Those Crazy Erwins!

What do you get....

2009-11-03T07:33:00.005-06:00

When you put together Tinkerbell & Big Al (the Alabama mascot)? The cutest trick-or-treaters ever, that's what!

Isabella and her boy-toy, Riley

We meet up with our good friends for chili & pizza before going out

Jacob didn't really like pumpkin guts as much as I thought he would....

The kids had a great time. Isabella and her friends ran as fast as they could from house to house. Jacob was quite the champ. He was perfectly happy to suck on a dum-dum pop & hold his daddy's hand. When he was ready for another piece of candy, he would go to a door. Having such a cute little guys really works wonders at getting extra candy!!! We started in our friend's neighborhood, and then came home to ours. We have the perfect-sized neighborhood, and a lot of people decorated their houses and made some fun, spooky scenes in their yards. When we were all done, we went back to the house & dumped out the very full buckets. I told Isabella that since she is 4 years old, she could have 4 pieces..... And it worked!!!! No argument, no asking for more. I figure this trick won't work next year, but it was nice this year!

California Trip- San Francisco

2009-08-13T21:13:00.003-05:00

For the last 5 days of our trip, the kids and I stayed at my mom's house. It was so great to spend time with her, her sweet man-friend Michael, my brother, and even my dad. The kids were total champs throughout the entire trip, and just loved all of the attention they got. Isabella LOVES her Uncle Justin, and Jacob has a real sweet spot for his buddie Michael.

California Trip- Redding

2009-08-13T20:56:00.002-05:00

It was so fun to go to Redding and stay with my Aunt & Uncle, and get to see my sister! Isabella lived in the pool, and loved every second she got to spend with her Uncle Frank. She also got to hold her first sparkler, which she thought was pretty darn cool!

California Trip- Monterey

2009-08-13T20:47:00.002-05:00

The kids and I had a great time visiting Grandma V. We were able to go to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, which was great. I haven't been since I was pretty young, and it was awesome to see the otters again!

Pictures from Salt Lake

2009-08-13T20:39:00.003-05:00

Summer Tour '09

2009-08-13T14:35:00.005-05:00

Boy, has it been a busy summer! The kids and I just got back from California, and before that, all of us were in Salt Lake for Amy's wedding (Michael's sister). I'll spare everyone all of the details, but suffice to say we had a great time. The kids were able to meet/re-meet/bond with our awesome family, and I survived a couple of long plane trips without giving away my children.

Here are some pictures, and I'll follow up this post with plenty more!

Mini- Vaca

2009-06-19T18:19:00.004-05:00

My good friend Sara and I decided that it would be a good idea to pack up all of our kids (2 four year olds, 1 two year old, and 2 one year olds), rent a van, and head up to the Smokies for 5 days. Overall, it was a big success. Very few meltdowns, great hotel, and plenty to do. Here are a few cute pictures!

A little late....

2009-06-19T18:16:00.003-05:00

Can you believe that Isabella is 4?!?! And that Michael and I have been married for 5 years?!?! Isabella's party was a lot of fun, and she is still talking about it. She's also been giving me suggestions for her next party.....

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Favorite Picture of Jacob

2009-05-04T10:01:00.004-05:00

This picture might be my all-time favorite picture! No, it's not food- it's the 'beautiful' red clay from the garden!

Jacob's First Birthday 1/11/09

2009-05-04T09:56:00.001-05:00

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Slacker

2009-05-04T09:42:00.001-05:00

Yeah, I know I'm a slacker. I am so behind at posting pictures of the kids. So, here goes!

2009-04-20T11:28:00.003-05:00

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Yeah Michael!!!

2009-04-20T11:28:00.002-05:00

On Saturday morning Michael ran in his first 5k race. He is training for a half marathon (sometime in November), and did a great job!! Isabella really enjoyed cheering for him. He'll be running in a 10k next month, and I'm sure he will do great.

Let's take it one week at a time.....

2009-04-07T14:56:00.002-05:00

!!!!Warning!!!! This post is a bit all over the place.....

I am in the middle of watching yesterday's Oprah, and it is all about being a mom. It's a great episode, so if you haven't had a chance to see it, my guess is that you can find it online somewhere.

Anyways, Oprah and her guests were talking about what a tough job being a mom is, and they said that what every mom needs is a wife (hilarious & true!). So, my brain started spinning (even more than usual). I am well aware that no one is perfect, nor will we ever be in this life. I don't feel I have unrealistic expectations about my goals as a woman, wife & mother, although I know my many lists are a bit out of control. After talking to many friends about this, I've decided that I really just don't understand all the talk about felling pressure to be some sort of super mom, or feeling guilty about not being one. I can honestly say that I don't compare myself to anyone. Any pressure that I may feel is just me trying to be the best me that I can be. Some days I fall short. Some days, I feel awesome.

