Big Changes at the Lantz House

The pictures will say it all...

Officially moved Heidi to her new "Big Girl Room."
(Thanks Nana & Pops for your help last week!)

Newly painted dresser, new quilt set, and moved the decorations
from her old room.

She LOVES her new bed.  She wants to jump on it, have
dance parties on it, play on it... and she even sleeps on it...
sometimes.

Since the new bed/room has gone well, we're set to attempt the BIG ONE...
Potty Training!  Saturday through however long it takes!  Here are some of the
supplies we've stored up, along with lots of activities that will keep us close to
the potty and at home all weekend.  Wish us luck!

Heritage...

Dear Grandpa Emmerich,

I know you're not around to read this, but I felt like I should write it anyway.  I've been thinking about you a lot lately as Matt and I prepare for Baby #2.  The reason is this...

In about 1952, you got some furniture when you were stationed in Germany with the Army.  I'm guessing my mom, Dale, was about 2 years old then.  I have no idea in which room you used this furniture, or if there were other pieces with it.

My mom tells me that your daughter, Dorothy (my aunt), refinished the furniture for you and Grandma, maybe sometime in the 70's?  It's now 2011 and I just finished refinishing that dresser and nightstand that you owned back in the 1950's in Germany.

I've been thinking about you because you loved to work with wood: building, carving, shaping, forming - and I can only hope to become half the carpenter and woodworker that you were.  I've started quite a collection of tools. :-)

I hope that you'd be proud that the furniture you got in the military was well-used by your family, refinished by your daughter, re-refinished by your granddaughter and will now be used in your great-granddaughter's room as we prepare the baby nursery for your new great-grandson.  I think you would be proud to know that even the girls in your family are holding up the hand-craftedness gene that you had.  Maybe someday Heidi will refinish the furniture to match her house when she is a mommy.

Thanks for your dedication to your family and for loving your daughters.  They've passed it on to me and there's a whole new generation that will have your heritage.

Love, Your Granddaughter,
Darcie

Feeling content, and life is full...

I want to be a Blog Mom.  One of those ladies that I follow on blogs that take tremendous photographs, do creative crafts, have a house that is totally cute on every wall and every surface, have time and resources to do all those things, who decorate their houses for every holiday and who even will show their dirty laundry and dishes to the online world - but in a cute way... And they do it with 5 kids!

But I'm not. I have 1 kid, and 1 on the way.  I have a part-time job and freelance graphic design business, and a rental house next door that always needs fixing or raking or something.  I have projects going all the time, but I don't take pretty pictures of them, and my husband would be glad forever if I finished them all and didn't start any new ones. :-)  I have laundry in the dryer from today that has not been folded, dishes in the sink that I didn't want to clean, and dog slobber on the rug in the living room - and it's too cold to take it outside to wash it.

But... do you want to know what I did today?
I woke up and made muffins with my 2-year old daughter.
We ate breakfast.
We watched one of her "baby" videos.
We made lunch together.
We dressed up in our scarves, coats and mittens and played in the snow. (in Texas!)
She took a nap.
My friends came over and we watched LOST Season 6.
My daughter woke up and we played in the snow... again.
We came inside and had a "pool" party in the huge tub in our bathroom.  Both of us.
Bathing suits and all. And bubbles.
She smiled the whole time and said, "I wuv you, mommy" about 10 times.
We put jammies on and had breakfast for dinner. Toast and eggs.  And pudding.
Then we played with the dog til bedtime.
Tucked her in with her books.

So, what did I accomplish today?  I didn't do any chores, or fun projects or crafts.  I have nothing to show for today except some photos of us in the snow. (and bad ones, at that)  My daughter probably won't remember anything we did today.  She's only 2 1/2.

But I will.

Boy, oh boy!

We are so excited to announce that Baby Lantz #2 is a boy!  We had our sonogram last week and we're pretty sure we can say with 100% accuracy that it's a boy.  (we won't post the indecent photos of that. :-)  We are very excited and looking forward to a new chapter in our lives, complete with footballs, wrestling, sports, blue clothes and other boy-ish stuff.

Here's our little guy!

