Summer Fun in August

August was a really great month. We have had many opportunities to enjoy time together as a family. We have been taking Grant swimming quite a bit and he REALLY enjoys it! He loves to kick, kick, kick and bounce and splash all over the place. It is a joy to see him discover and enjoy new things.

James and I had a couple's getaway for a short weekend. My mom graciously watched Grant while James and I stayed the night in the Hotel Contessa on the Riverwalk in San Antonio (pics to come later). We had the EXACT same room that we had on our wedding night! We had a wonderful dinner and got to just RELAX! It was wonderful. I slept for 15 hours, I couldn't believe it! In the morning, James and I got couple's massages. Can I just say it was amazing? We really missed Grant, but we enjoyed our little "vacation."

We entered the WHATABURGER'S BIGGEST FAN contest!



If you didn't already know, James and I met while working at Whataburger. We love it and it is our "special place." So we made a video and entered! If you want to know more about it, watch our video entry!

HERE IT IS!

Also, Grant turned 7 MONTHS OLD! I know I say this in practically every post, but I can hardly believe it! Time is going by so quickly. My baby is getting big!!! My love for him grows every day. He moves EVERYWHERE now and is determined when he wants something. He loves to talk, talk, talk! He tries to get into all kinds of mischief like chewing on cords and shoes, flinging baby food everywhere, etc. He will do his army crawl towards whatever he wants (toys, person, etc.). He LOVES his play time, so don't interrupt it or you are IN FOR IT! haha.



Here is us at a Hook's game. Grant loved looking around everywhere, hanging out with Dad in his carrier. He is so interested in the world around him.


Grant got to come with me to my friend Misty's wedding. We had a great time and the ceremony & ocean view were beautiful.


Here is Grant playing with his friend JJ. He is getting more interactive every day!

Rest of July-Grant turns 6 months!

I am so behind, but I wanted to make sure to record all of the things that have been keeping us busy-including Grant turning 6 months!

Key points about July:

• THE DRUG HOUSE: We have looked some at purchasing a house or townhouse, but decided that we are not in a place where we really could. James still likes to look for fun. He saw a foreclosure property that was going up for auction. These auctions start at $1,000 and go up from how people bid on them. We started thinking that if the bidding stayed low, that we could possibly get this townhouse and a loan for home improvement. We primarily thought it would be a great property to turn around and sell in a few years and make a profit on, which would set us up great financially. We checked out the property and it didn't seem in too bad of shape. We did a lot of research on the process of getting loans and associated costs that we would incur. We nicknamed it the "drug house" because it looked like the person who lived there before was probably growing marijuana in the garage. They had sealed off the garage door and there were long fluorescent lights hung from the ceiling. There was also a hole cut in the side of the garage where it looks like police may have come and raided the place, and taken the "evidence" out. We prayed about it a lot and really felt like this would be a good decision and we felt a lot of peace about it. But on the day of the auction, the bidding went up much too high for our comfort and we did not win the auction. We still do not know why we felt so strongly about pursuing this townhouse and then not get it in the end. But if nothing else, we have learned a lot about the process of purchasing a house, loans, home improvement costs, and things like that which will hopefully help us in the future. So, adios our little drug house!


• I STARTED A WORKOUT PLAN: Thanks to one of my friends & neighbors, I was able to start a regular workout schedule. We leave at 6am 3-4 times per week and go walking in a nearby neighborhood. It is still hot and muggy in the morning but way better than any other time of day. I am so thankful for her support and it has motivated me to keep working out every week. I still have some baby weight to lose. At this point, I haven't lost any weight, but I feel my muscles getting stronger and my strength and endurance are increasing. Pregnancy can really do a number on your body! I am feeling really great!


• JAMES PASSED THE CALCULUS CLEP TEST! After a LONG series of events and challenges, James made the decision to take the Calculus clep test. That set off a chain reaction which enabled him to be able to graduate this December! I learned a big lesson from this experience. I know that the hand of the Lord was in this. First, I learned a lot of patience. I learned that things may not always go my way but that I have to be willing to accept changes and realize that in the grand scheme of things, a few months will not matter so much. I also learned that if we are really meant to do something, Heavenly Father will prepare the way for us. Even if we can't see the way out, He can bring us there. He can make up the difference for where we lack. I am so grateful for that merciful concept.
  
