Looney Lopez'

NEWIMPROVEDDUAL ACTION BLOGGING

2011-01-20T23:48:00.002-06:00

talclopez.blogspot.com

*NEW* Family Blog. Chris and I will both be posting here. Thanks!

We are all just growing up around here!

2010-05-20T21:08:00.004-05:00

Cakes...and food...that is what I have been up to! I LOVE to make pretty/fun cakes. I am not saying I am really good at it, or that I can make anything special...but I enjoy what I can do-SO FAR! I am reading books and practicing on anyone's holiday who will let me make them a cake. It is becoming one of my many dream jobs!

Alexis is READING! Alexis is also almost a FIRST GRADER!!! EEEKKK!! It wasn't so bad sending her to her first day of kindergarten b/c I knew she would love it. Now, I am kind of sad it is over, it just means that now she will be in school for the most part of every year until she graduates and moves away from us. It is bittersweet! I totally plan to savor the summer. Swimming lessons, picnics, fishing, museum and zoo trips...as much fun and family time as I can cram into a summer! It is amazing what a little almost young woman Alexis is becoming. Sure, she has days she won't listen to a word I say and just rolls her eyes at me. She also has earned a lot of gratitude from her teacher for how well she listens there and how hard she works! Each day they get a smiley face or a sad face in their folder to tell how they did that day-Alexis has only had one sad face. I am soo proud to have the opportunity to have Alexis as my daughter! I really got blessed there!

Trystan is ALL BOY...with a hip switch and a nack for jelwery pairing! If Trystan isn't outside, playing with cars, or eating candy-he probably is mad at me! :) Last week Trystan must have just decided that he must talk always and use sentences, b/c he has been doing it ever since. I can have conversations with my little boy who just turned two. This growing up stuff is happening wayyy to fast for my liking-but they are soo awesome when you see all they can do! Trystan is not potty training yet, but he is showing interest and will sometimes let us know he is wet so we are on a good track here! The way Trystan notices things and thinks these days is truly amazing. He sings songs we haven't sang to him in months and knows to do things like throw things away and clean up.

Chris is still an amazing husband! He is working with the same company and doing a great job I feel! He does have to go out of town sometimes, but I deal with it and we try to use that time wisely to talk more and catch up on reading/hobbies that we don't have time for together. I would rather him be home, but I cannot sit around and gripe about it, so I don't.

Time to go fix the closet! I might update about that later!

~*~Lori Jean~*~

There is a time for everything...

2010-03-07T22:39:00.003-06:00

I am a changing woman. and I think I like it. I actually had a group of women tell me that they were interested in my thoughts. They even went so far as to say that some of the things I said had a positive impact on them. And these ladies happened to be more mature women than myself. How did this make me feel you might ask? I felt absolutely amazed and full of gratitude on the inside. Sheepish on the outside. The leap of faith that we made by moving to TX after one week to decide and just going with what we felt God wanted us to do has been the most wonderful thing to happen in our lives. A move like that gives you a chance to become "yourself"....that person that you are underneath all the history that a small town thinks of when they see you...that person that lives inside but is scared to come out because she knows who everyone else thinks you are.

I have been able to do things for others that I never thought I would have the guts to do, nice things, meaningful things, lasting things. It is very amazing! I told Chris the other day that I am becoming a compassionate woman and I don't know how it happened, but I think I like it! My favorite days of the week are Bible study and church days. I love love love my prayer times now and get soooo much out of them because I have a stronger belief now.

In this though, it has made me just reflect, on me, on life, on friends, on situations. We are planning a trip back to AL. In no way do I feel like I am going back "Home". I was asked by a friend here in TX if I had plans to see a lot of old friends, and honestly...I don't. (from AL) I can count on one hand the number of friends that have called me in the year and a half that we have lived here, I can count on no hands the number of friends who have visited, and as for friends to call on holidays or birthdays-let's make that one (love you Kira!). It is kind of a sad thought. Chris doesn't even talk to the guy that was his best friend, or many other friends really-just a couple of them now. I don't know if Weatherford is home, but I don't believe AL is home either. It kind of hurts a little inside to feel that way, but really, it is true. This is not a gripe, it is just something I have noticed. I have made a few pretty good friends here and am weekly making closer bonds with some wonderful women here-and for that-I am blessed! As for life, I am glad to be here, away from any mistakes I have made in the past and with a clean slate to do whatever God needs me to do. I am very excited that a friend of mine will be attending Bible Study with me after the Spring Break. I didn't know many people without a church home or steady belief system or atleast knowledge of it in AL, but here, I have met many and it is a great feeling to know what you can share that knowledge with others.

Now, I am not a great, happy, totally christian acting woman every day-I will admit that, but, I have a longing to be that. I apologize more, bite my tongue more, and act harsh less. This is a HUGE step for me since I have been known to be the first one to give you a piece of my mind. I don't need to do that anymore, it isn't my place-just gotta love people!

Ok, enough of my gush fest, Life is Great! Kids are Great! Chris is an Awesome husband! I honestly couldn't ask for any more-I could ask for less and be truly blessed still!

~*~Lori Jean~*~

2009

2010-01-03T15:04:00.003-06:00

Well...I did have a complaint for my lack of blogging...so here is a new one!

2009 was a fantastic year for me. Chris and I are steadily growing as individuals, parents, christians, and spouses. The children have grown leaps and bounds. 2009 had us in the best place we had been since, well...forever!

Chris is working as a Surveyor and learning soo much. He really enjoys his job and maybe one day he will go back to school and get his certification for surveying. I am soo proud of all he does for the family. He does have to go out of town on occassion, but in comparision to military families or jobs where the men are constantly gone, it is not too bad. I think he plans it b/c he is usually gone right after we move in somewhere and he gets home and the house is unpacked and all set up for him! :)

Alexis has been doing great in Kindergarten. She gets smiley faces every day in her folder and has been learning to read basic words and is moving up to level 3 reading books when she goes back to school tomorrow. I cannot wait for her to be able to read some of her favorite books herself. I used to love reading so I am assuming she will love it also! :) Alexis has made a lot of friends and is a real social butterfly usually. We have not put her back into any dance/gymnastics classes yet b/c the scheduling is always off for us but that is something she may do this year if I am not too late for it. That or maybe cheerleading next fall when it starts back.

Trystan is a totally different kid than he was even the last time we visisted Alabama. He talks...all the time! He walks, runs, climbs, etc, etc. He is all boy but still appreciates things that Alexis likes-ie-Tinkerbell and Barbie. Right now his favorite things are his Cars toys, Elmo, Handy Manny, Mickey Mouse and books. We like to think that he is much smarter than any other kid his age...we think both of our kids are! We know everyone else might not agree, but it is a parent's right to be partial right?? :)

Me...I have been busy. Weatherford still feels like a new place and I am not completely settled but it is ok. Staying home with Trystan has been a real blessing and has allowed me to experience many things I never got to before...like required cuddle time during my work day. I did apply for and get a job at a local middle school as a special education aid-however-due to timing and childcare issues I won't be taking it unless there is some sort of miracle before tomorrow. I like to think it was an accomplishment to get the job though. Just don't see how it would work out having to pay $700 right now for shots, enrollment fees, and weekly tuition to pay for both kids to have all day(trystan) and afterschool (alexis) care. Still proud that I got the job...totally disappointed that it all fell through with the childcare. God has his reasons though, just waiting to see the reason for this one.

Well...the first three days of 2010 have been such that I would like to skip the whole year and start on 2011 so send a little prayer up for the Lopez family and maybe things will get better with each passing day. God has a plan...just gotta wait for it.

