Flying. With the babies...

Things are SLOWLY falling into place...but there are still many loose ends to tie up. This Saturday we are all flying to VA to get our move authorized. The navy pays for this last move of all our stuff in storage, to our new Houston apartment. We will also be retrieving our other car, the cobalt. It will be new for us to have both babies seats in the cobalt, driving from VA to TX, but we can do it...we'll make it fun :)

It will be cool to see the babies interact with grandmama, and uncles Norman and James but we won't be staying too long...John starts work soon!

ALSO, guess who called today? Duke Energy...offering John a position at their nuclear plant in South Carolina...geez they took forever! Too late! With what's going on in Japan, John's glad he didn't go nuclear, and is much more satisfied living here. Sorry no pics still...we will have internet when we get back next week, so there's lots to catch up on--so many fun pics I want to share :) Thanks for caring. :) Wish us luck on yet another crazy trip of ours!

New Apartment!

We have moved into a new apartment, but we don't have internet just yet so I won't be able to post pics yet. I am using the media room at the apartment clubhouse. Our apartment is a Houston address, but not in the city at all--perfect. These apartments are really nice--so many neat amentities and a beautiful nature setting on Armand Bayou, but I did have a very traumatic experience when we first came in because there was a HUGE tree roach in our apt! John got it out and killed it, but I am totally freaked out whenever going in any room. People here say welcome to texas, since the humidity and proximity to the water are conducive to many 'critters', and these tree roaches aren't as gross as other filth-attracted roaches...these ones like daylight, and eat wood like termites. It's still disgusting to see a huge one, and I am going to have the maintenance get pest control to spray the perimeter.
Anyway, other than that, the place is beautiful and the kids love it. Can't wait to post pics. Also, our cell phones don't get great reception in our apartment so if we get back to you late, please understand until we get our cable/internet/landline installed! :)

GOOD NEWS :)

Well, I have been waiting to announce the good news, but we have been so busy!

On Wednesday, John received the offer for the Air Products Plant Operator job in LaPorte TX! I am so proud of him and very relieved that he got the job where we have been for the past few weeks. It seems like an interesting job since it's not nuclear; it's a chemical plant which manufactures the components of Air, and sells them to companies in many different industries from healthcare, to technology/electronics, to food service/preservation etc. John's job from what I can discern, is basically a liaison between other plant operators who physically work on the machinery, and the clients who purchase the gases. This plant is also embarking on a relatively new addition of a pipeline extending to Louisiana in which they will store Hydrogen, I'm assuming to avoid having to ship so much from here to there--consolidate it all to one shared line.

Anyway, now we can rest easy and look for a place to live. We found some beautiful apartments, but we still have so much work to do....we may end up renting a house for a year or so until we buy again. We still have to get our dogs from CA (thanks to John's parents for dealing with them all this time..would've gone crazy if we had that extra crap to deal with!) and then get all our stuff back in VA.

But we took a much needed vacation this weekend to visit our old game night friends, Jim & Shawna. We are staying the weekend here outside of Kansas City MO. It is so nice to see them again, share our "out of the navy" happiness, and see our growing babies play together so nicely. For me, the most exciting part was getting to see all the progress Alex has made---it is really a privelige to have witnessed so much development with Alex, thanks to his parents hardwork and sacrifices. He is so smart, patient and such a joy! I was so happy to sing Yo Gabba Gabba songs with him and dance. He's a great dancer! He should be on the show! And Jacob is so adorable---it's cute to watch him and Olivia interact. He loves his big brother Alex---gotta get some good vid/pics before we leave. :)
I havent taken too many pics or videos because we are having fun and i forgot...but I will take some soon and upload them. Had to share the news. Thank God for everything we have. And thank all those who prayed for our security and guidance. :) Sorry to John for me being a little impatient and short with him...I love you honey and am very proud of you. :)

Proud to now be "Texans!" (although we are a little concerned about being so close to the coast where Hurricanes frequent...) "Galveston oh Galveston...."

Houston Rodeo--& update

To all that are wondering, we are still staying at the Intown Suites outside of Houston. John had 2 interviews last week, and one tomorrow--he just flew to SC today to interview tomorrow morning with Duke. I wish they would get back to you earlier than a few weeks or months...I hate waiting so long only to hear he didn't get the job. John is getting better at interviewing and is trying his best. I have faith in him, and hope he gets either the Air Products job or Duke. We already found some nice apartments here in the Houston area, so all we are waiting for is the offer...It's so cheap here we could actually afford to get a house without refinancing but we are choosing to rent for a while to save up for a 2nd house next year sometime.

It's kind of scary to take care of the babies alone here...I mean, I have done it alone for a while, but not in a hotel in a foreign place to me, with no one I know around. Since John has been here with me, he has done so much in taking care of the babies, I am very grateful to be a functioning team again...so him leaving was a little scary for me but it's only one night for now, so...here's to ordering in dinner!
Here's Olivia in a new outfit daddy picked out for her:



These are pictures from the other day when we went to the Houston Rodeo! It was huge. We didn't go to the actual stadium with the rodeo events, we went to the huge convention center with petting zoos, games foods and carnival rides. There was a lot to do and see and the babies enjoyed it, although it was a little cold. enjoy!





Lucas was being a grumpy butt and wouldn't look at the camera lol...



Then Olivia got upset when we let the Indian guy hold her..he was so nice though!

Lucas was really excited to pet this bull :)

Olivia was too!

Texas Longhorns!! Yay! (Thats the team I cheered for one time when they played against John's fav USC...and they won--he was pretty sore at me that night lol..yeah, sore.)

I had to get a picture. No, we didn't get to pet these.


Lucas liked this "attraction" the best; rolling down a hill of astroturf lol.

And Olivia got a free gift from the dairy farms--a pink ice cream scoop :)

Then we went in the petting zoo and fed some cute sheep and tiny baby goats. Olivia liked it at first!








Then when 2 hungry goats came to feed, Olivia got upset lol. Maybe she was jealous because she was hungry..


We posed with this pony for $7--Lucas took it real seriously like a cowboy...until the pony sneezed and he screamed terrified! lol

Surprisingly he really liked this cow and started dancing excitedly, so the cow danced back!






We got to watch chicks hatch! Pretty cool.


These piglets were only 2 days old.

This calf was a week old--named Norman :)


This was really fun for Lucas to learn a little about farming. :) He really enjoyed it.

First he fed some fake chickens, and collected an egg.

Then he planted an onion seed and harvested an onion.


Then he harvested a peach.




Then he got so upset when we put him on the tractor---he wanted his basket full of harvested goods back lol.


Then he "sold" his goods to the market. I think he kinda got it lol.

But then he was upset that he had to return the basket...they gave him some fake money to buy a treat.

which made him happy :)


Lucas enjoying his earned treat.

He loved playing this fishing game, but didnt want the prize..he just wanted to keep fishing.


Olivia liked the prize :)

Then we thought he might enjoy this ride with dada....

Then he got scared once it started...only went around twice and had to stop and get off...

Then dada won some games...he even landed a quarter on this little rainbow thing (sorry no pics) but that prize was actually the smallest!


This ferris wheel looked really fun, but it costed too many tickets for all 4 of us and it was getting pretty cold.

He really liked the bumper cars though--everytime we hit someone my shin slammed into the bar, but it was fun to see Lucas laugh so hard.

He's still momma's boy. :)

Then we went and ate some good beef, pork and chicken at Pappa's BBQ. It was a nice day and nice to be a little distracted from all our stress.