First Post from Conroe

Hi everyone!

Finally, here is our first blog post from our new home in Conroe, TX.  It has been too long, between moving and finding a place to live and then a couple of weeks of computer/Internet problems after we moved in.  But here we are! : )

I think first I will write a short update on the last few weeks, then follow up with some pictures I've taken.  After that, I'll get back to more specific/topical posts. Shew, a lot to catch up!

We left San Angelo super late on the Sunday of Labor Day weekend.  It had been a whirlwind weekend with packing and cleaning.  We also felt God's timing with our move ... it was a huge blessing that our move date "happened" to be on a three day weekend. I don't think we could have made it otherwise!

On the road that night, we saw an abundance of Texas wildlife.  We saw deer (always a little nerve-tracking while driving) and a HUGE racoon.  But the giant rattlesnake in the middle of the road takes the cake!!  We were driving along, I was talking to Tyler, and half-noticed something in the road  as we drove by.  Tyler stopped the van suddenly with a "Did you see that??!!"  I said no, and he backed up to shine the headlights directly on a very large rattlesnake crossing the road.  He was waving his rattle in the air.  Tyler declared he wanted to go look at the snake.  I'm pretty sure I begged him not to, but out of the van he went as the snake started to coil up.  Tyler tried to take a picture with the Iphone but it was too dark and I was too hysterical to find the camera.  He came back to the van and said he wanted to kill the snake and keep the rattle and mentioned maybe finding a screwdriver or something in the back to do the deed.  Well at that point, I totally lost it and he finally got back in the van to calm me down.  No rattle for Tyler and I guess I am more scared to snakes than I thought. 

We stopped before Austin that night, too exhausted to continue.  Then we met up with two of Tyler's guys the next morning.  They had graciously offered to share the U-Haul driving to give Tyler a break and so I wouldn't have to drive the whole way by myself with the little ones. 

Due to a slight route miscalculation, we ended up right by the terrible wildfire in Bastrop.  With even more poor planning, we had to stop for gas at the station right by the blaze.  It was an absolute madhouse of people, and all understandably upset and mad.  This resulted in some slightly scary scenes such as people almost running into each other, getting into shouting cursing matches, and even one man who drove off with the gas pump still in his car, pulling the handle and hose out of the pump.  A local reporter accused Tyler of stopping just out of morbid curiosity.  It was a very sad experience.  It made me think about some of my favorite novels (Christian fiction about life back in the old West/prairie farming days -- my secret guilty pleasure!), where if there was a fire the entire town would rush to help put it out, no matter who the building or land on fire belonged to.  It was a little disconcerting to be driving right by without stopping to help, not that anyone would have let us help put out the fire anyway ... but definitely something to think about.

When we arrived in Houston, we left the huge U-Haul at the house Tyler's guys had already rented.  We were invited to dinner and to spend the night at the home of my friends from college, Kristen and Justin.  They have three adorable kids, Ben 6, Drew 4, and Sara Kay just turned 2.  It was really great to reconnect, as I hadn't seen them since they graduated college two years before I did - about 8 years ago!  For all of my post college friends, you'll never guess how Kristen and I knew each other -- we were on a drama ministry team together!!  Sometimes it's still hard for me to believe I did that, but it was one of the best parts of my college experienced and really something the Lord used to help me grow in lots of ways.  And Kristen is the one who put me on the team.  : )

Anyway, we all got along pretty well so they invited us to keep staying while we were house hunting.  We ended up staying with them for about a week and a half!  They were great hosts and seemed to be okay with having us as guests.  It was fun to hang out and catch up, and Kristen was also a huge help by baby-sitting Esther while I ran errands and also drove me around to learn the area. 

After seeing lots of houses in several areas around north Houston, we finally decided on a townhouse in the city of Conroe.  It was a hard call because in this move, I was excited to have a house after the apartment in San Angelo.  But the houses we could find were either expensive and nice or cheaper and very not nice.  This townhouse was at the cheaper end of the scale but nicer than the houses at the same price.  So here we are!  It does have its own small courtyard, which I am excited about, and a laundry room, which I am ecstatic about!! 

