New Blog Header

Thanks to Michelle for designing our cute new header/background. She did a great job at not making it "girly" as this blog is meant to be for Shawn AND me. Now Shawn just needs to start posting a little bit more. :)

Are You Expecting?

And the answer is . . . YES! This announcement probably isn't news to many of you, but it will be for a few. "Our" official due date is October 2nd. Two more doctor visits and we can find out if it's a boy or girl. We'll keep you posted.

Happy Easter

Well, the Easter Bunny visited our house and left a few sweets for us all and some bubbles and sidewalk chalk for Mia. The bubbles have stopped being scary and now bring a smile as Mia tries to pop them. We had our first little Easter egg hunt in the backyard which was so fun for us to watch. Mia got the hang of things after the first or second egg, which we showed her how to put in the basket. After that, we watched (and helped) her toddle around the yard gathering the rest. Annie (the dog) wanted to participate also and kept moving the eggs around and trying to steal them from Mia's basket.

It was a quiet Easter and we missed having dinner with our families but it was still a nice time with our own little family.

A Trip to the Zoo

On Saturday, Shawn and I took Mia to the Fort Worth Zoo. She has once before been to the San Diego Zoo but was only 3 months old at the time and she was only awake for a short amount of time. This trip got the reactions that we, as parents, were hoping for. She pointed at everything. Sometimes double-pointed (you know, pointing with both arms instead of one). She made horsie sounds at many of the animals (that is the animal sound she has mastered the most when we practice). Mia got to pet a baby cow who she loved and didn't want to leave. She also pet a chicken and a goat. We stood in front of the lion enclosure and he stared at us and roared. Surprisingly, Mia wasn't scared. All in all, we had a blast. It was a Saturday spent outdoors in beautiful 65-70 degree spring weather, with time as a family, not to mention an opportunity to explore the cool zoo. No zoo can top the San Diego Zoo, but Shawn, who is more of a zoo expert than I since he has been to many more, says our Forth Worth Zoo takes a good second place.

Favorite Random Photos

I've Been Tagged...

I was tagged by my friend, Amber. So, here is a little info about my hubby and me...

What is his name? Shawn Michael Walker.

How long have you been together? Married just over four years. Total together time: 5 1/2 years.

How long did you date? We dated for 12 months (and saw each other literally every day minus maybe 4) and were engaged for 3 months...so all in all, 15 months.

Who eats more? Shawn. However, we are both big eaters.

Who said "I love you" first? Shawn did in December. I followed in February (no it was not on Valentine's Day).

Who is taller? Everyone knows the answer to this question... Shawn.

Who is smarter? I'd say it's a toss up. We have different strengths. Shawn is really good at reasoning things out. I think we are both quick learners.

Who does the laundry? Mostly me. Though Shawn does help when needed and will claim to be better at folding (especially shirts) since he used to work in clothing retail.

Who sleeps on the right? Me at the moment. It sometimes switches depending on the room/mattress position. He always takes the place closest to the door.

Who does the dishes? Mostly me though Shawn helps a lot. Unless it has to be washed by hand and that's mostly my department.

Who pays the bills? Me.

Who mows the lawn? Shawn.

Who cooks dinner? Mostly me. Shawn is very creative in the kitchen though and likes to try his hand at new (aka: sometimes disastrous) creations. He is a big help when I need it and seems to do more and more as pregnancy takes its toll on all of us.

Who is more stubborn? I think we are equally stubborn. I think that I'm just stubborn more often and on more things.

Who kissed who first? He kissed me first. On our third date, standing in his kitchen, after a romantic grilled cheese sandwich by candlelight dinner.

Who proposed? Shawn did at a gorgeous fountain in San Diego. It was a great night.

Who has more siblings? Me - I have 6 kids in my family; Shawn has 4.

Who wears the pants? We have separate roles. I'm am the official CFO and he is the official CEO of our household. So I would say that he does (unless it regards finances). Actually, that's how we have set it up but I think we both have a healthy respect for each other's opinions and we make most of our decisions together. But he is definitely "the man" of the relationship.

I tag Angela and Michelle and Emily.

My Personal Constitution and My Most Recent Read

So this is a new world for me as well. The world of the Blogger.
I have been writing my Personal Constitution these last few days. I was reading 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and it makes the suggestion of writing one. Covey talks about the US constitution as the document that the nation revolves around, the document that upholds our values and is the fabric of our nation. So why don't we all have a personal document we all can turn and look at when things get turbulent in our lives? A document that we will not waiver from. It's a cool concept I thought so I started writing one up. My first line in my personal constitution is, "I am a happy person." Well it's just a rough draft so we'll see how it evolves.

On a separate note. I just got done reading "An Inconvenient Truth" by Glenn Beck. It was funny and horribly depressing at the same time. A good read. I suggest it. He makes light of many of our nations most serious problems and makes some suggestions on how we might be able to fix them.

Our House

This is a picture of (part of) our house. It's cutting off the left side and some beautiful landscaping. The former owner was a landscape architect and did a great job. We live in a very organized community with lots of families. We love our new neighborhood. We go for walks as often as possible and love to feel like we are mingling with other people at the nearby park. Of course, we rarely ever talk to them, unless they ask about our dog, but at least it's nice not to feel isolated. The opportunity is there, should we decide to seize it.

All About Mia

Mia just turned 16 months old. She now has 12 teeth which are very sharp (I guess if you stick your fingers in her mouth you deserve to find that out). She toddles all around the place and has now grown tall enough to reach the doorknobs which has opened up new possibilities of trouble! (No I can't put those knob covers on because we have handles rather than knobs; please provide suggestions if you have any...) She loves to laugh and be tickled. She and Annie are the best of pals. Mia knows her nose, eyes, ears, mouth and forehead; all of which she can say the first half of (minus forehead). She makes horse and sheep animal sounds. The other day, while on a walk, Mia saw a large white dog with curly, fluffy fur and made the sheep sound. I thought it was so cute that she thought the dog was a sheep. She also says "baby" and "whatsthat?" and, of course, "no". I love spending my days with her, she is so much fun. She is also Daddy's little girl and loves to wrestle and play with him.

An Experiment in Blogging

Over the last few months, I have gotten to know many friends/family members in a new way. I have learned that many of them have a literary ability that I would never have guessed. Some of them have poignant messages embedded in their stories. Some are artistic and funny. All of these things I have discovered in the world of blogging. I have wanted to join this "new world" for some time but have procrastinated for thousands of reasons. I am procrastinating no longer. Blogging world here I come! And though my posts may not be as poetic/funny/artistic/poignant as those I have read, maybe it will provide a glimpse of our life in Texas and a glimpse of those special yet ordinary moments that make our life, as a small clan of Walkers, happy.