It feels like this week is never going to stop! We had the big birthday party last weekend. My primos Gabe and Linda were in town visiting. And we had other friends that were here for a few days visiting too! All of that just beat me down. I have little to no energy left. This pregnancy is kicking my butt!
But then, Joe surprised me with tickets to go see Brad Paisley. I couldn't turn him down! So Thursday, we made the 3 and 1/2 hour trip north, to go see the concert. Surprisingly, a lot of our friends and family went to the show. We were worried about the weather. It had been raining all day long! But we pushed on. Joe rented us a nice room nearby. And all of us decided to go have some good BBQ before the show. We went to Quarter's. Hello! That is some good food!
On the way to the concert, it was still raining. And I was really starting to worry. But as we sat in traffic, trying to get into the venue, the rain stopped. The air was cool. But it was nice. The concert was so good! If you haven't seen Brad Paisley perform live, you should! He is a really good live performer! :) This is about the 4 or 5 time we have seen him live.
We stayed the night. And yesterday, in the early afternoon, we made our way home. I think we might have been home for a half an hour. Maybe. Just enough time to get Eva ready. And to drop all of our bags off. But Joe and the band were performing at the rodeo last night. An hour south of were we live. Both the rodeo and the show were amazing!
In fact, tonight and tomorrow night, we are going to the rodeo and the band is performing. It is a real honor for them. These are the type of things that I enjoyed as a kid. The rodeo. We used to go as much as we could. I would get to buy Red Vines and a Coke. And we would watch the rodeo for hours! Joe used to compete in the rodeos too! Yes, my husband was a bull riding, crazy horse bucking, cowboy! But I love him all the same!
Our weekend is jam packed with things. I just have to remind myself, we can sleep all day Monday. I just have to make it to Monday! But these are the fun things in our life. And I have to enjoy them. Because soon enough, we will have a baby. And we won't be getting out of the house much! ♥Anna Marie♥
3. Lately, things seem to take a lot more effort to complete.
4. My bathtub is one of my favorite 'hiding' places.
5. What happened to letting the pregnant lady rest?
6. Traveling at 8 1/2 months pregnant is not impossible!
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to going to the rodeo, tomorrow my plans include watching Joe perform and Sunday, I want to sleep! ♥Anna Marie♥
Joe and I take these things very seriously. Godparents are very special. Especially to our children. And in our traditions. We went the traditional route with Eva. My parents are her godparents. When I got pregnant for the 2nd time, we tried to think of good godparents for our 2nd baby. We decided if the baby was a boy, Joe's parents would baptise him. If our baby was a girl, we would pick some friends. Or maybe someone else in our family. We even thought about my cousin Gabe and his wife Linda.
Our dear friend Lola, she works in the hospital where I'm going to have Emma. She's an intern. And works with my doctor part time. The rest of the time, she works with the pediatric units. For our 1st ultrasound, she got to do it. We were thrilled. She even made Eva a small baby carriage thing. She crocheted it and put a small baby doll in there. Lola made sure to include Eva in the entire process. Eva was so excited when Lola had her help "find the baby."
Then when we were going to find out the sex of our baby, Lola happened to be working with our doctor again. It was fate! He let her do the ultrasound. And Lola gave us the amazing news, that we were having another baby girl! Joe and I were thrilled! And we were so excited to get to share this experience with our dear friend.
That night, Joe and I sat and thought about it. Who would we like to be Emma's godparents? We thought about Gabe and Linda. We love them so much. But they are touring the world, literally. Gabe is in a professional mariachi. And we are not sure when they will return. And we really want for our baby's godparents to be active in her life. Joe really wanted his cousin to be Emma's godfather. But he is single. We needed to find a godmother for Emma.
Lola loves with all her heart. She gives of her entire soul. And I couldn't think of a better woman, that I would trust with my daughter. There is not a better woman out there, that could be a better role model, for our daughter. It is crazy how obvious the decision was. But how it took us a while to figure it all out.
Emma's godparents are 2 very amazing people from our lives. Miguel is someone that Joe grew up with. They have been through so much, in their lives together. Joe respects and loves Miguel like a brother. There has never been a time in their lives, when they could not depend or rely on one another. And Lola, well I can't say enough good things about her. She really does represent every good thing in life. She is truly a woman that loves, and acts on love. We would be honored for Emma to have both Miguel and Lola as role models.
