San Diego (picture version)

I'm taking my break for today, then it's back to cleaning and baking and preparing for the party!!
Here's the picture version of my last post:

our view from the plane as we landed in San Diego. remember I said "worst seat on the plane"?

USS Midway Aircraft Carrier Museum

Tomcat (these were the ones used in Top Gun)

Tyson pretending he's flying a plane (he was actually my co-pilot in this plane)

Morse Code machine (this is what my grandpa Gus did in the Navy)

view of La Jolla Cove from George's At The Cove restaurant

grilled halibut over a bed of sweet corn...mmm...

at the bottom of Cabrillo National Monument...gorgeous!

In-N-Out Burger...it's true, you really do get in and out fast, since there's only 3 options on the menu! we weren't disappointed!

Coronodo Island

Hotel del Coronado, built in 1887

Balboa Park

my amazing carne asada burrito at Alfonso's

and this just made Tyson and I grateful for our level driveway...

alright...break's over!

update (no pictures version)

all I can say right now is "whooooa..." It's been 9 days since my last post and I have so much to write about and so little time to write! I'm going to have to use bullet points (or dashes, whatever) or else this would be the longest blog post ever written. and like I already said, I don't have time for that!

Tyson and I unexpectedly went to San Diego last Saturday through Tuesday. It was a business trip for him but he decided to see if he could bring me along and do some sightseeing while he wasn't working...and it was so much fun! Neither of us had been to California, which made it even more fun! We left Audrey with Nana and Papa (our first time to leave her...we all did just fine) and we were off! As you will see, we crammed in as much as we could!

Memorable moments/highlights from the trip:
-running through the Dallas/Ft. Worth airport trying to catch our connecting flight (0ur 1st flight left almost an hour late) only to get there as it was pulling away from the jet way. and I lost my sunglasses somewhere on that run...they were my favorite.
-having the worst seats on the plane and not getting to see San Diego as we landed
-finding a Target as soon as we landed so I could replace my sunglasses
-our hotel: La Jolla Hyatt Regency at the Aventine (and listening to the Garmin try to prounounce it and every other Spanish word)
-dinner at George's At The Cove and Alfonso's (the grilled halibut was amazing!)
-our first time eating at In-n-Out Burger...(Tyson was quite impressed with the contraption that turns whole potatoes into fries in one swift move...very cool)
-USS Midway Aircraft Carrier Museum (the best museum/field trip/informational type tour we've ever been on!!)
-San Diego Wild Animal Park (this is not the San Diego Zoo, we may be the first people to visit San Diego and not go to the zoo.)
-Coronado Island (actually it's a peninsula, just so you know...and we saw the historic Hotel del Coronado from Some Like It Hot)
-Cabrillo National Monument
-Mt. Soledad
-Balboa Park
-La Jolla Cove
-shopping at a local mall (which I drove to...in CA traffic, thank you very much!) while Tyson worked
-being asked if we were on our honeymoon
-being asked if we were 21 (yes, we had a margarita)
-sleeping in!!

While we were gone, Audrey was sick at Nana and Papa's (runny nose, hoarse voice, coughing, not sleeping the greatest) and she also took 5 steps on her own!!! We just knew that she would do it while we were gone! uuuuggggghhhhh!

When we finally saw Audrey again last night it was just the reaction we hoped for! Then she took 18 steps across the living room...we all just stood there with our mouths open in disbelief. She's a little walker!

Today is my birthday. Happy birthday to me. and happy birthday to Katie! She's 26. I'm 27.

Today is my day to unpack and start cleaning the house.

Tomorrow I will finish thoroughly cleaning the house.

Friday, I'm making Audrey's birthday cake for her party and family starts arriving from out of town.

and Saturday is Audrey's 1st birthday party!

*sigh* I better get going! I'm getting tired just thinking about it. maybe I should take a nap...

sleep like a baby?!?

I went in to check on Audrey after she fell asleep for her nap this afternoon. I've been going in lately to put a blanket on her, since it's been nice enough for her to wear shorts or skirts all day. I usually find her curled up on her side holding onto her bear blanket...but never like this:

(I took the pictures without the flash so I had to use the "auto adjust" so you'd be able to see the picture.) ...how can she sleep like that?!?!?

a new experience

Yesterday we went to the zoo with my mom and dad. We walked around and looked at all the animals and talked and had a great time outside enjoying the beautiful weather. Audrey was content, as usual, just sitting in her stroller. I don't think she even knew that we were there looking at animals. As our afternoon was nearing its end, we walked by the bronze statue of a giant tortoise and I thought it would be cute to get a picture of her sitting on it. So I got her out of her stroller and oh. my. goodness. she loved that giant tortiose!! I wish I could somehow write out all the sounds she made in excitement as she sat on it...these pictures will have to do:

I love seeing the world through her eyes and being able to share her excitement in new experiences...what a joy!!

Easter Sunday

Matthew 28:6

He is not here; HE IS RISEN, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.

Happy Easter from Tyson, Lisa & Audrey!

Good Friday

I've had this song in my head almost all day...how fitting.

At the cross I bow my knee,

where your blood was shed for me.

There's no greater love than this.

You have overcome the grave.

Your glory fills the highest place.

What can separate me now?

You tore the veil,

you made a way,

when you said that it is done!

I'm thankful today, and everyday, for the ultimate sacrifice.

there are no words to show my appreciation for what's he's done for me, so I'll simply say, "thanks."

What it looks like to spend the day with an almost-one-year-old

Erin has tagged me, so here you go.

Keepin' It Real
Here are the rules:
Take a picture of yourself right now.
No primping or preparing.
Just snap a picture.
Load the picture onto your blog.
Tag some people to play.

