born.  My Grandma and Grandpa would camp with some their friends at Garner around the 4th of July, but as it became more popular we moved to River View.  I have some great and funny memories of that place and it is always fun to reminiscence with my cousins.  We now "camp" (it's not really camping anymore) at Frio Acres, a lodge that is very nice with a/c, running water, no bugs holding up that bathrooms, and plasma t.v.'s.  Like I said, it's not camping.  BUT still so much fun.  We took Alyson last year when she was 3 weeks old, this year will be lots of fun now that she is older and can enjoy playing with her "set" of cousins.

Alyson goes for her well-baby check up tomorrow.  Her 1 year old check up and it always makes me nervous when I know she is going to get shots.  You hear so much in the news now about shots and kids and it possibly being linked to autism or something else, and it is just something that I fear whenever she gets them.  I have to trust in GOD that they are the best thing for her and that she will be ok. 

So, I decided to compromise with mother nature.  6:30pm in June trying to run 3-5 miles was just not going to work out.  I cannot believe we are reaching 100 degrees and it is only early June, scary to think what August is going to be like.  Anyway, I have joined my mom's walking group.  They meet every morning at 6:45 and walk around 4miles; I met up with them for the first time this morning, it was a lot of fun and a good work-out.  Got back home around 7ish, Alyson was dressed and ready for school.  I helped Daniel get out the door and then got ready for the day, on my way to work I felt great; very accomplished!!

Have a great Tuesday ALL.

a fragile life

Daniel and I have an immense amount to be thankful for.  My thoughts are heavy on our dear friends right now, and I pray for God's Will during the whole process they are enduring.  It is so hard to pray for God's Will, b/c what I really want is what our friends most greatly desire.  I am selfish and want to pray for what they want b/c I can feel how badly their hearts yurn.  BUT honestly, what I want mostly from God during this time, is for them to be protected.  For their hearts to be protected and their minds to rest in Him, knowing that He has their best interests at heart.  Calm their minds and protect their hearts for the next 2 weeks.

This book that I am reading right now is a great example of how fragile our lives are and how fragile life is.  I am at a section in the book where the main character is experiencing heart wrenching grief and then he get's a second blow.  Something that would make me want to curl up into a ball and stay there until everything went away.  BUT, he is fighting for the life of his daughter, her upbringing and how she will now be raised; and like I said, when your child is the one that is determining your decision, it is a no brainier on what you do and how hard you fight.

Which brings me to another item that is heavy on my mind for some reason, and I have to not watch it b/c it will somewhat "consume me".  This trial that is going on right now about the mother that is being tried for killing her daughter haunts me.  I think before I had Aly, I would have just briefly thought of how sad it was.  But now that I have been gifted with my beautiful daughter, that I have held her in my arms the days she was born, to last night while drinking her bottle.  I cannot imagine what that woman is being tried for doing.  This little girl, who's whole world is Daniel and I; she trusts us to love her, protect her and provide for her; how is what was done to that precious girl even fathomable?

OK - I have to move on from this somber section........

On a lighter note ;), I will post some pictures of Alyson's first birthday, as well as some pics from our recent beach trip.  Thanks so much for the beautiful photography Haley, A. Amie and Mitch.  Daniel and I seriously need to look into a NICE camera~!!

Happy Monday

motivation

How do I already need motivation on the 2nd day of my running class.  ugh, I wish that my good friend wasn't pregnant and didn't have 2 little ones to look after - so we could start to run together again.
I get so discouraged with people that I don't know, plus they are all better than I am - at the moment.  I want to do this, I want to get better; it is just that I have absolutely no patience in anything I do.
I know, I am being a baby.

a murder of crows

Did you know that a "group" of crows is called a "murder of crows" - bizarre fact for the day (read it in my book last night, The Art of Racing in the Rain.)

Well, I went to my first running class last night and it kicked my butt~!  TEXAS heat is brutal, but apparently my body should get used to it within 2 weeks - I will let you know.  They said on the weather channel that we are reaching record temperatures and it is technically not even summer yet.  GET READY for a HOT ONE.