I think that many moms feeling guilty about something need to either fix the situation, or get over it. I think that maybe 90% of the time you hear someone speaking out about how they don't measure up, they really just want to you to tell them that they are great and lots of other fluff. I like to hear nice things about myself- who doesn't? But maybe, just maybe, instead of feeding someone a line about how 'normal they are' and that 'everyone goes through this', we could actually offer to do something to help them.

I was at my friend Sara's house last week, and I mentioned that we should get a few ladies together, and rotate 'fixing' each other. I think she thought I was joking.... If we all worked together, we could accomplish so much. We each have different strengths & talents, so why not use them? Someone shouldn't have to die or give birth to get a meal!!

So, here is my plan. First, I think I am going to take a good long look at the dishes piling up in my sink. Then, I'm going to daydream about a day that I could just daydream, no interruptions, all day long. After that, I might take a look at my latest to do list, and add a few things that I've already done, because it feels oh-so-good to cross something off. Finally, I think I might catch up on my Judge Judy watching. They are starting to clog up my dvr, and when I watch something and delete it, it's almost like crossing something off a list.

My Heart is in Georgia....

2009-03-18T11:04:00.002-05:00

Isabella is spending the week with her grandparents & aunt in Georgia. I am missing her terribly! She is a lot of fun, full of hugs & kisses, and quite the comedian. Jacob seems to be missing her as well.

On the other hand, it has been nice to not have any dinnertime battles & for Michael & I to be able to talk without being interrupted!

Hope

2009-03-03T06:45:00.003-06:00

Or the lack there of..... Michael and I talk a lot about the things going on in the world and the economy. People are so consumed right now by fear/worry/doubt, and many talk about the fact that they just have no hope that things will get better anytime soon. Isn't 'hope' the key to happiness? I mean, we couldn't have faith without hope. So, no, you will not see the Erwin's losing hope. We are fortunate that Michael has a great job, and his company is actually growing. They have held a few meetings lately to reassure everyone that they are in good shape, and that there is no need to fear. My business is doing good as well. And of course, we are young and healthy. There are lots of things to be hopeful about in our lives.

I read that it is in times of economic downturn that true fortunes are made. I know that they were speaking of dollars, but there are other fortunes to be had. When you are living your life as you should, following fairly simple rules, your 'bank' will be overflowing with deposits.

Didn't mean to get too deep there. Just had some things on my mind I felt like sharing.

I'm an awful blogger!

2009-03-02T08:02:00.002-06:00

Man! It has been a while since my last blog! I've been incredibly busy, but fortunately things are slowing down around here. Last weekend I catered a wedding that had been consuming all of my time. And I am happy to now have it out of my head!

Quick update on everyone- Jacob & Isabella have been sick for the last couple of weeks. Jacob lost 4-5 lbs., and now looks skinny. Boy am I glad he was chubby to begin with! Thankfully they are both on the mend, but now I'm sick, and it's killing me!!! I can't sleep when I can't breath!!!

Michael is done with his contract at Boeing, and is now back and his main office. He's happy about that since it is maybe 10-12 minutes away from the house. It'll be nice to see him for lunch every now and then!

OK, I've got to sign off for now, but I plan on lots of blogging this week!

Happy Birthday Jacob!

2009-01-11T20:17:00.002-06:00

One year ago today, my sweet little Jacob was born. We was a big guy, weighing in at 9 lbs 6 oz & 22 inches long, and has not slowed his growth for even a minute. Here are some fun facts about my main squeeze-

Jacob has never met a calorie he didn't like. He LOVES to eat, and here he is experience a moment of what must have been pure bliss.

Speaking of food, at time of press, Jacob's favorite food is raisins. He just can't get enough.

Jacob rarely, if ever, fusses. I mean, if he is hungry or has a dirty diaper, he will absolutely let you know. But other than that, he's a pretty chill kid.

Jacob's favorite toys (as of today) have to be these cute little plastic Tonka trucks he got from Nana for Christmas.

New Year.... New me?

2009-01-07T08:57:00.002-06:00

I always found it kind of funny how people needed the year to change to get them do something. With that said, not a day goes by that I'm not writing some sort of list about things to do, goals, dreams, etc. So I thought I would share with you some lists I have for everyone in my family:

Jessica

Organize ALL areas of my house
Wake up at 6am every morning (so that I have just a little time to myself)
Lose 30 lbs
Finish a few of the MANY projects I have going

Michael (I made this just for him....)

