Anniversary

Don't faint. I know this is the third posting this month. Soon life will be crazy and I will have to take a sabbatical again.

Last week marked the third anniversary of our arrival in Texas. It's amazing how fast the time has gone by and yet we still feel like newbies. Since we have been here, our family has grown by one (well two if you add the arrival of Wally's t.v.--we all spend plenty of quality time with Vizio). We have survived torrential rain, tornado warnings, summer heat, and ice storms. We have experienced loneliness, a few unexpected tragedies, and amazing growth. We have endured two road trips to Utah and have gained a greater sense of gratitude for the Pioneers. We have learned why we are told to "become as a little child" as we have watched our incredible kids grow and flourish. We have developed a deeper gratitude for our families. Oh yeah, and we have become Cowboys fans.

Since we have now been here for three years, here are three things we love about Texas:

• Winter, Spring, and Fall
• The people! We love our neighborhood, community, and ward.
• The schools.

Three things that we could really do without:

• All the creepy, crawly things (fireants, really big spiders, lizards)
• Having to pay to drive on the roads
• Year-round allergies

When we moved here, it was with the intent to stay for a couple of years and then go home. I never expected that this would become home, but as the years go by the roots go deeper. I still get homesick and miss my family, but I wouldn't trade this experience for anything.

Retraction

Remember when I posted that Chloe hasn't hit the terrible two's and that she is just a happy, fun-loving, energetic girl that brings joy to our lives? I need to retract that.

This week Chloe developed a major attitude. It all started when Wally came home from work on Monday. Chloe took one look at him and said "Daddy, I don't like you." (Time out for Chloe). Two days ago we were all eating dinner-- except for Chloe. She was spinning. I told her several times to sit down and eat her dinner. With a pout on her face she climbed up in her chair and yelled "You're ruining my life!" Last night she exclaimed that she was NOT happy. "What's the matter princess?" I asked. She angrily muttered something about her magic wand and then added "BUT I CAN'T WORRY ABOUT THAT!" Maybe she skipped the terrible twos and landed in the terrible teens. Any suggestions?

Our Little Goblins

Halloween is not Wally's favorite holiday. Why, you ask? First, he does not get the day off from work, therefore, Halloween is not an actual holiday. Second, he's not big on neighborhood kids coming to our house begging for candy. But seriously, how can you not LOVE Halloween when your kids are as cute as ours? (I admit that I am a little biased.)

This year Kelsie and her friends chose to be beauty queens, tiara and all (what can I say, we live in Texas!) Jackson was a clone trooper (it's a Star Wars thing) and Chloe discovered her true identity as a fairy princess. (If you ask Chloe what she was for Halloween she wil tell you "a pink dress." Then she will go into a long story of how we don't have a Tinkerbell movie because she has to go pee-pee and poo-poo on the potty first.) Before we hit the pavement to do our trick-or-treating, we went to our neighborhood's Fall Festival where the kids got to decorate pumpkins, play games, go on a carriage ride, and eat warm peach cobbler and hot chocolate in 85 degree weather! Aaahhhh...Halloween in Texas! At the end of the day, everybody was tired and happy, even Wally the Halloween Grinch.

Look Who's Two!

It's hard to believe that our baby is now a full-fledged two-year-old. We moved from our home in Utah when I was only a few months pregnant. So, for those of you who do not have the privilege of seeing Chloe on a regular basis, here is a look into her cute little personality:

• Chocolate milk fixes everything. Her first words in the morning are "Mommy, chocolate."


• She LOVES puppies and babies. Too bad she will never have a real one of either.


• In addition to carrying around her puppy and her baby, she MUST HAVE her two pink blankies (clean b's as she calls them). Why 2 you ask? Because upon noticing her attachment to her pink blankie, we thought we were so smart to buy her a second, backup one. It has now become part of her regular entourage.


• She is a girly-girl. She likes getting her toenails painted, dressing up, wearing my shoes, putting on make-up, etc.


• She loves Blue's Clues, Dora, and Diego and unfortunately watches way more tv than the one hour limit recommended by the American Association of Pediatrics.


• Her favorite place is the mall. Last week as I was trying to get her dressed for church she said "No church! I go to mall!"


• She started showing interest in potty-training right around her second birthday but now....not so much. She may beat Jackson's record (of 3 and 1/2) for the oldest child to be potty-trained.


• She is obviously the baby of the family. A few weeks ago I observed her playing at the park. It was a busy night and there were a lot of kids there. After waiting her turn to go down the slide, Chloe exclaimed "Yeah! My turn!" to which, I beamed with pride. I patted myself on the back and thought that I had done a great job of teaching her that we have to take turns. She took her turn and ran straight back up to the top where she yelled "Hey kids, get out, it's my turn!"


