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Adventures at Home Depot

2012-01-07T11:25:00.003-05:00

This week, I noticed online that Home Depot's children's workshop was building savings sheds this Saturday. I've been wanting piggy banks for the boys for a while, so this seemed like a perfect opportunity. And hey, it's free!

Unfortunately, John came down with a massive ear infection, and hasn't left the couch in three days. (Poor John...) I was counting on Daddy to take the lead on this one. But, since we'd already promised the boys, I couldn't let them down. We got up early, and headed out the door.

It was a fun little workshop. Prefab kits, and aprons they got to keep. (Apparently you get a new pin for each project you complete, so I can see us returning a lot.)

The boys loved it! They got to hammer in nails, screw in a screw, and even paint the roof on their shed. A few of the nails may be a bit crooked, and Mommy may have a slightly bruised thumb, but still, it was a nice way to spend and hour on a Saturday morning. =)

Christmas at Grammy's

2011-12-31T21:22:00.011-05:00

For Christmas this year, we loaded up the car and headed to Texas to spend the holiday with John's family. The car was a bit crowded this year, with the addition of Harley, but we were blessed with good weather, and good travelers, so it was a fairly easy trip.

It was just us and Grammy for a few days, which the boys loved.

But when their cousin showed up, they were ecstatic.

Mommy was well spoiled by Grammy, since I wasn't allowed to do much. And all the boys loved having all the adults to read and play with them.

They even got a music lesson. =)

All that activity will wear a guy out...

The highlight of Mommy's week though, was when Grammy decided to make cookies with all three grandsons. Much hilarity ensued.

We got smart and took the clothes off for the frosting of the cookies the nest morning, but that didn't make it any less amusing. Especially when it was decided that eating trumped frosting.

Timothy insisted that the cookies were for Santa Claus, but I managed to convince him that Santa only needed about 6, and he could let his Daddy and uncles sample the rest. The selected 6 were put aside, and set out carefully right before bed.

Christmas day itself was great. Thankfully, only Timothy was old enough to understand that we were supposed to open presents right away, so there wasn't a problem waiting until after church. Once that began though, happy chaos reigned.

The boys made out like bandits, and our car trip home was overstuffed and almost comically crowded. But for me, the memories are the best part. =)

Christmas preparations

2011-12-31T17:58:00.007-05:00

It's been a busy month here in "Florida Tallahassee" (To quote Timothy), but it's been good. Here's a few highlights of what we've been up to. =)

We began our Christmas celebrations the day after Thanksgiving, with the annual search for the perfect Christmas Tree. This year we found a tree farm outside of town, and had a great time traipsing all over on our search. Well, most of us. Andrew wasn't so sure.

Once we got the tree home and lit, the excitement really began. The boys loved getting out all the ornaments, and I loved seeing their excitement. Every year they are more and more involved, and it's so much fun.

Once we got the tree up though, I found myself explaining again and again that no, tomorrow was NOT Christmas. We finally made a countdown chain to save Mommy's sanity. Gluing a paper chain together, and then letting the boys take one link off every day, really helped Timothy grasp how far we were from Christmas. Andrew didn't really grasp the concept, but he liked taking the links apart.

Oh, and our December may have included a picnic or two... =)

Quite by chance, I heard about Tallahassee's annual Winterfest, so we bundled everyone up and headed downtown to check it out. Of course, by "bundled up", I mean sweatshirts, which were only worn for part of the evening. I could really get used to this weather. =)

There were LOTS of people downtown, but we made it in time for the tree lighting, and then took a stroll through candy cane lane before the parade.

Oh, and there was a firetruck. =)

The parade was fun, but really long. tired little boys were done before it was, but it was still a fun adventure overall. We'll definitely check it out again next year.

Announcing a new addition!

2011-11-15T16:04:00.003-05:00

The baby isn't due for another few months, but in the meantime, we've added a new member to our family.

Meet Harley. He's about 5, mixed breed, and very well trained. All the boys in the house, big and small, are absolutely thrilled with this development. Some friends needed more room in their house, and needed a good home for one of their dogs, so we took him for a trial weekend. Doesn't look like he'll be leaving anytime soon. =)

*Mommy might be a little more excited about THIS new addition,

since the other one worked sporadically and kept burning my baked goods, (this one makes absolutely perfect cookies!)but has to confess that Harley is a sweetie, even for someone who's not really a dog person... =)

Halloween

2011-11-15T15:54:00.004-05:00

For Halloween this year, I dug deep for my creative bone, and went with a Dr Seuss theme. The boys are enthralled with all things Dr Seuss at the moment, especially the Cat in the Hat, so I found a hat and a few wigs, dyed some pants, and Wa-la:

Turned out pretty good, don't you think? I have dreams of getting a sewing machine and making costumes every year, but since I'm not at that skill (or equipment) level yet, I made do. Felt circle make nice labels, and some RIT dye made the clothes close enough in color to work. The boys loved it. Even Andrew stayed still for the make-up application. (He was not so cooperative in the removal, but you can't have everything.)

I wasn't sure what to do with my costume, since I wasn't about to make a fish costume. Then a friend suggested a costume for my belly instead, and "Thing 3" was born. Well, not yet, but it doubled nicely as an announcement for those at church who hadn't yet heard. =)

And look! I got another family photo! =)

For those of us left at home....

2011-11-15T15:36:00.004-05:00

I was also a little worried about how Andrew would handle his big brother being gone every afternoon, but I needn't have. He really seems to enjoy this quiet time to himself, or to spend with Mommy.

We've run errands,

with the occasional surprise treat. =)

We spend hours doing floor puzzles, which can sometimes wear us both out. =)

And then sometimes, he's just silly:

His imagination is really showing through now. The other day, he put his fingers in his mouth, and pretended they were walrus tusks. And he's talking up a storm. I guess not having your personal mouthpiece around garners a need for that. =) Grunts are still his preferred form of communication, but he's learning words accomplish things so much faster, which I'm grateful for. =)

Of course, he's SO excited when Timothy gets home. Timothy loves to teach him what he's learning, so as an added bonus, A's also learning his letters. He's nowhere near perfect, but it's fun to listen. =)

As for me, my morning sickness seems to be finally over, so I'm usually able to make it the whole day without wanting to fall over. They boys keep me busy. =)

We did have a bit of excitement in early September, when I was rear-ended right after dropping T off at school.

Thankfully Andrew and I got away with only mild whiplash, and we do have our car back, good as new. Although, I have to confess, driving around a minivan with all that room, but it's nice to have our car back too. =)

School Days

2011-11-15T15:16:00.002-05:00

Timothy has really been enjoying preschool this year. I was a bit nervous about sending him off every day, but FL has a voluntary pre-kindergarten (VPK) program for 15 hours a week, and we decided to give it a shot.

He has LOVED it, and I have to admit, it has been pretty good for him. He only has 8 other kids in his class, is always talking about what they are doing. All the stuff I'd been working on with him over the last several months have finally started clicking, (which is nice to see) and he's learning so much more.

Every week or so, they work on a new letter or the alphabet, and the teacher sends home a bag for them to fill with things that start with that letter. It's sometimes a stretch, but he loves the hunt. =) (He's also learned what a dictionary is during these hunts)

He also is constantly telling me about stories they read, and rhymes they learn. Also, thanks to the daily calendar, he can now count to 30 (whereas before, getting to 15 seemed hard, no matter what I did), tell me what day it is, and is developing a sense of time. It's been fun to see what he's learning, and build on it here at home. We're working on telling time, expanding on his knowledge of letters and sounds... and pretty much turning life into a teaching moment. I've enjoyed it, even if at sometimes I'm at a loss to respond to what comes out of his mouth.

About 6 weeks after school started, his class had their open house, and T got to bring home his work from the past several weeks. He was to proud. Here's a shot of our little man and his display. =)

So, may be school days won't be as bad as this Mommy has feared. =)

A Day at the Beach. (The first of many to come...)

2011-10-05T21:40:00.007-04:00

About a week after we arrived in Florida, we finally made it to the beach. The beach is sadly a couple of hours away, so we can't go that often, but I wanted to introduce the boys to the wonders of the seashore before school started and it was harder to get away. We couldn't unpack more anyway, since the house was being painted, so it was the perfect time to run away for some fun in the sun.

We left early, and got there just as it was getting hot. We found a beautiful, empty stretch of sand, and set up the beach umbrella. Then, it time to explore. The boys loved it! Timothy loved finding shells, and was really excited when I told him that Santa did too. (My Dad is already one of his heroes) Andrew loved the waves. He would lay down and just let them carry him in. So cute!

We tried to interest them in the other usual things you do at the beach, like sandcastles,

and burying Daddy,

But what they really loved, was filling their buckets with water and dumping them out just farther than the tide was reaching.

This kept them busy for quite a while... =)

We had a nice picnic lunch,

and went for a walk. We saw seagulls, and crabs, and of course, lots more shells. we brought home a pretty impressive collection for a four year-old. =)

Andrew eventually got sleepy, so we put him in the car for a nap, and drove around exploring the island. St George Island is simply beautiful, and fairly quiet. I think we'll really enjoy coming here as often as we can.

After naptime, we headed back to the beach, where the tide was coming in, and proved all kinds of fun for little men.

Then, after an outdoor dinner at one of the island's few restaurants, we headed home just as the sun was setting. It was a great day, and for me, finally felt like we were in Florida. =)

Moving

2011-10-05T15:06:00.006-04:00

So....

Finally, after a long absence, I'm going to attempt to catch y'all up on our life. Or at least the highlights.

As July ended, we said our many goodbyes to friends in Iowa. My wonderful mother came out to help us clean before the move, and the boys had a great time with her. Tea Time with Lady is still still remembered with fondness.

Then, on August 1st, we pulled out for Florida, and 3 years of grad school. The drive down wasn't bad. We took our time, staying in a hotel the first night, and with some old friends the second night.

When we arrived, our stuff was delayed, so we started working on all the other stuff that didn't require unpacking. It's amazing how much paperwork is involved in getting residency for grad school, and not just grad school. I don't want to bore you with details, but let's just say, I don't remember having this many things to do immediately after the last few moves. On the upside, we found and enjoyed the library when we weren't running around. Always important to know when moving. =)

We finally got our stuff, finished most of the paperwork, did the back-to-school shopping, and it was time to start school. We had 2 this year. John in grad school, and Timothy in Pre-K. Florida does a 15 hour/week voluntary pre-k, and we thought we'd see how he did. T was SO excited.Mommy was a lot more nervous than he, although when I dropped him off the first day, he did look a little scared. He came home bubbling though, and that hasn't dimmed.

Here's a shot of my big boys going off for their first day of school. Aren't they cute?

Life has been well for the rest of us here at home as well. Andrew doesn't nap any more, but he's really enjoying the Mommy time he's getting. (The ice cream was free btw, outside the grocery store.)

Hopefully he doesn't get too upset in May when he has to share me with the baby.

Oh, that's the other bit of news. We're expecting again! We're very excited. Timothy probably most of all. He's constantly asking me questions, and wanting to know how big the baby is, and what it looks like, and if it's grown since yesterday.... We had a 3 day long conversation about umbilical cords, which was so cute. I think he's finally wrapped his head around it though. The due date is around the first of may, so we're hoping this one stays in the whole time so Daddy can finish his exams... Either way though, we'll keep you posted on the development of this newest little one. =)

Timothy is four today!

2011-08-10T21:48:00.005-04:00

My Dearest Timothy,

Today you are four! You are such a big boy! You have grown from a happy, chubby little baby, to a smart, intense, and independent young man. You have recently discovered, and love to tell people that you have three names: "Timothy David Keisling." You love to share with me all the new revelations that you are discovering about the world around you, and I love to hear them. Family relationships, such as how your grandparents are your parents, parents, fascinate you, and you reiterate them often.

You love to help me with chores, especially cooking, and want to help by showing your brother how it's done... even if he doesn't want to know. =) You love to be a big brother though, and he loves you. When you two are playing together, it's one of my favorite sights and sounds.

I love to listen to you when you're playing alone also. The conversations that you have with the characters in whatever story you're acting out, is so neat to hear. Your imagination constantly surprises me and makes me proud. You have decided that you want to be a fireman when you grow up, and remind me often of this goal. Never lose that determination. =)

Last week, you got your first library card, and you were so excited! You danced up and down with excitement, and when it was in your hand, you had to show it to someone. Then, as you played, you wouldn't put it down, but gripped it as if you would never let it out of your sight. I'm glad that I have managed to pass on my love of reading to you, even if I do sometimes wish you'd discover another author besides Richard Scarry. =)

I love to cuddle with you, and I love that you still do too. You are growing up, but you are still my little man. You make me proud to be your Mom, and I am so glad that you are part of our family!

Happy Birthday Timothy!

For Andrew, on his Second Birthday

2011-07-31T21:10:00.004-04:00

(More pictures to follow)

Andrew,

2 years ago, you joined us, just before a major move. You were tiny and precious, and we were so excited for you to be here. Your big brother Timothy was especially excited to get a brother.

Now, we're making another major move, and we are still so excited for you to be here. You have grown so much. From that tiny infant, to the wonderful boy you are now. Your current favorite phrase is "Big Boy," and you want to be one so badly. Anything your big brother does, you must do too...And pretty much anything Daddy does too. They are your examples, and you think the world of them.

It seems you are always on the go, although that's normal for your age. You want to always be doing something. Until you could move on your own, you always seemed so frustrated. Now, there is very little that stands in your way.

You are just fearless! While Timothy had to warm up to the pool this summer, you literally jumped right in. (Thankfully you waited until I got your floaties in first, but only just.) This trait is true in almost any situation. Sometimes you pretend to be shy around people, but it's only an act. You know those baby blues will soon have people eating out of your hand.

Your smile will light up a room, and always makes my day brighter. But, I love the way you cuddle too. Especially when you're feeling sleepy, or just waking up. You wake up slowly, like your Mommy, and resent being rushed, even though your brother has been waiting and waiting for your nap to be over. =)

You are strong-willed, but compassionate too. You will stop your play to try to comfort a hurt crying child. Usually you clown to try to make them laugh, but you will hug them if they need it. I love that about you.

You don't seem to feel the need to talk much, probably because your brother is happy to do it for you, but lately you have been naming everything, so maybe the words aren't far off. I'm excited to hear what's going on in your head.

Andrew, we are so blessed to be your parents. There is so much inside you, and we can't wait to see it all come out as you grow. Happy Birthday Little Man!

Anniversary

2011-07-23T02:05:00.004-04:00

Six years ago today, Margaret and I were married. (Since I'm write this at 1:30 in the morning, it was technically yesterday)

In past years, we've tried to make our anniversary a romantic occasion, with candlelight dinners, evenings out, etc. This year was a lot more quiet than usual. We're preparing for a move and are simply busy right now.

I had taken the week off to help with packing the house for our upcoming move. I ran in for a Dr. Appointment this morning, Margaret did some grocery shopping while Andrew was taking a nap, and we went to Best Buy to look at lap tops for my schooling this fall.

We did have a young woman from our church babysit our children this evening and we went out for a simple meal at a Greek restaurant, and saw oneof the plays I had worked on at the University.

I did spend a lot of time thinking about the last six years today, however. A lot has happened in that short amount of time. We've moved 4 times to three different states, and will be moving for a fifth time next week. We've had trials, blessings, and just plain normal days. The biggest blessings we've had are definitely our two children, Timothy and Andrew.

I can no longer imagine what my life would be like without the boys in my life. Last week, Timothy told me that I was his best friend. I like to think that Andrew feels the same way, he just doesn't talk much yet.

The past few days I've been thinking a lot about consecration. Specifically what it truly means to be wholly consecrated unto the Lord. To me the word consecration means more than committed, maybe even more than dedicated. It means that all I have I give to the Lord. My children are in the Lord's care. I am his steward to provide for them on this earth. That I understand.

