A weekend getaway

Nathan and I just got back from a weekend trip to La Cantera Resort in San Antonio. It was wonderful! We stayed in a little casita ( I LOVE casitas) that was separate from the main hotel and were given a golf cart for transportation. We mainly sunned by the pool and ate some good meals. The weather couldn't have been better and we were so thankful because the forecast for the whole weekend said rain and thunderstorms. Thanks to the grandparents for keeping Miss Ellery...we missed her but know she had a great time and lots of attention!

the casita village

a view of La Cantera

P.S.

Get ready for a blog makeover...yipee.

I left out this picture from the lake...Nathan provided the girls with entertainment during dinner time.

A Trip to the Lake

We just got back from a fun week at the lake! Nathan had some business to do in Austin, so the whole family (minus Colby) headed up to A-town for a little fun in the sun. Actually, the sun really did not make an appearance until our last day, Sunday. Oh well, it is just nice to be at the lake and have a change of pace.
Our friends also joined us which makes for even more fun. Julie and Ella drove up with us on Wednesday, and I have to say it was the worst car ride with the girls we have ever experienced. Our plan was to take them to their swim lessons and then load them in the car. Our thinking was burning energy swimming + nap time = sleepy toddlers and happy moms and dad in the car. Well, it backfired. We had such sleepy girls that they couldn't sleep. And to make matters worse, Ellery learned to blow bubbles at swim lessons which is great, but turns out that saltwater (the pool is a saltwater one) is not good on the stomach. Our instructor kept telling me to make sure she blows OUT when blowing bubbles because the water has been known to do a number on some kiddos. Please tell me how you explain to a 1 year-old the need to blow out when blowing bubbles...I mean really! I was just so excited that she was so excited and had mastered the concept. Okay, so back to the road trip. We had to literally pull off the side of the road in order for me to get Ellery out of her car seat to calm her down. She kept gagging and Julie was getting nervous of what might come (she is not good with sounds nor smells). When I got out of the car with her, I saw a snake! I jumped 10 feet and hopped so fast back into the car. Turns out it was a plastic one....mean trick whoever decided to leave it on the side of the road. After Ellery calmed down somewhat, it was Ella's turn for drama. And the drama continued and continued until we pulled up to the lake house.

Things got better and the four girls managed to have a good time despite lousy weather. Here is how we spent our time:
E &E loved playing in the toy boxes more than with the actual toys.
Watching videos on the big screen. Unfortunately I don't think we will be taking them to the movies anytime soon - it kept their attention for maybe 4 minutes.
Ellery found a new love - nectarines!

Ellery and her shoe obsession (like mother like daughter)

On Saturday, Ella's dad and the Meltons joined us. And on Sunday, we actually got to get the girls out in the boat for the first time. They loved it, except for the obnoxious, marshmallow-like life jackets. I can't wait to get Ellery out on the trainer skis!
E's first boat ride!

Wild hair

Lunch at Ski Shores!


We can't wait to go back! Ellery has been saying "Ella" all day today and I am sure she would be saying "Madikate" too if she had her m's down!

A Day of Firsts

A few firsts today...

1. Today was the first day that Lulu got to join us at gymboree. Unfortunately Ellery was not her usual smiling-self, but it was still fun to share with her what we do every Monday.
2. Today was the first day that Ellery made an animal noise. Want to know what it was? She "mooed" like a cow! She has this little stuffed cow and when you press it's tummy, it moos. So, I decided to see if she could imitate it and she did - over and over and over.
3. Today was the first day that I let Ellery run around without a diaper for awhile. Because...
4. Today was the first day that Ellery has had a diaper rash. Ever.
5. Today was the first day that Ellery wore her Texas jersey. I wanted something to cover her bottom just a little in case we had a bathroom mishap while she was "airing" out. Like that would have helped. :)
6. Today was the first day that I let Ellery dip her veggies in ranch dressing because I thought it might make her like them more. It didn't help. Sneaky chef here I come (thanks, Julie)!
7. Today was NOT the first day that I dug out all my bags of tricks in order to get my child's mind off her uncomfortable-ness. I literally ran around the kitchen singing "I'm gonna zoom, zoom, zoom, around the room, room, room..." She was laughing hysterically which made it all worthwhile.

Our Little Walker

It is official...Ellery no longer crawls. She started taking steps about a month ago but would still resort to crawling when she needed to make it somewhere really fast. Well, now when she falls down or trips she doesn't get on her hands and knees but gets back up and tries, tries again. Unfortunately I think this means more bruises and bumps, but she is finally able to "hang" with her walking friends. And more importantly, this is a positive for her wardrobe. She can now wear dresses without them getting in the way or getting stretched out from being caught underneath her knees. Yipee.

This isn't a picture of her walking but I discovered it on our camera today (Nathan must have taken it) and thought it was funny. Notice the left over dinner on her face. A future blogger!

Love One Another

Have you ever just flat out felt like not loving someone or has someone made it incredibly hard for you to want to serve them? Well, yesterday we had more neighborhood drama and I was really ticked. I wanted to give the lady across the street a peace of my mind and tell her how much stress and time she is costing my poor husband at work. I know you are wondering what the heck is going on, but rest assured it is not even worth me explaining....ridicuously petty. But it has grown into something that is not going away and that has put Nathan in the role of mediator. It is a role he is very good at as he is so slow-to-speak and anger. He automatically assumes the position of peace-maker on our street, even though we are by far the youngest home owners.
Anyways, I decide that my attitude is so terrible about this situation and know that I have not yet set aside anytime with the Lord. So I sit down to do my bible study and open the page to the day I am on - the title just happens to be "The Power of Love." Wow, what a slap in the face. Needless to say, my heart was renewed and the Lord gave me a new outlook on the situation. What if I decided to love and serve these neighbors that I find myself at odds with? How can I choose not to love someone when while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Rom 5:8).
My lesson on love continued when Nathan and I went out to participate with our church in Houston Project. It is a week-long mission project that our church organizes each year where we serve at various locations around the city. Ours happens to be at a group of apartments in one of Houston's wards. To drive 10 minutes to this part of our city and feel like we are in another world is amazing and disturbing. To see children so starved for affection and attention when my child gets all the attention she needs and more is incredibly sad. Suddenly concerns of the day seem non-existent in comparison to what these Houstonians face daily.

Deep thoughts, I know, but Jesus is the perfect example of love. The only way that I can truly love others (especially those that I flat out just don't want to love) is through Christ. I think I will go and bake the neighbors some brownies.

Dress Up Time!

Lately we have been noticing that Ellery is really observing us. She laughs when we laugh, imitates the sounds our words make, loves to drink from the same glasses we do, puts the cell phone up to her ear just like mama, and even tries to dress up in our socks and shoes. She was fascinated with my necklace yesterday so I let her wear it -she was so proud. And then she decided to try on a few other items....