Busy as Bees!!!

I know it's been a while since I sat down and told you what was going on! Actually, I sat down last night and posted a few pictures and wrote a beautiful narrative =) about what each person in our family has been doing. However, when I pushed the "publish post" button...all was lost! Ugh!

Tonight, there is a lot of laundry to be folded so I will have to make it shorter but wanted to give a quick update! (I will put house pictures up soon.)

We are still unpacking boxes but we are seeing more floor so that is a good sign! Donny worked so hard on the garage this weekend and by week's end we will be parking in the garage! We have gone through every box with a fine tooth comb and have trashed, donated, reunited lost parts, and organized. Once everything is finally unpacked, it will feel so good to have "purged" and be rid of junk! (You know I love to get rid of things that we don't use...sometimes to a fault...)

We are getting quickly involved in our church, Valley View Christian Church, and also getting to know people better. I am writing and planning curriculum and lessons for the K-5 classes on Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights. It is the perfect balance of getting my "fix" of teaching and writing lessons without having to be gone from my family full time. God is good! Donny has been helping on the Creative Arts team which works on the stage and prepares for each new sermon series. The kids are getting used to their classes and are making friends. MANY of the kids at church are home schooled which makes it a bit harder for them to relate to Liv and vice versa. Here's the reason why----The kids are all in the same co-op so "breaking in" is tricky but Liv is awesome (!) and I am so proud of how she continues to go and nurture friendships.

Both kids love school and I am working hard to provide play dates at least once a week for each of them with kids from their school. It helps me get to know the mamas and the friends they are making. Having a pool has been such an easy way to invite people over. Until we moved here, and had to "step out of our comfort zones" we had not really talked to our 7 year old and 4 year old about being witnesses but that has become a daily conversation now. It is so different here. Schools are different. People are different. We are no longer wrapped snugly in our protective group of friends like we were in KY. We are being challenged to really think about and explain our faith, daily. I can't wait to see how God is going to use our family, our children, here in Dallas. I think we are all growing deeper with Jesus through this. Our after-dinner devotion and before-bed conversations with the kids have been in depth and eye opening. Their questions are amazing and challenging. Donny and I are so glad to have our kids talk to us and want to start NOW with open communication.

Shoo...I can get long-winded! All that to say, we are doing ok. We miss KY. Boy, do we miss it and talk of it and our "peeps" there daily but we are looking with wide-eyes at the present and to the future to see what God has in store for us...

We'll keep you posted! (hehee!)

Stealing My Thunder...

My plan on Friday was to share my new appliances (after prompting by Mel), however, that DISGUSTING lizard stole my thunder... So, today, when Mel texted again asking for pics of my new little "workers" I thought, tonight I will post those appliance pictures that I took on Friday on the blog. However, (yep, there's that word again - however...) as I was shutting Liv's door tonight after saying goodnight to her, I saw it...ANOTHER LIZARD!!!!!!! On her floor! Feet away from her bed!!! (Which right now, for all of us, is just a mattress on the floor!) Come on!!! This is our HOME not the zoo! So, this time, since the safety of my child was at stake =), I bravely said, "Liv hold on just a minute." I walked to my room, found my sturdiest pair of flip flops and smacked it with all of my Mommy Might. It wriggled, wiggled, and tried to get away, but I conquered it-all while trying to swallow back that "mouth throw up" that comes when you are grossed out. I know that is vivid, but I know you know what I am talking about! Liv asked what I was doing and I said, "Oh, I just had to get a bug." (I know it was a lie, but...I was trying to protect her and her night's sleep!!!) Of course, she is just like her daddy though, and asks way too many questions. She asked, "Was it a lizard?" I timidly admitted the truth and then SHE ASKED TO SEE IT! Again, I put on my brave mommy smile and said, "See, isn't it so cute. Riley sure would be jealous that you have a lizard in a Wendy's cup." She took a close look and then crawled into bed and went to sleep. Bless her sweet, innocent, brave heart! So, you see why I say these creatures are stealing my thunder???!!! I have been here for 5 days and have seen 2 lizards!! You can bet that I will be calling some sort of "lizard exterminator" tomorrow! There has GOT to be an answer to this - at least to slow this down. I mean, if I have SEEN two, how many more are lurking in the corners, under my sheets, or in my shoes??? I talked to my mother-in-law before this latest incident and she tried to help assure me that Friday's incident would be a one time thing. I tried to hopefully agree. We both knew we were just trying to be positive. I just didn't know this would happen 30 minutes after getting off the phone with her! ANYWAY...Mel, here is what you've been waiting for! =) We are blessed to have a new dryer and washer. I've never had these new fangled front loading things! All four of us took turns watching the clothes tumble and twist and spin! (This picture is taken from our half bath looking into the laundry room which is attached to the game room.) We also are blessed to have this great new fridge. After just a few days living here without water or a fridge/freezer, I feel even more appreciative. (This picture is taken from the dining room looking into the kitchen.)

In the Linen Closet...

So, we closed on our Texas house on Tuesday and on our Kentucky house on Wednesday. Did you get that? ONE DAY APART! Once again, God has made it powerfully clear that we are following HIS plan by moving to Texas. There is so much to tell but Bos and I are both fighting off colds so I am heading to bed since I am sure I will be up with him sooner than later.