Pictures and Goings-On

I realize that we haven't posted many pictures lately... we haven't done much of anything lately, blog-wise. So, here are some fun ones...

Heidi - Licking the beater after our first attempt at making
ganache for Jenn's birthday cake.  She liked it.

Latest activity - building a tent in Heidi's room
with blankets.

Thanksgiving - Curious George x 2.

Thanksgiving - Literally, mid-stride in Dusty's lap, Izzy face
plants and falls dead asleep in his lap... face first in the couch.

New Baby's Room - I ordered these green cushions for our wooden rocking chair
when Heidi was born, for those middle of the night feedings.  They were cute and
fuzzy but very flat.  Cue fluffy old khaki pillow that doesn't match anything... steal his stuffing,
re-stuff baby rocker pillows.  One of the reasons Matt loves me, I think.  Thrifty.

Busy... and Thankful

So, it's been almost a month since our last post.  It has been one of the busiest months of the year, so that would explain it.  Matt had 2+ Forge-related trips, and I attempted a trip with my mom which, at the last minute, fell through so we have been gone a lot, and our times at home are playing catch up on housework, laundry, and Heidi-settling-back-in-at-home.

We've had 2 birthday parties, 1 Forge movie night, dinner at my parents' house in Fort Worth, a trip to Billy Bob's, 3 doctor's appointments and a little toddler who has been very much a 2-year old along the way!  To her credit, we've dragged Heidi back and forth between FW, Plano and Tyler quite a bit... and it's not even the holidays yet!

Here are a few of the things that I'm thankful for, as we approach this season:
1. My fantastic husband - Matt.  He has taken care of me during the tired, grumpy, morning-sickness-filled, lazy, wiped out, and too busy times.  I'm always thankful for him, but he has really shown me how much he loves me by how he has cared for me, our daughter, our house and in providing for our needs.

2. A sweet little girl named Heidi, who keeps me smiling every day.  Amidst the temper tantrums of 2-ness, the disobedience, and the messes, she has the cutest flirty smile, the prettiest blue eyes you'll ever see, and the cutest singing voice you ever hear.  I'm so thankful that God has given her to us.  The joy supersedes the trials!

Hoping her ambitions reach a little higher than
McDonald's, but for now, it's cute!

Playing at DeeDee's house

3. A healthy Baby #2.  It's been a trying 14+ weeks - I don't remember being this tired last time... but I didn't have a 2-year old last time I was pregnant!  Children are a blessing from the Lord, and I'm trying to remember that daily even when I'm tired.  Baby #2 is another sign of God's blessing to us, and we are so grateful.

Now the size of a lemon!

4. For a wonderful family (and in-laws).  I love my family.  I have 3 brothers - we all get along, we all love to spend time together, and my parents make their house a wonderful place for us all to gather for the holidays.  My folks are a great example of a faithful godly couple that is still married after almost 39 years.  My in-laws are the best too!  Not only can my mother-in-law make the best apple pies in the world (seriously), but they are overly generous... with their time and their money.  They have taken care of Heidi during some fun and some hard times lately, and are always willing to accommodate Matt and I to make our lives easier with a little kid and one on the way.  My sister-in-law, Jodie, is wonderful too.  She helped teach our Forge students about leadership in the medical field, babysits Heidi for me, and is a great best friend too (just like my other sister-in-laws!)

5. My friends here at Pine Cove and in Tyler... couldn't ask for a better community:  Jenn, Jenny, Hannah and Amanda next door, Jeff & Charis on the other side next door, Ginger, Steph, Amanda, Christina, Brooke, Lori, Emily, Lauren, "other" Jenny, Forge students, media team, freelance friend Linda... and I'm just getting started!

6. I am most of all grateful that I don't have to pay the penalty for my own sin.  Couldn't do it even if I wanted to.  And who would want to?  But Christ.

Grateful.  Happy Thanksgiving!

Two are better than one... right?

We think so, but Heidi might not be ready to share her kingdom (and her grandparents) with a brother or sister.  In any case, we're excited about adding another one to our family and we look forward to seeing our baby in May 2011!

(Heidi + One = Two.  No, it's not twins. :)