About a month or so ago, we were visiting my folks and we stayed so late that Boppa (my mom) gave Billa this shirt as a nightgown.  The shirt was one my dad would use for working around the house, so it's super soft and cuddly.  Billa LOVES her "blue shirt" and she looks so stinking cute in it!  I really love it when she spreads her arms and runs around...it looks like muumuu on her, lol.

How can anyone say 'no' to this?!

Cheers,
Kelly

The Writing on the Wall

Michael was helping me hang some pictures and things on the wall over the past weekend and we didn't realize how much Billa was watching us.  Oops!  Fortunately, it's just pencil, so it was easy to clean off.  I just hope she doesn't get the same idea with marker or crayons or I'm really in trouble!

Kelly

Nature Center Trip Recap!

Back in August, Billa's daycare provider took a day off and so I took one off too.  I decided that we would spend part of our day visiting the Nature Center here in town.  The weather was hot, but not super hot and since it was a Friday, there were very few visitors.  Billa insisted on wearing sandals which are not very conducive to hiking the trails, but we still enjoyed seeing all the animal exhibits and enjoying a very short mini hike to a scenic overlook.  Here are some of our pictures from the excursion.  Yes, they're almost six weeks overdue, but whatever.  One step at a time people, one step at a time!

Billa checking out the coyotes

Most of the animals were out since they were cleaning the cages and feeding.  Here's the bobcat! 

Billa really liked looking at the animals!

See?  Proof that my brother isn't the only one with a sick sense of humor in regards to pet names.  Snack (the cat) doesn't have to feel so bad now.  I don't think she'll ever be able to find personalized pencils with her name on them, though.

Billa insisted on bringing a book with her.  When we got to the scenic overlook we took a break and did some reading.

Needless to say, the Nature Center was a hit.  Billa loved being outdoors and seeing the animals, and I loved seeing her explore.  It certainly didn't hurt that the admission is FREE.  I highly recommend taking time to check it out!

Nanowrimo 2010!

Well butter my butt and call me a biscuit!  I just completed my registration for National Novel Writing Month and I AM PUMPED!!!

The actual event doesn't begin until November 1st, but I'm taking a page from the Boy Scouts and am going into it prepared.  Last year I practiced the art of "fly by the seat of thy pants", which turned out pretty well, at least in terms of actually finishing a novel.  Whether that novel was actually readable is another matter altogether.  To be honest, I finished it and never picked it up again.  It may not be that bad, but I'm too scared to even peek.  That's why this year I am practicing the art of "having a plan a, b, and possibly even c". 

I haven't really thought about what I am going to write about, but I have several plot ideas that I've been hording on my hard drive (my mother would be so proud) that I am going to look through.  One or two of them I actually started to map out earlier in the year before The Worst Summer Ever occurred.  Whatever plot I decide to choose, it has to be something that I don't mind thinking, eating, drinking, sleeping, and breathing over for 30 days.

Drama. Intrigue. Anticipation.  Long nights and early mornings.  Laughter, crazed or otherwise.  400+ cups of coffee or black tea.  Equity screams. 30 days.  50,000 words. One novel.

BRING IT.

Kelly

Back to "Normal"

Things have settled down a bit now!  We are officially moved into the new place and I love it, love it, love it!  Because  we're on the second floor, the surrounding trees add greenery and privacy to my every day view.  I used to be all about the nighttime, but I have officially fallen in love with mid-morning thanks to the way the sunlight filters through the foliage.  It faces the north, so I get amazing cross breezes blowing through.  And since the weather has cooled off, I haven't had the AC turned on AT ALL for the last week.  If only I had a second bedroom and some quieter neighbors upstairs, I'd stay here forever!

I have no finished unpacking all of the boxes yet though, and it may be some time before I do.  I'm trying to decide how I am going to decorate in some areas and until I figure that out, I can't unpack some of the boxes.  I also have to reorganize the bedroom closet.  We just started throwing stuff in there and I need to get it to a point where it's focused and less chaotic. But for the most part, everything is a notch above livable.

For my non-Central Texas compadres, fall has arrived!  The temps at night are in the 70's and it's barely risen above 80 during the daytime.  This is the time of year I love best here in the Hill Country - cool, but not too cold, and warm enough that you don't need to break out the winter gear.  It's just so darn comfortable.  And October is definitely my favorite month...let the countdown to Halloween begin!

This month has us going to several birthday parties, baking Halloween treats, going to the pumpkin patch with school, celebrating Uncle David's birthday, and of course, my personal favorite, trick or treating!  Stay tuned for more...Now that we're moved and mostly settled, I am going to start uploading pictures again.

Happy fall,
Kelly