Gosh it's been a while..

We are all doing really great here in Texas. I'm still working for a good hospital and learning lots. Allan is doing great at his job too! Lilly is in the first grade and has had her first two spelling tests and made 100 on both of them. Olivia is growing like a weed. Emma has came to visit us a few times since we have lived here and is about to come again in a couple weeks. Life is good. We found a church we like and I have been taking the kids even when Allan isn't home to go with. Our good friends the martins moved to Texas too and we have been visiting with them and their kids a lot. It's nice to have friends in town. They have also started going to the same church as us which is awesome because they have been Mormons their entire lives. They are now saved and on fire! The weather is starting to change here which I'm happy for. Our yard has went from brown and dry because of the drought to overly green after just two storms. Allan has been working on his old truck lately when he has been home and we have been contemplating some work on the house. Our house is just fine but it's just things we would like to do. Like adding and fixing the back patio up a bit. I've started to know people here. Sounds funny but that takes a while when you move. Now I go to the store and usually run into at least one person I know or work with. It's nice. Life is good. 

Officially a soccer mom

This first one is of her after she got the medal! She was so proud if herself! 

Lilly has started soccer this year. Yes this post is just to brag on my big girl! She is just an amazing little girl! She got the principals award this 9 weeks. They only give it to two students in a class each nine weeks so 8 students per year. She wasn't even there for the first 9 weeks of school so I am so proud that she has done so well and been such a good girl at school. She got it for being responsible, respectful, and safe. She also got her report card last week and she only had two things that weren't marked. They don't get the letter grades yet it just has marks for everything they are expected to learn before leaving kindergarten. The two things were : He (its a sight word) and she didnt know what a dime was. I laughed when I found out she didn't know the word HE because as long as I can remember she has always said him instead of using he in sentences. "Him went to the store" Or "him's outside" we have always thought it was cute. Guess she has to learn the word he though. She is reading me books now and can count way past 100. Such a smarty! 

And now she is an athletic smarty. She had her first practice today and two of the girls from her class are on her team. (Yes we moms may have had something to do with that) she seems to really like it so far. Boy did she fall right to sleep tonight. I guess it wore her right out. Anyway here are a few pictures of my cutie pie! 

Determined look in her eye huh? That's her game face! Opponents beware! 

Feb the month of love

The garden picture is what we are trying to go for. 

It's getting close to valentines day. Is love in the air? Lilly is filling out her valentines for her class. She has been doing so well at school. Her teacher seems to dote on her. She came home and read me her first book the other night. It was great! 

Emma is coming to visit for a few days. She gets here on valentines day. She is just staying the weekend because they dot have school on Monday for Presidents' Day. Everyone is excited for her arrival. 

What else is new?? Hmm.. We bought a truck yesterday. It's an old one. Older than me in fact. A 1977 Chevy C-10. Cherry red. Got a good deal on it from an ex military guy. So Allan now has something else to tinker with and something else to use to haul the trash and yard stuff away. We have started working on our little garden we are going to have this year. I have seedlings going in the house and Allan is about to start digging in the yard. It's just goin to be a small backyard veggie garden. Nothing too big. Just something fun to do with the kids outside and hopefully get some fresh food out of. Crossing my fingers. 

Olivia is doing great too. She is getting bigger by the day and turning into a cute little girl. Well toddler really. She isn't quite two yet. Her birthday is coming up soon though. Her hair is just getting long enough to put in pig tails and braid. It's very cute. 

I've been working some and I really think I made the right choice on my job. I enjoy it a lot and it hasn't been overwhelming at all yet. The nurses there are very nice and actually very helpful. I'm learning a ton and holding my own at the same time. The pay has turned out to be way better than it was in Arizona too so that was a great surprise. 

Today we have a fire going in the fireplace cause its cold out. I'm enjoying laying around by it in my free time. Tomorrow it's suppose to start warming up again but I work the next two days. This weekend is suppose to be in the 70's all weekend which is perfect here. 

