decisions, decisions

Two major things are going on in my life right now ... so major in fact, that choosing which one was the bigger deal made blogging a challenge.

1. It's cold in Houston. And when I say cold, I mean COLD -- an Arctic front has hit the area, and it appears to be socked in for a while. I just made an early-morning run for our usual Saturday morning breakfast tacos, and the water bottle I keep inside my console in the car was frozen. The digital thermometer on my dashboard read 19° -- even after the sun had already been shining brightly for an hour or two. It's cold.

2. We finally received our new orders, care of Uncle Sam. We're heading up to Boston this summer. Boston? It's cold there, right? And they talk funny.

So in trying to gauge which was more blog-worthy, I critically looked at both -- crazy-cold temps, or moving to Boston? Hmmm ... I'm thinking I can combine the two.

God has a kick-ass sense of humor -- timing is everything. We've been waiting for months for word on our next duty station, and low and behold, we happened to receive the news while Ty was still home on leave, as well as on the afteroon before I took a rare personal day off work.

So we basically got to spend all day together yesterday saying things like, "Are you ok with this?" ... "Where would you like to live?" ... "We need to hit the winter sales right now and stock up on coats and hats." Usually these types of conversations take place for us on the phone, with thousands of miles between us. But again, timing is everything.

And I bet the Big Guy is getting a kick out of watching us freeze our Texas tails off right now, chuckling and enjoying the fact that this type of weather will be the winter (and fall and spring...) norms for us once we're living in New England.

So life goes on. Today we'll get the brakes on my car serviced, take Aidan to a birthday party, meet some friends for a few glasses of wine and good times, and go to sleep appreciating the fact that we have warm blankets, central heating, and each other.

God's sense of humor is grand. So is cold weather, and so are new adventures in New England.

sunday smiles

Back-to-school manicure and pedicure at Bora Bora -- best in the city! I ran into one of my very favorite former students and so very much enjoyed listening to her excitement about starting high school tomorrow as she got a pedicure with her mama! Giggles galore.

Lunch at Freebirds.

Sunshine.

Hangin' out with my little guy (but missing my other).

Looking forward to new beginnings (yea room 32!).

So blessed.

my boys

I just got to spend two weeks with my favorite boys -- my husband and my son. That might not seem like a big deal to most, but as anyone who may be reading this probably already knows, we currently live thousands of miles apart, due to military orders that have temporarily separated us.

I'm guilty of bitching way too much, so a perspective check is always appreciated, and usually long overdue on my part. My Spring Break might not have been glamorous or fancy. But to me, it was precious beyond words. Times that I've treasured:

- Aidan and Ty getting a haircut together.

- Ty taking Aidan to the doctor when he was sick with strep throat ... and then being uber-conscientious about making sure that he got his antibiotic twice a day (for ten days!).

- Going to a birthday party at Chuck E Cheese together as a family

- Aidan's first fish (woo hoo!)

- Ty changing a burned-out headlight in my car

- Making Saturday-morning waffles together.

- Chillaxin' at the Schwarz's house with the kids and "Aunt Belly."

- Hearing Aidan ask for Ty in the middle of the night ... hearing Ty say, "Daddy's coming."

- MY TWILIGHT DVD! (c'mon ... I couldn't leave that one out!)

blessings

I've been feelin' kind of blue for a few months. No, things haven't gone exactly as planned, but the thing is, I'm still in the game. Life is still so very much worth relishing and breathing in deep. So I thought I'd take quick stock of all that I have.

My son. He's my sun, moon, stars ... and sticky, syrupy fingers ... he's a cranky, beastie of 2-year-old when he wakes up ... he's a singer of the "ACBs" song ... and pointer-outer of all letters and numbers he sees. He's the greatest gift I've ever been given, and I'm humbled every day.

My job. I'm able to work every day in the field in which I earned my degree ... in a school full of kids I adore, among peers who keep me sane and smiling.

Good wine. Pulling the cork from a beautiful bottle of liquid grapes, and taking that first deep breath of goodness never gets old. Thank God for Bogle, La Crema, Pascual Toso, and all my other current vino loves.

Good cheese. (see above ... to go with good wine). A chunk of Parmigiano Reggiano on a cracker, with spicy mango chutney is my current favorite. But who can resist a slice of stinky stilton? Or a good Danish bleu? And don't even get me started on a creamy Havarti. Delish.

My twin sister. Couldn't live without her.

Texas. I'm so blessed to live in this great state, among the finest people in the world. It never gets old. The more I travel and the farther away I go, the more I realize how much I love it.

My husband. I don't deserve him, even a little bit. I can't believe he puts up with me and loves me, despite all my madness. I can't wait to go through this quirky ride called life with him and see what else lies in store for us.

My Lord. Who through Him, all things are possible.

My VOE girls, B and N. One provides an ear I've grown to love and rely on (plus, she introduced me to Edward and Bella and all the other Twilight crew), and the other keeps me laughing. It's a damn good mix.

Bubble baths and candles. Not for romance. For ME. Time to soak and escape. Even for a little bit.

My family. Mom, Dad, Christine. I'm so lucky to live near them and be a part of their lives. I know I take them for granted.

Baseball and college football. One means summer, the other means fall. God, I so love them both. Especially in Aggieland.

A good book, soft sheets, and time to myself. It just doesn't get much better. Oh, wait. Yeah it does. See above.

Yeah, life is pretty darn good in my world. I'm blessed.