An Update on Us

I'm not quite sure if anyone still reads this thing through all the cobwebs, but we're still here. Our lives have turned upside down since my last post, and we are going in a totally new direction these days. Where to begin?

Late last year (about the time of my last post), Anthony causally mentioned looking for work in Waco. We've always talked about moving closer to home and raising our children in a smaller community, but we thought it would be years down the road. We both thought, ah, what the heck? Why not? So he sent his resume out to several clinics (but none that had actually listed jobs that were available). Sure enough, he got a call. And then an interview. Shortly thereafter, he was offered a job at a small privately-owned clinic. Then the whirlwind began. Because he was just putting his feelers out, we didn't really think this would become a reality so soon.

Anthony accepted the position, and the owner was so awesome in telling us to take our time getting to Waco. After all, we still had to put our house on the market, find a new house, find a new job for me, etc. We began decluttering and boxing up, and we finally put our house on the market on January 29. On January 30, we had an offer (after six showings that day). By that weekend, we already had THREE offers and signed a contract to sell our first home. Phew. Makes me tired just thinking about it again.

We closed on our house less than a month later on February 26, and we were packed and moved out the following weekend (thankfully, they rented the house back to us so we'd have time to get everything packed and moved). Anthony & I both left our jobs, and we moved our home, basically, into a big storage unit. Anthony started his new job, and I've been at "home" (aka, my dad's house) with the kids for the past two and a half months. 

As for the home front, we have been dealing with a foreclosure property for nearly two months. :\  We were scheduled to close yesterday. Now, our closing date has been postponed until who knows when. We are still waiting to see if an issue with the roof will be resolved. If not, we walk and start right back at square one. We are enjoying staying at Dad's house (particularly the kids!), but Anthony and I are so ready to be in our own house again. It is depressing looking at all of your belongings stuffed into a 20x20 storage unit. I want to start this new chapter of our lives, and a home is a key factor!

Just last week, I accepted a position at Baylor University. I am excited to rejoin the work force, particularly with such an awesome employer. We went to a Baylor baseball game this week and introduced the kiddos to Mama's new job with the "green bears" (the only part Madelyn remembers). I have been doing some contract work with APA since I left at the end of February, but that is slowly winding down. I do miss the day to day routine, but I know I'll be stressed when I start back up to work. I run pretty good on stress and deadlines, though, so it all works out.

The kiddos are doing great. On one hand, I am loving staying home with them, but on the other hand, I am sad that they are not in their daycare anymore. Their former daycare was WONDERFUL, and because Big M is so social, she really misses having friends to play with every day. Of course, she loves playing with her brother and entertains us all day long, but she really needs interaction with other kids her age. We visited a daycare a few weeks ago to get them enrolled, and she cried when we left because she wanted to stay at "school." Max has gotten really attached to me these past few months of being with me 24/7, and I want him to be just as outgoing as his sister. I really think her being so social and so smart is because of daycare, and I definitely want the same for him!

So that's our last few months in a nutshell. I feel so bad for neglecting this blog for so long, particularly since it is a baby book of sorts for both kids. I'm terrible at keeping those up, too. I did write out a lot of blog posts, but since I never got around to editing photos, I never posted the blogs. I hate going out of order, but I'm going to just start from today and go backward now. If you want to come back and check for new updates from November to now, scroll down (well, not yet, I will start working on it today!).

Butterfly Farm

Big Sis received a bug box for her birthday. Shortly thereafter, we found three caterpillars and moved them to the bug box, which has quickly become a caterpillar hotel! The three quickly cocooned and so Big Sis and I discussed what was happening (and what would happen) practically every day while we were playing outside. When we went to check on the box one afternoon (and she had run ahead of me), she yelled, "Mama, you have to come look at this!!!" I knew what had happened, but it was so much fun seeing her discover her first "baby" butterfly!


She even gave her first butterfly a name -- Olivia. :)

This is actually a picture of butterfly #2 (whose name I forgot). All three that we've release all look the same. Aren't they beautiful?!