  
• GRANT TURNED 6 MONTHS OLD! At his checkup, he was 26 inches long (50th percentile) and 16 pounds (25th percentile). He is long and lean. He is slim but he is growing well--he used to be in the 10th percentile for weight! It was hard to see my poor baby get his shots, to see that scared look in his eyes, but he was such a trooper!
  

Things Grant does at 6 months:

Loves to grab and CHEW on EVERYTHING!




Loves to eat!


Sometimes it's easy, like when he's eating Oatmeal (which he loves)...


And sometimes it's not! But the one thing that is for sure is that we are always having adventures.


Grant was right on the verge of crawling at 6 months and is moving everywhere! He loves to smile and make coughing noises (his laugh)!

We had a great July, hope ya'll did, too!

Pat & Melanie's Wedding

My brother got married on July 17, 2010. It was a beautiful day and a touching ceremony. Here are several pictures of the big day and the preceding events:

Melanie's Bridal Shower


Baby Grant stole her heart!


There were lots of cute gifts and fun games with friends and family!


Bachelorette Party at the Magic Time Machine

Melanie also had to try to answer questions about her husband to be. If she didn't get the answers right, she had to put another piece of gum in her mouth! LOL!


We played several fun games, one where Melanie has to complete a funny "to do" list. Here she is proclaiming her love to the salad car.

Getting Ready


Melanie asked both my sister and I to be bridesmaids in the ceremony. I was honored that she would want us to be a part of her special day, and Karyn and I were both so excited.

This was my first time ever to be a bridesmaid. I was a little unsure of what to do so I'm sure I probably wasn't all that helpful to the bride!


I watched my brother's reaction as he saw Melanie walking towards him. I heard him whisper "Wow" when he saw her!

So in love!

They wrote their own vows and it was so special getting to hear them say such heartfelt things to each other.

I don't think I've ever heard my brother express his feelings that way before. You could tell that they both have a deep and sincere love for each other. I think everyone was tearing up!

It's Official: They're MARRIED!









Karyn and I gave a toast. We started it off with, "Most of you probably know us as Pat's ANNOYING little sisters!" haha. We wished them well and recalled how we and hoped and prayed for so long that Pat could fins someone special-and we are SO HAPPY that he has! We love Melanie!

Dancing with my daddy


We were all so happy that my grandparents could come!


What a fun & exciting year for my parents-full of great changes!


Grant was so happy to get to see Kate!


We were able to see lots of family and friends we hadn't seen in a while. It was a joyful occasion.


The cake was awesome! It was so cute watching Pat & Melanie enjoy every minute of their big day!


Off they go to enjoy married life. Congrats again!!!

VOTE FOR ME-Whataburger's Biggest Fan!

IT'S HERE! THE VIDEO IS UP!

I am excited to be entered in the Whataburger’s Biggest Fan contest! My husband & I met working there and so we have uploaded a video for the contest.

But, I NEED YOUR HELP! I am a little late getting the video up on the website and I only have ONE WEEK to get 25,000+ votes to get me to the next round. So I am asking my friends to vote once a day until the end of August & help spread the word to EVERYONE you know to help us get some votes!!! You can only vote once per day, so getting as many different people as we can is VITAL!


VOTE FOR ME HERE!



I know it may not seem all that important, but it means a lot to James & I. We would appreciate your votes and any help you can give.

Bastrop and Babies

This past weekend we went out of town for a few different reasons. It ended up turning into a really fun little family road trip for us.

Friday morning we got up early and drove to Bastrop, TX. It is about halfway between San Antonio and College Station, TX, and it takes about 3 hours to drive straight there from Corpus Christi. The drive there was very pleasant and Grant slept most of the way while we listened to music on my iPod, which we can now listen to over a plug-in that plays it over a radio station (thanks, honey!).



