Can you tell by the title that my computer crashed? Yes, so I'm back to working on antiquated laptops. Not exactly sure what happened, but my hard drive is unreadable. Joy, huh? I think I'll just take it into a computer repair shop. I really don't feel like juggling a crashed computer and a potty training 2 year old all at once.
Today, Tanner got home early. The girls were so happy to have him home for dinner. We took Kate to swimming lessons and went for a walk. I keep trying to remind myself that it's February. It's just not sinking in. I know I have a phsycological block because I can't ever remember the date. Whenever someone asks me what the date is, I come up with a complete void. We're really hoping to get some windows with screens installed as soon as possible. It will help keep the heat down in the house.
We have been praying that the Lord would help us to keep our family as our chief focus. It is so easy to substitute the remodeling of a house for our children, and we hope that God will help us remember that they are our chief responsibility.
Things have settled down a little bit more. The girls are finally back to their normal schedule. They fall asleep at 8:00 and wake up at 8:00. Reagan and Georgie take a nap at around 2:00. The only haphazard part of our schedule is Tanner's work. Some days he works 12 hours, some days for 4 hours and others he works 6 hours with an hour off and 4-6 hours until close. A little crazy, but we are thankful that he has a job. And his schedule isn't as crazy as the one he use to keep in Portland. Our only problem is that we were spoiled for the last two months and the girls were use to having Daddy at home all the time. But, now that he has been working for almost 2 weeks, they are adjusting to the fact that Dad isn't there every second of the day. Katie shrugged a little matter-of-factly and said, "I'm glad Daddy is at work. Then he can get money so we can go on a date." We are still praying for a job that is a little steadier with a slightly higher pay scale or that Tanner will be able to find a second job for the weekends. God has taken care of our needs so well, that it is wonderful to be able to pray for that without worry in our hearts.
The day is fast approaching for us to board a plane and celebrate a really awesome wedding. Whenever I think about it, I get a really big grin on my face. We hope we'll be able to see everyone on our trip home.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Happy Ash Wednesday?
Just exactly how do you greet someone on a day like today? Hmmm...I haven't figured it out. So, today marks the beginning of Lent. This is a time when our family decides to fast from something, and we spend our devotional time reading about Christ's journey to Jerusalem. I find that this is a holiday that a great majority of non-denominational churches tend to forget, so I find it refreshing to be surrounded by people who are observing Lent right along with us.
I think it is funny that so many people know about MardiGras, but they have no idea why it exists or what people are preparing for.
I think for us the focus of this Lenten period will be: be still and know that I am God.
I think it is funny that so many people know about MardiGras, but they have no idea why it exists or what people are preparing for.
I think for us the focus of this Lenten period will be: be still and know that I am God.
Potty Training -- FINALLY!
After much frustration, Reagan is finally potty training. I read this great article on line about how to potty train your child in one day. I was a little skeptical, but I was also desperate, so I followed the directions, and to my amazement it worked. At least so far. This is only day one, but she didn't have a single accident and went both pee and poop. Yeehaw!
I can't help but wonder if denying her ANY candy for the last 4 days had more to do with it, but I'm not going to spend too much time speculating.
Anyway, that's pretty much all I did today. I sat on the couch, read the Nonesuch and monitored Reagan's progress, Kate's bossiness and Georgianna's fussiness. By the way, I think George is about to start teething. She bit me 3 times today. Hmmm...is it time for bottle training, too?
I can't help but wonder if denying her ANY candy for the last 4 days had more to do with it, but I'm not going to spend too much time speculating.
Anyway, that's pretty much all I did today. I sat on the couch, read the Nonesuch and monitored Reagan's progress, Kate's bossiness and Georgianna's fussiness. By the way, I think George is about to start teething. She bit me 3 times today. Hmmm...is it time for bottle training, too?
So what exactly IS Tanner's job?
My job is fun. Today I worked from 9:50am to 10:55pm. I mopped the floor, turned on the lights, cut fruit and made vegetable plates. Then it's time to make fish sauce and spring rolls. I learned to work a real cash register and to speak Vietnamese - Well at least I learned that the Vietnamese word for parallel is 'Same-Same' (with a hand motion). I have also learned that it's really no big deal if you see a cockroach in the kitchen because the exterminators will be by next week anyway.
My usual boss is nice. He panics under pressure, but overall is calm. His boss yells at me a lot. She's 23 and doesn't enlighten about for what I'm being scolded. She yells at everybody, especially the kitchen crew which is not her department. I don't really care. I just nod and promptly say something to Rico or Benja in either Spanish or in gibberish in an effort to look like I care enough to get clarification without bothering her. They kindly play along by giving me a Spanish lesson in Spanish while pointing at dishes or something restaurantish. By her expression I think that she thinks this is a sign that she is effectively managing/training me. In return they get silent revenge, some sympathy and sometimes I slide them a spring roll or two. I get to buss tables (sometimes the dishes have money in them called tips) and get to deliver food to customers, which is like waiting tables except that the customers have already paid at the register and are waiting for their food. Good food, but slow when restaurant is busy. When it's slow the customers get antsy.