I'm beginning to realize that it is the same not only with my marriage but with my wife. She is in the Lord's care. I have trust in Him in that. What I am beginning to understand after six years of marriage is that I am His steward for her as well as for my children. Not only is it my duty to provide physically for her, it is my duty to lead the family in our Spiritual lives as well.

That involves a lot. More than I can understand now. What I do know is that she deserves it. Margaret is one of the most spiritually sensitive people I have ever met. She is quiet about it, never flaunting, and always humble. I have learned a lot about communing with the Spirit from her. Because of this, I believe the Lord holds me to a high standard.

Margaret, on our anniversary I want you to know that I want to grow to be this man. Because I love you, and more importantly, because I love the Lord. Thank you for being patient with me while I continue to learn what this means. Thank you for all you are, and for all you give to our family. I love you.

Father Son Camping Trip

2011-06-08T20:19:00.004-04:00

Back in May our church was scheduled to have a Father/Son campout. Timothy and I were planning to go, and Timothy was so excited for the day. He knew it was coming weeks ahead of time, and he would often ask me: "How many days until the camping trip?

Margaret and I talked about Andrew going. She wanted me to take him. Being the one who was actually going camping, there was no way I was going to take a 20 month old with me, especially one who still has a hard time sleeping in his own bed oftentimes. However, when my friend Dave called the day before the trip and asked if he and his 10 month old could tag along with us, I was backed into a corner. Margaret was ever so excited to have a night to herself. Timothy was excited to go camping, and I was excited, because the best part of this trip in years past is sitting by the fire after all the kids are asleep and getting to really know the other dads in our congregation.

Of course the most important part about the father/son campout is the bonding experience between fathers and sons, but I feel the chance to get to know other dads may be almost as important. I have always had a hard time really "getting to know" the other men in our congregation. We're all busy. Many of them are doing advanced training in medicine, or in law school. Most of us have young children at home, and when we get a chance we want to spend our time with them. We also all have responsibilities in the church that take a considerable amount of our time. We really don't get that many chances to just talk and get to know each other. That was the part I was looking forward to.

However, the Friday of the camping trip we got horrible storms in our little corner of Iowa. There was thunder, lightning, hail and the threat of tornadoes. Wisely, the camping trip was called off. The last place I would want to be in a tornado is a tent in the middle of a large open field at the youth campground. However, when I got home and told Timothy that the trip was cancelled, he looked at me with the dejected eyes of someone whose puppy had just died, and then after about a 5 second delay, began to ball.

I held Timothy for a long time then. My heart broke. He had been looking forward to this trip for over a month. It would be a year until the next father/son campout. Then, I came up with a plan.

We kicked mom out of the house (she was allowed upstairs in her bedroom only)

We moved all the furniture out of the living room

And we put the tent up inside.

I fired up the grill on our back porch and cooked the hot dogs and banana boats in the rain. We played cards, we talked, we made funny faces at each other with flashlights. We stayed up late (way past my bedtime, let alone Timothy's). And the best part about camping in the living room, we were able to watch Toy Story 3 on the TV.

And for those of you wondering, I even avoided the temptation of going to my own bed after Timothy fell asleep, and chose to spend the night in the tent with Timothy, just as we had planned.

This past weekend, we finally were able to do an outdoor father/son activity to sort of "make up" for the missed camping. (Not that we missed out on camping, or that anything had to be made up for, it was just nice to be outside).

Iowa had a free fish weekend, in which you were allowed to fish even if you did not have an Iowa fishing license. I grew up on a lake, and would spend nearly every day with a pole in the water before it got too hot in the summer. I LOVE fishing. However, I don't get to go often enough. When I really get an itch, I can talk Margaret into bringing a book and joining me by a lakeside, but I don't go often enough to justify paying for the license. So this was perfect. Timothy had never been before, and once again, he was excited.

Our church had planned an activity on a Friday night and reserved a section of a nearby lake. Only a couple of families showed up, but the morning of the trip the first words out of Timothy's mouth were "Daddy, today is fishing day". I had bought Timothy his very own fishing pole for the trip (with Spiderman on it) and I was nearly as giddy as Timothy. We went again on Saturday night, and Margaret and Andrew joined us.

Timothy did not want to touch the worms or the fish, but he was perfectly happy holding his pole, and it turns out, he's a really good net man. He even caught two fish. He wanted pictures, but said he would only hold the fish if they were in the net. They were two little baby bass, but they were fish nonetheless.

Mindless ripping... =)

2011-05-16T15:35:00.006-04:00

We're on a budget. We do okay, but there's not a lot of room for expensive non-necessities. In my case, that means nice yarn for my knitting/crocheting projects. One hank of really nice alpaca wool can run you about $17. For one! Then I remembered that some of my friends recycle thrift store sweaters, and I wondered how hard it could be. It sounded complicated, but maybe it would be worth it. I did some internet research, found some great tutorials, and hit the clearance section at the local consignment store.

For about 3 bucks, I came up with this:

Now, the top gray one is an old one of mine. I had shrunk it, and thought, why not try recycling the yarn? The others cost me between $0.25 and $1.40 each. Not bad for one morning of digging through the discount bins.

I washed, dried, and began.

First, I ripped out the seams. Except for my shrunken one (which was really fuzzy, and kind of "felted", all I had to do was find the right end, and with one pull, I could rip from cuff to bottom hem. Goodbye side seam! A little more work with the collars, and shoulders, and I had a pile of sweater pieces that looked something like this:

Then I found the top string, dug it out, and started unraveling. The bottom of my end table made a perfect winding area, don't you think?

I ended up with several hanks from each sweater that looked something like this:

They were all kind of kinky from being in a sweater of course, so once the sweater was finished, I gave them a cold bath and hung them up to dry, in hopes of getting most of the kinks out. I forgot to take pictures of this, but let's just say, my family got a kick out of seeing peanut butter jars weighing them down. =)

I've only done 4, and stopped to work on a project with the yellow yarn, but so far, for my work, I have all this yarn, just waiting to be used!

Now two of the sweaters pictured in this yarn pile were cotton, and two were wool, so I'm not sure exactly how much money it would have cost me new, but I'm guessing I probably got around $75 worth of yarn for less than $5 ( don't remember how much the old sweater of mine cost, but it wasn't much)

The best part? It was mindless, and fun, and I needed mindless lately. =)

I realize most of you probably won't care in the least, but I wanted to share anyway. It made me happy. =)

Easter Weekend...

2011-04-28T10:18:00.004-04:00

It's been a long month for us, and not a very healthy one. I blame the weather, at least partially. It's hard to stay healthy when the temperatures soar to the 80s, then drop to the 30s again, all in the course of a week, then repeat, with slightly lower highs. We've had a few nice days this month, but not many. Not nearly enough for my cabin fever-ridden little boys, or for my poor husband, whose health has followed the temperature's rising and soaring.

A week before Easter it snowed, John and Andrew both got sick. John finally saw the ENT, and is scheduled to have his tonsils taken out in May. Andrew got better, and has been fine since. John on the other hand....

Good Friday was nasty, cold and wet. John's tonsils responded appropriately, and he went to bed early with a fever and chills. I was strangely not sleepy, and was still awake when he came down at midnight because he'd awakened gasping for air. This seemed to merit a late-night trip to the ER, so I started making phone calls. Finally I got ahold of a wonderful friend who came and slept on our couch so I wouldn't have to wake the boys, and we headed off. After four hours in the ER, John's swelling was down. They opted not to take his tonsils that night (we asked) since he was already scheduled for surgery, and sent us home with the appropriate prescriptions for painkillers and such. John commented that this was our first all-nighter together. It wasn't. But after the other two, we got to come home with babies. We headed home and were asleep shortly after 5:15am.

At 6:15 am, Andrew woke me up. He had a poopy diaper and wanted me to change it. I did, and tried to persuade him to go back to sleep. When that didn't work, I found a kid's program on TV until I was able to drag myself into some sort of consciousness. Another wonderful friend came and took the boys for a few hours later that morning, so we could try to get a little more sleep, and I picked them up just in time for lunch and naps.

After naptime, since I'd been promising Timothy all week, and since it doesn't seem like Easter weekend without it, we made Rice Krispy Treat Bunnies. It's a tradition started by my parents, and vigorously carried on by my brother and myself. It's a fun alternative to the chocolate ones.

Timothy loved it, and Andrew... well, he was our taste tester.

They turned out pretty well, don't you think?

We opted not to color eggs or have an egg hunt this year. Mommy and Daddy were too tired to do a lot. They didn't seem to miss it, especially when they got home from church to find all kind of fun little toys in their Easter baskets. (Mommy's a fan of the dollar section over the candy section, although there was some candy too.)

We enjoyed a lovely Easter dinner with a friend from church and her little girl, and then tried to go to bed early. It takes a while to catch up after an all-nighter. =)

How to make a peanut butter sandwich...all by yourself

2011-04-09T22:11:00.003-04:00

First: Wait until Mommy is in the middle of something she can't put down quickly. Then announce you want a sandwich. When she says "just a minute"' tell her it's okay, you can do it yourself.

Second:Open the fridge, and begin assembling your materials: Bread, butter, cheese, jelly...

Third: Allow Mommy to amend your ingredient choices (replacing the cheese and butter with actual peanut butter) and help you get everything to the table.

Finally: Assemble sandwich while Mommy hovers nearby, doing her best not to interfere.

Crane!

2011-04-09T21:50:00.003-04:00

A local building site, which coincidentally is right next to the library, has been a source of fascination for my sons over the last several months. Many times it's even a bigger draw than storytime. =)

Well, last week, they took down the huge construction crane that has been towering over the structure. The local rec center celebrated by announcing it, and having little hardhats to decorate while you watched. Of course, when Timothy heard about it, we HAD to go.

We arrived a little late and missed a lot of it, but even so, Timothy wouldn't let us leave until the last piece had been loaded on the trucks and been driven off. Guess that's what you get when Daddy builds things for a living. =)

(Andrew on the other hand, liked his hat, but eventually lost interest with the actual proceedings. )

Family Photo

2011-03-19T17:18:00.003-04:00

Last week, as we picked Andrew up from nursery, they asked us to bring a family photo for the lesson the next week. This would be great... if we had one. I suddenly realized something that had been at the back of my mind for the last few months, but I hadn't done anything about: We have no family photo. In fact, we haven't had a shot of all four of us since we moved here- when Andrew was a newborn.

Since we haven't really had time to go schedule something formal, we persuaded a neighbor to take a shot for us. It's nothing fancy, but here's proof that there are indeed 4 of us. =)

Aren't we cute?

It's spring!

2011-03-16T14:32:00.002-04:00

The weather has finally turned here, and we have been taking full advantage of it. We have spend every afternoon this week outside, and I have to practically drag the boys back inside. They're loving playing with their outside toys, and digging in the dirt (of course). This morning, we even went to the park. I didn't get as many pictures as I planned, we were having too much fun on the swings, the slide, and everything else.

Here's a few shots of our week so far. Enjoy!

Growing boys...

2011-03-04T13:55:00.006-05:00

My boys are growing so fast these days! Sometimes it seems that I can hardly keep up. Here's a few highlights:

Timothy:

Our firstborn is constantly amazing us with the things that come out of his mouth. He's learning jokes, and finds them absolutely hysterical. He finally gets knock-knock jokes, and his favorite is: "Knock knock."

"Who's there?"

"Boo"

"Boo Who?"

Don't cry, it's only a joke!" (Insert manic laughter here)

He graduated from nursery in January, and is so excited to be one of the "big kids." He loves to help with Andrew, although sometimes more and Andrew would like... =) He dresses himself, and is learning to dress quickly when he wants to eat breakfast. We got some preschool scissors, and he's had all kinds of fun learning to use them, and glue stick. Here's some of his creations.

He also likes to work with tools, and sometimes uses his mechanical skills in surprising ways. I didn't know my end table was so easy to take apart....

He also surprised us the other day when he tried to write his name all by himself. You can make out the first three letters. We've been practicing, so hopefully the others will be clearer soon.

Andrew:

Our little man is getting so big! He's constantly trying to follow in Daddy and Big brother's footsteps.

He loves to read, and will plop in my lap with a book anytime I sit down, and he LOVES storytime with Daddy at night.

He's learning more and more words every day, and loves to explore. Sadly, he's so busy, it's hard to get him to sit still for a photo, so most of his shots look like this:

Unless he's eating, then I can get all want:

He's my little helper though: Dishes, sweeping the floor, he even likes to pick up toys. Here's hoping that lasts. =)

The best part though, is to see them play together. I love that sight!

February Recap.

2011-03-03T14:02:00.007-05:00

It's been a busy couple of months around here, illnesses, snowstorms, and all the normal havoc of our lives. I haven't felt much like blogging. But, it's time to play catch up again, so that hopefully we can actually stay on top of new news... =)

The snowstorm started out our month, with 16 inches dumped on our little town, and drifts up to 4 feet around our house. John had to dig out our doorway, since the drift on our porch nearly covered the railing. Timothy was thrilled, but Andrew not so much.. at least until we let him sled down the drifts... =)

Sadly, the storm was followed by extremely cold weather - highs in the single digits, and lows reaching negative 30. We stayed inside a lot and didn't get to play in in before it all melted. But we made up for that when the weather turned. It got up to almost 60 about ten days later, and we thoroughly took advantage of that. =)

Or course, it's now cold again, but the warmth was nice while it lasted. A reminder of things to come. =)

Car Seats

2011-02-15T23:30:00.003-05:00

Margaret and I only have one car. I sometimes wish that we had a 2nd vehicle, but we don't really need one where we live. When it's nice out, I ride my bike to work, and when it's not the city bus system is quite reliable. Other than church, work is the only place I go on a consistent basis, so Margaret drives the car much more regularly than I do.

Tonight, however, I had a meeting with the Bishop. As I went to get in the car, my knees were shoved into my chest and I nearly lost my breath. Once again, the seat had not been pushed back to where a normal sized person could actually get into the car. This always makes me a little irritated, but no matter how many times I ask, Margaret never seems to think about it.

First, I don't understand how she can drive that close to the steering wheel. I know I'm taller than her, but it's not like she's that short. I think Timothy could reach the pedals with where she has the seat at.

Second, I don't know that she does (or ever will for that matter) have any idea how uncomfortable it is for me when I get in the car and this happens. She would probably tell you it's my fault for not checking before I get in the car, but I say that is nonsense. My friend Scott once told me that he broke his wife of this habit by leaving the toilet seat up everytime she didn't push the car seat back. I guarantee you that if Margaret fell in the toilet she would not say it was her fault, but would instead have it out with me.

As I was driving home, an hour later, my mind somehow wandered back to this incident, and I decided that I would have a talk with Margaret about this. That is until I walked in the house and there was pie. Not just any pie either, lemon meringue pie, which happens to be my favorite pie. Not only is it my favorite pie, but Margaret doesn't really like it, so when she makes it I know it is a special treat she made just for me.

So I ate the pie, and forgot about the seat. Moral of the story is I will just keep pushing the car seat back instead of leaving the toilet seat up (at least until we get a 2nd vehicle) because I love my wife that much. And if she keeps making pie, I may have to push it back just a little bit further.

Catching up: Christmas

2011-01-26T14:26:00.009-05:00

Yep, it's been a while since I blogged. A lot had been going on, both good, and not so good. But I vowed that I was going to blog this week. Especially since we got a new camera at Christmas, and I came home with over 100 pictures. More than I've taken in probably the previous 4 months combined.

Anyway, Christmas was a lot of fun this year. The boys loved every aspect of it. The decorations, the music, the advent calendar with the chocolate... (That was Andrew's favorite.) We introduced Timothy to "Rudolph" and "Frosty the Snowman" via our lovely DVR. He was obsessed.

