Almost Done, 2017

We just finished our last vacation of the year and I would render it a complete success, except, we worked harder than either of us do when we are not on vacation... Starting on Wednesday before Thanksgiving, PJ came home and we were GO GO GO!!! We started by heading to the mall and changing our phone plan, which took far too long with 2 toddlers in tow. They were quite gracious and we were able to enjoy dinner and settle the girls down before the long drive to San Jacinto to start the festivities with Jessy's parents.

On Thursday, Jessy battled the temptations of several different pies and extra Thanksgiving starches. PJ indulged in all of the potatoes and mac n cheese, and the girls were basking in all the attention. We had wonderful family time and welcomed in the Christmas season with movies after dinner.

Thursday night we headed up to Reno to visit PJ's family. Though his parents live in our area, they and his brother (Peter) were there to visit his sister (Christine). Christine just moved there this fall after landing her first position as a psychiatrist! She was so excited to host everyone and it was such a beautiful place to visit. We weren't in the touristy area, but close to the Reno-Tahoe Airport in a nice neighborhood. All that to say, the drive was not too bad and the girls slept wonderfully!

It was a calm few days up there playing games, cooking lots of food, and catching up since we don't get to see PJ's siblings very often. It did not take long for AJ and E to warm up to and love their auntie and it was so precious to see her enjoy her time with them.

After a long trek home, Jessy had doctor and dental appointments, PJ had a DMV appointment, we ended up having maintenance done on the family car, we had a dinner and lunch with our small group then Jessy took AJ to Disneyland with her parents to top off a fun week. In short, we committed to too many things and I lost site of our schedule until it was too late to change anything. We over-committed and ended up more tired than before. It's okay, though, we were thankful for all of the family time we had as well as the ability to take care of things (like vehicle maintenance).

PJ found out that there is going to be some corporate management changes, which may or may not alter his leadership program, but definitely has altered his manager over him. Hopefully, he will have the opportunity to meet his new manager soon. In the mean time, we are praying for wisdom as PJ seeks to get his store back to normal after his absence. Please be praying for him, as there are a lot of changes happening and he is uncertain how to encourage his team through all of the issues they are having lately.

Jessy is overwhelmed with trying to get everything back to normal at home, update the schedule and organize. Please be praying for discernment and intentionality with time. AJ seems to be coming down with something, so prayer for swift healing would also be appreciated. They both also seem to be teething and going through growth spurts continuously, hopefully this will be a short season of growing pains.

E at 10 Months

Wow, what a whirlwind! This little nugget is, well, not a little nugget! She is WALKING, has 4 teeth - & 2 more coming - still adores big sis, is learning how to climb and loves to smile.

E is a growler who tends to to be unsure as to whether she should growl or giggle when you hand her a bottle. She steals Ate's milk and thinks it tastes far better than her formula. Who can blame her, once you've hit table food, it's difficult to find that powder stuff appetizing. Sometimes, mommy still struggles with the fact that she didn't push harder to breastfeed, but it is what it is and both babies are happy, smart and healthy, so mommy can't complain.

It is such a joy to see the love these girls share and how much they enjoy one another. It is crazy to me that E is taking steps so consistently now and it is fun to watch them communicate in their own little language. AJ is the most helpful toddler I know. She comforts MeiMei when she cries at diaper change time and throws away the trash so her little sis doesn't get a hold of it. On the flip side, it is difficult to share her blankie, but you know how that is!

Update - May 14

It has been a great week for me here at home. After a successful grocery trip, I was able to spend Friday preparing for next week. All of our dinners are ready, lunches are done, just have to do the actual cooking :) I am so excited that I was able to prepare everything and feel so accomplished about how I spent my time and energy yesterday.

PJ has had a bit of a rough go at work this week. A few wrong fills brought about an incident report and he had to stay late yesterday to keep up. The store is definitely feeling the loss of their awesome extern, along with a few days without one of the top technicians (his wife had a baby, so we're excited for them). It has just been a tough week, though, so we are praying that he can get ahead today. It seems to be overcast, so hopefully it will be a slow day.

AJ is growing and learning and very adventurous. Every chance she gets, she is pulling herself up to stand, starting to scale the coffee tables, couches, and walls; and she loves to laugh, squeal and observe, as well as eat everything she climbs on. There seems to be some constant teething, but nothing has cut still. Yesterday she made a huge stride in eating. We have been giving her dissolvable cereal and letting her test other foods besides the baby stuff, and she picked up her cereal yesterday and put it right in her mouth! The simplest things are so exciting! We are not quite doing it every time, as she is fisting pieces and not opening her hand to put them in her mouth, she leans over her tray to eat like a puppy. I love my silly little peanut!

We also had dinner with Kelley and Sean this week. Kelley was here on Wednesday to enjoy some yummy comfort food, and brought a beautiful bouquet of flowers for Mother's Day! She is such a loving friend and encourager! Sean stopped by on Monday to enjoy some pasta and catch up after a long while! Enjoyed catching up and hearing about his schooling and church. We are excited to stay caught up and see how school goes over the next couple of years.

Tuesday was a tough day for me after I got my first adjustment with steel ties on my braces. It has been new pain, as cold has become quite sensitive for me. It's going to be more getting used to, after I thought I just got the hang of these things.

Thursday was a great day, too! PJ's parents were generous enough to watch AJ while we had a movie date to go see Captain America: Civil War! Highly recommend, you should go check it out. Later, my brother came over and for dinner, PJ's parents took us for a yummy evening at Red Robin!

So, it has been an awesome week, busy, but fun. I am definitely looking forward to having a relaxing Sunday afternoon at home tomorrow.

That's a short update for our little family. Love you all!

-Jessy