I get to clean the soda machine and watch chemicals fry food. Clean up, turn off lights, leave.
Oh! I forgot to mention - I have made it a game to convince as many customers as possible that the restaurant belongs to me. So far I'm up to about a dozen followers. It's really funny to overhear a customer complain about the food and then ask for me instead of the manager. I mean, why settle for a manager when you can talk to Tanner himself. If they were to get the manager, they would most likely be told to lump it. If they get me instead of the manager, though, then they get to hear me have a very heated (and loud) discussion with the kitchen manager who's name happens to be 'Uncle' (thank God).
I get along with Uncle just fine, but he is Vietnamese and a stickler for rules. He shouts at me in Vietnamese, which I don't understand except for the hand motions, and always ends by saying in English that the "customer order wrong food. Make pay for new dish!" I shout back while smiling pleasantly - as if I've just processed all that Vietnamese - "Uncle, this is outrageous, make new dish. I point out the many shameful failings of his kitchen crew as quickly as I can. The customers think I'm gently reproving my errant Uncle and Uncle can't actually understand anything I've said. The floor manager (my boss) doesn't want the stress of getting involved. Now, half of Uncle's kitchen crew speak mostly Spanish while the other half speak only Viet. Uncle speaks poor English and poorer Spanish. I assume he speaks pretty good Viet. Since he sees me conversing with the Spanish half of his crew in the morning, I don't think he's made up his mind weather I'm Mexican or English (we all look the same, you know). Anyway, when he gets worked up he starts shouting at me in Spanish so broken that I can actually understand it. I tell him in Spanish that he never listens to me and that he needs to give Rico and Benja raises. Rico and Benja try not to laugh. He doesn't understand any of this. My body language is neutral and I keep my hands still. So, he usually decides it's less work to make a new dish than to figure out how to explain things to me. Once in a while he calls the manger on duty over. But since things are stressful, they have a hard time not yelling. He gets the impression that the manager agrees with me, end of story. The affect is beautiful. Uncle doesn't know we had a fight. Managers are learning to not bother me and to give me all the hours I want. Customers actually get what they order and they even believe that I know what the heck I'm doing. I really have no clue what Bulgogi is supposed to look like, you know. But when I repeat what the customer says, it just sounds so realistic - "Hey! No mushroom for bulgogi! Wake up people! Escuchame jente! Sus trabajo esta muy importante! Esta cosa correcto esta tiempo pofavor. Same-Same. (w/ hand motion)." Some customers ask me if I'm the manager. I reply, "Won Kun is the manager on duty tonight." as though I'm trying not to interfere with the duties that Uncle, Rosie, and myself have determined that he should have. "Won Kun is one of the finest managers we've ever had at Rosie's Pho", I tell them. Lot's of fun.
By the time you read this, I'll have had an interview at Lowe's. I hope I can convince some contractors that I tutored the General Manager. If not, they might believe that I owned a restaurant construction company in Vietnam. This is gonna be good. But first we have to convince the people at Lowe's that I'm competent.
My usual boss is nice. He panics under pressure, but overall is calm. His boss yells at me a lot. She's 23 and doesn't enlighten about for what I'm being scolded. She yells at everybody, especially the kitchen crew which is not her department. I don't really care. I just nod and promptly say something to Rico or Benja in either Spanish or in gibberish in an effort to look like I care enough to get clarification without bothering her. They kindly play along by giving me a Spanish lesson in Spanish while pointing at dishes or something restaurantish. By her expression I think that she thinks this is a sign that she is effectively managing/training me. In return they get silent revenge, some sympathy and sometimes I slide them a spring roll or two. I get to buss tables (sometimes the dishes have money in them called tips) and get to deliver food to customers, which is like waiting tables except that the customers have already paid at the register and are waiting for their food. Good food, but slow when restaurant is busy. When it's slow the customers get antsy.
I get to clean the soda machine and watch chemicals fry food. Clean up, turn off lights, leave.
Oh! I forgot to mention - I have made it a game to convince as many customers as possible that the restaurant belongs to me. So far I'm up to about a dozen followers. It's really funny to overhear a customer complain about the food and then ask for me instead of the manager. I mean, why settle for a manager when you can talk to Tanner himself. If they were to get the manager, they would most likely be told to lump it. If they get me instead of the manager, though, then they get to hear me have a very heated (and loud) discussion with the kitchen manager who's name happens to be 'Uncle' (thank God).