~*~Lori Jean~*~

crawling out from under my rock

2009-08-06T09:31:00.002-05:00

Wow...sooo much has happened since my last blog...

To pick up where I left off:
Thank you to everyone for all your prayers for my mother back in April...THEY WORKED!!
She did go through a tough time. Her heart stopped 3 times and she spent a LONG time in ICU on a ventilator, dialysis, sedated, and then in long term care. (totalled a few months) She had open heart surgery to fix a valve. We did go see her thinking it would be the last time, but she pulled through and is at home now. All she has to do is heart medication and regular post heart surgery care.

Back to the future:
We are moving out of the apartment and into a house on the 21st of August. It is a cute brick 3/2/2 house in a very family oriented neighborhood. It is also around the corner from our new friends and walking distance to them!
Alexis starts school on August 24th and will get to go to school with her cousin and new bff!!! I am excited and sad about Alexis starting school. I know she will do great, and it will probably make her a happier kid to be around more kids her age and to learn.
Trystan is walking, running, screaming, babbling, saying a few words (nu-uh, uh-huh banana, eat, hello, out, up, push, etc!) He is becoming this wild little boy that is very set in his ways and knows what he wants...not sure where he gets that! :)
Chris is working with the same company and though the work was slow for a while it has picked back up now which answers soo many prayers!
I am chilling! I have really enjoyed all of the summer activities they have here for the kids. We have done swimming lessons for Alexis, free movies at the theater, Six Flags, the splash pad park, lots of playing and sno cone making! It has been really great! I have applied for some jobs doing aid work with the special education department of the Weatherford ISD but have not heard anything back. With Alexis starting school and Chris and I wanting Trystan to get more kid interaction-we have prayed about it and if I can work with the schools I will work, if not, I won't. The school system is the only place I can be there for the kids still. Trystan could go to a church daycare and I would mostly only miss a few meals and a nap, they have great benefits, summer/weekends/holidays off, and the hours will fit greatly for me to spend time with the kids and work! Pray with me for that one! There are 9 open positions and I have submitted my resume so we will see how it goes!

I think that is about it for now, maybe I can find some fun/funny things to post later since I had to spend this post catching up!

Praises! and more Prayers!

2009-03-27T16:08:00.002-05:00

Thank You to everyone that has been praying for my mom. They prayers are really helping! Today I talked to her and she sounded a LOT better. She is eating now, walked some today, talking better. Things are getting a lot better. She does still have a tough road ahead though-so don't stop praying now!

I found out more details on the infection and treatment. She has infection in her heart and lungs and a small leak in her heart. They are doing atleast 4 hrs of IV antibiotics split into 2 hrs of IV every 6 hrs. They want to keep her in the long term care for 6 weeks, but insurance may only cover 3 weeks. If they only cover 3 weeks then she will go stay with my grandparents for the other 3 and there would be a home health nurse to help.

Keep on praying! It is working!

I will update about us and the kids one day when this isn't pretty much all that is on my mind! :)

The News.

2009-03-25T13:57:00.002-05:00

I talked to my Grandmother and my Mom today. The final diagnosis is endocarditis with infections in a few other places as well. They have started iv antibiotics for 2 hrs a day. Yesterday she did not react well after the antibiotics but yesterday morning and this morning she was a lot more alert and sounded much better. If she can handle the antibiotics then she should finish up the antibiotic program in 6 weeks. She would still need care afterwards, but she will be feeling pretty good by then. Please keep praying for her, her husband, and out family. Even though they know what to do now and what it is, it is a battle still and she needs to be able to handle the medications for it to work, and so far she is not reacting well.

Thank you!
Lori

Update.

2009-03-24T13:02:00.001-05:00

They did the test. They said the infection is in her heart. My grandmother says the doctors think they can treat it b/c they found where it is. My sister, she does not agree. I am going to believe that the doctors would tell us if it was fatal so we could be there. That is what I will believe. Still...Keep Praying. We can have a miracle here!

The prognosis...

2009-03-24T10:43:00.002-05:00

Well..for anyone who has found me moody or out of sorts lately...this should explain a bit.

My mom is sick. We are not sure what is wrong. It is to a point that my grandmother is explaining what needs to happen if they say it is critical and they have people at the hospital chapel praying for her. She has been sick almost 2 weeks. Upset stomach, weakness, swelling, severe pain. They have her on a lot of pain meds and have done ekgs, scans, tests...yada yada yada. As of yesterday they were saying it is a staph infection in her blood. We do not know if it is "self inflicted", from the last infection (before teen challenge), or something that has just occurred. They are doing a heart scope today to see if it has gotten into her heart valves. If it has...we may be on a timeline and need to go to Bama asap. If it has not...then they should be able to treat it in 4-6 weeks with iv meds. For now, we cannot even really talk to her, she is on a lot of pain medication. I am trying not to worry until we have definite answers...but really...there is surely a great internal battle and fear going on here.

Please, pray for her. Today we will find out more about what is going on. Until they do the heart scope we will not know a lot. Even the scope is dangerous and with her being so weak, it could end up badly. Just keep her in your prayers. and our family. This is a hard time. Her husband is also having to do a lot of soul searching these days-he is not much of a believer, and he is an alcoholic. He has been putting aside his habit to be there with her. He said he did not know she was that sick and he had refused to take care of her at home so she had been with my grandparents before they took her to the er and stayed until she got admitted. He needs a lot of prayer too.

Just pray a lot, and I do not mind if you add her to any of your prayer lists. I personally do not really feel like talking about it...makes it seem too real...but I do request prayers.

Thanks,
Lori

Thank April for This!

2009-03-16T16:41:00.001-05:00

I got this from April, who got this from her friend!

To the first 5 people to respond to this post will get something made by me! Lucky you!
This offer does have some restrictions and limitations:

1. I make no guarantees that you will like what I make!
2. What I create will be just for you.
3. It'll be done this year.
4. You have no clue what it's going to be. It may be a story. It may be poetry or an article on properly cleaning your face before a mask. I may sew or paint something. I may bake you something and mail it to you. Who knows? Not you, that's for sure!
5. I reserve the right to do something extremely strange.

The catch? Oh, the catch is that you must re-post this on your blog and offer the same to the first 5 people who do the same on your blog. Oh, and be sure to post a picture of what you win when you get it!

Spring time! Woo Hoo!

2009-03-09T07:01:00.002-05:00

I am not good at blogging regularly these days, sorry!

Chris is working close by now so he is home every night and even gets a few days off here and there. We all like having Daddy home soo much!

What have we been up to??

*We did make a SUPER FAST trip to Alabama to get Chris' Impala. It was short notice, and we were only in Alabama for one day-so if you missed us, we will be back in May. Thank Amanda Reagan for our May visit b/c she and Devin are getting married then!! :)
Anyhow, we did make the trip. Trystan can have snacks and juice now (in contrast to our November trip when he was 7 months) in the car so he was a LOT happier! Alexis-she watched movies so she did not mind. Other than a chunk of the Escalde taillight being chunked off by the Impala in Chunky, MS at this creepy gas station-the trip was ok. I have decided that I really enjoy staying at the Hampton Inn. We stayed at one in MS on the way home to treat ourselves-and rest b/c the pace we had been at for the prior few days. They have white blankets-which they have on the maid carts-which means they wash them (they were also lumpy like frequently washed blankets!). They also have cribs, excellent night staff, and really comfy mattresses. I think we are going to save up and try to stay at the Hampton in Enterprise when we go back to visit.

