Lola- 18 months

Back in September, Lola turned 18 months. Since this basically her baby book I felt the need to document what she doing now (a month late).

 

 

Lola is a friendly chick who thinks every day is a party. She is very laid back and go with the flow. She loves her babies and stuff animals. A different one each week is her favorite. She recently got a pink purse that she carries around everywhere on her elbow like a little old lady. She loves to read. She can sit with someone as long as they are willing to read to her. Most mornings she  has to have her puppy, purse and a book with her right from out of bed. She can be a bit of a hoarder.

 

Lola has a great vocabulary. She can tell you most animals and their sounds. We are working on colors and she does fairly well on those as well. Her teacher is practicing Spanish words with her and she can say red and blue in Spanish. She talks a lot more than Lincoln did at this age but it could be a gender thing or that she talks a lot.

 

 



 

Lola is still a great eater. She will eat most of everything unless it is meat. She loves donuts, pasta, strawberries, nutri-grain bars, goldfish, most veggies and pretty much whatever we put in front of her. She is a milk drinker most of the time or water. Not a huge fan of juice.

Lola is now a great sleeper. She goes to bed about 7 and we wake her up around 6:30. On weekends, it is common for her to sleep until 8:00 or so (much later than her brother). She takes one nap a day.

Lola did seem to inherent the awful sinus/ allergies from me like Lincoln did. She is set to have tubes in and adenoids out in December so we are fighting nasty allergies until then.

Lola got her first haircut this past week. Her hair was getting little stringy in some areas. She did great and sat still for the most part.

Calling all SUper heroes

Way back when Lincoln turned 4 and since I use this blog as a baby book, I figured I better document it.

 

Selling the idea of a superhero party to Lincoln this year was easy. I gave up my control issues about having parties at my house and we rented a nearby gymnastics place. It worked out perfect because we had a downpour right at party time so I am thankful we were all inside. 

The one picture of Lincoln I could get with his standing still. 

 The food table. It wasn't much but it made the party so stress-free.

 The favors. His Nena came to the rescue and made capes for all his friends. They were great!

 Lola and Abby, who really do enjoy each other despite what pictures show.

 Lincoln has always been shy when it comes to everyone singing to him.

 All the heroes for one quick picture!

 Lincoln opening presents on the birthday chair.

It was a fun party and almost stress-free! We will see what happens next!

A letter to my children.... (link up)

I am linking up today to join in with writing a letter to our children in the future.

 

Here are my precious angels before church. This is as good as it gets picture-wise on a Sunday morning.

 Dear (future) Lincoln-

I am sure that your need for structure and routine will land you a job in an office somewhere. You will be eating the same breakfast every day except your donut Friday. Maybe by this time you will have stopped getting the donut just for the character ring on top but you may not. You will be a quiet leader but definitely still a rule follower. I am sure your boss loves when you ask 5,000,000,000 times why a meeting was rescheduled even though it was on the work agenda for weeks.

You are funny. Not forced funny, but naturally funny like your dad. I am sure this has made many teachers roll their eyes but your charming smile will get you out of trouble. Your humor will be the reason you are the life of the party in college. But with your need for your routine you will still go to class on time, everyday because that is what you do.

You have so many friends because you like to have a good time. Your wife will get frustrated with your need to wake up early just to watch TV because like I said you have to things to same way every day. But you will love her unconditionally but that's what you do. You are a lover to your family.

 

Lastly, I hope you always start your sales pitch with 'How about we do dis (this)?" it will most likely always get you your way.

 

 

Dear (future) Lola-

Oh girlfriend, you are the life of the party! You never meet a stranger and you are BFFs with everyone. This will get you many friends in college. Praying your college days aren't too crazy because unlike your brother, you are pretty go with the flow and schedules aren't your thing.

 

Your limited number of dates in high school are not because of your outgoing personality but because boys can't afford to pay for that restaurant bill. You have yet to meet a food you didn't like.  Please the soul you takes too long to prepare your food because you will put on quite the tantrum until it is done and on the table for you. Then you are back to your bubbly self.

Your career will lead more towards hair dresser or fashion designer. Something that requires your creativity and ability to chat it up with colleagues.

 

Your husband and you will be sleeping in separate rooms because you awake at the drop of the pin. Once you are up, then you are thinking the party has started. You are grins and giggles all day until it is bed time. He will tell you daily how pretty you are inside and out because you are.

 

 

I pray for my children to stand strong in their faith and love their families like nothing else. I pray they work hard and are pleasantly content with what they reap. I pray they make healthy, solid friendships who build up their character and not tear them down. I pray they are the light in some one's dark world. I pray they make lots of money so they care for their tired, broke parents. :) 

Summer 2013

I never meant to abandon the blog but life is busy and I just did. Tonight is the last night of summer so I figured I would do a quick recap of the summer (in 2 posts). We didn't have any big vacation planned because with two small children a vacation is more like work.

 

Blogger is not cooperating with me so all the pictures are out of order. Plus we did somethings more than once so I am more recapping summer by the events that happened and less WHEN they happened. Follow? Good.

 

 

Week in Kansas

The kids and I spent a week in Kansas just playing. Lincoln had fun with Grandma Nimz building tents.

 Lola being her sassy herself.