Take my wife on lots of dates, and not once mention how much it costs
Surprise my wife with flowers on days other than holidays or her birthday
Put the laundry away, just because I know Jessica hates it
Wipe the mirror & counter off in the bathroom after I shave, because I know it leaves a mess
Finish a few of the MANY projects Jessica has going for me

Isabella

Stop wearing Pull-ups at night & during naps
Eat dinner without complaining (Hey, I can dream!)
Stay in my bed

Jacob

Hmmm.......
Stop throwing my socks behind me in the car

Christmas Pictures- Isabella

2008-12-31T12:23:00.003-06:00

Christmas Pictures- Jacob

2008-12-31T12:10:00.008-06:00

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-31T08:43:00.002-06:00

Well, this year was one of the best ever! Isabella has been so excited about Christmas and Santa (every prayer she said this month included something about Santa). Santa put a bell on her door so that we would hear her when she woke up. She came out of her room and yelled "It's morning!" She ran into our room to wake us up, and the woke up Nana & Aunt Kristie. Michael ran down the stairs so that he could get everything on video. Isabella made out really good on gifts, that's for sure! Jacob slept in that morning and we were all able to open our gifts before he came downstairs.

Michael and I exchanged lots of fun gifts, but the best gift we opened was what my mom gave us- a Wii!!!! It is really fun, and even Isabella gets in on the action.

Jacob is really enjoying the dump truck that Santa left, and trying to take all of Isabella's new toys. Can you believe that he will turn 1 next weekend?!?!

Tonight, we will have more company arrive- Michael's parents- Dennis & Jo Ann, sister- Amy, and Brother & new wife- Mark & Tara. Isabella is VERY excited about the visit, as are Michael and I.

I'll post pictures & video soon!!

The little man in my life....

2008-12-07T11:52:00.003-06:00

I couldn't get one with his eyes open- my camera is soooo slow!!

12 Dates of Christmas- The 1st Date

2008-12-07T11:30:00.008-06:00

I heard about this cool thing to do during the month of December, and I thought it would be fun to adapt it to our family, and make it a neat tradition. So, we have to go on 12 'dates' before Christmas. It can be as a whole family or split up. It doesn't have to be expensive or elaborate, just a good time.

Michael and Isabella kicked it off with a daddy-daughter date to Santa's Village. They had a BLAST!! Isabella got to talk with Santa, and tell him all about what she wants (and she even asked him to get Jacob a dump truck), hear Mrs. Clause read a couple of stories, make an ornament, go through an ice maze, decorate cookies, see Santa's bedroom, and lots more. Jacob and I couldn't go because it was kinda late, and Jacob is sick, so I didn't want him out in the cold. I'm totally jealous, so I think that we will all go again when my mom & sister get here. Here are some funs pics that Michael took.

Thanksgiving Recap

2008-12-02T11:39:00.002-06:00

We had such a great Thanksgiving! There were 17 of us- 8 adults and 9 kids (all age 4 & under). The kids did a great good, and we feasted on some delicious food. It might have been the most delicious Thanksgiving meal I've ever eaten.....

Here is the menu (and no, I didn't make it all- my friends contributed lots)

Brined Turkey & Gravy
Mashed Potatoes
2 kinds of Stuffing- one with apples & sausage, and one without
Sweet Potatoes with Pecan Streusal Topping
Cranberry-Orange Sauce
Cranberry Salad
Rolls
Corn
Broccoli Casserole
Deviled Eggs w/ Cheddar & Bacon
Wassail- Yum!
Pumpkin Cheesecake
Pumpkin Pie
Apple Pie
Cherry Pie
Chocolate Cream Pie
Praline Ice Cream Pie

Office Update

2008-11-25T10:13:00.003-06:00

Bet you thought I forgot, huh? Well, it took quite a bit of time, but I've made some serious progress in my office as well as other parts of the house. I still have to paint, put some stuff on the walls, and add a couple pieces of furniture, but I am pleased with the preliminary results.

As for the rest of the house, I'm not quite ready to post pictures.

Soon..... I hope....

Tag!

2008-11-20T13:31:00.003-06:00

OK, normally I don't do these, but I actually liked this one. I'm not going to tag anyone specifically, but I'll be watching your blogs to see who did it!

