Fun Filled Weekend

We had a very fun filled weekend in Dallas and we were all 3 exhausted by the time we got on the plane on Sunday. Sallie Rose had a wonderful weekend and enjoyed every minute of it. By Saturday night for her birthday party, she was definitely beginning to wear down. It was so great to be with almost all my family and some long time best friends of mine. We had a wonderful time and thanks to all my family for everything you did for Sallie Rose to make her birthday weekend special.

Her new Super Sallie cape that my Mom made her.

Grumps, formerly known as my Dad, and two of my best friends from Middle School and High School. Aren't they gorgeous?


Sallie Rose blowing out her birthday candles.

Cousin Avery, Sallie Rose, and cousin Vin

Here are Kam and Tara riding some crazy bungee ball. Never ever would I get on that.

Eating friend bubble gum, which was really a marshmallow that tasted like bubble gum. I thought it was pretty good.

Sallie's first rodeo. She was riding in the wind, look at that hair whipping. I laughed so hard that I cried. She was so cute. Her cousin, Vin, won the rodeo.

Two little circus bears. These two really love being with each other.

We were glad to be home and everyone is a little grouchy tonight, so I think we are still trying to recover from having so much fun.

We also had a parent/teacher conference this morning and her teacher had nothing but wonderful things to say about her. She passed all the "tests" with flying colors and was only 1 of 2 students in the class who could count to 30 and knew all her shapes, colors, ABC's, and recognized her name. She did not however know how to use scissors very well. So, this week we work on scissor use. Most of all, the teacher said she looked forward to seeing Sallie Rose everyday and that she was getting along well with the other children.

Savannah Birthday Party

Saturday we had a few of Sallie Rose's friends over for a small birthday party. She was so cute the whole day. That morning she helped me clean up the house, make cupcakes, and decorate the house in all purple. That is one of the things she said she wanted as a gift for her birthday, she wanted everything to be purple. We made that happen.

As we were putting out the purple tablecloth, purple napkins, purple balloons, and purple cupcakes, she kept thanking me for her beautiful purple party. It was so sweet and I just hope that as she gets older she will appreciate the small things like that forever. We did not go over board and get her any really big gifts, just some shoes and clothes that she needed, but I tried to make her party as special as I could. She seemed to feel real special. She is real special.

Nana, Kevin's Mom, bought her the little dress she is wearing and she loved it. Kevin's parents have been sick so they were not able to make it to the party, but I was sure to get a few pictures of her in the dress to send to Nana.

Sallie Rose had a wonderful day and the next day we played with her new scooter (that she rides all over the house until we can take it outside), her Candyland game and all her other new toys that she got. Thursday we head to Texas for the State Fair and another party, yes that's right, she will have 2 parties. I hope she is as sweet at this next one as she was at this one.

Vacation/Upcoming birthday

Wow, I have been trying to do this post for 2 weeks, but somehow I have not been able to find the time to sit down for 15 minutes to do it. So, finally I am writing about our trip that we took 2 weeks ago and now I have forgotten most of the things I wanted to say. :)

We stayed in a nice condo on Amelia Island that faced the beach and had a full kitchen, 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. It was small, but perfect for us. Sallie Rose loved having her own room, but she did ask if her friend Julia could come next year to sleep in the other bed. Amelia Island is really nice. Its not very big, but it has a little downtown area that has good restaurants and an ice cream shop. What more does a 3 year old need.

Sallie Rose loved the beach! She sat and played in the sand for 2 hours and never really got in the water. She would find pools of water on the beach and sit in those. We had a great, relaxing time. It was just what our little family needed. She never threw a tantrum, she slept great and she loved being with both me and Kevin. I loved being with them too! One night we were driving back from eating and she kept saying "let's get back to our combo and look at the beach." I thought I was going to melt in cuteness. Of course, her sometimes annoying Dad corrected her and told her it was a condo.

I would definitely recommend Amelia Island to anyone who is looking for a low key beach vacation. The weather was great too.

This weekend I will be making purple cupcakes (and next weekend too) to get ready for Sallie's 3rd birthday. We will have a party here with a couple of her friends and then we head to Texas for the State Fair and another birthday party with her whole family. We are very excited. I am not so excited about my firstborn baby turning 3, but it is coming whether I like it or not.

She has been such a fun, easy child lately and I have loved every minute with her. She is learning manners, she is beyond smart, and she told me the other day I was the best Mom ever. Happy Birthday next weekend to the most precious, beautiful, best dancing 3 year old in the World.

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September 15th is finally here

September 15th is a very important day to me each year. Since I have known Kevin, it has been a day I looked forward to each year. It is the day that all of our new residents have moved in and have settled into their new rooms and have usually stopped bugging us about getting another dresser, desk, light bulb and so on. This September 15th is a little different this year.

