It's all in the way you look at it

(So I have decided that I can't to short posts, yes, I am a bit wordy, but I think this one is worth spending the time to read).

After having such an eventful month I have learned that attitude can be good or bad with everything we have done--it's just all in the attitude you have while doing it. They days I was ANNOYED beyond belief at being in the car for yet ANOTHER day---and tired of hearing Kenzie cry and scream the ENTIRE trip it was not a good day. On the days where we just sat back, enjoyed the drive, and looked for it to be an "adventure" were much nicer days! So let me tell you of my last "adventure" (Sorry if I overuse this word---it seems to be the theme for the last few days).
As I mentioned in my previous post we decided on Tuesday that we could probably qualify to buy a house and the payments would be the same as renting (or cheaper) and we would be owning a house and it would be more what we want for a home (our only rental choices was a 4/2 trailer or a 2/1 house---and the trailer scared us and the house was too small for us). We decided about 1pm to see if we qualified for a loan. We were qualified by 2 on the road by 3. Well---tried to be on the road by 3. We got everything loaded (Kenzie included)---and we were so excited for this excitement for the day (mom and Jeffrey had both said they were BORED that day). Well the car doesn't start. Lucky for us (unlucky for him) Tyler had just got home from work. He drove his truck over to give us a jump. It took probably a good 30 min for us to figure out how to connect it just right. We drive straight to Big Spring to buy a battery. Well my mom buys one and practically BEGS the salesperson to switch out her batteries for her. Hesitantly he attempts to no avail. So we have him give us a jump and we vow not to turn off the car until we arrive at Clay's parents. Wed morning we go to Junction to look at the possible houses---but with moms car not starting we decided to take Jim and Betty Sue's car---Betty Sue's new car and the van that has been randomly breaking down (because we don't all fit in one car!). As I'm typing this I realize how thankful we all should be that we didnt have an "adventure" with the van. We made it back to Wall just in time to pack up moms car, get a jump and get on the road. I was planning to get my hair done that night but we were having to rush to make it in time. We left wall at 345. We arrived at my moms at 9.

Did I mention it should be a 3 1/2 hr drive??? Here's where the last "adventure" I have experienced began. So were headed from Wall on the backroads that Betty Sue drew for us. I had riden this way many of times, but it has been YEARS since I have actually driven it. Clay usually does the driving and I do the riding (aka---sleeping). So were headed through Veribest, Lowake, Ballinger, Coleman, "Cross Plains" (we later came to find out---was not Cross Plains), to Abilene. Abilene?!?! Yes, Abilene. For those of you that don't know, we should have NEVER hit Abilene. I am still stumped as to how exactley we ended up there. We should have hit I20 about 10-20 miles east of Abilene. By this time I realize I am not going to make my hair appt---good thing its a friend doing it for me! Kenzie has been crying by this point for about an hour---the sun was shining directly on her so we decided to pull over to put a pillow in the window to block out the sun. Well, what is the first thing you do when you pull into a rest stop to take a break? Turn off the car of course! Yes, as soon as the car was turned off Mom realized OH NO!!! PLEASE LORD START BACK UP!!! PLEASE!!!! No luck. So here we are, at a rest stop on I20 just outside of Abilene. We tie Dalton up to a pole, get Kenzie out and let her run around in the grass, mom and Jeffrey are freaking out about how we are going to get a jump start. Mom finally asks a man walking past, he so kindly "gives us a jump" so we thought man, this is not so bad---well his car wasn't powerful enough to start her car. Yes, so we are still stranded. Mom finds out she can call roadside assistance to get help. She is on hold for 30 min waiting for a dispatcher and then the poor girl on the phone had NO idea where we were calling from (heck---other than rest stop on I20 just outside Abilene was all we knew!). Meanwhile this trucker walks past to head towards the bathroom. I look at him and think---he looks a little rough he may not be the right person to ask for help---but then I noticed a cross necklace as he walked past. I began wondering if that was a fashion decision or if it was a lifestyle. Well I wasn't wondering for long. As he walked back to his truck after visiting the rest room he stopped and asked "how long are your cords?" (we had the hood up with the jumper cables sitting on the ground). We proceded to show him how long they were so he got in his truck, removed the trailer, reversed to be even with mom, gave us a jump (which took about 10 min of charging---so I talked with the man a little. Had been on the road since California and he was planning on stopping in Weatherford---but I guess he decided he needed a break a little earlier). By this time mom of course was relieved and had to visit the ladies room. She gave me a 20 to go thank the truck driver. When I went around to his truck I said "I just wanted to tell you thank you" and I held out the money. He held up his hands like "im not taking your money" and so I said "yes, take it. It would have cost more money to have someone come give us a jump and it would take more time" and I placed it in his shirt pocket. He proceeded to tell me "Only if you want to. I'm not asking for money. I don't wear this necklace for no reason. I've been a christian for 22 years and before that my life was not good". All I could say was Amen. We proceeded to offer "have a good drive" to each other and off he went. We loaded up the car and was back on the road (an hour later)

