A Week Away from Home

Well....we have been home from Waxahachie/Canada for almost a week now and I am just now getting around to writing about it!

Stephen had a good time in Canada I think. The work part was kind of stressful, but the trip was successful overall. Luckily, all of his travel went smoothly. He was able to chat with Kemble and I via Skype every night, and I was so glad that Kemble was able to see his face and hear his voice each night. She got so excited every time!! He brought her home 2 cute stuffed animals with Canadian emblems on them... so sweet!

Kemble and I had a great time in Waxahachie. It was good to spend the week with my parents! Of course, as I expected, the week flew by and we really didn't get to do half of the things I'd hoped to. We managed to visit Nonnie one day, we saw Mamie, Jill and her girls, and Susan, and I did take Kemble to Dunaway Elementary one afternoon my mom could show her off to her friends at work. I got to eat most of the yummy food that I miss here in Denton! Kemble had her first lunch (of many) at the Dove's Nest.

lunch at Dove's Nest

(Natalin... this is the Baby LuLu dress your parents gave her, so precious!!)

visiting Nonnie

snuggling with her Daddy Butch, watching Breakfast at Tiffany's

Melissa took me house shopping, mostly so I could scope out neighborhoods and builders, in case we decide to build a house - which right now, is the option in the lead because we could get a lot more for our money that way it seems. Of course I fell in love with a couple of them! We aren't planning an immediate move to Waxahachie, but it is our goal to try to get situated down there sometime this year, after Stephen has finished his big 2010 project. Being there for a week reminded me why it is so important to have Kemble there - near so many family members and friends. It will be good for my soul too - I really miss having so many people to spend time with. Since becoming a stay-at-home mom I've realized that my only friends here in Denton are clients or co-workers, and now that I'm not at the salon, I rarely see any of them, and I'm pretty lonely! I can't wait for Kemble to have grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins constantly popping in to see her. Stephen's parents live here and we do see them about once every week or two, but we both think it's so important to get Kemble around other kiddos and as much family as possible. Now let's just cross our fingers and hope that Stephen is able to find a job he loves down there! He's getting pretty burned out at his job at Peterbilt, and although he generally likes what he does, he's getting ready to make a change of some kind.

Anyway...I managed to get a lot of work done in our room!! It was quite a chore, but it was kind of fun to go through all of my old stuff. I found clothes I forgot about, dolls and stuffed animals I can't wait to show Kemble, and then random things in the closet like my favorite kite, my old lava lamp, and my wedding dress! I didn't get it painted, but I got everything cleared out and organized and thoroughly cleaned, and now I just have to get it painted and redecorated! I wish I'd taken a "before" picture. Hopefully we can get the rest done soon!

This week we've all been recuperating from being gone it seems. Over the weekend we were total bums and just hung out with Kemble and left our suitcases still packed in the corner. Needless to say this week I had quite the laundry pile going. I think I had about 14 loads... and I still actually have a few left to do... and most are still in the baskets waiting to be put away too!!

I SHOULD have plenty of time to get that done this weekend... Stephen's hunting (or playing) in Paducah with his friends, so it's just Kemble and I, and she does so much sleeping that I have a lot of down time on my hands without anyone else to cook for or hang out with!! Our house is a disaster, laundry is still piled up, and Kemble's suitcases still are sitting in the hall halfway unpacked from our trip last week (Stephen and I eventually unpacked ours) but instead I've been playing online, editing/ordering pictures, watching TV, and trying to figure out how to make some hairbows!