I get along with Uncle just fine, but he is Vietnamese and a stickler for rules. He shouts at me in Vietnamese, which I don't understand except for the hand motions, and always ends by saying in English that the "customer order wrong food. Make pay for new dish!" I shout back while smiling pleasantly - as if I've just processed all that Vietnamese - "Uncle, this is outrageous, make new dish. I point out the many shameful failings of his kitchen crew as quickly as I can. The customers think I'm gently reproving my errant Uncle and Uncle can't actually understand anything I've said. The floor manager (my boss) doesn't want the stress of getting involved. Now, half of Uncle's kitchen crew speak mostly Spanish while the other half speak only Viet. Uncle speaks poor English and poorer Spanish. I assume he speaks pretty good Viet. Since he sees me conversing with the Spanish half of his crew in the morning, I don't think he's made up his mind weather I'm Mexican or English (we all look the same, you know). Anyway, when he gets worked up he starts shouting at me in Spanish so broken that I can actually understand it. I tell him in Spanish that he never listens to me and that he needs to give Rico and Benja raises. Rico and Benja try not to laugh. He doesn't understand any of this. My body language is neutral and I keep my hands still. So, he usually decides it's less work to make a new dish than to figure out how to explain things to me. Once in a while he calls the manger on duty over. But since things are stressful, they have a hard time not yelling. He gets the impression that the manager agrees with me, end of story. The affect is beautiful. Uncle doesn't know we had a fight. Managers are learning to not bother me and to give me all the hours I want. Customers actually get what they order and they even believe that I know what the heck I'm doing. I really have no clue what Bulgogi is supposed to look like, you know. But when I repeat what the customer says, it just sounds so realistic - "Hey! No mushroom for bulgogi! Wake up people! Escuchame jente! Sus trabajo esta muy importante! Esta cosa correcto esta tiempo pofavor. Same-Same. (w/ hand motion)." Some customers ask me if I'm the manager. I reply, "Won Kun is the manager on duty tonight." as though I'm trying not to interfere with the duties that Uncle, Rosie, and myself have determined that he should have. "Won Kun is one of the finest managers we've ever had at Rosie's Pho", I tell them. Lot's of fun.
By the time you read this, I'll have had an interview at Lowe's. I hope I can convince some contractors that I tutored the General Manager. If not, they might believe that I owned a restaurant construction company in Vietnam. This is gonna be good. But first we have to convince the people at Lowe's that I'm competent.
Injury update!
Well, I wasn't going to blog about this incident for fear of upsetting our parents, but tonight as I was getting ready for bed, I realized I simply had to.
This morning while Tanner was at work I decided that it wouldn't be too much for me to hang a curtain. Pretty simple really. I grabbed the drill a couple of screws and climbed onto a stool. The first couple of screws went in rather easily and I was thrilled that I was making such great progress. I moved over to the next bracket. Unfortunately it was on the right side, so I had to hold the drill at a funny angle and push into the screw. Well, the stool slipped out from under me and I came crashing down with a sickening thud. Since I was next to the window there was nothing to grab on to, no wall to slide against to slow the fall and even the window pane was too far out of reach because of the angle that I was at. Kate was in the room, and she ran over to see if I was okay. I groaned and groaned and groaned. She started to cry because she was certain I was dying. The only thing I could manage to say when she asked if I was all right was, "Uuugh.." After a few minutes I managed to eek out "I'm-o-kay. Just-move-the chair." Still crying, she obediently moved the chair that I had knocked over as I fell, and I groaned as I slowly checked to make sure that all of my limbs were still working. I kept praying that I wouldn't have to coach her through a 911 call. The worse part was that I had landed hard on my left hand with the drill under me and I was concerned that I might have managed to break an arm. Oooh! Aaah! Ouch!
Since I'm typing this blog at lightening speed, you can all rest assured that nothing was broken, just a couple of really big bruises, an arms length scrape and some sore muscles. But here's the part that made me decide to write about this. I've heard of goose eggs on the head, but have you had a goose egg on your thigh? Well, I now know that it is entirely possible to have a goose egg the size of a very large softball smack dab in the middle of your thigh.
This morning while Tanner was at work I decided that it wouldn't be too much for me to hang a curtain. Pretty simple really. I grabbed the drill a couple of screws and climbed onto a stool. The first couple of screws went in rather easily and I was thrilled that I was making such great progress. I moved over to the next bracket. Unfortunately it was on the right side, so I had to hold the drill at a funny angle and push into the screw. Well, the stool slipped out from under me and I came crashing down with a sickening thud. Since I was next to the window there was nothing to grab on to, no wall to slide against to slow the fall and even the window pane was too far out of reach because of the angle that I was at. Kate was in the room, and she ran over to see if I was okay. I groaned and groaned and groaned. She started to cry because she was certain I was dying. The only thing I could manage to say when she asked if I was all right was, "Uuugh.." After a few minutes I managed to eek out "I'm-o-kay. Just-move-the chair." Still crying, she obediently moved the chair that I had knocked over as I fell, and I groaned as I slowly checked to make sure that all of my limbs were still working. I kept praying that I wouldn't have to coach her through a 911 call. The worse part was that I had landed hard on my left hand with the drill under me and I was concerned that I might have managed to break an arm. Oooh! Aaah! Ouch!
