1st Day of Spring, I've Been Gipped!

Springtime (in past years) photos taken by me :)

I mean, when we were all growing up, the first day of Spring was always on March 21st, not March 20th, right? Now all of a sudden Spring comes on March 20th. You see, I was born on March 21st the first day of Spring. And my mother's birthday is on June 21st the first day of Summer. I've always remembered it this way. Yet in recent years I keep seeing everyone wish one another a happy first day of Spring the day before my birthday. Huh? I've investigated...

"While it's true that we've traditionally celebrated the beginning of spring on March 21, astronomers and calendar manufacturers alike now say that the spring season starts one day earlier, March 20, in all time zones in North America." Also has to do with some mumbo jumbo about the sun and equinox. Seinfeld fans will agree on when the true first day of Spring is, "Have the wedding on March 21 - the first day of Spring!" (Solution for George to postpone his Christmastime wedding).

Whatever, I've been gipped. I guess I will just have to be happy for my brother in-law, Mark, who celebrates his birthday on March 20th and now the first day of Spring. Are you feeling like a Spring Chicken on your 40th birthday today Mark? :)

Even after our storm last night, the birds were up early and chirping this morning. Love that sound. Now if only I can get them to stop pooping on my back patio! Can't wait to take more Springtime flower photos soon!

Spring is here...

"Spring is here, Spring is here, It's the best time of the year!" I have this song stuck in my head from one of the kid's cartoons. LOL

So during the winter, my hibiscus tree that sits outside our front door became very bare. Stephen was sure I killed it. But I was confident it would bloom once again this Spring. I of course was right! (See photos below :-)


Such beauty!


The kids admiring the new blooms!


Stephen fertilizing the dead spots in our grass due to the sloped area. (Stephen's now back to mowing the grass every week.)


James checking things out!


"I can almost reach it!"

Loosing weight, haircuts and kids...

Hi everyone! Just thought I'd talk about what's been happening...

Well we finally drug out our Torso Track from underneath our bed. Stephen's been doing great with his dieting. He's already lost 20lbs.! He started using a belt for his pants he hasn't used in years, was only able to put it on the first hole, but now it's on the 3rd hole. Even at work the other night (when I started to worry because he wasn't answering his cell!) one of his older belts broke, and his pants kept slipping down so he couldn't keep his walkie talkie and his cell in his pockets because they weighed his pants down! He's now back to eating regular meals with the kids and I (no more cabbage soup), so now it's really time for us to get a good exercise routine going.

I'm even surprising myself with the weight I'm at now. I weigh about 10lbs. less than I did when I first got pregnant with James, and would like to loose another 15lbs. to get down to the weight I was in high school. I am so happy the pregnancy weight just melted off this time around, I guess I owe it to burning calories breastfeeding for a year...and chasing after TWO kids now! It's hard to tell in the above photo, but Stephen and I both got haircuts. Doesn't my hubby look handsome? I got 2 inches cut off. Am happy with this short style. And Stephen really likes it too!

Madeline is really into making funny faces now when I take photos. She doesn't get it from me. This girl is showing more and more traits like her Daddy.

Madeline took this photo, don't mind my messed up hair, or the obvious need that I desperately need my eyebrows waxed. Thanks to our sweet neighbors and friends next door, I have a gift certificate to a spa in South Austin and will be making my way there very soon! Whoa doesn't James' foot look big!?

Stephen bathed the kids tonight. Had to include this funny shot of James looking at me over the shower glass doors. What a ham.

Since we've been here for a year, a lease renewal is up on our house. Stephen and I are really anxious to buy a home and for sure wanted to make it happen this year. But we've been talking about a lot of things lately, praying too - and decided we really need to stop pressuring ourselves on this matter. It's such a HUGE purchase. We don't really want to give into settling for a house we can just barely afford. Without having the luxury of choosing maybe some upgraded options, etc. So we decided this years focus for us, shouldn't be the pressure of buying a house, but really to pay off some debts (including selling our Yukon and getting rid of that loan), increasing our savings account, establishing consistent hours for my job at home with West, and really just focusing on what we have now and how thankful we need to be. So we renewed our lease for our house. Actually we look forward to living here awhile longer, we love and adore our neighbors. Just more fun times ahead with them.

We will continue to pray the housing market stays in our favor, and are hopeful that it will take a long time before prices start shooting up. Besides, housing here in TX is way affordable, and you get a lot of "house" for your money. We'll continue to keep looking at model homes, I love walking through them and checking out the interiors. We've started Spring cleaning. Stephen actually spent several hours organizing the garage, hanging the tool holders on the walls he bought months ago, installing our bike hooks in the ceiling...and he cleaned up our front planter area and went on a "killing" mission to get rid of all those nasty crab grass weeds that grow in the lawn. I'm excited for Spring time! And with our tax refunds would like to get a big trampoline for the kids to put into our gi-normous backyard!