***

There is one story, or spine chilling incident, as I see it, that has to be told before bed, though. Today, I was on my hands and knees cleaning the base boards in the linen closet. I saw something "scurry" and quickly grabbed my shoe to kill it. Upon further (quick!) investigation, I realized it was not a bug but a LIZARD in my CLOSET!!! I did what any smart woman would do: I slammed the door shut and called for help!

I first tried Ruthann and Joe since they live nearby. No answer. Then I tried Donny because I knew since he was just a mere 1,000 miles away he could surely help me. =) No answer. I then called Mel because she catches lizards with her boys at the beach and figured she would have some pointed. No answer. So, I made a poor choice. I called Jennifer. (I can only say that because I already told her that over the phone and she agreed! hehe!) She and I just freaked each other out and thought through every possible way to handle the situation and ended up with the bright plan to stuff and towel under the door and wait for someone to rescue me. She advised that Boston and I leave immediately until the lizard was done away with. I did stuff the towel under the door but there was too much to do here, so I went into "denial mode" and continued cleaning. Around lunchtime, Joe and Ruthann came and saved us. Come to find out, these little lizards like to make themselves at home in people's homes around here all the time. (I just shivered after typing that!) Joe killed it with a shoe and I, of course, had to take a picture for you all! =)

You may notice he (she?) is missing his tail... Joe warned me that the next time (gulp!) I kill one (does that mean I am not allowed to call him any more??) the lizard's tail will come off and continue to wiggle for a while even after the lizard is dead. Hence the missing tail. Guess it is still somewhere in the closet. Not sure. Haven't opened the closet yet. May never again.

So, with that said, who is going to be our first house guest? Ha! Our moving truck should arrive around Tuesday with our KY belongings-so come on down! We could use some help getting things set up here!

By the way, in case you didn't get the email (it was "acting up") our new email address is loughryfam@yahoo.com If you need our new address, let me know. Our cell numbers are the same.

Night. Notice I left out the "good" in front of night. I am already itching and am sure I will be shaking out all my covers and pillow cases before getting in bed and dreaming about lizards...

Boston is a Schoolboy!

Boston has been going to a sitter while I taught school since he was 12 weeks old, but there was something different about sending him to "school" today. It isn't even called preschool here. Nope, to make a mommy's heart plunge even deeper knowing her baby is growing up, they call it Pre-kindergarten! :) When Bos and I went to Open House on Tuesday to meet Mrs. Seaton (that picture is on my phone and I don't know how to get it off!!!) he fell in love with school. He was ready to pack his lunch, buy a backpack, and head off on his own. He even said he would "drive himself" and "just walk right in." Excitement filled the air in our apartment last night as we laid out his clothes, packed his dinosaur lunch box, and put his extra change of clothes for those "just in case times" in his new Iron Man backpack. (He knows his hero Riley has Iron Man band aids so he figured he needed an Iron Man backpack! Love it! If he is going to have people to look up to, I'm glad it is his friend Riley!) In order to prep him and calm me, we ate lunch with Olivia at her school earlier that day and had him practice wiping the table down, laying out his paper towel, and then putting his food out. He is SO responsible!! (For those of you Frasier fans, Donny said we are raising him to be like Niles Crane!) We labeled all his food g-free, got a copy of this month's snacks and bought g-free versions of them all, and made a cake so he could take a piece today because one of his classmates was bringing in a birthday treat and we didn't want him to be left out of the celebration. He went to bed pretty easily with Olivia telling him all about what school would be like. Mind you, she never attended preschool! Ha!

I just couldn't resist taking a picture of him the night before the big day! (He is already changing...he NEVER sleeps on his back...always been a belly sleeper!)

Bos woke up at 5:30 this morning ready to get dressed and go! (Is he not THE cutest thing you have laid eyes on???) You'll notice he is wearing flip-flops--a big no-no at schools here. He tried to put on his tennis shoes that I bought him in JULY and they were too small! We had to run to Target on the way to school and buy him a new pair...SIZE ONE!!! He has grown 3 inches and gained 3 pounds since his fourth birthday, just 6 months ago. Everyone things he looks like a first grader...ugh! Riley, this pic is for you! He wanted you to see his new backpack! =)

Our two schoolkids ready to head off for a great day!

Boston held my hand all the way into school. When he got to his classroom he let me take his picture with Mrs. Seaton and then just headed in to hang up his backpack. That was it. No big deal for him. However, I have to admit when I was driving away I may have at least had the thought of getting a bit choked up...both kids are just growing up so quickly and are adjusting like champs to all of this newness. I'm so proud of them!

When I picked Boston up from school he was all smiles. He liked music class best, got to play in the gym twice (it was rainy today), and said there was a girl who cried too loud so he couldn't hear the story! [He also said he copied he to try to get her to stop. Ooops...had to talk about that with him.] You know Liv wanted cake for her first day of school treat. What did Boston have? An ice cream cone! Why is that such a big deal? BECAUSE IT IS HIS FIRST ONE!!!!!!!! They now make g-free cones and they are quite tasty! He was running around so excited as I opened the box and just watched in awe as I put the ice cream in. It was so fun to see it through his eyes!

Two sweet Boston stories...

1-Instead of "upside down" he says "upsLide down." Too cute!

2-On the way to Liv's school yesterday we were in traffic for about 20 minutes because of a bad wreck on our turnpike. Bos started to get impatient and I said we needed to be thankful that we were ok and just be patient. He said, "Mom, while we are waiting we could pray for those people in the accident you know." We did. I love when I see Jesus in my kids!