My little trip did wonders for my soul and motivation for all things "mom". Lately though as I watch my little man I realize he is getting so DANG big. He is 22 months and holding his own with his brother and sister. He is all things little boy, and he melts my heart. Even though he refuses 95% to give me kisses and instead takes swats at my face.
I have been heard to utter the words..."I need to runaway, I need a vacation, I need to do something besides fold laundry, prep & clean meals, and be a referee." I think all of us mom's can relate. Sometimes we need a break...an hour, a day, or for me 5 GLORIOUS days. Last Wednesday I hopped on a flight out of Austin and headed for sunny Orlando, FL. I went to visit friends who are more like family. I left for 5 days, Ben took time off from work and took on the task of 3 crazy kids full-time.
The airplane ride was AMAZING! I have forgotten what it is like to fly by...my...self! I ordered my snack (didn't have to share), got a soda (didn't worry about which stranger my kids were going go to dump it on), and sat back and watched a movie (with NO interruptions) and just relaxed. It was simply heavenly!
Once in Orlando Wilsons picked me up and we were off for a quick sandwich at Fire House Subs, and some Italian Ice at Rita's (I would be in big trouble if there was one of these here...sugar free Italian ice is fabulous)
Apparently the term "snowed in" mean two very different things to Texans vs. Iowans. While most here in Temple ran to the grocery store to stock up (not sure if it was for food or amo) and get ready to hide in doors for the snow "storm" (please understand I use the word "storm" very lightly) we Fluhmans laughed & taunted the snow storm. It came, it dropped a WHOPPING 1 1/2 inches, and we woke up with some VERY excited kids. I had to dig through a box to reclaim all our snow apparel, and we put it to good use all morning. After about 20 minutes Isaac announced he was done and went inside, but the rest of played for awhile. The snow was very dry, not snowball or snowman kind of snow, but still white and fluffy all the same. By 2pm that same afternoon it was melting. This is the kind of snow storm I could get use to. Proof that it really does snow in Texas.
I've mentioned before about the teepee that my Grandma Chase made for us when we were little kids. I have fond memories of setting up blankets & pillows and playing inside of it. I LOVED watching my kids play with in when we stayed with my mom in San Diego two summers ago. I dreamed of how I could fit in my car and drive it back home with me. The day finally came when the teepee made it's to Texas via good old UPS. It was like Christmas. I was so excited for my kids to play with it and fall in love with it like I had as a child. And all I can say is the teepee has not disappointed. The other day we set it up outside (it's January and we are playing outside...love it) and we pretended to be Indians hunting and gathering in the backyard. It was pretty great!
Looking for some cute V-day decorations & inspiration. Head over and check out this talented lady. Too cute if you ask me. And a FREE printable too, pure awesomeness!
Craftily Ever After
Isaac knows he is giving me a run for my money lately. If you couldn't pick up on it in earlier posts, he is kinda going through that 3 year old phase/metamorphisis into well...a well established THREE year old. For some it's the terrible two's. Not us...it's the torturious 3's! And just as much as he knows how to be naughty he knows how to turn on the charm. And what a charmer he is...
Sometimes it feels like I am always preparing or cleaning up food and the subsequent messes that occur. I dream of kitchens, the heart of a house, and try to envision what my dream kitchen would look like. Especially since I spend so much time it seems in there. There are a lot of things on my "wish list" but one thing I know for sure. I want it to be a place where my family can gather. Where we can talk, do homework, share secrets, and laugh. Make homemade cookies, pizza, bread, etc. Who knows if I'll ever get my "dream" kitchen, but at least I have these guys.
We LOVE visitors, especially Grandma and Grandpa! We picked them up on Monday (after Christmas) and reluctantly returned them to the airport on Friday. As we drove away from the airport waving goodbye (and crying) Isaac yells out, "Don't leave me, Grandma!". It nearly broke my heart. It's hard to say goodbye after a week of being spoiled...eating out, buying presents, watching Bowl games, and getting Grandma & Grandpa's undivided attention. We ALL look forward to Grandma & Grandpa's visits!!
Last night as I laid in bed I thought back about 2010. A lot of changes happened for our little family this year. For journal purposes I thought I should record some of the "bigger" things that happened to us in 2010.
January: We finally were back in Des Moines as an entire family. After experiencing many months apart and living with parents (which was SO fun & such a blessing), it was nice to be back in our own frozen over tiny house. Ben turned to big 3-0! Old man.
February: Not a whole lot except anticipating match day in March.
March: MATCH DAY, big trials, and finally realizing we were moving to Temple, Texas.
April: Found a home to rent in Temple...very excited. Took a trip down to see some of the church history sites in MO. I turned 25 29 and Spencer turned the big 1!!!
May: After 4 years of lots of hard work and many tests, Ben graduated DMU, and became Dr. Fluhman, DPM. Ben's folks came out and celebrated with us. We also celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary.
June: We finished packing, cleaning, and CRYING and with much sorrow/excitement/anxiety drove away from Des Moines (home) and headed out on a new adventure in Texas. 17 hours later we arrived in Temple. Natali turned 5.
July: Ben started residency at Scott & White. My mom came out to visit. We discovered some tasty Texas BBQ and what the true meaning of HEAT meant! We got our house set up as our home, and felt pretty homesick for friends and all things familiar.
August: Still adjusting to Texas. Slowly figuring our way around and starting to feel "apart" of things. Natali started school, kindergarten. We were blessed to get an AMAZING teacher for her. It helped ease the transition for me. Isaac turned 3!
September: Getting into the swing of life in Texas. Pretty sure we visited every splash pad in the area multiple times and did a lot of swimming. Drove to Round Rock/Austin and discovered where the shopping really was (and Costco). Ben trying to survive the first few months of residency.
October: Ben's sister Liz came out to visit us with her baby. It was so fun to have family here and to show someone our new place we call home.
November: Busy with school, kid biz, preschool, playgroup, church callings, etc. We enjoyed Thanksgiving with some families here and did some SERIOUS black Friday shopping with Shauni!
December: Enjoyed doing our first activity/advent calendar. Drove through the lights at BLORA. Took Natali to A LOT of holiday performances for Kid Biz. Natali & I went to the Nutcracker on a mommy daughter date. Spent Christmas Eve down in Austin with my Aunt & Uncle. Had our very first Christmas at home. It was surprisingly really nice. Grandma & Grandpa Fluhman came down two days later and spent the week spoiling us. It was a perfect visit!
Looking back the year had it's ups and downs (like getting riped off from our movers, Budget Van Lines ). Overall the year was wonderful. We reached some huge accomplishments and embarked on some new adventures. There were a lot of tears shed this year it seems. There were also a lot of blessings poured out on us this year as well. We have been blessed. It's always very overwhelming to realize how blessed we are at times. It's easy to complain and get caught up in meaningless things/aspects of life. I have a wonderful husband, 3 beautiful kids, a warm home, food on the table, and the knowledge of the gospel. Here's to a great 2010, and wishing for happy 2011!!!