A few days before Christmas we loaded everyone up and headed north (well, further north) to my parents for the holidays. Since my parents are called Santa and Lady by the grandkids, it was all too easy for John to convince Timothy that we were going to the North Pole. There was even a convenient stone barn on the property where the reindeer lived. Not that we saw any, but we did see deer tracks...

We had a wonderful relaxing time with my family, in spite of the fact that at least one person in the gathering was sick almost the whole time we were there. We enjoyed great food, good fun, and of course, many game nights. John brought, and introduced my brother Pilgrim to "Star Wars Epic Duels" so they roped anyone willing into a game at every opportunity. There were lots of visitors, as always at my parents, so they always had fresh "victims." =)

The boys had a blast with the aunts and uncles, and of course, the cousins. Here's a cute video of the four of them. =)

Of course, Christmas morning was awesome. Timothy was very patient while his uncles dragged themselves out of bed at 8:30. Well, at patient as a 3 year-old can be. We let him wake them up, but he made Daddy come with him. Of course, he woke us up first. =)

Andrew was still slightly confused by the whole present process, but he figured it out soon enough. At least the part where he got to play with his presents. =)

Here is the rest of our Christmas, or at least a good representation. I won't subject you to all I took, but enjoy!

Halloween (or, the Saga of the Chicken Rider...)

2010-11-11T13:11:00.006-05:00

I meant to do this over a week ago, but that was a bad week. I was exhausted all the time, and generally having an "Oh yeah, this is the FUN part about pregnancy" week. But, this week is much better. And, since several of my friends are also recently posting Halloween pictures, I don't feel as bad. Anyway, here they are:

Taking a cue from his current obsession, Timothy was a fireman this year, thanks to some wonderful friends who came through with an awesome suit. Thankfully, he will take it off now. The week before Halloween, I had to convince him to take it off to sleep. (His obsession is good and strong. We still get at least 2 books on firefighting at the library every week, and I personally have learned more about firetrucks and fire equipment than I ever thought possible.)

We decided to put Andrew in the chicken rider costume that Timothy wore at his age. Mainly because it's the coolest Halloween costume ever. Andrew didn't agree. I think he thought it was trying to eat him.

He did change his mind once people started oohing and aahing over him at the halloween party. Then, when we started trunk-or-treating, and he realized there was candy to be had, he agreed with Mommy that this was the coolest costume ever. Either that or this was the best party he'd ever been too. =)

The Saturday before Halloween, the university hosted "Trick or Treat with the Greeks." I took the boys while John was in meetings, and it turned out to be quite well done. I will definitely tell lots of people about it next year. In addition to a hall of trick or treating, there was coloring, various crafts for different ages (which we didn't sample), treats, games (like pin the tail on the cat) and of course, more treats. We had the chance to make "dirt"cups at one station. Timothy started to get a little shy, but Andrew was all over that. =)

(Cue evil laugh..)

Mommy actually ended up eating most Timothy's dirt cup, but Andrew was pretty adamant about not sharing. He's perfected the evil eye if he thinks you're eating his food. It's pretty cute on a 16 month-old. =)

As we left the student union, heading back to the car, Andrew was again admired by a group of passing college students, and obligingly posed to pictures. It got to the point that if he heard someone coming up behind us on the sidewalk, he's stop, and pose before they even got to us. Oh well, at least he stopped screaming about the costume. (Now if only I can get it clean for the next child...) =)

I think they had fun. Don't you?

When it rains....

2010-10-26T17:23:00.002-04:00

They say when it rains, it pours. Well, it's been pouring here these last 10 days or so here in our humble home.

First, John called me on a Friday morning to tell me: "I'm in the ER. I think I broke my fingers." (Thank you for qualifying that dear...) He had been setting up seating in the black box theatre, when the side railing collapsed- on the first two fingers of his right hand. Thankfully it wasn't worse, and while frustrating to lose much of the use of his dominant hand, they seem to be healing nicely. John is learning to adapt.

Sunday, Andrew woke up from his in-church nap, but was listless and didn't move from my lap for the next 2 hours. He also started running a fever. I took him home and pushed the fluids, keeping an eye on the fever. I didn't think it would be anything more than a slight bug. Boy was I wrong! He had no appetite the next day, which is very unusual for him. That afternoon, I found out that hand-foot-and-mouth disease was apparently going around at church. The rash appeared a few hours later, but since there wasn't much I could do for him but make him comfortable, that's what we did.

Sadly, that wasn't enough. The poor guy was hungry, but it hurt to eat. His whole body was inflamed in a rash that- while it didn't seem to itch - mad him totally miserable. He couldn't eat, he couldn't sleep, and after three nights of no sleep for anyone but Timothy (who sleeps like the dead) John took him into the ER in desperation. They informed us that this was a particularly bad case (Great...) and to keep him away from everyone until the rash was completely gone. (Quarrantine... Yay...) They did prescribe some baby ibuprofen for the pain, which seemed to help, but seemed anticlimactic for the cost of an ER visit. Oh well, at least he started sleeping.

On the bright side, John was sent home after a day of work, with instructions to stay home until he saw an Ortho. So, while he was frustrated by the inactivity, he was able to help a lot with comforting Andrew so that we could trade off on sleep.

Andrew recovered (except for some rash, so we couldn't leave the house), but then the next Sunday, Timothy came down with a fever and a wheezing cough. I had a momentary panic that we were starting the cycle all over again, but thankfully, no. He has also recovered, and apparently sometimes kids get a bit of a wheeze during a bad cough. Here's hoping that remains the diagnosis. The doctor wants to check in a few days, but she was hopeful.

It hasn't been all bad rain though. Last Friday, John and I were able to witness a glimpse of the next little miracle in our lives. It should be showing up around the end of May. =)

Motivation...

2010-10-13T14:08:00.003-04:00

Our camera is slowly dying. It was inevitable I guess. Almost 4 years, and countless times being stolen by a very small photographer, it's done it's time. It's sad though, for such a shutterbug as I. It wasn't anything special, but it's kept track of our lives in that time, and recorded many happy memories.

Anyway, enough without the eulogy. I've discovered that I don't like to blog without pictures. At least about my kids. The blogs seem somehow incomplete. Thankfully, I do have the camera on my phone. The quality isn't good, but at least it's something. I'd hate to miss out on the moments, little and big, in my son's lives. I still take considerably fewer pictures, but at least I'm getting something. (That being said, slideshow to follow) =)

The boys are doing well, and growing like weeds. Andrew especially seems to be in a constant growth spurt. He has about a cup and a half of oatmeal for Breakfast, sometimes with a banana, and sometimes with a handful of dry cereal, and then 2 hours later, he's hungry again. The eating pattern continues throughout the day, especially if he really likes what I serve. I remember T being a good eater at this age, but I don't remember this.... Kind of makes me scared for his teens... =)

Andrew is also very interested in vocabulary now. He's constantly pointing at things and wanting to know the name. He hasn't vocalized much yet, but every so often, he'll come out with a new attempt at words. Of course, his favorite word is "kitty." That one he's had down for a while. I don't think the cats share his enthusiasm though... =)

Timothy constantly amazes us with his imagination. His current fascination is all things fireman, as it has been for a while. Lately though, our house has become the fire station, our car a firetruck, and overtime we leave, we are apparently off to fight a fire. Picking a halloween costume this year is kind of a no-brainer. I also love to hear him play with his cars or little people. He has entire conversations that are just great! Now if only he was so excited about potty training... Oh well, we're getting there.

Anyway, That's the news in our life for now. We're making the most of the beautiful fall weather before hermit-time comes, and enjoying the normal ups and downs of small children. Best part of life, in my humble opinion. =)

Here's a few glimpse of our last couple of months:

Labor Day Camping

2010-09-15T15:23:00.004-04:00

We attended our ward's annual Labor Day camp-out again this year. It was much more successful and less stressful than last year. (Something about camping with a 13 month-old rather than a 1 month-old.... I don't know...)

The boys had a blast! They got to roast and eat hotdogs, eat outside! Well, Mommy roasted. T wasn't patient enough to stay near the fire, and A was a little too eager. =) They got to run around and play with friends, and sleep in a tent!

The next morning, we were treated to a wonderful breakfast of Dutch Oven omelets, and pancakes over camp stoves. Especially wonderful since we didn't have to cook it. (I need to work on this, but as now, my camp cooking is limited to hotdogs, and the occasional foil dinner)

After breakfast, we packed up the tent, loaded the car, and took a hike around Kent Lake, which was quite close to the campground. It's a lovely lake, probably a mile and a half or so all the way around, and the path crosses several of these truss bridges:

They're apparently from all around the county, and were refurbished and brought here for all to enjoy their history. There are even signs near each one telling where it came from, and what kind of bridge it is.

All in all, a lovely walk, and a fun weekend. =)

For Timothy, on his 3rd birthday

2010-08-21T14:30:00.002-04:00

On August 10 (almost 2 weeks ago), Timothy turned 3. Sadly, Mommy's been a little behind on things, but here it is now. Late, but no less sincere. =)

Timothy,

Three years ago, you joined our little family, and forever changed our lives for the better. Over the last three years, you've taught us so much about ourselves, and about parenting, and we are forever grateful. Your sweet spirit brightens every day.

You started out so tiny and helpless, we couldn't believe you were really ours to raise. Such a tiny miracle. From the beginning though, you captured us all with your sweet spirit and sense of the dramatic. =)

You grew quickly, and won hearts everywhere you went. Your smile and laughter are infectious, and your sweet spirit still has people telling us what an angel you are - no matter who watches you.

Right now you are obsessed with all things fire department related, and we can't leave the library without at least 2 books about firetrucks. Not that you only want firetruck books. You love books of all kinds, and are sad when I cut you off because the library bag is full. Anyone who will read to you is an instant friend.

You are also obsessed with puppies, and have shared this obsession with your little brother. I love to hear the two of you panting and barking in the backseat together. [Although the persistent requests for a puppy or two of your own I could sometimes do without. =)]

You are such a great big brother! You don't always get along with your brother, that's normal, but when you do, it brings joy to my heart. You are always eager to help me with him when he's fussy, and you love to tickle him and make him laugh. He wants to do everything you do, and you are learning to love teaching him.

You also love your Daddy, and think he's the coolest person ever. You especially love to help him with his tools. You have an uncanny sense of knowing just what tool is needed for the job. More than once you've come to me asking for a tool, and it was exactly what Daddy needed...he just hadn't told you what to ask for.

To me, you are still me cuddly boy, who still finds time for hugs in the midst of his busy day. I love your questions, your smiles, the way your mind works- in ways that take me completely by surprise. I am so glad the Lord sent you to our family.

Happy Birthday my son!

My Baby is One!

2010-07-30T22:35:00.016-04:00

One year ago today, Andrew Joel Keisling joined our family, and life has never been the same. We can't imagine life without his smile, his laugh, or his irrepressible determination. =)

Andrew my son, you came to us quickly (once you decided to come) and energetically. Your coming was greeted eagerly by many family and friends, especially your big brother.

10 days after your birth, we moved half way across the country. (As it turns out, newborns travel really well, since they still sleep most of the time.)

Once you became aware of the world around you, it had your full attention. You were constantly watching, observing, and trying to explore. It was very frustrating for you that you were so limited at first, but it never stopped you from trying.

Then you were on the move, and nothing was safe. =)

You love balls, kitty cats, and food of all kinds, but most of all you love your big brother. He is the coolest person in your world, and you want to do everything he does.

We love you Andrew Joel! Happy 1st Birthday!

Of bikes and car collisions

2010-07-28T11:07:00.005-04:00

Since we've moved here, John has taken advantage of the bike-friendly paths, and the short distance to work, and has biked whenever he can. Monday morning, I got the called that every wife dreads:

"Hello?"

"Mrs. Keisling, this is the Coralville Police Department-" (at which point I kind of stopped comprehending things for a minute)

As soon as I was able to understand that John was okay, I was able to start breathing again. The policeman assured me that while my husband had been hit by a car, he seemed okay (nothing broken), and was just on his way to the hospital for observation. His things were at the police station when we were ready to pick them up.

I called John's cell, and he sounded okay. He in the ambulance, and said he'd call me as soon as they were done checking him out at the ER. He might even go into work after he was done.

Eventually, I was able to put the whole story together:

John was biking to work, and had the "walk" sign in his favor. A car at the cross street began turning right without checking for pedestrians, and ran into him. Thankfully, neither of them were going very fast, so while John was thrown onto the hood of the car, then onto the road, nothing was broken. Just very badly bruised.

The ambulance took him to the ER where they took over a dozen x-rays of every possible broken area, especially his ankle, which swelled alarmingly. Then they put him on some fun pain medication, and let him sleep for a little while before he called me to come pick him up around lunchtime.

Needless to say, he didn't go into work that day. He's still so sore today that he hasn't gone in more than a few minutes. There are some really pretty bruises forming, but he has happy oxy-codiene when the pain gets really bad, and he's spent a lot of time just resting. Timothy has been really helpful in "taking care of Daddy" bringing him water, ace packs, and whatever else he needs. It's so sweet! (of course, for Timothy, the highlight of Monday was seeing the ambulance that brought Daddy to the hospital)

While John is recovering, his bike may not. Thankfully the other guy's insurance is going to pay for repairs or a new bike, depending on the extent of the damage. Mostly it's the wheel that's ruined, but we'll see about the frame when we take it to the repair shop.

In the meantime, I am amazed at and grateful for God's protection in our lives. According to the police officer, John's accident was fairly minor compared to many he's seen. And, since John's vacation starts next week, he has extra time to recover. =)

Happy Birthday John!

2010-07-12T22:42:00.004-04:00

Thursday was John's Birthday, and we made a weekend of it.

Thursday night, John came home to a homemade sign that I cut out after Timothy colored. "Happy Birthday Daddy!", and some decent grill tools. These he promptly put to use with his very yummy steaks. The boys enjoyed them almost as much as we did. Timothy put a piece in his mouth and said "Steak Daddy! Moo!"

Friday John and I went to see one of his summer stock shows, while the boys stayed with some wonderful friends. Then on Saturday, we headed up to Cedar Rapids for a Minor League Baseball game. Birthday money from John's Mom bought us dinner out, and from my parents, great seats five rows behind home plate.

We were close enough to see all the action, and the boys loved that they got to high-five the mascot. The game closed with Fireworks, which the boys both loved. John was happy that he got to take his boys to the game, and it didn't hurt that the home team won. =)

4th fun at the Keislings

2010-07-12T21:03:00.005-04:00

This 4th was a fun mixture of low-key and frantic. Frantic because we had to leave our complex and hour and a half before church so that we wouldn't get blocked in from the parade route. Low-key because we had a nice finger-food dinner with friends.

The neighbors hosted a little party, at which there was LOTS of food, some good conversation, and a massive rainstorm. Thankfully the last part waited until after we ate, and was gone in time for the fireworks. We had some sparklers and confetti poppers (Iowa has the strictest fireworks laws I've ever seen), and the boys had a blast.

They ate well, especially Andrew, who went around helping himself to whatever anyone would give him, and Timothy himself put away a substantial amount of food. He seemed to especially enjoy the baked beans.... =)

Timothy got his first sparklers, which he really loved. And John discovered just how fast 25 sparklers burn when they're tied together. (Now to keep small boys from imitating Daddy....) At dark, we walked a few blocks toward the park for a good view of the fireworks. They were pretty impressive for a small town. A good 4th all around. =)

Father/Son Campout

2010-07-12T20:56:00.002-04:00

Around the first of June, John and Timothy went on their very first Father/Son Campout. Much fun and yummy food was had by all. =)

June in Summary

2010-07-12T13:50:00.009-04:00

So...

