Farris family blog: May 2014

Then, life with three kids happened. Hence, my over two month delay of updating my blog. So this post will probably be extremely long, but with lots and LOTS of great things to share.

We ended up leaving San Angelo around the middle of March. We broke up the trip on the way home and stopped to see family friends in Wimberley, then saw some NB friends for breakfast Sunday morning before we headed home to my mom's house that evening. We were definitely sad to be saying bye to people in San Angelo(great friends from church, work and Carter's school), but we were also ready to leave. On our way to Houston, we also stopped in Bastrop to look at a house that seemed promising. It was getting a complete remodel, so it was pretty torn up when we got here, but after a slim picking of options, the only house we looked at was the perfect one for us. We came back a few weeks later to do a walk through of the house and it was in such better shape and we were excited to move here in just a few short weeks.

Houston. Being home in the Woodlands was so good for all of us. Bret was only there with us for a week before he had to leave for FRL for a few weeks, but it was just so wonderful to have him home with us that week. We have had to pack into hotels and apartments so much this year, so being at my moms didn't even feel too cramped there. So thankful for her letting our family move into her home for seven weeks. That week we got home Bret and I were turning 31 and we were also celebrating Carter's 4th birthday! Bret and I went on a date to BJ's for our birthday which was great. He got me a new watch for my birthday, and I got him a new bag for work for his. Really looking forward to year 31 and all it will bring. 30 was eventful enough for the both of us.

We had Carter's batman birthday at my dad's house this year. It was a perfect little celebration for him, with our family and closest friends there. He had such a great time on the bounce house, and slip n slide, and swimming in the pool. I can't believe he is already four and that this next year will be his last year at home with me. He is very much into every.single.super.hero right now whether his is a ninja one day, or ironman, or dark blue batman, the super heroes are a very consistent theme for him right now. He calls all of us a ninja color when talking to us. He is always the blue ninja, Tucker is the orange ninja, Rylie is the pink ninja, I am the red ninja and Bret is the purple ninja. He finally just started saying Ninja a few weeks ago, but it always used to be "minja." He is into questions right now like none other. It is what, or why, or when, or a question to every thing we say right now. He also is into nicknames for everyone in the family like "Ryla" or "Mala" or "Tucka". He pretty much shortens every name and then rhymes them. A very exciting thing he did in Houston was learn how to ride his bike without training wheels!! It was so awesome. He was so excited when he first learned he couldn't stop smiling or laughing when he was riding his bike. It is so fun to watch how determined he is and how he just took right off on his bike. So very proud of that kiddo.He loved while we were in Houston to sleep with my mom and he is so into the Frozen movie right now. Pretty sure he has every word of that soundtrack memorized. He will take one of our phones around and just sing every.single.word to that soundtrack. That child never ceases to amaze me with his athletic ability or fearlessness to try anything. He can go all the way across the monkey bars like it is nothing or try to do back flips on our bed with Bret. Or how quickly he learned to throw a "risbean" (a frisbee). He just goes.non.stop. Bret and I also talk a lot about how well of a driver he is with his gator and tractor. It is almost scary how well he can drive those things. He loves to meet new friends and just acts like everyone he meets is a friend. I sure do love that about him. He is a great big brother(most of the time), but he sure does love Tucker and Rylie a whole lot. He loves still to play with his cars and read his tow truck books, or play board games like candy land. He is so very helpful to me all the time with grabbing diapers, or helping his brother get a snack,setting the table, or running up or down the stairs to grab something for me. He loves to hold his baby sister and always wants to make sure T is included. We also moved him to a booster seat this month. He was skeptical, but he loves it now(and gosh so do we) Those things are super easier than car seats. He is about the most super, sweet, intense child I have ever met. That is probably the best description that sums him up.

Anyways, that was our weekend fun with Carter before Bret left for FRL. The next few weeks we hung out with lots of friends from around town. Amy and I even braved tag teaming all our kids for almost a week while our husbands were gone. It was a little insane, but worth all the fun of it. My mom helped me a lot with the kids, always bathing them for me and making my children powder children. It was so fun to be back home just playing at all the parks we love, getting to see so many family and friends. We sure did miss Bret while he was gone though. There is no one in the world who can replace our daddy. Thankfully, Rylie and I got to fly to Atlanta for his FRL graduation after a week and half of him being gone. It was so fun to get to be there for that and to see him. I was so grateful we were able to go! He flew home with us that weekend and then flew back out on Sunday till Thursday to finish up with his operator coach, which was a great time for him. That next weekend we got to getaway for the weekend at Caney. The Coldwell's came with us and it was such a perfect, relaxing weekend with friends. Our kids played on the trampoline, and swam at the beach, and played in the sand for hours on end. The guys played horseshoes and washers and all the kids went fishing. Amy and I got to go running and we laughed.a.lot. It was so much fun and much needed.

