Paigey has friends

Last Monday, Paigey went to her 1st birthday party where only she was invited.

Check out those cute ice cream cupcakes!

I have become good friends with two other kinder mommies and they both have little girls Paigey's age. And all three girls also take 'nastics together.

Birthday girl, Emma, Paige and Finley

no more Lubbock, Texas in my rearview mirror

Over the years as we've left the Lubbock city limits to head home to wherever, I'd sing "Happiness is Lubbock, Texas in my rearview mirror."

Not because I was happy to be leaving Lubbock, but because I'm a dork.

...It has been one week today since we moved out of our house in Arlington to Lubbock. That day was nuts. Nicole kept the girls while the movers loaded the truck and Gregg had to go back to the dr. to have his hand rechecked and an antibiotic given. Would you believe that in the midst of all of this, I had a hair appointment?

Seriously. Talk about leaving town with all roots bases covered. No really, the appointment had been planned for about a month. My hair chick was going on maternity leave and I wanted to make sure my hair would make it through her absence! Then to come to find out that moving day was the same day.

Oh well. I work best under pressure. Gregg would be sure to disagree with that.

After my appointment, I had to swing by and the get the girls. The rush was that Bo Glover had to be in Lubbock by 6 to spend the night at the doggie hotel. I started crying as soon as I drove in her driveway because I thought, "this sucks!"

Nicole and I have been friends for over 8 years and finally we've spent the past year as practically neighbors with our girls being the best of friends. As I like to say, "it was a good time but the good time is over."

My sister asked a few weeks ago what was going to happen with Nicole now that I'm moving.

???

I felt like saying, "since I'm moving I'll never talk to her again."

As if.

Nicole and I have been friends long before cell phones, email and blogs. Just like any other friend, you make an effort and you'll still be friends! You know...Make new friends but keep the old. One is silver and the other gold.

My sweet friend had a gift waiting to be opened when I got there. It was an "Arlington Friends" photo album she made. It had pics of our girls together, Lisa's and Ana's kids, and home group friends. The pics came from the blog.

Nicole is resourceful like that.

After a good little cry I left and drove back to the house to run the vacuum and then we were onto Lubbock.

On Wednesday, we closed on our new house. At the title company, Paige decided it was her time of the week to make a stinky. Nice.

And let me tell you, being the owner of two homes is not what it is cracked up to be! (we have a contract on our old house though)

Thursday was moving in day! The United Truck drove up to the house down the street. For about a week, I gave everyone I knew the wrong house address 5213 instead of 5231. So, I had to recall everyone with the correct address. Apparently United didn't pass on the message to the drivers. The girls and I saw the truck pull up to 5213 and we were waving like fools "we're down here!"

Macy ran as I schlepped Paige down the block to get their attention. We got to the truck and they gave us a ride back to our house.

Our whole house was in that truck!

Macy inspecting the progress

Time to snack

And relax

And multi-task

And slide

And slide some more

And explore

Within 3 weeks of househunting: we found a house, put a contract on it, have a contract on our existing house, MOVED (and unpacked). Why did it go so smooth? Because it was God's doing, not ours ~ from falling in love with the 1st house we looked at to our aunt and uncle being our realtors that gave them a guaranteed sale.

Let me say that everything goes alot more smoother when God is in the driver's seat. In every other move, Gregg and I have been the masterminds behind our moves: plotting when it was time to move on , trying to decide where it would be best to move to, how we (Gregg) was going to make it happen. On our timetables, in our way.

Our move to Lubbock has been without a doubt what people refer to as a "God thing".

With that I have no doubt that Lubbock, Texas will become nearer and dearer to me.

And I'm looking to God for the vision to be clearer and clearer.

for a $1, we saw a monkey and talking veggies

Our local theatres are showing $1 movies in the mornings this summer. Last month, Nicole and I took the girls to see Curious George.

it was pure coincidence that we both dressed the girls in red, white and blue that day...

Paige had never been to a movie, and for $1, what did I have to lose?
Ironically, Curious George was the first movie that Macy saw in the theatre as well.


Today was our first time back since that day and we saw some Veggie Tales movie about pirates. Even though Macy still says "aye, aye captain!" (and salutes me) on a regular basis, I thought she'd get a kick out of it.

It didn't hold the girls attention too well. Or mine.

Their cinematic tastes tend to revolve around princesses busting out in song, wearing pretty gowns, and then falling into a deep sleep or being locked up in an attic.

Regardless, cheap and a/c is a morning well spent!

Christmas in July

As wholesome as the parade was, well the rest of the evening wasn't.

Fun, dirty, hot, a bit creepy ~ yes.

Wholesome ~ not so much.

It was planned out with the best of intentions. My girlfriend, Margi, and I had scoped out online all kinds of places that was showing local fireworks. Not on Thursday night (the 3rd) or on Saturday night (the 5th) but you know, on the 4th of July. With the rest of the country.


We found out that the local horse racing track was doing fireworks after the last race. So, the plan was meet up for dinner, go see the horseys, and then watch the fireworks.


In.air.condition.


So, that morning, the girls and I went to the parade, grabbed lunch at Sonic to take home, the girls napped, I took them to the pool that afternoon and then it was off to meet more friends for dinner and festivities.


We're makin' memries' here.


We met the Howard's at On the Border for dinner. The iced tea hadn't even been ordered when the night immediately went downhill.


That would be when my elbow knocked the hot sauce out of the waiter's hand and all over Gregg's white tshirt and khaki shorts. And my denim shorts and red shirt. And my purse. (5min earlier..."I'll just stick some wipes in my purse instead of taking Paige's bag in"....)