Every time I've sat down to blog lately, I just don't seem to get it done for one reason or another. So here's a quick recap of our busy busy June:

About mid-month, a huge summer storm hit. Midwest summer storms themselves are nothing to sneeze at, and are part of my favorite part of summer. This one however, knocked out enough power stations around town to make most of us here powerless for 18-30 hours. We, thankfully were about mid-way there, and only lost it for about 24. We didn't lose any food to speak of, and actually made it into a kind of party. Most of our neighbors joined us outside, where we talked, relaxed, and enjoyed the breeze. The boys loved it! They got to eat outside, they got to play with everyone,

and we even pulled out the kiddie pool...Until we found ou

t the condo association doesn't allow them. =(

Oh well, they finally opened the pool about the time the power came back on, so that made it all better.

Timothy has really blossomed in the pool. Within a week, probably about 4 sessions, he went from clinging to me like a leech, to paddling all around the shallow end by himself. Of course, he has floaties, but his confidence is building, and we're working on learning to kick, and move his arms. He may not be swimming without the floaties by the end of the summer, but we're making strides just the same!

Andrew on the other hand, has had no fear in the pool. He keeps trying to swim away from me. If I drape him over my arm, he'll kick and paddle quite energetically. Would probably take off if I let him... But I want him to stop swallowing the pool water first. =)

Oh, and I've discovered a great bonus to frequent pool trips. Tired little boys who sleep well. If it's right after lunch, they even both take naps. Something that hasn't happened in a while!

In other news, We've also moved Andrew from his clip-on high chair...

... to a big boy booster. We probably would have put this move off, but our little Houdini was spending too much time on top of the table - in spite of the five-point harness. The booster has a waist strap, and so far he's stayed put. Seems pretty happy about it too. =)

My birthday was also in June, but the only picture I have is this one:

Everyone sent money, John took me to Half-Price Books, and told me I had to spend it all there. I think I pretty well, don't you? =)

In and out of trouble. =)

2010-06-08T09:39:00.004-04:00

Yesterday, I borrowed a shovel from my neighbor, and tackled the flowerbed next to my porch. The previous occupant had planted quite an array of flowers, but after a few years of vacancy, the plot was quite overgrown. With the "help" of my sons, I managed to thin it out to a nice balanced look. Seeing as how I haven't really done anything close to gardening since I was in Jr Hi, I was quite proud of my accomplishment.

Apparently so were my boys. Andrew had happily sampled the dirt I was digging up (despite my efforts at containment, and Timothy loved helping me replant the items I was shifting around. By the end, T and I were dusty, but Andrew was downright filthy. He was covered in dirt from his mouth to his toes. So upstairs we went for a bath. I put him down in the bathroom, then turned to grab the camera from the next room. I thought I'd get a picture before I bathed him so that I could show John.

I was gone for less than 30 seconds, maybe 15. I came back to this:

He was obviously very proud of himself. His brother meanwhile, instead of helping me keep his brother out of trouble, was just stopped from joining him by my return to the bathroom. Nope, never a dull moment here!

It's Summer!

2010-06-04T15:38:00.004-04:00

Nothing says summer like Watermelon,

Fountains,

and of course, Bubbles.... =)

Thank you Santa and Lady for the pile of bubble toys!

Fountain Fun

2010-05-30T21:12:00.003-04:00

So, I keep meaning to blog about so much, and time keeps getting away from me. So, rather than try to play catch-up every time I get on here, I'm just going to pick one or two things to blog about. That being said...

It's been in the upper 80s around here, and nice and humid, so Friday I took the boys downtown to play in the fountain. It's more of a water scu

lpture, but well used by all the local children (of all ages) to cool off.

They had a blast, especially Timothy. Andrew wasn't so sure about crawling through the water.... =)

John got off early on Friday, so he met us for lunch, and then we walked back to the theatre building where I'd left the car. We had to walk across the river on the way, and Timothy was thrilled to be crossing the river on his own feet instead of the car. I overheard the following conversation between my men:

Timothy: "Daddy, you should buy a boat."

John: "If I buy a boat would you ride in it with me?"

T: "Sure I would Daddy"

J: "I need to buy a truck before I buy a boat. Then I can move the boat"

T: "Okay, first you need to buy a house. Then a truck. Then you buy a boat."

I swear I didn't coach him on this. =)

And... We're back

2010-05-09T21:53:00.010-04:00

Okay, so we realize we haven't blogged in a ridiculously long time, but it wasn't because we were crazy busy, just normal busy. It was the computer's fault. Really.

The first weekend in April, our computer, which served us well for the last 5 years, suddenly went caput. Thankfully, we found a nice professional who was able to retrieve at least out pictures and a few other essential files. We're still missing a lot of files, but we have a friend who has kindly offered to try to retrieve them in his spare time.

You know, you never fully realize how much you depend on your computer until it's gone. Five years of files, pictures (well, most of those were on a separate drive, so it was only about 6 months), software you've downloaded and take for granted, internet bookmarks, and about 2000 book titles in my delicious library. All gone. It's been weird to have to re

build. But on the bright side, the new computer comes with happy new software, inc

luding a program called Time Machine, which backs up the computer every night, to prevent losing all that information again. =)

In the meantime, I've still been taking pictures, and keeping busy noting my boy's growth and enjoyment of life.

The first news is John's though. The same day the computer died, he got a new toy that he's been wanting for a while. We shopped around, and found a good deal, and he's thoroughly enjoying it.

I think we've cooked almost half our meals out there in the last month. =)

Timothy has become quite the photographer... whenever he can steal the camera. I keep having to hide it, which results in my not always being able to find it when I want it. I think I may spring for a really cheap digital for his birthday. He's not too bad. (Although I will admit to cropping on occasion.)

Our Easter was pretty fun this year. Timothy participated in his very first egg hunt. He didn't get it at first, but then we had to pull him off the hunt when he hit his limit, and he wasn't too happy... At least until we showed him the contents of the eggs... (Oh, and he's still too small to notice when I snuck most of his haul...) We also went to a "spring days" petting zoo in the area, and both boys loved all the animals, especially the baby chicks. (We're working on Andrew not pulling fur and feathers)

Andrew's getting bigger every day, and his appetite is keeping pace. We are constantly amazed at how much he eats. A few weeks ago, it was a whole grilled fish filet! He's close to walking (has the concept, just not the balance yet) and wants to do everything his big brother does. They're starting to play together, at least some of the time, and my favorite moments are when I hear them giggle together. I personally think it's one of the best sounds in the world.

Other than that, we keep busy going to the park, and playing in the yard, and just generally having a great time. I feel truly blessed. =)

Wouldn't you?

Warm Weather Adventures

2010-03-23T15:04:00.005-04:00

We've been outside a lot lately here, and the boys are thoroughly enjoying it.

Timothy finally got to fly his kites. When we finally got them up in the air, his face was priceless. Of course, when they crashed, he was pretty amused too.He's also dragged out his wagon every chance he gets. We've taken several wagon rides, to the delight of both boys.Andrew's crawling all over the place now, and I'm busy keeping him out of where he shouldn't be. I'm not too worried about the grass he's been eating, but I draw the line at the dirt from the flower beds. =) Of course, most of the time, he's only interested in crawling over to whatever he can pull up on. He's got the strength to stand, he just needs to work on the balance, but even that seems to be improving. Between being able to move, and being outside a lot more, our fussy little man has become so much happier. (Which is nice all around)

Isn't that the cutest smile?

Spring? Finally?

2010-03-10T14:49:00.003-05:00

So, finally, after 90-plus days of the weather not getting above freezing, endless cabin fever, and John discovering how much he loves long johns, the weather has finally broken, and the snow is melting. It's actually almost all gone except for some of the big plow piles... And our backyard where the sun never hits. But even that too is leaving, if slowly. =) I've been trying to blog for a month now, and I just haven't been able to bring myself to. I've been too afraid that I'll let myself go off on a rant about never ending winter, or the frozen wastelands. But now that spring is in the air, if not technically here yet, I find my spirits returning. Even the thought of mud-covered toddlers don't faze me. I have a washing machine now! =) (Although, I should probably invest in some puddle boots for him.) The boys are growing in leaps and bounds. Timothy is still constantly amazing us. Lately though, it's been with his memory. Gone are the days when we can hide something and he'll forget. Sometimes it works, but not always. We also can't put things off. He'll remember and ask again. For example: He saw a picture of some children flying kites, and got very excited. John told him that we could fly kites in the spring, but that it was time for bed now. That was not the right thing to say. For the next two mornings, his first question upon waking was "We fly kites today?" We were finally able to make him understand that the kids in the picture were flying kites on grass, with flowers. Not on snow. He seemed to understand that, and I thought no more about it until a few days later, after a couple of sunny (but still cold) days. On the way to the car, he found the one spot on the hill where the snow had melted, and proclaimed: "Look Mommy! The snow go away. We can fly kites now!" He was very sad when I explained that ALL the snow had to go away, and we needed to not be wearing winter coats. Well, that time has now arrived, and he's asking again. He's very determined about this. If it's sunny on Saturday, we may have to go get a kite. Mud or not, we have a little boy who REALLY wants to fly a kite. =)

Andrew is sitting up on his own, and scooting when he's really motivated. He's slowly learning to crawl, but he's much more interested in walking. If he's near something that he can pull up on, he will. We've ended up with a few bumped heads, but that hasn't deterred him in the slightest. He's also all about food. He eats 12 or more oz of solid/pureed food each day, plus whatever cheerios, rice cakes, homemade pretzels and bread crusts that I will give him. We've tried un-pureed veggies with varying success. He really likes broccoli. My kids constantly surprise and please me with their love for vegetables... =) Both the boys are developing their verbal (and vocal) abilities. Andrew's progressed to "ba-ba-ba-ba," and "da-da-da-da." He even looked at John the other day when he came home and said "Da-da!" very clearly. Sadly, I seem to be "da-da-da" too, but that will come. For now, it's great to see him get so excited about being able to form consonants. =)

Oh, and he's become quite a ham for the camera too... =)
Timothy's vocabulary has really taken off too. It was subtle, and probably not all that remarkable, but to us it has been. He's never been much for more words than absolutely necessary, and now, whole sentences and paragraphs are pouring from his mouth. John was sick a few weeks ago, and missed church. When we got home, John asked Timothy what he did. Timothy replied: "I did puzzles, and sang songs, and colored pictures. I got a snack, and blew bubbles." Normally we have to ask him leading questions to get anything out of him, so this was pretty impressive. =) It's really helped with his frustration levels too. Communication has become much easier. =)

His imagination has really taken off too. Some of his ideas come from his favorite TV shows, like "Vacuum Monkey" from Curious George. He loves to vacuum the stairs, but won't do it without his "cape".

He's also discovered "The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything" from Veggies Tales, and made us all (himself, Andrew, and I) wear pirate hats and say "Arrgh" a lot. =) Other times, I'm not exactly sure where things come from, but he sure has fun. His favorite game lately is cooking. He'll bring me "fried chicken," "apple pies," "granola bars," and whatever food catches his fancy that day.

Well, that's about all from here. Here's some more pictures to enjoy. And if we manage to fly kites this weekend, I'll tell you all about it. =)

=)

2010-02-01T09:35:00.001-05:00

John made me bookshelves.

Aren't they beautiful?

Christmas 2009

2010-01-11T15:52:00.003-05:00

Okay, I'm finally posting about our holidays. For some reason I've had no motivation (or too many things to catch up on. Yeah, let's go with that.) Anyway..

We headed south this year for Christmas, to Texas. It was nice to see John's family, and we were even able to skype with his brother Josh while we opened presents (he's in Iraq, and his deployment was extended past Christmas)

Timothy loved the entire time. This is the first year he's really understood any of it, and he really got into opening presents (Andrew just chewed on the paper whenever it got near his mouth). He was much more patient than I'd expected. We told him we had to wait for Uncle Josh to call on the computer, and he was very good about waiting. He did stand near the tree, look at all the presents, and sigh very dramatically... =)

Being the oldest grandchild, he did get a little spoiled. The other two are a little young for much interaction, but Timothy was in his element. Lots of adults to play with him and laugh at his antics. (Have I mentioned I have a two-year-old clown?) He had lots of fun with Grammy, Aunt Becky, and Uncle Paul. Uncle Paul became the resident horse, and Aunt Becky earned a new nickname of "Becky-do-it", as that was his standard response to any parental help. =) Then Grammy let him help make the Christmas pies, and that was just too perfect for words.

He did have to compete with his father and uncle for time on his new Hotwheels racetrack. It was really cute to see grown men and their passion for toy cars that never die. More than once I walked into the living room to hear them bargaining with Timothy for time on the track. =)

For our Christmas, John and I availed ourselves of some free (and GREATLY appreciated) free babysitting and got a B&B for some alone time. It was nice to relax, spend time just the two of us, and (John's favorite part) see Cowboys Stadium. [Note: for pictures of this, see John's FB albums, there were almost as many photos of the stadium as there were of the rest of the vacation. =)]

It's nice to be home, if rather cold. It's kind of sad when 15 degrees feels warm. John says he has a whole new appreciation for the meaning of the word "cold". But more on that later...

Winter Wonderland

2009-12-10T14:10:00.011-05:00

It's been a busy holiday season for us already, and Christmas is still two weeks away. We spent Thanksgiving at my Brother's in Kansas, which was a lot of fun. We got to watch the kids play together, enjoy LOTS of good food (including scone Saturday courtesy of my Mom. Yummy!), and of course, have family game night. It was mostly the siblings, with others rotating, and it was Settlers of Catan, not our usual Nuts, but it was lots of fun.

The Monday after Thanksgiving we got our Christmas tree, and that Saturday was the Christmas Dinner at church. Sadly, no Jolly Old Saint Nick appeared here, but we did have our own cute little elves, and lots of great food and fellowship.

Then, Tuesday, the snow started falling. Well, some fell Monday, but it melted quickly. Tuesday, not so much. By Wednesday morning, we had at least 6 inches, and fierce winds, which made the drifts much higher. We had white-out conditions, and parts of the state even closed down main highways because of the drifts. That didn't happen here, but it was enough to cancel classes at the university, and for John's boss to tell him to stay home.

John and Timothy ventured out to play for a while, but didn't last very long. John lasted a little longer, and he cleaned off the car and shoveled the drifts away from the doors. I didn't even venture out. I wanted some pictures of Timothy playing in the snow, but didn't want to join them (especially considering Andrew was awake), so I contented myself with pictures from the windows and front door. It was a beautiful snowfall, but I much prefer enjoying it from the warmth of my home. =)

It's even colder today. John went back to work, bundled up so that only his eyes were showing. There was storytime at the library today, but we're not going. I'm going to get inventive instead, and keep my little man occupied where it's warm. =)

We are so not in Kansas (and by that I mean DC) anymore Toto...

2009-11-16T11:02:00.003-05:00

Saturday, John and I decided to get out of the house and explore some of the local sights. Now that we're not in DC, that eliminates most museums and national monuments, but turns out there are some really fun things to see, and they're a bit more practical (especially for this area) than what we're accustomed to.

First, we headed to the local orchard. Now, I grew up down the road from a strawberry farm, and not far from several orchards. In fact, I remember several years of turning apples into apple butter, apple jelly, and dried apples to send off to various relatives. John hadn't had that experience, and we knew Timothy would get a big kick out of it. Sadly, we were a little late in the year for tractor rides, or u-pick, but we did get some nice apples, and apple cider that had been pressed that day.

When we left, since the day was still young, we decided to head down to a cheese factory we'd heard a lot about. It was everything we heard. The cheese is delicious, and it's only about half a mile from an Amish grocery, that is renowned for it's spices. Lots of good bulk items too for when I want to build up our food supply. =)

The grocery/spice store was nice, and I got some great ideas for when I need to stock up, but the cheese shop experience was what really blew my mind. I had assembled about half a dozen items, and when I went to pay for them, was informed that they only took cash or check, and I only had plastic. I was about to ask about and ATM, when the clerk said: "Oh, it's okay, put your name and address on this receipt, and you can mail us a check."

