Short Hiatus

My computer is being unplugged in a few minutes, so this will be my last post from Midland, Texas. It has been an interesting six years, full of great times and not-so-great times. We have definitely been here longer than we thought, but we are grateful for the extra time with friends and family. We have both learned much about our own strengths and weaknesses. We have added a member to our family. Midland will always hold a wonderful place in our hearts, but it is time to move on to the next part of our great adventure!

One Year Stats

Kyle had his one-year well check today. They had to squeeze us in so we could see our doctor one more time before moving to Miami. Kyle is doing well. Here are his stats:

• Height: 29 1/4 in.
• Weight: 21 lbs. 13 oz.
• Head Circumference: 18 1/4 in.

He is somewhere between the 25th and 50th percentile for everything.

Dr. MacFerran warned me of the challenges of raising this boy in the year to come and the difficulties ahead. It looks like it's going to be GREAT fun with this wild toddler of mine!

I had to wake him from his nap after only an hour so we could make it to the appointment. I went in to his room and couldn't help but get a picture of how I found him:



He wasn't too happy to be waken from his beauty sleep. Good thing we were able to continue the nap after the appointment was over!

Our Trash.....

......was someone else's treasure, today! We had a very successful garbage sale!!! The weather was great, and I'm so glad we put in the effort to get it together. It was slow-going at first, but people started to come. I guess if you have a bunch of stuff, they will come.

I already sold my washer and dryer (so someone ELSE would have to haul it down the stairs.) We sold a computer desk, a bookcase, a Nintendo, an MP3 player, speakers, some other furniture, baby stuff, a freezer, a microwave, an old tv, games, almost everything out of our kitchen, clothes, and lots and lots of odds and ends.

Thank you to Grama Sue, for being the cashier and for the use of your garage. What a great location! Thanks to Auntie Deb for your help and for finding and releasing so many treasures (and for getting your boss to donate some stuff.) Thanks to Bob for coming over last night to help take the HEAVY computer desk down the stairs. Thanks to Stephen for doing the heavy lifting, for being the bouncer, for translating our prices into Spanish for our Mexican shoppers (and for making us laugh!) Thanks, Michele, for the idea in the first place! Thanks, Lou, for watching Kyle. Thanks, Jules and Nicole for your support. Finally, THANK YOU, garage-salers of Midland, for contributing to our success.....all $1, 048.81 of it!!! (that includes the washer and dryer~sold previously!) Now we can help cover the cost of replacing our fried laptop and getting some new stuff for our place in Miami!!!

Throw Away Fifty

We're getting ready for our big garage sale! It feels so cleansing to get rid of stuff that's been cluttering up our house. Kyle's been SUCH a big help during the whole process.....


....especially when someone is holding him! (Thanks, Grama Sue for letting us do the garage sale at your house!!)


Moving is a great time to go through and release some of the worldly belongings that I thought I just couldn't live without. I've been working on decluttering for much longer than just the time we've been preparing to move, though. Last April, I read an article about something called "Throw Away Fifty." It's a challenge that a professional organizer established for her clients. The name tells (almost) all. You have to get rid of fifty things and keep a list. Sounds easy, right? The catch? The fifty "things" have to all be different categories of things. For instance, you can't just get rid of fifty books and be done. "Books" counts as one "thing." "Clothes" is one thing. "Shoes" is one thing, etc. However, the "things" don't even have to be tangible. If you go through and delete emails or unused files from your computer, you can count it! This whole project ends up not being as easy as it first sounded when I read the article. In fact, I've been working on getting to 50 since last April (I was stuck at number 32!) (Granted, I had a baby in the middle and was working as a 5th grade teacher.....I've been a little busy.) With this garage sale in mind, I have finally reached my goal! Here's my list:

1. Welcome Sign
2. fat Clothes
3. Shoes
4. Bottles
5. Wreath
6. Books
7. old school papers
8. old craft projects
9. old young women stuff
10. old binders
11. emails
12. magazines
13. sweaters
14. cleaning stuff
15. Stephen’s clothes
16. Atlas’ stuff
17. old towels
18. old food
19. school scrapbook stuff
20. coats
21. picture frame
22. pictures
23. spray paint
24. calendar
25. games
26. expired coupons
27. bamboo chimes
28. dead plant
29. plant basket
30. vases
31. Stephen’s blanket
32. speaker boxes
33. speakers
34. twin bed
35. rope
36. satin sheets
37. throw pillows
38. air pump
39. wedding candles
40. candle warmer
41. college speech tapes
42. stuffed animals
43. dishes
44. glasses
45. pots and pans
46. old knives
47. bowls
48. expired medicine
49. old swimsuits
50. baby items

I would definitely recommend you try the "Throw Away Fifty Challenge." It forces you to really think about things that have been lurking in your closets, projects you've been saving for who-knows-when, and anything you've just been putting off until some other time. It's cool to have a measurable goal to reach....you can actually see a difference when you look at your list. So, try it! You'll be glad you did!

Do-It Yourself Moving

When our friends at church heard we were moving, several of them called to offer help. "What can we do to help you with your move?" "Can we come over and help you pack?" "Let me know when I can babysit for you so you can get some stuff done without Kyle around." "When do you need some of the Elders to come over and help you load your truck?" Stephen and I both received several phone calls or had conversations with people from church.

These are all wonderful offers and we will take some of you up on your service, but we know that people are busy. Instead of burden others, we opted to do most of our packing by ourselves (with the help of a few friends and family.) Then, we have hired four guys from a local company to help us load up the PODS container on the actual moving day. Until then, most of the packing and stacking has been taken care of by one man (and two women):


We have been SO pleased by his work! He's happy, helpful, and nimble. He's packed and stacked so many boxes, that we have to go get a few more! Thanks, Kyle!