*We went to the Ft Worth Stockyards a few weeks ago-the family and Chris' cousin Steven (sp?). It was a lot of fun. We were passing Mexican stores and then it turned into old tyme Stockyards with brick streets and old stores. We had a snack at Risky's. The stockyards are old stockyards where they do still run the cattle twice a day and have a train that goes around it on a neat track that rotates since there is not room for it to turn on its own. The train station has been converted into stores (candy, food, wine, tx items). They have a human maze, mechanical bull, restraunts, horses, a hotel, and a lot more. There were even men in cowboy outfits riding horses down the road. Trystan got to see his first horse and really enjoyed it, Alexis got to feed goats...and we got to park next to the manure pile!! ;) It was a lot of fun though. It helped me enjoy living here more.

*Yesterday we went to the local market downtown and got some tomatoes, zucchini, limes, plums, and jalapenos. It was Chris' first visit-he said he really enjoyed it. There is also a really cool Market in Ft Worth-it has all the fun special foods that you cannot find in your local Walmart, Winn Dixie, Etc. They also offer cooking classes there, which I really want to go to a few. It is the neatest place but I will not bore you with the details. Their website is: www.centralmarket.com

*Trystan has 7 teeth now, he stands up really well holding onto things, babble and real talking, eating like a pro, playing on his own a lot more, sleeping more or less through the night-(most nights, not all of them though!). He is just growing too fast.

*Alexis is having a hard time not being around friends like she was at daycare, but she makes a new friend everywhere she goes it seems. I think we will put her back in gymnastics the end of this month when the new session starts if she has a better attitude about it. She is making friend with the daughter of a lady from mops and the library.

We are about to start birthday prep for both of the kiddos. The good news is-both are in April so we can have one party for both of them-atleast this year while Trystan is too young to care if he has his own boy themed stuff and attention. Later on I am sure they will request seperate parties. We are also probably going to get our first family photos together in April-also, getting to get both of their stuff done at the same time. I am enjoying the close birthdays! Gonna save some $ for us! :) And they are both after tax times! Double good!

Chris is really enjoying his job, which makes him happy-and me! I am soo proud of him. He is such a good man, husband, father! We are enjoying the church activies here, unfortunately Chris has to work a lot of Sundays so he does not always get to go with us. (hey April-we may visit with you guys at your church on Saturday nights some so Chris can still go to church with the family)

Well...this has gotten long! If anyone wants pics that is not on facebook then leave your email or email me ( LoriRoks@hotmail.com ) and I will link you to the pics. I have some from the Stockyards, AL trip, a trip to Chuck E Cheese with the Jones family, and more posted on facebook.

Good Day All!

Ho Hums to WOO HOOs!

2009-02-18T14:13:00.002-06:00

So, yeah, I have been down in the dumps lately. A little "home" sick, a little lonely, a little stressed.

Today was a good day though. I caught part of a Joyce Meyer show this morning. It was good-made me sing...made me feel better. After that I got to see some of my favorite In (out) Laws! :), storytime at the library, new friends for Alexis and I came over to play until 1. Trystan is napping and has been for an hour, Alexis is having tag time, I am doing laundry and cleaned the dishes some. Today is good. It is good b/c I chose for it to be good. God loves me, so I can have good days! Every day should be good. I just gotta keep this up. The nicer weather will make it easier since we can head out to the park or pool or somewhere fun whenever the weather is nice!

Just wanted to let everyone know I ma having a good/positive day!

I am watching Fireproof-Chris has been working late so we cannot see it together, but so far so good.

And a special thank you to a special lady-Mrs Jones...I am still singing Mr Jones in my head...you have made this move so much easier. I will be making your bff contract soon! :)

Lori Jean Jelly Bean!

Love is D-Vine!!

2009-02-15T20:33:00.003-06:00

We went on a DATE!!!

Chris and I went to Granbury, TX to go on a Wine & Chocolate riverboat cruise. It was really fun. Sure, over half the people there were on SS, but it was still fun. There were 5 different wines that we tasted and 5 yummy chocolates! I did not know they had chocolate, cherry, or almond flavored wines! Then there were great tuffles that were made by a kind of local bakery. Oh yeah...the wines were all from a local winery with I think 4 locations here! We learned some neat things about wine and got to learn a lot. www.granburyriverboat.com
This was soo much fun!! www.dvinewineusa.com www.blacktiebakery.com

Then you ask...did the kids go with you?? No. We got a babysitter. It was the first time we have ever had someone we did not already know keeping the kids, but it went well. She was referred by a lady from the Weatherford MOPS group. The girl works at the church's children's day out and MOPS meetings and also babysits for many moms at the church. The kids were both happy when we got home and safe. That is all you can really ask for right!

This is the first Valentine's Day we have gone on a date other than just going out to eat...and it was awesome!!
This is what we needed! Chris has been working 7 days/wk right now and we have not had Any us time. We also think we found a babysitter which means more dates, and I can take the cake decorating class at the college!! :) Fun times to come! I will put up photos of various things sometime!

We love you all, the kids are good, we are good...we hope you all are good!

"Nu Uh" and "Yeah"

2009-02-03T17:37:00.003-06:00

How to tell that your 9 month old understands the meaning of "nu uh" and "yeah":

While he is standing up and opening bathroom cabinets you tell him "nu uh", then he responds with "yeah" over and over and over again!

It has been very uneventful and yet eventful around here. Almost every one in the house has had some sort of cough, runny nose, stomach virus. For now *knock on wood* no one is sick though. It is unfortunate that we have been sick b/c it has hindered our ability to get more into the new church. Last Wednesday I had made up my mind-I was like "We are going! That is it! Chris can take care of himself if he gets home before we do." (I have not gone on Wed b/c Chris would get home to an empty house). After I made up my mind, I get a call and email from the church that they are closed b/c the ice storm! Ehh. New bible study and kids Awana tomorrow night here we come! So that is that...

My boy is growing too fast! He is learning how to share. If he is eating something (ex: his socks, plastic toys, cheerios that fell out of his mouth) then he will try to put some in your mouth too! He is working on walking. He holds on and walks around his play yard, he also tries to stand up without holding on a lot-usually falls, but that is ok! He got his 4 top teeth now so he has 6 teeth!!! He is talking more (mama, dada, yeah, uh oh) and he shakes his head "NO" if he does not want something-he always wants bananas or pancakes though! Cutest of all though-he LOVES music and dancing! If a song with a good beat come on he shakes his whole body or stands up (if he isn't in the car) and shakes his butt! It is adorable. Alexis and I often have little dance sessions with him and he just laughs and smiles soo much!

Alexis is reading 1-3 letter words!! We do flash cards during learning time. We are working on making friends not on TV. She has played with April's kiddos more and our new neighbor has 3 kids and we have had some playtimes with then. I really hope she gets close to someone! She is super intersted in cooking now! Wonder how that happened??!! ;) She has her own cookbook now and has picked out some recipes for the week!

I am getting a little less hairbrained these days! I started doing two week grocery shopping and making two weeks worth of meal plans to go with it! It really cuts down on the dinnertime stresses, the shopping stresses, and the desire to go out to eat! I am trying to learn how to bake also! I know!! Chris got me a stand mixer for Christmas and it does make a big difference when trying to mix up yummy baked goodies!

Chris is still the awesomest! We got to go out for my birthday (thanks April and Jason!) and that was a lot of fun! Being able to talk without kid interuptions was awesome! He is working hard and unfortunately is on 7 days a week 11 hrs a day with 2 additional hours of drive time! He gets pretty tired but we knew it would come with the job.

