All I Want for Christmas is.....

...my two front teeth! It was a great Christmas here at the new-improved-Walker house in Conway, Arkansas. JJ has 3 teeth coming in on top so that was literally what he got for Christmas. Robert's parents, brother Jay, Tiffany, and Wes were all here for the holiday. My dad came up for a couple of days as well. We were busy the whole time. I can't name much in specifics that we did but it was all time well spent. Tiffany, Wes, Scout, and I went on a walk and met another neighbor. They were very nice and gave me the scoop on one next door neighbor who uses that house as a second home or something. On Christmas day I formally met my other next door neighbor. His name is Jimmy, an older gentleman, and his wife is in the hospital. She, Willie, is not doing well after having had a heart attack earlier in the month. Anyway, I almost have all angles of neighbors covered. Scout was a great little dog with our guests here. She is well behaved and an excellent floor sweeper for falling food. Everyone left yesterday and it has been back to organizing the house. There is still so much to do but at least there isn't a time pressure due to Christmas. Last night Robert and I went to the city (what we will call going to Little Rock). It is only a 30 minute drive to excellent shopping. JJ is at such a great age. He continues to be such a joy to me and a great baby. Tiffany and Jay brought some great toys for JJ to play with. Grandpa Joe got him a walker which will be coming useful anyday. JJ's eyes light up when he sees his cousin Wes. He loves to play with him. I am anxious to get involved in a mom's group here so JJ can have that interaction he loves and I can make friends. For now it is time to get back to work. Happy New Year!

Feeling official

Well, we are integrating more and more here. Yesterday I got my license plate and driver's license. Again, unbelievable about the non-wait at the "DMV". We also got a local bank account. The house is really shaping up and it is just in time for our Christmas guests. JJ is excited to see all his grandparents. One of the funny things that he does is when he is crawling. He will start to head to something off-limits, a.k.a. the ficus tree, and knows he can't go there. When you ask him where he's going he buckles down and speeds up laughing trying to get to the tree before you can stop him. It is so cute. That is about all that is going on here. I'm back in action with the pictures. You can see more on the pic site. This is a pic of JJ and what we are seeing a lot of lately.

Neighbors Redeemed!!

We met the neighbors across the street yesterday. I saw the lady outside and took JJ over to introduce ourselves. Turns out that they had tried to come over a few times but each time either Robert or I would go back into the house so they did not bother to come to the door. The are a nice older couple who have only been living in their house since November 13th so they only have about 4 weeks on us!! Their grandchildren (2) live with them because their daughter died in their last house so now they are the guardians. They only moved from around the corner to a smaller house so I guess that speaks well of the neighborhood if they wanted to stay in it. They did not know much about any other neighbors since they are fairly new too. The grandaughter, Maggie, is in 6th grade and has a lot of experience with babies and little kids. Sounds great to me - a future JJ-sitter in our midst! I can see them being the type of neighbors that would loan me an egg. I will now feel more free to reach out to them now that the initial meeting is over. They said to come back with Robert so they could meet him and we will do that soon.
Robert worked a full day yesterday (12 hours). He leaves around 6 am each day. I pack his lunch the night before. I think he is enjoying the job much more since the ruf-nekking is over. That was horrible.
I am disappointed again with the pediatric situation here. I finally made an appointment for JJ's 9-month wellness check-up. 1) He can't get in until the end of January when he will be 10 months and 2) he is not even going to be seeing a doctor. I am really upset about it but have no choice. There literally are no independent doctors/pediatricians to see. I just have to trust that it is okay. I think it is harder coming from a situation that was very comfortable for his care. Now JJ will just be a number among many seeking healthcare. I will just plan that he won't ever need a doctor and that will solve that. Who knows...it could happen.
JJ and I were out and about around town yesterday. I am learning the roads pretty well. The agenda for today is to get my new license and tag for my car. The house is looking better. We don't have much time to be ready for Robert's family coming Saturday for Christmas. My dad is coming as well but will head back Monday to spend Christmas with his mother. Nana, my grandmother, is not doing well. Hospice has come in to care for her. Have a nice day.

One week under our belt...

