Update

Just thought ya'll might like an update on how things are going. Especially after last week's post! This week is going much better. We had Ken home for 3 days over the holiday, and that was nice. Ken took T shopping on Saturday, and I was able to get a much needed haircut and some quiet time alone, which was heaven! We grilled on Monday, and had a nice lunch--Ken is becoming quite the grilling ninja.

Travis seems to be doing better this week too; I'm sure he gets bored with just me and Saige for company, so I have been making an effort to get out of the house once a day--mostly shopping, but what can you do? It's so hot to be outside for long, and T's still too little for most museums and playgrounds. I got him some new toys, which he seems to love-one is a little music player that sings nursery rhymes that are not as obnoxious as you might think. T hasn't figured out how to make it work yet, but he's happy when he pushes the buttons by accident and he dances when the music starts. It's pretty cute. I totally thought he'd be walking by now, but he's still just cruising. He can stand up without holding on to anything pretty well now, and then we laugh when he falls down. 

I have been working on our Master Bedroom, and painted an accent wall a few weeks ago, and then got my Christmas present from Ken framed out and hung up last week. Here are some photos. I am still working on decluttering the room, and my friend Lisa is coming over this week to help paint the Master Bath, so I'll post more pics once everything is in good shape. Until then, have a great week!

My Christmas gift

New bedding

 

Side view

Other side view

Hang in there

Sometimes life just gets overwhelming. It happens to us all: no matter how good your life is, it is not always sunshine and rainbows. I've come to believe that once you get through the dark times, you can look back and see the situation in a whole different light, and be thankful for the experience. It sure is hard being in the tunnel though.

We've had a rough week. Travis has been teething, and therefore cranky. I've been exhausted because I never sleep well without Ken, and we're into week 3 of Ken being in SATX (San Antonio, TX). Trav is fun, but being with an active, teething not-quite-toddler 24/7 with no break is not something I recommend. Yesterday, I bent down wrong when I picked Travis up, and now my back is aching something awful. I have a lot of respect for military moms and moms whose husbands travel, especially when they have multiple kids; it's hard enough keeping up with one.

I realize our problems are small in comparison with others struggling with much larger issues, and I haven't lost the sense of gratitude that I am able to stay home full time, and that I have an amazing and supportive husband. But sometimes, life just gets overwhelming, and change requires adjustment. It's times like these that I'm thankful for an awesome God to lean on. No, He doesn't make my back stop hurting miraculously, and no, He doesn't magically make everything better. But I feel his love, and when I am able to sit and be still once T is in bed, I sometimes feel myself wrapped up in the warm, comforting arms of the God who hand-crafted me. He then whispers two of my favorite verses in my ear and encourages me to hang on a little longer. Let me share them with you.

There I will give her back her vineyards, and will make the Valley of Achor (trouble) a door of hope. There she will sing as in the days of her youth, as in the day she came up out of Egypt. ~Hosea 2:15

I would have lost heart unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. ~Psalm 27:13

Throughout my life, God has whispered these verses over and over to me, reminding me that He is always with me, even in the dark of the tunnel, and giving me strength to continue on until I begin to see the bright light of the sunshine on the other side. Sometimes life just gets overwhelming, but if you hang on long enough, it soon rights itself, and you are able to more fully appreciate the light and the joy it brings. And maybe, just maybe, things get better than they were before.

Here's to making it through the tunnel, and having faith that the light at the end isn't a train.

What's in a Name?

We sold Chloe awhile back; for those not in the know, that was our little green Toyota Echo. It was a great car, and got awesome gas mileage, but I now feel like a grown-up with an adult car!

I believe that names are important. Sort of like, "you must be special if you're important enough to be named." Naming something is powerful; you're setting the memory of that thing permanently in your mind to forever be remembered and cherished (or ridiculed). No longer was it just a turtle, it was Max, the turtle that ate dog food. It wasn't just a cat that looked like a thousand other cats, it was Mindy, and she was my first cat. Ken has indulged my need to name the cows in the pasture, random animals we come across, and even inanimate objects. We call his GPS Jezebel because it sometimes leads us astray. We call his SUV Ruby because it is red. I once named a bird that had died after flying into our front window (which was closed). Then I buried him, and wrote a memorial poem. I will always remember Fred, and the sacrifice he made for a cause we will never know.

From the beginning, the name Chloe seemed to fit the Echo perfectly. It was independent, breezy, peppy and fun. I enjoyed driving Chloe and we took many great trips together. One of my best buds, Laura, even made me a mix tape for traveling (See photo at right). She and her husband lived in Omaha, NE for a few years, and I drove up to visit them on several occasions. At one point, another friend and I (Jess) took an impromptu road trip (the reason why is a whole other story!) through Nebraska, Missouri and Kansas.We bonded while driving all night, listening to the Counting Crows and talking about life. Another time, the four of us drove to Wahoo, NE because we saw it on the map, and I just had to visit. For years afterward, we said "WaHOO, Nebraska!!" any time there was any celebrating to be done (OK, I still do).

If you're still with me, the point of this entire post is that I am having trouble deciding on a name for the new Camry. I could continue to call it The Camry, but to me, it's not just a name for a car, it's a name that will feature in the new memories I will make as I drive it. Someday, we may pass the car down to Travis, saying "remember when..." and I want the name that goes with it to match both the car, and who I am now (or who I want to be). Classy but laid back. Traditional but fun. Spontaneous but grown up. 

Any suggestions?

Life and Another Video

I was recently asked for an update and more photos, so here you go! :-)

Ken has been working in San Antonio, so it's been me and the boy alone together Monday - Friday. It's hard being sole caregiver with no breaks and no relief except for naps and bedtime. I'm not the most social of people (did you know that about me?), so we mostly stay at the house. Also, Trav's been teething, so he's been cranky and whiny lately. Not a pleasant way to spend the days. However, we're hanging in there. Next week, we'll go visit Ken again. We have friends in SA, and there's a little pool at the hotel, and a Target nearby, so we should be plenty happy.

Ken's job is going well, but he's been very busy, and we weren't planning on him being gone like this. We visited last week, and I got to meet several of Ken's coworkers. Everyone was really friendly and geeky so I totally fit right in. One gal held Travis so Ken and I could eat lunch, and he never cried or anything. In fact, we couldn't find them when I was ready to leave, so we had to go looking for them. She had him with a bunch of girls cooing over him. Yeah, the little flirt is gonna be a ladies' man.

I found this really cool TV series (no longer going), it's called Digging for the Truth, and it was on the History channel hosted by a guy named Josh Bernstein. I have found each episode really fascinating, and whether you're into history or not, I think you'll find it entertaining.

You've politely read everything I've written, but I know you were hoping for some more videos of Travis, and I won't disappoint you. Here you go! Here is a video of T walking around the coffee table saying "Mama." He still doesn't realize I'm Mama, but it's cute anyhow.

I've added some more photos of Trav's room after I added some wall art. What do you think? I decided that I'm not fond of the blue that I chose, but it works and it's not worth repainting. It's a nice blue, it just doesn't have a lot of pizzazz, which I guess is fine for a kid's room. 

Closet wall

Above the closet

Family Photos

With Howard after their nap

Pooh in the rocking chair

Wall art and changing table

Please continue to pray for us during this rough time; Ken will be going to SA every week until probably mid-August, and then we should find out whether he will go back to the Austin office or what our next steps will be.