A- Age: 28
B - Best Friend: Hmmm... I've got a few really good friends, even though we don't get to see each other or even talk very much anymore. I guess that's how you know they really are good friends- you can always pick right back up where you left off- Cat, Michelle, Jacque, Felicia & Sara
C - Cake or Pie: Neither are really my favorite, but I'd have to say cake- Costco cake!
D - Drink of Choice: Cherry Coke, with lots of ice. Mmmm... I'm thirsty...
E - Essential Items: Diaper wipes, yoga pants (my fancy way of saying pj's), and my dvr. I'm an addict.
F - Favorite TV show at the moment: I have so many!! Lost, 24, Top Chef, Heroes, Judge Judy......
G - Gummi Bears or Worms: Bears. But only Haribo.
H - Hometown: Hesperia, CA
I - Indulgence: Fried potatoes/hash browns
J - January or July: January
K - Kids: 2
L - Life is incomplete without: Family
M - Marriage Date: June 5, 2004
N - Number of Siblings: 2- 1 brother and 1 sister
O - Oranges or Apples: Apples. Fuji are my fav.
P - Phobias or Fears: The 3 S's- Snakes, Sharks & Spiders
Q - Quote: There never was a child so lovely, but his mother was glad to see him asleep. --Ralph Waldo Emerson- I totally stole this from Sara because I couldn't think of anything....
R - Reason to Smile: Both kids asleep at the same time.
S - Season: Fall
T - Time you woke up today: 6:00ish
U- Unknown Fact About Me: I absolutely hate latex balloons. I hate the way they smell, the way they feel, and the sounds they make when you touch them. I totally get the hebe-gibes just thinking about it.
V - Veggies or Fruit: I love them both too much to decide.
W - Worst Habit: Biting my cuticles. I know, I know, am a freak.
X - X-Rays or Ultrasounds: Ultrasounds
Y - Your Favorite Food: Sushi
Z - Zodiac: Virgo

TOFW

2008-11-18T13:56:00.002-06:00

Last weekend, I was able to go to Time Out For Women up in Nashville with a few of my friends. We had a great time! Hillary Weeks & Kenneth Cope preformed and were both awesome, as were the many speakers they had lined up. There are about 20 new books I want now!! And, guess what some of you are getting for Christmas????

It was a lot of fun to get away with my friends. We gabbed for hours and ate good food. It definitely wasn't a restful weekend, but that's fine by me. Next year, the closest TOFW is in Cincinnati (about 6 hours away), but I think I'll try to make the trip so I can see my good friends that live in Dayton. I'm already getting excited!

He walks!

2008-11-17T10:10:00.000-06:00

Well, about 10 minutes ago, Jacob took his first step! But, not just any step. He let go of Michael to walk into the kitchen and proceeded to take 4 steps. Just like that. Then, Michael and I got him to do it over and over again walking back and forth between us.

He is 10 months old, and I fully expect this ball of energy to be running before Christmas. Please pray for me!!!

Every fat girls dream.....

2008-11-13T14:28:00.002-06:00

About a month ago I went to my new Dr. (Primary Care), to get a routine physical. She put me on a great weight-loss drug because I can't seem to lose any of the weight I put on with Jacob. I had to go get some blood work done and make another appointment with her in 1 month.

So, fast-forward to today. I've lost 12 pounds (yeah!!!), and was hoping just to renew my prescription for my wonder drug. Well, it turns out that my labs came back with some problems. I've got hypothyroidism & something is going on with my liver (I don't know too much about this & have to make another appt.). I was doing some research on the thyroid issue, and it can really mess you up. It can cause weight gain, depression, lack of energy/exhaustion, and a lot of other problems. On one hand, I'm bummed that something is wrong with me, but on the other hand, maybe I'll start to feel a little more like me soon.

Sorry if this was way too much information for some of you!!

My little model

2008-11-04T21:35:00.002-06:00

Having Fun

2008-11-04T21:28:00.002-06:00

Isabella got to go to a fun birthday party last weekend at Jumpzone- a place with just a ton of inflatables. She had a blast. This Saturday she has another party to go to- at Chucky Cheese's. She's never been there, but I have a feeling we will soon be regular patrons.

Mission: Organization- Office

2008-11-04T14:56:00.002-06:00

OK, this is embarrassing. I thought that maybe if I took a picture and blogged about it, I would shame myself into doing something. Our office has become a junk graveyard. Anytime another room in the house needs to be picked up, everything ends up in here. It is probably the most unproductive place to work in the house. So, I'm giving myself 2 weeks to make it into a workable, pleasant, maybe even kid-proof space. I'll post an update every few days with pictures of my progress.

Now, repeat to self- "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can....."

There is a pit in my stomach....

2008-11-04T14:50:00.002-06:00

I will be soooo happy when today is done. I'm sick of this election. I'm not really a fan of either candidate, so I've got nothing to be excited about, regardless who wins. This morning I had an early chamber of commerce meeting, and had to drive by a polling place. I literally started to physically feel ill.

After a trip to the kid's doctor (Jacob is sick), we picked up Isabella from preschool and went to vote. Isabella was very interested in what I was doing. If she only knew...

Isabella the Dancer Part 2

2008-11-03T19:11:00.002-06:00

Just thought I would share this super cute picture. I bought Isabella a few pairs of leg warmers the other day, and I just LOVE them!