Since I'm typing this blog at lightening speed, you can all rest assured that nothing was broken, just a couple of really big bruises, an arms length scrape and some sore muscles. But here's the part that made me decide to write about this. I've heard of goose eggs on the head, but have you had a goose egg on your thigh? Well, I now know that it is entirely possible to have a goose egg the size of a very large softball smack dab in the middle of your thigh.
Monday, February 23, 2009
About kids.
Reagan's sense of humor is growing. Tonight we were sitting at the dinner table and she said, "Mommy, I like Dora. I like Boots." Kate chimed in, "Me, too." Reagan gave her a squinty eyed look and then said, "Me, three." But wait, it gets funnier. Kate said, "Me, four." Reagan said, "Me, five." Kate said, "Me, six." Reagan paused for a bit. She was thinking, thinking of the highest number she knew. Then she said, "Me, Eleven!"
Friday, February 20, 2009
Today, I am tired, and so is Tanner
Somehow, Tanner managed to hurt his back yesterday, so he wasn't as much of the strong work horse as he usually is. We had planned for today to be the day that we replaced the girls' window. We figured, since we were amatuers, we would allot the entire morning for the project. We started tearing the window out at about 7:30 this morning.
At first, things went very smoothly. We removed the trim pieces and were happy to see that not much rot had occured. We had the window out of the frame by about 8:30. Not bad. Maybe we were going to get lucky on this one. We knew that we'd have to tear the sheetrock off of the lower half of the window and about 6" to the left and right of the window in order to re-do the framing, but as we pulled the sheetrock from the bottom, I yelled, "Stop!" There was green mold underneath. Sigh. We stopped, found masks, eye gear, locked the girls in the front rooms with a movie, and prepared to demolish the whole wall. We pulled, sawed and crowbarred our way through the mess, until we found the end of the mold, plus 6". Whew! At least the mold stopped before going around the corner! By the time we were finished, it was 1:00, and time for lunch...so much for the morning. Now, we were just hoping to get the window into it's slot before Tanner had to go to work.
We got back to work at about 1:30 after giving the girls a quick kiss, a new movie and renewed instructions to stay in the front 3 rooms. Even though the mold was now out of the house, I really didn't want to run the risk of getting them sick. We finished framing in the window and were just about to start work on the trim pieces when Tanner stepped on a nail. So, we took an unwanted break to clean and dress the wound. Then I had to stop to nurse Georgie. By the grace of God, she was in a happy mood today and was content to sit in her swing and play with toys for most of the day. We finished the trim pieces and hefted the window into it's position...it didn't fit. Apparently, my suggestion to make sure the pieces were level was a good suggestion after all. Unfortunately, we hadn't done that. So...a bit more hammering on Tanner's part as I had to pick up Georgie since she had just about had enough of her toys, a little bit more sawing for Tanner, and we were ready to give it a try. I set Georgie down, went outside and we hefted the window into place, AND, hooray, it fit. Tanner nailed it down, fetched his drill and finished screwing it into place while I went to pick up Georgie again since she was screaming.
I acutally got to use the rotary saw, the drill, the hammer, the crowbar and lots of nails and screws today. I had to. Tanner's back was pretty sore. I definitely had a lot of fun. I now know how to measure 16" centers, how to measure king studs and jack studs and cripple studs, and I'm very thankful that I don't have to do it by myself because it is REALLY hard work. We managed to pull everything together and got the window installed a half hour before Tanner had to go to work.
I feels a little sorry for him since I get to sit and relax and rest while he's working. I'm just thankful that we were able to get the house sealed up before nightfall. I did a little caulking around the boards so that bugs can't get into the house for the night. We still have to frame in the wall and call for an inspection, but the hardest part is over, a new day is coming.
At first, things went very smoothly. We removed the trim pieces and were happy to see that not much rot had occured. We had the window out of the frame by about 8:30. Not bad. Maybe we were going to get lucky on this one. We knew that we'd have to tear the sheetrock off of the lower half of the window and about 6" to the left and right of the window in order to re-do the framing, but as we pulled the sheetrock from the bottom, I yelled, "Stop!" There was green mold underneath. Sigh. We stopped, found masks, eye gear, locked the girls in the front rooms with a movie, and prepared to demolish the whole wall. We pulled, sawed and crowbarred our way through the mess, until we found the end of the mold, plus 6". Whew! At least the mold stopped before going around the corner! By the time we were finished, it was 1:00, and time for lunch...so much for the morning. Now, we were just hoping to get the window into it's slot before Tanner had to go to work.
