As we are trying to prep the house to sell it next year, we have come up with a list of things to do to it. New front yard, new floor, repair stucco and more.

The first thing we did was re-do the front yard. So I dug up most of the grass and xeriscaped the area. This was a lot of work. That’s 6 yards of brown rock and 2 yards of the cobblestone or babyheads (as mountain bikers call them).

And here is the finished product. Nevermind the Texas Longhorn design that the gardner made.

Yesterday was a momentous day, as we sold our Maxima. We are a little sad to get rid of it, however one less car payment is a wonderful thing.

We sold it to our neighbors and yes I know the ‘old rule” about that. However, this car is in great shape and I’m certain that it will continue to stay that way. They really loved it and are excited to have a newer big car.

Now we are back to only two cars, which is all we need. See, my company gave me a car and pays for gas. So there was no need for the Maxima. This is going to be helpful in searching for a new home and building up our savings.

We got Liana a bike for her birthday in April. She’s been doing pretty good in riding it around the backyard. Especially considering how heavy it is. It almost weighs as much as my Kona Coiler.

Well, we were in the front yard, letting her ride in the street and she was doing really good. She was practicing stopping and turning. At one point she turned a lttle too sharp, as all children are prone to do when learning.

It has started, we signed Liana up for soccer! Ok we did that a few months ago, but now it’s about to start.

So we went to a local soccer store to get her her gear and boy has it changed. When I played, over 30 years ago, we had nice jersey’s but shoes were black. We had black shoes with a white logo of whatever brand you were wearing. I usually had adidas. Now there are SO MANY brands and styles. Do you want a cartoon character on your shoes or an animal or just a cute design? Well they exist in these ways and many more. There are some pretty expensive shoes for a 4 year old, too.

This store was pretty cool, because they have package deals. So we got Liana a ball, shoes, socks and shin guards for only $35.

Liana now has pink shoes with butterflies, matching shin guards AND BALL. Again, her daddy had black Adidas. However I was assured by the salesperson that old school shoes were coming back in style. Gee thanks.

We had a great 4th or July, last night. We had a few friends over for a BBQ and fireworks. As I’ve always said… What a great way to celebrate independance. You eat food, drink and THEN set off fireworks.

Last Titus was really afraid of the fireworks. He cried the whole time and would not let Anna put him down. However, last night he put his chair right up to the front and the closest we’d allow him to be to the fireworks. After each firework he would stand up and cheer clapping his hands and then turn to me and say, “Mo daddy, mo.” while signing the word more. He was so excited for each and every firework. He was simply beside himself with happiness. He has the greatest little laugh and makes the cutest face when he is excited, like he was.

We did have one little mishap. The children were doing sparklers and somehow an ember dropped and got into Liana’s shoe. She was wearing crocs and it somehow got under her foot and gave her quite the little burn. It was a pretty bad burn, because those shoes are plastice (per se) and melted a little bit. The size of the burn is no more than 1/8th of an inch in diameter, but it really hurt her.

She is much better today and is begging to do more fireworks.

Oh and on an oddly related note. For some reason Titus slept through the night. I guess I need to do fireworks every night! YEA TODD!

But Todd, how could that be? You love Christmas. You love the decorations, the lights, the weather, the tree and all of that. This is not to exclude my love for the Lord and celebrating His birth.

No, what I am not looking forward to is presents.

Liana has now noticed commercials. She has taken to watching them, intently, and memorizing every little nuance of the toy displayed. So far, Saturday mornings have become “Oh, I want that, you can put the Barbie on the handlebars.” OH, I want that, it looks reawy reawy (L’s are still a little difficult for her) fun.”

I now understand how crazy it drove my parents. I remember that, as a small child, before Christmas they would set my down, in front of a TV with a pad and pencil and make me write out what I wanted for Christmas. I would sit there for hours, waiting for commercials. I now see through their wicked ways!

Now there is one benefit from this and that is, she has realized things that the Atomikblonde and I “need”. So I have ended up with some pretty sweet Hotwheels cars. Now if she’ll see the new Speedracer set and convince mommy to buy them for me.

Anna took mini T to the doctor for an allergy test. This is a standard “scratch test”. This is where you mark the back with permanent marker and then put allergens on there to see if there is a reaction. The great news, Titus had NO REACTIONS! What a great day.