The pressure is slowly letting up on getting everything unpacked and put in its place. I way under-estimated the job it has been! Karen was supposed to leave Wednesday to go home to Amarillo but ended up staying until this Sunday morning. What a lifesaver! It is raining here tonight but we have had manageable weather compared to OKC. We got out just in time! I'm so sad about my dad's trees that he lost in his yard. Many things will look different when we return.
STILL no neighbors have come by to welcome us. Karen suspects they may stop by tomorrow. Note to all of you out there - welcome your new neighbors when they move in. It just makes us feel unwelcomed but I'm sure that it is just that people keep to themselves. I think a welcoming gift in the form of fruitcake is a thing of the past. I miss my old neighbors. I would go visit them in their homes almost everyday. I don't expect that here. But there continue to be great things about living here: There was no line in the post office today - 11 days before Christmas!! That's unbelievable if you've ever been to the PO in OKC. I have yet to wait in line at Wal-Mart. That is a huge difference from OKC. Now I feel I can go anytime instead of being strategic about going in the morning before the mob attacks in the afternoon and evening. I feel like I'm always looking over my shoulder being cautious about my surroundings like I would in OKC and realize that people are so relaxed here and there is no need to be uptight. Conway is into recycling bigtime! They recycle way more here than in OKC. I still can't believe sometimes that we live here.
All of our information is changed over to Arkansas. We still have to do licenses and car tags. Tomorrow is our last day with Karen helping out. JJ is really on the move. He regularly pulls himself up to the couch. He likes his jumper toy and is figuring out how it works. I call him my floor sweeper because he does the army crawl across the wood floor and picks everything up on his shirt. He can move fast too! I have been asking around about pediatricians and there are basically two options in pediatric groups. There are several doctors in each group but you are not guaranteed to see the same one each time. That really stinks in my opinion. The word is that all the doctors are good but some have better bedside manners than others. We don't really have a choice so I will call for an appointment Monday. JJ's 9-month wellness checkup is due next Friday. He still only has the two teeth on bottom but they are sharp! He is learning to feed himself but still working on the sippy cup.
Robert has been working since Tuesday. He has left by 6 am the last two mornings. We are going to his company party tomorrow night. I am looking forward to some socialization. It's weird that I really haven't talked or visited with anyone I know face to face for a week other then Karen. It will be nice to get out of the house for that reason. Sorry there are no pics. I am getting close to being able to get them up but there is still too mch on my plate. See you soon.

A New Life Begins

We're here!! The Walkers have spent 2 nights in our new home. I LOVE IT!!! I am so content with all space we have, no creaks in the floor when we walk, room for all the pets, all of our things under one roof, carpet, and this is just the beginning! Karen, Robert's mom, flew in to Little Rock on the night of the 6th, the day before the closing. The six of us, Scout, Jimmy, Frodo, JJ, Robert, and I, spent the night in one room at the Best Western. Everyone got along just fine. The closing went well and then we unloaded boxes all day - directing the movers, etc. It has been a big task to unload but we are getting there. It's been like early Christmas opening boxes and seeing what's inside. Many things we haven't seen in quite awhile because they've been in storage. There's a big gash in Robert's armoire and we see that they dropped a tv. The dishes are all unbroken except for a few. We haven't found our China yet. Karen has been a huge help being here. She has been taking care of JJ while Robert and I unpack. This experience would have been complete stress without her. As for today, we continue to work and enjoy our new home. We have met one neighbor and he seemed nice. If none others come over we will just go over to them once we are settled and introduce ourselves. I'll check in later.

Yea for JJ!

The last several nights JJ has found his game - in sleep that is. He is sleeping through the night again and I have been so grateful. Not sure how it happened but we're cool with it. JJ and I are just hanging out waiting for Thursday when we drive to Conway - one way ticket! Robert comes here on Tuesday. He only has two more nights left of ruf-nek work and he is very excited to be done with it. We will close on Friday morning and have a new home. We can't wait to get moved in, be settled, and all be in one place. It is a milestone for us and a fresh start. There is not much to report. Things will get interesting again once we become Arkansans!

Round 2!