So b/c I had my class last night, Daniel picked up Aly from school, fed her dinner and then made dinner for us.  He is such a great daddy and loves his little girl so much!  Aly has started to wake up in the middle of the nights lately; it's tough.  I can't figure out if she is going through a growth spurt, getting ready to achieve some milestone (maybe walking !!) or her schedule is out of whack??  I think it might be the first one.  I fed her a bottle last night before she went to bed, but she then woke up at midnight and drained a 6oz bottle.  Then this morning at 6:30, when we usually give her, her morning bottle; she wanted nothing to do with it - ugh, such a guessing game with little ones!  When they are newborns, I think you get used to the lack of sleep, but once they start sleeping normally, you then get back to a normal sleep schedule.  So this whole waking in the middle of the night is completely throwing me off.  Oh well - I'll keep you posted.

So, once when I was in counseling (ha - that's a great way to start a new paragraph!).  Actually, I have been in some sort of counseling all my life and am a huge advocate of it.  It allows you to "throw-up" on someone that is completley unbiased.  Anyway, in college, I saw this one counselor that spoke of balance.  That if you have these 5 things in your life "balanced", you can pretty much be a "happy" person.

1.Relationships with family - check! This one is finally on a good page for me.  My 20's were rough, but one the edge of 30's, my relationship with my family is pretty awesome.  Daniel and I are doing great, he is so wonderful and supportive in everything that I do; I am truly blessed to have him as my husband and my best friend.  AND the best part of it all, he can make me laugh one a dime, it is one of the things that I love most about him.

2. Relationships with friends - this one is hard.  We are all so busy and we try to see each other as much as we can, but it would be nice to have a little more time in this area.

3. Religion - ugh, I struggle with this one.  I am on a faith roller coaster, thankfully I do not think I am the only one.

4. Finances - S . L . O . W . L . Y getting better.  Daniel is amazing at this, so responsible - me, not so much.  BUT, we have a "prize" at the end of the tunnel and that is what I have to keep thinking about.

5. Time for yourself - just starting to get back in the swing of things.  Before I had Alyson, I had a great "escape" section of my life.  Activities that I enjoyed doing and did them for myself.  When our Alygator came along, this got put to the side; which was to be expected.  Being a mother is the most selfless thing you can do in your life.  YOU are no longer number 1 and will never be for the rest of your life.  Perfect example from this past weekend.  At the beach on the 2nd day, Alyson started to get a cold.  I could tell from her lack of sleep during the nights and her constant runny nose, that a day/morning at the beach was not the best place for her to be.  Of course I wanted to stay;  Hang out with my extended family, walk the beach with Daniel, swim in the ocean and "socially mingle" through the afternoon (that means having a few beers ;) BUT my little one was not feeling good, and the best thing for her was to come back into the condo, let her rest and keep her out of the harsh elements of the beach.  And so WE did.  Daniel offered to alternate back and forth, which was nice, but like I said.  Being a mother/parent is about being selfless, everything that YOU want to do doesn't matter anymore.  You/ I can have moments of selfishness, but when your baby is the factor of your decision, it is a "no brainer".

2nd Blog down.  Enjoy your Wednesday!

Hello BLOG WORLD

It's time to BLOG. (I want to preface, please excuse my writing skills/grammar.  If you would like to proof and edit, knock yourself out......)

I am going to look at this as somewhat of a journal about our lives.  The lives of Daniel, Jen and Alyson (and any more that may join the family.......).
I have always loved to journal, but this time it will not just be about ME, it will be about my amazing family.

What is going on in the lives of D, J & A?  Well, to start, we just got back from the beach.  Port Aransas to be exact.  The 3 of us went down to spend 4 days with Daniel's mom's family.  We had a great time.  It was not Alyson's first trip, we took her to Rockport when she was around 3months old, but it was the first time she stuck her feet in the ocean!  She did great, a little bit of a squeal as the waves rushed over her tiny toes, but no crying :)

Daniel and my dad have been busy with lots of home improvements to our home.  We recently put in wood floors in our living room and down the main hallway.  We also were able to run the t.v. cable to the opposite end of the wall (something that we thought was an option when we bought the home).  It is amazing how much it opens our living space up.  We will soon have everyone over to view for themselves.

I have started 2 new "projects".  I have always wanted to join a book club; I hardly have time to read, but it is something that i enjoy, therefore need to make it a habit.  A new work colleague of mine invited me to join her's and I am very much looking forward to it.  The book for June is "The Art of Racing in the Rain", a book told from a dog's point of view and so far I am loving it.  It is very endearing.
The other project I am starting is getting back into running.  I was training for the rock n roll half marathon when Miss Aly Grace showed up and I would like to get back into it.  For lots of reasons, physical strength, mental strength and a great stress reliever.

Well, I guess that is it for now.  I must get back to the "grind" of proposals.