We stayed at the trailer on the Gardiner's property there after getting some lunch and getting a few supplies at the store. The store trip turned in to a bit of an adventure when Grant started screaming for no reason. One minute, he was happy and playing. The next, screaming and crying with no warning! We tried our best to hurry through the store but couldn't find one thing. It felt like the whole world was staring at us and people kept commenting. One lady said, "He sounds like a bear!" Now that I'm a parent, I know what it feels like to be the one with the screaming kid. haha.

We went for a walk/hike around Bastrop state park. It was absolutely beautiful. It had been raining on and off, so we didn't go swimming. But the scenery was so calming and peaceful. We loved looking up at the tall trees, breathing in the rainy smell, and just enjoying the quietness. It was so nice to get away from all the electronic distractions, also.







It was funny because going "off-roading" with the stroller was such a bumpy ride that Grant's cheeks were vibrating the entire time. It was a hilarious sight!





And what would camping be without S'Mores?

The next day we drove to College Station so that I could go to my friend and former roommate's baby shower. She is an adorable pregnant lady! When we took our picture together, we realized that the last time we took a picture there was right before I left on my mission. I will have to find that picture and post it later. A lot sure has changed since then. It is so much fun to reminisce.



We also got to see family in College Station. We had a mini pow-wow at Nathan and Leslie's home and we got to recount the birth story of little Alexandra, and hear updates from Andy and Susan on their pregnancy with little Eli! So much fun. Grant also got to play with Granny, Grandpa, and his cousins! Evelyn took a particular liking to playing with Grant because she loves babies so much! It was very cute.






We are so blessed. Our families are growing and each new event brings us closer. I can't wait for my brother to get married this weekend, and officially add another new member to our family!

We had the BEST WEEKEND EVER! And boy, we needed it!

It started Friday with dinner out with the in-laws. We went to Texas Roadhouse and it was delicious as usual. Saturday we had a great day with some of our friends. We had our neighbors over for a big breakfast, and then we all went to an event at a nearby (closed) naval base for an event called Sail South Texas.


It was Grant's first long day outside in the hot Texas sun. We put on his cute "sailing outfit," complete with a cute hat to protect his face.




There were "tall ships" from 4 different countries that you could tour, along with live music, food, etc. The best part was that it was free, except for $5 parking. We put Grant in the baby carrier. He loved it! He just kept looking around at everything and blinking a lot with the strong breeze off the water. He looked so cute I couldn't stand it!







Then we took the ferry from Ingleside over to Port Aransas and got a different view of the bay. We ate dinner at Whataburger (YUM) and drove down the island and then parked on the beach and went swimming. We felt so carefree just swimming in the water and jumping in the waves. It had been a while since I had gone swimming in the ocean and could actually enjoy it (pregnancy, etc.). It was a great stress reliever.

Then we got Grant to put his feet in the ocean to see how he would like it (pics to come later). I sat him down in the water and let the waves wash over his legs. He seemed to enjoy the feeling of the water, and it was the perfect temperature, too. That's what I love about swimming in the Gulf, the water is warmer! Once a wave came up really fast, unexpectedly, and it splashed sand and water all over Grant and it got on the side of his face. It freaked him out a little bit but I am pleasantly surprised at how well he seemed to like the water. Hopefully he will be the swimming type!

Then yesterday for the 4th we mainly just relaxed. It was a beautiful afternoon so we took a drive around town. Later that evening, we had some friends over and just chatted and played Canasta (I know, it sounds like an old person game, but it is REALLY fun! One of our favorite games, now).

I am super excited for next weekend, as well...we are going to go camping, visit College Station for my roomate's baby shower, and get to see my new niece (James' bro's wife had the baby two weeks ago).

I am SO THANKFUL for the freedoms we enjoy living in this country. I am grateful for the many blessings that God has given me in this life, especially my family. The sweetest joys in life are the simple moments you share together doing ordinary things. I love my family so much!



Grant's 4th of July outfit: What could be more American than baseball? ;)