 Also in Kansas, we went to a water park, played at a fun toy store, went to the zoo, rode a train and enjoyed family time.

Celebrated the fourth

We went to the Grand Prairie Airhogs game with friends and family. We stayed up way too late but saw some awesome fireworks.

Cousin Camp
My sister and her kids always come for a week and we spend it together with my parents and my SIL and her kids. Lincoln LOVES his cousins so this a great week for him.

We went to Legoland one day.

 Lola and Abby are about 3 months apart so they get to match a lot.

 4 of the 6 cousins getting ready to watch RO fireworks a few days early.

 

Splash Park
The kids and I spent a few days at the local splash park. Lincoln was brave enough this year to actually run through the water and play. Lola preferred to stand on the side and look cute.

Father's Day weekend "camping"
We spent Father's Day weekend at Beavers Bend Lake with Shane's family "camping". I use the term camping loosely because we were all in a nice cabin with a hot tub.

Lola found her love for popcorn. The rest of us were lucky to get any after she got her hands on it.

 We enjoyed smores by a blazing hot fire. There was no breeze and it was HOT so that lasted a short bit. But the smores were tasty!

 We swam in the lake.

 The 3 Nimz cousins together at the lake.

That was half of the summer. Hopefully I will post the rest later.

A letter to Carrie at 21

 

I am linking up some hilarious bloggers Jake and Holly with a letter to myself at 21. I know I am still hanging onto my 20s (last year!) but my life is much different than it was 9 short years ago. I need to write a letter to my snotty, bratty 16 year old. Yikes!

Dear 21 year old Carrie,

You are finishing up your college life. Enjoy it! Life after college is hard, good but hard. You studied hard enough and graduated in 4 years. Way to go! Now it is the real world.

You are single (but not for long) and you have a great group of girlfriends who are all single. Stay close to them. They made the memories of college great! The days of nothing to do and nowhere to go are almost over and you will almost wish them back. The summer days of laying out all day until your "dysfunctional family" made plans will soon be just a funny memory.

You were not crazy in college but your friends helped make some great stories that will last forever. This is (almost) the last time you will live in a house with only girls. Be thankful. Husbands are great but your college house doesn't compare in different ways.

 

 You graduate college and move back to DFW. Be thankful that your parents let you live with them until you find an apartment. The apartment was great at the time but it is SHADY! Dark hallways and dim parking lots were not in the apartment brochure. You and Ashley survived. You have your ups and downs with Ashley but she is still someone you can call if you need anything. She will come to your rescue one night after you have a baby with a meal in hand and you will remember how great she is.

Stop tanning! You get darker naturally WITH sunscreen! Don't waste away your skin or money. Still keeping my fingers crossed that we did no damage then.

You are not fat! After your second baby will come a new transformation where you lose 50 lbs and you will wish you still had your college body.

Keely was your ACU roomie and after college roomie. She is great. There are times were you don't understand her but she will make you laugh. Live up the days when you lay in her bed and discuss the night before. Again, the all girl time will slip away and you will be a tad sad.

 Appreciate ACU. It is a great college where you will make lots of memories. Your college loans will be paid off at some point. You were lucky enough to get into a great school and have parents who helped you financially stay there. Live it up! You will miss it!

As for your parents, you have learned how wonderful they are. Not because they have let loose on you since you are almost an adult but because you have grown up in the last few years and realize how great they are! You will not fully appreciate them until you have your own kids but you know they are great.

Your 21st birthday is great! A girls' night out in Dallas is a blast. Pete's Piano Bar does deliver. And no, you did not dance on a table like some friends trued to convince you did.

But the best part of being 21 is that guy you will meet the weekend after your 21st birthday. That bald, cute guy you meet through friends on Jason's patio will one day be the man you pick to marry and have a family with. He is fun to have out but he is also caring, hardworking and will love your babies like no one else can. You two will make it through some hard times like moving, losing loved ones, and having a sick baby. But the key is that you two will make it and there is no one else you would rather battle this world with!

So to sum it up, don't try to rush life. You will get a job and you will marry but for now enjoy your easy life and the fact that you can pee and take a shower alone in silence. That will come to end in about 9 years.

Batter Up!

We jumped into the world of organized sports. Lincoln started t-ball this spring. He has had 3 games so far and he gets better and better.

 

 I love this boy!

 A true baseball player already!

 He's baseball ready!

It has been watching him play every Saturday.

Happy Birthday, Mom!

My mom had a milestone birthday this year so we decided to get everyone together for a party. Since all her 3 children and add-ons were going to be together, we decided to have a family picture made since the last one does not include Lola and Abby. I think we got some good ones. 

All the girls.

Ready to pick up chicks. Oh these 3 boys make for lots of wrestling and laughs.

My little unit. Lola is the "smilest" baby until a stranger gets out their camera then she is all blank face. I think it's her model face.

All the grandbabies. I am not sure we will ever get all 6 smiling in the same shot.

Another family picture

This was an outtake from the day. It shows what actually happens with this crowd. A wasp flew by Phoebe and she FREAKED OUT (she does it so well). All the adults reacted to that and this picture was snapped. This might be my favorite!

Happy Birthday, Mom! I hope it was a great birthday. We love you! Carrie