Good to be back folks! I will try to update more often!

The Lady of the Lopez Home!

This is where it all happens...

2009-01-09T22:28:00.002-06:00

Wow...we are a total of 9 days into 2009 and I already feel it is entirely eventful!

Lets break it down:

Alexis: We are not doing gymnastics this session. We want to get her into more things to really make friends for now. We are checking into some preschool and mom's day out things to see what we like. She is still learning very fast. She is reading 1-3 letter words, doing simple math, some telling time...lots of neato things! Makes a momma proud!

Trystan: Crawling, pulling up, says "dada" all day long, tries the bye bye wave sometimes, babbles to you and his toys, gives big wet kisses, had his third tooth break through (2nd one to the right on the top if you are looking at him)...what is he not doing these days really??!! He was 22 lb 10 oz and 28" at his last doc visit. Other than teething and the general change of weather cough and runny nose he has been doing really good. Makes a momma proud!

Chris and I are doing good. He is working hard as usual. I am truly blessed to have Chris. He is a truly amazing man...I mean...he does put up with me...and love me! :)

Goodness...I am getting tired...we shall pick back up later...maybe I will find some funny stories to tell...

Chrismas!

2008-12-24T23:54:00.002-06:00

Well...it is Christmas Eve! "Santa" just made his visit here at the Lopez Residence. This is an exciting Christmas because it is Trystans First Christmas and Alexis' Bicycle Christmas!! We did open the gifts from my grandparents, my mom, and Chris' sister already b/c we usually open gifts from family on Christmas Eve and from one another and "Santa" on Christmas. We did open a few from one another tonight, but mostly just for fun. :) So far Chris got me the Rachel Ray Big Orange Cookbook and a CD! :) oh yeah, and an Escalade! (He Loves Me!)

It has been nice not having anywhere to go yet. Today we just hung out. We had a ham, sweet potatoes, and green bean casserole for lunch! (Yes, I baked the ham myself!!) Then tonight we had GOODIES!! We had hot cocoa, smore cookies, candied citrus peel, chocolate chip cookies, chocolate covered pretzels, chocolate covered oreos, and pecan pie! And yes, I made it all lovingly with my two hands!! Just call me Betty Lopez!

The only real set plans we have for this holiday is going to Chris' aunt and uncle's house tomorrow night to eat with all of his family here. We had Christmas with my sister and nephew last weekend and also had a small get together with part of Chris' family to eat goodies and give the kiddos gifts! That made for a really great weekend!

Well...we will have an early morning here! Merry Christmas!! and to all a goodnight!

~*~Lori Jean~*~

Christmas Presents!

2008-12-04T10:51:00.003-06:00

We have a small deep freezer in Alabama that we could not bring with us. It is about 2 yrs old, white, purchased new from Badcock, and was only used by us. I will need to find the information on it for anyone interested. We are asking $75 for it, but that is negotiable. Let me know if anyone is interested!

December has come!

2008-12-04T09:04:00.002-06:00

Soo, it has only been about a month, but I am back again.

Chris has been home and that has made me happy. They have work lined up in TX so hopefully there will be no away time during the holidays!

Trystan has started crawling, and stopped wanting to take his morning nap-hence the lack of updating! He keeps me very busy now. He has been eating anything he can get his mouth on! We only feed him pureed food and I did let him gnaw on an apple for a little while the other day. The kid loves food! He also likes his toys, which he is talking to right now. When they do not work like he wants he talks loudly to them. Trystan learned how to clap! It is very cute! He says the MaMa and DaDa and when he wants his diaper and sees it he says "DDDD". He is growing up soo fast!

Alexis is doing very well in her gymnastics! They have an expo on the 13th to show off what they have learned. We are still doing pre-k at home. We have not been able to keep a good schedule since Trystan doesn't nap well now, but we are still doing a good deal of learning. She is getting pretty good at telling time, spelling and reading 2-3 letter words, recognizing larger words, handwriting, and counting! It is really cool to watch the children learn and grow!

I am being mommy and wife. I like it. I am still doing pampered chef, just have not done any shows here with Chris being gone and trying to get things settled in. We have been putting out Christmas this week and should be getting a tree this weekend to put up! I am really excited. We went to Bama for Thanksgiving. It was hectic. We were tired. We are NOT driving that far again for a LONG time, do not care what the occassion, not gonna do it!!! 18 hrs in a vehicle...Trystan doesn't like riding in the car that long, he is a mover and a shaker. So saying it was not a fun drive is an understatement. We did do some shopping for the kids without them so most of their Christmas is done! We just need to help "santa" and pick up some stocking stuffers. We did enjoy seeing our families though! I do with we could have seen more ppl but the entire family was so beat from going all over the place, the only way anyone could have seen us would have been to go where we were.

Glad you all got updated on our life!

Merry Almost Christmas!

Lori Jean

Teefers!

2008-11-09T13:52:00.003-06:00

Look at these two beautiful Teefers!!! The road was rough, we were weary, but we came out of it two teefers richer!! He is growing up too fast!

Happy 6 Months!

2008-10-23T21:14:00.003-05:00

Today is Trystans 6 month birthday! In celebration he got to eat some Baby Food-Turkey Flavored! Woo Hoo! He has had some rice cereal, but his pediatrician suggested we wait until 6 months for solids since he was doing soo well on breastmilk alone. We did the rice about once or twice a week, but now he is headed down dinnertime alley! Poor kid, he had it figured out a while ago I think. He is in fact feeding himself in the pics-he didn't like eating when I tried, but if I haded him the spoon he was happy to eat the "lovely" meat! His two teefers are looking good. We also celebrated by using a baby gum brush on his teefers tonite! I wish Chris had been here, but we talked about it and both agreed it was a good time to go ahead and start. Enjoy the photos!

Gynmastics!

2008-10-23T21:02:00.003-05:00

Alexis had her first gymnastics class last Monday. She LOVED it! They did a lot more than I expected for a beginner class. Some of the pictures turned out blurry but it is ok. She went with a Hannah Montanah Leotard and Backpack. It was cute!

Tidbits of Texas Life

2008-10-20T01:38:00.007-05:00

]

Alexis is doing ok here. She has had some troubles with the move and just missing some people, but I think she will be ok. We should have custody now legally, even though we have had her anyways, we wanted it official with the move and all. We are still doing "learning time". I think Alexis is doing really well. She can do letter sounds to "G" and even more, but that is as far as we have actually studied. She is working on telling time and working with money-mostly just familiarizing, no major stuff there yet. She almost has the days of the week down and she is getting a better understanding of months/dates/years. I really feel like Alexis will be reading by Kindergarten due to her quickness to recognize words that she already knows-and also that she has been making the letter sounds for words that she sees but doesn't know. This is an all too exciting time. I know that she will really enjoy it when she does learn to read b/c she loves books and I cannot always read them for her when she wants a story. Tomorrow Alexis starts gymnastics at a place here called The Rock. She is really excited. We found a Hannah Montanah leotard and backpack for her. If she does well with this then she will start dance classes in Spring-we wanted to start with one and see how it went. It was totally exciting that we could finally afford to put her in a class like this!

Look at my boy! He sits up by himself, has began getting up on his hands and knees and rocking (hence the blur), and he has two teeth that have broken through! All this excitement! The only really bad thing he has started is this blood curtling scream-he usually only uses this if he is unable to go to sleep before 9pm. Love my boy though. Chris' aunt was showing me some pics of Chris as a baby and young boy-I pray Trystan keeps looking like his daddy b/c his daddy was awesomely cute!! :) Oh yeah-Trystan says DADA! He said Momma one day, but now he just says DADA.