Yes, I am clumsy like that on a regular basis. But my back was towards husband and the waiter because I was discussing the vast differences of cheese quesadillas and cheese nachos to my two and five year old.


Choose pppllleeeaaaassseeee, dear children. Cheese on a chip or cheese in a tortilla??!!


Gregg hurried himself off to the bathroom to clean the RED sauce out of his white tshirt.


Like that was going to come out.


Then when he came back, me and my purse went to go clean up. The purse wiped up good. I wiped off the excess sauce off my clothes. No worries, I'm a mom. I'm stained, wet, and smelly on a regular basis.


When we were almost finished with our dinner, Ana and family walked by. Crazy to see all of our dear friends in one day!


I love how it is, indeed, a small world after all.


After the restaurant, it was close to 8pm but Gregg needed some new clothes. Seriously. We backtracked to the closest Walmart so I could run in and get husband a new outfit. (Target was way down the road and any nicer stores were closed for the night)


It wasn't in the best part of town but I ran in to find Gregg something that would get him through the next couple of hours. After much searching, I found a navy pullover and some khaki shorts that were not folded and on hangers. Because there was no going home to run the iron over them.


When I got back in the car, Gregg was all disgusted at how ghetto the Walmart was like his own store in South Dallas. He said he saw one of his thieves walk into the store while her pimp waited in the getaway car for her.


Macy said she saw Keith Urban. But Gregg said it was just a tan, homeless man with long hair.


I jumped in the drivers seat so Gregg could change clothes while going down the access road. And I told him to just go on and ignore the fact that his new shorts had a teeny Wrangler tag on the cargo pocket.


We are not country folk like that.


Apparently, everyone in the metroplex decided that a/c and fireworks were a good combo. We turned out of the parking lot as soon as we turned in and called the Howard's for a Plan B.


Then the wailing in the backseat about not seeing horseys deafened me for a good 247 seconds.


Lo, and behold!


Santa has a cousin who lives on Skid Row! And for $10, he'd let me park in his parking lot so the kiddies can see some fireworks.
just south of that beard is a wad full of $10 bills...


And in case we need some refreshments, there was a snack shack waiting for us!


I parked the Murano and jumped out to hold the spot next to me for Margi (who was in line).


Get this. A lady in a minivan pulled right on up to me. I sweetly told her that my friend who was in line was going to park next to us. She snorted, "so you're saving this space?" Yep.


Then, with her windows rolled down, she cackled her ride the 20 yrds to the next available space. I'm like, "Gregg! Do you hear that woman laughing at me??!!"


It was all I could do not to walk on over to her and have some church right then and there.


All was forgotten when all five kids ~ ages 5 and under ~ reunited.

I love how Baby Gannon is giving a thumbs up.


Margi and I quickly ran off so we could get a closer look at Santa and the snack shack. And decided that probably inside the shack were some bathrooms that nobody was going to be using that night. Funny thing is, the kids never asked to go. And the adults, well, we held it.


Walking back to the car, I saw husband in his new threads.

Clearly, he's thrilled to see me.

Delirium started setting in with Paigey choking and poking.

And even a Kleenex box had lost it's battle in the wrestling pit.

It was time to call an intervention in the form of lets-turn-on-a-movie-in-the-truck. I turned on Leap Frog Letter Factory and told the kids go on and learn something.

I got crazy with the camera and did another one of those hold your arms out and shoot pics. It took us almost 11 years to do the 1st one, but by golly, we've done 2 in a month now!

(July 3rd marked 11 yrs since our 1st date)

Once the kids could each recite all of the alphabet and their sounds, we let them back out of the truck. It was nearing 10:00 and surely, the fireworks were going to start!

Brandon and Gregg took over the tailgating. And Macy and Preston later enjoyed some time together ~ with their clothes on.

I love how when Preston smiles, you can see every single one of his teeth...

Finally! Some fireworks showed up behind the snack shack! (But really, the real fireworks were to be in front of us, not behind us.) We let the kids that was it and it was time to go now.

Once we got all five kids loaded in the cars, there was a little tap-tap at the window. The sweet girl parked next to us had just heard from a friend (that was really at the racetrack)and word had it that the real fireworks were about to begin.

Aw crap.

We got all the kids out again and got them into position.

And the twinkle in their eyes made it all worth it.

Hometown Parade

On the Fourth, the girls and I (Gregg had to work) skipped swimming lessons to go to the parade downtown.

And really, I had seen enough of Ben's muscles to hold me through the weekend (and I thought the kids might have more fun at the parade).

We met some friends downtown and waited for the parade to start at 9.

When getting dressed for the day, Macy decided that she wanted to wear a dress and Paigey grabbed her pink kitty-cat rain boots. Which she wears several times a week with no socks.



I found this rusty hanger in the shape of an "M" on the street. I let Macy hold it for a pic for the sake of the blog and made my way to the 7-11 next door to trash it.

And really, what's a parade without a few celebrities?

Nothing like Elvis on a mini-bike. And Wonder Woman - bless her heart.


I had a flashback to my 3rd birthday where apparently it was appropriate to strip down in the middle of the party to try on my new underoos.
August 1979

(I am well aware of the apple not falling far from the tree. Macy is her mother's daughter.)

Paigey kept with the spirit of the event, waving her little flag continuously.


Macy joined her for a bit before she collapsed into a heap declaring she was "bored of sweating".



Luckily, it was time to go.

Stayed tuned for the next post about the rest of the day!