• She doesn't walk she prances, hops, runs, and jumps.


• She is very adventurous. We recently had dinner with some friends. After dinner the kids were playing and Chloe was following their puppy around the house. Soon she came downstairs and reported that their puppy had "stinky poos." We went up to investigate and Chloe showed us right where the "stinky poos" were and then non-chalantly admitted "I eat it." Naturally, I freaked out. "You ATE it? Like you put it in your mouth?" I asked. "No," she responded, "I spit it out." GROSS! I didn't know what to do, but I felt the need to take her into the bathroom and wash something.


• She likes to play with bugs (buggies). In Utah, we went swimming at Nellie and Danno's pool and Chloe's favorite activity was fishing the dead bugs out of the pool and wiping them on the grass.


• She really likes birthdays (especially hers!) For weeks before her birthday, she would tell people "My birthday's comin' " Actually, she still tells everybody that her birthday is coming. They usually ask "When?" and she replies "In April." Chloe and I went to the pharmacy and picked up some medicine. The pharmacist handed me the little white bag and I threw it in the cart. Chloe picked it up and exuberantly asked "Is it my birthday?" How disappointing it must have been that is was not her birthday and that the bag only contained allergy medicine!


• She is full of spunk, life, energy, and joy! She brings our family so much fun, excitement, and happiness!

At her two-year-old well-child checkup, her pediatrician asked me if she had hit the terrible two's yet. I thought about it for a minute and then realized that she hasn't. She is a happy little two-year-old that makes our lives rewarding.

Going WAY Back

I promised Janelle that I would post some Halloween pictures, and I am just now getting to it. So, if you are waiting for me to do something that I told you I would do, be patient....I am finally checking off the stuff from October! We had such a fun Halloween this year. Kelsie dressed up as a rock star, Jackson was a Jedi, and Chloe was a ladybug. The kids went trick-or-treating and got way too much candy. Then we got together with some dear friends and let our sugar-loaded kids run around, eat junk food, and play. Wally and I learned a FUN new card game called Golf and before we knew it, it was midnight. At the stroke of twelve, the rock star turned back into Kelsie, the knight became Jackson, the ladybug morphed back into a very tired Chloe and the parents tucked them all into bed.




This Thanksgiving, we had much to be grateful for. Wally finished his very last CPA exam (which, by the way, he PASSED!) As a way of thanking the kids and I for our support and endurance, he flew us home to Utah. It started out a little rocky with flight delays, a lost iPod, a screaming baby, and missing Natalie's baptism, but it only got better from there. The kids were in heaven playing with all of their cousins, having sleep-overs at Grandma's, and being spoiled 24/7. Wally and I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with our families, and also being spoiled 24/7. As always, the time flew by too quickly and before we knew it we were back on the plane with a screaming baby. We're counting down the days until we can go back!



Chrismas 2008 marked the very first Christmas that I was not at home. I missed being with our families, but I must admit that spending a quiet, simple Christmas here was pretty nice. On Christmas Eve we got together with a couple of families and our kids put on the cutest Nativity ever! Christmas morning the kids opened their presents and they got to play with them (we're usually rushing to the airport to catch a flight). While this Christmas was very different from what we're used to, I realized that I am stronger than I give myself credit for.

Catching Up

I've neglected to blog a few things over the past few months, and while the pictures are not current, they are just too cute not to share. Here are some shots from Kelsie's birthday (in February). We had an awesome girls day out-- shopping at Justice, pedicures, Cheesecake Factory, and a late night with Olivia. What more could a 9-year-old girl ask for? We feel so blessed to have Kelsie in our family. She brings fun, love, compassion, and energy to our home. We love you Kels!

One month later, we were partying again, this time for Jackson. Jackson felt super special this year because Grandma Miyasaki came to town. We celebrated Jackson's birthday and Grandma's visit with a trip to the Dallas World Aquarium. All I can say is AWESOME! We saw sharks, crocodiles, exotic birds, a manatee, otters, tarantulas, vampire bats, a jaguar, and fish from all corners of the world. I think I might choose to go there for my birthday, too. I didn't think that our day could get any better, but I was wrong. We had lunch at Chili's and then for the pinnacle event (drumroll, please) .....shopping at Target. Jackson asked for money for his birthday this year so he could buy a huge, very expensive Star Wars Lego set. A Lego set is truly the gift that keeps on giving because for the next few hours, Jack and Wally got to put the huge, very expensive Lego set together. When it was all finished, Jackson was one happy six-year-old. Jackson, we love your sense of humor, your sweet disposition, and your caring nature!

Happy Birthday, Papa!

The hardest part about living in Texas is missing out on all of the family gatherings. Dad, we wish we could be there to sing to you in person, but for now, this will have to do! We love you, we miss you, and we wish you a very Happy Birthday!