I miss my Mr. :( <--my face is sadder than that one.

Chris came back a few days back is now back in MS. I don't feel complete without him here, but, this is how it is. We still fully believe this is where God wants us to be, so I cannot dwell on the sad part, just that we are doing his will now. He is doing really well with his new job. It is nice b/c Chris has such joy and pride even on the bad days at work. He always seems to feel good about it. I am soo very proud of him and all he is doing to take care of us and follow the Lord.

Thanks to April I have been going to a bible study on Thursday mornings. It has really opened my eyes about my relationship with Chris. Where I thought I was doing great I realized I could do soo much more to make sure he knows how special he is. God lays it all our for us to have a great marriage, we just have to seek out the knowledge in the bible and apply it! I am also learning that no matter how good things are, you always need to strive to seek out God's will and words to keep you getting closer and doing better. If you ever stop trying to do better then you are just settling for not nearly good enough. This move has done soo much for our family and our faith. It is exhilarating. God truly does awesome work in our lives. I don't like Chris being gone, but it has honestly given us both a chance to remember all the things that we fell in love with in one another that we were putting on the back burner since we had Trystan.

It is late, cannot sleep without chris but I should try again.

Goodnight!

Sleepless is Weatherford

2008-10-04T00:53:00.002-05:00

So I have learned that I am almost incapable of sleeping without Chris by my side. He had to go to MS for work and I have taken a bypass on sleeping more than a few hours a night. I try. I lay in the dark, but without him there to hold me it just isn't the same. I might go crawl in the bed with Alexis. That sounds like a joke, but if I am not sleeping by 2am it might be reality. Trystan is sleeping all night again-it is like if Chris is here he won't, but if Chris isn't here then he sleeps all night.

Speaking of Trystan sleeping. My favorite part of the day aside from cuddling with Chris-is when Trystan nurses the last time for the day and goes to sleep while he nurses. He is just too sweet at that time. He falls asleep but keeps nursing and usually holds my hand. That is just one of those moments that no matter what happens that day, that moment makes it all better.

Now for Alexis. She is doing pretty good. She is starting to adjust a little better and relaxing a bit more as we get more settled. We do "Learning Time" each day. Alexis is learning very quickly. She is working on her letter sounds. She recognizes many words verbally and in print that suprise me. There is a really big gymnastics and etc school not far away and they start a new session on Oct 20 so I am hoping to get her into that. I need to find a regular dance studio for things like tap and ballet b/c she has been interested in taking those classes. It is exciting to be able to let her do all of these things.

Chris is doing really well at the job from what I hear. I don't think I need to update you all on how Chris and I are from my above grumbles about him not being here. I miss him too much.

Ahh...I should try to sleep thing again...

Goodnight all!

oh yeah....if anyone needs pampered chef, I am still doing that here and my website is still up. www.pamperedchef.biz/lorilopez

Also...if anyone needs a small deep freezer let me know. We have one that we are selling from our townhouse in Alabama.

Goodnight again!
The Lonely Mrs.

Goodness Gracious

2008-09-07T23:21:00.003-05:00

I really should go into all the details, but ladies (and gentlemen if there are any reading), there is just too much to tell!!!

This past week and a half has been super busy. Here is the run down:
-Almost done unpacking
-Added some neato new items to our home decor
-New Washer and Dryer (Maytag at that!)
-Met the coolest relatives of anyone ever (that means you April!!)
-Have been hanging with my Momma, and that has been wayy awesome
-Been learning about the new town
-Had a date with my husband (the first in like a year!-due to baby sitter restraints and pregnancy)
-Night out in Fort Worth (the above date)

Most of the busy has been unpacking, but otherwise it has still been fun! Good times ahead, God is blessing us more than we could ever have imagined. God Rocks!

Goodnight!
The Mrs

2 cars, 2 days, 2 kids, 4 states

2008-08-31T14:00:00.002-05:00

We are in Weatherford at our apartment. Everything is off the truck and strewn about the house. thank you for all of your prayers, they have been a great encouragement. Don't stop now though, keep 'em comin'. I will update more when there are fewer boxes about. I will also post some pics when the house is in order and I locate the camera, batteries, and cables, which are probably all in different places-hey, maybe they are with the baby monitors?!?!

Anywho, lunch time, and I get to escape this box prison for a little bit!!

~*~Lori Jean~*~

Dying to Pack

2008-08-23T01:30:00.002-05:00

Instead of packing tonight like I had planned, I highlighted my hair for the first time in like 5 years. I had pride that my hair was natural...but it was getting a bit boring. I feel like I am about to meet a cute boy or something with Chris coming back in a day or two. I am using my super duper face mask to get rid of my break out, I tanned some and am going to try to go tomorrow if I can get a sitter for a bit. I will shave my legs and pluck my eyebrows and do my feet and nails! This is the first time in years that Chris will get to "see me for the first time" so I want to be pretty for him. Or as he says "smokin hot". Whatever that is...

And by the way, if you are not Kira or April you may not know about THE BIG MOVE. God said go to Texas for work. Chris went. Then God said, the whole family will go now. So we are. Both callings gave us about a week to prepare. The moving truck will be here on the 28th. This is all too exciting just picking up and going on faith. I Love It! This gives new energy to the family. and fyi-all of this occured when the right amount was written on the tithe checks...coincidence, I think not! :)

Well...Chris does not know I did my hair, and though I am acting like it is a big move for me (which it really is), it is not like I used to do with bright blonde highlights, but a more mature honey brown highlight on the dull brown hair I was blessed with. I hope he likes it. I didn't get to lose 10lbs and a dress size, but he wont mind so I won't either right now.

The packing will resume tomorrow if all goes as planned. After I get all of the breakables packed I may be calling in back up. As I told Kira, I don't want to be able to blame anyone but me if anything breaks.

Well...it is uber late so I should go take off my face mask and get some sleep. Big days ahead...exhilarating!

Pray for us! We love you all! Some people we will have to miss, but we will get to meet some in return so it is exciting!

~*~Lori Jean~*~

Where to begin...

2008-08-19T23:46:00.002-05:00

Being stuck all alone at night unable to sleep has really done some work on my thoughts.

Today is the two year anniversary for Chris and I. Seems like it has been much longer that we have been together, but not that long at the same time, it is wierd. We have been happy and very sure of our love, but being appart has made us both soo much more appreciative. There are soo many things I could have and should have been doing as a wife. I really feel like this time apart is making us both stronger indivually so we can work better together. I am also getting to see how much he did help out despite my constant complaints. I have changed a lot as a person, and there really is no need for it. Inside of me is a fun/loving/caring person. I used to laugh every day...even when things were the worst they could be. I alway had a philosophy that things could be worse so I had to be happy. Growing up with an alcoholic mother gave me some perspectives that I didn't need at such a young age, and did in turn make me more mature before I should have been. That doesn't mean I need to be old now. Chris says he is happy with me, but I cannot help but think about the girl he fell in love with 4 yrs ago. The girl that played off knowing who he was and did lots of dorky things to impress him to only end up running into a large cement ashtray when looking at his butt instead of where she was going. I miss that girl, I think he goes too. Between kids and money issues and just life changes I let the lighter side of me go. I ended up now with the bare minimum for friends and just running a day to day for a life. That is not how it is meant to be. Looking at things in the perspective that God wants us to be happy while being responsible is something I need to remember now. I am going to find fun yet responsible Lori and bring her out again. There is no need to worry day in and day out and surely no need to pass all that on to those around me.