Anyway just wanted to post a little update and a couple pictures.l

At least it's not six months later

Trying to stay a bit more connected with blogger. I want to have a cute story book for the kids to look back on later. Anyway we are settled in for the holidays in our new home. The kids are loving it. I have been amazed with everything Lilly is learning in school here. Way better than Arizona. She comes home and tells us what the turkey flag looks like. She of course learns words and what not too but I thought it was crazy that my kindergartener knows the German and turkey flags... Me being a bit concerned about this asked her " what does the American flag look like" she knew so I guess our bases are covered . Lol 

I'm just really amazed at how well the kids adjusted to the move. I haven't heard any sadness in Lilly except that she misses Emma of course. But she loves our new house and her new school and hasn't complained at all about moving. Emma gets here in a few days and Lilly is so excited to see her and show her all the neat stuff in the neighborhood and yard. 

Olivia is doing great too. She loves the elf on the shelf. She is 19 months old and she doesn't say a lot of words yet. She understands everything though and boy does she get excited when they find the elf every morning. SHe just lights up and squeals and wants to be picked up to see it. She does say mama, daddy, baba for bottle, I've heard her try and say Lilly, La la, and uncle but she doesn't do it often. She says "oh no!" Sometimes too it's cute. She also makes pig noises, dog noises and says ho ho ho. She is my sweet pea. 

Allan is home right now and despite not being 110% sure on the choice of moving here, he seems to be sure now. He has found things in town that he loves and our last house was a model home and nothing ever needed to be fixed really.. This house is older and has a lot of fixing and updating to do. I thought Allan was getting tired of fixing stuff already but the other day he told me he was having fun and liked it. I can see visions of beautiful things in his head that he wants to create here like patios in the backyard and adding a bathroom instead of wet bar.. It's nice to see him alive and excited about stuff again. I'm so happy he isn't regretting or hating the decision we made. It's cold and rainy a lot here and we are still finding all the joys of being in a small town. Everyone has told is that this town is dead right now and in the summer it really comes to life because of the rivers and lakes.. Well we find it pretty awesome even now so we can't wait till summer . 

Ok so I talked about the kids and Allan so I'm the only one left.. I did receive two job offers and they are both right down the road like 10 mins. The first offer I got was the place I wanted to work but they offered me a really bad shift that I didn't think would be good with my family. The second job offered me a great shift and more pay but wasn't the job I really wanted. I really wanted to be in the specialty hospital to learn new stuff. I am kind of tired of skilled nursing to be honest. So I was nervous for two days trying to figure out what to do but I had my mom pray for me and I really believe that helped and I sat right down and decided that I believed "you have not because you ask not" so I asked the first job for what I wanted even though I knew they didn't have it and I knew it made no sense to train someone for so long just to be PRN. I asked though and the director of nursing said she appreciated my honesty and she said yes she would make room for me! So she is in the process of getting a position approved for me! So I have been giving thanks to god because I really felt his hand all over this. I know it might sound crazy to some of you but I just know The Lord has helped us get here and this is where we are suppose to be and if The Lord is for us then who should be against us? I am constantly reassured in the little things that only god could work out for us. 

Anyway I have a stinky diaper to go change so I better sign off! Sorry the ending to this note is so abrupt but that's how it is with kids in the house. They always come first! :0) 

We moved to Texas!

Yes our lives have been quite busy and I realize I haven't posted since around the Fourth of July.. I'm ashamed. Lol in the meantime a lot has changed in our world. We moved to new braunfels tx. It's very nice here. We bought a wonderful home and have an acre of yard. The kids are having fun exploring. Lilly started a new school with full day kindergarten and transitioned easily. It's been good. I have a job interview tomorrow and if I get the job it will be in a new avenue of nursing for me. I'm excited and terrified all at once . Haha

Allan is still doing well in his job too and got promoted to chief. Anyway all is well. Sorry I haven't posted in a while. 

Fourth of July..

Here's a couple pics!