People have told us, time and time again, that the people we choose to be Emma's godparents will be honored to take on that responsibility. But Joe and I, are honored that they have agreed to love our daughter as much as we already do. To see how excited they both were when we asked them, that alone, let us know that they were the perfect godparents. God has sent them into our lives for a reason. To love our daughter, Emma. ♥Anna Marie♥
My husband is a really good dad! I am not joking. I always knew he would be a good dad. When we were teenagers, we would sit and talk about having kids one day. We would sit and talk about how many babies we wanted. Who they would look like. And what kind of fun things we would do as a family. I would watch how good he was with all these kids. In some ways, I think that is what made me fall more in love with him. The love and patients he had with kids. And when I freaked out during my first pregnancy, he calmed me down. He assured me that we were going to be great parents. I'm glad he had all this confidence. Because I was freaking out.
But over the last 2 days, Joe has just showed me why I love him so much! We were listening to the radio. Eva is really into the oldies right now. It cracks me up. There are certain songs that she knows the words to, or just likes to dance to. Joe was working on some paperwork. I was playing with Eva and trying to email my mom some pictures. The song "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" came on the radio. Eva just lit up!
She started dancing. She knows part of the chorus. And was singing away. She got Joe to put on her pink boa and some pink sunglasses. They danced around the den. He had her laughing hysterically! Let me tell you, it takes a real man to do that. Joe was just so into making Eva happy. The danced and goofed off until it was bedtime.
And tonight, Eva was trying to convince her daddy that she should sleep in the "Big Bed." That's our bed. As much as she has her daddy wrapped around her little finger, it just isn't working. He did make a deal with her. Joe agreed to read her 3 books if she would sleep in her bed. Our dogs, Jack and Jill will also sleep in her room. :)
Joe is such a good daddy. He is so patient with Eva. No matter what is going on. The 2 of them will sit for hours figuring something out. Like when we bought her this dollhouse for toddlers. The 2 of them sat there putting it together. She is always at his side, helping her daddy. Or sitting in his lap watching him work. I can't help but get all teary eyed when I walk into a room and see them sitting next to each other, staring at some project. Just the 2 of them in their own little world.
I know that I am very lucky. Not all men are like Joe. He prefers to be home with us. Every night, we eat dinner together. We spend time together as a family. Playing with Eva, reading books, or watching some cartoon. My husband isn't afraid to put a frilly hat on his head, to get a smile out of his daughter. And I enjoy the fact that we put her to bed together. Joe is an amazing daddy. ♥Anna Marie♥
Yesterday, we went to Marissa's 4th Birthday party. She isn't your typical 4 year old. Not at all. She is 4 going on 40! Her birthday party needed to reflect that too! The girl is IN LOVE with a NASCAR driver who in fact, I would say is even older than myself. She just had to have a Dale Jr. Birthday party. No lie!!!
Marissa is so girly. She is always in a dress. ALWAYS! Marissa is in folklorico dancing. And she goes to pre-school. She also started violin lessons this past summer. Such a girl! But she acts a lot older that she is. But not in a bad way. She is a good big sister to her younger sisters. Marissa is definitely a hoot though!
We got to the party, and she was in her frilly pink dress. Ready to have some fun! The party was all too cute. Pink balloons everywhere! But as prevalent as the pink balloons and cute #4's were, there were tons of #88 balloons and these little NASCAR cars. Ya, she has a HUGE love for NASCAR. To the point, she left us to go change into her race outfit and watch the race. Until her "boyfriend" wrecked. hehe
But the party was a blast! Her parents both played in a mariachi group years ago. My primo Gabe, actually played in the group with them. And when they left the group, Lola took Sals place in the group. David still plays from time to time. But most of their very close friends still play mariachi. After we ate, which was amazing! Mems cooked all the food. Real authentic comida! All of these musicians played. Played and sang mariachi. For hours! It was so much fun. Because that is the music that I grew up around.
There was a pinata. 2 actually. 1 was of Dale Jr. But that is just for Marissa to look at. Sals told me that Marissa is planning on putting it in her room. Um, next to her life size posters of him? I guess. The other was a #88 car. That's the one that the kids got to bust open. And was it loaded! It made me wish that I was a kid. Or an adult that wasn't afraid to fall over because of my ever expanding belly! There was so much good candy. And wait for it...money!
