Snow Day At The Beach...

Okay, we didn't have a lot of snow BUT we had snow! It was the first time our children have seen snow (I think)... Karoline loved it and then asked to watch Dora, The Snow Princes after quickly playing in the snow. We don't have snow gear so they didn't stay out long.




Here are some more pictures of the precious babies...



Fun in the tub...

Meet The New Neighbors

Gammy and Gandaddy are making the move to Myrtle Beach!


Here's the story:

Mom and dad came for Christmas. When they stepped on the plane they figured they would have a nice visit, go back to Fort Worth, Dad would work for three more years and they would continue to visit when they could... By the time they left Myrtle Beach plans had changed!

Dad went back to Lockheed and told them he was retiring... THURSDAY will be his LAST day! Isn't that crazy! He won't go on another trip to Europe! He is SO excited... so is mom... so am I!

So as of now this is brand new beauty is the house they have a contract on but if this falls through they will still buy in our neighborhood, either build or buy another house. The plan is to try and sell their house and they hope to be here by May. Who knows... PLEASE pray they sell their house quickly!


Did I mention their house in on our same street!!?? Yes, it is about a mile and a half away but will soon be closer once they finish the neighborhood (they have not finished the big loop our street will make).

They are bringing this precious little new member of the family with them!


This is going to be a HUGE blessing to our family. I really have to start working full time and I feel so blessed that my children will be cared for by their Gammy and Gandaddy. We are also excited about them being involved with Wellspring. They will be a huge asset to our church plant. Dad is excited about making the kids breakfast before school!

So, PRAY for them as they make this HUGE transition. They are excited but there is a LOT to do. You know how moving is... plus trying to sell a house on top of that. It is going to be hard for them to leave all their wonderful friends in Texas too, but selfishly I cannot wait for them to get here!

Oh, and on a side note, my parents came to Myrtle Beach on their honeymoon 38 years ago. The Jamaican is still standing! They never came back to Myrtle Beach until this trip... and they bought a house!

Mom, stop reading this blog and start packing! :)

** Yes, TJ is excited about this move!

Videos

Anderson talking... well, at least we can tell what he is staying. Here are a few of the words he can say.


Here is Karoline saying her verse for January, John 3:16 and doing a scene from Dora.

Half Way Through School...

I have been spending my week learning words like appurtenance, chattel real, escheat, the difference between a lien theory state and a title theory state, how to calculate a closing statement (HUD 1)... I could go on and on! It's been fun though. I like my class and I have 4 more days. It is hard to find time to study once I get home so pray that next week before I take my test on Friday that I get time to study! I might have to go to a coffee shop on Monday and study a little... It will be a flashback to college. No Taylors Bakery in Myrtle Beach though, sad!

Well, my mom has not been happy with my neglecting my blog since I have been in school... So here are some pictures for her! I hope everyone has a great weekend!




She was not in the mood :)

It's A Boy!! A Great Cookbook & Mr. Mom

Today was special because I found out my best friend, Kim is having a little boy!!! In the middle of my real estate class (which is going well by the way) I got a call and Kim left a message but didn't tell me on the message. So I called everyone trying to get a hold of her... Andy, her mom, Judy, Natalie... I finally got her and sweet Kylie got on the phone and said "brother". We cannot wait to meet this little boy!



I have to share this cookbook. I got it a few years ago at a Southern Living Home party and didn't open it until we moved here. I have to cook now... all the time. Anyway, it is WONDERFUL! If you need a new cookbook I recommend this one for sure!

TJ is doing GREAT with being Mr. Mom while I am in school. I come home to a clean house, dinner cooked, and my sweet children. It's a long day of class but I know it's only for 6 more days. I am SO thankful for my wonderful* husband!

Hope everyone is doing well!


*99.9% of the time

A New Career Begins

Well, tomorrow, Tuesday, I start real estate school. TJ and I both have been looking for jobs but no success. I really want to do real estate because I think it is something I enjoy and hopefully I will be successful. I start school tomorrow and it will be Tuesday- Friday all day for the next two weeks. TJ will be Mr. Mom... taking Karoline to pre-school, cooking, cleaning (he better not forget this part!, and then I will get home around 6pm. I am going to miss my kids like crazy but it's just two weeks. Then it will take a few weeks before I take the state exam. After I pass that (hopefully the first time I take it!) I will begin training with Century 21 Boling & Associates! I had lunch last week with Penny Boling and her daughter Sara (who was our agent) and they said they would be happy to have me as a part of their team. They are the best agency around & I am thrilled to learn from the best!

Working will be a change of pace for me but Mrs. Boling said that I can work as much or as little as needed. I am sad I won't get to be with my children all day but know that it's all going to work out. TJ is going to try and get a night or early morning job (like the YMCA or something) and then work for Wellspring while home with the kids a little, mostly during nap time and after bedtime.

Because of my new career we traded in TJ's truck for a G6... something a little more fuel effecient than a 4 door F150. So it's my car while working and TJ's car when Im not working... either way it is nice to have a not so massive car.

My sweet mom leaves tomorrow. It's been a VERY fun visit and we were thankful she got to stay for a while. Buster is doing great... we LOVE having our sweet puppy around. He is a lot more "work" than Whisper but it makes us be more active so that's a good thing. Karoline and Anderson have had a good week and Karoline can't wait to go to school in the morning. Now here's more pictures...


TJ printed off the computer a craft for him and Karoline to do together... it's her Three Kinds crown. Dora Saves Three Kings Day just premiered!



