Keeping Up With the Joneses

Eloise Margaret Jones

2011-12-15T15:28:00.002-06:00

Our newest addition to our family is here! Eloise (Ellie) Margaret Jones was born on Monday, December 5 at 12:13 pm. She was 8 lbs. 3 oz. and 20.5 inches long. And she was born 10 days early!! She is such a fabulous baby, and we are all so much in love with her. Here are just a bunch of pictures of her first several days.

The day before I went into labor

Biggest brother Nolan

Big brother Parker

Our 3 beautiful children

Home at last

10 days old

We are so happy to have her in our family. She fits in perfectly and is such a dreamy baby. We love you Ellie!

Nolan Turns 4

2011-12-15T15:09:00.003-06:00

Seeing that there are some big happenings in our family, I thought I better get write a few blog updates. We'll start with Nolan's 4th birthday!

What a fabulous celebration we had! His day started off with birthday pancakes with berries and whipped cream, a birthday crown, and decorations!When you turn 4, you get a ton of really cool presents!

A marble run set

A bow and arrow

And a cool police car

At preschool, Bob the monkey got to sing Happy birthday to Nolan.

And they had a Thanksgiving "farmer" feast!

At home, Nolan had a birthday party with some really great friends.

Of course, the cupcakes were lemon with yellow frosting and yellow sprinkles. Yellow has been Nolan's favorite-favorite color since he was 17 months old!

We had such a great time celebrating, and we are so proud of our 4 year old.

April Fools!

2011-04-07T14:14:00.006-05:00

I seem to have fallen behind a bit on my blogging! We went to Florida in March, but I forgot my camera and I am at the mercy of my sister-in-laws to use their pictures. I haven't gotten any yet (mostly my fault for not asking!). So we'll just skip on to April Fools!

Two of my friends, Kresta and Tara, decided to throw our 5 kids (a newborn doesn't count!) and April Fools day lunch! We ate hot dogs, chips, an apple, peas and carrots, mashed potatoes, drank yummy lemonade, and had a nice flower centerpiece for each kid!

Why are all you moms giggling?

The kids thought it was pretty funny when they discovered that their lunch was not quite right! The hot dogs were really bananas covered in peanut butter with strawberry jam, the chips were replaced by carrot slices, the apples were wormy (gummy worms), peas and carrots and mashed potatoes were really cupcakes, the lemonade was lemon jello, and the flowerpots had mac-n-cheese inside. We sure tricked them!

I am really dorky and love to be silly, so our April Fools day was perfect!

As a side note, Kresta had her beautiful baby boy, Harrison James Schleiffarth. Isn't he cute?

Parker's Birthday Celebration

2011-02-19T19:16:00.004-06:00

We were unable to celebrate Parker's birthday as a family on his actual birthday, so we celebrated today. Happy Birthday Party Parker! Parker LOVES cars. And trucks. And basically all vehicles. For his cake, I made him a car. He loved it!

Vroom! Vroom!

Nolan may have been a little jealous, but was a great sport.
That was just a little too much frosting for Ted and me, so we got a piece out for Nolan and let Parker go crazy!

Do you see the fingerprints on his face?

Afterwards, we needed some serious bath time!

Love the curls

Now the exciting part, presents!

Happy birthday to Parker!

Happy Birthday Parker!

2011-02-15T20:24:00.004-06:00

One year ago, our sweet baby Parker joined our family.We can't believe how quickly the time has passed and we can't imagine life without you.
Parker seems to be all boy. He loves vehicles and says "Errr, errr" (Vroom, vroom) whenever he sees them. He loves his Daddy and shouts "Dada" while pointing enthusiastically when he sees him. Nolan or "Nah-Nan" is his best buddy. He can say Mama, but it is usually in a sad, please do something for me, voice. He loves animals and makes the same sound for all animals, but dogs get an enthusiastic panting sound, too. He loves playing, reading books (he has to do the reading, not Mom), eating, balls, and laughing. He has started cruising tentatively around our furniture, and I am sure those first steps will be happening sooner than I can imagine.
Poor Parker actually has been pretty sick the last few days with a really high fever (almost 105) and just feeling miserable. Although he has had a few ear infections, this was his first fever. We still managed to have a little fun celebrating the day.

