One Year in Fresno

The July 4th weekend reminded us that we had spent a full year in Fresno. We went to the Fresno Grizzlies (AAA team for the Giants) on July 5th, exactly like we did last year (comparison pics to follow). On the way home, Michael and I were commenting on what a difference a year makes. Last year we were a family of 3 just arriving in town. This year, a family of 4 preparing to leave town. Who knows what the Lord has prepared for us this next year? But for now, we enjoy each day.



Pregame cuddles (June is like "enough, dude!")

Our seats at Chukchansi Park

Zoned out in '08


Zoned Out in '09
Meeting Parker in '08

Reunited in '09



Our friends Rae and Bert came to town from LA for the weekend. After a batch of homemade ice cream, we hit the park.


Bert doing his "Weekend at Bernie's" impression. Come to think of it, June is doing her's too in the sling.

Auntie Rae...one of the only people Owen does not practice "out of sight, out of mind" with...he asks about her and Bert often when we don't see them



Bert and Michael taking a break from movie trivia and impressions to smile for the camera. June is bored with it, but they really are pretty good.
This was Bert's first baseball game in 30 years!!!!! (is that un-American??) Too bad the Grizzlies lost.

Aah, humility...

Our friend and pastor Matt was kind enough to send me a Facebook message asking how I was doing adjusting from working outside the home to life at home with a 4 year old and a newborn.

When I first read the message earlier in the week, I thought "well, I am a stay-at-home mom every summer, so this is not TOTALLY new to me", but I hadn't replied yet because I was busy with my parents being here.

Today, after they returned back to Texas and I was alone with a napless Owen and appropriately needy baby June, I thought "Lord, you didn't need to humble me so quickly!" It was brutal, and I left this pathetic "COME HOME NOW" message on Michael's voicemail at work.

So, to answer his question, I'll be trying to find a rhythm for the next couple of weeks. Since I'm guessing he's not the only one who's been concerned on my behalf, I'm putting it out there:

Advice?
Ideas?
Amusing stories to let me know that I'm not alone?

Make me laugh so I don't cry, please.

How does Owen like June?

For those who have asked how Owen is adjusting to his new sister, this video is for you.



Short transcript:
"I get to touch her" song
"Pillow" song
"Gummi Bear" song

Not had the "Gummi Bear" song in your head yet? Count your blessings. Listen at your own risk.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=astISOttCQ0

"Chub Chub" and "O", the Big Bro

Owen's nickname for June: "Chub-chub". What she lacks in hair, she makes up for in delicious cheek fat!


Cheeky little monkey!

Mom got this shirt for Owen and he refused to wear it while she was here. But now that she's gone, he wears it with a big grin. It's like he could sense how much joy it would bring her and he took pleasure in denying her. Why do we (and by we I mean Owen and I) do that to people?

Owen gearing up for our Father's Day walk 'n' ride.


(Much time elapsed since leaving for our walk)

Michael and Owen on our Father's Day walk. I have taken this picture from the rear for several reasons:

#1 It was the world's longest walk and I was bringing up the rear. Where's the bike, you ask? see #2

#2 Owen was beet red and sobbing because he was exhausted (long abandoning his bike because his tushie hurt from such a long ride). I had the bike balanced on top of the stroller, pushing June while Michael tried to be Coach to Owen's Rocky. After that encouragement failed, Owen ended up riding the very narrow foot rest on the front of the stroller for the last mile home. And, yes, for the record, I did lobby for the sit-n-stand stroller for 2, but someone (who shall remain nameless) said that Owen was old enough not to need a stroller. "We never walk for long enough for him to NEED to ride in the stroller, Natalie. He can always ride his bike."

#3 I had forgotten how much Michael's and Owen's noggins look the same. Amazing that Owen might ever actually be even near how tall his daddy is. On many fronts, if he's half the man Michael is, I'll be pleased.

Snapshots of the Week

Neglected first-born needed a popsicle...now we're happy. :)

Michael and Owen at Sequoia (poor child had an accident on the way up and had to walk the park commando in 50 degree weather and then threw up on the S-curves on the way down the mountain...came home looking like a ragamuffin)


Grammie and June


Yes, I love my grandparents

Pee-Paw and June

Worn out (actually, this is what she looks like for 20 hours a day)

First frilly outfit...just wait 'til your Sushi comes back, little sister!

Owen picked out the skirt for her. So odd to me to see a newborn in a skirt (like a boy baby in a tie), but I better get used to it, no?


My kiddos. Of the 4 hours she's awake, 3.5 of them are spent being kissed on, held, and talked to by Owen. The other 30 minutes are usually Owen in a time-out for practically jumping on top of her or dive bombing me while I'm nursing her. Hey, he's still a rowdy preschooler, so I'm trying to be patient.

It's Official (or photographic proof for my mother)

Here we are: Dr. and Mrs. Arnold!!


