Independence Day

I apologize for the lack of pictures for this event.  The only picture I have with a person in it Paul took.  I guess my mind was on other things or I was traumatized and didn't have the frame of mind to take pictures.  I love the fourth of July.  But I had one of those moments this year that only exist in nightmares so it kind of ruined it for me.  We were headed to a barbecue and it started pouring rain.  The kind of rain I have never seen before.  Before I knew it we driving through 6 inches of water.  It looked like a shallow river was flowing around us.  Our wind shield wipers are toast so it's just making things worse and every time a semi goes by I stop breathing because everything disappears.  If that wasn't enough I've got a screaming baby siting next to me and lighting strikes a few yards from our car.  Those are the kind of fireworks I don't want to be seeing again any time soon!  Paul was trying to get me to find an address on the GPS...yeah right!  I needed to concentrate on breathing because I wasn't!  I needed a brown paper bag.

To most of you it may sound like I'm over reacting....I'm not, I guess you had to be there to understand.  

We finally arrived at the barbecue.  Thanks to Gods tender mercies.  Someday I'm going to get used to these Southern showers. 

This is a picture of a shower a few days before.  Mild in comparison...but you get the idea.

 The food and company more than made up for the ride over.  Thanks James, Jenny, Nicole, and Jason!  Yes I took a picture of the Hamburgers. 

Trains

I put Audrey into her swimming suit and swim diaper, lathered her up in sunscreen, and get myself dressed.  I open the door and Audrey squeals with excitement....we must not leave the house very often for her to be this excited.  I head down the stairs and then I remember that I need my wristband so they know I'm a resident. I haul everything back up the stairs.  Once I get everything together again we start out the door and I notice my side is wet.  I must not have gotten the diaper on quite right because she has just peed on me! Great.  I put everything down, wipe the pee off me, and get new diaper.  We head out again.  I make the trek to the pool and it's closed.  Awesome! You should have seen Audrey's disappointment when she found out we weren't going back out.  Maybe tomorrow.
Today we will watch Beethoven documentaries, eat banana bread, sing, chase each other around on our knees, and play trains till her Daddy comes home.

Paul called today and said he's going to Louisiana for a business trip next week and he wants us to come with him.  I guess we are going on a road trip!

Audrey And Her Cup

Sunday afternoon video of us making dinner while keeping Audrey entertained.

Audrey's Lip Buzz

I have always buzzed my lips to get Audrey's attention or to calm her down.  Singers use it all the time as a warm up exercise so I guess that's why I started doing it the first place.  It calms me down when I'm getting ready to perform because it evens out my air flow.  I was surprised when I heard Audrey do it for the first time at around 8 months because I know some adults who can't even do it. I think it's the funniest when she does it and she's mad.  She expects me to take her seriously but I just end up laughing because it's so funny.    

Grandma and Grandpa

These are my Dads parents, and my Mom. We had a family get together and I got to see them one last time before I left.  We lived a street away practically all my life and I never really took full advantage of that time I had to be close.  Now I will miss those moments.  Spending time with them always helps me focus on what is truly important.  Theirs is the fairy tale I hope someday to have.  Grandpa had a stroke a little while back and lost his words.  I know he has a lot he would like to say but he can't always say it in the way he would like.  Now I hang onto every word he speaks and treasure them because his stroke made me realize exactly how mortal we are.
A few nights before we left we walked by his house on Audrey's nightly walk just as he was coming out of the backyard.  We stopped for a minute and exchanged a few words and as we left Audrey waved goodbye.  I think it might have been a coincident because she's only done it an handful of times but Grandpa gave her a big smile and waved back.   
Audrey Lyle is named after my Grandma Lyle.  I told Grandma once that I was thinking about naming one of my daughters after her and she told me to let the name die.  I thought it would be a beautiful middle name for Audrey and I hope someday that it will remind her what it means to be a righteous daughter of our Heavenly Father.  I had to get a picture of the two of them together before I left but Audrey would cry every time I gave her to Grandma.  So we got a four generation picture while we had the chance.  Aren't we cute?

 Here are a few extra pictures for your viewing pleasure.
My gorgeous little sisters

 My older gorgeous sister and her boyfriend

 My Dad and Aunt Carolyn and Uncle Kent

 Audrey and me, and Audrey eating me...this happens on a regular basis.

Audrey's cousin L

 Audrey getting to know her Great Grandpa

 I couldn't leave this one out...Tam.  What can I say more.  I'm jealous of your beauty!

I love you all and miss your guts!

Audrey Woah!

We were on the way home today and Audrey was in the back seat saying Woah! Woah! Woah!  We tried to get on video when we got home and this is what we got.  Enjoy.  Yes, she is wearing the same shirt as the last video…call me a bad mom!

Nine Months and a New High Chair

House confusion, people confusion, bed confusion, climate confusion... Audrey's life has been turned upside down and ours has followed.  When we arrived here in Texas our plans fell through.  We expected people to be begging us to take their apartments.  We were wrong.  Paul and I have never actually looked for availability during the summer months.  Apparently it's their busiest time...quite different from where we come from. There was only one apartment complex fairly close to Paul's work that had a "few" availabilities.  We lucked out but the apartment wasn't going to be available until Friday.
We planned to stay in a hotel....but a couple in our last ward here offered to take us in. We have adopted them as Audrey's Texas grandparents.  It's means so much to me to have them when I'm so far away from family.  Thank you Merian and Mike.  We love you!  We finally emptied all the boxes today and I'm starting to feel like I'm at home.  We are so happy with this apartment.
Today we bought Audrey a much needed high chair.  She screamed for joy and so did I because there will be no more little fingers attacking my food...now I can share from a distance!
Kimberly this video and picture is for you.  Thank you for being patient.  For the next week I may be blogging backwards because I skipped so many things but I couldn't resist sharing this.