Hallelujah! We have internet!

Seriously.  The internet was the only thing that was my husband's job to "take care of" when we moved.  I did everything else (on time) and 2 weeks after we've moved in, we finally have our internet hooked up.  I know what you're thinking, geesh Jen, it's just internet, let it go.  When you move to a new city, and have not idea where anything is, or what here is to do, or how to get there, the internet would have been helpful. Not to mention we do all our billing on line, and our bank cancelled our debits cards for "security reasons" and just merely emailed us to let us know this, and the list of reasons for me to complain goes on.....

So now, I am back and ready to update all 33 of my lovely followers lol.  I know you were all scratching your heads wondering where I had gone, rest assured, I am safe in my new weird apartment with a few boxes still kicking around the living room.

The drive here went well, actually better than expected.  Mimi watched about 10 hours of movies (including the most annoying "Max and Ruby" DVD I've ever experienced), we stopped in rest areas in 4 states, and saw two great friends and some family I hadn't seen in 10 years.  The rental Avis gave us (which was not what I paid for or reserved oddly enough) worked out fine and was pretty comfy to drive.  The dog was chilled out on his giant LLBean dog bed, and Mimi and I spent 17 hours in the car over 3 days.

We moved into our apartment, which is nice, but honestly is an apartment.  We already hate our upstairs neighbors, but who doesn't.  The place has huge bedrooms, bathrooms, and closets.  It has a pretty decent kitchen, and a nice pool.  After two weeks here, I'm really liking the location.  It is in Central Austin, so it's really easy to access all the different areas of city quickly and easily.   I already know that we'll be looking for a little house our townhome to rent next year though.

My husband loves his new job, and the 4-day work week.  I LOVE being unemployed.  Seriously.  I love doing consulting on a as-needed basis.  I feel really free.

Mimi seems to be taking the change really well.  She occasionally asks for her friend Dahlia and my friend Kim, but doesn't get upset when I remind her we live far away now.  I hope they both come visit though.  Mimi is loving having me home with her (at least I think so! lol).  The first week was rough.  We spent the week a little cooped up emptying boxes and getting lost when we tried to drive to the grocery store.   I tried to join a meetup, but the moms didn't talk to me or care to meet me. Meetup FAIL.  I found a local park this week and met some really awesome moms.   Seriously, they were so awesome.  They all had kids Mimi's age, and were so polite and welcoming.  Most of them go to this park daily around 10 and stay till 12 or 1.  We went 3 days and each day they remembered us and welcomed us back.  Each day new moms were there and wanted to get to know us.  I dont' know if it's how nice they were compared to the meetup moms, or my isolated loneliness, but this just made me feel so awesome.  They all seem like great women with such great kids.  They all are different ages, and seem to have different backgrounds, which is refreshing too.  I'll talk more about this nice group later.

So that's our update.  I have so many blogs I want to do, so I'll try not to get too annoying!
Miss you guys!

Happy Father's Day (#2)

Today marked my husband's 2nd father's day.  Unfortunately, celebrating him was overshadowed by our movers packing up our home into 73 boxes and loading it onto a truck to head to Austin.  We were able to squeeze in a quick swim, trip to Sonic (holy splurge on calories) and a nap before we dropped him off at the airport.

Father's day reminds me of how lucky Mimi is to have such a great Dad.  She is so blessed to have a great man to teach her, love her, and protect her.  My husband isn't the perfect guy or dad, but he's pretty dang amazing all the same!

He doesn't read my blog, but if he did, he would know just how amazing I think he is, even if I failed to show it on this moving day of chaos!!

Some photos I snapped today after our nap...

Channeling My Inner Mom

I feel like my first officially stay at "home" week with Mimi has not gone too terribly well.  I've broken down and cried twice out of sheer frustration and exhaustion.  Pathetic right?  One day I had a migraine and Mimi refused to nap all day.  I cried.  Today I just looked around at my chaotic messy unorganized mid-move home around me and sat down on the floor and cried.  I am really overwhelmed.  Staying home with her all day when it's 100 degrees outside AND trying to pack and clean out of the garage is horrible.  I get no breaks.  No one comes home at the end of the day and relieves me.  It's exhausting.  I know this part if almost over and soon my husband and I will be a team again, but these two months have SUCKED the big one ladies.....

Even though it's chaos around here, I've tried really hard to keep Mimi entertained instead of yelling at her to keep out of stuff I've packed.  We've swam everyday, gone to the story hour at the library, finger painted (and brush painted), colored, sewed, went to the playground, walked the dog.....what else?  When she goes to bed my brain turns to mush and I fall asleep alone.  God I'm depressed just writing this.  It makes me appreciate my husband, who is not only my teammate in the game of Mimi, but my best friend.   He comes home tomorrow for the weekend.  I think I might cry when I pick him up from the airport.

Now enjoy these nice messy pictures.  These crayola washable fingerpaints are much more washable then their "washable my ass" markers.