As we are driving down the road we began talking about what all we had been thinking as we were stranded there at the Rest Stop. I don't know why I usually don't stress in those type of situations, but I just knew something would work out---and after all it all is just an adventure right? Well come to find out my mom had been so STRESSED and was praying the whole time LORD, bring us some help! Protect us! Get us home! And my brother was getting angry. Angry that we were sitting at a rest stop with no way to get home. And we all were beyond ready to be at home. We had had too much car time already! Jeffrey told me that when he was the most frustrated he looked at Kenzie and she looked at him and he said "I really could use a hug" and she walked up to him and hugged him. He said her hug just made it all better. Seriously, how can such a little being create such a reaction within us? There are many times when I'm mad, frustrated, tired, sad that if I just look at Kenzie everything is all better.

So, thank you Mr Truckdriver for coming to our rescue and truly living out your faith. And my question to you (and me too) is----how do we act when we "wear our cross"? Are we walking examples of how Christ was? Are we willing to help someone in need if it means being late to our destination? No matter how tired we are (he had been driving from California!) we should always be willing to lend a helping hand.

June 2010

I know---its been WAY too long this time since I posted last.

Kenzie is so big and cute! Maybe the reason I haven't posted is our camera got waterlogged in April so I haven't been able to take pictures! The camera turns on and will take pictures it just has a fuzzy haze over it. Anyone know how to fix that?

The month of June (really since Clay has been out of school) has been MADNESS for our family. Poor Kenzie has just been along the ride. Here is what our schedule has been like:
May 28---last day of school, drive to Meadow (1hr each way) for graduation
May 29--Hang out with good friends and neighbors, Tyler and Jillery
May 30--Drove to Angelo (2 1/2 hrs)
May 31--Memorial day--spent in Angelo with Clay's family
June 1 ---Drove to Clyde for an interview (1 1/2 hours) and back to Angelo
June 2--Drove to Harper for an interview (2 hours) and back to Angelo
June 3-- Drive home to Klondike to unpack, do laundry, and repack to leave the next day
June 4--drive to Lubbock for Dondi's wedding. I stayed with "the girls" and clay stayed with a friend from Meadow
June 5--Dondi's wedding, drive back to Klondike
June 6--Work nursery at church
June 7--VBS for me
June 8--VBS for me and Clay made a trip back to Angelo for an interview in Junction.
June 9 --for Clay---drove back to Klondike
June 10--VBS for me and then drove to Fort Worth to drop off Kenzie for the weekend.
June 11---rode to New Braunfels for Coaches Outreach
June 12--Coaches Outreach
June 13---Drove back to Fort Worth
June 14--drove from Fort Worth to Junction to sign lease and to look for housing options and then drove to Angelo
June 15--did NOTHING!!!
June 16---planned on going home, but couldn't find the car keys
June 17--had car towed to town to have new keys made, drove to Junction to look at possible rental, drove back to Angelo to pick up car, and drove home to Klondike.
June 18-20--did NOTHING---(And Clay actually enjoyed it!)--Kenzie did too!
June 20---My mom and brother drove to Klondike to help me pack up the house
June 21---Clay left for camp, I went to dr (Got "spider bite" over Memorial Day weekend and it was still red and infected---turned out to be an infected hair follicle), and mom and Jeffrey packed up pretty much the entire house! Got a call from Chamber of Commerce in Junction telling us of a potential rental. Got pics---debating since rent is so high and its a small house.
June 22---Clay at camp, me enjoying having nothing to do (other than applying for jobs) when we realize that we could buy a house for how much were willing to rent. Made a call, got prequalified for a loan, decided to go to Junction to look at houses---but we stopped overnight in Angelo (AGAIN!) to sleep and to have a place for Dalton (on another post I will inform you of the "adventures" from this trip!
June 23---drove to Junction to look at houses to buy. Looked at 4 now just have to weigh out all the options. Drove back to Angelo and then to Fort worth (with even more "adventure" that I will post about in the other posting). We basically got in the car at 830 and didnt get out until 9 other than stops. I can't sleep cause I can't stop thinking about which one is the right one. I am about to put together a PP to show Clay the pros/cons for each house. Am I a nerd??? =) Ill post it if its able to be posted on here.
June 24----DO NOTHING (atleast that is my goal) besides see Clay!
June 25----get hair done (sorry Amanda, but I just couldn't fit in a drive to Odessa!), rehersal dinner for Dessa's wedding, decorate, girls night
June 26---Dessa wedding getting ready and wedding
June 27---Clay gets to go to the Rangers/Astros game. Im going to do NOTHING!!!
June 28---Leave Fort Worth----will it be to go home? Or to Junction to look at houses again? Not sure.

