Buddy time

Jack has found a new best buddy! He and Gabe were able to enjoy some pool time, water guns, sprinklers, pizza, and ice cream this past weekend. Jack's had a difficult time adjusting to all the big changes we've had these past few months, and it does my heart good to see my shy guy getting along so well with another little boy.

Nature girl

Seems like Kate is in her element when she's outdoors. I know my dad found that out for certain when we were in Idaho. If I needed him to watch her, and she was less than happy about it, he'd just scoop her up, head outside, and walk up the block to see the crows that hang out in a nearby church parking lot. Kate would sit and finger-rake the green grass--which she'd never seen much of in the Sierra--and imitate the birds' caws. A few months later, in New Mexico, give my girl a bucket and a pile of dirt, and she's happy. Throw a sprinkler into the mix, making the dirt all squishy between the toes, and she becomes ecstatic.

More "news"

It's been bugging me lately, my lack of actual writing on this blog. I am a writer, you know. Sometimes it's just easier to upload a few snapshots of the kids and then write a caption or two. Kind of like on Facebook... it's easy to be a good writer when you're limited to only 250 or so characters. I sometimes spend my entire morning run wording and re-wording a new status update. It's much more difficult to mentally string together a whole blog post. And I guess there just hasn't been a whole lot of writing inspiration lately. We're still working hard on putting a life together here in New Mexico.
We did celebrate a few firsts these past few days:
1. Casey went to the dog groomer for the first time. Poor thing was looking a little ragged, came back all shiny and happy. She's having a fun summer overall, playing with her new golden retriever cousin Chrissy.
2. Kate did her first poop in the potty! First of all, she's a tub-pooper. For two weeks or so, she was pooping in the tub almost every night. After lamenting about it on Facebook, someone told me to Google "baby poop in tub." I did, and turns out, it's not so uncommon. I guess the warm water makes those muscles nice and relaxed. Anyway... one website mentioned having a potty handy, so when baby does make a ready-to-poop face, you can whisk her right out of there and sit her on the pot. After Kate put a little turd in the tub a few nights ago, I did just that. Made her sit on Jack's potty for a couple minutes. When she stood up, there was more in the potty. But she started screaming hysterically... and that lasted for about five minutes! I guess it's a new sensation for baby. She'll just have to get used to it!
3. Jack made his first attempt at swimming! We've been going to Grandma Pat's pool this summer, and every time, he is a little more daring. Yesterday, he actually walked by himself off the steps and started tip-toeing around the floor of the pool. At one point, he walked too far, and with no one else nearby, and not enough experience to know just to turn around and head back toward the steps, he started making crude motions with his arms as he walked toward the wall. I count that as early swimming. Soooo proud of him. Next time we visit Grandma Pat, he'll be doing the backstroke.

And now for a finished one

In the words of my sister Val in an e-mail she sent a few days ago, all our dreams are coming true! Hard to believe, but it's true. A week ago last night, mere hours after intervieweing for a job as Instructional Leader in Deming, NM, Brian was offered--and accepted--the job. Yes, we are now employed! With the news of the job came a tremendous sense of relief, but afterward we were thrust into a whole new set of to-dos. Not that I'm complaining. I will gladly stand in line at the DMV for an hour for a new driver's license and to register the van, because that cements in my mind the fact that we've just moved to New Mexico. I will gladly find all the paperwork Brian needs to sign up for insurance at his new job, because that means he has a job and we actually have insurance. I will gladly and diligently research local preschools, because that means Jack finally gets to go to preschool in the fall. And I will gladly meet with a home loan specialist at Citizens' Bank and a realtor, because that means we might actually, finally be able to purchase our own home. Yes, all our dreams are coming true, but it still takes a lot of work to make it happen! In the meantime, I am eternally grateful to my in-laws, who are not only letting us stay at their house indefinitely, but also feeding us, watching our kids for us, and putting up with the neverending mess that accompanies two small kids. We are blessed.

An unfinished post from last week

It hit me this morning, upon waking up at four a.m., that it's July 20th, and Brian has yet to find a job. I've been trying not to freak out about it--we'll be fine--but holy cow, it's July 20th already! There are still a few jobs out there, and he just had an interview last week in Rio Rancho, but overall, it's slim pickins.

While the girls are away...

...the boys will play. Here's what Jack, Brian, Matthew, Bob, and Rick were up to last weekend: building rockets from kits, and then using the desert as their giant launchpad!

Pool party and dolphin fountains

Kate had her first swim in a "big pool" yesterday, at a party thrown by Val and RJ's friends, Brett and Diane. She was eager to jump in, and loved the water... but her big orange innertube? Not so much.



And today we suited her up for another watery afternoon. These dolphin fountains can be found right across the street from Val and RJ's apartment complex. "Casey's Clubhouse" is the playground named for a girl who died at age seven from muscular distrophy. It's only the most awesome playground I've ever seen! The dolphin fountains were the best part, especially on this sweltering Sunday afternoon. ('Tis true what they say about the humidity in Dallas!)

Cake Wrecks

I have weddings on my mind after this long weekend in Dallas. Not since my own wedding has my mind been so consumed with dresses, centerpieces, favors, flowers, and cakes. Thanks to a FB friend for introducing me to this website:

http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/
"When Professional Cakes Go Horribly, Hilariously Wrong"

The great wedding dress search

I'm in Dallas (Grapevine, actually), visiting my sister and her fiance RJ. Main purpose of the visit? To find a wedding dress for Val! We started with the obligatory trip to David's Bridal, where she found a few candidates, but nothing perfect, nothing that would produce that heart-stopping moment every bride needs when she walks down the aisle. Kate went with us. She was a BIG help.

Next on our list was Lulu's Boutique, housed in a quaint little Victorian near downtown Dallas. The store was charming, the dresses extravagant. And, unfortunately, out of Val's budget.

I guess our third stop was the charm. Although it didn't look like much from the outside (we almost drove away without even going in!), Anonymously Yours had a huge selection of beautiful wedding gowns. Val tried on five and loved the fourth. It was a perfect fit. And she probably spent about half of what she would've spent on a new dress. After our visit, we both swore to become better aficionados of secondhand stores.

http://www.ayresale.com/

The whole fam-damily (can I say that?!?)

It doesn't happen often, all the Marshalls (that is, Rick, Lynn, their boys, and their boys' families) in one place at the same time. And, since Bob and Yoli just got into town today and Rick leaves tomorrow, the occasion becomes even more fleeting. Pictures had to be taken. One serious and one silly.