random pictures

i was going through pictures from my camera and found these pictures that i love so much.  i had to share.

 mr. blue eyes at his 2nd birthday party.

 

 md and gray while trying to fly kites with mamo and pa.

 i don't know why he's crying and, apparently, neither does gray.

see?

 gray, md and ellie and a jack-o-lantern from halloween 2011.

md, pa and gray reading at christmas 2011.

baby update

i don't know why blogging seems to be so much trouble sometimes.  but, here i am to try...again. :)

i am 24 weeks pregnant now.  wow.  time seems to be going too fast! at about 17 weeks i started to feel those little butterfly kicks.  at 19 weeks, we found out we are having a girl! we've even chosen a name, which is a little unusual for michael and i. :)

camilla joy.

camilla joy jules kotze.  millie, to her very excited aunts. :) she moves all over and it seems too soon! it's crazy. i can see it and feel it.  michael can see it and feel it.  it's the most wonderful feeling in the world.

she already has a stash of little girl things.  some very cute hand-me-downs from friend, mya ramirez.  several dresses and outfits, some shoes and nestles (so her hair smells heavenly sweet all the time). :)

michael david is very excited about the prospect of a new baby sister in the house.  it might just be a tiny bit confusing since he already refers to ellie as "sissy". 

so, things are going well for us here.  we're just takin it day by day and trying to enjoy every moment. 

"catch fishy"...a favorite for md.

my boys and i took a little fishing trip the other day. michael and i tied with two fish each. md was too distracted throwing rocks to catch anything.

we took a picnic of cheetos and cokes.

it was an evening of fun for our family of three!

(and, as is par for the course, there were plenty of pictures taken, not one of which had my smiling face...or the back of my head...or my foot...or a tiny strand of my hair.)

winds of change

for the past few months, the winds of change have been blowing through the kotze home.

michael was offered a new position with a company in san angelo. he accepted.

we're moving home. or are we moving from home? maybe it's both.

san angelo, to me, is home. it's where i met and married the love of my life. it's mama's cooking, daddy's preaching, niece's giggles and nephew's cuddles. it's best friends and their husbands and children. it's target with my sister and rosa's once a week. it's mexican food to die for and antique shopping downtown. it's slow driving and empty roadways by 10pm. it's comfortable. it's knowing. it's home.

san antonio, to me, is home. it's my husband. it's my baby boy. it's independence and growing and loving. it's really becoming a woman all my own, being an amazing wife, a fantastic mother and learning as i go. it's sitting in rockers on the front porch and waving at neighbors as they pass. working hard to make everything about our house...our home. it's taking pride in the work my husband puts in on the yard, to make it the best in the neighborhood. it's my first mommy group and my friend rosemary who was the best teaching partner a girl could ever ask for. it's my home where family and friends love to come and stay. it's hostessing like my mama taught me to and helping those in need. it's cmc church, with a great pastor and awesome worship. it's good food, good shopping and good friends.

i'm happy to be going home and sad to be leaving home. michael hugs me and tells me we'll make a home there we love just as much, if not more. and i believe him. i know we will. it's not a town or a house that makes us...it's just us. our love and family and being each other's top priority is us.

i'm happy for the opportunity and for change. plus-we're about to have more babysitters than we know what to do with! :)

so san angelo, get ready...the kotze's are coming home!