Those next few weeks went by really fast. We celebrated Easter in Houston and that was a great day with our family and watching the kids Egg Hunt and going to church there in the Woodlands. We went to dinners over the next few weeks with friends from our old community group and it was great to catch up with everyone. We went to our favorite restaurants around town and made a trip down to my dad's house to see the restaurant and spend the day with him as well. Moving day came as quickly as I thought it would. Thankful no matter what stage of life we have been in we have always been able to count on amazing friends to help us with moving or really whatever we need. Our friends are the best.

Our friends the Parker's, who we met at family camp in New Braunfels, came to help Bret on Friday unload our POD into our Uhual truck. Then Saturday, we got everything down from my mom's attic with the help of the Coldwell's and my mom. I was so (well we all) so ready for moving to be over. Saturday night we spent at my mom's with the Coldwell's just hanging out and the kids swam and we ate pizza. It was a great last night there in the Woodlands. So Sunday morning we loaded up the last few things and hit the road. The Coldwell's followed us there to help drive a car, and also to help unload everything. They are so the best. AND Jenn's whole family came from Columbus to help us unload our truck. Not only did everyone help us unload here in Bastrop, but they unpacked our kitchen and put together all our beds and help us get all the big furniture together. So so incredibly grateful. It was such a huge help. We could not have done it without them. Last week Bret and I woke up every morning on a mission to get boxes the heck out of here. So we unpacked and got everything straightened up and by the end of the week, we were completely done! Bret built awesome shelving for our garage and made that look amazing and I was able to put in all new pics throughout our house and make it feel like home. It is amazing how quickly it felt like home to us. I love the space we have and that we fit here so well. I LOVE having a kitchen table again and family dinners. I love having a place where all the kids toys go and STAY there. I love that each kid has their own room and space and that we have our bed back:) I love having a yard and room for the kids to play. We also have discovered a park in our neighborhood that we love. We pretty much walk there every night after dinner. I sure do already love this family tradition.

Bret's mom and aunt came in town last weekend to stay for a night, along with my dad and sister the next night. So it was a great Mother's Day weekend with our families here. We tried a great burger place in town called roadhouse and we got to show everyone the progress of the store. Unfortunately right now it looks like the opening will be pushed back a little, but either way we are just as excited for it to open sometime in July. We are looking forward to getting to know the town and community better here. We visited one church so far and checked out some schools for Carter. I am excited to see doors God opens for those things. The best thing about these past two months has been our time as a family together. It never gets old being together all day long. Just getting to hang out and do random fun things during the day. I am so grateful for this time. It has been so refreshing and good for all of us. Bret's trailer will go in front of the store the week after next, but he will still be off on weekends until his store opens so that will be a HUGE perk.

As for our little ones right now- Rylie will be FOUR months old next Monday! She is getting so big(well big for her). She still smiles non stop. That is usually how I tell when she is tired, because she never stops smiling:) I sure do love that. She can roll over from belly to back very easily now, but still gets stuck on her side trying to go back the other way. She started laughing this month and I really can't get enough of that. She is kinda ticklish too. She is starting to stand her jump a roo- because she loves to stand, so I put her in there and she grabs everything now. She will lay and play on her mat and grab toys all around her on the floor. She still loves those ceiling fans and she loves to go on walks at night with all of us. She holds her head up so well now and is just constantly kicking those legs. Getting more active everyday, but she has nothing on her brothers. Her calmness is nice:) Oh and one of her favorites right now is bath time. She will just kick away in her little blue bath tub. I totally have had a mom fail with her only bathing her a few times. My mom had probably bathed her more till we moved here. She def. is more vocal now too with her voice and I love hearing her "talk" back at you. I love getting to sit with her in the glider and rock her now that we have it back. It has been such a favorite lately getting to be in her own nursery with her these past two weeks.

And then there is our spunky child. There will never be another Tucker. That kid is one of a kind. He makes us laugh and makes us cry all at the same time between random things he eats like leaves, or diaper cream, or putting his hand in his diaper and pulling out poop. I mean you really just never know what is coming with this kid. It is always an adventure. He talks like crazy right now. He loves to "cut the pickle" with anyone and he still eats anything and everything that is in front of him. He wants to be just like Carter and follows him wherever he goes and wants to try to do things just like him. It is really sweet. His smile and cuddles never get old. He is so much more cautious than Carter. He even is so cautious going down our stairs we have now. He says things like "check this out mommy" or "thats my favorite"(usually when he is talking about cheese) That boy and his food. I mean he is pretty adamant about his food and drinks even. He always stands with his hands on his hips like a cheerleader. It makes me laugh. He sings "theres a party in my tummy, so yummy, so yummy" when he is eating thanks to my sister:) He always wants to make sure we pray before every meal. Bed time with him is my favorite right now because he loves to read, then pray, and sing songs and when you are walking out he will say,"one more song mommy":) He loves to ride in the truck with Bret and still loves baseball and to be outside and ride in the stroller.so.much. He is also VERY loud. :)