Feeling Like Home... FINALLY!!

It's been just over a month since we moved into our own apartment and it's finally feeling like home... at least for me.

We have a nice washer and dryer (thank you tax returns), 

a new to us couch (thanks Sue and Dale), a new TV, 

and a table to eat meals at!!!  

The girls are settled in to a routine and enjoying school.  A's making friends at school and at church and so is M.  Z is enjoying his job, too! I'm still trying to find my own rhythm, now that everyone is here... but it's coming.  There are days that it's great, and others that aren't.  But that's life, right?  

Winter in Texas has been interesting to say the least.  We had 3 days of "ice" and then we went back to work and it started to warm back up again.  I kinda thought that might be it for the season... Boy was I wrong!  We ended up with about 3 inches of snow on top of several inches of ice last Wednesday afternoon-Thursday.

Days like Thursday are the days that make me wish we lived just a little further south, it was worse where we live than it was at work, and it was pretty bad at work that day.  Apparently Texas weather is actually more Bipolar than Michigan weather... ;)

Last week was the 100th birthday of the US Navy Reserve.  Our team at work participated in the cake cutting ceremony at the Naval Operational Support Center that is house downstairs in the building I work in.

They had some pretty phenomenal cakes made by the Fort Worth Culinary School.

This week I'm blessed to be able to work with some pretty cool people in Shreveport during their drill weekend.  And then, we have a special surprise planned for the girls for their Spring Break!  We haven't told them yet, because we don't really want to have to answer constant questions about what we're doing and where we're going...  BUT, they will love it and I'm excited, even though it will be a fast in and out for us.

Thanks for stopping by!!

{Becky}

Texas & Ice

So today was fun...

First snow/ice day in Texas.  I vividly remember Sue telling me that when it ices over down here, that we shouldn't drive anywhere and that the highways will be pretty much impassible.  SOO, we all stayed home today.  It was quite an interesting day, Z and I both had to work from home.  A & M didn't have school.  We managed to be pretty productive despite being cooped up in a 2 bedroom apartment.  I got 3 loads of laundry done, plus my regular work, and we were able to get the girls room clean and beds (well mattresses) set up and made.  Pictures below. 

Tomorrow it looks like more of the same...  On the up side, it's only a few days here as opposed to months in Michigan!

 

Thanks for stopping by!!

 

{Becky}





Hitting Curve balls

So this week has been an adventure to say the least.

• Z's been in Austin for work. 
• Monday was a holiday/day off.
• Tuesday was a "work from home" day for me.
• Wednesday was a catch up day in the office.
• The girls rode to/from school with Grandma Sue & Papa Dale.
• My brother's been here  - he just moved and has been crashing at our place until he gets his own apartment set up - has an apartment, just needs stuff to put in it.
• Yesterday I found out I'm working tomorrow at the last minute because a co-worker is sick, but at least that means I get to have next Wednesday as a flex day so I can go to A's conferences.
• I signed the paperwork for A's speech evaluation at school today.
• The National Weather Service issued a Winter Weather Watch ;) for our area, starting tomorrow and going through Monday...
• What's that mean for us???  
• A "cold front" is coming in tomorrow
• "Winter Weather" is possible by Monday
• Sleet is expected up to 1/2 an inch of accumulation
• That means there's a good possibility that the girls won't have school on Monday and I'll be working from home because no one in Texas knows how to drive in snow/sleet/icy conditions and EVERYTHING will shut down.
• All that being said, it's currently 79 in the DFW area!!
• I heard the best commercial on the radio today... Matthew McConaughey was talking about "winter in Texas".  I can't find a link to it yet, but will definitely re-post once I do!  It made me giggle.

Suffice it to say, I'm ready for Z to get home and for the weekend.

That's all for now!  Thanks for stopping by!

{Becky}

Welcome to Texas!

We moved!!!  Well, let me rephrase... I moved in October and the rest of the family followed me down in December.

I started a new job.  It's much like my Wraparound position with Highfields was, except that it involves working with the reservists and their families.  I work with three other women and we cover what the Navy calls the Southeast Fort Worth Region, which includes Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi.  We do lots of different things: general military trainings (GMTs), screen sailors (full time staff (FTS) & SELRES (selective reservists)) for high risk behaviors/issues and resourcing as needed.  Resourcing is the biggest part of our job and maybe the most rewarding, but the most fun part (at least for me) is getting to travel to the different Naval Operational Support Centers (NOSCs) throughout the region.  Since moving I've been able to visit Oklahoma City for a weekend and Amarillo, TX a couple of weekends as well.  In March, I get to participate in an amazing event for sailors who have been deployed called a Returning Warrior Weekend (RWW).  In May I get to go back to Oklahoma City and also get to go to New Orleans right before my birthday.  I'm pretty excited about that trip.  In July, I get to go to Jacksonville, FL for a week of training with the other 11 teams (5 Navy Reserve teams & 6 Marine Corps Reserve teams) from around the nation.  It's a pretty cool program and I'm honored to be a part of it and to provide services to those who have chosen to honorably serve our country and fight for our freedoms!

BUT.. I'm not the only one with major changes...

A has started at a new school, after a hiccup at her first school in Texas in January.  This one seems to be a much better fit.  I'm really excited about this school... It seems that in Texas, school administration actually reads enrollment paperwork and talks to parents if they have concerns at that point!  She started at the new school on Friday, when I took her in to drop her off, the assistant principal had some questions and started the 504/IEP process that day!  She says she really likes her new teacher and she's making new friends, but that she misses her "bestie's" Lilly, Rosie, & Charlotte in Michigan.

M started daycare/preschool.  Zech calls it daycare because she's only 4, I call it preschool, because she's learning shapes, her letters (recognizing them and writing them) and her numbers!  She loves her teachers Miss Tracy and Miss Jenny, although she doesn't particularly like Miss Jenny during nap time.  ;)  Best part is that both girls go to the school where Papa Dale works which they really like a lot!

Z has also started a new job here!  It's definitely been a huge adjustment for the family since now we're both working full time during the day.  But I'm so extremely proud of him!

We love our church down here and have started developing relationships with lots of people/families here.

Since I get to work normal hours during this job, I'm going to work on posting on a more regular basis...

Thanks for listening!

Becky