Thank you to all who have prayed us through the past 7 years! (Playing the theme song of "The Neverending Story" in my head)


This is Michael and his dissertation chair, Dr. Gorsuch, at the hooding ceremony. This is where the doctoral candidates from the school of psychology are acknowledged. They each go up one by one, are hooded by their chair, and then present their "thank yous" to people who got them this far. It was super-emotional, but fabulous!!


Michael's cheerleaders: Grammie and June

Daddy and his little girl.

Michael's parents and his brother.

The tired family of FOUR!!!!


This was taken right before we went out to the parking lot to find the dead car. But hey, it was great while it lasted!!

Momma said...

Momma said there'd be days like this...

First, let me say, graduation was amazing, and I will be posting pictures ASAP (Michael's brother with the fancy pants camera was named "historian" for the event, and he has to email them to me when he gets back to Texas). But yes, my husband has completed the education required of him to pursue his vocational calling as a psychologist. Yea, Mikey! I couldn't be more proud. Just wait for the pictures because he looked so handsome...the best looking listener I know.

Now, as Paul Harvey would say, "the rest of the story":

After Michael's graduation, the PLAN was to hang out at Paseo Colorado (an outdoor mall in Pasadena) for the afternoon, where friends could come and go, Owen could run his nap-less self 'til he drops, and I could sit in a chair, eating Coldstone, relaxing with friends who pass the baby back and forth among them. Well, it was not meant to be...

We went out to the rented mini-van after the ceremony on Saturday, and the vehicle wouldn't start. Friends were going to meet us at 1 pm and it was 12:45. Didn't want Mr. Big to miss anyone, so I sent the boys on their way, and since the car was rented in my name, I stayed with the car to call the rental people. That meant June stayed with me, and Big Mike (Michael's dad) stayed too. Then Glynda (Michael's mom) stayed also to "help with Mike". Her words, not mine. :) Thankfully, Bryan (Michael's brother) had rented a compact car as well, so he took Michael and Owen to Paseo Colorado...where they spent the next 5 HOURS. Yes, hours.

So, where was I for those 5 HOURS????? Not at Paseo Colorado, that's for sure.

*45 minutes waiting for a tow truck and talking on the phone with a rent car company in Fresno (who, of course, didn't have any cars in LA)...oh, and nursing a 1.5 week old

*45 minutes to load the car on the tow truck because the car wouldn't go into neutral (problem with car never determined...it is still sitting at a shop in LA)

*30 minutes to drive to EL MONTE. LA people know that is NOT the closest mechanic shop to Pasadena, but that's what you get on a Saturday afternoon

*2 hours and 15 minutes in the waiting room of SuperTech Auto (great people, by the way). You know you've been there too long when you watch an ENTIRE movie on their TV. No, I didn't originally plan on ever watching Liam Neeson's "Taken", but when you're tired and exhausted (and nursing the 1.5 week old again), you'll watch anything. Still talking on phone with rental car people, finally ate lunch at 4:30 pm, all rental car places in El Monte closed early on Saturday, call a friend to drive us to the Burbank airport where we rented a car (to be reimbursed later) from good ol' Hertz.

*45 minute drive from El Monte to Burbank airport (thank you Rae for driving us across LA and to Ashley for being smushed in the back seat with June and me)

(then of course the 3.75 hours drvive back to Fresno. But it should only take 3 you say...again, nursing the 1.5 week old)

I won't go into the run-around I was given, but I will NOT be recommending Payless Car Rental to anyone in the Fresno area. (For the record, all other major chains did not have a car big enough for the family, so that's why we didn't use Hertz or Enterprise in the first place.)

Michael and Owen were troopers! They held court at Paseo for SO LONG, but the benefits to them were that they had lunch AND ice cream before 2 pm and that they saw:

Joel and Emily
Rae, Bert, and Ashley
Chad, Meredith, Abby, Sophie, and Liam
Ali and Lisa
Mark and Sherry
Joe

Which of course, means that I did not. BOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! And did I remember to send the camera with the boys? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! And since we all know that they really came to see June and not to congratulate Michael on his 7 year in the making degree, I appreciate them being gracious and not turning around the second they realized she wasn't there. Ha ha!

Now a July trip to LA is a definite must.

Thank you to Mike, Glynda, and Bryan for their patience as well. It was a cool day, it happened on the trip home and not the trip there, and June was the perfect baby the whole time, so thank God for small blessings and helpful friends and family.

We arrived back in Fresno past midnight. I knew it would be a busy weekend, but I had promised Michael to do as little as possible. So much for that. Thankfully, the Arnolds took Owen to Sequoia for the day so June and I have been resting a lot.

Lessons learned:
#1: I am not in control (you all know I have to relearn this lesson often)

#2: when renting a car, remember to ask "and what is your practice for if the car has an issue on the road? how quickly will I have a functioning car?"

#3: if you've made it to the end of this post (without pictures to keep you going, no less), you deserve some Coldstone too. Which reminds me, I still haven't had any.

Add that to my "PLAN" for tomorrow, eh? Famous last words...