We bought the house we found last weekend. Robert and I are both excited to finally have a home. I know he is especially excited since he is the one making the commute and living away from family. We haven't been able to get the pictures up on the website yet. It will probably be another week before we can post them. We are closing on the house December 7th so we will be there in time for Christmas! That is next Friday!! This means that Robert's family will be joining us there in Conway for the holiday. We are excited to have our own living space and more of it than the last house. It hasn't been bad living with Joe. He's been on extra good behavior in terms of staying relaxed which has made it nice to spend time here. That is the big news for now. No changes with JJ's sleep although I am trying different things. I did talk to the doctor and about this time babies do change their sleep habits so I figure this is normal. He's worth it!

Twas a Happy Thanksgiving

Well, it came and went. Thanksgiving was a great day spent with family and full bellies. There was no opportunity to rest as we left for Arkansas Friday morning to look for a house. We found something promising and placed an offer today. We'll see what happens. I've enjoyed today to rest and last night there was a great football game on tv. JJ is not sleeping well and that equates to no sleep for me either. I don't know what is going on - the traveling, teething, transition, ?? Whatever it is I hope it works its way out of his life soon.

Across the finish line

Well, it's done. No more '621 NW 48th St.'. That chapter has been closed. I can't believe we FINALLY closed on the house. It has felt like running a marathon from prepping to show the house through closing. I had such a relief today after it was all done. The packing and getting out of there was exhausting for me along with taking care of JJ without Robert's help. I must give props to Aunt Sandie who was a HUGE help two of the days. Whatever the cost is for the movers - it is worth it!! I cannot even imagine doing all the work they have done on our own. What a blessing that Robert's company is paying for it. When Robert and I were ready to leave the house for the last time we prayed over it - thanking God for good times and bad and His provision through everything up to today. We prayed for the new buyers to be blessed by the home. It was great! Last night when I was sweeping all the filth in each room I had specific memories for the room in which I was sweeping. It was a trip down memory lane with me and my house. JJ was being babysat by grandpa Joe. What a huge relief that this is all over. I know unpacking won't be near the task and I can't wait to be in our own space with our own stuff - all of it under one roof after three years!! Now we can focus on one house instead of two. We are all looking forward to a day with family and good food in PV. Then Friday we will head to AR for house hunting. I'm not looking forward to it only because I wanted to rest a little after this marathon but we must keep going until we find our next home!

Some relief in sight!

Well, I think the hard part is over. JJ and I are taking it easy today because the movers are loading the boxes of all of our wordly possessions in the moving rig. It has been hectic up to now but Robert gets home tonight. We will end up closing on this house tomorrow. I am excited for Thanksgiving, having Robert here, seeing family, and JJ's first turkey! He continues to be such a joy. He is the best baby. Yesterday my aunt Sandie watched JJ. He got to play with his cousins Max and Zeke (4 1/2 and 2 years old) and held his own pretty well according to the reports. JJ is going to be great at rough-and-tumble play. Robert and I plan on going to Arkansas with JJ within the week to look at houses again. I hope we find something. All of the animals are here at my dad's/Joe's house. Scout is doing great but the cats have some anxiety over the move. I think it's going to work out though. Joe has adjusted well to having his house full again. Not one complaint out of him yet! JJ is a great distraction. I can't wait until tomorrow when this door will be closed and we can enjoy the holiday. Happy Thanksgiving.

This is what we call a change in plans...

Well, we are not buying the house in Conway. A structural engineer came and looked at the house today and found many issues. It doesn't matter that it is a brand new house. The foundation was not done correctly and was poured on bad soil. It is amazing the things the engineer found in his inspection. Bottom line: he saved us a huge headache down the line. I'm really just focused on getting out of here and was at peace with our decision - oddly so. This means living with Joe Blake for an unknown extended amount of time. We are back in the saddle for house hunting to say the least. It really stinks because we really liked the other house. It is so hard to find the right combination of things you like in a house with a limited amount of things your don't like. As for now, I am just taking one day at a time.

The craziness continues...

