Don't Know Where to Start

It has been more than 6 months since my last post and I have no idea where to begin!  I guess I'll just start typing and see what I come up with.  

Mike has less than 3 months left before he GRADUATES from law school and we cannot wait!  It has been a long and difficult 3 years, but so worth it (hopefully).  Right now he has classes and an externship that keep him busy.  He is still trying to find where his interests are and what he wants to do after he takes the bar, so right now our options are pretty much endless.  On one hand it seems awesome that there are so many possibilities of where to go and what to do, but on the other hand it is stressful and scarey that we don't have a plan yet.  We are so excited to see where life takes us and to actually start feeling like grown-ups :)  

Danny is going on 20 months old!  He is no longer my snuggley little baby; he is constantly running around, climbing on everything, throwing toddler tantrums, and just being a "big boy".  He loves to walk up and down stairs - any and all stairs in fact - and is getting pretty good at it, too.  We live in a basement apartment and the stairs we have are wood and kinda steep, so I always freak out when he tries to walk down the stairs by himself.  He could run back and forth on our couch, playing and diving in the pillows and cushions all day.  I would say he is pretty much a fearless daredevil - most of the time :) 

Danny loves shoes, especially any shoes that are not his shoes.  He will even try wearing our shoes over the top of shoes.  His favorite are a pair of my healed boots.  As soon as I open my closet doors he runs over saying "oosh, oosh, oosh!"  If only I could get him that excited about wearing his own shoes.  As soon as he gets in the car seat or cart at the store his shoes come off.  

Danny loves books.  Every now and then we find him laying on the floor flipping through books and just staring at each page.  I am so happy he likes "reading" and hope that he will continue to like books when he is old enough to read on his own.  He is also incredibly talkative.  And by talkative I don't mean he says many real words, I mean he is just constantly being vocal and babbling in his own strange language.  It is pretty hilarious and cute, but we are definitely ready for him to start talking.  It can be frustrating for everyone when he can't communicate what he wants/needs, and we don't know what he is trying to say.  Maybe I'll try sign language with our next baby.  

Some of the words he knows:

buh-bye

hu-wo (hello)

dada/daddy

apple

oosh (shoes)

eyes

hat

house 

hot

tay-too (thank you)

oh no

uh oh

num num (any food)

rawr

Not really a whole lot new with me.  I've gotta say I've been pretty lame the last, well 3 years or so!  Whenever people ask me what I've been up to or what is new with me, I don't have anything to say!  Just doing the same ol' mom/wifey stuff I always do.  Danny (and the fact that I'm a clean freak) keep me pretty busy at home, and the cold/rainy fall and winter have kept us indoors for the past few months.  It is really starting to drive Danny and I crazy and living in a small dark basement isn't helping.  I don't want to sound too negative or needy when I say this, but I don't have a social life whatsoever.  Looking back at my teenage and college years, I was super social and always had close friends all around me.  All those bff's and roommates live all across the U.S. now doing their own thing, and here I have no one.  The lack of friends for so long has made me feel so socially awkward, so when I actually find someone I connect with and want to hang out with, I always feel like I am such a weirdo and scare them away!  Plus, being students, we never stay anywhere long enough for me to get comfortable in the local mom scene.  Okay, now I sound like a wookiee so I'll wrap this up.  Basically, I need some stinkin' friends before I become a lonely, anti-social creeper!  I am really praying that wherever the Lord sends us after law school, it will either be near family or some awesome ladies I can chill with/have play dates with.

Now for some pictures to cover the last 6 months of our lives :)

 First time at the lake

Visiting Neil, Grandma Katsuko, Aunt Tina and Uncle Joe

Myrtle Creek Gilbert Family Reunion

 The Tran boys and Danny with Dad on the bug ride at the pumpkin patch

 Me and mama Jill down on the farm :)

Dad and Danny after sledding down this hill at the farm

 Helping Grandpa put together his Christmas firetruck

Fell asleep with a fry in his mouth

Fell asleep during the first 5 minutes of Hercules

CRAZY February snow storm - everything was a peaceful winter wonderland.  FUN!

 

Okay, I hope you all made it through that long post plus pictures.  One of my goals for this year is to keep our blog up-to-date and take more pictures, so feel free to remind me when I'm slacking :)