Thankful

"Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever." Psalm 118:1

We have so much to be thankful for this year. I am so thankful for family. My little family, yes of course, but also extended family. It is such a blessing that all of our family (literally ALL) lives a short drive away. Our kids will get to grow up alongside their cousins with their grandparents, aunts and uncles as integral parts of their lives. That is something to be thankful for.

I am thankful for my Micah Man. I am thankful for his sensitive and gentle spirit. I am thankful that he has taught me how to be more gentle with my words and that sometimes all we need is a hug. I am thankful that he is at such an amazing school with a wonderful teacher and peers that he is excited to be with each day. I am thankful that as he grows older and more independent, he still wants his mommy cuddles and hugs. 

I am thankful for Laurel. I am thankful for her tenacity as as I always say, her spunk. She is so passionate, about everything. She loves passionately, disagrees passionately, receives consequences passionately, and apologizes passionately. You never know what is going to come out of her mouth thus she keeps us laughing. 

I am thankful that Micah and Laurel have each other. They have such a special relationship. They love each other so much and love to play together. Just as any siblings, though, they have their days where they fight and fight and fight and fight and scream that they hate each other (that would mainly be Laurel doing the screaming). They bring out the sillies in each other and I'm so glad that my sister captured that in these photos. 

I know I said this last year, but I am thankful for an overall healthy year for our family. 

I am thankful for wonder, adventure, imagination and creativity. See the world through the eyes of a child is so fun. Thanks to David, our kids have wild imaginations and they can turn anything into a game (Micah) or a song (Laurel).

I am thankful for laughter. There is no shortage of giggles in our house.

I am thankful that this little girl will never have daddy issues. Her daddy could not be more present in her life and I get to hear him affirm and love on her daily. We always take picture of the girls and then the boys and this year David asked if he could have a picture with his little lady, too. It's one of my favorites from our whole session.

I am thankful that I get to be a mom. Simply put, I know. I think that we live in such a world of entitlement. We are fooled into thinking we can have whatever we want on our own timeline. Well, that is not the real world and that is not the life that God calls us to and I am learning more and more about this each day. I am genuinely overcome with gratitude that I get to be a mom to Micah and Laurel. They may make me want to pull my hair out and take me to the brink of sanity at times but they are precious gifts from God and I pray that I always see them as such.

This man. Oh how I am thankful for this man. I am thankful I said yes 7 1/2 years ago, I am thankful that he puts up with my craziness and I am thankful that we are on the same team. We have had a tough year this past year in many ways and through it all, he is there, leading, comforting and encouraging.  He is such a hard worker all day and then walks in the door and flips the switch to be an all star daddy. He is the most selfless man I know and he always puts me and our family first. I couldn't have dreamed of a better husband to walk through life with.

We have so much to be thankful for...

{We are also very thankful for my amazingly talented sister of Natalie Blazei Photography}

When summer slows down 2012...

As I wrote this post I started to have deja vu and then realized that I did this exact same post at the exact same time last year. Strange. I obviously did the same thing last year but I realize that I keep saying "when summer slows down..." and here we are, August 1st, and summer has not slowed down.

I wanted summer to feel different than the school year and with kids that are not school age (quite yet), the whole year is pretty much the same, routine wise. At the beginning of the summer, I filled up our calendar with Field Trips, snow cone dates with Daddy, Splash days with friends, theme days, swim days with Suzu, movie days and more. As I type those, I realize why summer hasn't slowed down! Living in Houston in the summer can be brutal but the kids are at such fun ages and we have had a blast staying cool!

At our neighborhood pool jumping of the diving board. This guy is OBSESSED with swimming and has absolutely no fear!

 

At Noah's Ark

Summer play dates are even more fun when you get to drive yourself and pick up your cousin on the way! 

We only have 4 weeks until Micah starts Pre-K (tear) so we are going to enjoy what time we have left of Summer! Oh and when Summer slows down, I will post about all of the above mentioned activities. 

Adult Swim

Do you remember absolutely hating adult swim? I sure do which is why I felt such sympathy for these littles when they experienced their first ever adult swim. Devastating. Even though they were eating popsicles it was devastating. The hardest part for me to grasp, though is that I am an adult now. David embraced this fully and jumped right in. That went over very well with Micah Man. 

{Photo from our neighborhood Memorial Day pool party courtesy of the Blazei Blog}

Are you dying from this heat yet?

We certainly are. Here are some tips from Micah and Laurel of how to enjoy a H-O-T summer day at home...

Option 1: Find a small body of water to cool off and then sliiiide and splash to stay that way

Option 2: If you are deathly afraid of said body of water because you fear Miss Glendy might be hiding around the corner... just watch from afar and come to the side to splash when you feel the need to cool off.

