Changes around the house...

It has been quite a few weeks since we've updated our blog. School has started and I have a great group of kids! I have a great group of parents this year who are so excited for Tony and I and support us so that is great too! I realized last week just how much I love my job! I know that being a working mom will be a difficult balance that I may never fully achieve, but it has always been a challenge I have wanted to face. Everyone makes choices that work for their family and I'm just so glad that Tony and my family support my desire to go back to work and also raise a family. My grandmother is planning to watch Emerson when I go back to finish the school year and my mom will pick up next August from there on out. I know that my career is the most flexible one to be a working mom, so at least I will get my few months in the summer, winter break, spring break, and all major holidays to be a stay at home mom. We'll just say that things will always be interesting and busy in our home, which is just how we like them!

In the spare weekends we have (which haven't been much since we've been here, there and everywhere lately) we have been receiving so many blessings!

Here are a few changes around our house:

Our great friends Mary Ruth and Preston gifted us with a wonderful gift card that allowed us to get the pack and play we wanted. It's still in the box, but it's super cute and has owls all over it. Thank you guys!

My mom surprised us with a car seat for Miss Emerson. We hope to take her many fun places that we enjoy going to!

Tony's parents gifted us this fabulous swing! They came into town a few weekends ago and wanted to buy us a swing, so away we went and found this adorable one for a STEAL! After being on sale and using a 20% off coupon this one was so much less than any other we had on our registry! Tony's mom insisted on buying Emerson her first stuffed animal so that little one is resting where she will one day! The swing has been on in our living room from time to time so that Einstein can get used to the music, nature sounds, and gliding/rocking motions it makes.

Here is a BOB stroller we found on Craig's List for a great deal as well! We plan on using this as our sole stroller so we were excited to get this one! The car seat pops in with an adapter so Emerson will be riding around the neighborhood and town in style.

Emerson has been blessed so far with a fabulous wardrobe! My sister-in-law Brianne is responsible for most of this as she went on a shopping spree at Babies R Us. The picture doesn't do all her options much justice since most of these sets have 3 outfits on one hanger. My favorites are the A&M cheerleader outfit, A&M dress, and Texas Rangers onesies. This girl is already ready for our love of sports!

I'm feeling great right now! I'm still working out and lifting weights nearly nightly. We've been going on many walks at night and I'm still riding my bike. After the morning sickness finally went away (praise God!) I wanted to get right back to what I had been doing and I got my doctor's blessing. I am a little over 6 months along right now but I haven't taken a picture just yet. Here's an old one of me at 5 months.

Will update more later!

An Entirely Too Long Break

I'm alive!

After many, many, many weeks of absence I'm here. Our world has drastically changed since my last post. We found out in early May that we're expecting a little one at the end of the year (if Tony has his way) or the first few days of January. We were beyond surprised, beyond excited, and I have been beyond sick. I'm hoping I'm nearing the end of my sick time because MAN have I had my fair share.

I haven't wanted to be on here much because all of the blogs I love to read have one thing in common....FOOD!! I have had a disastrous relationship with food these past 3+ months and it has been the last thing I've wanted to look at. I'm so thankful for Tony because he has taken over like a champ, making me breakfast every morning before work, coming home late and cooking large meals for leftovers, and doing all the grocery shopping for strange requests. He has been the bread winner, the bread shopper, and the bread maker the past 3 months and has done it all with a smile and a whistle. Our family is beyond blessed to have him in our lives!

Here is a shot of our little one at 13 weeks. Prayers are welcome and much appreciated!

Weekend Warriors!

This weekend Tony's parents came into town. We relaxed Friday night, and then on Saturday we ran errands around town. Saturday afternoon Tony bought a large live oak he had been eyeing all week (literally all week-the boy went to look at it 3 days in a row during his lunch break).

I skipped out on the purchasing, but gave my blessing. This tree would normally cost 3 times what he bought it for, so he was pretty pumped! While he and his dad went to buy and haul, Einstein, his mom, and I stayed home and napped! When he came home with the tree I was surprised at how tall it was.

Space before tree:

Pretty baby Live Oak tree:

Here's my boo being a big strong guy digging a hole for the tree. He dug, and dug, and dug... Finally they tore the thing out of the tub it came in and got it in the ground.

Disposing of the excess soil over the fence. They were actually showing the empty lot behind us to a couple while Tony was dumping the soil over the fence. Eek! We stopped and spied through the knot holes until they drove off and then we went back to doing it again. We're going to have to get that huge flower bed dug before they build a house back there. =)

Here it is in all it's glory!

Hopefully this spring and summer will be good to this tree. We've got a long list of projects to do during our Spring Break off. We're going to put a large flower bed that goes the span of the back fence between the two oak trees back there. We'll be aerating our lawn, expanding a front flower bed, fertilizing, and re-mulching all flower beds. I can't wait! After the tree planting, Tony's parents took us to the Salt Lick to celebrate my birthday.

It was delicious!

Today before his parents left, his mom pruned our rose bushes in the front. They were badly in need of it and she said this was the perfect time of year to do it (who knew you were supposed to do it on Valentine's day!?). I held on to Einstein and snapped the pics while Tony took away the canes (learned that) and chopped off the tough ones too.

This afternoon I'm off to one of my co-worker's baby showers. It should be a fun time! Tony and Einstein are planning a snooze fest on the couch. Tonight we're trying a healthier version of manicotti so hopefully I'll post that soon! Happy Sunday!