Updates!

(This is for Amber)
I know that I haven't been a good blog buddy! I'm sorry! We've been traveling a lot this month. Hopefully this is our last week or so of traveling. I'm ready to spend 3 weeks straight HOME! It's kept me busy though...and that's nice!

Kid News
Natalie
~Has learned to climb on to the couch. She uses a little chair, but she does get up there!
~She pulls up onto EVERYTHING! Me, chairs, refrigerator, walls, etc...but then gets stuck!
~She idolizes big brother Cole. He is the cheese to her macaroni.
~Drama Queen. If you say no to her, she puts her head down & cries...bottom lip out & all
~She LOVES things with wheels. SIGH...I guess I have a tomboy.
~She claps & gives kisses. VERY SWEET!
~She's in love with me. I LOVE IT!!! She'd rather be with me than ANYBODY (except Cole)
~She's going to be a mean girl. Cole has pushed her enough...she just goes after him now!
~She eats Stage 2 & Stage 3 food. She will eat anything you give her in small tastes...and now stares at you when you eat. As if to say, "HELLO...I'm hungry too!!"
~She makes "mama" & "dada" & "hi" sounds. I think she means the "mama" & "hi" sound. Still not sure though

Cole
~He still loves trains. Right now he's sitting on the recliner reading his new choo choo book!
~Talks up a storm. My favorites are, "Where's that dada at? (or baby, or mama)", "Moe (more) Apple Juice Cheese (please)", "I love you bebe (baby)", "I wanna go fishbowl" (I want to go to the swimming pool".
~He understands EVERYTHING you say!
~He is very helpful, for example, I may say..."Go to Natalie's room, open her drawer and get her bow", and he will do it.
~He is doing "OK" at potty training. All this travel has messed him up, but if he remembers, he'll tell you he has to go.
~He has learned out to pee pee standing up...but rarely does it. I'm not sure how to help him do that.
~He loves Sesame Street, especially Elmo.
~He's eating more! He likes Tuna again (as long as I don't call it fish), steak fingers, and chicken nuggets!
~We converted his bed to a toddler bed. He is pretty good at staying in!! I'm totally shocked at this!!!
~He loves swimming
~He has to wear a baseball cap
~He's good at putting together real puzzles!
~He has GREAT rythym! Put a song on and he dances to the beat!!
~We like to play "If you're happy and you know it" and "Itsy Bitsy Spider"
~He's VERY tall! Everyone thinks he's at least 3 and maybe 4! It's hard to not expect more out of him because of it. I can already tell that I'm going to be very protective over that fact.

House~
Well...we've done nothing else! haha! Actually, TODAY, a man is coming to patch up our carpet & texturize our wall! That means that we can finish the hole & start painting soon. We're going to ask how much he'd charge to paint the rest of the house for us.
~I've bought some decorations & such...but need much more.

Justin~
~doing really well at his new job!! He got a compliment letter the other day saying, "Justin's the best and has made the store and employees so much better"!!!
~He goes on vacation Friday! I'm so excited!

Janet~
Girl's weekend was this past weekend.I shopped a ton, but stayed under my $300 budget! Here's what I got: 2 dresses (Macy's & Forever 21), 1 pair of sandals (payless), 4 books for Cole , 2 workout dvds, 3 books for me, boxes of greeting cards (from 1/2 price books), shirt (Charlotte Russe), wallet & bag (Sam Moon of course), Big Wall art thing and small one (Kirkland's Home), and food from Taco Diiner and other places. I thought I did pretty good! I LOVE the dresses!
We also found a GREAT jewelry & accessory & dress store called, "Charming Charlies". There are a few locations. One in Southlake, one in Preston Road in Plano, and one at Water's Creek in Allen. It is similair to Sam Moon in that there is a TON of jewelry, but it is orgainzed by color. It is a tiny bit more pricey...but not too bad! It's classier too.

Blogging ideas~
I want to have certain topics to blog about weekly to keep me on here more & so I feel like I have something to accomplish that day. I'll think about it, but give me ideas if you can!!!

~Janet

FUNNY video of Cole & Natalie

Watch this video to the VERY end. You can see the "hole" we put between our living area & den. We have to have carpet stitched in still...so forgive that! The end is soooo funny...so hang in there. Justin & I crack up eVERY time we watch it!!

Life in Childress

Well....it's been forever. I feel bad. I think it's the fact that I'm afraid to download picutres to the laptop. Not sure why....but I think no pictures=no blog. I'll try to upload a few.

What have we been up to? Not much. The kids and I are at home most of the time. We have met some people and been swimming a few times. We live about a mile from the public pool (we haven't tried it out yet though) and about 2 miles from 2 private pools. Being that it's the middle of July, we're going to wait on a pool membership for next year. Probably either at the Elk's lodge or Country Club. Although...there's really no other benefit that I can see to join either...other than the pool. Anyone know anything else?

I've spent some time in Lubbock as well. Cole, Natalie and I were there Monday through Thursday last week. We'll be back this weekend for Taylor's 1st birthday party! Can't wait!

Justin goes on vacation next Thursday. That day we will drive to Amarillo and spend the day there then I will fly to Dallas for "Girl's Weekend" with my Mom & sisters. I CANNOT WAIT! My mom & Danielle are going to the American Idol Concert with my Aunt Mel & friends. We are going SHOPPING, out to eat, and enjoying time free of BOYS & BABIES. haha...I'm counting the days!!

On the new house front...Justin knocked out a wall!!! It was between the den/dining room and living room. It lets soooo much more light in and really opens up the house. Now all we have left to do is paint the walls in both rooms and the hallway. Along with that we will replace the floorboards and do crown moulding. When I say "we", I mean Justin. He's AMAZING!! Eventually we'd like to replace the cabinet doors & countertops in the kitchen...but it works well for now...so we're waiting & saving money :)

Staying home with the kiddos in a small town with no family is a lot tougher than I thought it would be. Usually I would have been going to workshops, or planning for school by now. I guess I'm just a little "lost" with not having "school" in my life. I know I will miss it, but I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE how the kids & I are so close now. Natalie is attached to me at all times and Cole is just so funny. (he is going through the HORRIBLE twos...but that's to be expected). He's pretty much potty trained, but he has days that he refuses to go pee pee on the potty. Like today...ughh...

Well...more later. Just wanted to give a quick update!!