Eli's ParTAY

I'm going to mooch off my mom's blog, just like I'm mooching off of her in general this week.   Thanks Mom (and Dad) for making Eli's bday and my moving week extra special!  

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Let his 4th be with you.

Get it?  (Let the FORCE be with you. ~ Star Wars) Kinda a stretch I know.  

On your way home from the hospital.

This little jedi came into the world with big brown eyes, curiosity and a love for life.   

Being silly celebrating your Dad passing the CPA (1 years old)

Our prayer for you at your baptism was that you would live up to your name (know that the Lord is your God) and that you would take joy in people.  

Your Second Birthday

You've not only shown a knowledge (and excitement) for the Lord, but your joy in life and people at such a young age amazes me.  

Playing with new toys from your 3rd Birthday.

My new prayer is that nobody (not even your mother) takes away even an ounce of that joy.   We need your giggles, silliness and plain zest for life to remind us that life is good (and worth fighting for). 

Warding off evil powers with your fellow Jedi, Gavin.  (just before your 4th birthday)

 
So, E-bug/E-man/Brown Eyes/Brother/Bubby/Bubs let your FORTH be with us.   We love you!!! 

Surprise Visitor

We had a surprise visitor last weekend.   And his name begins with G.   GRANDADDY!!!   On Friday morning I called to set up a visit, and by 3 pm he called to say he was on the road : )   There are so many reasons we love our Grandaddy, but the way he enjoys us and our kids (in a crazy out of the box way) is at the top.   There's not too many that would hop in a car on a whim, with out looking back, and drive 8 hours to spend less than 48 hours with us.   Not that y'all don't love us, don't hear me say that.   This is the "crazy out the box way" that only our Grandaddy can do.  It plays against my "planned is better" mentality, but we (pretty much) ALWAYS have a good time.

We started the weekend with a walk to Dunkin Donuts (which Eli calls D for Donuts).  After pumping us up with sugar we headed to Todd's office to see where the reason for all of this takes place.   This was the first time the kids and I had seen it.  (I don't think the kids have EVER seen where he works, so this was a treat.)

Headed to Dad's office

Dad's office.  

Eli pretending to take a call.   (notice the badge?)

 After we had enough fun at the office (read: the kids wrote with marker on Todd's wall) we decided to head downtown McKinney to show Gregg "The Square".   We walked around a few shops and landed at the Pantry for lunch.   They are located in the old courthouse and are well known for their pies (actually featured on the food network for them!)     

Next stop...Mom and Popcorn nostalgic candy store.   Needless to say, this was fun and dangerous all at the same time : ) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lego candy that you can actually build! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We rounded out the weekend with showing Grandaddy the new house (we close on Thursday!), swimming in the pool and just "bummin" (famous term of Grandaddy's).   Thank you for such a great time Grandaddy and good luck on your new job...you'll do great (out of the box great!)

Not that exciting...yet.

I feel like I may have built up our "new Texas" blog post but there really isn't anything too glamorous to share.   (Although I did glamorize the actual look of the blog to make up for it).   So far this still feels like a vacation...where my husband works and I still have to run errands and pay bills.  O.k. So maybe not a vacation, but not reality yet.  Possibly it's because we live in a 2 bed apartment that is furnished without our belongings.  Or maybe it's because we have to ride the elevator to go outside.  Or maybe it's because Anna sleeps in our closet.  Or maybe it's because we have cable t.v. for this first time since we've been married.  No, it's probably because we have a cleaning service that folds our towels into random creatures.  Regardless, this definitely isn't home and we are trying not to get used to it, yet trying to find a routine somehow.  I'm caught between trying to plan our life in McKinney, but also trying to live it up at our posh urban apartment at the shops in Plano.  So we go back and forth each day trying to find a new adventure and or a new routine.  Here are some glimpses into our life (although to truly experience it, y'all need to visit!)        

Our Elevator Man a.k.a Elijah James

 

Our Door Man (a.k.a Elijah James...he's a big helper.  I should tip him)

Waiting patiently for Mom to open the car

My saving grace for bringing groceries and 2 children up 7 stories. 

Our daily walk takes us around this lake approximately 8 times which I'm hoping is 2 miles : )  Eli rides his bike.  Also our apartment complex is the one behind the fountain! We are on the top floor. 

We have begun scoping out the local playgrounds. 

And YES it's hot.   100 degrees hot.  BUT, I do think it is hotter in St. Louis.  There is no humidity here so you can actually breathe outside!  

Eli reading to Anna.   It has been really sweet to see their relationship grow as they're forced to hang out with each other : ) 

Our journey "home"

A few last thoughts/pictures before I introduce our life in Texas. 

*Saying good bye was much more difficult than I expected.   The level of intimacy and depth in our relationships with others made leaving actually hurt.  Thankfully it is that same level that makes me believe those relationships will not be shaken (at least too much) 

*While hard, I couldn't wait to just rip the band aid off.   With an expected June 5 move date pushed back a few weeks we said some good byes way too early, so we had to say them again, and again, and again.  

*Using a Meyers Briggs reference, I don't have much "F" (feeler) while a lot of my friends do (opposites attract!) so watching them shed tears was very hard to watch and made me feel like I wasn't a good friend because I didn't SHOW my emotion.  Instead I "T'ed" (thought) a lot about you and still do, processing how I am going to stay connected, how you've been great friends, how I will see you again!  

*Todd was sad and experienced a lot of the weight of the decision of moving us to another state.   He constantly analyzed and processed whether this was right for our family.

*I finally cried/let it all out (alone) when I put the key in the lock of our house for the last time.   So much that I had to go back in and walk through each of the room, touching them, remembering Christmas', rehabs, birthdays', bringing each of our children home, card games, Halloween parties, house groups, play dates, ect.

*Don't worry I finally cheered up when it was just the 4 of us in the car driving on our way "home".  A sense of calmness and freedom went over Todd and I when all the goodbyes had been said, business done, rooms cleared out and boxes packed.   It really just comes down to us...the simplicity of our family.  We are not leaving each other.  We will still have Christmas', home projects, birthdays, card games and play dates.   More importantly, we still have our faith in a God that promises never to leave or forsake us.  And last time I checked he reigns in Texas too ; )   (some would say more!)

Here are some happy memories shared before we left!!  (If you don't see one that I shared with you, then I was having too much fun to take pics!! Send me one if you have it...)  

A Texas size party hosted by our friends the Blazers/Mohrs.   (there were better photographers than me there, so I'm hoping they send me some more pics!  Rachel did a fantastic job setting the scene)

Playing at Tower Grover park with Arie

Dinner with the Petersons

Cardinals Game with Grandaddy

Light Saber action with Gavin

Leah and her sorority sisters (sorry Kris, you're lumped in with us!)

High school friends! 

Stop in Springfield, MO to see family...

...and have an early birthday party for Eli!   (Notice the AWESOME death star cake made by his Aunt Kara and Jody)

        More on our life here in Texas in my next blog post!