We got back to work at about 1:30 after giving the girls a quick kiss, a new movie and renewed instructions to stay in the front 3 rooms. Even though the mold was now out of the house, I really didn't want to run the risk of getting them sick. We finished framing in the window and were just about to start work on the trim pieces when Tanner stepped on a nail. So, we took an unwanted break to clean and dress the wound. Then I had to stop to nurse Georgie. By the grace of God, she was in a happy mood today and was content to sit in her swing and play with toys for most of the day. We finished the trim pieces and hefted the window into it's position...it didn't fit. Apparently, my suggestion to make sure the pieces were level was a good suggestion after all. Unfortunately, we hadn't done that. So...a bit more hammering on Tanner's part as I had to pick up Georgie since she had just about had enough of her toys, a little bit more sawing for Tanner, and we were ready to give it a try. I set Georgie down, went outside and we hefted the window into place, AND, hooray, it fit. Tanner nailed it down, fetched his drill and finished screwing it into place while I went to pick up Georgie again since she was screaming.
I acutally got to use the rotary saw, the drill, the hammer, the crowbar and lots of nails and screws today. I had to. Tanner's back was pretty sore. I definitely had a lot of fun. I now know how to measure 16" centers, how to measure king studs and jack studs and cripple studs, and I'm very thankful that I don't have to do it by myself because it is REALLY hard work. We managed to pull everything together and got the window installed a half hour before Tanner had to go to work.
I feels a little sorry for him since I get to sit and relax and rest while he's working. I'm just thankful that we were able to get the house sealed up before nightfall. I did a little caulking around the boards so that bugs can't get into the house for the night. We still have to frame in the wall and call for an inspection, but the hardest part is over, a new day is coming.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Library and cupcakes
Today was a very normal day. The morning started out grey and slowly melted into a lovely, gloden afternoon. When I write golden, I really mean it. Here in Texas, the sun seems brighter and yellower than in PDX. So when it shines it gives everything around a slightly yellow tinge. I begin to understand why Texans are characterized by squinty eyed people. I find that even in the mildest weather, I have to squint to be able to see. Sunglasses are a must, and the wonderful thing is that I don't think it's possible to misplace them during the winter.
The grey morning reminded me of PDX and how I use to take the girls to the library during the fall and winter months. So, I packed the girls in the car, and we went to the library. There is only one library unless you go to the nearby towns. There was a story time and a craft for all of the kids to do, and I think the girls really enjoyed it. Yes, I did this solo with three kids, and I know that some of you might think it was stressful, but I remember my mom doing quite a lot with three kids. Also, there is the added bonus that if my kids act up, I don't have to pacify them until I can get them home. I can actually take action! Luckily, I didn't have to do any of that. The girls were wonderful, well-behaved, and obedient. Our trip was a great success, and I hope to make many more.
We came home, ate some yogurt, hung a towel rack, a hand towel ring (mom be proud), and mounted a toilet paper holder. Then, Reagan helped me make cupcakes. They played princess dancing while waiting for everything to cool down
, and then we decorated.
, and then we decorated.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
What we do in Texas when we're bored
http://www.stupidvideos.com/video/just_plain_stupid/Baby_Vs_Pears/
We couldn't resist this very funny video. It reminded us of all the joy involved in teaching a new baby how to eat. Sorry about the other emails. I hope this one actually works.
We couldn't resist this very funny video. It reminded us of all the joy involved in teaching a new baby how to eat. Sorry about the other emails. I hope this one actually works.
Monday, February 16, 2009
We're Online!
Water? Check. Electricity? Check. Internet? Check! We are now a fully functioning unit! At least as far as a computer junkie is concerned. Have you ever lived in a hotel for almost 2 months? The sensation of FINALLY being able to occupy your own bed is completely indescribable. Every time I crawl into bed at night, I thank God for my mattress. Shower curtain? Uh...whoops...
We spent the weekend food shopping, cooking, food shopping, going to church. I kept forgetting all of the staples that I was out of, and double bought on things that I thought I was out of, but wasn't. Kind of funny really. I even made a list, but when I reorganized my cupboards, I realized that the salt had been buried in the back of the cupboard. So, I now have 2 full containers of salt. Yes, laugh, those of you who know how little salt I use. I'm pretty sure it will last all the way through Tanner's doctorate. I also have 2 cans of baking powder which will make it through about 2 terms of chemistry. I had to buy butter (which was expensive), yogurt (which was not), chicken (.99lb), frozen veggies, fresh veggies, canned veggies, sugar, flour, basil, thyme, eggs, vanilla, milk, oatmeal, beans, rice, tomato sauce, tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, more chicken, beef, fish, taco seasonings, salad dressing, fruit, juice, ice cream (the BEST I've ever had), cake mix (for cupcakes that Kate wants to send to Emma), olive oil, soy sauce (no Aloha here), garlic, onions, garlic salt and GINGER. The ginger was the hardest item to find. I went to 4 stores. I happened to be on the phone with Joanelle, complaining about the absolute dearth of ginger in C.S. when lo, and behold, I rounded a corner and there was a big pile of ginger smiling up at me. By the way, it was HEB. I think it will soon become my favorite store. It's like a Winco and New Seasons Market in a head-on collision.