Halloween 2008 Recap

2008-11-03T07:12:00.004-06:00

On Thursday night, our church had its annual Trunk-r-Treat and Chili/Soup Cook-off. The night started off on a bad note..... I purchased Jacob the most adorable puppy costume over a month ago, and for some reason decided not to take it out of the closet or try it on him until 15 min. before we had to leave the house. You can probably guess where this is going. The zipper was busted, an unfortunately it ran along the side of the costume, so I couldn't hide it. So, we showed up to the party with an adorable Jo-Jo the Clown (for the 2nd year) and a Jacob the Giant, no costume needed. The night was not a complete bust- Isabella collected lots of candy for her parents to eat, and I won for the best soup- Roasted Butternut Squash w/ Apples & Bacon. Yum!

Friday started with an early trip to Target to find my little man a new costume. Ya right!! Of course there was NOTHING left in the store, with the exception on dog costumes (meaning costumes to actually put on your dog). So, we left the store with a very cute pumpkin costume that had a hat w/ holes cut out for gigantic ears. Did you know dog costumes are pretty cheap? Only $6.99. I wonder how many years I can get away with buying these? I'll let you know in another 12 months.

At 10:30am, 6 very cute kids arrived at our house for a Halloween Party. They colored pictures, decorated cookies, ate lunch, watched a Halloween movie, and had an all-around great time.

Then at 6pm we set off to go Trick-or-Treating in our neighborhood. It was just perfect. The weather was awesome and the size of our neighborhood is really the perfect size for Trick-or-Treating. A good time was had by all, including Jacob who just loves being pulled around in his wagon.

Jacob the Giant

2008-10-28T17:33:00.002-05:00

Jacob had his 9 month check up the other day. He weighs 25lbs. 12 oz. and is 32.75 inches tall. Holy crap, this kid is huge!!!

While we were there, I had them give both kids their flu shots. Poor little Isabella. While Jacob barely made a peep, Isabella let out quite the pathetic cry. She walked around for the rest of the day holding her arm up like it was broken. She told me that she "doesn't like holes in me". She refused to let me take off her bandaid for a few days. Finally I offered her a candy corn. Works like a charm every time.

2008-10-26T09:58:00.001-05:00

Jacob discovered delicious hay

Isabella making a cotton angel with real cotton!

Tate Farms Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-26T08:46:00.004-05:00

Last weekend we went to an awesome place- Tate Farm's Pumpkin Patch. We went on a hay ride, pet animals, played in a corn-pen, got to play with real cotton, pick pumpkins, and have an all-around great time. Isabella had a BLAST!

Isabella & Daddy touching real cotton for the first time.

DC Trip

2008-10-26T08:36:00.002-05:00

Well, we made it back in one well rested piece. The kids are still alive, and I couldn't be more grateful for the opportunity to get away. I had a great visit with 2 of my favorite friends, Molly & Shellie, I was able to go to the Temple, and my brain got the rest it needed.

Michael had a good time at his conference. His presentation went really well (of course), and he even got to pitch a show idea to the ESPN guys who were there.

Baking

2008-10-08T11:05:00.003-05:00

I've recently decided that I would like to start baking. Those of you who know me know that I LOVE to cook, but baking, well, not so much. It's just that I'm lousy at following directions. There are a lot of things I could do with baking, so I thought I'd give it a go.

My first attempt was with bread. Maybe I was overly ambitious. Some of my friends told me that I needed to watch someone do it, so that I would know what it should look and feel like. Well, I decided not to heed to their advise. Needless to say, it was a complete flop. Literally. It didn't even rise. I have no idea where I went wrong. But will I ask for help? Of course not! I'm going to try again tomorrow. I'll tell you how it goes!

D.C. Dates

2008-10-04T10:55:00.002-05:00

Michael and I (no kids!!!) will be in DC the evening of the 11th thru early morning on the 16th. Michael will be busy pretty much the entire trip, so I plan on RELAXING!!! I'd like to sleep at least 10 hours a day. That will be the first time in 5 years. Yeah!!

I'm going to go to my old ward on Sunday (Brambleton), see my friend Molly either Monday or Tuesday, and go to the Temple either Tuesday or Wednesday. Maybe I'll go to the zoo so that I can get in a nice long walk.

162 hours and counting!

Isabella the Nurse

2008-10-01T15:54:00.002-05:00

Yesterday at preschool, they had 'Community Helper Day'. The kids were to dress up as some sort of community helper. An ambulance came to visit and Isabella was excited to tell me she got to lay in the bed with her friend Luke..... Anyway, I decided I would make Isabella a white apron with a red cross on it and teach her a little about being a nurse. I didn't want to take out my sewing machine, so I bought that iron on stuff. It ended up taking me well over an hour. Dang it! Would have probably taken me 10 minutes on the machine. Lesson learned.

Isabella the Dancer

2008-10-01T15:50:00.002-05:00

I recently enrolled Isabella in a ballet class. She is having a blast, and looks so darn cute in her one and only outfit! She calls it her 'ballerina alphabet'. If only I could get her to open her eyes for pictures!!!!