Whichever option you choose please do not try this at home. Climbing inflatable trees does not end well. Ever. 

Happy splashing! 

Catching Up

I have been a bad blogger lately... we have had a lot going on lately! Here is what is coming in the coming days (I hope):

- Micah's BIG BOY bed!
- Me and David's birthday weekend celebrations
- Laurel is 4 months!

Our AC went out on Monday which threw our whole week off so I am working on getting caught up.

Update

I haven't really mentioned much of what is going on with us on the blog so even though most of you know, I thought I'd go into it briefly...

- We sold our house... yay! We received an offer and accepted it 2 weeks ago. We are through the option period, inspections went well, and everything is on track to close around Nov. 20th
- We found a house... yay! After lots of negotiations, we settled on a price that everyone was happy with (probably us more happy than them) and we have had inspections. Inspections went pretty well, but there are definitely some things that we are asking the seller to repair. We haven't heard back from them yet on that. We should close on this house the same day we close on ours.
- After closing, we will move our stuff into storage and do some work on the new house for a couple of weeks meaning we'll actually move in to the new house a couple weeks before Christmas... ahhhhh! I have decided that I am not doing Christmas decorations, the thought of doing that for 2 weeks totally stresses me out.
- We are currently making plans for remodeling our new house... picking everything out is fun but stressful.
- I am very stressed out. I am stressed out packing, storing, moving, everything.
- We find out if we are having a boy or girl on Nov. 11th

I'm pretty sure that covers everything that is going on right now! I'll keep you posted!

Need a little pick-me-up?

This should help…

Don't Worry... Be Happy from Ally S on Vimeo.

Half Marathon

I made the goal after Micah was born to run a half marathon before his first birthday. I have always exercised but I had never even run a mile. I hated running. I will also note that I am unbelievably un-athletic. I have no coordination whatsoever. I joined a running group to have help and for the accountability. There were many Saturdays that I didn't want to wake up at 5am (or earlier) and go run the 6-12 miles but I pushed through and didn't skip a single long run. I was so nervous this past Sunday morning that I wouldn't be able to finish and that I wasn't ready. It was freezing at the beginning of the run and it never really warmed up. It was very windy, too and I ended up with a lot of windburn. My hands had started cracking by the end from the wind. Gloves would've been a good idea... oops! I would much rather cold than hot, though. I had a wonderful cheering section at 2 points along the route (David, Micah, my mom, and David's parents). Micah had a onesie on that said "I'm proud of my mommy" with a picture of us. So sweet! It was so cold, though, you can't see it in the pictures because he was all bundled up. They were all so encouraging; they made it a lot more fun. I was so surprised at how much I actually enjoyed myself along the run. Around mile 9 I started asking myself "why are you doing this? why couldn't you have just gone out and run a little to lose the baby weight? Why did you have to set this big goal?" and then around mile 11 I was thinking "is this ever going to end?" (by then I was very bored with running and the route wasn't too exciting). The last mile was by far the hardest because I just wanted to finish. Needless to say, I finished! It was such a great feeling of accomplishment. I have never set and goal like this and followed through. Crossing the finish line was one of the best feelings ever. My cheering crew was there waiting for me. Thanks so much to them for encouraging me all along the way. Thanks especially to David who has been so encouraging for the past 7 months while I was training. We went straight from the race to Grand Luxe because all I wanted was a big stack of pancakes and hot chocolate.

Here are some pictures of the day...

my cheering section my biggest fan (Micah)

en route...

crossing the finish line! bundled baby

sweet hubby!

Yesterday it was humid and in the high 70's outside...

BUT, this is Texas so currently it is SNOWING!?! Here is a picture of our back yard...

And this is how Micah feels about the fact that it is snowing outside...

Currently the weather channel says it is 32 outside and forecast is "snow"... and we are under a "Winter Weather Advisory". Only in Texas.

Men are like waffles, women are like spaghetti...

so proves the conversation David and I had this morning at breakfast.

David: This is good bacon.

Ally: I need figure out what time our flight leaves for Steamboat... (then Ally stares off into space).

David: Alright, let's hear it.

Ally: (coming out of space) what?

David: What's going through your head?

Ally: Ok... I need to figure out what time our flight leaves for Steamboat, fold the laundry on the bed, make the apple cake for tonight, get Micah dressed, put Micah's lunch in the diaper bag for today, sweep because I feel a crumb under my foot, pack for our trip, finish that scrapbook page, get the tools off the floor in the guest room, and call the exterminator.

David: Oh ok (with an added chuckle).

Ally: Why? What are you thinking about?