We found this great blog that told us how to get our licenses changed over. A great pointer was to go to our bank and make sure that we didn't have to reopen new accounts BEFORE applying for a Texas driver's license. Apparently Texas has different banking laws, and they issue a temporary license and banks won't accept them as i.d. Then, we ordered new auto insurance. Oh, weep, sweet lady, weep. Texas let's you fully customize your insurance policy. Don't want PIP? Fine. Only want collision? Great. Oh, decided on property liability ONLY???? That's okay, too. Don't worry, we chose a little bit more than that, but our 6 month premium is less then $200. And, for a young couple, that's not too bad.
Anyway, after doing all of that, then you have to get your car emmissions test...which we still have yet to do.
So, Tanner got a job as a line cook. He asked them if he needed a food handler's license. They frowned and said: no, you not manager. So, he asked where could he get a food handler's license. They said: oh, private company provide that at Gatti (think Chuck E Cheese). That's just a little TOO weird for me.
One of my students is full Chinese. Her mom barely speaks English. I got up the nerve to ask what kind of Chinese and they said Mandarin! Then I asked if they knew of a Mandarin language school. Hehehehe: the Lord sure knows what He's doing. They directed me to 2 churches and class being held near the college for ALL age levels. Talk about exciting.
Kate finished her first session of swimming lessons and graduated to the next level. She is very proud to be in Frogs 2 instead of Frogs 1. She really enjoyed Valentines Day. She guessed her secret pal right off the bat (emma). She and Reagan had a great time spending their Valentine money at Target (photos soon to come). Georgie just coasted through. Her Valentine treat was her very first taste of barely cereal. She thinks it tastes better than chocolate. Reagan and Kate begged for a taste. For some reason, I don't think they agree with Georgie.
Those of you in winterland will be jealous to hear that it has been mild, 72, with white fluffy clouds scudding across the sky. We spent Sunday afternoon at a park. I wore capris, t-shirt, sandals. Tanner and the girls were similarly clothed. The guy at the park was wearing sweat pants, sweat shirt, parka and ski cap. I guess 72 and shady was just too cold for him. People here keep apologizing to us for the inclement weather. Sigh...
We spent the weekend food shopping, cooking, food shopping, going to church. I kept forgetting all of the staples that I was out of, and double bought on things that I thought I was out of, but wasn't. Kind of funny really. I even made a list, but when I reorganized my cupboards, I realized that the salt had been buried in the back of the cupboard. So, I now have 2 full containers of salt. Yes, laugh, those of you who know how little salt I use. I'm pretty sure it will last all the way through Tanner's doctorate. I also have 2 cans of baking powder which will make it through about 2 terms of chemistry. I had to buy butter (which was expensive), yogurt (which was not), chicken (.99lb), frozen veggies, fresh veggies, canned veggies, sugar, flour, basil, thyme, eggs, vanilla, milk, oatmeal, beans, rice, tomato sauce, tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, more chicken, beef, fish, taco seasonings, salad dressing, fruit, juice, ice cream (the BEST I've ever had), cake mix (for cupcakes that Kate wants to send to Emma), olive oil, soy sauce (no Aloha here), garlic, onions, garlic salt and GINGER. The ginger was the hardest item to find. I went to 4 stores. I happened to be on the phone with Joanelle, complaining about the absolute dearth of ginger in C.S. when lo, and behold, I rounded a corner and there was a big pile of ginger smiling up at me. By the way, it was HEB. I think it will soon become my favorite store. It's like a Winco and New Seasons Market in a head-on collision.
We found this great blog that told us how to get our licenses changed over. A great pointer was to go to our bank and make sure that we didn't have to reopen new accounts BEFORE applying for a Texas driver's license. Apparently Texas has different banking laws, and they issue a temporary license and banks won't accept them as i.d. Then, we ordered new auto insurance. Oh, weep, sweet lady, weep. Texas let's you fully customize your insurance policy. Don't want PIP? Fine. Only want collision? Great. Oh, decided on property liability ONLY???? That's okay, too. Don't worry, we chose a little bit more than that, but our 6 month premium is less then $200. And, for a young couple, that's not too bad.
Anyway, after doing all of that, then you have to get your car emmissions test...which we still have yet to do.
So, Tanner got a job as a line cook. He asked them if he needed a food handler's license. They frowned and said: no, you not manager. So, he asked where could he get a food handler's license. They said: oh, private company provide that at Gatti (think Chuck E Cheese). That's just a little TOO weird for me.
One of my students is full Chinese. Her mom barely speaks English. I got up the nerve to ask what kind of Chinese and they said Mandarin! Then I asked if they knew of a Mandarin language school. Hehehehe: the Lord sure knows what He's doing. They directed me to 2 churches and class being held near the college for ALL age levels. Talk about exciting.