Mission: Organization

2008-09-26T10:22:00.002-05:00

OK, I've just started a new book that promises to change my life- 'One Year to an Organized Life: From Your Closets to Your Finances, the Week-by-Week Guide to Getting Completely Organized for Good', by Regina Leeds.

So far, according to the book, I'm a mess. I really didn't need a book to tell me that though. What I need is a book to tell me how to get Jacob to realize that 1) he is only 8 months old and still needs naps and 2) I am not his pillow. I need a book to teach Isabella how to sleep in her bed at night and not in the oven of her play kitchen, in her closet, on top of boxes, or curled up next to the toilet!

But in all seriousness, the book seems promising. Once I reach perfection, I'll let you know!

Grams

2008-09-19T09:29:00.002-05:00

My sweet grandma died early Sunday morning. I love her so very much. She lived to be 90 years old. I'm so very grateful that Jacob and I were able to visit with her only a week & a half before her passing.

The picture of her & Jacob in my previous post is the last picture ever taken of her. I try not to be so sad because I know these last couple of years have been so painful for her. I take great comfort in knowing where she is now, and that I can one day see her again.

My grandma never lived in the same town as me. It always took a plane ticket to see her. But I loved each and every visit. She taught me a lot of things that have become a part of my everyday life. She loved to entertain & cook, and she had the most beautiful garden. She was a world traveler, and always brought Justin and I trinkets from her trips. I remember one time she went to Hong Kong and brought Justin back a neat mask and a pretty fan for me. She also would take us on neat trips.

I have so many wonderful memories.

Our trip to California

2008-09-09T15:49:00.004-05:00

Jacob and I went to California for a couple weeks. Unfortunately it wasn't for a vacation. My sweet little 90 year old grandma has been sick, so we flew out (thanks to the generosity of my Aunt Sis) to try to help in any way we could. It turns out that the day we got there, she was admitted to the hospital, and she stayed there for a week. Since Jacob and I had a little free time on our hands, we were able to visit with my mom and see my sister and my aunt & uncle. Here are some cute pics I took on the trip!

Sleeping Beauty

2008-09-09T15:47:00.003-05:00

This is how Michael found Isabella a couple nights ago when he went upstairs to check on Jacob. We were dying laughing!

First Day of Preschool

2008-09-09T15:34:00.004-05:00

Isabella started preschool!! She goes every Tuesday & Thursday 9am-1pm, and absolutely loves it. It's great because it gives me a nice chunk of time to get some things done (although someone needs to inform Jacob that his mommy needs to be able to put him down!!). This is a picture of her on her first day!

He's moving!

2008-08-13T07:33:00.002-05:00

Well, not in this picture, but it was too cute not to post. Jacob is crawling really good now, and sitting up like a pro. He loves graham crackers, and last night tasted his first chocolate milk shake. Isn't it funny what you will do with your second baby that you wouldn't dream about doing with your first? Not that this will be a regular occurrence or anything, but boy was he happy when I gave him a taste!

Oh, news for all my DC pals- Michael and I will be up there this October (I'll give you the dates soon). Yeah!

I'm so bummed!

2008-08-13T07:23:00.002-05:00

I've been sitting around waiting to register for my classes (because I got a letter telling me that they were waiting on something, and then would tell me what to do next). Wouldn't you know, yesterday morning I find out that yesterday is the last day to register. So, I load up both kids and race over (hoping to beat the crowds), but end up about 20th in line. I finally make it in and NONE of the classes I need are still available. Sure, I've got to take some responsibility here. But I literally spoke to 6 different people on campus, and none of them told me anything that would have helped. The classes have been full since I first applied. Dang it!!!

It bums me out even more because I was so excited, and told everyone about it. I'm sure it seems to everyone that this is probably a blessing, since I'm so busy with the kids right now, but when you're really motivated to do something, it's difficult to keep it up when you have to sit around and wait, you know? Oh well.

Memories

2008-08-06T08:24:00.001-05:00

This seems to be going around, so I thought I'd join in! Here are the directions:

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you know me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you. If you don't want to play on your blog, or if you don't have a blog, I'll leave my memory of you in my comments. You can sign in on blogger for free, so you can comment. Just click on comments and follow the directions. You don't have to have a blog page. And your memory can be of any members of my family.

A few cute pics!

2008-08-03T16:49:00.004-05:00

Busy, Busy, Busy

2008-08-03T16:35:00.003-05:00

Since my life is pretty boring and I've got nothing at all to do (HA!), I've decided to take on a bit more. I enrolled in school (4 classes), and I'm finally going to finish my degree (Business w/ a minor in Marketing). I've been to 4 schools, and unfortunately everything won't transfer, but that's OK. The local university (Athen's State University) offers most of the classes I need online, which is perfect for me.