David: I wonder if it's snowing in Colorado.

Ally: That's all? Nothing else?

David: I can't think about more than one thing at a time. At work, I have to make a list.

Ally: I see.

Politics

I have debated about whether or not I should post anything about my political stance in tomorrow's election for a while now. Obviously, I decided I should say something because here I am. I am not trying to force my opinions on anyone or ruffle any feathers. I just figure that since everyone else is discussing who they are supporting and why, I would take the time to do the same. I am usually a sissy about this stuff but have realized that so many people my age who come from conservative evangelical households have decided to vote and campaign for Obama…very vocally. I’ve listened and hope that I’ve been respectful in doing so, but I’ve decided to be vocal as well...and mean it with all of the love and respect possible for my friends who don’t agree with me. Here goes...

I always felt like I needed know every single policy of the candidate I was choosing and while I do know many of the policies, it really has always come down to one thing for me. I never wanted to admit it before, but now I can proudly say that I am a single issue voter.

"Jobs, highways, schools, economic growth—none of these matter if we're willing to sanction murder to get them. Perhaps my mentality is a recipe for political isolation for Christians, for the losing of elections, and maybe even a loss of national greatness. I worry that the alternative, however, is to lose something far greater, which is our ability to discern good from evil, and to act accordingly." Tony Woodlief in WORLD

I have never heard a candidate discuss abortion the way Obama does. This quote kills me:

"Look, I got two daughters — 9 years old and 6 years old," he said. "I am going to teach them first about values and morals, but if they make a mistake, I don't want them punished with a baby." Barack Obama (I could go off on this but I won't... all I will say is that a child should not ever be considered a punishment and if his daughter's did make a mistake, they should have to live with consequences).

Robert P. George, McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence and Director of the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions at Princeton University, member of the President's Council on Bioethics, previously served on the United States Commission on Civil Rights, has said that "Barack Obama is the most extreme pro-abortion candidate ever to seek the office of President of the United States. He is the most extreme pro-abortion member of the United States Senate. Indeed, he is the most extreme pro-abortion legislator ever to serve in either house of the United States Congress."

I have had so many people tell me that Roe v Wade will never be overturned. I just can't bring myself to believe that. I personally don't believe that it is a woman's right to choose to kill her innocent child. I believe that life begins at conception and I always will. I also believe that the bible is very clear on the sanctity of life. I cannot vote for a candidate who so strongly supports the pro-choice movement. I know where McCain stands on this issue and I know that a McCain/Pain administration will appoint judges who would make what I would deem wise choices and could even overturn Roe v Wade.

I will also note that since this is our family blog, this post alone does reflect my views. Though David and I do not disagree, he doesn't vote purely on this issue like I do.

I'll leave it at that. This is a really good video if you want to know more: http://americaschoicenow.com/.

National Right to Life

I finally figured out what is living in the fake tree in our study

That is what David heard when he picked up the phone at work yesterday. Though he probably wished at that moment he hadn't picked up the phone, this is how the conversation went:

Ally: "I finally figured out what is living in the fake tree in our study!"

David: " Oh?"

Ally: "Yes! A giant lizard!"

David: "No way?"

Ally: "Yes! I told you something was living in that tree! I am kind of freaked out and don't know what to do!"

David: "Hahahaha, wait, how did you figure out there was a lizard in the tree?"

Ally: "Well, I heard the rusting sound I always hear and I looked over there really fast and I saw something move... so I rolled up a piece of paper and started poking at the tree. Then, I saw something move again. So, I peered around the tree and no lie, a giant lizard was staring right at me inches from my face!"

David: "Wow."

Ally: "David!!!! What do I do?!?!? There is a giant lizard living in our house!"

David: "I wonder how he has been surviving for this long."

Ally: "David!"

David: "Wait... are you being serious? Are you really freaked out?"

Ally: "Yes!"

David: "Over a harmless lizard?"

Ally: "Yes."

David: "Just leave the tree alone, I'll take care of it when I get home."

The end of that conversation.

A little back story for you. For the last few weeks, every time I am sitting at the computer, I hear a rusting sound in the fake tree in the corner of our study. I have been convinced that something is living in there but everyone I tell thinks that I am crazy. Well, I am surely not crazy.

So, when David got home last night, he took the tree outside and started shaking it. He then decided to shake it in the driveway so we could see when this giant lizard fell out. He asked me for a detailed description so he could be prepared. I described him in great detail. So after a few minutes of shaking, this guy pops out:

After the comment "he's awfully skinny"-- side note: David is a friend to all animals, he doesn't even like to kill spiders, I however wouldn't have been upset if our lizard friend hadn't survived, end side note-- I got a little bit of a hard time about this "giant lizard". Oops. At least he isn't living in my study anymore!