Busy bees

We have been so busy just living life. Allan is still gone a month home a month for his work but he switched jobs and is working for a company called Rowan. Right now he is in Norway at a class and then he will go to Korea. He should be back for te 4th of July but he doesn't have a return ticket just yet. So fingers crossed.
My job has been up and down lately. They offered me the job of adon for our skilled community but they didn't get it approved by one of the higher ups and that higher up who happens to be the Vice President of clinical operations for the company wants me to do a different job. I guess she thinks I would be good for a director spot at the newest community they are now managing. I'm not sure on that job. I said I would go look at it but I'm pretty sure I just want to be the adon at skilled if they will still let me. I'm pretty sure I will have some answers by the end of the day. Hope they are good ones. I know my foot steps are ordered by The Lord so I'm not too worried. Ill be where I'm suppose to be.
The girls are doing awesome. Lilly is so cute and funny still. I have her a donut the other day and he was so excited she said " mom its so good lookin".. Made me laugh and yes I guess it was a very handsome donut.
Olivia had one molar come in and is working on the second. She is still just a happy baby. Loves to be held but wants to get into everything right now. Perfectly normal little baby girl. She walks all over but she doesn't say many words. Mama and dada but that's pretty random still . She understands a lot more words than she says.
Other than that we haven't been up to much just living life. We are enjoying the pool quite often because its already 110 degrees out. We are looking forward to Allan getting back so we can go to the Texas beach and spend time with family jumping in the waves! Emma is going with us this time too so I think they will have fun. We are staying in a condo in the beach with my aunt and cousins then we are going to try to see my grandparents . The girls will love their house with the crab traps and kayaks. I think its right up Emma and Lilly's alley. So I'm ready for June to be done and come on July! Ready for my hubby to be back an vacation!

The happiest kid I know..

I truly think I have one of the happiest babies. Olivia is constantly smiling and giggling. Yes she is still a normal baby. She has recently even been a big momma's baby where she cries when I out her down or give her to the daycare lady or anyone really.. But for the most part she has such a sunny disposition. People are always commenting on how happy or smiley she is. I hope that this sunny sis potion stays with her all her life. She brightens a room. She has take. A step or two but has t full on walked just yet. Today I have her her first sippy cup and she mastered it!

Long time no blog

I may have landed a new job! Allan did too! I won't comment on this subject too much just yet. I'm super excited but I won't know all te details for a couple months and Allan won't start his till then too. So anyways.. I have been MIA on the blog scene for a while. Working and keeping up with the kiddos is just about all I have time for these days. We did manage to sneak in a mini vacation last weekend. We want and saw my family in Cali. We had a very good time. We stayed in la Jolla a couple nights and I got to see my old friend from the navy Amy burch. The kids had fun seeing the sea lions on the beach. I have pics but they are on my phone and I don't think they can transfer to this blog from there.. If so I don't know how. Anyone know how to attach pics from an iPhone? I know I can send them to email or download to computer and attach them but who has time for that?  Lol.
Anyway hope everyone is doing great. We are alive and well in some nice 90 degree weather. Pool should be ready to swim in soon.

Sick sick sick

Well I have had my hands full today and yesterday. Yesterday Allan came down with some sort of stomach bug. He ended up getting admitted to the hospital. He was put on isolation contact because they couldn't narrow down the cause and they knew he traveled to Africa. He ended up passing out in the ER driveway. Not fun trying to keep an unconscious 210 lb man in a wheelchair. Today Olivia has had diahrrea diapers and Lilly threw up twice. Apparently it's going around and I don't think it's from Africa cause there were about 20 other people that came in to the ER all complaining of stomach problems while we were in the ER. So anyway we hav been dealing with all of that. In the midst of it all I want to praise The Lord that we don't have chronic illness of any kind and that we are all generally healthy. Our tree is decorated and presents are under it already. I feel very blessed even with everything. So I'm giving thanks even when things aren't perfect. We have had a good thanksgiving with tons of friends and family around and I'm sure the Christmas season will be just as great if not better. I'm sad my husband won't be here for Christmas but we are gonna celebrate when he comes home too. I have sick kids on my hands right now so I'm cutting this short but ill try to post more often.