Fortunately I have the Montgomery GI Bill to help pay for it, but it'll still be difficult. I think it's important for me to show my kids that I was able to accomplish a big goal, even though it was tough.

So now, I work 7 days a week with the kids, take a full-load at school, and work part-time with Tastebuds & Kitchen Aid. Hmmm..... I wonder what I should do next......

10 Little Pink Piggies & 2 Potato Heads

2008-08-03T16:21:00.009-05:00

Isabella got her cute little toenails painted for the first time this week. It's super cute, and I have no idea why it took me so long to do it!! She also had her 3 year old Dr. check-up (although I was a couple months late). She is 3 ft 4 inches, and weighs 38lbs. That puts her in the 94% for both. Do I have big kids or what?!?!?

I also enrolled Isabella in preschool. She will be going every Tuesday & Thursday from 9am-1pm. She was very excited when I told her, and loved the place when we took a tour. She will be in the same class as a little boy from nursery. All the kids are within 6 months of her age, and they have a cool playground and daily music class. I'm not talking violin or anything- think more along the lines of symbols, a triangle, bells.... you get the idea.

Here is a picture I took of Isabella's first drawing of people. Daddy is on the right and Isabella is on the left. Pretty cool, huh? If you've ever seen Jo Jo's Circus, the picture kinda looks like Tater.

Tough Guy

2008-07-22T17:12:00.003-05:00

That's my Jacob. Yesterday was his 6 month check-up. He still weighs about 22 1/2 lbs, but is now 29 1/2 inches long!!!! He has some 12 month outfits that can't even button. He got shots and didn't cry (thus the title of this post). He also cut his first tooth on Sunday (7/20). It's his lower left tooth.

Jacob has been eating solid foods for a few weeks now. And boy does he love it! He eats really good- like he's been doing it for months. He shakes and almost squeals when he sees the spoon coming his way.

House Guests

2008-07-20T08:12:00.004-05:00

This summer we have been lucky enough to have quite a few house guests. Starting with Papa (my mom's dad), who drove all the way out from California to bring us his Envoy, then lots of visits from Michael's parents, my mom v., and then my mom and sister (who is here until Tuesday). Jo Ann & Dennis (Michael's parents) will be here again on Saturday and stay for the weekend. To be quite honest, I was a bit nervous about living within a couple hours of family. I've been away from family for so long, I'm not used to weekend trips. But, I actually love it, Michael loves it, and Isabella REALLY loves it (I'm sure Jacob does too)! The Erwin's moved to Georgia a few weeks ago, making the trip around 6 hours, and I'm sad that we won't see them as much. We'll just have to make every trip fabulous!

Keep your eye on the ball.....

2008-07-20T08:07:00.002-05:00

Isabella recently got a tee-ball set (thanks Mom!), and boy does she love it. She really enjoys instructing us on how to hit- "Put your elbow up and keep your eye on the ball." I just can't seem to get enough of her!

Happy 4th of July!

2008-07-04T07:50:00.002-05:00

I've always loved the 4th of July. Of course I love fireworks, but I also love all of the fun stuff to do during the day. This year we went to an awesome mall called Bridge Street @ 10am. There were a bunch of bounce-houses set up, face painting, balloon animals & the fun water spray area that is always on. After lunch & Isabella's nap, Michael hooked up the Slip-n-Slide and Isabella and her daddy had a great time. She was so funny- she would run up to it, plop down on her belly, and low-crawl to the end. Michael would push her and she would go flying! She tried to do the same to him, and it was adorable. At around 7pm we made our way down to watch the fireworks. Wow! They were great. Jacob just stared with big, curious eyes, and Isabella had a big smile plastered on.

It's so purpley!

2008-07-01T08:37:00.003-05:00

That's what Isabella said when she saw her newly painted room. It doesn't show up very good on film, but we painted her room a really pretty light purple (which I bought a year and a half ago to paint her room in Virginia). When my mom v. was here, she bought Isabella some cute wall stickers for her room, so I made her a little flower reading corner in her room. And she loves it!

Huntsville Botanical Garden

2008-06-27T08:50:00.002-05:00

This week is military appreciation week here in Huntsville. Of course, we're no longer military, but I just happened to hold onto my id card which doesn't expire until next year...... The local botanical garden was letting all military & their families in for free all week, so I thought we would check it out.

My to my surprise, it was great. Plenty for Isabella to do. We liked it so much the first day that we decided to go back again a couple days later. There were water stations for the kids to get wet, a big butterfly pavilion (Isabella got to see a butterfly exiting a cocoon- very cool), and a big children's garden. Here are some pictures of our fun day trips.

Great Laugh

2008-06-20T20:55:00.003-05:00

Here's Jacob gettin in some good laughs.