Kate finished her first session of swimming lessons and graduated to the next level. She is very proud to be in Frogs 2 instead of Frogs 1. She really enjoyed Valentines Day. She guessed her secret pal right off the bat (emma). She and Reagan had a great time spending their Valentine money at Target (photos soon to come). Georgie just coasted through. Her Valentine treat was her very first taste of barely cereal. She thinks it tastes better than chocolate. Reagan and Kate begged for a taste. For some reason, I don't think they agree with Georgie.
Those of you in winterland will be jealous to hear that it has been mild, 72, with white fluffy clouds scudding across the sky. We spent Sunday afternoon at a park. I wore capris, t-shirt, sandals. Tanner and the girls were similarly clothed. The guy at the park was wearing sweat pants, sweat shirt, parka and ski cap. I guess 72 and shady was just too cold for him. People here keep apologizing to us for the inclement weather. Sigh...
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Way too crazy!
Well, we arrived at our home this morning, and the electrical panel STILL wasn't hooked up! I was more than slightly annoyed. I was frustrated! I was angry! And THEN to top it all off when I opened the front door of the house there was this notice that said the water had been turned off. Aaargghh! They had been sending the water bills up to Portland, and then they were being forwarded to our mailbox. Hehehe...
So, Tanner took me to coffee. Then we went to the C.S. utilities to pay our bill and get the water turned back on. I suppose that was what the Lord wanted us to do, because then Tanner got to ask the people there why our electricity wasn't getting hooked up. They went, ooops...apparently there is a new house being built at 105 Starling...and they kept cancelling our order for a hookup.
So, the electric company arrived at the house about 10 minutes later, hooked up our house, inspected it, turned on the water and Voila! we are ready to finally move into our new home. That being the case, we'll be offline for a couple of days as we get our internet service ordered. Love you all, and hopefully we'll be up and running by Tuesday or Wednesday.
P.S. we're pretty sure the rat is gone...the roaches are almost all dead...
So, Tanner took me to coffee. Then we went to the C.S. utilities to pay our bill and get the water turned back on. I suppose that was what the Lord wanted us to do, because then Tanner got to ask the people there why our electricity wasn't getting hooked up. They went, ooops...apparently there is a new house being built at 105 Starling...and they kept cancelling our order for a hookup.
So, the electric company arrived at the house about 10 minutes later, hooked up our house, inspected it, turned on the water and Voila! we are ready to finally move into our new home. That being the case, we'll be offline for a couple of days as we get our internet service ordered. Love you all, and hopefully we'll be up and running by Tuesday or Wednesday.
P.S. we're pretty sure the rat is gone...the roaches are almost all dead...
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Only in Texas!
Why, oh, why did we get rid of our skis? My reasoning was that there are no mountains in Texas. Ha! I should have known better. The Texans have created a ski zone called: Mount Aggie! Complete with inner tubing, skiing and snowboarding.
Our first severe thunderstorm/tornado watch!
Yes, I know. We're not suppose to BE in tornado alley, but then, it's not suppose to snow in Dallas either. So, last night we weathered our first severe thunderstorm, (mom-howell you would've hated it) and watched the thunderheads roll on by. We finally collapsed from exhaustion at around 2:00am and were promptly woken up by Kate who had an upset stomache, so we were awake until about 3:30 last night. The storm blew itself out and not a single tornado touched down in our area. Thank you moms, dads, sis' for all of your prayers last night.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
The girls room is VERY pink.
Just some pictures of their room before and after. It's a little crowded, but doable!
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Woohoo! Another great find.
As most of you know, I've been looking for bunkbeds and dressers since we had to leave all of that behind in Pdx. Well, I've been religiously scouring craigslist and the classifieds and every furniture sale for over a month without any luck. I had actually decided that today I would go to Walmart or Sears and just buy a brand new bunkbed. But something prompted me to give it one last ditch effort, so I looked up garage sales, and decided to wake up early, get the kids ready and take a look at a couple of promising ads. Lo, and behold, the very first garage sale we pulled up to had TWO bunkbeds for sale, AND a dresser. Everything cost only $75. So, one bunkbed and one dresser down. Only two dressers to go and we'll be set.
Tomorrow, I'll finish painting the girls' room and then I'll post pictures. The Tinkerbell stickers worked out wonderfully. Kate and I had a lot of fun sticking them onto the wall. The only one that didn't work was the big grow chart. I think I need a smoother surface for it, so I think I'll try to hang it on the closet.
Our dining table got set up today. All of the toys are now unpacked, the games are on their shelf, all of the books are unpacked, all of the dishes, dish towels and pots/pans are unpacked and ready to go. The plumbers finished up yesterday, so we now have water. Hopefully the electrician will finish up by Monday, and we'll be able to move into the house.
Georgie is starting to play with toys. She likes Red Dog and the dalmation puppies. She's also fascinated with her toys, Mom's hair, Dad's sunglasses, Reggie's nose and Kate's mouth. So we all get poked, pulled and pinched in our turn.