We stayed very late. So late that Eva fell asleep. That was after hours and hours of dancing to the music. All the little kids danced around. We got to listen to the group play and Lola sing. This was one of my favorite kid parties ever! The food was amazing, the entertainment was incredible, the food was so yummy! In fact, I'm thinking about the big slice of birthday cake that is on our counter! :) ♥Anna Marie♥
Eva is on this kick. She just wants to eat cheese. And not just any cheese. The cheddar cheese slices. You know the kind. Ya, that's all she wants to eat. We have to limit her. For snack, she will have 2 slices with either grapes or some kind of veggie, and crackers. But she just wants the cheese. Yesterday, she was not thrilled with me telling her no. She tried to open the fridge. By the way, she is only 19 months old. I think we might have a problem here. Even Joe has to sit and talk to her. I probably should sit and talk to Lola about it. This is actually her specialty. Nutrition, kids, etc.
Does anyone else have this problem? Eva is not a picky eater. She will eat whatever we give her. But she just wants to eat cheese all the time. And I mean, all the time! But it has to be those weird colored cheese slices. Hmm, I guess some things will just always have me stumped! ♥Anna Marie♥
3. The possibilities include: apple, orange, or grape.
4. Beef stew is one of my favorite cool day recipes.
5. How will you know when it gets there.
6. She drew a picture of rain and a stormy sky.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to dinner with my family, tomorrow my plans include Marissa's birthday party and Sunday, I want to have fun! ♥Anna Marie♥
Today is September 11th. 8 years have passed. And the emotions are still raw. I guess I will never forget that morning. The morning when our world starting crashing down around us. Joe and I were getting ready. I had a big exam later that day. Which was strange. We had only been in school for a little over 2 weeks. Joe was trying to get out of the house. He was running late that morning.
I had the news on. As usual, I was sitting at my vanity trying to put my makeup on. Only halfway paying attention to the local AM news. I don't remember what the stories were that day. But I do remember when GMA began and immediately cut into the footage of the Twin Towers. Joe had just walked into our bedroom to kiss me goodbye. He was talking about what time he would be home. Then he just stopped. I looked up, and saw the 2nd plane hit the 2nd tower.
How can you forget that? We sat there together watching the TV. The reporters were almost as stunned as we were. What could we do? I remember sitting there with Joe. He held me. And for hours, we sat like that watching the coverage. Our university had cancelled classes until further notice. J called Joe to tell him that they had the animals taken care of at school. And you could hear the fighter jets all day. We have 2 military bases nearby. The jets kept flying around. At one point, we went outside. And the National Guard helicopters were flying very low to the ground. We felt like we were in the middle of a war zone.
Every year, that feeling comes back. No matter how much time passes. It comes back. That feeling of helplessness and fear. And then, I think of all those people who lost their lives that day. And the brave souls that have lost their lives since, fighting for our freedom. Today is a day to truly honor all of those people we have lost. One day, I will share my story with my kids. We will pull out the videos of the coverage. And we will talk about 9/11.
But today, it is the day to honor all of those brave souls. It is a day to say Thank You to our military. We are lucky enough to live near 2 bases. And we have many friends who are serving and defending our country. Today is a day to Thank them and remember what they do. We are going to proudly wear our yellow ribbons. We are going to sit as a family and watch the coverage. And remember the amazing people that were taken from us. Because we will never forget! ♥Anna Marie♥
Today, the rain just came. And it came in buckets. There was no real warning. My friend Violet came to visit. She went to college with us. And now lives in Texas. We decided to do a little shopping at Target. Have a little fun, like we did, when we were still in school. Eva was just excited to go. Violet is just stunning. And Eva just adores spending time with her.
So as soon as Eva woke up from her nap, we were gone. Scott, Violet's boyfriend, stayed with Joe and the guys. They were all hanging out together at J's house. It's the usual place for the guys. Violet and I didn't care. We were in need of some shopping. And Target was screaming our names!
The 3 of us cruised up and down all the aisles. We spent a good hour in the clothing. Eva tried on every pair of shoes. And we finally made our way to the registers. With a basket full of stuff! Because you can't just go look when you are at Target. At least, that is what I tell Joe. As Violet and I were talking, we heard this huge crash of thunder. The kind that shakes the entire building. Yup, that kind!
Our wait in line got a little longer. Because all the registers went out. But it was no big deal. The manager was actually really nice to us. She let us open up Eva's doll for her. And Eva was content to play with her doll. In the basket of course. One of the workers even brought me a chair. They were really sweet to us. I guess the great big pregnant lady just screamed, have some mercy on me!
Eventually, things got working again. And we checked out. But there was no way we were going to battle that rain. When it rains here, it really rains! The rain was just pounding the pavement. You could see it gushing down the streets. As we watched people trying to leave the store, the water was at least knee high. No way was I going to try and battle through that. Hello?!?!?! Clumsy pregnant lady here! And I would have to get Eva through that too!