Movie Date Recap

2008-06-17T21:14:00.003-05:00

Isabella went on a movie date with her Daddy and saw a preview for a robot movie. I just want to get her saying "Wall-E" like in the preview and wound up getting a recap of our date. Very cute!

I LOVE my kids!

2008-06-17T08:30:00.002-05:00

I just love Isabella & Jacob. They fill my life with so much joy. Isabella is becoming a very smart, thoughtful little girl, and Jacob is always smiling. Michael and I were talking the other night about how sad we were for people who choose not to have any children. They just have no way of knowing what it feels to love like this.

Happy Father's Day!

2008-06-15T15:11:00.003-05:00

Happy Father's Day everyone, and especially Michael, the best daddy of them all. You get better and better everyday, if that is even possible. These are a few pictures of Michael and the kids. As soon as I figure out how to load things into a slideshow I'll add lots more.

My Garden

2008-06-14T16:54:00.001-05:00

So, I figured that I needed to plant a garden since I now have a nice, big yard. Here is what I have planted: Watermelon, Cantaloupe, Yellow Squash, Zucchini, Eggplant, Bell Peppers, Onions, Sweet Potatoes & Tomatoes. Pretty nice, huh? Well, as of today, only a hand full of them are looking good. I'm going to have to do some research to figure out how to make it better.

You should have seen all the hard work Michael put into prepping the garden! First he had to dig up the sod. Then he used a pick.... Our soil here is like clay. Poor guy. His back was killing him for days. Then he finally went to Home Depot and rented a tiller. Lots of work. Hopefully I don't killing everything and make it all for nothing!

2008-06-11T22:51:00.000-05:00

Quick story.

The scene: I'm helping Isabella brush her teeth, and we're talking about who all brushes their teeth.

The Dialouge:
I: Daddy, you brush your teeth, too.
D: Yep
I: Who else brushes their teeth?
D: Mommy. Mommy brushes her teeth.
I: Who else brushes their teeth?
D: Does Jacob brush his teeth?
I: Yep.
D: Noooooo! Jacob can't brush his teeth. He doesn't have any teeth!
I: Yeah, Jacob just has lips.

The Commentary: Cute, huh?

Roll baby roll!

2008-06-10T16:46:00.003-05:00

Well, our not-quite-so-little Jacob has finally managed to get from his back to his tummy all by himself. He was all smiles, and luckily I was right there with the camera.

Oh to be 3 again!

2008-06-09T09:53:00.004-05:00

Isabella has such a fun/easy/complicated/difficult life. What a neat time in life to be able to wake up (whenever you want to, and to be not only allowed to, but to be encouraged to sleep in), eat breakfast, play, eat a snack, play some more, eat lunch, take a nap, play some more, eat dinner, play some more, take a bath, go to sleep, then wake up and do it all over again.

How come someone with a life as great as that can't stop WHINING?!?!?! It is driving me crazy. It always gets worse when I am holding Jacob and putting him to sleep. Always. Then, if I just give her what she wants, she is the happiest little girl there ever was. What a life.

Here are some great pictures of Isabella having fun getting squirted with a hose in the backyard. She wanted to help me in my garden. Oh to be 3 again.

Sleep is for the weak

2008-06-06T08:43:00.002-05:00

That's what one of Jacob's onesies says, and unfortunately I am weak with no sleep. Last night Isabella woke up maybe 12 times and Jacob at least once every hour. Michael was in charge of Isabella, and I was with Jacob. This morning at around 6am, Isabella comes in and I tell her to come into bed with me. Of course she is burning up! I feel horrible that we didn't catch on last night that something was wrong. But, when you are running on empty, it's kinda hard to think rationally. So, this morning I loaded her up on meds, plopped her on the couch, and turned on the cartoons.

Jacob's sleep is another matter. Over the last week he has decided that the only place he wants to sleep is in our arms. Wouldn't be too bad if he weren't already over 20 lbs!!! He's not even 5 months old yet, and he's ready to suit up for football practice! You would think that all this lifting is making me incredibly strong, but I just feel weaker and weaker. You think not having a good night's sleep in over a year has something to do with that?

4 years, 5 homes, & 2 kids later.....

2008-06-05T08:07:00.004-05:00

Can you believe that it has been 4 years since we've been married?!?! Time really has gone by so fast. It's amazing to think that just 1460 days ago I was yelling at my florist about my bouquet, sitting down in a Logan Temple sealing room listening to buttons pop off the back of my dress, and marrying the man of my dreams.

Lord knows, we're each far from perfect. But I know that we're perfect together.

Since I've got nothing else going on......

2008-06-03T19:05:00.002-05:00

I figured it was finally time to start a family blog. Mostly to share pictures though, as I am not as witty as many other bloggers out there. So, we'll start today with that- pictures. Enjoy!