New Gadgets

We are full of fun new things around here. Our new camera finally got here {the day after Easter, so I didn't get to play with it and capture good pictures from Edens egg hunt.} Lane and I both got new phones the other day and I'm IN LOVE with it. I was able to add an application to my phone that helps with my runs. I'm trying to stick with running even though I don't have the stroller brigade running at my side anymore, so I needed something to help me with the motivation.

When I was in GA I started the Couch to 5k program, and with the new phone, I'm able to have the application to help keep track of my runs. The program is designed in a fashion that allows you to run/walk in different timed intervals. This week I've been doing week 4 and all of my runs have been the same:

Warm up: 5 minute walk
Work out: jog 3 minutes, walk 90 seconds, jog 5 minutes, walk 2.5 minutes, jog 3 minutes, walk 90 seconds, jog 5 minutes
Cool Down: 5 minute walk

I think its amazing that now that I don't have an excuse of not being able to time my intervals {the phone "dings" at me to tell me to change from walk to run or run to walk} I mentally won't allow myself to not go out on a run. I've decided that I'm not a good runner, but I'm alright with being an ok jogger for now. I'll work up to becoming a good jogger, then a good runner!

There are days that the weather down here in Texas makes it REALLY hard to get the motivation to go. Today when Eden and I went out for our run it was already 75 degrees at 10am and the wind was insane. That is one of the things we've learned about Corpus, the wind NEVER stops blowing {and if you get lucky and have a few minutes without wind, you get bugs...} Running in the wind with the jogging stroller makes it feel like I'm running into the wind with an open umbrella behind me. I guess that will make me stronger because I've got added resistance.

Casualty

Well, Eden has killed her first book. She has some books with flaps in it and she ripped one the other day. She ripped it with complete joy, too.

Eden has started enjoying books recently. We've always read to her, but now she'll bring a book to us and sit in our lap so we can read to her. I love that she's started enjoying books {even if she doesn't sit through a whole book and she flips the pages before you're done eading the current page}.

Though she loves books, I only let her play wih her board books. I've been so careful with keeping books with paper pages away from her {because she loves to rip paper} and she found them last week. I didn't think it would be a problem because she was playing so well with them to begin with...I guess she got bored! She started pulling at the flap and when she realized that it would tear a smile spread across her face and she just tore the flap righ off the book!

I think I might put the paer-paged-books out of sight again, at least for a little while longer...

Good Friday

Today is a GOOD day! It is Good Friday! That means that Easter is just around the corner! {Only 3 more days and I can look at facebook again!} Aside from Eden's first Easter Egg hunt {all alone in our backyard} and having another couple over for brunch, we don't have much planned for the weekend.

As Easter approaches, I will always remember a Sunday School lesson that was taught on Palm Sunday one year when I was in high school. The teacher asked us to think about what our plans were for the following Friday {Good Friday}. Then he asked us to always remember what Good Friday is, and what its historical meaning holds for us as Christians. Since then I have tried to take the time to remember what Jesus went through on His journey to the cross - all the beatings, the torture, and the betrayals by his friends. And then I remember that on this day, he died.

Today is the day that we remember that Christ died for us. {Wow, how crazy is it that he died for us!} Anyways, I know it's called Good Friday, however, I always get sad on this day. I know that without Good Friday we cannot have the celebration of Easter, and without the meaning behind Easter, we cannot live eternally, but the idea of someone that I love dying, makes me sad. Don't get me wrong, I am forever grateful for the death of Jesus {because of His resurrection that follows}. As the weekend progresses and we mourn the physical death of Jesus, I will remember that on Sunday we celebrate! We will celebrate the return of Jesus, and we will celebrate that, because of this, we will live forever!

Photo Book

I just ordered this book on Shutterfly. I'm not going to lie, I'm a shutterfly junkie! I am always looking for new things to buy and create with pictures. I said I was only going to scrapbook Eden's first year {which is a good thing, because I'm only on May of last year!!!}, so this will be a good way for me to make up for lost time! My parents give each of us {them, my sister, me, and my brother} a book to capture each Fripp Tripp that we take over Labor Day weekend, too. One day my bookshelves are just going to be packed with photo books instead of reading books. I won't complain, that's for sure!