IKE... Part II

Here is a real update on our status after Ike. David didn't want me posting our exact whereabouts when we weren't home due to all of those blog reading looters. First and foremost, we are fine and our house is fine. We are all finally back at home. David came home on Thursday morning because he needed to get back to the office. When I referred to him going to work in previous posts, he was setting up a cozy little office in the corner of Starbucks. I don't think he minded that too much, but he had to get back. As long as we didn't have power, Micah and I were hunkered down in College Station at my parent's house. We were hunkered down with my parents, my sister and her fiance Danny, their 2 dogs, my grandparents, and much of the time, David's brother Kevin and his girlfriend Audrey, and our friends Matt and Jessi. It was a serious Hurricane Party. This party included way to much playing of the game "Settlers of Catan". Never heard of it? Didn't think so. It also included some really good food and even S'mores thanks to Teddy. Our house did get power on Thursday but David wanted me and Micah to go ahead and stay through the weekend because Houston is still such a mess... and because he would be coming back up on Saturday for the Aggie football game anyway. Parts of our neighborhood still don't have power and the grocery store across the street is still running on generators! I will be so glad when this mess is over but I decided I couldn't move in with my parents until the city of Houston is back to normal because that is going to be a long long time. So, I'm back.

Anyway, here is how it all played out:

On Thursday morning, David and I woke up to the radio alarm (yes we have the old school boxy radio alarm) telling us that Hurricane Ike was in fact headed straight for Houston, not Corpus or Mexico like they originally thought. So, we decided that we would leave that afternoon for College Station. I packed light for 3 days (what was I thinking?), didn't even think to clean out the fridge, and we left. Friday and Saturday consisted of waiting for the storm and watching the storm. I have never seen anything like it. It was scary... even in College Station the wind was crazy. I was positive we weren't going to have a roof when we got home. On Sunday, things seemed back to normal in College Station (except for the fact that there was no bread to be found in any stores-- what is that about?) but not so much at all in Houston (as we could see on the news). On Sunday, David, Teddy, and Matt drove to Houston to check on the houses and clean out fridges. Their damage report was good for us... no damage except that we lost a tree (maybe 2). For the rest of the week, we tried to live as normal as possible, living with my parents. My grandparents were able to go back on Monday which made them very happy. We are so blessed to have such a nice place to stay so close to home that has all of the necessities and then some. Micah didn't seem to mind the change of scenery too much. He got his first cold while we were away. I am attributing that to either the teething (tooth #2 popped through) or all the junk the hurricane blew through because why not blame something else on Ike?

While on hiatus from life up in College Station, Micah and I somehow managed to sneak in a trip to the San Marcos outlets, a trip to Brenham to visit Great Grand Joyce and Aunt Kathy, quite a bit of shopping, a trip to the movies (Micah didn't attend that one-- The Women... very cute), and I didn't miss a single run for my half training!

Thank you thank you thank you to my parents for allowing us to essentially move in for over a week while we didn't have power and were waiting for things to settle down... especially Suzu who takes such good care of her family and was cooking for 15 people some nights.

We feel so blessed to have been so protected throughout the storm! Our prayers are with those that are still without power and are dealing with the destruction from Ike.

When I walked outside this morning, this is what I found...

Seriously? I mean, still no power at home and now a flat tire. Ok, God... are you trying to teach me something here?

This was David's face when I told him to go on to work. I would handle it. I assured him that I would fill the tire up with air and if that didn't work, I would simply change it myself. No worries!

He didn't have too much confidence in me, although he did go on to work.

(Side note: the dent in the door had nothing to do with the flat tire... we have no idea how that happened it just appeared about a year ago... I got in trouble for that one but I really do have no idea how that happened. End side note.)

Ike... YIKES!

Just a quick update to say that we are all safe and sound and it appears that our house has suffered no damage. Micah is totally clueless as to what is going on, it is quite funny. I think he is wondering why we are so concerned as we watch the news.

I will post more information soon...

Zoo Fun!

On Saturday, we took Micah on his very first adventure to the zoo! I absolutely love the zoo so this was so much fun.

We went with our friends, Matt and Jessi. Being a Saturday, it was very crowded, so I think Micah was more intrigued by all the people than the animals. I think we finally did get his attention with the elephants. Those are my favorite so maybe they'll be his favorite, too.

Most of the animals were hiding... I'm assuming from some of the crazy kids screaming at them. We'll have to go back when he's a little older on a quiet day during the week. Nevertheless, it was tons of fun and I can't wait for our next trip to the zoo!

After a hard days work...

This is what I found: