UPDATE: TJ just got his first tooth! FINALLY! :) He's been "teething" for about 2 months with swollen gums and little buds, but now it's cut through! His second bottom tooth can't be too far behind. He's walking all over the furniture holding on but still walking. He's crawling like a champ still. He loves being outside even though he gets sweaty. He gets into the cupboards and loves the ceiling fans.
We are all moved in and have been for awhile. It's a really nice apartment on the second floor so we are the noisy ones now! We've never had someone below us that we've needed to be quiet for. I pound on the ground when I play with TJ and then I remember, there's someone below us that probably isn't appreciating that very much. I know I didn't.
It's a great little community and I'm getting pretty used to the streets around here since they aren't the grid system like in Rexburg and UT. There are a ton of different highways! I have to get onto 4 different ones to get to Tiffany's (my sister-in-law) house in Fort Worth which is a NEIGHBORING city. It's weird.
Todd likes his new job. He's pretty much just done training videos the past week and a half but he's gone to a few parties and enjoyed the people there. He takes the DART and it takes him like no time to get into downtown.
I love being at the pool. TJ loves it too. He splashes the whole time and even kicks like he's swimming. It's super cute. I haven't had time to just go and lay out to tan at all. Every time I'm outside I have TJ and have to keep an eye on him and keep him out of the sun so I'm out of the sun. But that's ok. We'll have good weather until December and then it'll just be nice. :)
Things that I like about TX that are different than ID or UT:
+ The Kroger grocery store here - their system for checking out is BRILLIANT! You just take your cart (full) right up to the cashier person. They take the items out of your cart and beep them right there. Then they put them onto the conveyor belt to the bagger who bags and puts back into your cart. That way there's not a ton of taking everything out, then putting them back in to take them back out, etc.
+ The roads are paved in concrete. There is only asphalt on the highways. That really helps keep the heat down.
+ The layout of the airport (DFW)
+ That everyone runs or bikes here. After about 6 'o clock, there are runners up and down our street and all over the Village
+ Six Flags Over Texas is 30 mins away! Can't wait to go!
+ The trees that provide shade. These trees are old and mature. They had some good planners and added trees every where.
+ The thunderstorm the other night
Things I don't really like or are weird and different:
- The billions of highways
- They paint their fire hydrants silver. I don't know why and I know they were red first because some of the paint is chipping and it's RED underneath. Weirdos!
- They have a lot of regulations. There isn't really any "public" land. Everything is owned by someone. And if you do find some "public" land you have to buy a $40 permit to walk on it. Also they have toll ways. And it's going to be about $600 to change our cars into Texas cars with the registration, emissions, new plates, inspections, permits etc for the great state of Texas. Everyone has a ton of stickers on their dash that I think would get in the way while driving...
- The cicadas and other bugs. Haven't seen too many {*knock on wood*}, thank goodness
- The sign at the mall that says: Tornado shelter in the center of the mall. WHAT THE!!??! That's comforting that now I know where it is, but not comforting that now we are in tornado country.
There were other things on both sides. Maybe I'll add them as I remember them. Overall though, we love it. We love the people, our apartment, and each other. We're on an adventure and I wouldn't want to do it with anyone but Todd and TJ. They are my life.
Cicadas (locusts) are nice bugs - they'll make a bunch of noise at night, and it sounds awesome, but they aren't harmful at all. Just big and ugly.
ReplyDeleteAnd I grew up seeing tornados every summer. Luckily they rarely strike the big cities. It's the outskirts that have a problem. The big cities act like a wind break, so the tornado usually breaks up before they would penetrate a big city. We'd get the hail and rain from the storm, but a tornado never came within a mile of the house.
And I love our storms!! Amarillo is super flat, and the summer rain storms were awesome because you'd see it roll in and out. I bet Dallas gets some good storms too. (=
Again, welcome to Texas. Both my parents grew up in Idaho, but they are "Texans" now. he he he
What a fun adventure! Texas sounds so nice right about now. It's still rainy and gray here everyday!
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