Wha-Huh? I'm sure I looked as if she was speaking a different language, because she repeated herself. I offered to go find and ATM if she wanted to hold m purchase, but she said that was okay. This worked too. Still blown away, I filled out the receipt, and we took our cheese. We wrote them a check once we got home, but I'm still a bit shocked by the whole experience. Back in DC (and pretty much anywhere else I've lived in the last several years), you had to present at least one form of ID, if not two to write a check, and they let us walk out with our cheese, trusting that we'd pay them back. It really restores my faith in human nature, so see someone trust others that much.

You want me to do what???

2009-11-15T20:49:00.004-05:00

For those who follow our blog, it's time for the rare, and therefore anticipated post by John. (Okay, maybe it's only anticipated by my mom, and perhaps that's only because there's pics of the grand babies, but hey, that still counts in my book.)

Lately, I have been asking the question "You want me to do what?" a lot. Back to when we I landed a job working for a great University on a career status position and Margaret asked this question when I said we were moving to Iowa. Then we get here, and I find out that one of the first sets I would be building was for a show called "Reefer Madness" the musical.

Then, there was this past week. Last Sunday I had to work in the morning (as I occasionally due because of technical rehearsals being on Saturday and Sundays) Thankfully, at this job I only have to be there for the beginning and the end of the rehearsal, and not for the entire 12 hour rehearsal everyday. So, after I got off of work, I rushed over to make it for church just in time for the last hour and to participate in priesthood. Little did I know that this was the day that the Elder's quorum presidency was doing PPI's. So here I am at church, dressed in jeans and a collared shirt, being asked about my worthiness by my priesthood leader. His first question was whether I decided to dress "mormon light" for the day. I explained to him the work situation, and that it was better to wear jeans to church, than to wear a tie while running a table saw.

I did however joke with someone else that I simply figured that if you occassionaly wear jeans to church you will likely never get asked to speak in church and you will definitely never get called to a leadership position. Well, I'm still not in a leadership position, but ten minutes after I made that joke, one of the counselors in the bishopric asked me if I would speak in church. Oh well, that method has officially failed me.

I did end up having to work most evenings this last week, so I wrote a talk about fasting while sitting through dress rehearsals for "Reefer Madness". Needless to say, I got a little bit of the munchies while working on the talk.

After all was said and done, the talk went well, and other than Andrew crying the whole way through it, and Margaret having to sit with him in the lobby, it all went off without a hitch. The best part is that next week is Margaret's turn to speak in church.

In other notes, I found this hat at work this week, and brought it home and gave it to Timothy. He's worn it everywhere he's gone, evidently, including dreamland during nap time.

Also, yesterday (Saturday) we had a bit of a family outing. We left with the intent of going to the apple orchard and coming home, and we did start by going to the apple orchard where we bought several pounds of fresh apples, some fresh squeezed apple cider, and some hot apple turnovers. However, instead of heading home, we decided to extend our day trip and drove about 20 miles south to the town of Kolona, an old Amish settlement here in Iowa. Our first stop was the Twin County Dairy and cheese factory where Timothy got to watch them make cheese curds through a window, and Margaret spent 20 dollars on cheese. The kicker was that when she went to pay they said they only took cash or check, no debit or credit cards. That put us in a bind, because we almost never carry cash with the modern convenience of debit cards, and we had left the checkbook at home. We were going to leave, sadly, without our cheese, when the lady at the factory store bagged our purchase gave us a receipt and told us to simply send them a check for the amount of the purchase. Margaret and I looked at each other and said "You want us to do what"? Never before have we been so sure that we weren't in DC anymore. It really is a different, much simpler way of life here in Iowa.

2009-10-21T11:01:00.003-04:00

We've all come down with some variation of a nasty head cold here, and I was up half the night either blowing my nose, or rocking an infant. Timothy, thankfully, slept sound and hard. He was still sleeping when John left for work this morning, so I stayed in bed and waited for him to wake me up asking for breakfast.

When he did, he was covered in some kind of sticky yellow substance. Now he's taken to sleeping under his bed, and the substance wasn't that different from the color of the carpet, so I was freaking out, thinking our carpet might be poisoning our child. Then I went downstairs, and found this:

Apparently, he decided to fix his own breakfast, and all he could reach was Daddy's powdered Gatorade on the counter...

*Sigh*... At least he did it on the day I was planning to mop the floors anyway...

Baby it's cold outside!

2009-10-05T17:07:00.004-04:00

Well, fall has struck with a vengeance here on the prairie. After four years of mild climates in Florida and DC, I guess I've been spoiled. I've never been much for cold weather, and I'm not too fond of socks, so I always bemoan having to put away my sandals. Aside from today, it's been so cold and wet this last week or so, that it seems like we skipped the nice part of fall and went straight for the heavy stuff. Oh well, hopefully it will be nice again for a little while, if not warmer. Not that it's THAT cold. I guess... But high 50s feels a lot colder when it's raining, and you have an infant that gets cold easily. Can I tell you how eager I am for winter? *sarcastic tone*

But enough whining. On the bright side, there are plenty of things to do here as the weather turns. The mall sponsors a "Family Free Friday" the last Friday of every month, and we took advantage of it this time around. There were free carousel rides, free ice skating (We'll wait a few years for that one), and the Children's Museum was free. This was pretty cool. They have a puppet theatre, a kid-sized construction site, farm, and mini-city complete with grocery store, hospital and TV studio (I'm sure there was more, but I ducked off at that point to feed the baby). Timothy LOVED it. When I was uploading the pictures today, he remembered and excitedly told me all about it. =)

Andrew is growing by leaps and bounds. Yesterday, he rolled over 4 times! Granted, it was from tummy-to-back, which is easier than back-to-tummy, but still. It was pretty exciting! I'm a little worried what this means for my piece of mind in a few months... He loves to talk to any and all of us, and has the best smiles, especially for his big brother, whom it's clear he adores. Timothy loves this, and will crouch down to talk to him, or show him toys all the time. I'm so glad they get along so well. We'll see what happens when Andrew starts crawling... =)

Oh, and for those who've requested, I finally had my house about as clean as it's likely to get with small children underfoot, so I took some pictures. Here's a virtual tour of our digs. =)

They grow so fast...

2009-09-25T11:46:00.003-04:00

Well, we've pretty much been holding steady here in Iowa. John stays busy at work, and the boys keep me busy here. Timothy loves to go out. Outside, to the park, the library, the play area at the mall... Wherever we go, his joy of life is a constant joy to me. I love watching him learn and grow through his experiences.

He loves to imitate us, especially John. Last week, we stopped by work to see John, and Timothy was completely fascinated, especially by the tool crib. The sets didn't seem to make much of an impression, but the tools! We went home, and he got all his tools out and for an hour was "working like Daddy." So cute!

He also adores his little brother, and loves to talk to him, and help. When we've given Andrew a bottle (to get him used to it should I leave), Timothy has loved to help. He's pretty good at it actually. As long as Andrew doesn't move.. =)

Andrew is 2 months old today. The time has just flown by! Already he wants to see the world, and is rarely happy facing me when in his baby carrier. He LOVES to watch Timothy, and they can coo at each other happily for quite a while.

We've thankfully got him sleeping pretty well too. Mornings are anyone's guess, but he usually takes a nice long nap in the afternoon, and then most nights he falls asleep fairly easily and sleeps from 8pm to 1am before I have to get up and feed him. Then only once or twice the rest of the night. Peaceful evenings are so nice! They make for a much saner Mommy. =)

So much has happened in the last two months though. It's hard to believe all the changes that have taken place. We feel so blessed with this new place, a new job, and our sweet wonderful boys. (Even if the older one is too smart for Mommy's peace of mind... )

Oh, for more pictures, check out our flickr page =)

Us again..

2009-09-04T13:30:00.003-04:00

Well, I figured I should post some new pictures and at least a short update on our lives here in Iowa. John has been 3 weeks on the job now, and loving it. He got a bike, and rides it to and from work almost every day (with the exception of the downpour we had last week. For that, we picked him up. I'm suffering from the normal sleep deprivation of having an infant and keeping up with a toddler, so nothing new there. But enough about us..

Timothy LOVES our new house. He loves the stairs, the neighbors, the park, and the new friends he's making (of all species). One of our neighbors has a parrot, and there's a dauschund, and some large brown pony-size dog as well. We've also found the local duck pond, and he and his new friend Tyler chased them all over yesterday (Sorry, I forgot the camera). Here's some fun shots of our little adventurer:

Andrew (the real reason you're reading this of course) had changed so much in the last few weeks. It's crazy how fast they change! He smiles and coos at us now, and while we desperately wish he would sleep more, we love to cuddle him and marvel at the miracle he is. Timothy loves his little brother, and is a great help. He rushes to comfort him when he cries with an "Okay Andew", and the only jealousy he seems to have is that he wants his diaper changed before I change the baby's. I'm glad that transition has been made so smoothly. It's certainly made my life easier... =)

Anyway, here's some shots of Andrew so you can see how he's changed too:

Home Again...

2009-08-18T22:01:00.007-04:00

So, the last few weeks have been busy, to say the least. After a nice relaxing stay in the hospital, Andrew and I came home, and John and I spent the next five days finishing the packing of all our worldly possessions. Well, mainly John. I was under orders not to lift anything heavier than Andrew, and I... was pretty good about that... Sort of... I probably did more than I was supposed to, but I didn't feel it until after we loaded the truck. Then I collapsed and watched John and a few friends clean the apartment. This has been a humbling experience for me, but in a good way. I've had to accept a lot of help with packing and cleaning, things that normally I would take care of. But in this case, accepting help was needed, and much appreciated.
Anyway, after we loaded the truck, and cleaned the apartment, we lit up the barbeque, and had a few friends by to say goodbye, and to celebrate Timothy's birthday. (We pulled out for Iowa on his actual birthday, but he seemed happy with celebrating a few days early. =) Here's some shots from loading, and the party.

Sunday, my Mom flew in, and Monday we pulled out at 5:30am. John drove the truck with the cats, and Mom drove our car while I kept the boys happy. Thankfully, everyone traveled well, even the cats. I was a little worried about John losing patience, and tossing them out somewhere in W VA, but they were pretty calm once they figured out they weren't going to the vet. Timothy was fine, and since he got to get out and run around every couple hours while I fed the baby, I didn't even have to pull out the DVD player until an hour or so before we stopped for the night. Andrew, thankfully, slept most of the trip, and only really protested the carseat about and hour from our final destination.

Our new home is great! I will post pictures soon, once we get unpacked. In the meantime, here's a few key points: Two floors (which Timothy and the cats love), a washer and dryer (my favorite part), and our own mini backyard to let small boys loose in when they get antsy. Oh, and John's favorite part: remote control ceiling fans. =) It's the little things. =)

My Dad came out this past weekend, to see our new hometown, and of course, to see his newest grandchild.

While he was here, we explored the university area, and a few tourist destinations nearby. I was surprised to find so much here. I knew it would be bigger than where I grew up, but this is much more than I expected. There's plenty to do here. While it may not be DC for tourism, I'm okay with that. This is going to be a great place to raise our family.

P.S. While my parents were here, we also went and got Timothy's birthday present from all his grandparents: a red wagon. Here's some shots of our excited little boy in his new toy. =)

Andrew Joel Keisling

2009-07-31T20:32:00.003-04:00

Andrew Joel Keisling was born at 4:05 am Friday July 31st. He weighed 7 lbs 15 ozs and measured 21 1/2 inches long. Mommy and Baby are doing fine. Also, Timothy loved getting to meet his new brother.

Now for Pictures

Meanwhile, back at the ranch...

2009-07-26T19:37:00.006-04:00

So, still no baby. We're starting to get more than a little anxious, since we've hit the final 2 week countdown before we move. We've packed everything but Timothy's toys, the kitchen, and the clothes we need until the move. That will help when we get down to the wire and I'm managing 2 kids, but for now, it's only making us stir crazy. There's not enough to do... We have been enjoying the beautiful summer weather, and taking many opportunities to get Timothy out of the house. Storytime at the library, playgroup, the pool, and the park on our own.

Timothy is loving it, and it will be hard this week when John's away this week. He was offered some work for the week, and took it -- provided I don't give birth first -- so that will keep him busy, but keep Timothy and I semi-confined. We'll be okay though. The bus can take us where our feet can't. And, if we're lucky, it will only be a few days before small one makes his appearance anyway.

We're trying to figure out what this kid is waiting on. We've packed everything we can pack, the house is clean, I've packed and repacked the hospital bag, and I've finished his blanket (a week ago!). See? Timothy didn't get his until he was almost 3 months old...
I've tried almost every recommended self-inducing method to bring on labor (I draw the line at castor oil), and still no baby. The contractions even seemed to have pretty much stopped since last weekend when we thought he was coming and even went to the hospital. I get a few here and there, but nothing regular... Someone at church today even commented they'd never seen anyone carry a baby so low, and she'd seen a lot of pregnant women... Oh well, We know the Lord has his time in this, just like everything else about this move. I'd just like time to recover before we leave!

I do want to thank you all for your continued prayers and support. It's made it much easier knowing we're not alone in this. And your good wishes have helped us through so much these last few months. Now we're in the home stretch, and we're very excited! (Well, when we're not tring to get the baby to show up....) =)

Oh, one more fun bonus pic. We realized we didn't have a belly pic for this one, and Timothy decided to get in the picture. =)

Still Waiting....

2009-07-18T09:21:00.002-04:00

So, Wednesday, in an effort to induce some labor (or to see as-yet-unseen parts of DC before we leave), we boarded the metro and took in the sights. We went to the National Aquarium in DC, which was a BIG disappointment. The National Aquarium in Baltimore is amazing, this was like a bad sideshow at the circus or something. Just one dark room that took us less than 45 minutes to get through. Timothy liked the alligators though.

Then, we walked halfway across the mall to the Botanical Gardens by the capitol building. That WAS worth the trip. It was beautiful, inside and out. The landscaping was lovely, and inside they had rooms of plants from all over the world, as well as a room of endangered plants, and an exhibit on medicinal plants. Informative, but very interesting. Then, we stumbled into the children's garden. Here, your child can dig in the dirt, water the plants, or play in the fountain. Timothy loved it! He didn't really want to water the plants though. The flagstone was much more fun to water... And sweep... =)

After our siteseeing, Timothy and I headed home, and John went down to Crystal City for his exit interview with Arena. Now he's officially in between jobs, but only for about 3 more weeks or so. (Wow this move is coming up fast...) He called me when he got on the metro, and I ordered a pizza before going to pick him up. We joked that maybe that's what the baby was waiting for, since that's what happened with Timothy, but no such luck. Oh well...

Thursday, we thought my water broke, but I was wrong. Just wishful thinking. Then, last night, the contractions were coming pretty regularly, and didn't fizzle out after an hour like they usually do. In fact, after 2 hours, they were starting to hurt. So, we dropped Timothy off with some friends, and headed off to the hospital. After a few hours there, most of it spent walking the halls, there hadn't been enough progress to keep me, so they sent us home. Now we're back to waiting. =(

I'm not too worried, since I know the Lord will bring this baby in the right time, just like everything else has fallen into place for this move. But I would really like to be done being pregnant. I'm starting to get really excited to see our newest bundle...

Plus, it would make John a lot more comfortable if he didn't have to worry about loading the truck while I'm in labor... =)

Act II (or is that three)

2009-07-08T19:26:00.003-04:00

If you've been keeping up with our blog then the first thing that you'll notice about this post is that it's not written in italics. That's right, that means this is a unique look inside the head of John (read at your own risk).