We are still not completely unpacked.  Tyler has been working lots of hours and even Saturdays since we've been here and I just haven't gotten it done.  But I am getting excited about decorating so hopefully that will be unpacking motivation.  And our first MOPS meeting will be on Friday!!  I am very excited.  I missed the one two weeks ago because I got the time wrong, but I am planning on this one.  We haven't found a church yet.  It's been a little discouraging spending so much time at churches we don't like on Tyler's one day off a week.  I've really missed Daystar in Atlanta - especially the worship - and Christian Church of San Angelo - especially Pastor Beaver and the fellowship.  But now we are hoping to find a church that meets on Saturday nights so that Tyler can have one day a week totally free. 

That's all for now!!!  Pictures and more posts soon to follow ...

Yo Pienso

So here is our biggest news -- Tyler has a new job!  That's right, after so many months of interviewing and offers that fell through, Tyler got an awesome job offer.  He will be a Superintendent again but on a much bigger project.  And with better compensation. : )  We are very excited.  Here is Tyler's "I got a new job" face:

                                                                                               

He looks excited, right??  : )  However, the job is just north of Houston so we do have to leave our new home in San Angelo.  We have had a wonderful year here and soon I should post a tribute to San Angelo, our friends, and our church here - so be on the look-out!  But this was an opportunity we just couldn't pass up.  Houston here we come!

A great bonus is that one of my friends from college lives right there!  She was in drama ministry with me in college, one of my favorite parts of college. She is two years older than me, and I haven't seen her since she graduated.  And she has three kids, and the youngest is a girl just a bit younger than Esther!!  Instant playdates - yes!!!!

So Tyler already left to start working at the new job and I am still here with the kiddos getting the apartment all packed up and ready to go.

Want to know the first thing to do after Papa leaves?  Eat mushrooms!!  That is definitely something I cannot do with Tyler here.  : )  Esther tried some ...

But then she put them back in the bowl.  Oh well ...

Esther playing in her kitchen before it went bye-bye ...

And how is Jesse taking all of this?  Well, he likes his feet and his toes - a lot.

Shoes, no shoes ... doesn't matter.

Esther is quite fascinated with the fact that everything Jesse can grab goes in his mouth.  So that was some entertainment for a while ...

Poor Sammy had to participate too.

I am trying so hard to catch Jesse.  He is now sucking his thumb with his right hand and holding onto his ear with his left hand.  It is super adorable but he always stops when he sees the camera.  I got close this time but he let go of his ear too quickly.  I'll keep trying!

And we just hang out in between the packing ...

Tonight we made a special treat with whole wheat toast, butter, maple syrup, and cinnamon - a kind of slightly upgraded cinnamon sugar toast.  Esther loved her treat - yum!

Before he left, I overheard a conversation between Tyler and one of his guys.  He asked Tyler if he thought he made a good decision to leave the old job for the new.  Tyler's answer was "Yo pienso" (they were speaking Spanish).  That means "I thinks so" or at least roughly that's what it means.  This does feel like a good decision.  Tyler's feedback after his first day was glowingly positive.  He is looking for us a house to rent and hopefully we'll have glowingly positive feedback about that too.  : )

And now a special message for my husband, Tyler Williams, who will be reading this post from Houston -- we love you!!  And we miss you.  Have a fabulous first week at your job, and I can't wait to be home with you.  : )

Baby-sitting the Beavers

A few days ago, we got to serve as last-minute baby-sitters for our friends.  These are two kids that Esther loves to play with!  And - so I can remember this in 20 years - their mom, Mary, was the first to befriend me here in San Angelo and introduced me to MOPS and other church/community activities.  She definitely made my time here enriching and enjoyable!  Thanks, Mary. ; )

So here is Esther playing with Judah in the play kitchen ...