Violet and I decided to stay inside. We got a seat at the snack bar. And we ordered some Icees and popcorn. Don't you just love Target's popcorn? I do! We ate and talked. Eva and Violet played with Eva's new doll and play food. They were having a blast. Eva was not scared or anything! Later, Joe tells me, "That's my girl! Just like her dad."
Joe calls me all stressed out. Until I assure him we are safe inside. Eating and watching all the other people try to battle the storm. We were already planning to eat at Applebee's. Which is on the opposite end of the parking lot. So Violet and I weren't worried. Eventually, the rain would have to let up. But our shopping trip did get cut a little short. We never made it to the mall.
After about an hour, the rain started to let up. The parking lot looked like a lake. Maybe more like a raging river. We sat and waited. The Target employees were also watching. And just after 5PM, the water had gone down quite a bit. Enough that we could make it to the car. And across the parking lot to Applebee's.
Eva proudly told Joe and Scott about how she wasn't scared of the water. Or when the lights went out. But that there was a little boy that cried and cried. She can be such a character at times! Scott bought her a dessert shooter after dinner. For being such a big girl. And not crying like that boy did!
Here it is, after 10PM, and it is raining again! This was supposed to happen in August. By now, we usually don't have rain like this anymore. But what can we do? Just live with it. And know, that you cannot fight the ragging waters. You just have to sit and let them do their thing. A new baby doll, some popcorn, and a good friend also help to pass the time. ♥Anna Marie♥
Tonight Eva and I came to rehearsal with Joe. The band is preparing for a gig in NC. They will be gone from October 13th-20th. Then, they go to Las Vegas October 27th- November 10th. They have to practice. And lately, well they haven't had much of a chance. Between the guys going back and forth to Texas and Lola's work schedule, well it has been complicated.
Tonight was practice. Their boss came to watch. He is actually performing a couple of songs with them. And let me tell you, he has got the hots for Miss Lola! Yes. He. Does! Even if she doesn't believe us. But we can all see it! Including the boys!
Tonight we got to J's right on time. Manders and Lauren were there too. Of course, the guys have to eat first! Lola usually cooks for the band. But today she had to work at the hospital. And Lola was running late. All of us were just hanging around, eating and laughing. Lauren and Eva were keeping J entertained. He was showing them around. They were feeding carrots to the horses. Fatting up the pigs. You know, the fun stuff.
And it was getting later, and later. Mems finally called Lola. She was on her way. Just a little late. You know, they had had an important surgery. Then she had to do something else. Before we knew it, we hearing the click clack of her high heels. She was running in. In a red dress, stilettos, hair done, makeup on, looking beautiful! How the heck does she do that? She works 18 hour shifts and can still look like that. I can barely waddle from the house to the car. And I don't work.
All at once, all eyes were on Lola. I could have sworn, Mr. Blue Eyes himself almost passed out. All the guys started teasing her. Pete was hooting and hollering. Mr. Blue Eyes, well he didn't move. He also couldn't stop staring at the beautiful lady. :)
J was drooling too! We all know that he is head over heels for her. I think if she showed the slightest of interest, well who knows, they would probably be married! No lie! Mr . Blue Eyes had this smile pasted on his face. And before I knew it, Lola had a plate of food in one hand, and a bottle of water in the other. Sitting on the sofa eating, with Mr. Blue Eyes right next to her. It was like in the cartoons, I could see the hearts floating out between them.
Lola was tired. I could tell. But they got to practicing. And before you knew it, Mr. Blue Eyes and her were singing. Mems had them sitting face to face in chairs. And they were singing "I Need You." The Tim McGraw and Faith Hill duet. Mems is all about getting into the character of the song. They were inches away from each other. Joe was playing the guitar. That was it. It was like watching magic! By the end of the song, I swear they were even closer to each other. Mr. Blue Eyes had one hand one of her knees. The other was wrapped around Lola's hand. They were just feeling it. Every word came from the heart. From the soul. The entire mood of the room changed. I think the guys are finally seeing what Manders and I have been seeing for a while now. When Lola sang the lyric, "Make love until the sun comes up, and goes down again," I swear, you could hear a pin drop. In this group, that is saying something. They are always loud. But you couldn't help but literally feel the words as they were coming.
After an hour of practicing, the group took a break. Lola and Manders were talking about clothes they needed to order. Mr. Blue Eyes had his eye on what they were looking at. A couple of times Lola asked him his opinion. Nothing too big. But still, for Lola, that is a HUGE step!
