Pants

I married a good man that is always willing to help out.  One particular Saturday morning, Brett took on the girls and got them dressed while I was on a run with friends.  I couldn't help but laugh when I saw Kate come running to the door in these pants when I returned.  

She could start a new trend, right?!

The best part is he really thought this was the way the pants were suppose to be worn.  Women's clothes  design can confusing. ;)

I love Brett, he gives his all to make me happy.

Neighbors

We sure got lucky in the neighbor department.  Both sets of neighbors have kids Abby and Kate's age, and they are really nice.  The other day I caught Abby and Kate sending the little neighbor boys notes through the fence. You could hear lots of giggling as they slipped the papers back and forth through the wooded slats.  Hudson has also placed several notes on the doorstep for Abby.  I love watching them interact, it brings back childhood memories when I would run barefoot up the street to hang out with my best friend, Shannon.  Good neighbors make all the difference.

Here is the first time they met the neighbors.

80's Bike

Brett's parents recently sent us the bike from his childhood so the girls could enjoy it. They had a great time riding it up and down the neighborhood.  It was pretty entertaining watching Kate wave from the back seat while Abby was driving like a maniac. Kate had no fear of the wild ride and happily exclaimed 'Whee!' the whole way.  I was going to get some pictures of the girls on it, but sadly Abby's driving skills have caused the front wheel to fall off. (Brett will definitely be teaching her to drive a car someday.)

Bluebonnets

It's Spring in Texas and it wouldn't be complete without a photo shoot in the bluebonnets right?  

I am homesick for the Spring in Virginia with the Dogwoods, Cherry Blossoms and Magnolia Trees, but Austin has a gorgeous Spring in it's own way.  I am quickly learning that each place has it's own beauty.  I love the wildflowers.  My parents were nice to let me get some pictures of them with the grandkids, it was a bit crazy but I think we all survived. We had so much fun with my parents here, they were a big help!

New Home

I still can't believe it's real to have our very own home.  It still feels like we are temporarily living here.  When we first arrived in Austin, we rented an apartment in Round Rock on a month-to-month basis in order to find a house.  I never realized how time consuming and crazy it can be to try and find the right home, neighborhood etc. etc., it's quite the process but fun at the same time. After several months of searching we came across this home and it just felt right.  We loved the neighborhood, the schools, the area, running trails, and trees.  It seemed like a good fit for our little family.  I can't tell you what a blessing it is to have this home. We have a whole garage...a GARAGE.  I love going grocery shopping, driving into the driveway and just walking into the house with the groceries, it's awesome.  We also love having a little yard for the girls to play. It's heavenly to just sit in the back yard and breathe the fresh air.  The girls don't quite know what do about having more space.  They are use to apartment space where they basically can always have some sort of view of me, so they feel a bit uneasy when we can be on different levels or they can't 'hear' me. When they are playing and I am not nearby, they will yell out to ask where I am just to make sure I'm there.  The neighborhood we live in had a 'Music in the Park' event the other night and it was so fun to go and meet people.  There were families everywhere playing with kids and enjoying the night.  I love the family-oriented feel that Texas has. This area is a good fit for our family right now.  As time passes on, I am realizing more and more why this place was the right choice for us. We're so blessed to have a home and I'm excited for the memories that are going to be made here.

"The happiest of moments in my life have been the few which I have passed at home in the bosom of my family." 

-Thomas Jefferson

In all honesty, it doesn't matter where I live or what type of dwelling it is. It can be anything from a basement 'newly wed' apartment, to a 3rd floor condo, as long as I have my little family with me my life is good. I love them and I am happiest when they are with me. Each place we have lived has been great in it's own way and it's been great because of the memories we have made there. But, I won't lie when I say we are very grateful for a little more space...and a garage. ;) 

Now I want to sleep for 8 years after moving twice in 3 months. Ha! A HUGE thanks to my parents and my cousins for moving us into our home.

VISITORS WELCOME :)

(I tried to get a picture of the girls in front of the house and they wouldn't hold still for 2 seconds so you get the iphone pic.)

Here is a picture of part of the running trail near our house, I love it.

Happy Easter

Happy Easter!

We hope you all had a wonderful day celebrating our Savior, we are so grateful for His love and sacrifice.  We know He lives. It's always nice to reflect on His life because it reminds you about what this journey is really about.

Sunday was beautiful here in Austin.  The weather has been insanely perfect lately.  I love driving the streets and going on walks to see wildflowers everywhere. Bluebells and yellow flowers cover the intersections and sides of highways, it's gorgeous. Wildflowers are my favorite. 

We enjoyed a pretty walk on the path near our house Easter morning. Walks are a great way for the girls to wear out their energy and they are currently on a hunt to find a wild armadillo. We haven't found one yet but they are determined.  We'll see what we find in the coming weeks.  Ha!

On our 'armadillo hunt' I tried to grab a few Easter pictures.  It always helps to have Brett pulling faces at them so I can get them to look up.  I love these girls, they crack me up. 

Other than the walk, the day was pretty low-key. We had fun skyping with family, went to church and enjoyed an awesome Easter Dinner at the Milletts.  I wish I would have taken pictures of the dinner Sara made.  She put together an amazing table and the food was so yummy.  We look forward to every time we get to be with our cousins.  The day ended with a grand finale of Kate literally PASSING OUT, unconscious, from crying so hard she stopped breathing.  Scared me silly. And I am sure you are wondering what she was even crying about to cause her to collapse...it was over a purse.  Yes, you read that correctly, a purse.  Seriously? Abby and Kate were given cute little purses from Nani for Easter and one was pink and the other white. It was late, she was tired, and when I gave her the wrong purse she started crying and forgot how to breath in the process. Oh Kate. Two year olds are so adorable and test every ounce of my sanity all at the same time.  Even with Kate's 'episode,' it was a wonderful day, and an Easter to remember for sure.

They found a Potato Bug on the walk and obviously had to investigate with Daddy.  

Potato Bugs are a favorite right now.

I love this little cubby hand holding onto her dad.

I tried to get a picture of the girls with Daddy, but they didn't want to cooperate much. This is Brett's expression saying 'I'm trying to do what you asked but this isn't working.' Haha.

We made a trip to visit our long time friends from Virginia, the Gordon's.  They now live in San Antonio, which has been so fun for our family. We had a tradition to make cascarones every year for Easter and the kids loved it.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

 We had a fun weekend celebrating the Irish holiday. The weather has been amazing and Texas has been very good to us on all fronts.  Many people have welcomed us in and made us feel at home and we are very grateful.  Great people make all the difference. Even though we are enjoying our time here, sometimes homesickness has a tendency to still creep in.  We have found a good way to help overcome the 'homesickness' is to get together with awesome friends, so we had a St. Patrick's Day Party.  Friends help take your mind off things and make life fun. The party was a good time and of course involved an element of chaos, which you can always expect with a large number of kids. We did silly pictures, ate green food, and even managed to survive a scavenger hunt. Ha!  The Millets came over for a green brunch Sunday morning, which was a highlight. Memories were made and I think we even avoided getting pinched. :)

A few of the faces from the party.

Kate refused to have her picture taken.  

The girls wanted to get Brett into the fun and dressed him up. He was a good sport.

Amber and I did the St.Patrick's Day 10K in Temple, TX.  It was a windy run but beautiful with fields of yellow flowers.