Shortly after we released the first two, the garden (specifically, the dill) just exploded with caterpillars. We caught a few, and every day when we'd go to replace their dill in the box, we'd find even more. She is now obsessed with gathering fresh dill every day for her "callepillars" and then collecting more for her box. I've lost exact count, but I believe we are up to 14 or 15 now. She is just a regular butterfly farmer!

Mothers Day 2013

We got to spend a long weekend in NZ with the family this year. We started off Friday night with our new favorite activity -- roasting marshmallows! I think she was a little more excited about the marshmallow than looking at the camera...
We relaxed all weekend, and after church on Sunday, we spent a wonderful afternoon in the back yard playing, visiting, cooking and eating.

I am so blessed that these two call me Mama. I don't know what I ever did so good in my life to deserve them. I love these two little people more than they'll ever know. She's my new "tester" when setting up for photos. Goodness, I can't believe how grown up and beautiful she is! After dinner there was more visiting, more pictures and watermelon!!

At one point, I found him chowing down on his watermelon on the other side of the yard all by himself!

After a bath, it was time for family pictures. Ant & the kids are so lucky to have such a wonderful Mom & Grandma. She is so good to her boys and her family, and I am lucky that I am a part of her family, too!

Gigi just moved to Texas from Ohio, and we are so happy to have her so close to us now, too! She is such a loving and caring woman, and we are so blessed to have her as such a great example to us all!

Group pic!

I can't believe I have already celebrated five Mothers Days. I am blessed beyond measure, and being "Mom" is truly the best job I will ever have.

Sweets

Ah, these kids kill me. If you follow my instagram account (@arodriguez522), you've gotten a glimpse into how much these two love and adore each other. I catch them hugging, playing quietly together, cuddling or, in this case, reading together every day. Their unconditional love for each other melts my heart.

And here they are, sending you kisses. :)

Fort Worth Zoo Fun

Today we joined some of my mama friends for a get together at the Fort Worth Zoo. All of us had babies in or around January 2012, so it was fun to let our little ones interact and play together since we mamas have been online friends for about two years now.

Big Sis was the only older sibling there, and she did great. She is so social and absolutely LOVED meeting all of our new friends and their mamas.

Baby Brother checking out the huge crocodile. Both of my kids love crocodiles. Yuck.

We took Big Sis to the zoo on her first and second birthdays, and we took her pic with this elephant on both trips. I thought it would be fun to compare each time we go, so here she is! And here are years one and two!
It is impossible to get a photo of them together with both looking at me (while by myself!) unless both are contained and unable to escape!

Finally got one, only because they were strapped in the stroller!


We had such a fun day and hope we get to meet up with our new friends again soon!

San Antonio for a Bug's Birthday!

This weekend we made the trip to San Antonio to help K-Bug celebrate her 8th birthday!
 
The girls stayed up way too late on Saturday night, and after they'd gone to bed and (we thought were asleep), Anthony went back to check on them. They were snuggled together in bed with the bedside lamp on, and K was reading a book to Big Sis. It was the sweetest thing! Of course, we didn't get a picture...

Baby Brother has recently started waving when asked and giving kisses. He and I snuggled on the couch waving at and kissing at my phone! :)

Sunday consisted of hanging out with Jason & K-Bug at their awesome new house before the big party!

  

We were only in town for 24 hours, but we had a great time. Big Sis did NOT want to leave, and she has already asked several times to go back. Really wish Texas wasn't so big!

Texas Bluebonnets 2013

No matter where we live in this great state, I know I can always count on a beautiful photo opp come bluebonnet season. It's just another wonderful thing about living in Texas! I remember going out and taking pictures as a kid, and I hope my little loves grow to love this tradition as much as I do.


Since moving away from our regular bluebonnet patches, though, I wasn't sure where to start this year. I mean, you'd expect the flowers to be plentiful in the country, but after little rainfall this spring, I could only find one patch anywhere near us. I started eyeing a little patch in a side yard of a run-down house right outside of town. I wanted to ask permission to take pics in their yard, but I never saw any vehicles there! So one evening, we did a drive by photo shoot. I was hurrying the kids and Anthony along, and we got in and out of there in about 10 minutes! Ha! Quickest photo shoot ever!