Bucket List

I had a few things on my bucket list before departing Florida (in 9 DAYS!!!), taking Mimi to the Florida Aquarium in Tampa was on it.  She frickin loves anything with an octopus on it lately, AND it's air conditioned.  Say no more, Grace, me, Mimi, Dahlia and 1.5 month old Ellie hit the road this morning and made a pretty impressive day trip out of it.

We left at 10:30 this morning.  The toddlers watched finding Nemo in the car on the way down, baby Elli of course was conked out as always, and we followed the website's impeccable directions right to the parking lot where we found a shaded spot right near the entrance. GOLDEN.  I decided to bring in my Maclaren volo (stroller I LOVE to death and will never part with).   I was surprised that Grace opted out of bringing hers, especially with the newborn, but it all worked out pretty cool.  We dumped the diaper bags in my Volo and she carried the baby in the Moby.  I used the stroller to cart Mimi to and from the aquarium parking lot and when she would disobey me and run from me in the aquarium she had to sit in it awhile to chill the frick out.

Overall the kids did amazing.  With only snacks tiding them over, and no naps, they wandered, watched, touched (sea creatures) and played at the water park until 5pm!  Minimal  whining, and only a few dirty looks from other parents when Mimi would run away from me.

We stopped for pizza after the aquarium and go back home after bedtime.  Mimi fell asleep as soon as her head hit her little fuzzy puffin pillow in her crib.

We picked up an octopus for Mimi's new bathroom in Austin.  What a great trip!

It's getting dark in here.....

This is what you do when you're bored at night because your husband is 16 hours away (for 2 months) and you have tons of gray hair from your child getting older even though you're only 29.......

Mimi, horribly embarrassed that her mom has gray hair....the SHAME!

Too late to stop now.....look, i'm getting smarter as I get older, I wore dark clothes....

The color it's supposed to be....

Whoa, 25 minutes later....

Laughing at how friggin dark it turned out.....holy smile lines Jen

No more Gray!!!!!

Blow Dried with no styling products, think I need a trim before I leave my FAVORITE hairdresser of all time.....

Money

Today I was in our local supermarket buying some brownrice sushi and unsweet tea for lunch and this middle aged guy was in front of me buying bread, milk, and fried chicken.  He handed the cashier 4 rolls of pennies with his bills and said "Man am I happy payday is coming, sorry for the change."  He seemed embarressed.  I looked at him with a big smile and said "I've totally been there.  You shouldn't feel bad at all! Money is money!" and the cashier smiled and said the same thing to him.  We all smiled and told each other to have a good day.  I wanted to run after the guy and just give him a hug and tell him he doesn't need to apoligize or feel bad for anything!  It was weird, sometimes I just have these days where I am reminded to be humble.  To remember that I am blessed for being healthy, having a roof over my head, food on my table, and for my healthy loving family. 

Sometimes we get wrapped up in money and material possessions.  We've all been there. We're all human.  Sometimes I get really embarressed of my car.  It's this little mazda with a missing hub cap and it's 12 years old.  Then I remember that I don't have a car payment, and the AC works and it's a fine car.  I should be thankful to have a car.

Over the last year I've really tried to refucus my priortities in life.  I'm trying to give where I can and be thankful everday for what I have. 

Lately I ponder the fact that I'm unemployed and NOT broke and I feel blessed.  I thank my husband everday for working hard and giving our family this life.  I thank the higher powers for my blessings.  I look at Mimi's healthy fat little face smiling at me from the back of my ol' Mazda, and I'm so content with life right now. 

Today I'm feeling especially blessed because WE RENTED OUR HOUSE!!!  This adorable couple expecting a baby in December will be moving into our home July 1 and making it their new home.  I feel kind of warm and fuzzy about it actually.  Some little family will take our home and make it theirs for their new little family.  I hope that they enjoy the house as much as we have these last 4 years.  Now I have to get back to work on the ol' disseratation!  Sorry for no photos today, haven't taken ANY recently. Which is not like me!  Just been so busy getting the house ready to rent out.

Crossfit Level 1

I do this Crossfit Level 1 class twice a week (tue/thur) for 45 minutes and try to run 2 or 3 times a week in addition.  This is my attempt to breakthrough the brick wall I've hit by only running (in both my weight and relative fitness level).  I figure, might as well get hot fit and toned while my husband is gone so when he sees me in a month he'll be blown away!

It's been two weeks now.  I actually gained weight, which kills my ego but most of it is water weight from forgetting to take my bp meds for 2 days lol.  No joking.  I wanted to show you guys the the differences I'm seeing in just a few weeks.  I never felt this lean just running. Running burns calories and relieves my stress but it doesn't make me feel this fit and strong.   Tonight's class made me want to cry and collapse on the grass in exhaustion. IT WAS AWESOME.   I have 2 weeks left in this class and then I plan on doing Crossfit in Austin, where they have a HUGE crossfit facility.  Well, if I can afford it and childcare during class! lol  I realize this isn't anything spectacular, but if you consider what I used to look like, this is progress to me!

Here are some photos of me from a year ago (March 2010) and from today.  Don't mind the fact that I still have baby belly pudge that will probably NEVER F'ING GO AWAY!

Wow, these are kind of embarrassing......

I know the shots aren't a match but you get the point.....