I wanted the picture of me to show the emotion that I'm feeling right now after a long day, but I'm currently feeling 3 emotions, so I took 3 pictures of myself...sorry if that's considered cheating.

here's what my day consisted of:

-I woke up at 6:45am to Audrey talking to herself. I remember that I'm at my parents' house (because Tyson was in Dallas for work). my mom is gone and my dad is already at work, so Audrey and I spent the morning at my parents' house, without my parents.

-we ate breakfast and played, then she took a nap, so I got ready for the day, did my Bible study and packed everything up to go back to our own house

-we ate lunch at home and then went to the elementary school I used to teach at to say hi to all my former co-workers, then stopped by the high school to drop something off for a friend (maybe the same friend that tagged me) that teaches there

-1:00--we stopped by Sonic for a Strawberry Limeade (that never happens! and I'm serious), then Audrey fell asleep in the car for nap #2. I successfully moved her from her car seat to her crib and then she woke up 30 mintues later :(

-we read books together, I pushed her in her swing, we played, danced, sang songs, she had a snack...

-we met my dad at enterprise and drove him (while Audrey was crying, trying to push tooth #5 through) to pick up his vehicle that was being worked on

-5:00--Audrey and I drove back home (she's just fine on this car ride, I think the tylenol kicked in) and made dinner...baked chicken, potatoes and green beans.

-Tyson got home (from Dallas and work, yay! daddy's home!!) and we ate dinner with my dad

-6:20pm--I leave for worship team practice for the Good Friday service and my dad realizes that he can't stay to babysit Audrey for us. (I'm singing for the Good Friday service, but not for Easter Sunday, and Tyson is playing for Easter Sunday, but not for the Good Friday service, but those 2 practices are back-to-back and it's also the exact time that Audrey needs to be nursed and go to bed...so my dad was going to stay with Audrey until I got home so Tyson wouldn't be late for practice, but it ended up not working out...) so Tyson stays with Audrey until I get done with my practice.

8:00--I left Good Friday practice so Tyson could get to his practice on time. I fed Audrey and put her to bed. I then changed into my comfy clothes and am annoyed with my bangs so I pin them up.

8:26 I read Erin's post and realize that I must now take a picture of myself...thanks, Erin. :)

so...here's what I'm feeling:

1. exhausted.

2. proud of myself for getting through another crazy day
3. excited to sit down by myself with a tub of chocolate chip cookie dough and watch the results show of American Idol. and I tag Erin Kennedy: show us what you look like after a day with 4-(almost 5)-year-old twins, a 2 1/2 year old and a 1 year old. :)

Kristal: show us what you look like after a day with your 6 week old little guy.

Margo: show us what you look like after a day of homeschooling a 1st grader and kindergartener and still entertaining a 3-year-old and 2-year-old...all boys. :)

Please, please do it!! :)

our happy girl

Here's some recent pictures of Audrey...we've been so blessed with a happy, smiley baby. :) We can't get enough of her and her eyes and her smile and her laugh...and pretty much everything else about her.

and she's 11 months old today!! oh my goodness!!! we love you, sweet pea!

Just Between Friends

Last night I went to the “Just Between Friends Teacher/First-Time Moms Presale.” I got there just as the doors were opening, handed one of the nice workers my confirmation email that I had printed off (my ticket to get in) and got started shopping. If you’ve never been to a Just Between Friends (JBF) event before, you’re missing out. (check them out online at jbfsale.com.) Some people would describe it as a huge garage sale, but I wouldn’t say that. This has better quality and better selection. JBF is way better than garage sale shopping. Sure, it is all used stuff (but very gently used, they have high standards for what they sell) and you do have to have patience to look through racks and racks of clothing, tables and tables of toys, books, and games and rows and rows of swings, bouncers, playmats, etc. and you’ll probably wait in line to pay longer than you would in a store.

BUT IT’S SO WORTH IT!

**side note: there are things that are sold at JBF events that I would not buy used, I just simply walk past them. I tend to focus my shopping on toys and baby clothes, which is what they have the most of anyway. **

Why do I love JBF? Here are 10 reasons:

1. I get to go shopping. What girl doesn’t love to shop?!?
2. I get to go shopping without Audrey. (face it, shopping just isn’t the same with a baby. and besides, no strollers are allowed, there wouldn‘t be room for them, and I was not going to shop with her in the baby bjorn, she‘s too heavy now.)
3. The prices are great! (the things I get are usually at least 75% off or in other words, just a few dollars per item…that’s pretty hard to beat, and especially great for a one-income family.)
4. There’s a HUGE selection. You have to see it to believe it.
5. Name brand (if that matters to you) items at sale prices. Baby Einstein, Graco, Chicco, Boppy, Baby Bjorn, Fisher-Price, Leap Frog, Baby Gap, Gymboree, Old Navy, Pediped, and even some Kate Spade baby stuff…
6. Things are in really great shape/condition. Almost all I’ve come home with, Tyson will ask, “this is used?!?”
7. The events only happen 2 times a year. Which means I only have to go through racks and racks and rows and rows of things 2 times a year (I’m normally not very good at that kind of shopping.) So, to me, it’s worth it.
8. Someday when I’m done with all things baby, I can sell my gently used stuff there to make money!
9. You meet new people standing in line waiting to pay. You hear really interesting stories, even if you didn’t ask to hear them. :)
10. It’s fun!!!

Below are just some of the items I’ve purchased at the JBF events I’ve attended:

So…if you haven’t been to an event, you should check one out. You just never know what you’ll find. :)