I know that this was HORRIBLY long. I mainly wanted it all written down so I could remember later about this crazy month we call June 2010. I honestly can say I hope we NEVER have a month like this again! Did I mention that my favorite thing to do is to chill at home doing nothing?!?!? Good thing I have been a stay at home mom! And this is one of the big reasons I want to find a job in the school system so I will atleast have summers off!

It's not because I'm partial

but Kenzie is THE cutest kid ever! I love to just sit and watch her play and discover new things!

On Saturday morning when I went to get Kenzie out of bed she was just talking away so I snuck in her room to see what she was doing. She had her baby and she was patting her on the back. I went to get the video camera and when I got back she had the baby and was rocking her. The video is on Facebook---don't see the reason in redownloading since it takes SO long! Kenzie will make a good big sister SOMEDAY---notice the someday----that was not a hint to new news!

Clay had a track meet on Saturday so we stayed home for Easter this year and didn't do anything special. We did go to church and I had Tyler take some pics of Kenzie in her dress (cause our camera isn't working)

Tyler told me my job was to get Kenzie to smile. I was failing so I went to get Dalton and the minute she saw him she started smiling----

Kenzie has learned where her mouth is. If you ask her, this is what she does. I have no clue where she learned it from. One day I decided we were going to work on parts of the face and I said "Kenzie, where is your mouth?" so she stuck her fingers in her mouth! I tried to teach her eyes and nose, but mouth is the only one that she will do. For awhile I thought it was a fluke so I've asked her numerous times and if she is listening to me she will stick her fingers in her mouth every time! How do babies learn things like that? It's CRAZY!!!

Why do I just love this expression? I don't know why, but I think this is my favorite!

After church we went to Pizza Hut for lunch. Towards the end Kenzie was getting restless so I took her out of her high chair and sat her on the table facing me. She saw my cup (and I have seen pics of other kids her age drinking out of a straw) so I decided to try to teach her. The first time she put the straw in her mouth she just blew and it made bubbles! I laughed and tried to explain to her that she needed to suck. I was not doing a very good job at describing how to suck, but when I looked at the straw I could actually see the water going through it! Amazing! Another "how do they know how to do it" thing! Clay didn't believe me when I said she was actually drinking so he gave her his drink and up it went! I of course exclaimed "I DONT WANT HER TO HAVE THAT TO DRINK!!!" (it was root beer) and he was all---I just wanted to see if she really was getting something!

I forgot to tell you something else "big girl" Kenzie did the other day. We went to eat at Savannah's with Tyler, Jillery, and Ethan and there was only one high chair. So we let Ethan have the high chair and we used a booster seat for Kenzie. She did so good sitting in the big girl chair! Wish I had taken a picture!

Well Kenzie has been talking away in her bed for about an hour---and it's now turning into a cry---so I better go get her.

New things

So Kenzie is almost 13 months old and she is getting more and more of a personality! She has learned to stand up without holding on for up to 10 seconds at a time (just today!). I think she will be walking in a month or so! Kenzie LOVES to grab onto my shirt and pull up. If she is pulling up on something she can climb up on she doesnt stop at standing!

Kenzie has learned where her mouth is. Whenever I ask her "Kenzie, where is your mouth?" she sticks her fingers in there. I really am not sure how she learned how to do it---one day I decided we were going to start working on mouth, eyes, nose, etc and when I asked her she already knew!

Kenzie LOVES to sing songs---that is for you to sing to her. She just sits there and claps her hands the whole time.

Kenzie's favorite word is DADDY! And it doesnt just mean daddy. She says it when she sees daddy, Dalton, me, pretty much anything that she recognizes that makes her happy! She does talk a lot---but I havent figured out what she's trying to say yet.

