Lisa Blakley

I'm Married!

It was a small wedding with mostly family. After three weeks of 65 plus weather and sunshine an ice storm hit the day of our festivities. Regardless of the weather we had a wonderful time, very little nervousness, no doubts, and lots and lots of kisses and love. Here are some of the photos, although I'm sure to post more soon.

I thought the blue flowers looked like they were flying out of the bouquet like butterflies...they were gorgeous. (My in-laws made them, thanks Trig and John).
Christopher looks so angelic, it's a trick--don't trust it for a moment.

This is why he gets the name "Goofy boots McGee" he is silly silly!
He hadn't seen me in 24 hours and snuck into the bridal chamber for hugs and kisses.

This is our silly romantic, fancy kiss picture!
All the flowers! Wahoo. They were perfect!
Above and below: My two favorite photos from the day.

Goofy boots returns.
Being a little camera shy.
Thanks to Kansas weather, we had an ice storm in the middle of an otherwise gorgeous week.

Jack visiting Aunt Lisa in the bridal chamber
It was a kissing sort of day!
The ladies Man!
My Dad and Me!


All the nephews and one niece.

My Momma
We're married--it's official.




Trig and John. Bobby's parents.

It didn't take us long to get here...but I think we always knew it would come....and soon. Much love to my new husband.

Life

Things have been incredibly busy the last few weeks and with the lack of internet in the new home thus far, a bit of a pain to get on-line. So sorry for the absence of blogs. I stopped by my brothers and thought an update were in order.

Life at the new house is settling in. We still need to spend some time in KC at our old residence putting in the elbow grease to worthy our deposit back, but then we are free and clear. We've grown used to the trains and hardly notice they exist anymore, the porch--fully equipped with Sky Chairs has been our favorite thing about the house. Lots of mornings spent hanging in the breeze. Julian is enjoying the porch as well and already has a brigade of hot wheels parked in various corners.

Other than that, not much to relay. There will be plenty to discuss in coming weeks...until then, I hope everyone is well!

Life in the new house

Well, we are settled in to the new house...for the most part.

I've unpacked the kitchen, the bathroom, set-up the beds, and pushed the boxes around to form a path to the laundry room, bathroom, and bedrooms, and all exterior doors. I certainly still have my work cut out for me--but happy to be home...which this new home certainly feel like.

We love the train and can't get enough of it.

The rain has been a welcome addition, as I love to fall asleep to thunder, and in general the wetness and booming of the trains and thunder have softened the thudding of cat and kitten feet that so often keep us up at night.

New things: Hopper started out afraid of the ceiling fan, although not the train for some reason. He has adapted to the ceiling fan, but he and Julian still stand at the glass front door and watch every train that goes by (man, I wish I had a camera). Dinner has been made in the house several times now, and due to some very crisped bagels yesterday I learned that all the smoke detectors work...even the one in the basement. Although I love wood floors and thought the carpet would be awful...with a kid and cats--the carpet adds some mufflization to the noise (is that a word, haha).

More on the house when it is up and running...all together! Maybe even some picks.

HAve a happy rainy Tuesday!

Lisa

Celebration!

It's official...we are now out and about, all day in big-boy underwear. I guess our little scheme worked. He has earned his toys back and the plan isn't even an issue any more. Now...we're working on naps...soon it will be all night. In general it is night and day, and everyone is excited--most importantly Julian! He is very proud of himself!

YAY

For those of you who hadn't heard, we are moving back to Lawrence. I know I know, we're all over the place. The house we are in now won't let us stay with our pets and since Lawrence is on the horizon we figured, better now than another move down the line. The goal--to find a place we could stay for awhile.

After driving around Lawrence all day, making calls all week, and having some high standards we found what we consider the perfect place.

We love the owner/landlord, he is allowing us to have our pets, and it has a big porch, fenced in yard, all the basic amenities we require...and two very large bedrooms, washer/dryer hook-up, Living Room, Dining Room, small but functional kitchen, unfinished basement for Bobby's woodwork...and a nice big deck. It is near the train--which Julian is ecstatic over (very near)...and to our approval does not have neighbors very near. Across the street on two sides and then two big empty commercial lots behind and to the other side. Here is a picture, although the outside does not do it justice.

Finally...he is going to let me paint. Wahoo! We're packing this week and moving over the weekend.

Finally.

Finally, a plan everyone can agree upon.

We've had some trouble with Potty Training. It is hard enough for two parents united in a cause to convince a three-year-old to do something he doesn't want to, but when you throw two households and three parents, as well as day-time care into the equation the trouble as well as the efforts multiply.

Julian has decided he wants nothing to do with growing up...especially when it comes to using the potty. He has very efficiently managed to manipulate each parent in a different way. Me...he just doesn't go to the bathroom, with his father he cries until Bobby gives in and puts a pull-up on him, and his Mom--well I'm not sure what he is doing but I have a feeling it is similar to what works on his dad. I'm impervious to tears--so I'm not the best of friends these days.

Today however, big-boy underwear on, and already an accident behind us, Julian barricaded himself in his bedroom, emerging 15 minutes later with pants full of you know what. Clearly he is intentionally going to the bathroom, so there has to be a method of training that will suffice. Buying him things does not work--he has more stuff than he could ever want and with separated parents is often rewarded with gifts from two different families, time-out is just five minutes of drama and a forgotten cause, and sweets do not phase him, he'll happily forgo sweets in order to stay in his pull-ups and not face the toilet.

So, the new potty training plan, which all three parents have agreed on, Julian has been briefed, and has been implemented once already is as follows.

1) No new toys are to be purchased until he is fully potty-trained (he has enough anyway).
2) Every time he goes to the bathroom in his big-boy pants, he loses a toy. (it is tucked away in plain-site)
and finally the catch...
3) Every time he uses the potty successfully he earns a toy back

Finally when he is fully potty trained we've agreed to contact BNSF for a tour as a grand and final celebration!!!

Comments

For those of you trying to leave comments...I have fixed my settings. Sorry about that.