Weekly Adventures in the Baetz Household

Yes, you guessed it, Spring has arrived in Ardmore! Avery & I went flip-flop shopping today. (Which, by the way, is so much more fun to do when daddy or bubba isn't with us, just us girls.) We tried on different sandals & had girl fun!

So now that the grass has completely recovered from the massive snow piles we have beautiful, thick green grass sprouting up from the ground! I hadn't even noticed them until I saw Roxy chewing on something. I walked over & to my surprise I found green! I hadn't seen anything truly green in a while, so it was quite a surprise!

Hunter got a hair cut (he has Spring pictures on Monday- so we thought he'd better look extra handsome.) Today, he came home from school with a confession, "Mama, I have a new girlfriend." Me, giving a look only a mom can give, "Oh really? What's her name? How did you get her to be your girlfriend?" Hunter: "Her name is Gracie. & Well, she told me that she loved me, then I told her I loved her." Rolling my eyes, "So that makes you bf & gf?" Hunter: "Yes, mama!!" ---- Lord help me!!!!

& Avery did a little window shopping... Myself, Avery, my sister-in-law & mother-in-law had a nice afternoon "downtown". We went to a tiny little hamburger diner (when I say tiny, I mean TINY... only two tables & then a bar with bar stools & that is all she wrote for seating room.) But let me tell you- this place was amazing! The best onion rings I've ever tasted & a mouthwatering burger... fattening, I know, but oh so good. It really makes me appreciate this town & it's history. My mother-in-law, Melinda, told me how when she was younger her Granny would drive through the Drive-Thru & pick up some burgers at this same place. Amazing. Cute. Historic. Old memories told & new memories made.

Lastly, I did it. I gave in & took Roxy to get professionally groomed at Pet Co. She LOVED it! I will definitely do it more often for her. She was so pretty :) We are thinking about making an investment (as we are going to put it) & purchase a male Yorkie to breed... & it will be my "job". We are still in the research stage & making sure we can put money aside to invest money then make money.

This weekend we are going down to Fort Worth to visit (and I need to get my cousin a wedding gift). I am really excited. I haven't been home in about 2 months so it'll be nice to see family & friends. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! Let's hope it doesn't get too warm ;)

Great News!

I just got off the phone with my grandma (my Nana) and she is so generously paying for us to stay in a hotel in Lubbock for my cousin's wedding coming up in March! I am so excited. Without her help, I really don't think we could have afforded to go & now I get to see so much family that I haven't seen in so long! Many of whom haven't met Avery before so it will be a lot of fun! Hunter is so excited that he gets to stay in a hotel- I don't blame him. It brings me back to the childhood days of our little vacations. We didn't care where we went as long as we got a "cool" hotel room :)

Avery has been really fussy since last week (well since she was born :) but even fussier recently) So I took her to the doctor & found out she has a sore throat & tiny ear infection :( poor baby! Hopefully she can get to feeling better soon, especially by March 5th! It doesn't slow her down at all. She's successfully beaten up Hunter, Roxy & myself in the last few days. I'm telling' ya, this girl can hold her own! Boys beware. Forever ;)

Here is my weather update: pathetic! The forecast said there would be 6-10 inches of snow.... MY BOOTY!! We got MAYBE 2inches & a little ice underneath... AKA pathetic! (That is what I'm used to having lived in Texas all my life) I was "ready" for another winter storm but this... ugh! And Hunter's school still managed to be closed 2 days!! Really?! Well, we have enjoyed our time together. Avery really loves when Hunter is home all day so she can play with him & his toys. Although we didn't get the promised snowfall we did get the promised temperatures. This morning it was 3 degrees and once I saw that, I didn't even look at the windchill. I didn't want to know. I was just thankful that I left my faucets dripping last night. This afternoon it has "heated up" to 30 so most of the snow/ice mixture is melted away. Looks like school tomorrow. Perfect timing for Friday!

I don't think Cody & I are much for celebrating Valentine's Day... we might see a movie the next weekend but other than that, we usually just exchange cards. Which brings me to my next rant. Cards... WHY ARE THEY SO EXPENSIVE? Last time I checked ONE Valentine's card should NOT cost me $6! Are you kidding me???!!! Sorry, honey, but your card isn't one of those. I found a suitable, much less expensive one that will work just fine. I already told Cody that he better not spend $6 on a card or I'll be forced to steal his wallet & not allow him to ever make another purchase. Ever.

On a better note, I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend & good Valentine's Day but remember everyday should be like Valentine's day. You should always tell your significant other how much you care about them :)

As the kiddos are watching Barney (oh that takes me back...) I decided to give y'all a little update. Hunter still has a little cough & Avery has been extraordinarily fussy so I'm guessing she is still a little "fluish" but other than that, all is well over here.

The last couple of days we have had temps in the 30s-40s but there are still a few patches of snow/ice mixture that the sun hasn't reached. And it won't get a chance to because our forecast is calling for snow tonight & lots of it! Here is the part I'm worried about: HEAVY SNOW & BLOWING & DRIFTING SNOW. HAZARDOUS TRAVEL DUE TO SNOW-PACKED ROADS & LOW VISIBILITY... ACCUMULATIONS: 6-10 INCHES. OTHER IMPACT: DANGEROUSLY COLD WITH A MINIMUM WINDCHILL FROM -5 TO -10 DEGREES!