They went back to practicing. I couldn't tell you how long they practiced for. Because Manders and I were taking care of our sleeping girls by then. But during the next break, Lola went to sit down. Before we knew it, she was asleep. Leaning into Mr. Blue Eyes. He had his arm draped around her. Now tell me that they are not a couple. I wouldn't believe it. The fit together like to puzzle pieces. Like they had been a couple for years! For about an hour, they just sat like that. The guys were all talking about a hunting trip. And Lola slept. Mr. Blue Eyes holding her.
Yes, Lola may be quiet. She may be very independent woman. But I think she is getting to that point, were she needs and wants a man in her life. A man that is going to love her. One that is going to notice when she walks into a room. For all the right reasons, because she is an amazing woman. Inside and out. She needs and deserves a man that is going to love her. That is going to see past the makeup and clothes. Past the performer on the stage. Past the brilliant woman that she is. And see the love that she has inside her soul.
I will leave you with the video to "I Need You." It is one of my favorite songs. It came out at a time when I really needed my husband in my life. I needed him. I needed him almost as much as I need oxygen to live. And I know what this song means to us. But I think tonight, we saw what it means to a couple that need each other, even more than they individual know. ♥Anna Marie♥
3. Right now, I can hear these things: the radio, Eva breathing (she's asleep), and our dogs snoring.
4. Eva asked about Emma and I'm glad she is curious and loving.
5. The last time I could see my feet was I don't remember when.
6. Who knows what we will do this Labor day weekend.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to dinner with Eva and Joe, tomorrow my plans include buying lots of green chili and Sunday, I want to eat a big bowl of ice cream! ♥Anna Marie♥
After lunch today, Eva wanted to look at her sister. I told her that Emma was still in my belly. That didn't matter. Eva wanted to see her sister! So as we were reading before her nap, Eva lifted up the bottom of my shirt. She was looking for her sister. She was convinced that she could see Emma. She looked at my belly. Rubbed it. No baby. I wanted to laugh. But Eva was being so gentle. And she was so serious.
After we finished our book, Eva asked me when she would get to see her baby. I tried to explain that we can't see her for 2 more months. But I don't think she understood. So I told her, after Halloween. Really, my due date is November 16th. We have a way to go. But Eva would like to see her baby. I know she is just wondering how Emma is in my belly! ♥Anna Marie♥
What is up with this heat? I know that we live in the desert. I know that it is hot. But we are supposed to be in a rainy season. The only time during the year that it really rains. Instead, it is hot. And very dry. We are now officially in a drought. Not good for people like us and our friends who depend on water for our way of living. It is not really effecting us yet. But if it doesn't get better in the next few months, well next year could be rough. This pregnant lady is not happy waddling around in 95 degree, dry heat. ♥Anna Marie♥
My friends have these super fun blogs. I call Lola the professional blogger! Manders is also quickly becoming a regular blogger too. I'm in love with them. And six months pregnant. Not as active as I usually am. I decided to start a blog. I'm going to be a dirty copy cat! Welcome to MY BLOG!
I figured this would be a good way to let some of our friends and family up north, know what we are up to. We seem to not get to visit as often as we would like. This should help us stay in touch better. Let you know what we are doing. What kind of trouble our little family is up to. And a place for me to just express some of my nonsense.
Like I said, I am 6 months pregnant. And not enjoying this heat at all! Eva is doing wonderfully. Talking nonstop. Following her daddy around singing away. She is napping right now. That gives me a little down time to play.
Joe is busy with the boys. They are preparing for a number of shows between Oct-Dec. Our baby planning wasn't the best. But we will figure out the concerts with Emma's arrival. ♥Anna Marie♥
About me? Well, I don't think I am that interesting, but here goes. I am married to the love of my life, Joe. We had an amazing wedding, it was definitely a Fairy Tale wedding. Just because Joe was there. I didn't need anything else. Just my Love. ;) And I am so excited to be married to my Prince Charming! We have a beautiful little girl, Eva who is 2 1/2 years old. And we have a 11 month old baby girl, Emma!
Joe and I have been working with his family's Ranch. We are preparing to take over the Ranch. It has been a lot of work, but well worth it. And we are Super Duper Excited! This will be a good experience for us and our daughters.
I have my college degrees in FCS and early childhood education. And I am happy to say that I gave up my career to be a mommy. Although, I have a feeling I won't actually ever work, it is nice to know that I have accomplished a big goal of mine!
Joe and I also have two dogs, Jack and Jill. And a new house. I spend a lot of my time with our family, but I also like to have a good time. One of my favorite things to do to relax, is to go watch Joe and the BBs perform. They are a local country band. And of course, I LOVE to shop! ♥Anna Marie♥
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