SWINE FLU!

I am posting a really fantastic, concise, and levelheaded discussion about the Swine Flu HERE. I think it's worth a read. It's a great tool for all of us parents!

Mom Jeans

This makes me crack up!

Video Recaps | Full Episodes | Webisodes

Because I love to keep things really intense and serious on my blog:)

SLACKER-IFFIC

I am out there still reading everyone else's blogs, but I have been TIRED. I have not had a lot of inspiration for taking the time to write much. It has been so incredibly exhausting moving ourselves out here, starting a new job, working full time, being lonely for our friends and family, etc.

My job is really pretty crazy. I have been an ER nurse for most of my 10 year career. I have pretty much seen it all. And this ER I gotta say just kind of beats it all. 12 hours of literally running around saving lives, going to sleep and waking up to do it again well...like I said, I am TIRED. And lest you think I'm being dramatic about saving lives, this week I had the not so incredible pleasure of finding a patient in the ER hanging herself. As in, get out my trauma shears and cut her down. Sheesh! I do however thoroughly love my job in one big way. I really do love being there for people's worst moments. Nobody plans on breaking their hip. Nobody plans on hearing that their husband just went into cardiac arrest on the golf course. Nobody just plans that their infant will get a fever and have to get a lumbar puncture. So when people do experience their worst moment, it is my honor to be there to comfort them. I love explaining and re-explaining. I love the difference a few understanding words and kindness can bring. So that I am thankful for, thanking God that He has placed me in a place of ministry.

Then on to the crazy little Ethiopian in the house. Oh my gosh, we have been baptized into the world of BOY. When our girls were this age, they sat there and played with their toys. There was the occasional removal of CD's from the rack. There was the occasionally dip into the chocolate chip bag. This child, oh my. He is just nutty. He is sweet and loving and clearly attached to us. But he is so incredibly active. All things must be hit, all things must be destroyed and mashed up. If anything is askew in his mind, there must be high decibel screaming and crying. I think Elias really did scare this poor woman at a restaurant the other day. At one point before the food arrived, he screamed at the top of his lungs (often for no reason). I do believe this lady levitated out of her chair. When she whipped around to question what hideous creature could have elicited such a sound, she just saw baby Elias and his Mom and Dad completely red in the face. We then asked for our meal to be taken outside. But on the other side of it all...this little sweet boy has brought so much joy to our family. He is a cuddle bug, oh my gosh. His big lips offer up the most luscious kisses I have ever experienced, topped off with drool and this great "oooooooooooo" sound. His most favorite activity is the trampoline with the sprinkler under it. He swirls around the trampoline like a shiny, black seal. It was July 3 that I first saw this:

And here is the picture of me seeing him for the first time. Rob was at his computer at home and we were able to open the photo at the same time.



At the time I was taking care of a woman after her C-section. It was great to share that moment with her. I said, "Hey, we both had a baby today!!!!"

And then on to Austin. I really like it! Whenever you make a move like this, you heavily ponder the very real possibility that you have just made the biggest mistake of your life. We have found a great Ethiopian adoption playgroup to be part of. We have found this group of people to be incredibly open and welcoming and for that I am truly grateful. I think I would have been under the care of a mental health professional without having had an outlet like this. I love the weather. It's very tropical here(read:humid) and surprisingly enough, I enjoy it. I've gotten to sit on our porch while cuddling our kids watching the most spectacular rain, thunder and lightening show ever. Meanwhile, we're all just chillin' in shorts, tank tops and flip flops. There is a ton to do here. Did you know you can mountain bike in Texas? Pretty sweet rides too. And then don't get me even started on Blue Bell Ice Cream! If you are an ice cream lover, nothing compares to this stuff. Really. So all in all, we are doing OK. And then there is the Town Lake. This is more like a river that runs through town. It is really one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. There is a 10 mile running loop (and no, we don't run the whole thing) along this river area. It is worth the trip out here just to see this.

So with all that said, we could seriously use your prayers. It's just been a tough transition and we are, like I said...TIRED. We still have a few unresolved "issues" that need to happen to make this move successful. And with that I will leave you with this picture...I always dreamed of having that back row filled up and now we got it!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BIG BOY!!!

WE HAD A WONDERFUL TIME CELEBRATING SWEET ELIAS' BIRTHDAY. I CAN'T BELIEVE HE IS ONE. HE IS HARDWORK. HE IS A DELIGHT. HE IS A SCREAMER. HE IS STILL A PERFECT SLEEPER. HE IS SUCH A LOVE!! HE IS STILL HUGE AND GETTING BIGGER BY THE MINUTE!

BLOG PLUG!!!!!!!!!

OK, so this guy I know... is extraordinarily funny, handsome and witty. He is writing a blog about being the new guy in town. Really, he's funny. You can find him HERE.

PICTURES AND DETAILS OF OUR 5 DAY JOURNEY

OUR NEW HOUSE-We feel really fancy these days because we have a pool in the neighborhood! We spend a lot of time cruising down the block and going for a quick swim. All 3 kids love it!

This wonderful friend is Jen. We have known each other since the 7th grade. She was our very official welcome wagon to Texas and spent 3 days at our house moving us in. You rock girl!

The next photos are from Cadillac ranch in Amarillo, Texas. OK. I thought this was so dang cool. In each car people have left cans of spray paint, it's your job to come along and add your mark. We loved having this spot to pile out of the car and see something new. Meris was completely befuddled by the fact that HERE it was OK to paint cars.



Many, many stops at Sonic. Foul food but good drinks!

The Mesas in New Mexico.
THE GRAND CANYON- Oh my gosh, nothing can prepare you for this most incredible place.
It was so spectacular. We had just explained to Meris that the Grand Canyon was like a gigantic hole in the ground. Her comment when we finally got there? It's not THAT big!". OK. Whatever. It's hard to impress a 6 year old. Even with the Grand Canyon apparently.



This is a funny moment along our trip. I was convinced that we should take a porta-potty on our trip. Rob thought the mere idea was well...gross. And we didn't have even a square foot of extra space. I agree, but do you seriously want to be in the middle of the desert without an available toilet? I had visions of desperately searching for a toilet and no potty for the girls when they really needed it. Well, I was right as it happened. And we took a photo to prove it. It actually saved us big time.


The above 2 photos are from Route 66. This stretch of the highway was the inspiration for the movie Cars. We had a great time blasting the Cars soundtrack when we were cruising past Kingston, Arizona.

MAMA HAS JOINED THE REST OF THE COMPUTER WORLD!

My husband is wonderful. I love him. He is cute. He is sweet. He is smart. He is H-I-L-A-R-I-O-U-S!

This is him.

He bought me a new one of these.

You have to understand, the computer we have been using was bought in 2000. It is a dinosaur. Innumerable bouts of frustration, bad word yelling, fit throwing, and fist pounding can be pegged to this one piece of machinery. When I hooked up our new (read:refurbished) piece of loveliness, it was as if the clouds parted and the choir sang. Thank you sweetheart!!! Now I can blog and facebook like the best of them!!! You rock!!!!