Julia is telling us about something in this picture.  It is amazing how well she talks, and she's not yet three.  Notice Sammy in the stroller in the picture as well.  Esther now enjoys sharing Sammy with Julia when they play.

And all three piled on Esther's bed!

Then the request for Play-Doh.  We still only have two canisters so they had to share, but they did very well.  Tyler played too, since he is a master at Play-Doh sculpting.

Tyler asked Julia what he should make and she said "an airplane with a squirrel on it."  So there it is, folks - an airplane with a squirrel on it!

Esther had to show hers off too, after Papa did.

We love this family, and are happy to baby-sit for them anytime!  : )

Esther's First Year

I found pictures on the computer of Esther's first year, so I thought I would share them. One of the things I have made sure to do is take pictures of the kids on their "month-day" during the first year (at least, so far for Jesse!). Here are Esther's pictures in order, starting from the day she was born to her first birthday.  Enjoy!

Airplanes and Alan the Angel Mechanic

So this is a few days delayed but here are some fun stories from last weekend ...

We went to Dallas for the weekend for the RC Airplane swap meet in Denton (just north of Dallas, actually).  While we have been in San Angelo, Tyler acquired quite a collection of RC planes and all parts and pieces associated with them.  The plan was to sell them one by one and make some profit (and leave a few of the best for Tyler) but between working overtime and a new baby, that plan hadn't yet come to pass.

We've had ads on Craigslist in all major surrounding cities to sell the collection all at once.  No takers - until recently.  A man named Ryan called about the collection and after a few weeks of negotiating and decision-making, he and Tyler came to a deal regarding the collection.  It was complicated, but mainly involved some payment from Ryan, us going to Denton to sell items at the swap meet, and then Ryan getting the leftovers that didn't sell.  So we packed everything up - which in itself is a story, so I digress...

We had some trouble deciding which vehicle to take.  The car obviously couldn't pull the rented U-haul trailer full of planes.  The kids and I couldn't fit in the APEC truck (and aren't really allowed to ride it in). And the new Chevy truck needed some work done and wasn't yet registered in our name.  However, the Chevy truck finally won and got packed to the brim with kids gear and plane gear.  Both Tyler and I remembered to grab the title for the truck just in case.  Hmm - more on that later!

After some craziness in picking up the trailer from U-haul, Tyler took several guys that work for him to the storage unit to load up.  Well ... guess who forgot to pay the storage bill?  That would be me.  Big ooops!  Because, when Tyler started to get the planes out, the manager wanted to call the police.  That would have sent Tyler and all his guys to jail.  Thankfully, Tyler called me and I quickly paid the bill online so when the manager checked again, it was paid.  Close call!

Fast forward to the airplane swap.  It was a very hectic day on about three hours of sleep.  You know the craziness of a yard sale?  Times ten!  We did sell a lot of planes, though, so it was great.  Toward the end of the day I was getting a little worn out between watching the kids and helping Tyler and Ryan sell planes.  Just at the moment when I was at the end of my rope, a nice grandfatherly man volunteered to push Esther around in her stroller and bought her a snack.  Saved my sanity for sure!  I don't know his name, but he sure was a blessing!

Later, we spent some time with Ryan and his wife.  It turns out that they are missionaries about to leave for New Guinea.  Some of the plane equipment will be taken with them to a school there, and the rest he will try to sell to help fund the trip.  It was a neat connection and great to think these planes will be enjoyed by kids across the world.  And they got a great deal and paid for us a night at the Crowne Plaza in Dallas!  Super nice way to rest up from the exhausting day.

