End of August

Havent posted in a LONG time. So many things are happening...so I havent had much time to sit and write.

Here it is, the end of August. How did the summer go by so fast?! Not that I am complaining. The state of Texas is in need of some seriously cooler weather and rain. We had a nice storm last night, but it wasn't near enough to fix this terrible drought. I too, am looking forward to some cooler temps. I get excited when I see the forecast below 100 degrees. I am ready for the kids to be able to go outside and play, not having to worry about Jude's asthma flaring up with the heat.

There are so many things to update on. Some good and some bad. I will try to get to all of them without writing a book!

The kids are growing. They both had their annual check-ups over the summer. Jude is finally over 3 ft tall (37 in), and is weighing in at 33 lb. His asthma is under control with Pulmicort respules 1-2 times a day and Albuterol when needed through the nebulizer. Summyr had her 2 yr. appointment yesterday. She is right behind Jude at 33.25 inches and 27 lbs. She is healthy over all and doesn't seem to have any allergies.

Summyr talks so well and can form a 3-4 word sentence if needed. Her hair is getting so long, and I still refuse to cut it...well except for the bangs. She really loves the Little Einsteins right now, and anything Disney Princess or baby dolls. She is still a self proclaimed vegetarian, with the exception of chicken nuggets and hot dogs. Other than that I have a hard time getting her to eat meat. She loves berries, yogurt with granola, ice cream, and pretzels.

Jude is just as silly as ever. He is growing out of nap time, much to my dismay. Only one more year until kindergarten for him! I am so excited. He is really looking forward to this. He recently went up a shoe size, now a size 9, and got some new shoes. These are not just any shoes. They are Super Z-Straps by Sketcher's. He has been waiting for these shoes for about 9 months. I made him wait until he went up a size, and promised that he would get those shoes. He loves them and sometimes doesn't want to take them off.

I am going to be starting school in October. I decided that I needed to do something for myself. Being a Mom is a good thing, but there has just been this voice in my head telling me that I need to do more. I need to be prepared. Also with the economy the way it is, I just felt like I had had enough of the struggle. Stephan's job is steady, but after working there for over 3 years with no raise, we are barely making it. I want to do what I have to do to make sure the kids have what they need, and that if something happens, I will be able to take care of them. I have decided to go the Virginia College at Austin to get my Associates degree in Medical Office Management. I have always loved the idea of working in the medical field, minus the blood, so this is the perfect way to do it. I will be going full time, and I will be done in 2 years. I am really looking forward to getting out and making this change.

Also, I have been going to the gym and "working out". I really have come to love walking on the treadmill. I am not sure if I have lost much weight, but I have had to buy smaller clothes, so that's a good sign. Finally down to an 8 in pants/shorts, and a medium in shirts. I was a size 14 after having Jude, and a size 12 after having Summyr. Still about 15 lbs to go to reach my goal weight of 120.

Stephan got approved for the new GI Bill at 100% for the next 11 months. This is great because he has decided to leave the Art institute and go back to DeVry and finish his Bachelors degree in Technical Management with a focus on Project Management. He should be done with this in a years time. Hopefully then he can find a better position at HP or another company. He so much talent, and is indispensable. I know he will be a great PM.

Skippy is still Skippy. He is loving the kids and getting lots of rest. He is on a special food from Eukanuba designed specifically for Dachshunds. It contains the extra glucosamine needed for his tiny little legs and his long back. He has been having some problems lately, and so I decided that this would be the best thing for him, even though its pricey. The vet bills would cost me more....

Oh yeah, I am going to be teaching in the nursery at church starting in September. I am nervous because I have not done this in about 8 years. Singing to babies may not seem hard, but it can be intimidating, especially if the same lady has been doing it for years, and now I am the new girl. In an earlier post, I mentioned that our minster had been fired. Our church still does not have a new preacher. Not sure if they are even looking. He is still looking for a job. We keep in close contact with him and his wife. Another sad note about our church is that we just lost our Youth Minister also. He resigned this past Sunday right after telling us that he had been having an extra marital affair. We are, again, so sad. I feel so lost and unsure. Please keep our church, the Round Rock Church of Christ, in your prayers. Strength is needed badly for the members there.

I need to upload some new pics from my camera soon. I hope everyone who reads this is doing well.

Happy Birthday Baby Girl!

Today Summyr turned 2. How is this possible???? She has gotten so big..and so independent. She is our princess and even though some days may be harder than others, we love her very much. I forsee the "terrible twos" being strong. She is so unique and she just has a way of her own. If you have never met her, it is something you must do. She will charm your socks off and make you laugh. Her manners are impecable for such a small thing. And her smile will brighten your day. We love you Summyr. Happy Birthday!

Sad Day

Today is a very sad day for our family here and our church family. We recieved an email earlier this evening, informing us that our minister was "dissmissed" effective immediatly. This was something that we were all unaware of. Our family is so sad and we dont know where to go from here. More updates to come.

Quick Update....Mid June 2009

Here is just a quick note about the lastest happenings.

So we had Jude's birthday party...it was fun and everything went very well. Jude is finally 4. He has changed so much over the last few years. His personality has grown, and he is such an interesting, and talkative little kid. He got lots of dinosaur presents for his party, but the best part was about one week later, when he gave us a present. I am proud to say that Jude is OFFICIALLY potty-trained!!!! Wahooo! It took a while for it to click in his busy brain, but he did it and can poop and pee on the big potty. We do have to take his portable potty seat (made for tiny bums) everywhere we go...but I dont mind. It is WAY better than changing a diaper!!!