Back in January, Margaret called to me one morning from the bathroom as I was waking up and getting ready to work. I figured she had forgotten to get more toilet paper as often happens, and brought her a roll. As I walked into the restroom I noticed that she was holding a little white stick, and she said "Honey..." That's right, she had just peed on that little stick, and somehow that stick was smart enough to know that she was pregnant. My answer to this was "Well.... Crap..."

You may say that's not an appropriate response, and if that is the case, then you should hear the rest of the story (that's right, that's a Paul Harvey reference, for those of you with radio culture). Margaret had been laid off in November, was having absolutely zero luck finding a job, I had been told that I would be laid off for two months without pay over the summer, and the news about the economy continued to get worse. Margaret and I did the math and realized that even if she did find another job, it would do little more than cover the cost of two children in full time day care, and there was no way we could live in the DC area on the salary I was making at my job.

Well, we prayed about it and the answer I got was "Hey, idiot, I obviously have something else planned for you, and evidently I don't think you've screwed up your first kid too badly, so here's another one for your efforts."

With all this in hand, I began applying for jobs in other areas of the country, where it is much cheaper to live, and where we would have a fighting chance of living off of one salary. I interviewed with about a half dozen places, all of which I felt I was well qualified for and kept getting different reasons why they didn't hire me. One university theater program interviewed me, said they liked me, but were choosing to hire a former student for the position. Another theater interviewed me, told me that I was the person they liked the best after the interviews, only to call me and instead of offering the job, inform me that the funding for that position had been cut.

Many restless nights were spent in prayer, and more than I would like to admit were spent in anger and frustration. One of our friends said to Margaret during this process that God obviously had something really special in store for us since everything was falling through.

Well, in the end that friend was right. Today, on my birthday nonetheless, I received an official job offer to be the scenery supervisor at the University of Iowa. The pay won't blow any one's mind, but it is enough for us to live on one salary, and the benefits are ridonculous (yes that is a word). I'm talking a 14% contribution to a retirement account, full health, dental, vision, and disability for the entire family, oh and not to mention free tuition for any of my immediate family who chooses to attend the University of Iowa (That's right, practically free college for my kids).

Needless to say, God had something in mind when Margaret waved that recently peed on stick at me 7 months ago, he just wanted to test our faith, and evidently it needed some work.

On a different note, today was indeed my birthday. I was woken up earlier than I would have liked by a little boy who had gotten out of his "big boy bed" and climbed in to tell daddy "Happy Birthday". Then I was given a new Dallas Cowboys ball cap (honestly the old one shouldn't be worn in public it's so gross) and Margaret made blueberry pancakes for breakfast.

After breakfast, we thought Margaret was going into early stages of labor, but after lying down for an hour the symptoms went away and we decided to spend my Birthday at Mt Vernon, touring George Washington's estate. Here's some of the sights we saw:

After a lot of walking and a few more contractions we headed home for lasagna and apple pie with ice cream. All in all, this has been one great birthday highlighted by the wonderful news that we are indeed moving to Iowa.

....now just to pack the apartment, find a place to live, reserve the moving truck, repack the boxes that Timothy has unpacked, figure out if we want to take the cats or leave them, make sure the car's ready for a trip across the country, change our address at the post office, change our address on our bills, find a new bank since there isn't a branch of ours in Iowa city, oh, and have a baby... All between now and August 17.

(Margaret's note: Please pray that the baby comes early, so I have time to recover.) =)

Blueberry Picking and Fireworks... The best of summer fun.

2009-07-07T16:02:00.005-04:00

Last week, Timothy and I joined our playgroup at a local farm for some blueberry picking fun. The farm apparently does all kinds of picking, depending on what's in season, but this time of year, it's blueberries. It wasn't the strawberry picking of my childhood (THAT farm was just down the road), but considering my current shape and Timothy's age, this was probably better. =) We had a lot of fun, and are still enjoying the fruits of our labors. Timothy was very serious about picking, and ate considerably less than I thought he would. He was all about getting them in his bucket. =)

Then, this past Saturday, being the 4th, we had lots planned. At 8am, our church had their annual flag raising service and pancake breakfast, which Timothy thought was the best. Especially tearing around the gym after breakfast.... =)

We relaxed for most of the rest of the day, and then shared a delicious BBQ dinner with our friends the Marchants. Grilled Kabobs, Corn on the Cob, and Watermelon, followed by blueberry cobbler a la mode. Mmmm! After our very excellent meal, we went off to watch the fireworks. Timothy was thrilled. He loved them. "Daddy! Boom in the Sky!" "Mommy! Look!" We paid the price with a very tired little boy all the next day, but I think it was worth it. Here's some photos for you to enjoy... =)

P.S. The last pic is a little bonus. We just took the side off the crib and put on the training rails in preparation for Timothy moving to a big boy bed. He's so excited!

Busy Busy Busy....

2009-06-29T16:59:00.005-04:00

These past few weeks have been busy, but not necessarily ways we'd prefer. Not all bad though. =)

About a week and a half ago, Timothy got sick, and we weren't sure what was wrong. Our healthy happy little boy had a fever of 103, and was pretty miserable. The fever came down after a cool bath, so we put him to bed, and kept checking on him. About 11, it was back up, and when we woke him up to get some more water down him, he was shaking, so we worriedly took him off to the ER. Of course, by the time we got in to see someone, his fever was almost gone, and they couldn't find anything wrong. Said it was probably a touch of the flu, and to keep and eye on him. They gave us a prescription for children's Tylenol, and sent us home. Lots of excitement... He was a little under the weather for the next few days, but was fine after that. Thankfully it was nothing, but I guess better safe than sorry, even if it means ER at midnight on occasion... =)Since then, he's had fun at playgroup, at the fountain with Calista, Thomas and Ashton, and of course, in our pool. One of these days, I'll even remember to get pictures! Our fearless little man took a few trips to get used to the pool and now I can't keep him out of it!

Thursday was my birthday, and Timothy gave me the gift of sleeping in, and then he and John brought me breakfast in bed. For lunch, we used a gift card we had, and went out. Then, after naptime (Timothy had one. #2 wouldn't let me sleep...) Timothy and I went to the pool to get away from the heat. (I don't know what it is, but I cannot get cool these days, no matter what I do to the thermostat...) When we got back, John was grilling chicken, and cooking fresh corn on the cob. Mmm! Dessert was of course, fresh Watermelon, which Timothy thought was great! I did too. It's been my birthday cake pretty much all my life... =)

After the watermelon, I had another surprise. Our friends Mike and Emma and their boys brought me a chocolate and strawberry cake to share. Apparently John didn't consider Watermelon a real cake. It was a lovely surprise, and a yummy cake, although, you can tell I wasn't prepared to have my picture taken. =)
Friday morning brought another surprise: Contractions. They woke me up about 6am, and were somewhat intense. This wasn't so good, since I'm still 5 weeks out, so I decided to put myself on semi-bedrest for a little while to keep Lil' Bit where he is for the time being. John helped me grocery shop, and I tried to spend the rest of the day on the couch. I really don't do inactivity well. One day and I was already stir crazy. Thankfully, the contractions haven't returned, just a few Braxton-Hicks, so I've gotten off the couch, but am still trying to take it easy, at least for another week or two...

The Waiting Game

2009-06-18T19:17:00.002-04:00

Well, my midwife has assured me that all this up and down and awkwardness is normal and he's definitely hit a growth spurt (I gained 5 pounds in 2 weeks), but that all looks good, and I don't need to pack my bags just yet. She keeps reminding me that everything is a lot more obvious with the second one, but the good news is that the labor is usually shorter. =)

In other news, John had his interview today, but I'll let him tell you about that. He's on his way home now to a wife and son who miss him a lot (I just put Timothy to bed to a chorus of "Daddy, miss...") The interview seemed to go well, now all we have to do is wait. Thanks to all of you for your prayers. We both feel good about it, we're just waiting on the committee...

Prego Blues...

2009-06-17T12:07:00.002-04:00

Well, I've just put my husband on a plane to Iowa. He's being flown out for a job interview and we really hope that means we might be moving soon. I'd really like to know where we're going for my own peace of mind. Pregnancy and uncertainty are not the best bedfellows. Which has made for some fun days lately.. =)

This past week or so has been a bunch of ups and downs for me. Mostly downs. I feel healthier this pregnancy, but much more of a wuss as well. I know I was uncomfortable with Timothy, (not to mention huge and swollen) but I don't remember being this limited in my physical abilities. Of course, I didn't have a toddler needing my to help him with all kinds of things, and I wasn't constantly bending over to pick up toys, books, and all the other stuff that goes with a child. Maybe that's most of it. M house stayed a lot cleaner during my last pregnancy. =)

Lately though, it seems to have gotten worse. I feel like this small person inside me has doubled in size overnight! He's sat so low my whole pregnancy, that I was really enjoying not having feet in my ribs, and a full lung capacity. No more. In the last few days, both of those luxuries have disappeared, and the only comfortable position for any length of time is on my side on the couch with multiple pillows... Sitting is out of the question. Oh well, only 4-6 more weeks... =)

Which brings me to my other pregnancy issue. Hormones. I need to nest, and have become increasingly frustrated by the fact that I CAN'T. I've cleaned most of what there is to clean and organize (except under the kitchen sink, and that required bending over. Not real eager for that), and I really don't feel prepared for this kid. That, of course, is due to the fact that we're still in a one bedroom apartment, Timothy is still sleeping in the crib and we have no place to move. I've been hunting, but what's in our price range around here is downright scary. We're also waiting to find out about this job, because if it comes through, we'll just wait until the baby comes, and move after that. Not that I relish moving halfway across the country with a toddler and a newborn, but there are much worse things... =)

Anyway, please keep us in your thoughts and prayers. John meets everyone and interviews tomorrow. We feel really good about this interview (well, John does, and when I do when I'm not all hormonal), and it would mean really good things for our family and stabilize us sooner than if we stayed here. We're just waiting on the Lord and His plan. We know it's so much better than ours....

Fountain play

2009-06-10T15:39:00.003-04:00

Last week, we took advantage of the warm weather and I took Timothy and Calista off to the fountain at our local "town square" We met up with some friends, and the kids had a blast. Hot weather and water is a wonderful combination. =)

Memorial Day, and Zoo Fun

2009-06-10T15:20:00.004-04:00

The next Monday after our trip was Memorial Day, and since John loves to grill, we decided to throw a BYOM barbeque. We had several people coming, and were quite excited about it. Then, just before start time, it started raining. We waited a while for it to blow over, but then gave up and grilled anyway. Well, the guys stood out with umbrellas, and we all crowded into the apartment to eat. It was still fun, and a good time with friends. I'm not sure which Timothy enjoyed more. Splashing in the rain, or playing with his friends... =)

Then, on Saturday, we headed off to the Zoo for a few hours, and Timothy had a blast. He wasn't so sure about the big Apes up close, but he loved the little monkeys, as well as the birds and pretty much everything else we saw. Fun times. =)

Wedding trip!

2009-06-10T12:27:00.005-04:00

So, about 3 weeks ago, we boarded a plane, and headed to Chicago for my brother Michael's wedding. It was a lovely time with family, and a good chance for me to see old friends I hadn't seen in a very long time. We flew out on a Friday, since the tickets were cheaper, and spent that night with my friend Alyse, and her 4 kids. She also has 2 dogs and a small horse (mastiff), so Timothy was in heaven. Airplanes, kids, and dogs to play with, who wouldn't be? =)

Saturday, we headed to the other side of Chicago to meet up with my parents before the rehearsal dinner. We had a few hours to kill, and Timothy thoroughly enjoyed exploring every nook and cranny of our hotel room. That, and hanging out with Santa and Lady. =)

The rehearsal dinner was absolutely delicious! As was our breakfast the next 2 mornings. The hotel chef where we stayed was amazing, and kept everyone happy and very full. =) Michael and Karina shared some sweet thoughts, as did the fathers, and then my Mom served tea for everyone. (It's her obsession, and it goes everywhere with her.) There was a green tea, and oolong tea, and fruit tea for the pregos and children (and anyone else who wanted it.) Timothy thought it wa great that Lady gave him drink like a big boy!

The next day was busy, but not too busy. The wedding was at four, so everyone enjoyed a leisurely breakfast (see reference to chef above)
and then the wedding party went off to take pictures all over Chicago, and we went to church.

We had to wake Timothy up from his nap to make it to the wedding, so he was a little groggy for part of the ceremony, but that probably helped him keep still. That and the fact that it was short. My Dad performed the ceremony, and it was beautiful and to the point, just as the happy couple requested. The ceremony was outdoors, ina gazebo, which reminded me of my parents wedding photos, where my grandfather performed that ceremony. =)

After the recieving line and a few more pictures, we took the little ones back to the hotel room with a sitter, and rejoined the festivities. Food, friends, fun, and lots of music and dancing was the order of the evening, and we had a great time.

I loved seeing Michael and Karina and their joy on this day. They are so sweet together, and compliment each other so well. I look forward to having Karina as a permanent part of our family. And Michael looked like he was about to burst. It was great! At one point or another, everyone was out on the floor, (although my parents it was a little as possible) but I think the highlight of the dancing that evening, was watching the groom perform his Napolean Dynamite dance. I'm not a fan of the movie, but that was really funny. =)

The next day, we enjoyed an early breakfast with my parents, before heading to the airport. Then the day went quickly downhill. Due to various circumstances, most beyond our control, we missed our flight, and ended up waiting on standby for 8 hours. We were tired, but thankfully, Timothy did really well, even if we didn't want to chase him all over the airport... But we finally made it home about 11 or 12 hours later than planned, and we were very glad to be home. We needed to rest up from our vacation.. =)

Catching up....

2009-06-10T12:00:00.003-04:00

Whew! It's been longer than I thought since we blogged. Let's start with some fun photos of Timothy:

Our little boy is growing fast, and takes joy in everything. He wants to help more than ever, and is a wonder to watch. We are constantly reminded of how blessed we are in him

2009-05-01T19:54:00.002-04:00

Well, We're not moving to Montana, of Indiana, or, at the moment, anywhere. It's been a long and frustrating couple of weeks while we've waited to hear on John's job prospects, and now we have answers, just not the ones we were expecting.

It's hard not to be disappointed. Ever since I was laid off, and we found out about baby #2, we've bee looking for the next step in our lives, and trusting in the Lord to show it to us. We really felt like these moves were the answer. We love DC, be we were hoping to move somewhere more... affordable. We're ready for the stability a lower costs of living will bring. But, I guess that's not the plan right now. The Lord seems to be asking us to wait yet a little longer.

This is hard. My unemployment runs out before the baby comes, and John will be on unemployment for most of June and July. As it is, his salary and my unemployment were keeping us afloat. I need another job, but no one wants to hire someone less than three months from giving birth. Hopefully I can find something shortly after the baby comes, but then there's the question of affordable child care. Too much, and my entire salary goes for that. There's also the added cost of a bigger place. I was really enjoying the thought of a 2 bedroom, with a washer and dryer, for 1/2 of what we're paying for a 1 bedroom and 4 flights of stairs to the laundry room. But not around here... =)

There is a bright spot in all of this though. As we've received our "no"s this week, we've both kept praying, and today, we both had the same thought. I picked up John from the Metro, and said "I've been thinking..." He said: "I think I should take an AutoCAD course this summer." Taking the words right out of my mouth! So many of the jobs we've seen that he hasn't been able to apply for were because he was missing this certification. I guess for now, that's what we need to do. Focus on John's continuing education and skillset, and then we can look again.

For now, we're still praying, since that doesn't really solve the immediate financial problems, but we finally feel like we have a "yes" to go with all the "no"s. Please pray as we continue our search. We'll keep you posted.

Blogging again...

