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Our lives have taken a complete turn. Definitely for the better. We actually get quite a bit of sunshine here! :) Our living room no longer feels like a dark and lonely cave. Now it's a light and bright place, frequently filled with visiting friends and family. Why? Well, we're a lot further south now (Texas) and we are no longer 2000 miles away from family.

Jose and I actually got to go on a date for the first time in a year about a week ago! It wasn't anything fancy, just a quick tea/coffee run and brief trip to a new, cool grocery store (it's funny how so much of what we do revolves around food :D). The best part was that Mirabel loved staying with my parents for that short hour. She was all smiles when we walked in the door. Next time, dinner!

I've been kind of quiet on here. Been busy settling in. Unpacking was an adventure. We also had to restock our kitchen and buy a few other basic household amenities. Though we aren't home owners, I have to say that living in a house is much more relaxing. It's nice to not have to worry about who you're bothering at night when your kid is screaming. Oh, and decorating is fun too! One man's trash is another man's treasure, that's our mantra. Craig's list, thrift shops, your neighbor's recycling bin...it all goes 'round here ;)!

Back to that later. There are more exciting events worth discussing at the moment :). Mirabel did take her first steps before her first birthday, but now she's running everywhere. She's always been the type of kid who HATES sitting still (or being bored, this child requires constant stimulation). She once preferred being carried to being locked up in a stroller. The car seat was even worse (...until a portable DVD player/Elmo saved the day. We used to vow we'd never own one [dvd player, not Elmo :P], but I'd like to keep my hearing.).

Now that Miss Mirabel is walking/sprinting/skipping/dancing, being in a grocery cart (or even being carried) is just torture. There are too many cool and exciting things to grab! Oh, and if it's something like a scented candle that she can sneak her fingers into and then nibble on (yep, that happened, and we bought the candle after :), or if it's a big ol' bike resting right next to an equally large sign--she'll want to touch it (or knock it over, or [even better] eat it!).

In fact, the other day we were shopping and she knocked over a bike AND a sign. I turned to look at something for literally 1 second and the next thing I know I've got a cowboy telling me that I need to watch my kid or she'll hurt someone. Nope, he didn't say SHE might get hurt, instead, he said she might injure someone (even though you and everyone else here in TX, Mr. Cowboy, are like 6.5 feet tall and she's not even 3 feet). ::Sigh:: Oh, and she screams too. So if I try to pick her up and pull her away from any potential danger, she will stiffen up and scream. Then the looks follow. I've become THAT parent with THAT kid. Please be kind to us; it's a lot harder than it looks, OK Mr. Cowboy?!

Because she's got all that energy, Mirabel is a lot happier here. She's actually got plenty o' space to run around, and even an actual back yard. She doesn't care if it's 105 degrees out, Mirabel loves being outside and going on walks. There will be drops of sweat dripping down her face and she'll still be smiling. I also found out that she loves to play with toy cars. I've got a tough little woman on my hands. Oh, but she is sweet, too! She picks up her doll and holds it in a cute cradling position then gives it a bottle. She also cuddles anything soft, holds it up to her neck, gives it a squeeze and goes "awww". A tough and gentle woman when she wants to be, but I can't say she won't hurt a fly (don't forget what Mr. Cowboy said ;).

We checked out a boot store over the weekend. I couldn't resist. I saw the pink boots. I didn't buy them, though. I've learned my lesson; their feet grow so fast! But I did snap a pic (and there she is pulling on the shirts):

It feels good to finally be settled in. The boxes are unpacked and this place feels more like home now. Back to an old topic: I'm on a mission to decorate on a budget. So far, our room is set; the living room and play room still need work but I don't mind having the empty spaces. After 3 years of Boston apartment living, I actually kind of like it (I love running around in here more than Mirabel, I tell ya :).

The pics of our room are around here somewhere. I'll post those later. A friend of ours gave us some chairs before we left Boston. Here's a before/after pic of that project. Spray paint (from Walmart) and upholstery fabric (on sale, 40% off!) did the trick, for the most part. As you can see, my upholstery skills need a little work, but the chairs were free and I couldn't resist starting another project (actually, I can't resist anything free, who am I kidding?)! It was fun. Gained experience and love the fun, cheerful colors :)!

Hope you all are enjoying the summer so far :)!