The packers are coming tomorrow to begin boxing up our house. I am grateful to my aunt Sandie for watching JJ in the morning so I can focus on the job at hand. They should finish packing Monday and start loading Tuesday and Wednesday if they need. We are scheduled to close Tuesday at 3 pm. Once we are out of here, we will be staying with Joe through Thanksgiving and until we move to Conway. On that end, we should close the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. This is all happening so fast. We are not sure yet if the builder is going to change some things on the Conway house yet. They put a light switch right where the fridge goes!! If they don't then we will have to walk and do some more shopping. Either way at least there will only be one focus/house rather than two to worry about. Robert doesn't return here until the Wednesday before the holiday. I can't believe JJ and I are doing all of this on our own but we have help and I know Robert wishes he could be here. That is the status for now. See you soon.

Crazy times

I feel like I have been living out of my suitcase for the past three weeks. We got back from Midland yesterday for Robert's grandmother's memorial service. It was a nice service, Robert spoke and did very well. It was a nice family gathering and celebration of her life. We bought the house in Conway on Friday. We will close no later than the 30th of November. The moving company is here today getting the estimate on costs. Tomorrow we should hear when they will be here to pack and move us. So, we should be moving within the next two weeks.
JJ was such a good trooper on the flights and travel to Midland. He gets rave reviews everywhere he goes about what a good baby he is, so laid back, happy, cute, and his big blue eyes. It makes his momma proud. I've got him on a good diet now with regular feedings of prunes which has been the key for his BMs. Ever since the time change, he is getting one less hour of sleep. We have a 5:30am wake time now instead of 6:30. I'm not sure yet if there is any hope getting him back on track. Not until next spring that is! He is getting very mobile scooting around everywhere with ease. He is in the first stages of pulling himself up although not completely to his knees yet. It is fun to see his progress. He still weighs about 15 lbs. I plan to talk to the doctor about when we can start him on finger foods. A whole other chapter will soon begin.

#2!

JJ has another tooth coming in. It is a neighbor to the one already popping up. It came out of nowhere! He hasn't had much pain from teething but this one seems to hurt him a little more. JJ just loves bathtime!! He gets so excited when he sees the water running for bathtime. He's a great little guy.
We finally agreed on a price yesterday for our house here. Now we have 9 days to be out! I just can't believe this house will be empty of our things! Tomorrow we are submitting an offer for the house in Conway. This buying and selling of houses is stressful! It is such a big purchase and there is so much to consider. We will just have to roll with the punches. I'll keep you posted on the offer and acceptance in Conway as well as the closing and moving out of this house. Lots going on outside of flying to Midland tomorrow for a few days. See ya!

New season upon us

Raise your hand if you can believe it is already November! JJ is seven and half months old now and still doing great. I can see changes in him and he has become very hands-on and likes to explore everything in his path. A new thing: if you take something away from him or something drops out of his reach he cries because he wants it. He also does this growling thing with his voice. It is very funny. He continues to love bathtime and being out of his carseat. Enjoy that JJ because you are about to be back in it for a trip back to Midland for Grandmother Frances's memorial. Granted, we are flying this time and it will be Robert's first time to fly with JJ and me. I will enjoy the extra help in the friendly skies.

We are pretty much ready to place the offer on the house in Conway. Negotiations are getting tight with the OKC house due to the new roof. The buyers are young and it is their first house so they don't have a clue what to do. They are not willing to meet even half-way on the roof from which they will enjoy and reap the benefits. We have already come down from the original asking price and did not anticipate this roof issue. We hope they will come around and in the end may take a big hit on the sale price in order to just get the house sold. Please pray for resolution on the matter. It makes me nervous but in the end it is just money lost. Robert comes home tomorrow. I know he is ready to be home as he always is. He will only have two more shifts left of the rough-nek work. It is the worst way to live and I'm ready for him to be done too. The picture to the right is where he sleeps when he is between shifts. He will get to see his family this weekend in Midland, although not under great circumstances. We 3 Walkers will be together again tomorrow and enjoy the time spent together.