Ummm, lets see... tonight Stephan had his "final" final of the semester at the Art Insitute. He still has a way to go...like a year....but we are happy that he has a 3 week break coming up. He is doing really well in the graphic design program there.

Rani will be coming to visit us soon. She is Stephan's little sister for those of you who dont know. She will be turning 17 in July. This will be the 2nd year that she has come to spend some time with us over the summer. The kids really enjoy having her...and I love it cuz I get a bit of a break!!!

I have been cooking alot...and making smoothies and tonight I made a milkshake. I pulled out the ice cream machine last night, read the instructions, and made some vanilla ice cream today. It was the first time, so I did run into a few issues....but nothing I cant learn from. The ice cream turned out so good. I have also been sewing blankets, and baby items. I know that I have a talent, but now I just need to figure out how to use that talent to bring in some cash!

Stephan's brother, Landon and his wife, had their first baby 2 weeks ago today. Her name is Kaitlyn. She definatly is an Abuzeide and resembles Stephan.

I also was able to meet a dear "online" friend over the weekend in Houston. Her name is Kristen, and she is so sweet. We had a great time at Chili's in Pasadena just talking and getting to know each other. It seems surreal, like I dreamed it all...but it really did happen, and I am so glad!

My sister, Hope, will be getting married on the 4th of July in Mississippi. We will be caravaning there on the 1st and all of our family will be involved in the wedding party. I am the matron of honor/train fixer/bouquet holder/bathroom assistant etc. Jude is the ring bearer, Summyr the flower girl, and Stephan an usher. I am making Summyrs dress. I hope to have it finished before the weekend. We just came back Sunday from Houston, after her wedding shower. It was fun and she got some really nice things.

Summyr has been growing like a weed, and will be turning 2 in a few weeks. She is so funny, and is really into the DoodleBops (kids singing group, resemble clowns). She refers to her new sandals as "tap shoes" and walks around dancing. Speaking of her feet...she is only one shoe size behind Jude....YIKES! We think she is going to be very tall, while Jude remains on the petite side still.

It is hot hot hot here in Texas. I am dying...never thought I would say that. I think it is happening with age. I said just the other day to a friend, how I used to love summer time when I was young. The heat never affected me. Now, I dont even want to leave the comfort of my air conditioned house to do simple things like the grocery store and walking the dog. I try to go out in the morning, but as I am typing this, it is still 88 dergrees outside!!!

It has been a month....

since I last posted.

Right now its nap time....but I have a feeling that it will be over soon.

Havent had much to post about. Yesterday was Jude's last day of school. And the reason for the background I put up, is because Jude will be turning 4 next weekend.

We did have a little trip to the hospital again...with Jude of course. Went to visit my parents, just me and the kids, and Jude had a really severe asthma attack that put him in the hospital. He is fine now..on preventative meds....but no more trips to grandma's house until the carpet is gone.

We are planning to have Jude's party at the park by our house. He has chosen a dinosaur theme this year. I even found a dinosaur pinata....T-Rex. He will be devastated when it gets beat up and destroyed with a baseball bat. I dont think he has thought it all the way through....

We are planning the have a cookout this weekend with friends and there are also plans to go to a baseball game, Round Rock Express, for Memorial Day Monday.

And like I predicted...nap time is officialy over. I can hear the kids.

Its Been a While...

I havent posted in a while. There hasnt been much to post about.

I would post about our Easter trip, but since I forgot my camera, I have no pictures to show you. Trying to describe it all would just be too hard for me. We did have fun in Houston, though.

Not much has been going on here. It seems like all I do is sweep, mop, pick up toys, wash, fold, and rotate laundry from the couch to the bed, then back to the washer again....oh, and drive Jude to and from school.

Life is pretty mundane...but hey I am not complaining. I enjoy having life this way. Pretty normal and back on a decent schedule. The kids seem to be happy. Everyone is about as healthy as one can be during a Texas spring.

The house is quiet right now. The kids are in bed for the night. They have been pretty good about sleeping and going to bed on their own. Jude is now sleeping in a twin-sized bed. He was complaining that his firetruck bed was too small. He seems much more comfortable now. I still have Summyr in the crib. I dont trust her enough to put her in a toddler bed, just yet.

So, I will come back when I have more stuff to write about.

I wanted to show everyone pictures and video of Jude's first performance with Austin Kid's Acting. He started in the Young Performers class back in January, and today was their last class. They had put together a couple of skits and little songs....it was so cute! He did really well and he actually remembered his lines....he was the only one that got to have 2 whole lines....:). For those of you who dont know...Jude will be 4 at the end of May.

Jude with his class

We hope to be able to enroll him in another class that starts in the fall. We are very proud of his creativity and skills as a pint sized performer!

Somone loves being on stage WAY too much!

The video quality is not that great....it was taken on my digital camera. You can hear Jude's voice loud and clear over the other kids...no microphones....while singing "Doe a Deer". Jude is holding hands with his good friend Jonathan...who initially invited him to join by coming to a "free"class to try it out. We had Jude signed up and in class the next week after hearing all of the raves from the teachers and director of the school.

Supportive sister