Patience and new places

Phew, that pretty much sums up the last few weeks.  We have been working non-stop these last few weeks gearing up for our move and are well on our way to getting settled into our new home here in Katy, TX!  I made a personal promise to be better about updating this blog so that all of our family and friends in Bakersfield can keep up with us.  So today I start:

We hired a moving company to get us out here for just about the same price that it would have cost us to move ourselves.  It seemed like a great deal and not having to lift any furniture was definitely appealing to both of us.  You know the old saying "you get what you pay for," well this week I definitely learned just how correct that is.  I was so wrapped up in saying good bye to my dear friends and family on Tuesday, the day the movers were packing up our things, that  I didn't realize what they were doing.  First of all, they wrapped NOTHING!   Not a couch, mattress, or my one giant potted plant.  Our mattress was just leaned over on the side of a dirty truck, I was so mad when I saw that when they were finally unloading it here.  They put a huge scratch on our leather couch that is irreparable, they damage our 46" plasma TV, and they put tape on Drew's brand new dresser which when removed took the stain right off.  I didn't know this at the time, but we hired nationwide moving company to move us, and they basically pick up the phone and contract someone else out to do the job, and so we clearly got crap people.   We took pictures of the damaged items, and are going to be able to clam it back to their insurance.  Once they finished unloading the truck they presented us with the check out slip which basically said that we got all of our stuff in fine condition.  Tim insisted that he list the damage to the dresser and the couch and the driver actually refused to do this.  He made the following statements.. "Oh, I forgot to tell you, but your couch looked like this when we picked it up"  then when we wouldn't sign the checkout slip he said "just sign it, bitch!"  I was in shock, and absolutely livid.  We put a huge stink with nationwide, and  will be claiming back every penny we can get.  I see people like this and they really are just a waste of space.   

Moving on,  We are settling into our new home here at the Winkle Residence.  I say this lightly though as both of our kids are in one room crying right now.   We are having problem putting Drew to bed lately.  He wants to fall asleep on the couch first before we take him to bed, and I am really trying to break him of this.  So tonight when we just took him in there he started crying and has since woken Lyla up so they are both upset and crying right now.  I am not going in there though because they have to learn to drown out each others screams and fall asleep. This is going to be a challenge until then..... my patience is running very thin as I type this.

ELAPSED TIME: 57 MINUTES

Well, they win.  Drew is in bed with Tim right now, and Lyla got to eat again and had to be rocked back to sleep.    Going to have to figure something out with this new sharing a room sleeping situation... don't they know that they are cutting into ME time??  I am so tired right now from fighting them that I am just about ready to go to sleep and I still have Drew in the bed.  About 30 minutes in I had to send Tim out to the cooler to grab me a bottle of wine to take the edge off.   I was having thoughts of selling my screaming kids for their organs.  Sheesh!!!  

Don't really have any new pictures to post, I do have some videos, but I haven't yet put them on the computer.  I'll work on that.  

Kern Machinery

Up until recently I had no idea that Grandpa Frank sold John Deere tractors for 30 years.  All along I thought Drew's obsession with these powerful machines was a fluke, but it's genetic!!   We spent a good hour and a half in and out of every tractor, bull dozer and front loader.  Here are the pictures.

Drew on the first tractor...  He probably sat on twenty of the exact same tractors.  This is Drew heaven

Not entirely sure what this is, but its a John Deere... 

The three of us a bulldozer.. even Lyla was getting excited!

Drew with Grandpa.  Thanks to him we were able to come out to this cool place and get on all of the tractors.

He had so much fun!

Cayucos, CA

Our wonderful friends, Anna and Lido, invited us to their beach house for the weekend.  This isn't just any old beach house, it is absolutely gorgeous!!!  We had one whole floor to ourselves with three bedrooms and two bathrooms!!  Every single room had its own TV, and amazing views of the ocean.  The whole weekend it was foggy, cloudy, and cold.  It was the perfect getaway from the hot sunny days of Bako.  

This was the view from the balcony at the house.  Absolutely gorgeous.  To the left of this picture is Morro rock.  We walked just about everyday right round the neighborhood and it was a seriously good workout climbing up and down these streets.  