Look out folks Old Lori minus the daily teenager mistakes is coming back! You will soon be amused by me and entertained by Chris stealing my jokes. Uptight "don't do this and don't do that" lori is getting packed up and moved out.

I state this here b/c I need help with this. I want to be a happier, healthier, better person. That is who I need to be, and who I believe God intended for me to be, not this person I have been acting like lately! Pray for it, let me know when I get too uptight!

~*~Lori Jean, new and improved~*~

When others say it best.

2008-08-15T00:40:00.002-05:00

Thank you for those who have prayed for us in this time of new things and scary things. It is much appreciated. and now for something I don't think I have pulled out since high school-my favorite book, and I will share some of Charlie Straightarrows poetry with you all. I feel content...I feel loved...I feel good...but above all this-I feel wide awake. you can take that as me feeling awake to the future and all its possibilities or as unable to sleep...I will take it as both.

[these do not mean that they are how i feel now or anything, i just like them]
I will tell the story about this book later. (note to self, talk about mom and this book later)

/2.
Some people tend to complicate love
like a florist who wraps a lot of green junk with a single rose
trying to make it appear more than it is-
after all,
what it is is enough.

/5.
Love is
forgiveness
acceptance
and sometimes understanding

Numbers:
If you don't make a conscious effort to change it
the only difference between this year and next year
will be the last digit

some people learn from experience

experiences just happen to others

/7.
along the interstate
besides the ones that read:
"See Rock City"
are blue signs that say:
"Rest Area 1 Mile"
why can't we have them
along the road of life?

/8.
Some people avoid reality at all cost
don't as for my advice or opinion
unless you want the truth
just the way it is
I won't give reassurance
to your rationalizations

/9.
at times
rational justification doesn't exist
it's just
that you really feel
it's something you have to do
if that's the way it is
then do it
and don't look back

Well...since awakeness is still here and tiredness did not set in. The abbreviated version of the story of the book.

I got the book "Where the hell is mulberry street?" for $0.25 at the Christian Mission when I was in high school. it is a small, green, tattered book. I fell in love though. This book makes my imagination soar. I love the bluntness of the man's poetry and his attitude of "take it like it is", but, this book was a gift. A man named Tom gave this book to a woman that he had just barely met but loved her already. It makes me sad that I found it where I did. I wonder what happened to their love. A few years ago I got a suprising email from the son of Charlie Straightarrow. I got background information on him and unfortunately learned that he had passed away. His son had searched his name and found a website I had where I had some of the poetry posted. Charlie's son was glad that I enjoyed his father's writing. I was glad that he found me. I now just feel this connection. This book also got me through a lot of tough times and I just feel good when I read it. Maybe you liked some of the short poems above, I just like the simplicity of it. I wish I still had my email from his son but it was in an account that I cancelled and wish I had kept the email.

Well...gonna try sleeping goodnight!

totally losing my mind.

2008-08-13T23:02:00.001-05:00

AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

Pray for me.

I am my own worst enemy

2008-08-11T21:59:00.003-05:00

[WARNING, SARCASM MIGHT BE INCLUDED, AND NO PERSON WAS "LOST" IN THE MAKING OF THIS BLOG STORY-so don't cry]

Monday, August 11, 2008:
Today we have lost one of our best. She was lost during a tragic door closing incident. She always helped me put my best foot forward. We had many good times, lots of girls nights and spa nights. Still, many things we did not get to do together. I will miss her, as will my open toed shoes. Right big toe toenail, I bid you farewell.

ahh...so yeah, checked the mail, walked in, shut the door and in the process knocked my toenail loose. it is attached at the base only, and hurts more than a little bit. luckily my mom came over to help with the kiddos tonite. I bandaged it until the nail finally falls off. I was soo looking forward to a pedicure, just not sure if I would want to do that with only 9 toenails. I was joking and told Chris I would go if I got a 9 nail discount.

Well...I am tired, and hurting!! bleh.... tomorrow will be movie day at the house, b/c as petty as it sounds, it hurts to carry a baby without full use of your foot.

goodnight! I would post pics but I was told it looked kinda gross, and I don't want to unwrap it now. ouch.

~*~Lori the Clumsy at your service~*~

Yackity Yack!

2008-08-09T23:04:00.002-05:00

I should be repainting my toenails, or to be more correct-chiseling off the old few layers of paint and then repainting. The wedding Wednesday I had to rush to get ready for so I ended up painting over my old polish and throwing some open toed shoes on. It turned out nice, err, just as good as if a blind man had done it for me with his toes!! So, next on the agenda, toenails!!

Today was pretty un-eventful. We stayed home except for a trip to walmart. With Trystan in the carrier all these little old ladies would come up to see him and talk about how i need an extra set of hands with the two kids. I am a trooper though. I told Chris I was glad I made it through this week. I am soo used to getting a break when he would get home, but I can hang with it. God didn't give me the go yet.

Tomorrow after Church (which my Dad is supposed to go with us again-praise Jesus and can I get an AMEN!) we are going to Dothan to my grandparents and the whole family will be there for lunch. It is kind of a welcome home for my mom since she just got back from Teen Challenge last week. So far so good too. I just pray for her to have strength and stay straight. You are more than welcome to pray for her too. I will get to show Trystan off to the half of the family that hasn't seen him. I will try not to plow over their "For Sale By Owner" sign in the front yard!!

Must Have It:
Queen Helene Mint Julep Mask. This stuff is awesome for acne. I have gone through 2 tubes in like 6 yrs since it lasts forever. It is very good for those pesky nerve related problems right before a big day. http://www.queenhelene.com/skincaremaskscrub2.php I haven't tried the rest of their line but I will have to b/c of how great the mask is. Warning though, it does burn a lot the first time and if you get it close to your eyes. Otherwise, dries everything up and tightens and it is totally awesome.

Well...I will keep everyone posted on plans for moving, etc as soon as the big guy gives me instructions.

~*~Lori Jean and the Kidsters~*~

Friday Is a Day

2008-08-08T22:59:00.003-05:00

Sooo...I fear some of my posts were getting a bit boring, so I will try to be slightly more entertaining. I am thinking I will add in a "must have it" paragraph for those who just NEED to know what I must have!! :) I dunno...let me know if the idea is totally lame.

Anywho. Today. Up. Ready. Exit for Chris. Toys R Us. Chuck E Cheese. Home. Dinner. PChef work. The In-Laws. Home. Showers. Bed.

I should have taken the camera but the batteries are downstairs, the camera is upstairs, and my brain is mush when I try to get out the door!!

MUST HAVE IT:
Soo...you would never guess what I found at Toys R Us!!!! The Boon Spoon ( http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2908664) AND the Boon Flo (http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2574618) !!!
I wanted these already and saw them today, needless to say, the store had one less of each after I got out of there. (fyi-i did pay for them) The spoon is AWESOME! I didn't have to worry about the great "grab and dump" maneuver happening when I fed Trystan his rice cereal (err...milk rice soup). The Flo was pretty cool too. It even has a dispenser to put in bubble bath so Alexis got to make her own bubbles in the tub and we are hopefully working towards independent rinsing!!

I also found some sweet deals on some CDROMs. One is Dancing Princess games and the other is a Pre-K jump start with two disks, 5 books, and flashcards! They were $7.98 each! Since we don't have any dates or plans or anything set right now for moving I am not putting Alexis in pre-k yet, but I still want her to learn and she really enjoys when we let her play games on the computer so I hope it works out that she can learn that way too. She gets kinda closed off when I try to do learning with just us, she does MUCH better when there are other kids around.