Tomorrow, I'll finish painting the girls' room and then I'll post pictures. The Tinkerbell stickers worked out wonderfully. Kate and I had a lot of fun sticking them onto the wall. The only one that didn't work was the big grow chart. I think I need a smoother surface for it, so I think I'll try to hang it on the closet.
Our dining table got set up today. All of the toys are now unpacked, the games are on their shelf, all of the books are unpacked, all of the dishes, dish towels and pots/pans are unpacked and ready to go. The plumbers finished up yesterday, so we now have water. Hopefully the electrician will finish up by Monday, and we'll be able to move into the house.
Georgie is starting to play with toys. She likes Red Dog and the dalmation puppies. She's also fascinated with her toys, Mom's hair, Dad's sunglasses, Reggie's nose and Kate's mouth. So we all get poked, pulled and pinched in our turn.
Friday, February 6, 2009
C.S. handgun laws. Ouch!
Well, we decided to look at the laws governing carrying a handgun, owning a handgun and things like that. We naturally called the police department to find out what was legal and what wasn't. And again, we almost started to laugh. The law here says that as long as the gun is concealed, then it is legal to carry it. ????? Huh???? That's right. Texas law says that if they can see the gun then it can be construed as brandishing, so please, cover up you guns. Hahahahaha! LOL.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
A wonderful conclusion to an average day
We spent the day doing just ordinary stuff. We moved everything into one room so that the carpet could be installed, and then we moved it all back. We painted a few walls, unpacked a few boxes, watched the girls play a few hours, ate lunch, and then went back for a little bit more of the usual. The house is really coming together. Tomorrow, we paint the girls' room.
We came home tonight and ate dinner, tried to find a cartoon for the girls to watch, and witnessed a major melt down. Oh, boy, our first one in Texas. We were really beside oursleves. Here was our oldest going full throttle at 8:30 in a hotel room. We ended up sitting in the car with our two youngest, watching the door to the room, waiting for our oldest to quiet down. We just didn't know what to do. We felt so overwhelmed and frustrated, and then Tanner suggested that we pray. I said that I didn't really feel like it, and he reminded me that was when it was most important to do so. I shrugged, and decided that he was right. We prayed. Then presently we felt the Lord prompt us to go back into the room which we did. And lo, and behold, she was sitting quietly on the bed. We talked to her for quite a while about the gravity of her sin, and how it made her and us feel. I reminded her that she often prayed to Jesus when she had lost something, and that He was always faithful to help her find the lost item. I told her that she was lost and that maybe she needed to pray and ask Jesus to find her. She frowned, and I sighed. It just didn't seem like she got the idea. We talked a little bit more, and I was about to take a shower, when I told her that we couldn't make her pray to Jesus. She had to do it. And then she very calmly asked us for help.
Tonight, Jesus gave us the greatest gift. We got to welcome our daughter into the family of God.
We came home tonight and ate dinner, tried to find a cartoon for the girls to watch, and witnessed a major melt down. Oh, boy, our first one in Texas. We were really beside oursleves. Here was our oldest going full throttle at 8:30 in a hotel room. We ended up sitting in the car with our two youngest, watching the door to the room, waiting for our oldest to quiet down. We just didn't know what to do. We felt so overwhelmed and frustrated, and then Tanner suggested that we pray. I said that I didn't really feel like it, and he reminded me that was when it was most important to do so. I shrugged, and decided that he was right. We prayed. Then presently we felt the Lord prompt us to go back into the room which we did. And lo, and behold, she was sitting quietly on the bed. We talked to her for quite a while about the gravity of her sin, and how it made her and us feel. I reminded her that she often prayed to Jesus when she had lost something, and that He was always faithful to help her find the lost item. I told her that she was lost and that maybe she needed to pray and ask Jesus to find her. She frowned, and I sighed. It just didn't seem like she got the idea. We talked a little bit more, and I was about to take a shower, when I told her that we couldn't make her pray to Jesus. She had to do it. And then she very calmly asked us for help.
Tonight, Jesus gave us the greatest gift. We got to welcome our daughter into the family of God.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
IT'S STARTING!!! AIYA!
Well, today, I discovered just how vulnerable my family is the Texan accent. Tanner told me just how feeling the dinner was and that he thought we might be able to spend the day at the pull. I am finding it increasingly more difficult to understand anything that he says. Kate is picking up the drawl, too. She can't wait for swimmin lessins. Right now, I'm thankful that Georgianna can't cry in Texan!
Sunday, February 1, 2009
I thought a photo essay would help everyone understand what we've been up to for the past week. So, here goes. First, we put up shelves:
Then we layed linoleum and got the fridge, stove and dishwasher into the kitchen.
Then we celebrated Kate's birthday and watched Georgianna get just a little bit bigger.
Tanner also installed an AC/heater unit, but I didn't take picture of that, as well as doing a lot of shopping for light fixtures, pipes, fittings and things like that. Looks like the bathroom will be done very soon. YAY!
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