Dirty 30!

I know again I am a little behind on my blogging...I apologize. Last weekend my parents came down to babysit so that Scott and I could go out and help my brother in law celebrate his 30th birthday. I almost forgot what it was like to get all dressed up and go out with just my husband. A fun night was had by all who attended this hilarious event. We started off the night at the Airliner eating a yummy dinner. Then we went to the Hotel Vetro downtown where Brooke and James got a room and had the guests at the hotel until about 11. These few hours went by so fast...they always do when you are giggling the entire time. I had the opportunity to meet a lot of Brooke's co-workers that I hear so much about and they were all so much fun. Eventually we went out to a bar named D.C.'s. We didn't stay long because most of us were sleepy and James and Brooke were ready to head back to the hotel. Highlights of the night:

1) Freezing my toosh off walking from the restaurant to the hotel
2) Giggling with Apey and Brooke about everything
3) Jame's deciding that he needed to spray the ceiling with champagne since it was his birthday
4) Scott, because he is so tall, wiping the ceiling off and everyone chanting for him
5) Watching 30 people cram into a elevator
6) James at D.C.'s
7) Finally meeting Ben!
8) The hotel bathroom

Thanks Burkhalters to a fun fun fun night! Thanks Mom and Dad for babysitting Lyla!

On the Road Again...

I have to apologize for my lack of blogging lately. I wanted to get settled here in Iowa before I picked up my computer. Well...we did it! Another cross country car ride for my sweet little Lyla. My mom flew in on Thursday morning and helped babysit Lyla while Scott and I did the last minute things we needed to get done before we moved. That evening we went over to the Chandler's house for a yummy spaghetti dinner and to shed our goodbye tears. They had been so wonderful to us while we were in Texas the past seven months. Thank you Bryan and Linda for feeding us so many times, babysitting so I could go to Bible study, and dates with my husband, for Sunday afternoons and especially for helping us get to Dallas. We will miss you as we prepare for our way out East.
After we left the Chandlers we put the Bean to bed and stayed up packing the final boxes. My alarm went off at 2:45 a.m. and I quick hopped in the shower in hopes of waking myself up. Once we got everything put in the Uhaul, woke Lyla and gassed up we were on the road by 4 a.m. Unfortunately the Uhaul rear lights weren't working so Scott had to drive with his red emergency lights blinking until it was light out. I did ok driving for the first hour and a half in the dark but then I got sleepy QUICK! It was bad enough not having much sleep and it being dark out, but driving behind a Uhaul with constant flashing lights was like torture. After my mom witnessed me continually slapping myself in the face and shaking my head she made me pull over so I could get a nap in. This nap was a lifesaver! Lyla and I woke up at 8:30 a.m. and we pulled over and had breakfast at McDonalds. This was a good chance for Lyla to stretch her legs a little before we got back in the car. Lyla did so amazing on the ride up to Iowa. Seriously she acted like a new born...she slept, woke up, ate, and then went back to sleep. We stopped again for lunch and then we made it to Des Moines and I fed her in the back seat. She didn't get fussy until we were about 30 minutes outside of Iowa City. Then of course we got lost in North Liberty trying to find our town home...I mean seriously we drive from Texas to Iowa and get lost in small town Iowa! Eventually we figured it out and had a bunch of help from my family and Isiah's family even chipped in. It was so wonderful being back in Iowa and not having to cry when I told my family goodbye. I wake up every morning feeling so blessed to be so close to family. I want to spend every second with them! I just wanted to thank you Mom for flying down and helping us with the drive, moving, and watching Lyla. We love you so much and this trip could have been a disaster without you! Thanks to Brooke and James, Apey and Isiah, Tessy and Terry, and Dad for all of the help with moving and babysitting! We love you all so much! How blessed we are to both have such amazing families.

Daddy and the big truck (taken for Max)

Breakfast at McDonalds

Eating a Grandma Shirley cookie on the way!

Lunch at Wendy's


Waking up in Iowa!

Slacking on the Blogging!

I have been so bad about blogging lately because we are trying to get organized to move to North Liberty in less than a week. We leave on Friday early in the a.m. to make our way back up to Iowa. We are hoping to get in late in the evening and then will unpack on Saturday. We will be in Iowa until the end of March and then we will make our next big move out to New Jersey. Going to be a crazy few months but I am ecstatic at the thought of getting some much needed family time before we move out to the East coast. I probably won't blog or put any pictures in until we get settled in and unpacked. Until then stay warm!