Trick or Treat

TREAT! It was a fun time tonight being with the toddlers going door to door. They say and do the funniest things. JJ was in his chili pepper costume along with his friends Ellie Grace (Tinkerbell), Hattie (catapillar), Luke (pirate), and Anna May (ladybug). Robert was sad to miss JJ's first Halloween because he is in Arkansas working but we are grateful for his job. Next year will be more fun anyway!
The engineer came yesterday to the house and said we did not need any pier work done. I could not believe it but it was great news! We will have the cost of a new roof since there are 3 layers on the house now. I never knew about the layered roof and this was not found when I bought the house. The buyers insurance will not insure the roof like that. But paying for a new roof is better than paying for a new roof AND piers!!
Robert talked to his manager in Conway today and we are waiting for feedback from him before we make a decision about the house. Progress on both ends!! It is hard to believe that tomorrow is November 1st. Time is flying by. I am looking forward to the holiday season.

Crazy week

The past week has been a whirlwind. JJ and I had good flights to Little Rock last Wednesday to meet Robet for house shopping. We saw many houses Wedneday and Thursday and narrowed it down to our top two by the time we left. (pictures available on our picture site) We are now just waiting on confirmation from Robert's boss before making an offer. It is very exciting and weird to imagine living anywhere else than here on 48th street. It is a huge upgrade from where we are now and provides much of what we have been missing living here (two toilets in particular!). I really like our realtor and she is a big help.
Upon returning from Conway Thursday at midnight, we spent the night in OKC and left the next day for Midland to visit Robert's grandmother Frances. We spent Friday night in Lubbock at some friends' house and then onto Midland. Frances was diagnosed with congestive heart failure three years ago and started losing the battle this past month. She had requested to see JJ recently and we were grateful to get a visit in to see her as she passed away this morning. She was so special to her family and very loved. Robert's aunt Freda was by her side when she went at the hospital in hospice care.
It was a long trip back Sunday. JJ was more restless but it was also his fifth day of travel and the car seat was getting old. We were able to stop in Ft. Worth to see my cousin Chris and his wife Shelley for dinner. Then a quick stop at Robert's uncle's houses (Frances's son) Scott.
While we were in Arkansas there was an inspection on the house. They addressed the settling issues and we called a structural engineer to come inspect. The buyers, both realtors, and we were all here waiting on the engineer who didn't show. We rescheduled with a different guy for today. Everyone is anxious to get this under way so they can get in and we can get out! That is the update for now. Here is the link I promised to see pictures of our house: http://www.openhouseok.com/wc.wwt?ohok~showhome~&city=oklahoma+city&address=621+NW+48th&st=ok . I never had a chance to blog while away even though I had the laptop with me. It was a fast moving visit from one place to the next but time well spent as a family and visiting loved ones.

SOLD!!!

We sold the house today. We accepted their second offer and the ball is rolling for everything else. They want to be moved in by Thanksgiving (Nov 18th). I'm flying with JJ Wednesday to Little Rock and we'll all drive home Thursday. This is all unchartered territory for me (moving, relocating) so I plan to take it one day at a time. We also went to the doctor and it has been decided he has allergies that are causing the congestion. He started taking some Claritin and is already doing much better. That will make for a better trip to Arkansas.

Sell that house!!!

This is amazing! We got an offer on the house! It has been on the market since Thursday afternoon and here Sunday night we got an offer. One couple came and looked at it Friday and one on Saturday. This offer came from the Saturday couple. (I had surveillance on the house during the viewing to know the second showing was a couple with a baby :)) We had to counter, etc. but the ball is rolling. They want to close before Thanksgiving. It is really weird to think I wouldn't be living here in three weeks time. 621 NW 48th....my first house, first house with my husband, first JJ memories, and five full years of living. But to everything a door opens and a door closes. I had a fortune cookie from Pei-Wei last week and said, 'Look forward to a great fortune and a new lease on life'. It's so funny when things like that fit your life. JJ and I went on a walk today (2 miles) and it has been hard for Robert and I to move past QuikDROP. There is much regret by both of us for taking on that endeavor. That is why it is so symbolic to move to Conway and get a fresh start. The main thing is that losses caused by QuikDROP are all losses in the world's eyes and yet we have so much to be thankful for in the way of God's blessings. When you look at it that way it's not so bad. I'll keep you posted on the offer and JJ's doctor's visit tomorrow.