Fountain of Youth

Kyle LOVES the water, so when Auntie Em took him out to the fountain, he really got into it! At first, he just delicately put his hands in and smiled.

Then, he realized he could make some serious splashes, so he did!! He put his head under the falling stream of water and even managed to slide all the way into the lowest tier. Needless to say, he was all wet afterwards.


I think he managed to find the fountain of youth because he's been up practically all night the last two nights, and it hasn't seemed to phase him. He's still his cheery self during the day. Maybe I need to go take a splash in Grama Sue's fountain!

Splish-Splash Shish-Ka-Bob Surprise

The theme of Kyle's birthday party was "One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish." I sent out homemade invitations, with a little poem and fish. I also had everyone who came to the party sign Kyle's copy of the Dr. Seuss book.

Kyle is the "One Fish" because he turned ONE year old:


Stephen and I are the "Two Fish," as his parents.

The "Red Fish, Blue Fish" part came in with the b-day cakes. (Not too bad for my first try!)


Now, on to the party. The title of this post calls it "Splish-Splash Shish-Ka-Bob Surprise."

The "Splish-Splash" part was swimming (everyone but Katie and Charlie) :







We also ate a lot of good food: "Shish-Ka-Bobs" (part of the theme), potato and pasta salad, fruit, smoked salmon, and chips and dips. (Thanks to Uncle Mark for grilling up the Kabobs!)

The "surprise" part of the title is really exciting. My mom, dad, brother and sister drove down to surprise us and come to Kyle's party!!! I had NO idea!! They really got me. I said it's the closest I've ever come to having my OWN surprise party. What a wonderful gift! I feel like I got the best present of all!

Then, it was time for the birthday boy to have his very first birthday cake. We sang to him, and he dug right in....even trying to eat the candle!

Here he is, truly enjoying his cake and ice cream!



Last, we opened presents. Correction: I opened presents, while Kyle looked at them and played with the boxes and tissue paper.


He did find a card with his name on it. It was a musical card, which he danced to.



He got several things with wheels: a Lightning McQueen car, a tractor, a dump truck, and an organ donor (motorcycle.) He spent quite a while driving all his motor vehicles all over the place.


It was a GREAT party! Thanks to everyone who helped make it so special, all those who came and all those who helped out. We LOVE you!

To Kyle, On His FIRST Birthday

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KYLE!!!!!!!

It's hard to believe that Kyle is already a year old. One year ago, we welcomed this little man into our lives, and what a wonderful year it has been! Here are some things I love about Kyle:

• He is happy and easily entertained.
• He loves water (swimming, baths, just playing in the sink.)
• He plays with "boy stuff" (wheels and balls and things he can move.)
• He loves "Party in My Tummy."
• He's a good eater.
• He LOVES to look at himself in the mirror. He also talks to and waves at his reflection.
  
• We can take him almost anywhere, and he's easy-going.
• He gives great kisses.
  
• He has SIX big teeth!

• He is so proud of himself for learning how to walk.

• He makes our life more complete and joyous, even when he's still getting up in the middle of the night. I think he wanted to relive the night before he was born because he woke up at 2:40, went to sleep at 3:20, woke up again at 3:40, cried and cried until I gave him a bottle, and finally went back to sleep after 5:00. Fun times! He made up for it by sleeping long enough for me to get up and shower in peace AND by greeting me a BIG hug when he woke up!
  

More "Help"

Kyle was emptying out the kitchen cabinets today and found the feather duster. His reaction to it was pretty funny. He kept trying to put it on his head and wave it around, which would cause him to just sit and laugh. If only I could get him to actually dust.....

Memory Tag

Here's how it works:

1. Add a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you. I can't wait to see what people remember.

I tag everyone reading my Blog!

What a Helper!

A baby is the PERFECT helper when you're trying to pack for a big move. They never get in the way, distract you, or slow down your progress! (Yeah, right.)

We are getting ready for our big move, one slow box at a time. Kyle is (mostly) being more of a help than a hindrance, only because I've done most of the packing during nap time!

Goodnight Moon

Kyle is FINALLY starting to like books! Okay, I won't get carried away. He likes a book: Goodnight Moon. We read it (almost) every night before he goes to bed. I think all of that repetition is finally sinking in because tonight I caught him "reading" the book to himself.


It's good from ALL angles!

More Walking

Kyle is getting more and more brave when it comes to walking. He'll be going all over the place before we know it! Watch out, world! Here he comes....

Rupert

For those of you who do not watch "Family Guy," Rupert is the teddy bear who belongs to Stewie, the baby. Stewie talks to Rupert and cares about him more than any other toy.

Kyle has a toy that he loves dearly, too. We take it everywhere, and seeing it always brings a smile to his face. It's made of a silky/fuzzy blanket and a teddy bear head. He sleeps with it, plays peek-a-boo, uses it to pretend to blow our noses, and carries it around the house. Since Kyle loves this toy so much, we've started calling it "Rupert." Here' s Kyle and Rupert:


I'm already talking about favorite toys, so I can't help but add a little story about Snoopy Belle, my favorite childhood toy. She was with me for many years, going through eye surgery and doctor visits with me. She was a comfort and pal through many difficult times.

For several years, I gave my mom a hard time about getting rid of Snoopy Belle (along with my Cabbage Patch dolls, My Little Ponies, etc.) So, when I had eye surgery five years ago, I had a sweet surprise. My mom and aunt had found a replacement Snoopy Belle, complete with the ORIGINAL dress she wore!


What a meaningful gift! How grateful I am for the small things that mean a lot! I have a picture and many memories in my mind that I will never forget, but it is time for ME to let Snoopy Belle go. We are clearly out and paring down to get ready for our move, and she is something that I'm ready to say goodbye to. So long, Snoopy Belle! Thanks for the memories!