13 Things I am beginning to like about Des Moines…

The Clapp’s – This is the preacher and his wife. They have two beautiful children. Lisa and Lyneil trade off their eldest children every Wednesday and we get to share Rosa

Having someone cook lunch and supper for you everyday (I know I have said this one before, but it is sure nice!)

Having lunch everyday with my wonderful husband and family

Playing with my precious nephews

Smelling the fall that is coming

Knowing that I am going to see the leaves change colors and it will not be on tv or from a book!

Being able to ride around in the car with the windows down and it feel great!

Seeing Karl so excited about his job and loving the work that he does at John Deere

The world is much more laid back here

Being able to come home and play with Braxton (it’s so neat to have someone that looks up to you)

Gas prices….We are paying $2.25 per gallon and it is still decreasing!

Green grass outside….It is beautiful everywhere we look the lawns and fields are green

Being able to share (borrow) clothes from my sister!!!!

13 Things I would eat if I didn’t have to worry about counting stinking points…

13 Things I would eat if I didn’t have to worry about counting stinking points…

13. Peach Cobbler with some Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream (We don’t get Blue Bell up here so that makes it a little easier to not buy ice cream. Don’t take it for granted if you have access, eat if up for me!)

12. Ham and cheese melted tortilla with corn tortilla chips (Tostitos) and homemade salsa (the salsa’s free for point counting – it’s the chips that kill ya)

11. Macaroni and cheese – Lyneil made some the other day for the boys (Andy and Karl) and I have been wanting some ever since.

10. Real Ice Cream – Blue Bell’s Cookies and Cream or Blue Bell’s Homemade Vanilla with carmel and chocolate syrup

9. Real Milk – not that skim stuff that looks like cloudy water but real, WHOLE milk

8. Oreo’s dunked in whole (real) milk - only of course when Granny’s cookies run out

7. CHEESECAKE – Any kind as long as it is “cheesecake pie”

6. Salt and Vinegar Pringles – I love these things. My mouth is just watering thinking about it!

5. A big, juicy Fuddruckers Hamburger – We just got a Fuddruckers up here and Lyneil and I are bound and ready to go and try it out

4. Granny’s Cookies – Mom and dad brought some up and we are all trying to have one at a time to make them last but I could sit down and eat 3 or 4 easily at one time

3. A Sonic (Large) Cherry Dr. Pepper – A real one, not a diet one!

2. SWEET TEA with real sugar not saccharin

1. Mexican Food – This will be a must for me Labor Day Weekend when we are in San Antonio. I will have some Chuy’s and it will be oh, so delicious!


Being on Weight Watchers has been so good for me. Lyneil and I are doing so well. It is hard for me to watch Karl eat anything he wants. It is amazing. We are getting there. We are both real close to 10 pounds and that will feel good. One mark down and some to go! I am thankful that I have Lyneil; she helps keep me on track. I have not had to say “NO” to any of these foods (minus the Blue Bell) but I have had to proportion myself and it is actually nice to have the food taste good rather than consuming them. Thank you Neil for keeping me on track even when I don’t want to keep going! You are my WW hero!

The Fair's in town....

The Fair is in town...

This last weekend, the Iowa State Fair was in town. Mom and dad came up for the weekend and we took advantage of the Fair and time with mom and dad. Here are a few captions of trip #2 for most of us. This last week was beautiful and we tried to get out and enjoy the cool temperatures when we could.

Karl had a hard time with this one! We all got a kick out of this sign. It was posted at the kid tent. They had all kinds of animals. There was a giraffe, goats, camels, sheep, pigs, donkeys and much more.

We visited every animal barn that we could fine. We saw the cows and pigs...

The chickens, rabbits and sheep...

And at the end of the evening, we had walked and walked and walked so much that we had to take some time out for snacks. Lyneil wanted cotton candy, which we all helped her eat!

Da and Braxton shared an ice cream cone!

Mama Z and Brazos rescued each other from the smell of the sheep barn and we started to head out of the gates of the park.

Where's Waldo....Karl and Andrea

We are here!

Here is Urbandale, Iowa.

These people talk funny up here. Some say that I have a draw with my southern accent. I don’t think that I have lost it yet. It has only been three weeks and a few days and I am still just as Texan as I was when we moved up here! We have settled in, placed membership and are somewhat involved in the routine around here. It is GREAT being able to spend time with Andy and Neil. I can’t imagine how wonderful it will be to have my own kids, but helping her with my favorite two nephews has been a pretty good taste to what I hope to have one day.

Karl has hit the ground running and he is busy at work. He and Andy ride together to work. They usually leave the house around 6:30 – 6:45 am. It is so much fun to watch Braxton get SO excited when he sees his dad drive up. Karl is busy at work and he loves the task load. Lyneil keeps us fed (very well) and we try and keep up with the two boys. Amy and Momma call almost everyday and we are set.