It's official!

There is a sign in our front yard that says "FOR SALE". It is so exciting to finally have it on the market. It has only been 24 hours and we already had a showing! I had my neighbors (spies) check out the lookers - a young couple. No word yet on an offer; I don't expect one. But it is still encouraging. The picture guy came to photograph the inside for the website but said they would not be up until Monday. I'll post the website then because I am at my dad's house and don't know it. I think it would be fun to set up a hidden camera to film the next showing. I'll have to see if there is any good hiding places for it. You can't hide anything in there anymore because it is so clean! I am traveling to Arkansas next Tuesday so Robert and I can look at houses Wednesday. Things are really moving now. It's weird. JJ is doing well. Still has the dang cough. I hope it is not something more serious. We will go back to the doctor if it is not better by Monday. See you soon.

Almost there!

The countdown is on! We are supposed to list the house tomorrow but it could be Thursday. Either way it is in reach. The house looks so great. It is not practical or fun to live in but...looks great! It's like living in the pages of a Pottery Barn catalog or something. Everything put in its place, clean, no clutter; you don't see remote controls, trash cans, empty soda cans, pacifiers, etc. lying around. I think it will sell quick. I'll add the link when it is official so you can see this once in a lifetime site! So, that is all we have been doing. JJ still has his cough. Last Friday the doctor said he had an ear infection but he has none of the symptoms so I was shocked. He doesn't seem any better after being on antibiotics since Friday. He is still in good spirits. It's hard to keep a good little man down!! Robert is here this week commuting to Tulsa for oil classes. He goes back to AR Friday. That is all for now. Check back soon.

Change is coming

Robert got home today from AR. He has grown a beard at my request. I just wanted to see what it would look like. Some men would envy him because not all men can grow one. While he is home we are REALLY going to finish up work on the house. I believe by next week we should have a sign out front. Our neighbor has every halloween decoration known to man in his front yard so that is not going to help. We are going to look at houses in AR in a couple of weeks. JJ and I have been truckin' along all week. Today I found evidence of bottom teeth coming in! I can tell he is real close to crawling too! I just love him more and more each day. Ever since we've been home from Colorado we have walked or jogged each day. It feels real good to get out in the fresh air and move. JJ really enjoys it too. In closing, I recently put a counter on the blog and was shocked to see how many people have visited. I know my aunts and cousin Erin check the blog regularly but who else is out there reading it? Please post a comment or send me an email. Here I thought I had a limited audience. I would love to know who reads this stuff. We'll post pics soon.

Back home

We are home now from a long 9 days away. Our time in Colorado was very nice. The aspen trees were beautiful - bright yellow. You will have to check out the picture site to see all the photos from our trip. The best part of the trip was being with family and seeing the beauty of the mountains. Some things we did were: fishing (I caught two rainbow trout), rafting down the Taylor/Gunnison river, eating out, walks in the neighborhood, and scenic drives. I am glad to be back home. The dry air was hard on my throat and JJ did not sleep well while away. He was very spoiled by his grandparents being held in loving arms much of the time. Reality is slowing setting in as I get caught up on daily chores and JJ sits/stands in his exersaucer. Robert is on jury duty this week even though he is supposed to report to work on Tuesday night. It will be nice to have him home this week and have him join us at Bible study Thursday night.

Gunnison, Colorado

Greetings from CO! We are having a lovely time here in Gunnison. We, Karen, John, JJ, and I) arrived Saturday evening and it is now just past mid-week. Robert arrived last night from Conway (via OKC, Denver). It was grueling for him to drive after work, get a few hours sleep, fly to Denver with one stop in Kansas City, and drive a rental to Gunnison. It shows how much he values time with his family. Jay, Tiffany, and Wes (Robert's brother and family) have been here since Saturday too. It has been a relaxed visit here with no certain agenda. We have been hiking, site-seeing, and spent time together here at the house where we are staying. It belongs to a friend of John's. We leave Saturday for Amarillo and then on to OKC Sunday. Robert is catching up on JJ time who is very happy to see his daddy! JJ has had a cough the past week that he just hasn't been able to kick. The weather has been great here with highs in the low 70's and a low of 24 this morning! It has been fun putting JJ in real clothes instead of just onesies all the time. I see it is in the 90's back home and we don't miss that! See you soon.

