The Zoo, The Oscars and Happy Birthday, Ema!

We have been keeping busy! There's the home improvement project we did (I'll post pictures on here in April after Ben sees it) and that took up a lot of days. We've gone to dinner and lunch quite a bit, too.

This weekend we went to the Waco Zoo with my friend Mandy and her son, Will. Lauren had a good time. She likes looking at the animals. I think she liked the giraffes the best. She got new sunglasses on Friday that she wore during her ride through the zoo.

Last night we went to an Oscar's party at my friend Katherine's house. I made sugar cookies and decorated them like the Oscar winner envelopes. We had a lot of food and a good time.

The weather has been really nice here in Texas, it's been getting into the high 70's all week. We've been in t-shirts and sandals already.

Ben's still doing well. He said right now he's a little bit bored, but he's getting some down time which he hadn't been getting in the last few months. He's catching up on movies and getting in to the gym again. And we can cross another week off! Only five more weeks or so until he comes home!

And Happy Birthday, Ema!

1 AM and I can't sleep

This week Lauren and I both finally felt better from our colds. Tuesday we went to lunch with Megan and then hit up a good scrapbooking sale at Hobby Lobby. Wednesday I went back to the dentist to have him file down a filling that was messing with my bite. It was an easy appointment. I was in and out in about fifteen minutes. I never expected that one of the best visits to the dentist would involve a drill and not being numb. But it was great, my bite is back like it should be and I haven't woken up with a sore jaw since. We went to lunch again on Wednesday, this time with Megan, Katrina, Katherine and her son Ethan who is 9 months old. I don't know why I don't go to Bennigan's more often, I love their potato soup.

Tonight we had Mark and Megan over to join us for dinner and to watch "Lost". I made my shredded beef enchiladas and Mark brought over his new camera so I could show him some photography stuff on it.

Tomorrow our only plan is to go to the mall in the morning with Katherine and Ethan. I also need to put up a new toilet paper holder that I bought for the hall bathroom. I got the new towel rack up today before Mark and Megan got here. I think the bathroom is going to look really nice when it's done.

I upgraded my cell phone to the RAZR. I even got it in pink. So far I really like this phone, it's pretty easy to use, and I haven't had a fun phone in a while. The best part is that it was free since it was time to renew our contract anyway.

Ben is doing well, he's on a night schedule now. We're waiting to hear the days for his R&R. We should find them out about 30 days before he comes home, so we should know by the first week of March. I'm very excited that it's only about 6 weeks away! Which also means Lauren will be 2 in 6 weeks!!! I can't believe it. She counts to about 14 now, and she's always singing "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star".... sometimes with the real words, and sometimes with completely made up lyrics that include 'Dora', 'Mommy', 'Water', 'Bear' or 'Kitty'. Hahahaha. She is a lot of fun.

To California and back

Lauren and I flew out on the 24th. We had an easy flight from Killeen to Dallas, we ate some dinner and found the kids play area at the airport, and then she fell asleep for the first half of the three hour flight to Palm Springs. We got in and got some dinner and went to sleep. We spent the first few days of the trip at Dad and Jessica's house. Lauren got along really well with Jackson and she loved to follow Carson around the house. We went down to Las Casuelas and she danced to her grandpa and the band. Then Wednesday the 30th, we got a rental car and drove to Mom and Joe's house. Lauren liked going up and down the stairs and she liked calling Allie to follow her around. I spent about six hours scanning in old pictures from the late 70's and early 80's. I got a lot of pictures of myself as a baby and toddler, and some of my mom pregnant with me and a bunch of my dad playing in different bands.

After seeing so many pictures of me at this age, I think Lauren looks more like Ben than she does like me. I scanned in around 300 old photos and there's a lot to go through and edit and get prints of, and that was only from the first box we went through. I have a feeling there will be more trips that include a lot of scanning in the future.

Rachelle's birthday was the 3rd. We went out to a Tapas bar in Temecula. The food was so good. There wasn't one thing I tried that I didn't like. Everything was so delicious. I think she had a nice birthday.

We drove back on Monday and returned the rental car and then flew out on Tuesday. The entire day of traveling was very humbling for me as a parent, and a good chance to learn patience. Our flight out of Palm Springs was delayed by quite a bit. Before we boarded we got moved to a later connecting flight. Lauren took her nap and woke up at the airport before the plane was even at the gate. She was squirmy and unhappy for a good portion of the flight and then she threw up all over me about half an hour before we landed. The flight attendants resat the man next to us, and I was able to clean Lauren up and get her in a new outfit, but I was nicely stained for the rest of the day. We landed, got dinner, found our gate and went to the children's play area again. We went back to our gate to board after the flight was delayed several times, and the last half hour before we finally boarded was the worst. Lauren finally had enough traveling, enough of airports and airplanes and just wanted to be home. Her exhaustion got the better of her, and she ended up throwing herself on the floor of the terminal, her face in her hands, and just sobbed. She didn't want me to pick her up, she didn't want anything to do with anyone. Finally she let me pick her up and I took her to the bathroom to wash her face and try to calm her down, and eventually she put her head on my shoulder and went to sleep. She slept through boarding, the flight, the drive home, and the rest of the night. Originally we were supposed to get home at 6:30 pm, but after all the delays due to technical difficulties and bad weather, we didn't get home until after midnight. My checked bag didn't make it on the flight we were on, but it was delivered the next day to the house.

It was a good trip aside from the last day of traveling, and I'm so glad we went, but it is so good to be home!