2009-04-29T13:48:00.009-04:00

So, I'm going to try to write more often again. My Praxis is behind me (except for the score), which I spent obscene amounts of time studying for, and which took me 40 minutes to go over and answer all of the questions twice. My husband told me if he'd spent anywhere near the amount of time studying that I did, his college GPA would have been a 4.0 =) But the test went well, even if the administrators were ridiculously unorganized.

After the test on Saturday, Timothy and I attended Calista's 2nd Birthday party, where lots of fun was had by all. Especially the birthday girl, who I think managed to sneak at least 5 cupcakes from under her Mommy's nose. Here are the cute friends, enjoying the good food. =)

Since then, a heat wave has hit us. Temps were in the 90s for 4 days... in April! It didn't help that we're on the 4th floor of our building, with no AC, and heat rises. We were pretty miserable, and spent as much time as possible out of the house -- at the library, the park, houses of friends with AC -- so were able to manage during the day.

At playgroup yesterday, Timothy discovered "bubble flowers" and amused himself for a good 15 minutes with a field next to the playground. He even brought some flowers to the other kids (mostly girls) so they could blow the flowers too. So cute! Here's some of his "little house on the prairie" shots... =)

Anyway, now that the weather has blessedly turned, and I feel human again, I have lots to catch up on: Cleaning, blogging, finding the desk... So hopefully I'll be able to post more often. I'll try anyway. =)

It's Officially....

2009-04-16T21:55:00.007-04:00

Another boy! The ultrasound was quite conclusive. Timothy is getting a baby brother. He seems pretty happy with it. Or at least with the pictures. Check it out. =)

The ultrasound place was really nice. I hadn't been here before, and they were very thorough. I came away with 14 pictures, 4 of which were in 3D, so we got some unique shots. I was quite impressed

We're excited to be having a healthy baby boy. I am a little sad that this great blanket pattern I found will have to wait, but mostly, we just wanted a healthy baby. And I think the boys will grow up together well. I did make a joke about 1/2 a hockey team to John...

Anyway, here's some of the shots. For more of them, you can check out our flickr page. Enjoy!

Easter Sunday

2009-04-12T16:56:00.002-04:00

"Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why then are they then baptized for the dead?" -1 Corinthians 15:29

As we have been approaching this Easter Sunday this particular verse of scripture has been weighing heavily on my mind. Growing up, Easter Sunday was always a bit of a miff to me. I always wondered why it changed days. Why we got pictures taken with a bunny and what in the world was up with the Easter baskets (although I love the peeps that come in my Easter basket every year, including this year...thanks Margaret!)

It seemed to me that we went to church on Sundays because that was the day of the week that Jesus rose from the grave, so why in the world did we need to have one special day to celebrate this, instead of remembering, every Sunday, the victory that Christ had over death.

This year, as I have said, this one verse has weighed particularly heavy on my mind and on my heart. As I have thought about it, I've begun to realize the full meaning behind this one very powerful verse of scripture.

Not only did Christ rise from the dead, gaining his victory over death and hell, but his rising has ensured that we, too, will one day rise from the dead and be united with our Heavenly Father and with our families.

This verse is the basis behind a lot of work that we, as members of the LDS church, do in the temple. Without the resurection of Christ, all of our work that we do in the temple would be in vain, for we could have no power over death. However, as Paul argues in 1Corinthians, not only has Christ risen from the tomb, but because of his ressurection, we too, can have the victory over death.

What a comfort to know, that as our loved ones pass away, this world is not the end. We have the bright hope that one day we will see them again. And this time they will not be confined to the weak and frail bodies that we have seen so many struggle with while on this earth, but rather in a perfected state, walking the streets of glory, singing with the chorus of angels, and seeing the Christ, our Saviour and Redeemer face to face.

I think that this year, for the first time in my life, I've begun to truly understand the special spirit that Easter brings. I am so thankful for the gift of my Saviour, and the sacrifice he has made to allow me to have the victory over death.

Bye-Bye Baby Locks....

2009-03-27T10:43:00.003-04:00

Well, I finally did it. I buckled down and gave my son a big boy haircut. It shouldn't have been that traumatic, but I guess I just wasn't ready to let the baby look go. He looked so cute with it! (See "before picture...)
The decision was taken out of my hands, however, when the scissors became a source of terror anywhere near his head, and I had to resort to clippers and bites of snack to keep him still enough to trim.

So, here he is, big boy cut and all. Even though Mommy will miss the baby locks, he still looks cute, and will probably be a lot cooler this summer... =)

Ups and Downs and a growing boy

2009-03-13T12:21:00.023-04:00

So, these last two weeks have been full of ups and downs... Weather, health, Timothy, my panic level...

First, we had a huge snowstorm (for this area at least) right with the beginning of March. The area got between 3-9 inches. We were right in the middle with about 5 or 6 inches. Timothy had grown out of his snow clothes already, and I wasn't feeling that well, so we didn't spend a lot of time outside. But the little time we did spend outside was thoroughly enjoyed by our little man. He figured out really quickly how to pelt Mommy with snowballs, although most of them weren't this big. =)

Then, by Friday, it was 70 degrees. Which Timothy really enjoyed. As did I. Timothy went all over, and I sat and enjoyed the fresh air and the sun.

We made several trips to the playground, even as the weather cooled back off. We're back to winter coats today, but just 5 days ago, it was in the low 60s. On that day, we went to a playground with lots of fun things to do. There was a playset for the little ones, and one for the big kids. Guess which one my little man wanted to play on..

Yep, that's right... He climbed this thing all by himself. Followed closely of course by an anxious Mommy. He didn't fall, barely even hesitated. But I think I'm starting to understand how my mother felt when her 18 month old son climbed a tree in the front yard, and was level with the attic before she could get him to stop. They just have no fear...

In other news, We're all finally recovering from this nasty cold. John's wasn't too lingering, and Timothy is doing okay, but considering my immune system is lowered for pregnancy right now, and I can't take anything over the counter, and I was out of all my Shaklee vitamins, it's been pretty miserable. I have Shaklee now though, and seem about to kick this cough. Yay!

Oh, One more thing... My big boy is all about growing up these days. He's flat out refuse his porridge, and this morning, pushed it away, pointed at mine, and said "that". Much to his excitement, I relented, and gave him some wheat puffs in milk. He did really well, and is very proud of himself. Here's a few shots to enjoy:

Hooray!

2009-02-16T21:55:00.003-05:00

Okay, so John's the hero. The pictures were found and only a day later. Actually, Margaret found the pictures, but I did tell her yesterday that the pictures were probably in the house somewhere and we would come across them sometime this week. Turns out the sonogram pictures got put in with the Sunday paper.

How did they get there you ask, I thought Margaret said they were in her purse. Good question. The answer seems to be that we have a really intelligent 18 month old. After finding the pictures, I realized that after we got home yesterday I took Margaret's car keys away from Timothy. Her keys were in her purse which means that at some point in time Timothy got into the purse, assumedly put the pictures on the table with the paper, and got her keys.

Oh well. The pictures have been found, and Margaret says they are beautiful. Frankly, I don't know how you could tell. The baby kind of looks like a deformed peanut with feet.

Not really. I'm actually getting excited about being wrapped around her finger. Thankfully, I can still lay claim to my manhood by disciplining a boy. The girl, I'm sure, will simply turn me into putty.

Well, here's the pictures

The Saga of the Sonogram

2009-02-16T09:41:00.004-05:00

So, I've been waiting to post my thoughts on this pregnancy until after my sonogram, so that you could all see Baby's first pictures. That should have been last Tuesday. But due to many extenuating circumstances, and an emotional roller coaster for a easily frustrated pregnant woman, you will have to wait.

Originally we'd scheduled my sonogram for last Tuesday. The midwives figured we were just at the end of my first trimester, and could just make it in for the first trimester screen, if we hurried. Fine with me, I just wanted to see the baby.
Well, when I got there, they told me that my insurance requires a referral from my primary doctor as well as my OB. Hadn't seen the old quack in over a year (looking for a new one, but hadn't gotten around to finding one yet. Haven't had a need), but I called to see if they could help my. Turns out, he's retired, and the new doctor would need to see me first. Great. Don't really want to go back to that practice, so I tell the sonogram people that's I'll call them to reschedule, and very tearily get in my car and drive home. Yay for Hormones...
Thankfully, I'm able to find a new doctor who will see me this week, and it happens to be the same practice a good friend uses, so I figure I'm pretty safe there. They can fit me in Thursday evening, and I reschedule the sono for Friday morning.
THEN, when I get to the Doctor's office on Thursday, my insurance comes up as inactive. They've cashed our check 3 weeks ago, so understandably, I'm confused and upset. I call, but customer services says I have to speak to collections, who terminated my policy. Collections is only open from 9am to 4pm. I have to wait and call the next morning. Oh Goody...
The next morning, when I'm thankfully calmer, I finally get ahold of the collections department, and discover that the departments apparently don't speak to each other. They have my check, but because it was more than 5 days late, it went to the address on the bill, and not some other address that should have gotten it. They fixed it, and I call all the related offices to work out getting this stuff worked out.
The sonogram office can't reschedule, but they're very understanding, and as long as the Doctor's office faxes over the office before they close today, we're okay. So, I get the sonogram, then drop a sleeping Timothy off with my friend Emma on my way to the Doctor. The doctor runs 3 hours late, so I spend my entire afternoon in the waiting room, but I'm surprisingly okay. The end is in sight. I come away with the referral faxed, and the pictures in hand.
Sadly, They fell out of my purse at church on Sunday, but know that they were lovely. I'm actually almost 16 weeks along, instead of nearly 14, like we thought, and, they think it's it a girl! We'll know for sure in a month or so when I go back, and then you'll finally get pictures. But know that we have a healthy baby, and possibly a little sister for Timothy. =)

Speaking of whom, it starting to really worry his Mommy these days...

First, on Thursday, I'm sitting on the couch and am surprised to hear a small voice directly UNDERNEATH me! I have no idea how he got under there. Didn't realize he could even fit. He got a little stuck on the way out, but he was very proud of himself. Then, a few minutes later, as I'm still sitting there trying to finish my grocery list, I hear a strange sound over by the door. This is what I found:
He'd upended the end table, dragged it over to the door, and right after this picture, turned around and unlocked all the locks! Help....

Yesterday, he further astounded us with this behavior: Yep, that's a screwdriver in his hand. In the hole for the screws, and turning it the right way... He of course, made an innocent pose and said "Cheese" as soon as he realized I was taking his picture, but still... The kid is only 18 months old! And I'm about to have another one to take care of. I'm gonna have to move the night latch out of reach, and hide all the tools every time I go to nurse the baby... =) He sure is a cutie though, and we're amused by him as much as amazed. But I would appreciate any extreme childproofing tips you have... =)

Uhhhmmm....... Yeah.....

2009-02-06T07:29:00.003-05:00

So,

You ask, gee, why hasn't John posted a blog in a while. I sure do miss reading his thrilling writings. He's the most amazing person I've ever met, etc. etc. etc.

Well, at ease fan club of mine. I'm back. My overdue absence from blogging will be explained momentarily.

Margaret and I have gotten some news recently. We were not telling anyone because this news came as a surprise to us and we weren't exactly prepared to receive it. However, after a trip to the temple last week and another trip to the doctor yesterday we have realized that we need to let others know that we....

ARE HAVING ANOTHER BABY!!!

Yeah. It really had nothing to do with what we felt at the temple as much as we realized this is getting kind of hard to hide anymore. Sometimes the Lord has plans that we didn't realize he had, and this is one of those cases. However, we are really excited to have this new child into our lives.

Yesterday, Margaret had her first midwife appointment and we were able to hear the heart beat along with a couple of well aimed kicks directly at the heart monitor. Because we weren't expecting this, we found out Margaret was pregnant a little later than usual. The baby's due date is August 8. Two days before Timothy turns two. Turns out the flu that she had in December probably wasn't the flu at all.

The lesson here is that you can do all the family planning you want. It doesn't matter. The Lord has plans that are greater than all of our plans.

Belated Update

2009-01-21T08:23:00.013-05:00

Okay, so it's been waay too long since we've updated this thing. But in our defense, we've been pretty busy. I'm just not sure with exactly what...

Actually, I've just had to be really creative with my computer time, as Small Child wants to get on the computer whenever I'm on here, and job applications seem like a more pressing use of my time. That, by the way, is still moving very slowly. So many people are on hiring freezes right now. I knew it was bad, but I guess you never know HOW bad, until it affects you directly. Makes me really feel blessed that we're in the situation we are. It's tight, but we're making it. Of course, if I still don't have a job by the time unemployment runs out, that could will change...

John on the other hand, has been busy working. They're currently in the middle of strike and load-in at work. They have ten days to take one set out, (Which is massive) and install another one.

He had yesterday off, but that was because everyone relies on Metro to get to work, and well, anyone that wasn't heading to the innauguration yesterday generally avoided downtown. The news was reporting that between 4am and 6am, Metro had over 150,000 riders. By 8am, it was at almost half a million. Then were the crazy people who tried to drive (can you say gridlock?), or who took charter buses to get there. The estimates were at about 2 million people, but I wonder if it was more. You couldn't see any green on the mall from the capitol to the Lincoln Memorial, which is almost a 2 mile stretch. Not quite, but it's no small space.

It was exciting to see all the enthusiasm. It's like people are starting to care about the system again.I just hope that they understand that our new president is still human. He's a man with great ideas, but he's still a man. Like every president before him, he's going to make good, and bad decisions. I hope they give him time to try, and understand that change doesn't happen overnight. I hope that his detractors understand the same thing, and don't just wait and hope for him to fall.

Anyway, back to our January: Not much to report other than work and job hunts, but we have had a few highlights. The biggest one for me being spending time with Timothy. It's so much fun to see him grow and learn daily. He talks all the time now. Not that we understand most of it, but that doesn't stop him. He figures out how to tell us what he needs when it's necessary. Or does it himself... =) For instance, the other day, he decided to make his own seat on the couch. Don't know what gave him the idea, but it sure was cute:

He's also decided that he wants to eat apples like a big boy now, and won't eat it sliced.

I'm still searching for the core from Monday, but I think he may have eaten the whole thing....

I've also been having a lot of fun playing with bargain shopping. I've always loved to find a good deal, but last week, I think I had more fun than usual... Every so often, CVS has a great deal, where they give you Extra Bucks for an item that equals what you spent on the item. So, basically, you can go back the next time you're in, and you have a coupon for whatever you spent last time. Last week it was SoyJoy bars. Buy a box for $6, and get $6 ECB. The website also had a coupon for $3 off a CVS brand purchase. With a few of those, and the ECB deal, I managed to get all of this, for about $15:

I was pretty excited about it... =)

Anyway, my computer time seems to be used up for the moment. I have a small child demanding my attention, and he's out of patience. I'll try to make sure we post again soon!

Finally Home

2008-12-28T18:56:00.008-05:00

Yes, Margaret and I are finally home. After being in 8 states in the last 10 days (not including the District of Columbia) we have returned from our weary journey and are currently relaxing while the Cowboys get their butts kicked (sad day).

Thursday night Margaret and I went to Virginia to see a play at Arena Stage called "Next to Normal" it was a rock musical about a woman who is losing it mentally and how she and her family deal with it;. Margaret said it was one of the best musicals she has ever seen (which is saying a lot if you know that Margaret loves musicals). I thought it was really good and the day after we saw it Entertainment Weekly Magazine named it the best play in the US of 2008.

Friday night we packed the car and at 4:00 in the morning on Saturday we got out of bed and left for Michigan half an hour later. Timothy slept until 8:00 and we pulled into Margaret's parent's house in Michigan shortly before 2:00 where we were greeted by a hug from her parents and a 17 foot tall Christmas Tree.