Mommy and baby Lyla on the balcony.  This was one of those self taken photographs, not so pretty.  Love Lyla's hat though and I hope it fits her through this winter.  

Drew running on the beach.  This was the day we left.  Keep in mind it was about 55 degrees right there and the water is that temperature just before it turns to ice!!  Drew ran straight into the water and after playing at the beach for about an hour his lips turned blue.  I am pretty sure he was n some stage of hypothermia.  As soon as we got home he stood under the warm spout in the shower for about 10 minutes straight.  It took him about 45 minutes to get color back in his lips.  Poor baby!!  I was actually starting to get worried.

Yup, we even brought Jeffy.  He had so much fun too!  

Mommy and baby Lyla.... She was asleep in the baby bjorn here..  She basically lived in that carrier all weekend long.  

This was the first trip since I've had kids that I actually felt like I was on vacation.  We had such an amazing time!!  One day, when we own our own beach house, we'll return the favor!

Exactly where has the time gone??

Ok... officially back in the swing of things... I think.  I seem to have fallen off the face of the earth lately and am having a hard time getting back in the swing of things.  Because I feel so far behind I am just going to post a bunch of new pictures and tell the story behind them....

Oh, a couple more things..... Drew is talking so much now!!  I am so proud of him, just in the last three weeks he is saying things like. door, here, there....wow and I'm a bad Mom for not remembering anymore than that...... Also, drum roll please. . . . He is potty trained!!!!  I am not kidding. . . asking to go and all.   I am so impressed by him.  

Like I said I feel overwhelmed with all of the things that have happened that after these couple of entries of pictures I swear I'll get into specific stories.  I talked to a friend who is an avid blogger and she told me to just pick two stories a week to share.... from now on, that's what I'll do!!

This is Drew's new thing.... he steals shoes from our closet and walks around in them.  It is really cute.  He actually got a hold of a pair of my heels one day and was cruising around the house in them.  I posted this picture to tell you the story, but really so you guys can check out his adorable little underwear, so cute!!  He even has a couple of pairs of boxer briefs. 

Bela cam to visit us again.  She just can't stay away from these two adorable babies here in Cali.  It is so great to have her come visit so often.  She misses little parts of their lives, but is here as often as she can.  She has obviously made enough of an impression though because Drew constantly asks for her, and recognizes her voice when she calls.  In fact, we already miss her.  When are you coming back, Mom?

Daddy and Drew were pulling weeds and laying down fresh compost (VEGETABLE COMPOST).  Drew got a hold of a little shovel and proceeded to dump a bunch of dirt over his head.... He looked so cute covered in compost.  

If you turn you head just right, you can make out two adorable little babies in this photo.  This is Lyla and her cousin Piper meeting for the first time.  They are one month apart, Lyla is older, although you would never know it from this picture.  My little Lyla is so tiny.... absolutely perfect though!!!

Once again, if you turn your head just right... you can see my beautiful baby smiling at Bela.... she gets her giggling so loud!!  

Catch up soon!!

Lyla Laughs!!!!

This is so cute.  I finally caught her laughing on camera.  I kid you not I have been trying for a week to get her to cooperate!!  Looks a little bit violent, but she thinks its loads of fun!

Juan Jo and Valeria visit

Juan Jo teaching Lyla about cars

Me taking a picture of them as they were taking a pictures of themselves.  Say that three times fast.

Valeria catching the cray boy as he jumped into the pool.  It is so hard to keep him out of the water! 

Chit chatting with Becky

Lyla laughing with Valeria

Family visits

This week we had lots of family in town visiting.  Because I have so many pictures to share I am going to divide my updates.  First we had Steve and Elza in town visiting for a week.  The kids had lots of fun playing with grandparents.   Let's take a look!

On their last night here.  We all went out to eat at Roadhouse and the kids had so much fun playing with Steve.  We told Drew to say cheese, and well, this is what we got!!  He makes such goofy faces every time I bring out the camera.  Then he likes to look at the pictures with me and says "Doo," for Drew.

Making faces with his cousin J.J.

You got caught..... 

On 4th of July with the grandparents

Lyla smiled so so so big for her grandpa.  It was the sweetest thing ever!

Thank you guys for coming to visit.  We had a wonderful time!