Click here to view this photo book larger

Confession

I'm enjoying Texas!

I remember telling Lane before he started API and Primary when we were in Florida {after finding out that Texas was an option for portions of flight school} that if he ever had to go to Texas for training that I was moving back to Atlanta and living with my parents while he finished flight school. I know, I jumped to conclusions that this place would be terrible, but it isn't. I of course, also, wouldn't take Eden away from her Daddy just because I didn't want to be in Texas {especially since it isn't that bad}. I mean, they're totally in love with each other and she's becoming more and more of a Daddy's girl every day.

So, what's there to love about this place? I don't really know. I can't put my finger on it, but I'm enjoying it for some reason. I don't ever have to fix my hair because the wind is ALWAYS blowing. Actually, I'm pretty sure its been windy every day, all day, since we've been here. We've also yet to see a drop of rain yet. I know this isn't always a good thing, but it's allowed Eden and me to go for walks every day and/or night since we've been here. She's loving her wagon!

So there you have it, I like Texas. Who would have thought?

Home Again

April 11 - Eden was trying to help in her room. I still don't think her room is unpacked yet because of all the help she's been willing to continually offer.

April 12 - Eden on the playground on our block.

April 12 - She had no fear, she went to the top, turned around, and smiled the whole way down!

April 13 - The view of the living room in shambles from the front door! Ugh, I can't believe how much harder it is to get things put away with a child running around!

April 13 - The other half of the living room.

April 13 - The kitchen from the living room.

April 13 - Dining room from the living room/edge of the kitchen counter.

April 13 - Living room from the kitchen.

April 14 - Eden and I went on a walk around the block. This isn't the best picture, but I love that her hair is blowing in the wind!

April 14 - Eden heard an airplane taking off.

April 15 - The moon was huge! This is the view of the moon from our backyard.

April 16 - Eden and Daddy going to Home Depot with me to buy things for the projects that I wanted to accomplish.

April 17 - The picture frames that are around the windows in our bedroom. After my painting experience in GA, I feel like I can accomplish anything! I painted the mat in the frame to match the room and the scrapbook paper that is the "picture" in the frame.

April 17 - the bedroom window with the pictures on either side.

April 17 - Eden at her very first baseball game. We went to a minor league game, the Corpus Christi Hooks.

April 17 - Eden at the Hooks game on the playground. She loved it and just wandered around all by herself {until the homerun horn was blown and it scared her half to death!}

April 18 - Eden playing in her rice tub {similar to a sand box}. I saw that a friend of mine did this for her children and I've been waiting to get down to Texas {so we didn't have to move an extra couple of things} to get it up and running. Super easy...the tub + rice + any kitchen utensils I'm willing to let her play with to scoop, dig, and fling rice EVERYWHERE! I have another tub that I'm going to use for a water tub {similar to a water talbe, but much cheaper!}

April 19 - Eden's first watermelon experience! She couldn't grasp that the red was the good part and the green isn't so good.

April 19 - Another airplane sighting!

April 19 - Look at that belly! She's so great!

April 19 - What a big bite!

NOLA

April 9 - Grandma, Lane, and Eden eating lunch at Jacob's going away party. Jacob left the following Monday for Paris Island to join the few, the proud!

April 9 - Eden with her water cup because it was HOT!

April 9 - Chantelle, Grandma, Jacob, and Jeanine

April 9 - Lane, Grandma, and Jacob

April 9 - The cousins

April 9 - {Eden's} Grandma and Eden eating strawberry shortcake. I'm not sure that Grandma ate much of the dessert.

April 9 - Eden and {Great}Grandma waiting on the great-grandchild picture. I think ALL of the kids wanted to be over and done with this before the adults were ready to throw in the towel.

April 9 - Some of the great grandchildren.

April 9 - Another attempt.

April 9 - Eden and Reid. They're 3 months apart, she's younger.

April 10 - Eden picked up quickly the art of licking an ice cream cone.