Karl has joined a softball team with Deere and he is helping them finish out the season.

Thirteen things about living downstairs...

13. Hearing the pitter patter of Braxton as he runs across the kitchen floor

12. Warm water comes fast and at a hot rate

11. It’s cool in the summer and cold in the winter

10. I love it when Braxton stands at the top of the stairs on Sunday morning and announces “three minutes until breakfast”. Most of it we can understand but Andy will clarify if we have any doubts.

9. Family is only a stairway away….sometimes

8. I enjoy having Braxton come down the stairs to see me, most times unannounced.

7. Only one kitchen to clean up between two families

6. CarPool for Karl is great. He loves the fact that he and Andy have the ability to ride together most mornings to work.

5. Every morning is a surprise when I walk upstairs. I never know what the day is like outside having no windows to tell me.

4. Being able to tell when someone is walking down the hall next to Braxton’s room… The floor tells all secrets.

3. Being close to the laundry room, which is HUGE and having my own space in the afternoons if I need it

2. I can smell breakfast, knowing I am not cooking it, but with the reassurance that I will get some of it!

1. Having the ability to run upstairs if Lyneil calls for help and be of assistance at the drop of a hat!

Karl and I have been so blessed to be able to stay here with Andy and Lyneil. We have enjoyed spoiling Braxton and Brazos. It is so nice to be this close to them (all four). Karl loves his new job and I am still (kind of) searching for one. If one falls in my lap, I will consider it. I have had some calls on interviews but nothing serious yet. We appreciate Andy and Lyneil for opening their home to us. It started as an idea from them and has turned into a plan for the time being. It is nice to be able to nestle away some savings while helping each other out.

Happy Friday!

13 Things I love about being an aunt...

13. The innocence of Braxton

12. The laughs and smiles that they provide to us

11. Hearing Braxton say, “Morning, Please, Get up, Breakfast

and Tank too”

10. The energy he gives while running around the house

and playing outside

9. The books that Braxton loves to read as he sits so quietly in waiting

8. The helper he is when he thinks that it is time to rearrange

my coffee table

7. Being able to make Brazos smile and coo while holding him

6. The new name that Braxton has given me, Andrish

5. Being able to stay home and play with both boys

4. Being able to give Lyneil company and doing things together

3. The ability to do things that I usually wouldn’t allow kids to do

while pleading ignorance

2. Watching how excited he is when Andy drives up after work

1. The practice and reality of what things are to come….

It's Green or bust

Well, Karl has landed an interview and he knocked their socks off. He is going to get to go and pursue a dream of his. He is going up to Des Moines to work for John Deere as a Program Manager. He is smiling from ear to ear. I am very excited for him and am happy that he will be able to go up and work for the Green Company. I am thankful that Andy and Lyneil are there and they can comfort us as we get used to our new surroundings.

It will be hard leaving San Antonio. We have such good, Christian examples. I am thankful that we have had the Yager's and of all the things that Karl and I have been able to learn from them watching them love each other and watching them raise their kids.

It will even harder to pass up east Texas and not want to stop. I already said that I am excited but that doesn't mean that I am ready to go. I don't know that I ever will be ready to "leave Texas". But, I know for sure that I will be ready to come home as soon as we get ready to return! It will be hard to pass Sherry in Anna. We plan on being there for a couple of days next week. Karl is also going to go home to Frankston and spend a couple of days with his mom. After that we are going to head to Amy's and then on to Mom's. Amy called and asked me what the state of Iowa's flower, vegetable, tree, fish, bird and song are. She is so creative. I just think that she likes to say "Iowa".

I think that I had my heart set on moving to Paris in all of this. I wanted to think that is where God needed us. I know that we would have been challenged there to be a better, loving couple; but that is not the door that God opened for us. We have consistently prayed for open and closed doors and we are taking the open one. Micah and Jennifer have been so supportive and wonderful. I don't know what we would have done without them in all of this. They have worked on finding jobs for us and have been good listeners through it all.

Mom is the best. She called me Saturday morning with some downer news and then she asked if Karl had heard from John Deere. I simply said that they made an offer and she immediately light up on the phone and said that made her heart happy. I pray that God can make me more and more like my mom. Thank you for being so precious and consistent for all of us, Mom!

Karl and I are renting a truck and we are putting all of our boxes in the truck and headed north within the next two weeks!

Just wanted to say thank you. Thank you, Neil and Andy for opening your home to us and giving us the opportunity. Thank you, family for being supportive. I have three great sisters and two wonderful moms' and I consider myself blessed to have Micah, Jennifer, Tyler and Becky as family as well.