Where to start...
Matt's parents drove to Texas and surprised us. Well, I knew about 24 hours before, but no one else did. :) Matt got a phone call from Andrea, his mom, and she sounded concerned so he was startled awake and then she told him she was at the front door and she couldn't get in! He was so shocked and the look on his face was priceless. They stayed for about ten days and we mostly hung around the house playing with kids. Andrea and I both love Target, so we had to make that trip. Matt was working crazy long hours (as is typical right now) so he missed the trip to the Waco Park Zoo. Grace loved the animals and the little playground in the "Asian Jungle". I didn't bring my camera, my Father-in-Law has all of the pictures. I forgot to download them while they were here. Sorry! We crafted, read books, played with the dog, and just enjoyed one another's company. So great to have them come visit.
Shortly after they returned home, our little dog got sick. Wyatt got Parvo and went downhill fast. By the time he showed symptoms and we got to the vet, there really wasn't any chance for him. I tried to offer at home care for him for three days, all the while watching him slowly slip away. He was such a sweet little guy and our family will really miss him. Especially his BFF, Grace. They ran all over the backyard and dug in the garden... It was pretty traumatic for Matt and I to have our little Wyatt gone so suddenly. Matt wants another dog, I'm not so sure.
Our family has been sick a lot lately as well. We all had a cough which kept most of us up at night. Matt got sick first and struggled for a few weeks before Ella and I joined him in the cough fest 2010. Poor Ella would cough so hard she would wake up gagging and screaming three or four times a night. Eventually her doc came around and gave her antibiotics. She's healthy now, but I was sure worried there for a while. I was the last to recover, and I'm happy to say we are all healthy again!
Breaking news! Ella is crawling! She started at about 9 months and has not slowed down one bit. She is always going. Her favorite places to play are her big sister's room, for obvious reasons, and the bathroom. She likes to hear her voice echo, so when it's bathtime she squeaks and giggles. She loves water! She splashes and plays. The girls love to take baths together.
Grace is growing like a weed. One day she was firmly in a size 5 shoe and the following week she barely fits in her size 6's! Crazy! She can wear all of her size 2T clothes without them looking baggy, which is a relief since she'll be 3 in August! Maybe they'll end up like me and my sisters. They were both taller than me while in grade school. Oh well!
Grace loves to take center stage. She stands up on the fireplace hearth and sings as loud as she can. Her songs usually consist of "I love you....Heavenly Father...I love you someday!" Her lyrics crack me up! They bring a smile to my face, and who wouldn't? She has a smile and personality that can light up any room. Everywhere we go, people are drawn to her. It's those big blue eyes and bright smile. Oh, and the pigtails, and her little shoulder shrug, oh....and .... you get the drill. She's too cute for her own good!
I have been receiving "messages" from Grace lately. She has a mini notebook that she carries around and draws on with a tiny yellow crayon. Then she folds them up, licking her finger in between each fold (who knows where she learned that?) and then folds them as small as she can. When she gives them to me, she smiles and looks at me saying, "Here's a message for you." So quirky and sweet. Gotta love that kid of mine!
Matt just completed what is called a "Spur Ride." It is two days of pure torture! He had to take a PT (Phys. Train.) test and qualify with a high score and then they started at 4 am and made them do outrageous things while carrying all of their equipment, and often times carry other soldiers as well. They did blindfolded gun assembly, grenade and tank firing ranges, they had a simulated battle segment where they tended to the wounded, they had two CRAZY Ruck (Sp?) marches, all this and more! It ended the following day at 1 pm when he received his silver spurs. In 1 CAV they receive their gold spurs for deploying. So now he has BOTH! Thank goodness, because I saw his wounds this last week and I don't ever want to see him go through that again! Poor guy, he slept a ton and soaked up countless applications of Bag Balm and Neosporin. So proud of my Matty! There are pics on Facebook under Pictures of Me.
Our garden is growing! More pics to come on that!
As for me, I'm just crazy busy all of the time. My business is booming and I have two beautiful girls that I get to spend quality time with every day. We read, color, sing, dance, and all the while have fun. It is quite stressful at times, but I know the end goal and I'm determined to get there! We are about the finish the Book of Mormon with Grace and it has been such a blessing to read it with her. We are all learning from that time together.