So we went to Denver to hang out with Anna’s sister and for me to help install a sprinkler system. Anna then fed T, some food with milk in it. Well, REACTION and just like in the past it was quick and rather violent.. By violent, I mean that he broke out in hives immediately. So he was given a ton of Benadryl and a bath. That really worked, but wow, was that scarey.

So, they lied to us. Ok, slight exaggeration.

Well, fast forward to today and they drew blood from him and are going to test the blood to see about reactions. If they are not sure, then we will take him in and actually feed him foods that we know will cause a reaction, but done in a doctors office, so he can be treated immediately if the need arises.

This morning was a very fun morning. I mean really fun. It also set the stage for a great day…

Today, the Atomik Blonde took Mini T to a therapy session. This was a brand new thing where they believe that certain pressure points can help some of Titus’s problems. Now I’m all for natural medicines, like getting vitamins from all fruits and veggies and so forth. I do have issues with “holistic” healing. But I am a firm believer that certain pressure points can help things. Why? Simple. How good do you feel after a massage? So, she took mini T to this and I had the Ganoosh.

Well, since it was me and her and it was early, I decided to take her to breakfast. YEA! I love going out to breakfast. So we went to Wreck’s and got full! As good as the food was, spending time with just one kid was even better. Poor Ganoosh has been “pushed aside” lately, due to Titus’s issues. So I’m sure she really wanted to do this as well. What was also cool was seeing other dad’s with just one child. Almost made me want to go talk with them and set up a breakfast thing with them. (I just may need to do this)

Liana was hilarious. She ordered her own breakfast and drink. She was also very polite and said “Hi” to everyone that she saw. It was really sad when it was time to leave.

As we got home, Anna and Titus came in a little while later. We put Titus down and the Anna took Liana shopping. This was real important shopping. It was for my birthday present. Liana got me the greatest present and as it turns out, she thought of it all by herself. What is it, you ask? A Hotwheels set! I guess Liana saw a commercial for it and told Anna that she really wanted to get it for me. They went and looked, one day, and saw a couple but Liana knew which specific one that I was to get. They found it today.

I love Hotwheels, so this made it really special to me. But I really don’t want to open it, because of the sentimental value. I’ll open it. I can not deny Liana the fun of playing with Hotwheels.

We just can’t win, sometimes.

The atomik blonde had a great anniversary idea for us. She wanted to go to a sports bar to watch the Daytona 500 and the redwings. WOW, what a gift!

Well, no babysitter. She had to work.

So we stayed home and watched them. Mini T was sick, so all he did was cry all day and want to be held, until you picked him up, then he wanted down. So that was fun. Oh then Liana just threw up with very little warning. So she was miserable and wanted to be held. Now, one problem is that neith child wants daddy to hold them. So mommy was really unhappy.

So, happy anniversary, it was a memorable one.

WOW! Is how I need to start this.

The atomik blonde and I were talking about this, the other night, with friends over sushi. What you ask?

Well, the fact that last year at this time we were in real dire straights with our child. We were waking up every hour with him, because he would not sleep. And feeding him was so brutal with the $30-$50 a day in formula he was going through. Not to mention the strain on our marriage. We wouldn’t even talk with each other in the morning, because we were so tired and frustrated. There were days that I think both of us thought we wouldn’t make it. Days we thought that we would crack and need to seek help.

But thanks to God’s grace and great family and friends, not to mention the doctors as well, we made it. This boy is not the same child he was a year ago. He sleeps through the night, eats “ok” and is just an extreme joy to have. He wants to wrestle every chance he gets and run around screaming like a little child should.

Not only that, but language! He is starting to talk and form some sentances. It is hilarious. One of his favorites is “where are you?” But said in such a cute little two year old way. It is hard to explain, just believe me when I say it is one of the cutest things you will hear. He also says yes and no and he knows what they mean.

Coming home from work is hilarious too. I will walk in and hear “daaaaaaddyyyyyyyyyyy!” And he runs up and hugs me. Then I get yanked to the floor for 15 minutes of WWF Royal Rumble action.

There is a lot more to say about this. But all in all it is so strange to look back at notes that we had written from this date of last year and to see how hard it was.

Thank you to all of you that brought us food, bought formula for us and prayed for us. I do not know how we could’ve made it without you all and you all reminding us to continue to give it to God and to seek His strength and to lay our problems upon His lap. I’m sure you all will be rewarded for these deeds, here on earth and in heaven.

thank you all so much.