Well, once we start selling stuff we can't stop.  So we listed that Chevy truck on Craigslist.  We just happened to have the title, so why not?  After we bought it a few weeks ago, Tyler kept finding more things wrong with it.  Most of it he could fix, but with an impending move he doesn't really have time.  And then, who would drive the U-haul truck?  : )  Sunday morning we got a call from a guy who wanted to see it.  So we spent a few ... several ... hours waiting while it was detailed because the truck was pretty grimy.  But apparently it was worth it, because he said he'd take it - even no negotiating!  It seemed like a miracle that the one guy who wanted to see it wanted to buy it, especially because of the shape it was in. He was a mechanic, though, and could fix everything that needed it and still sell it for a profit (even after we made a few hundred dollars).  And he just happened to be self-employed so he had a safe full of cash he could access on a Sunday!  Selling that truck was a relief and a blessing.

Then we had to figure out a way back to San Angelo!  We spent a while driving to the airport and finding a big enough rental car for all of us, our stuff, and the one plane Tyler kept from the show.  Then we had to drop off the U-haul trailer and take the truck to Alan's shop.  It was almost 10 pm by the time we got there. Tyler spent a few minutes talking with Alan, who shared some life wisdom.  : )  So after we left and we marveled at how that deal came through, I started to call him an "angel."  Maybe, like the movies, if we went back to his shop it would be deserted!

Those are the stories from last weekend.  Next time, I promise to include pictures!

Jesse Has Found His Toes and His Voice

Brief news on Jesse ...

He found his toes (and his feet)!!!  He loves to play with his toes and yes, tries to put them in his mouth.  Socks are good, too.  He also puts those in his mouth.  So cute!  I forgot about the milestone of finding the toes.  : )

And his voice!!  For the last few days, Jesse has been screaming - a lot.  Happy screams, but shrill repetitive screaming nonetheless.  I think he's really excited to hear himself making noises, so it's fun ... most of the time.

And some pictures too ...

I love these, even though they are blurry.  It's like in the first one I caught Jesse hugging his little lion, and then in the next one he's embarrassed about it. ; )

 And here Jesse got into the bag of trash I was collecting while packing ...

 A cowboy already

I wonder what's in there?

 I finally caught the pouty lip!  I felt bad taking a picture while my child was crying, but I so wanted a picture of the pouty lip.  

And Papa on the couch with his babies. :)

Banana Muffins in my Mouth

Funny story:

Esther and I were making banana muffins this morning.  Well, she was eating one and I was putting the second dozen in the oven.  And I was trying to keep up a conversation with her.

I asked:  "What is your favorite animal?"
She didn't answer, so I started naming every animal I could think of ... "cat, dog, elephant, zebra, monkey, etc."
Finally, I asked again, "Esther, which one is your favorite?"
She said, "I can't talk.  I have banana muffin in my mouth."
Thanks, Tyler, for teaching our daughter manners!  Oops to me for trying to ruin them!

Another funny conversation:

Esther:  "I want to go to new house after I eat."
Me:  "We have to find it first.  We don't know where it is.  Isn't that funny?"
Esther:  "Not funny."
Exactly how I feel, pretty girl!  : )

So here is the banana muffin recipe.  I love these muffins, and have made them tons of different ways.  Here is the basic recipe from food.com:

Ingredients:

• 3 ripe bananas (or 2 bananas and 1 grated apple)
• 1/3 cup oil
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

1. 1
   Preheat oven to 350.
2. 2
   Combine bananas, oil, sugar, vanilla and egg in a large bowl, and mix well.
3. 3
   Mix dry ingredients in a separate bowl.
4. 4
   Add flour mixture to banana mixture, mixing until just blended.
5. 5
   (ignore lumps) Fill muffin tins about 2/3 full.
6. 6
   Bake 20 minutes.
7. 7
   This recipe doubles easily.
   
   
   For my favorite sweet version, I use white chocolate chips and brown sugar.  For a healthier muffin, I use honey and/or applesauce and leave out sugar and chocolate chips altogether. I've also used whole wheat pastry flour and spelt flour. I'm sure you could add nuts, although I don't.  I've also added strawberries and blueberries.  Hope you like it!  Esther absolutely loves these muffins.