17 years....

A few things....I looked at the date today to see if I should post a blog and realized it is the anniversary of my mother's death - September 20th , 1990. 17 years is a long time. It's weird to think of the snapshot of our family then and where we are today. Both Jeff and I have spouses and babies for starters. I wonder what it would be like if she were around today. It's been harder having JJ around without her than it was getting married. I think of all the things she would do for/with him. It would be fun to have a mother to share this with. But....life goes on.
I talked to the lady from Children's Medical Center about volunteering. It's not going to work out. They need at least a 3 hour block of time each week for one year. I can't accomplish that with JJ still breastfeeding and we are also moving soon. I'll look for something else and keep you posted.
JJ and I have another big trip looming. Tomorrow we are driving to Amarillo to spend one night with Robet's parents. Saturday the four of us leave for Gunnison, Colorado where John's friend has a house. Jay, Tiffany, and Wes will meet us there and then Robert will join us Wednesday. He went back to work Tuesday for seven days. I was nervous at first to be gone from the house that long but this will be a great trip. It's not like someone is counting on me to volunteer or something. I have great neighbors that are going to take care of the house and pets while we are gone. It will be a great time for JJ to bond some more with Pooh Bear and Nana K. This is the first real vacation for Robert and I for some time. It feels great to have QuikDROP behind us and a new start just ahead. I will probably be able to post a blog entry while we are there (8 days) so stay tuned.

Getting things done

Robert has been home the last several days from his job in Conway. He works 7 days on and 7 off. We have been working on the house trying to get it ready to sell. We should be able to put it on the market soon. We have been talking to a realtor in Conway beginning the house search. We all went to church today. It was JJ's second time in the nursery and he does a great job! Church was very good. It spoke of God giving us a burden. In this case a burden to do something for better. I feel the burden to volunteer my time somewhere and make a difference in someone's life. My neighbor is a pediatric nurse and has spoken of the need for volunteers at Children's hospital, even just to hold under-developed babies or pass out toys. It makes me sad so I have decided to do something about it and sent an email to the volunteer coordinator to see if I can help there. We'll see. It is also something I want to model to JJ - living outside our own bubble and affecting the world around us to make it a better place.

Visit from Aunt Freda

Robert's Aunt Freda came to OKC to visit JJ and me this past weekend from her home in Etna, CA. She had other business here but came early so she could have time with JJ and me. Too bad that Robert was working in Arkansas this past week. He'll be home tomorrow though. It was great for the three of us to hang out. Freda came to our Bible Study group last Thursday and we went to dinner Friday night with Karen Watson, Carmen, and Ellie Grace. Freda and I really enjoyed the time we had together and I was glad, as was she, that she had time to love on JJ. She is great with babies and kids. In fact, she might be one of Ellie Grace's new BFF's. We will look forward to seeing Freda at the next Walker family function.

Pennsylvania Trip

JJ and I are back from our trip to PA to visit one of my best friends Michele and her family - Kevin and Lilly. It was a great time and JJ traveled like a pro on the plane. I was a little nervous to fly with him but the flight attendants gave him high marks - "excellent" to quote exactly. Our time there consisted of dinner out to eat, time at the park, feeding ducks at a different park, lunch at "Spill the Beans", visit to Wilbur Chocolate Factory, hanging out at the Fry house, day drive through the beautiful hills of PA, dinner with a neighbor, a cookout, and just spending time together. You can see all the photos from our time together @ http://picasaweb.google.com/RSJWalkers

One of the best parts of the trip for me was to getting to know Lilly - Michele's 22 month old daughter. She has such a personality and was so cute. Michele has raised her via the techniques perscribed by Babywise. It was good to see those techniques in action and Michele really helped me out on getting JJ's napping and eating down to a schedule. He was off a little on his sleeping while we there but is getting readjusted now that he is home. He has been sleeping through the night since about 4 months when he learned to flip onto his belly. He JUST learned to sit on his own. Teeth and crawling are right around the corner. We went to Babies-R-Us today and bought a jumper so we will see how he likes it. That's all for now.