Kenzie is getting a bit clingy! For about a week she wouldn't let me put her down AT ALL! She has started the screaming/crying game when we leave her in the nursery. The nursery ladies tell me she's a sympathy cryer. Any time any of the other kids cry she cries right a long with them.

I know this has been real random and there arent any pics, but I pretty much type so I will remember what was happening when.

At her yr appt Kenzie weighed 21 lbs and her head circumference was like 18"----both of which were in the 50th percentile. We didnt get a height measurement.

12 Months

Here are the new things that Kenzie is doing:
--she is CONSTANTLY pulling up on EVERYTHING!
--she will take a few steps with her walker toy
--We have successfully switched out 1 sippy for whole milk. Today I decided to just go ahead
and switch her completley over to milk instead of going back and forth between milk and soy
formula. Hopefully all will go smoothly!
--Kenzie still will eat anything you put in front of her! She is getting a little burnt out on
Cheerios and lunch meat!
--She loves to talk but no one has figured out what it is she is saying yet!
--Naps are getting longer---but she is trying to switch to only 1 a day
--attended her first funeral

We are switching doctors so I haven't taken Kenzie in for her 1 year appt. As soon as I do I will post all her stats.

First Bday

Yesterday was Kenzie's first birthday. I must admit, it was a pretty emotional day! Clay's Uncle Dub passed away the same day as Kenzie's party and his funeral was on Kenzie's birthday. Here is a picture of Kenzie and Uncle Dub at Easter:

Today would have been Uncle Dub's 93 birthday. Rest In Peace Uncle Dub!

1st Bday Party

On Saturday we had Kenzie's birthday party! So much family got to come in town! My dad, Brenda, and Jeffrey came into town on Friday. On Saturday Jim, Betty Sue, Travis, Kaci, my Mom, Jesse, Olivia, and Jada all came to town! My Uncles, David and Mike, were working in Midland so they came over after they got off work to celebrate with us as well! We had her party at our house. Clay cooked out hamburgers and then we did present and had cake. Here are a few pics from the day:

Kenzie obviously did NOT like the bday hats!!

Kenzie waving Hi to all her guests

Not sure what we were all looking at (maybe Clay putting together the horse?) but I was BARELY hanging on to Kenzie---aka---she was almost standing COMPLETLEY by herself!

Kenzie's bday cake---made by Jillery! I was just going to give Kenzie an oversized cupcake and Jillery came up with the idea to put 4 together to make a butterfly!

I love the pure excitement/innocence in this picure!

" YUMMY CAKE!!!" I was amazed at how long it actually took for Kenzie to actually dive into the cake! She kept just sticking her fingers in the icing and licking that!

videos

Here is Kenzie in the bathtub

Kenzie pulling up on her Toy shelf

A little sleepy

Today I went to town to mail a few packages and we ended up stopping by my friend Danielle's house. Danielle is the person I signed up to do Pampered Chef under and she has a little girl that is a few months older than Kenzie. So Danielle and I talked about Pampered Chef while Kenzie and Audrey played. When we got home it was about 6 and so I fed Kenzie dinner. I left the kitchen for a second to go check on something and when I came back this is what I found:

11 Months?!?!?

Gosh! I can't believe it! Kenzie is 11 months old today. That means only one more month until she turns 1. I never thought the day would come when my baby would turn a whole year!

Kenzie is growing like crazy! I went to Fort Worth for 5 days weekend before last and when I got home, I swear Kenzie had grown an inch or two! Every day is such a blessing with her. I can't tell you how many time's I've been told "You're so lucky---she's so happy!" or "She is such a good baby!". Not sure how we have been so lucky with such an "easy" baby for our first, but it sure has been nice! I love Kenzie more and more every day!

Here are some favorite pics from her 10th month:

Yummy Spaghetti!!!

First time Standing

I took a pic of Kenzie sitting in the recliner to show how much she has grown

2/7/10

5/25/09

Kenzie at Superbowl party after she had eaten black beans

Jada, Kenzie, and Olivia. Jada and Olivia were performing for all of us and they decided to add Kenzie to their act.

Kenzie, Honey, Me, and Grandma at Bj's

--Kenzie LOVES to eat! I haven't found much that she doesn't care for.

--We have mastered the Sippy cup and no longer use bottles (except to measure out the amount of water we need).

--Kenzie eats 3 times a day

--Kenzie pulled up by herself for the first time on Jan 28 and then decided to take a break from standing until yesterday. She pulled herself up multiple times!

--Kenzie loves to pull herself up on your clothes while you're holding her

--Kenzie likes to talk a lot---sounds like dada, hi, bye