Yes, another Winter storm is about to pass through Ardmore & everyone is in panic mode. Last week after having a few barely above zero days with ice & snow everywhere our stores didn't receive their usual shipments. Wal-Mart was out of eggs, cheese, yogurt, water... you know? The important things!! So now, everyone has been using these few days to stock up & since we have the only Wal-Mart for miles & miles, everyone comes here. No bueno for this mommy who writes lists & still forgets things. I feel like Wal-Mart is my 2nd home! That or the Library (oh my, I just sounded like my mom!)

The other night we went to our favorite restaurant here in town called Two Frogs & this is what we discovered. One of their dessert items: cotton candy.... a huge heapin' plate of cotton candy & it was GOOD! (no, Hunter did NOT eat all of this by himself haha he had lots of help... *cough ME cough*)

Avery turned 14 months yesterday (Feb. 7) I just can't believe how big she has gotten. I know I've said that since she was tiny, but it is really starting to sink in now that she is becoming more & more independent. She follows Hunter everywhere! It is so cute!! He gets so frustrated but I just remind him how much his sissy loves him & that he is her role model... he likes that a lot :)

So, hope everyone is staying warm. I will update on our weather tomorrow! Have a nice Tuesday night :)

Shelby: This One's For You

The kiddos playin' in the bounce house in January!

Me, Shelby (Aaron's gf), Olivia(my sister)

The miracle is- my brother got a girlfriend! ha ha okay okay I won't be mean to him... His girlfriend seemed quiet at first, but boy was I wrong! Last weekend, my sister, brother & his girlfriend, Shelby, came up here to Ardmore to visit. I know you are probably thinking, "Awe how fun!" Well, it should have been, except for the fact Aaron started getting a cough on the way up here & it got progressively worse each second he was at my house :( Lo & behold, everyone else gets sick!! So what should have been a lot of fun, still was fun, just not what we had expected.

I picked out a few terrible movies, we all lounged on the couch, then I took the girls to see our "mall"... which by the way conisists of about 10 stores (if that) but it was still fun to get out of the house & see the Ardmore sites ha ha. While they were here, the weather was by definition "beautiful" (not to me, I hate when temperatures get over 50-60 degrees haha) but it was a smothering 70+ and we busted out the inflatable bounce house that my mom and her boyfriend had gotten the kids for Christmas.

Turns out, Aaron gave Hunter, Avery & Cody the flu (probably Olivia & Shelby too) but we still had lots of fun & plan on doing it again soon :)

The best part of all is that I get along with Shelby so good! I always tell her "we are long-lost best friends" because we have so much in common. We talk all the time & she is probably the funniest person I've ever known :) I am so happy my brother found a classy, hilarious, beautiful girl to be his girlfriend & to be a part of our crazy family! I just hope that she can be a part for a long time, maybe even forever (if she can put up with my brother haha)...

Your Bitterness is My Bliss

We are freezin' our bootys off in Ardmore! And I am loving it! This is what I have wanted since I was a little girl, continuous "winter storms" back to back causing hazardous roads & snow days! I have all my blinds open in my windows so I can soak in every second of my dream scenery.

Although Hunter is sick (diagnosed with the flu on Wednesday) I allowed him to sneak outside for a few moments of bliss. Shh, don't tell the doctor :)

We woke up this morning to snow falling peacefully down on top of what was already a frozen yard. This week we've experienced the lowest temperatures I ever remember feeling with windchills way below zero! The roads have been sanded & yet there is still no sign of pavement. And now, all 5+ inches of snow is covering all of it up again.... Is this what it feels like to live "up North"? If so, I have taken a bite of the icey wonder & want more :)

Roxy, our tiny 4-pound yorkie, still doesn't enjoy the bitter cold snow on her itsy bitsy paws, but this time she came out to play shivering in her black felt dress.

Forecast for this weekend: temperatures teasing the freezing point (32 degrees), but not long enough for more snow to come our way on Sunday and again Wednesday and this girl is happy. Have a good weekend all, especially those who enjoy this weather as much as I do!

Buuurrrrr! That's the only word I can think of right now...

So somewhere burried down there are our patio steps... wonder where they went? Oh, maybe under all that snow! Real, powdery, freezing cold snow!! Didn't know if we would ever get some real winter weather considering just 2 days ago it was 70 degrees & we were out on this very same patio with our inflatable bounce house enjoying the warm sun!!

This is our backyard/road on the side of our house. Who knew that there was a road there? It is gorgeous & I am so happy today!! This is what winter is supposed to be like. School closed (even though Hunter has been at home sick anyways), Cody is off work, & there are just mounds of not treaded upon snow to frollic in...!

This snow convinced me to cook a nice, juicy pot roast. So just imagine treading through the snow, up my steps (they are somewhere down there) & through my front door inhaling the crock pot aroma... mhm. All that is missing is a fireplace....

Here are my poor boots, that tried so hard but didn't succeed in keeping my feet warm for the 3 minutes it took me to take pictures! What do you expect? It's not like they were made for this kind of weather :)

Sadly, Hunter and Cody are sick & I am trying so hard to not get myself sick or Avery sick, so we aren't going to go play in this wonderful powdery snow... It is currently 10 degrees with a windchill of -6 so I guess it's for the better we are staying warm inside today.