Alexis and Trystan are doing good. Alexis is going more into helper mode aside from putting EVERYTHING in her mouth for some reason. Alexis consoles Trystan, washes her body, puts on her clothes, brushes/flosses/rinses/mouthwash, lots of neato stuff! Next step is tennis shoes with laces!!! DUN DUN DUN! Trystan wants to sit up and also walk soo bad. He gets ill if i lay him down. He hasn't slept a full night again, but he is only waking up once now and still going back to sleep for 30 min - 1 hr in the am so I can wake up more.

Now for the inevitable part: I miss Chris. A lot. It sucks having to wait and having to be responsible when all I really want to do is pack up and go be with him. I don't like having to go through an entire day without him holding me, much less entire days back to back. I just keep praying for all the doors to open when it is GODs time for us to go. He knows that if we try to do this on our own we would mess it up. Soo...it is guidance I am praying for, and guidance I must wait for. So far it is all looking like living in TX will be the plan. We more than likely have someone to rent our place here, and my dad is offering to drive whatever moving truck we get to TX for us. My dad is cool-he told me today that he wants to get me back with chris soon because I don't sound happy without him. and though it sounds like party/vacation/fun time central here, if it were just me I would be a sad puppy home all the time. I don't want Alexis to get any sadder than she is though so I gotta keep busy and keep my head up. Plus, when you follow God you cannot get down, you gotta trust and keep your chin up!

Well...I should go and cuddle Chris' pillow and go to sleep.

~*~Lori Jean~*~
nite

Woo to the Hoo!!!!!!!

2008-08-06T07:31:00.002-05:00

For the first time since my first trimester with Trystan....I SLEPT ALL NIGHT!!!!!

I LOVE my boy!

I didn't have to get up with him until 6am! I feel refreshed, invigorated!! yay!!

AND...I got to start my day talking to Chris since I was up before he went to work!!!

This should be a good day...heck...even if it isn't...I am glad!! Blessed!!! Elated!!!!

Have a Good One!!

~*~Lori Jean~*~

ps-he even went back to sleep again so I have been able to get myself ready for the day!

I miss my smooches...

2008-08-05T22:25:00.002-05:00

Today....was....long....

Ok...Here is the low down.

We are getting paperwork drawn up for Alexis to "officially all ours". We needed that for her to start school next year anyways. From there lets all just pray that things go well. There is no way for us to be all together if Alexis isn't a part of us.

I found a dress for Brian's (my half ex step brother or something like that) wedding tomorrow. FYI-The clothing industry had reduced sizes by 2 and didn't tell us. (ex: a tag says ten but it is really an eight). Thought you all might want to know that. I was quite baffled!! ;)

We had lunch and naps and I got some Pampered Chef work done during naptime.

I got to talk to Chris more today, that was especially nice. Scrubs is on, I miss watching Scrubs with Chris...I miss him. But, we got here by praying, we will get out on the other side praying.

My friend Kristen came over this afternoon and we went and ate Mexican with her then met Chris' sis and niece at Smoochies for ice cream. After that it was home for showers, stories, crying Trystan, talking to Chris, and bedtimes.

Tomorrow is library and smoochies lunch day. I think my mom is joining us. After that is the wedding. Then I think I should cook some dinner...I haven't done that in almost a week. Thursday I think I will try to keep us home for some house cleaning, naptimes, and rest.

I am fairly tired now. I will try to get some more interesting 411 to share here.

goodnight

~*~Chris' old lady~*~

Keep it up!

2008-08-05T00:40:00.002-05:00

Soo...today we stayed busy.

I have felt much better. Chris sent me some pics and a cute one of him today via text. He called on lunch to let us know he didn't forget us, and he seemed to be pretty happy! This time away is hard, but it does make me miss even the things he usually does that I thought I didn't like. ex: When cleaning up I always first look around for his socks/shirts/etc that get left on the floor and then have to chat with him about what is "dirty" and what is "clean". I didn't get to do that, and I miss it. I don't get to cook really b/c it is just me and Alexis. I really don't have much at all to do around here without Chris. Less laundry, fewer dishes, less conversation, no decision making chat over daily tasks, no one to make me stop running and relax a min. A lot more is getting done around here, but I will be happy when I can be late everywhere and have lots to do. It makes the seperation better being able to look forward to all of his quirks that I thought I would never miss. Hopefully he is missing my quirks if I have any that are missable...he probably is better off without some of it! ;)

Today Trystan and I got up around 8, he ate and I got him dressed for the day. I got Alexis up at 9 and we got dressed for the day. We had toast, bananas, and juice for breakfast. Then we went to wal mart and got some pool fun stuff so we can go swim with my step sister Mary and some things for the house. We came home and had sandwiches, yogurt, and water for lunch-Trystan had the Good Stuff of course. Then naps for both the kiddos while I made a few phone calls (mother's day out program, no more office cleaning, kristen is good and her dad might want me to do some work for him, my sister is doing good and being Trina). After naps we watched Rachel Ray and ate snacks then headed out for Dothan. We went around the mall some, I got an outfit on sale, we got some fudge for my mom and some tiny bags of candy for us from the candy store and an array of chocolate covered items to include gummy bears. After that we went to Daleville and saw my mom. It was the first time in ten months! She is pretty good, I will need to post a pic of her. Her story will be a whole blog in and of itself-let's just all pray for her strength and dedication to God to stay strong even being back here! We ate with her and she had fun getting to see Trystan for the first time. I also got to see my little brother Ryan for the first time in ten months. He thinks he is all grown up...but he might be a little-he had to back the car out for me. After that is was home for baths, feeding Trystan, stories, talking to Chris and me being online and unable to sleep until this 1am post. I will try to sleep after this, I will cuddle Chris' uncomfortable pillow that I previously did not like.

Anywho...now that you know my entire day...off to bed and to start a new day for a new post tomorrow. Should be some interesting 411 tomorrow-going to see about taking Alexis with us to Texas-of course, if she cannot go I won't go b/c we are not a family without our Alexis.

Good night/Day and God Bless!

~*~Chris' Lori Jean~*~

ps-Thanks for the prayers everyone, I have been feeling mucho bettero!!

The Lonely Hearts Club

2008-08-03T22:16:00.002-05:00

So, I know that there are a lot of women out there missing their husbands b/c of war, work, etc...but I still think I have a right to feel completely lost right now...and I do.

This is DAY 2 of Chris being gone. I don't like it, not one bit. I wish I could just go be with him now. When we looked at financial aspects of everyone going and having all the $$ needed to get a place and get us there we said a month to a month and a half. I am just having to pray that just as Chris ended up in Texas, God will again lead us by opening the doors for us. I feel like a piece of me is missing. I realized I don't even know how to talk to other people really. I have gotten past the cry every hour thing now and have felt more peace, but I am still soo lonely. Chris and I would talk on the phone 2-10 times a day while he worked and then when he got home and again after the kids went to bed...I don't have anyone to talk with now really, especially not in person. Well...that was a lie...sorry...My Dad has been here-oddly enough he has been then most supportive person of me lately, and really has had a lot of encouraging things to say on the topic. If anyone is still reading this, **WARNING** the rest of this post will be about like the beginning, a lot of me boo hooing. My sister said I have three days to be sad so I am taking them.

I find myself just kind of sitting here doing nothing sometimes, most days my motivation was Chris. I act like he is gone for good or something-but he is my other half, and as corny as it sounds-he completes me. That being said-there is just a Lori shell here with my heart in Texas. I will pull it together though. I need to get an activity for the kiddos set up and get myself to tan and work out. This is tough...I will stop babbling...bleh...

time to sit up until I pass out from sheer exhaustion...bleh

goodnight.

