Homeless in Houston

Yes....homeless! We were actually without a home for almost two weeks from the time we left Lubbock until we officially moved to Henrietta. Unfortunately we couldn't move directly from Lubbock to Henrietta because we had to wait until a certain date to close on our house. We used our "homeless" time to visit family in Houston! Well, Taylor and I did. Tyson stayed in Dallas for a couple of days and then had to go to Henrietta because he had to start working at his new job! So it was just Taylor and I hanging out with Nana and Doodah.

We got to see most of our family while in Houston....which was a lot of fun. Taylor really enjoyed playing with her cousins, Jacob, Ashlyn, Vayley, Sadie and Luke. They were all very, very nice to her and made her feel like one of the big kids!

We also got to see Aunt Kelley, Uncle Doug and cousin Jack. We actually stopped in College Station on the way from Lubbock to Houston so Taylor could eat dinner and stretch her legs. Taylor and Jack were so funny together. Jack really is a hoot! He's a funny little boy! I think if the two of them were around each other more, they would get into lots of trouble!We hung out with Kelley, Doug and Jack again at the Texas Renaissance Festival. We got to see lots of interesting people...some I'd rather Taylor never see again! Ha ha. Taylor and Jack were really good while we there. Both of them would have rather been running around instead of being couped up in their strollers...but in spite of that, they did really well.

I've never mentioned Taylor's obsessive-compulsive disorder of lining things up. She lines up everything....doesn't matter what it is...toys, food, decorations, water bottles, etc. She prefers to have similar items lined up, but if that's not possible, she'll line up anything. It's really pretty funny to watch her do it. For some reason while we were in Houston, her OCD intensified and she was a lining-up maniac! Nana had a basket full of small decorative pumpkins and gourds that Taylor had to line up every day...several times a day. Taylor would also line up all of Nana's potatoes....which Cody (Nana & Doodah's dog) really liked b/c he would run by and snatch one of the potatoes up!

We're not too worried about her "disorder" right now. That may change as she gets older and stranger! Ha ha. Just kidding! I just wish her "disorder" included putting everything back the way she found it!

Happy girl now. Hours earlier she threw up on Nana in the car when
we picked her up from the airport!

Moving day in Lubbock. Taylor is excited to leave!

Poor Sugar. He was the victim of Taylor's pulling and grabbing the whole time we were at Nana's house!

Busted! Got caught drawing on Nana's patio.

Most of the time she's sweet like this!

Taylor started saying "yuck" and this is the face that she makes when she says it.

Taylor liked playing in Cody's kennel.

Lining up the potatoes. Note the three measuring spoons lined up
in the front of the picture. Scary!

Turning on Nana's Halloween ghosts and getting ready to line them up!

More lining up!

Playing with Jack at the Renaissance Festival.

Wildman Jack!

Two crashed-out kiddies!

Playing at her great-Granny and Poppy's lakehouse!

Don't ask...

Doodah's getting ready to feed Taylor to the alligators!

Babysitting Mimi and Poppa

Several weeks ago Tyson and I had to go to Henrietta to search for a place to live, so we left Taylor with her Mimi and Poppa. Mimi and Aunt Haley had some fun adventures planned for Taylor, so she was sure to have a good time. Taylor built her first Build-A-Bear stuffed animal, rode on her first carousel, went to her first football game, fed horses and played & played with Gabby, Piper and Belle (dogs!). She was a busy little girl while we were gone. I wish we could've played like she did.....looking for houses is no fun at all!

Getting Aunt Haley's opinion on her bear.

Taylor's picking out the details for her bear.

Taylor really liked the Shrek stuffed animal, but Aunt Haley said no! Ha ha!

Say cheese!

Taylor loved the horses behind Mimi's house. She even tried to give them kisses!

On the way to feed the horses!

Playing in Mimi's tunnel.

This tent-thing is cool!

Riding with Poppa on his mower.

Helping Gabby eat her dinner!

A day with the animals

We took Taylor to a wildlife rehabilitation center located in Lubbock today. She had such a great time seeing all of the different animals. She especially liked all of the baby squirrels. They were very frisky and the faster they crawled around their cage, the better she liked them. We saw lots of different birds of prey....from hawks to owls. Taylor didn't seem too excited about them. I guess she preferred the more active animals! We got to meet two baby Mule deer. They were so cute. One of them was especially fond of Taylor. She kept giving Taylor kisses on her face. We also got to see a bobcat and a gray fox. Both of their cages had signs on them saying not to touch the animals because they bite. They were pretty friendly, though. I think they would have let us pet them...especially the fox. It really had quite the personality.

Taylor got to see lots of ducks and even a pelican. I made her reach out her hand to touch the pelican but she quickly pulled it back. She wasn't too sure about that! I guess she likes looking at them and chasing them better than she does touching them. Silly kid.

We had a great time seeing all of the animals. It's fun to watch Taylor experience something like this. She's definitely not afraid of any animal. We may have a future vet on our hands!

Taylor petting a baby Mule deer.

The deer really liked Taylor!

Checking out one of the captive hawks.

Bobbo the bobcat! We couldn't get close to the cage b/c he bites!

Grace the gray fox. She was super cute. Taylor really wanted to touch her!

Taylor was not sure about the pelican. She touched it and quickly pulled her hand back!