Scattered Texas Update

 It's funny how our new place is really only a 3-4 day drive south west, but everything is so different from the familiarities of Utah I nearly feel I'm in another country. Frighteningly, Wal-mart brings me some sense of reassurance- because it feels and looks the same as in American Fork. (Excluding the prices.) Everything's more expensive down here. What keeps throwing me for a loop, is running back to the store to pick up things like a 5lb bag of shredded cheese, or a large sized jar of  peach jam or pickle relish, and realizing they only stock the small jars here. Apparently no big family clientele in this place, ha!

I have to admit that as much as I love my girls, I am particularly self conscious with them in public, since I rarely see many kids. I feel eyes on me all the time analyzing their behavior or my parenting. People keep telling me I have my hands full  with two kids so close in age (2 1/2 years? really?) and while I do agree it has been busy, I remember thinking that about the moms with 4+ kids, not two!

Two Sunday's ago I was called to be the primary pianist....  Deja vu?! :)

 Grace is making some great new friends at church even though they are not necessarily her age, and it makes me so happy! She is very consistent about asking for people's names and always remembers them. She is SOOO much better at it than I.... sometimes I feel she is my cheat sheet!

My home still looks like an under construction, half unpacked, war zone....

It's driving me bonkers, but Jason is quite handy and prefers to do much of the construction work that needs to be done himself. Although it's going to take a while to post some pics because he's in and out of town frequently.

Here is a before and after pic since painting the cupboards.... although I'm still deciding on wall paint colors and putting up hardware, so I know it looks pretty white. :)

 I'm hoping to get some nice wood flooring in sometime too. This tile really gets to me. However, since it's over the entire first floor I let Grace ride her bike around the house. (no way do we want to play outside in this heat / nor with the kind of bugs in our backyard!) She frequently "drives" it to the dinner table and "parks" it, then gets back on to go play afterwards. I like that it helps get out her energy. Grace's vocabulary is increasing well and it is hilarious to hear how she thinks now. In fact the other day I was making her toast and when it popped she yelled out to me: 
                           "Hurry, go get it Mom! Get the toast before it runs away!" 
 And as I poured some flower food into a vase of roses she queried: "Does that make it spicy?"
 I truly appreciate her continually inquisitive nature.

 Katelyn is cutting three more teeth in about a two week period. So now you know what Kate's like these days. :) But we did get her a baby walker and she speedily circled around the kitchen counter probably 50 times the first night in glee. She grabs onto the handles, tilts her head back with a cheesy grin, and cruises like the "weeeeeeeeeeeee!" pig in that funny commercial.  (Oh it makes me laugh so hard!) She also prefers to follow big sister around and try to play with whatever said sister might be doing, much to Grace's dismay. So I am becoming quite the referee.

  All in all, it's been quite the experience. I can't say that I'm "loving" it yet- I've had some tearful meltdowns. But I think once the indoor craziness starts to disappear and I feel more acquainted with the area, this place could really feel like home. I do think the ward members are SUPER nice and I am so very, very grateful for them!