Last year and the year before were very trying times for us. As soon as we had Sallie Rose (the best day of our lives of course), the stock market crashed a week later and our downward spiral of events began to happen with Kevin's work and with the rentals. As much as I would like to reflect on those events to help myself realize what we have overcome and accomplished in the last year, I am moving forward and trying not to think about some of the events that forever scarred Kevin and me. Some of the things that happened were things that were out of our hands, but still felt so incredibly close and personal and that we pray and hope never happen again, and not just for our sake, but for the sake of our young, vulnerable art student renters.

This year, we tried new things and we came to grips with the fact that these rental properties brought us together as a couple and they would not pull us apart. As difficult and demanding as they are, both financially and time wise, they are a part of us and they should never determine how we live our lives. We do have a very busy time of year, which was these last 2 months, but we have to work together and grow stronger in the situation rather than apart. I have a hard time telling people what it is we do, but it is very physically and mentally challenging and it is a struggle to figure out how to deal with so many different types of personalities and most of all PARENTS! Some of these parents, ooo weee, they are awful. I had one Dad call me a slumlord and that I take advantage of young children. That kind of thing makes me so mad, if he only knew how hard I worked and how much I truly did care about most of my renters, he might change his attitude. Not to mention, he was mad over something so petty and something he had no idea about. I get all worked up just typing it.

Those are the kinds of situations that build my character and help me to deal with people, who I don't really care to even deal with. This year has been different. I was not working in an office and trying to run the properties on Friday. I had a better outlook on life in general and I took the chip off my shoulder and quit wondering "why me?". Because that obviously is a very dumb question and I am so grateful that I am healthy and have so many people in my life who I love.

And by the Grace of God, we are 100% rented and I made it through move in week and I think I have a pretty good group of new tenants. I thanked God last night for giving me the strength to make it through another rental season and for helping us improve our outlook and outcome. Not to mention, I have a very cool design job I am working on! Woo-hoo for work that is actually what I went to 8 years of college for.

This weekend, Kevin and I are going to Atlanta, alone, and Sallie Rose is staying with Susan. Next weekend, we are taking a much needed 3 day family vacation and in October we are going to Dallas to have Sallie Rose's 3rd birthday with her whole family (minus Kevin's parents). God is good!

First day of pre-pre-pre school

Here she is preparing to be serious and learn so much

Here she is showing me her change of clothes bag

And, the beautiful, contrived smile

Sallie Rose had her first official day of pre school, which in my mind it really pre to the third degree, because technically she won't be in preschool until pre kindergarten. Although it doesn't matter, I still like to clarify.

She is now attending the school at our Church. I was very hesitant to take her out of her previous school, because she loved it so much and she learned SO much. She never had any problems. Plus, Kevin was concerned that this was their first year of having a school and she would suffer in spite of that. We shall see. So far, she has had a few bad days and has been a little defiant, but I honestly believe that is her age. She is definitely testing her limits at home and very strongly. And then some days, she is as fun and happy as can be.

On a side note, last night she fell out of her bed while sleeping and that was not cool. Not cool at all. Those darn safety rails evidently are not fool proof. She does seem a little stranger than normal today.

We were so busy for the last 4 weeks and we are ready to slow down, enjoy the changing weather and take a few small family trips.

Do it yourselfers

All you do-it-yourselfers might enjoy this. There are some really great projects to look into making.

No Access

Uh...I have been without internet for almost 2 weeks now. Our home internet has been out and my office computer is so slow and works 1 out of every 4 days; therefore, I have not been able to really use the internet. So, no blogging and no reading blogs lately.

Sadly, I don't have much to say and I don't think I have any new pictures of Sallie Rose. I have been very busy with our rental properties for the last two weeks. I decided I wanted to save some money on painting one of them, so I dedicated about 12 hours last week and weekend to doing just that. I also enlisted the help of Kevin and my friend, Natalie, to help as well. I enjoy painting, but it was a lot of work and I have had a crick in my neck since Sunday night. It's sad, but I am getting too old to do manual labor. The apartment looked great and overall I did save about $1000, so I would say it was worth it. It's worth it as long as you don't have to live with me and hear me complain for a whole week after about how tired and sore I am.

Sallie Rose is growing and changing so much. She is definitely getting a little more independent and a little bit harder some days to handle. She has started really trying to resist everything I ask her to do, but some days she is a perfect little angel. She sleeps in her big girl bed just fine. She loves to go to the potty and needs her "privacy" when she does it. I think she is also beginning to learn that sometimes she can get whatever she wants by making a really cute face and asking in her sweetest voice. It gets Kevin every time.

Here she is at her new vanity. I saw this in an antique store with our neighbor, Patrick, and I wanted to buy it. I didn't buy it and he went back and got it. Very nice.

Sunday lunch. Everyone was so shocked to see me with my hair done, because I never take the time to do it. My theory is that if I do it all the time, then no one will appreciate it. This way, everyone comments on it and we all win!

Daddy and Sallie Rose. Twinsies.