~*~Lori Jean~*~

Everythings Bigger In Texas...

2008-08-01T22:38:00.001-05:00

Ok...I will keep this upbeat.

Tonite we are packing for Chris to go to Texas tomorrow bright and early. I am nervous/scared/excited about it all. The kids and I will go later when he has a place set up there. I am not quite sure how I will function without Chris. In the past 4 yrs I haven't gone an entire day without him. We have prayed about this and everything is just falling into place. I pray constantly that he will make it safely and that everyone will be ok and that Alexis doesn't get too upset. I don't think she knows that he won't be home tomorrow night to tuck her in. We will make it, God is taking care of us, it is just human nature to get this antsy.

We are also praying for direction on if we should end up renting out our house here and moving, or going back and forth, or just keeping this place and going there and renting. It is hard. We do know that the time apart needs to be as minor as possible. Heck, he is only at his parents right now to tell them by and give them some spare keys and you would think he was already gone as sad as I am already. Of course I will just have to be strong and stay busy.

You ask my plans for this seperation:
Become the hottie Chris thinks he married. I have not had time to get back into shape since Trystan was born so I need to work on that. Yes, it has only been 3 months, but I got hooked on rice cooker cakes and that has ruined me. I will more than likely sign Alexis and Trystan up for Little Blessings-Mom's day out at Hillcrest so I can have those tues and thurs mornings to tan/exercise/ clean house/etc. So, I do look forward to chucking the snacks in the house and getting into shape so he sees the lady he fell in love with when I see him again. I want him to always be proud that I am his wife. I know he still is, but...I also know I need to get back into my clothes so I don't feel the need to buy new ones.

Well...this is a ramble, just a little something to say hey "pray for us" and to let you all know what is going on.

~*~Mommy Jelly Bean-Lori Jean~*~

PS-Aug 19th is our anniversary and we will more than likely not be able to be together, I will need ice cream and a chick flick and a friend or two. Chris will probably need someone to occupy his mind too. God preplanned the seperation by giving us the news of Trystan for our first anniversary to make up for this seperation I think.

Enjoy!

2008-07-13T23:30:00.001-05:00

Finally---I update!

2008-07-05T18:43:00.001-05:00

The Pampred Chef show went well. I have a show open again with some orders going in on it, a show for the end of the month! I am excited.

The summer is going pretty well. I have now got a scheduled library visit for me and the kiddos for story time on wednesdays and we are getting pretty good at all going to the park. It is exciting.

I am learning Trystan's cries and signals better. We are by no means on a schedule or even near understanding the complexities of the little man, but it is all too exciting.

Chris is doing well in real estate-hopefully another closing this month.

We need these closings though. $$ is getting to the low point here and there...sad...but it will all work out...pray, tithe, work hard in the direction God leads...it will all be ok. Kira-I understand the overspending, it happens to the best of us. I personally want more and want to shop more when I don't have the $$.

Alexis is doing ok. The family is trying to spend more time with her and I am getting better at putting Trystan down to do paper crafts and read stories. It is getting a lot better. There were a few weeks I thought I would just do terribly at the stay at home mommy job, but I am getting better.

Well...this is it for now, it is almost 7 and I think the family might want dinner...and we have like 10 wipes in the house so the store is inevitable!

Goodnight! and Late Happy 4th.

Yay for me!

2008-06-13T13:31:00.000-05:00

Day two of two kids napping at once!!
Well...ok...Alexis is probably awake, but she is still in her bed which works for me!

Now then...what to say...

I am super excited about the pampered chef consulting! I will get my 2nd commission check on the 23rd and I will get pampered chef bucks to purchase supplies and also products for myself! Way Cool!! I don't have any more shows planned right now other than one for Janie-my step mom of sorts. I am thinking that this will be a good way for me to make new friends and keep in touch with old ones. Plus...it gives me a reason to get out and be "Lori"--cause if you know me much you know I like to cook a lot! Chris is pretty excited about it too, he is a closet pampered chef junkie. We prayed about it lots and so far it is awesome!

Chris is working really hard lately. He is getting tired being a new daddy and working the two jobs. His goal is to get us to a point that he can do only real estate but that is more like a one year goal. Since the income isn't guaranteed, we want to have our debts paid (old credit cards, the car, etc) and only have the mortgage and utilities to pay before he starts full time. We also need to make sure we can go ahead and pay atleast 6 months for individual insurance since it isn't offered an it isn't cheap. Pray that we can get all this settled. We prayed before he signed up for the class and have been along the way so we are sure we are on the right path, we just need the strength to keep on it!

In Trystan news...the breastfeeding is still going really well and I am getting better at handling nighttime feedings. He will only stay asleep at night if Daddy puts him to sleep. Example: last night I am up from 10p-11:30p nursing, burping, changing, and rocking Trystan to get some sleep in and to not have to wake up Chris since he has been getting up earlier for work now. Trystan is so asleep i think a train could run through so I lay him down....turn around and look back at him and he is staring at me...this happens a second time so I finally tap Chris and ask for help. Chris lays down at the foot of the bed, put his hand on Trystan and Chris goes back to sleep...and oddly enough...so does Trystan, and he sleeps for about 5 hrs. Oh well...Chris cannot breastfeed so I guess he can have the sleepy time.

Alexis has been going to the neighbors for 1.5 hrs a few days a week for learning. The neighbor is a 1st grade teacher and offered to tutor some since Alexis isn't doing the learning at daycare now. That is going well and gives Alexis a chance to do "her own thing" too. We are going on weekly library trips and go for walks when it isn't too hot. It is slow coming but I am getting better at balancing new baby and toddler.

I must say, I do admire those with more than two living and breathing children in the house at once...I don't think I could do it!

Trystan is stirring and it is about his "afternoon snack" time so I should end this here.

Glad I got a chance to blog! Love to hear from you all!

~*~Lori Jean and the sleeping jelly beans~*~

The Blog You Are Reading...

2008-06-11T15:59:00.000-05:00

This blog will note some moments in the lives of Chris, Lori, Alexis, and Trystan Lopez. We might have funny posts, we might have informative ones, we might have boring ones, and we might have sad ones, but they will all be true enough and real in our lives. I hope that anyone who reads this blog will sometime in the future have atleast one blog that makes them have a better day. Even if not that, this will give me a place to write out my thoughts on my new life...

The Family:
Lori:
I am now stay at home mommy of 2. Just had my first baby. And I am loving it. I also just started as a Pampered Chef Consultant. I am 24 and have lived in Enterprise most of my life. I love to cook and be crafty. Reading would be fun if I had the chance. Sleeping would be fun too!

Chris:
The most awesome husband. He puts up with me and loves me endlessly which is more than I could ask for. He works full time at the gas company and does real estate work with Exit Success Realty here in Enterprise when he isn't wearing the blue.

Alexis:
A cute and smart 4 year old going on 14. Definitely a big part of our little family.

Trystan:
Born April 23, 2008 he is the newest addition to the clan. Each day we are amazed at how quickly he is growing, but none-the-less, happier than ever that we get to be the ones to watch him grow.

That's it for now!

~*~Lori Lulu Jean~*~

Here it is!

2008-06-11T14:25:00.000-05:00

Ok...everyone is doing it so I will too!

I will try to keep this updated, though I may fail at that. I am sure though, that when I fail to post in a timely manner Kira will give me a friendly reminder to update.

For now, since I am reaching over Trystan to type, I will make this the end of my first blog.

~*~Momma Lori Jean~*~