One more thing....

Yesterday we were home all day (JJ and I) and my Aunt Sandie and Max (cousin Stephanie's son) came over for a visit. He loves the Dollar Tree and bought these nifty glasses there. I think they may look better on him :).

Annie is here!!

We are so excited to annouce that Anne "Annie" Talmadge Blake is in da house!! She came this morning and weighs 7 lbs 7 oz. JJ and I went to visit her and she is so cute and precious. It was only 5 months ago that I was there with newborn John Joseph. I'm so excited to watch her grow. This is the third granchild for Emily's parents and Annie makes two for Grandpa Joe. Today I will be packing because JJ and I are going to Lancaster, Pennsylvannia tomorrow to visit my good friend Michele. We fly direct to Baltimore where she will pick us up. I'm a little anxious about the flight and pray that JJ will be in his best "chill" mode throughout our travel time. I will look forward to reporting on our trip when we get back next Monday. See you then!

Daddy's home!

I just realized that using Picasa for our family photos that people will have access to my blog. So...I had better get going with the updates. Robert started his new job last Monday in Conway, Arkansas. We are both excited about his job and moving to AR. It will be sad to leave home but we can adjust. Robert began roughnecking (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roughneck) on Wednesday. By Thursday night he was worn out from working in high heat, dirty conditions, and on his feet all day. How do you prep for that? I knew he would need a good homecoming so I decided to make him his favorite desert: rhubarb pie. I do not care for this pie but he has grown up on it. While the pie was in the oven on Friday I got a call from the Human Resources dept. with Desoto Drilling saying Robert had been in an accident. My heart dropped. This is the second time I've had this kind of call; the first coming after he fainted from giving blood. Robert had fallen off the platform 11 ft and landed on some tooling (hard, steel equipment) and slide the other 4 ft to the ground. It was a near-death experience and he was lucky to not be hurt more seriously. He was sent by ambulance to the Conway hospital and was released that evening. Daddy came home Saturday morning and received his pie. It is probably his most precious pie to receive symbolizing fatherhood and the gift of life after a bad accident the day before. He is resting flat on his back which is badly bruised. Being back home, with family and pie, has lifted his spirits!

Looking better

Well, I think my blog is looking better and I am getting the hang of it. I added pictures, links, and lists last night. I was thinking what else to add. Probably my favorite recipes since that is a hobby of mine (cooking) and I realized I need to let you know more about my family. Robert is my husband and we have been married 2 and a half years. We met on eHarmony so yes, it really does work. We have a new son, JJ, who is only 4 and a half months old. He is so great. Anyway, I was just checking in. I hope to get even more creative with my blog. We'll see how it evolves.

Getting the hang of it...

This is not a priority. I almost forgot I started the blog. I just read my cousin's blog (http://www.maxandzeke.com/stephsblog/) and it has encouraged me to get this site going. It is 12:12 am. I rarely go to bed before 12 am. It is not good but I get my second wind late. Plus JJ is sleeping and it is time for Shannon. Today I am trying to master and find the perfect pretzel recipe. I've been researching it and am amazed that the look/texture/flavor I am searching for requires lye...yes, the lye used for soap!! Who'd a thunk it?! Anyway, people comment and it can be harmful like a hazardous material so I will have to look into it some more. This all started because I had these 'to die for' pretzels at a German restaurant in Moore that Robert likes. I'm all about duplicating recipes when I find something I like. I have not been able to duplicate Starbucks Frappucinos (in the glass bottle) and that stinks because I love those and they are getting expensive. Tomorrow/today is Sunday and I'm going to try to upload pics and make my blogspot look better. By the way, Robert was offered a job yesterday and this is exciting as we have been waiting 11 months for him to find/get a job. More on that later. See you soon.

The beginning

This is all new to me. My first blog entry. I am the only one that knows it exists. I need to practice before I share it, if I do. I have read others, primarily my cousin Stephanie's, and decided it would be fun to have one too. There are many ways to approach this - serious, fun, informational, thoughtful, etc. I don't know what will become of it. I'll just play it by ear.