We enjoyed a great time with all of Margaret's extended family and enjoyed Christmas with Santa (that's what the grandkids call Margaret's dad). The most interesting present was that Margaret's brother bought his girlfriend a pet snake for Christmas. She loved it.

Timothy had a blast playing with his Cousin Tabitha and even got to go sledding in the snow.

Margaret and I were given a couple of gift cards for Christmas as well as a gift certificate for one free night at a Bed and Breakfast. The best part of Christmas for me was that Santa got me a stocking that looked like a tool belt.

While we were in Michigan we got to spend a little time (not nearly enough) with Margaret's best friend Mandy and her family.

(Margaret said Mandy would get mad if I put a picture of her in our blog, so I made it a small picture. You're welcome Mandy) We got to go out to eat at Ponderosa's Steakhouse where Timothy thoroughly enjoyed his meal. And Mandy made us an apple pie, which I ate at least half of.

On Friday we got up, took pictures with Margaret's family, packed the car and drove to KY to see my mom, who was visiting my grandparents/aunts uncles and cousins in Louisville. We spent most of the day Saturday bowling with family at the bowling alley where my grandma has worked for the last 11 years. While we were bowling Timothy stood by the ball return watching the balls come back and advising people on which ball to use.

Saturday evening we went to my grandparents house, met with even more extended family and played yahtzee for a solid 3 hours. We got up and left Louisville at 6:30 Sunday and made it home right at 5:00.

It's fair to say we're tired. But it was worth it to be able to spend the Holidays with family.

Christmas Parties and Pictures

2008-12-17T10:10:00.004-05:00

Last Friday was our ward Christmas party, for which I whipped up a HUGE batch of mashed potatoes. Looking at the pan, I figured it would be cheaper to buy a big bag of potatoes than untold boxes of instant potatoes. Plus the real thing is always better. They tasted great, but it took a while. Thankfully I didn't really have anything else planned for that afternoon, and Timothy was very accomodating while I worked. He'd play, then come watch, and go back to playing.

Anyway, the party was great fun. LOTS of food, of which I ate too much, lovely music, and of course, a visit from Santa. Now, last year, We got a picture of Timothy and Calista on Santa's lap, and they were pretty cool with it. Not so much this year....

Oh well, they had fun the rest of the time, and Calista was soon soothed with a candy cane and a cuddle from Mommy. It was also bedtime, so they were kind of tired. The apparently did fine the next night when they tried another Santa.

As for us, the next morning, we slept late (Thanks to Timothy's later bedtime) and then trotted off to the mall to get a family Christmas photo. It turned out pretty well, even if it did take 3 hours....

Turns out that was the high point of my weekend, as I then spent the next three days throwing up and wanting to die. Thankfully it was this weekend, and not next weekend when we head to my parents for Christmas. It's no fun to be sick for the holidays.

Well keep you posted on our fun adventures in cold cold MI, but for now, check out the rest of the fun photos on our flickr page. (Link to the right)

Leftovers

2008-12-13T18:25:00.002-05:00

Okay, this one is for all the guys out there. If you're a woman (especially if you're married) you may want to skip this post, but feel free to read on. Know however that you have been warned.

When we ask what's for dinner honey, the answer is definitely not leftovers. You can answer anything from "chicken" to "I'm not feeling up to making dinner, let's go out", or even "I'm not feeling up to making dinner tonight, would you mind making it?"

However, the answer is in no way shape or form "leftovers". We're good husbands. We take leftovers to work for lunch while all of our coworkers go out and eat delicious greasy burgers right in front of us. We don't complain. We often time eat the same meal three times or more in the same week for lunch.

With the exception of Thanksgiving and Christmas, we do not want to eat the same meal more than once in a week. We don't care if the fridge needs to be cleaned out. If you're that desperate to get rid of food invite the missionaries over for lunch; those guys will eat anything.

I'm not saying that it's your job to make us dinner every night. I actually enjoy cooking and have been known to create delicious dinners. I'm just saying don't put "leftovers" on the meal plan for dinner time.

Christmas Beginnings

2008-12-06T15:31:00.011-05:00

Monday we began our Christmas celebration officially. When John got home, we ate a quick dinner, and headed off to get a Christmas tree.

Timothy was amazed when we entered a whole yard of trees, and approved the second tree we looked it. It was a very nice one, I approved too. Then, we added to the amazement when we tied the tree to the car and headed home. All the way home he kept repeating "Tree" and "Car" as if to make sure we knew what had happened.

However, once we got the tree stand out, his confusion seems to have vanished, and he was all business. He escaped my attempts to get him undressed for a bath, grabbed his hammer, and proceeded to help Daddy put the tree stand together. Then he crawled under the tree to help John tighten it down. I was holding the tree at the point, so I don't have a picture, of that, but here's a good one of the tree stand...

The tree is up, and looks great. It's a little bare at the bottom two feet, but I had to keep moving things up as cats and child wanted to play with all the ornaments. Oh well, such are the joys... =)

In other news, I've been getting creative with leftover turkey, and found this great recipe. Turkey Primavera from Campbells Kitchen. John proclaimed it "restaurant quality" and I'm pretty proud of it myself. I even took a picture. The "Zesty Turkey and Rice" that I made last night from the same site was pretty good too.

Oh, and here's some cute videos just for fun. We have such a polite little boy. He shares, and says thank you... Enjoy!

The Thanksgiving Margaret didn't tell you about...

2008-12-01T08:09:00.003-05:00

So this past weekend was Thanksgiving. Margaret has told you all about our guests, the food we ate, and her other musings. However there is one part she left out.

On Wednesday nights there are a couple of shows on Television that Margaret and I like to watch. This past Wednesday was no exception. However, this past Wednesday Margaret was multi-tasking and preparing the Thanksgiving Turkey as well as making a delicious pumpkin pie. Margaret asked me to let her know when the show was back on as she went in the kitchen to do some of these preparations. So I did as I was asked and Margaret came back into the living room to watch the show with me. About five minutes later Margaret yells "Oh Crap" and runs into the kitchen where she has left the water running in the sink (which she has plugged up to thaw out the Turkey)

Needless to say the kitchen was flooded. Margaret cleaned up and I took pictures :) However, Margaret was so embarressed by this she then deleted the pictures off of the camera. Then this conversation followed

John: Margaret, what'd you do
Meg: Shut up
John: Why did you drown the bird, poor bird
Meg: If you don't shut up I'm gonna flip you the bird

Thanksgiving musings..

2008-11-28T20:59:00.004-05:00

We had a lovely day yesterday. What I would call the perfect Thanksgiving. Good food, good people to be with, and I only had to cook 2 things!

We weren't going anywhere this year, and John wanted to have people over so that we weren't celebrating alone. I was a little nervous as the guest list grew, and I didn't know how we were going to fit everyone, but my fears came to naught (and I had a good excuse to get John to help me deep clean before hand...). We had enough room, and everyone had plenty. The total count came to 10. 8 adults and 2 toddlers. The toddlers didn't eat much. They were too busy fencing with their spoons across the table and hamming it up for everyone else. But the rest of us had plenty, with all kinds of leftovers. I made the stuffed turkey, and my Aunt's sweet potato casserole, and someone else made green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, and gravy. Another person brought delicious yeast rolls, and the pies and home made ice cream were provided by another couple. I think I will definitely do Thanksgiving this way as long as I can get away with it. None of the stress of cooking all morning, just pop stuff in the oven, and relax with the family.

(Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of this event. I completely forgot about the camera until all were gone.)

After the lovely dinner, I had all kinds of help with the clean up, and then the guys watched the football game, and the wives traded stories in the dining room, with the small children running between the two groups (Except then they would decide to watch the game - much to the consternation of the guys, as they would stand DIRECTLY in front of the television) It was a great, relaxing day, and one that I am very grateful for.

I think I needed just such a day right now. It's been a week of ups and downs, as today was my last day at work. I found out a week ago that I would soon be more affected by the unemployment rise than I ever imagined, as I too have been laid off. It's been hard, but in many ways it's a good thing. It has forced me to be honest with myself about a lot of things I've been avoiding.

The last 6 months have been the dying of a dream for me. All my life, all I ever wanted was to be a wife and mother. I wanted to stay home and raise my children. I wanted the American dream. I didn't need the big house, or lots of cars, just a small yard and the freedom to be home with my kids. Most of the major choices in my life have been directed in some way by this dream. I chose my majors in college, and most of my jobs since then, because I never saw it as a long term thing. This was something to do while I was waiting. I acquired knowledge of course, I want to be an intelligent mother to my children. I want to be able to teach them, especially to love learning. But I rarely made a college or career choice with the intent of doing it for any amount of time. I just took what was available. What worked for now.

Recently though, I've had to come to grips with the realization that my dream isn't possible. Maybe someday I'll have that dream, but not anytime soon. Where we live, and need to live for John's career, is expensive. It's not going to be possible for me to stay home with my small children. Not unless I wait until I'm too old to bear them. It hurts me to think of other people raising my children, no matter how much I may trust them, but I need to have that trust. And I need to find a career instead of a job.

This scares me. It scares me a lot. This is not the easy way out, and I, being human, am a bit lazy in this. I like the easy way. Let me save the hard stuff for things that I don't find that hard, like cleaning, cooking and childcare. But unless I start making decisions about a career, and find a job I love, I will spend half my life being miserable, and resent the time that my job takes me away from my children. I don't want to do that. I've spent the last 6 months that way, and it's showed. My job itself wasn't bad. It wasn't great, but it wasn't bad. I've done if for 2 1/2 years. But it's not what I want to do with my life. Not by any stretch of the imagination. It was a job, a means to a paycheck, nothing more. So it's good that I'm gone. When things pick up again, they can hire someone who loves the job, and wants to grow with the company.

As for me, I'm going to be frantically applying for work (now that I'm home a lot, I can really get frantic), but I'm also going to make sure that this time, as much as possible, it's something that I want to do for a long time.

Timothy the Explorer

2008-11-12T22:03:00.006-05:00

(This is Margaret. I'm hijacking the blog for a bit, and so you can tell us apart in the future, I'm going to steal a page from some others in my "clan" and use italics.)

So, lately, I've been reminded of the importance of stopping to smell the roses, or more accurately, the leaves. Timothy is walking almost everywhere now, and everything is so new to him. The leaves, the sticks, the rocks, anything he can pick up, and many things he can't. He surprised me the other day by picking up a leaf and announcing "leaf!" then pointing up and saying "tree!" The way his brain is making the connections astounds me. We'd taught him the words, but I don't remember teaching him the relationship...

He is such a joy. It takes a lot longer to get places, but I don't mind. It's worth it to be a part of such an amazing learning experience. And it's helped me to slow down a little bit and be remember to appreciate the world around me. The leaves, the trees, the squirrels... each miracle of this world that God has blessed us with. It truly is wonderful.

Now that he can walk with confidence, the world is his oyster. He loves to go. Anywhere and everywhere. The playground is the best, but anywhere new is also good. He's a clip of some fun we had this weekend.

He's also become quite the little helper. He helps me give the cats their treats, he hands me the groceries to put away, and he won't let us go upstairs without checking the mail. He knows that's his chore, and is adamant that he get to do it. Now if only we can figure out how to keep that attitude... =) Here's a cute shot of him "helping" with dinner the other night. Enjoy!

The Miracle of Democracy

2008-11-05T20:22:00.003-05:00

Last night all over America, and around the globe, people were glued to their TV sets waiting in anticipation for the various networks to report the election results. Margaret and I had stood in line before work for nearly two and a half hours that morning to cast our ballots. In Virginia 81 percent of registered voters cast a ballot and across America record turnouts were reported.

At 11:00 pm eastern time NBC was the first network to call the election in favor of Obama. A lot was said about what a moment in history that would become. They are right. In a country whose history is not dotted, but rather flooded, with race inequality this truly is a new chapter.

From the Trail of Tears and the pushing the Indians off of their land to the scar on the land that slavery was, to keeping Japanese-Americans in intermittent camps during WWII to the Civil Rights movement, America has always struggled with race relations.

What makes the election of Barrack Obama more spectacular to me is that he is the child of a Mixed Race Couple. An issue which many people struggle with today, and in the fundamentalist church I was raised in was discouraged well into the 1990's. His election truly has given America a chance to redeem some of the ills of the past and to look towards the future.

The most amazing thing about this election to me however is not who was or was not elected. It is the fact that here in America, unlike many nations around the world, we were able to once again see a peaceful transfer of power. The people had voted and the results were in. John McCain gave a speech showing the graceful man that he is. Then there was the victory speech by Barrack Obama, and here in Washington DC that was followed by people celebrating in the streets.

With all of this, and with the hard fought election and the deep emotions had by people who voted for either candidate, there have been no reports of unruly rioting, and will be no attempt at a coup of government. Around the world, it is rare that a change in philosophy and ruling governments goes so peacefully. I believe that even if the election had gone the other way there would have been an understanding by the American people that this was the voice of the majority and that we are government for the people by the people.

It is this, the fact that Americans can put so much feeling and emotion behind their candidate, and understand that in defeat the real miracle is the democracy that always prevails in America, that I am truly grateful for.

Collecting Forks

2008-11-01T13:14:00.003-04:00

Growing up everytime I would ask my mom for something she would look at me and say "Honey, money doesn't grow on trees" (This is a fallacy because money is printed on paper which is made from trees, so technically it does) but whether or not money grows on trees or not, I think Margaret and I have a fork tree.

We have accumulated more forks than you can shake a stick at. I mean really, there's only two of us how many forks do you need. Timothy has his own plastic baby forks that I'm not even counting, but we have a dozen regular forks, a dozen differenty sized forks and like a dozen salad forks. Now you think well that's nice for when you have people over at the holidays and such, but what you don't realize is that when we have people over Margaret breaks out the other forks that match the nice China.

Then on top of that we have accumulated like a thousand plastic forks. We never buy plastic forks they just seem to magically appear. It's like everytime you turn on the dishwasher it creates a plastic fork. (If the dishwasher is going to be creating things I should figure out how to use that to my advantage).

However the sudden rush of plastic forks reminded me of something I may have done back in high school. I can't admit to doing it because my mom reads this blog but I may have had something to do with this

That's called forking a lawn. Similar to tp ing a house but more work and more of a pain in the but for people to clean up.

I don't think I'm going to be forking a lawn anytime soon (especially since halloween passed without it happening) but I really would like to know where the heck all the forks are coming from.

Costume Fun

2008-10-29T23:52:00.001-04:00

So, last night was the Halloween "Trunk-or-Treat" at church. Where all the kids dress up and parade around to cars in the parking lot, where everyone has decorated their trunks with spiderwebs and black lights, the whole deal. I was surprised by how elaborate people got. But this year was my first experience with the whole thing. This year we had an excuse. =)

First there was the general gathering and adult socializing, while the kids ran around and compared costumes. There were some very good ones, and I amazingly don't think I saw any duplicates, except perhaps in the same general category. Timothy's costume was a big hit. All the little kids kept coming up to pet the chicken, or try to steal it, and the "bigger" kids asked me "How is the chicken carrying him?" (Anyone else need clarification? Look closely for small blue shoes sticking out of the bottom of the orange feet)

John, unfortunately was working late, but we got some great video for him, and of course lots of candy. One of the perks of trick-or-treating with a 15-month old: He's not the one eating the candy. =) Timothy had fun walking around and watching the big kids, and even won ""Most Humorous Costume."

Then we all traipsed outside to "knock" on some trunks. It was dark, and Timothy was a little confused, but one we got back inside, and he saw what was in his bucket, boy was he excited!

By the time we got home, we had a very tired boy. He didn't even wake up when we changed his clothes and put him to bed. But he sure was cute. John's hoping to get off early on Friday, and then he can take him Trick-or-Treating at the mall. We'll see. In the meantime, here's some fun videos for you all!