Wednesday, June 20, 2007

The Deadly Clicker

We learned tonight that the TV clicker can also be used as a deadly weapon! I (Amy) was sitting on the floor with Taitlyn in my lap when I asked Madison to hand me the clicker so that I could change the channel. She decided to throw it to me instead of handing it to me and it hit Taitlyn right under the eye...hard! She immediately got a little knot and then a black eye! Here is a little picture of it although it's not great. I'm putting another picture of she and I together...just loving on each other!





Monday, June 11, 2007

Mount Ranier

We took our first trip to Mount Ranier today and it was amazing! It was a little chilly (about 55 at the bottom of the mountain and 41 at the top) but we had a great time. We took a picnic with us and tried to eat it outside although the girls pretty much ate theirs in the van. We stopped and looked at things on the way to the top and then played in the snow when we got to Paradise Point (the highest point you can drive to). It even snowed while we were up there a little. It was a great day for our family but also an incredible reminder of what a marvelous God we serve!
Rylie and Madison playing in the snow!!!!

Taitlyn eating the snow!


A glimpse of the peak...this is about as close as we got!


One of the waterfalls we visited


If you look real close you can see a deer. It was one of many that we saw!



Daddy and his girls!


One of the many amazing views

Saturday, June 9, 2007

Kayak Point Park

We have been so blessed to have incredible neighbors! They have both grown up in this area so they know all the fun places to go. This past Friday night they took us to a local park called Kayak Point. It has a great play area but they also have phenomenal picnic areas right at the "beach". We grilled hamburgers and hotdogs and just played. One of the highlights of the night was hunting for crabs. There were a ton of "baby" crabs under the rocks. You could even pick them up and hold them. It was a ton of fun and absolutely beautiful!



Daddy & Rylie (He had to pay her $1 to take this picture!)

Daddy & Taitlyn on the beach



Madison trying to hold a crab...it kept running off her hand!







Taitlyn really enjoyed sampling all the new things...rocks, driftwood, dirt, etc.



Madison throwing rocks into the water




Around the campfire...toasting marshmallows. Our neighbors are the ones in sunglasses and the other man is a friend of theirs. He and his daughter went with us.



Rylie holding a crab!!!!



Taitlyn...looking cute!




Rylie and Katie (our neighbor) walking to the water

Old McDonald had a farm!

We have had so much fun the past 2 weeks visiting all the parks in the area. One in particular had a great play area and a smal petting farm. In all the years we lived in Texas, I don't think I was ever as close to cows as we were at this petting farm. The girls loved it! I am adding a few pictures of Madison and the animals but Rylie (of course) refused to let me take any of her!





Taitlyn also had a lot of fun!


Wednesday, June 6, 2007

History has a funny way of repeating itself!

Well...we have had our first visit to the ER...yes...less than 2 weeks since we moved here! It's hard to describe, but basically I was putting Taitlyn down for a nap. She was being silly and as soon as I sat down in the rocking chair she threw herself backwards. I had her hands so she didn't fall completely but she kind of flipped out of my lap. Of course, she immediatley started crying and I was hoping it was simply because it scared her. I soon realized that it was more than that...she wasn't moving her left arm at all! Immediately I had flashbacks of Madison's dive out of the high chair! It was almost the exact situation! Anyway...I took her to the local hospital and let me just say I almost had a breakdown when we walked in. We are definitely not at Plano Presby anymore! There are better hospitals a little further away but we wanted to have her looked at as soon as possible so we decided to go the local Arlington hospital. I really don't even know how to describe the scene but it was definitely not what we are used to. They quickly changed my mind though! We had a great nurse and an incredible doctor. He simply came in, asked me what had happened and looked her over. He said that he thought it was a "nurses maid elbow" and not her collar bone and explained that he was going to "pop" her elbow back into place (which would make her scream...of course) and then walk out of the room. He would then check back in a few minutes and she should be using her arm again. I had my doubts because it had been almost 2 hours at this point and she hadn't even twitched that arm. He did what he said though and I couldn't believe it...I handed her her sippy cup and she immediately took it with both arms and started drinking! Praise God!!!! I can not tell you how relieved I was that we didn't have to do the whole arm wrapping & not crawling for 3 weeks again! We got home and she went straight to crawling all over the place! It did end up being a good experience and it made me feel better about health care in this area...although I do have to say I hope we don't have to do it again anytime soon!

Friday, June 1, 2007

There's no place like home!


Well we are finally settling into our new house in Arlington and have fallen in love with this community already. It has actually been pretty funny because we have heard from several of our friends still in Dallas that it has rained almost every day since we left but it hasn't rained one time here! So much for all the rain! It has been beautiful! We have been outside every day since we have been here...playing, meeting neighbors, taking walks, etc. The girls love it and are adjusting really well! There are a ton of kids in our neighborhood which the girls love. We still have a ton of unpacking and organizing left to do but every day feels more and more like home! I am adding several pictures so you can kind of get an idea of where we are now!


At our new house for the first time!



Rylie & Madison's new room


This is the main road that goes to our house. The picture doesn't do it justice, but you kind of see the mountains in the background!




The big girls having fun being sisters!