A little wrestling before church...

Karoline's First Day of Preschool

Karoline woke up ready for her first day at Preschool. We took her at 8:45am and walked her in and she was fine. We left and she just started playing.

At 11:45am we went to pick her up. The director told me she had a great day. Her teacher brought her to the car and said she did great... BUT she went potty in her pants... TWICE! Her teacher said she told her she wanted to potty with mommy at home. She said they were totally fine with Karoline adjusting to their potty and it was no big deal.

So this is what she said when she got in the car:

Me: Did you meet new friends in your class?
KBG: Yes, their just creatures mommy.
And mom and I could not hold back out laughs...

Me: Did you eat a snack at school?
KBG: I won't eat punch, I just eat the cookies.

Me: What is your teachers name?
KBG: My creatures name is Lilly? (I think her name is Elizabeth but maybe they call her Lilly? I'll have to ask)

TJ says she told him about playing with a little girl named Claire and she said to me she played with Anna Belle, so she is already learning her new friends names.

Anyway, it was fun for her and when I put her down for her nap she said "I'll go back to school after my nap mommy." She is ready for Thursday already!




Update on Buster: He did great last night. He came up to my side of the bed a few times and if I just pet him he would lay down. Also, he went in his "house" when we went to get Karoline and did SO well. He even stayed in there and slept for a while after we got home & during dinner. I am SO glad he likes his house. Karoline is warming up to him quickly, and of course Anderson just loves playing with him.

Can You Believe...

... that this sweet boy was on a schedule to be euthanized two days before Thanksgiving??

Yes, we have a new member of the Goff family! This is Buster, formally Butters but we felt like that needed to change and my niece, Pressley, picked out his new name. We were not expecting to get a dog so soon but Buster found his way into our home. Here is the story...

Christmas day we all played with our neighbors dog and the reality that we REALLY missed having a dog in our lives set in. By that night TJ was filling out an application to rescue a dog through the Grateful Golden's Rescue Organization. We rescued Whisper from the DFW Rescue and knew we wanted to do it again. They website says it takes around 4-6 months because the dogs are all over South Carolina. We thought 4-6 months would be good for us too.

They called and did a phone interview and a few days later came in did a house interview and approved our family for adoption. We also told them what we were looking for... SMALL (for a golden at least), house trained, young, well behaved, loves kids, does not bark much, does not have thunderstorm anxiety. That's not a lot to ask for, right!?

Then they told us to wait. They said we would just have to check the website often and we would probably have to drive a long distance to meet a dog.

WELL, they called Saturday night. They said there was a dog that was two years old and small and they wanted us to call the foster mom and possibly meet him AND he was 4 miles from our house!!

From my talk with the foster mom I knew he would be great for us. We met him on Sunday and FELL IN LOVE with this sweet boy! His foster mom told us his story...

- He was owner surrendered to a shelter because "they could not do anything with him"
- The shelter was crowded and he was scheduled to be put to sleep two days before Thanksgiving
- THANKFULLY an employee at the shelter called Grateful Golden's
- He was in such bad shape- dirty, bleeding on his nose probably from neglect in a cage- they cleaned him up and he was in foster care for 6 weeks.

He is WONDERFUL! A lot like Whisper except 45 pounds lighter! They don't think he has thunderstorm anxiety but there where no storm while in their care. He does not mind rain or fireworks so that's a good sign. We LOVE having Buster as a part of our family! His foster mom cried all morning before bring him to us. She is so sweet and said she would come visit often and if we ever go out of town she wants to keep him! She was a blessing for Buster and for us!

I cannot tell you how happy my children are to have a golden back in the house. Anderson LOVES bring him his toys and Karoline just LOVES her "puppy".

Welcome home Buster!





Buster's foster mom, Lorraine


** On a side note, Anderson went potty in the potty today for the first time!!! AND Karoline starts school tomorrow!!

Gandaddy Leaves

My dad had to leave Saturday night and we miss him so much. The kids had a BLAST with him. They took MANY long walks in the wagon and the stroller, sometimes twice a day, and played in the back yard most of the day. Any time dad went outside on the patio and didn't take Anderson with him Anderson would to go the door and cry and bang on it until we let him out with dad. It was so cute! Also, Dad is already trying to get Karoline interested in playing golf but I still think she is going to stick with soccer. We were spoiled with such a long visit from Gandaddy.

The New Year and Mommy Wise

Happy New Year! 2009!


I was thinking about my "resolutions" for this New Year and my list was WAY too long. There are so many things I WANT to do but having two young children makes things really hard. I struggle to find balance in my life. How do I juggle being a good supportive wife, an involved loving yet good at discipline mom, keep up my house duties, do the family finances, possibly be a working mother, trying to find time to take care of myself (working out!), and finding time to rest and listen to what my Heavenly Father is telling/ teaching me!

I was telling TJ that I need to put myself on a strict schedule. Why didn't someone come out with Mommy Wise? Baby Wise is a wonderful program that helps you get your babies on a great schedule/ routine. It works out great. My children are and have always been on a great schedule! I cannot say the same for me! I make sure their on schedule but that leaves me living my life around their schedule. This leads to some days without a shower, no quiet time, no time for working out, not enough quality time with TJ...

So my new years resolution is to figure out a schedule that works for ME and TJ and then also try and keep my childrens schedule (as best as possible). Everyone is probably saying "Good luck with that!".

So, if anyone could write a book called Mommy Wise and help me out with this that would be great! Happy New Year!