For breakfast today, Parker had waffles, strawberries and bananas. He was a little too sick to enjoy, but it looked yummy!He had 2 great naps today, so for dinner we decided to venture out to our new Chick-fil-A with our great friends Jackson and Addie. (Their parents came too, but seeing that Kresta is 4 weeks from delivering, she wouldn't let me get their picture.) Poor Ted had to work all day, then have class all night. He didn't even get to see Parker awake on his birthday.

Birthday Cupcake!

Our celebrating crew

My mom is a very talented woman. For each of her grandchildren's first birthday, she makes them a quilt. This is Parker's:

He has it in his crib and has honestly fallen asleep more easily and quickly since he got it. It is beautiful. Thanks Grammy!

Happy birthday dearest Parker.

Christmas 2010

2011-01-05T09:53:00.012-06:00

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays for 2010!

Parker's favorite place to play

For Christmas this year, Ted and I were able to take the boys to Minnesota for 10 days of fun, family, food, and relaxation! My parents live in a log cabin house in the Superior National Forest of northern Minnesota, about an hour from Canada. It is truly a perfect setting for Christmas.

I come from a large family of 5 kids. Only one sibling still lives in Minnesota, but we were all able to be together this year! Melissa lives in Colorado with her husband, Brian, and 4 kids, Connor 7, Isabel 5, Lucas 3, and Mason 6 months. Lara lives in Minnesota with her husband and 3 kids, Ben almost 7, Grace 5, and Emma 2. JJ is going to Law School in Vermont, and Nate lives with his wife Alli and goes to Law School in Colorado.

My mom spends much time planning, decorating, and shopping before we all come. One of her fun activities was cookie decorating with grandkids.

Another fun activity that we spent HOURS doing was just playing outside in the snow. After playing, running, and sledding for at least 2 hours, Nolan was cold and REALLY tired and proclaimed, "I don't like winter." So funny.

Parker and Papa by the fire
Like his feet?

We all went sledding at the golf course in town Christmas Eve day.

Nolan and TedOur Family

JJ pulling the kids

My family's tradition is to open presents from family on Christmas Eve. Then Santa brings a big present and fills the stockings at night. This was our Christmas Eve celebration!

One special event that we had was a baby shower for my Aunt Meg. She struggles with many health problems, including Lupus. After wanting a child for years, they were finally able to find a surrogate and will be welcoming a little boy in March. We are so happy for you Mike and Meg!

The family at the shower

Meg is first row, second from the right

Most of the adults in my family, minus me.

All 9 grandchildren

With Grandma and Grandpa

Grace feeding Parker

The babies of the bunch-Parker and Mason

The sauna was a favorite hide out

Nolan and Lucas getting Papa

One of our last days there, we had a big snowstorm! 8 more inches on top of the 50 they already had! Yipee for Nolan! (And he said he didn't like winter.)

Out-shoveling Papa

Building a snow fort with Daddy

Jumping in the snow

We had a fabulous time and miss everyone so much already. Some of the pictures are from my sister Melissa's blog. Check it out for more pictures! Thanks again Melissa!

When we got back to St. Louis, Nolan had a new milestone also. His first day of Primary at church!

We hope everyone had a wonderful Holiday season!

10 Months Old

2010-12-17T16:21:00.004-06:00

Our sweet Parker is 10 months old! Here is a photo shoot that Nolan took of Parker on his 1o month birthday.

Parker continues to be such a fun kid. He loves laughing and will play for hours. He has finally had a tooth break through the gums, but I think it may have gone back down for now. At least we know they are there! Last night he even started crawling. He saw a reflection of himself and zoomed towards it with no hesitation. And he hasn't stopped since!

Some of his favorite things are: cars, cabinets, music, dancing, being tickled, feeding himself, drinking from a cup or sippy cup, books, and now exploring new territory. He truly is a joy for our family.

Happy 3rd Birthday!

2010-11-23T15:02:00.006-06:00

What fabulous celebrations we have had so far! You only turn 3 once, so we went all out.

Saturday, we spent the afternoon at the St. Louis Zoo. We love this zoo and go there often. Nolan was given several options to choose from for his family celebration day. Chuck E. Cheese, The Magic House, The Museum of Transportation, bowling, mini-golf, hiking, and a few others. He choose the zoo so he and Parker could ride the train together!

That evening, we had a pizza and chocolate milkshake picnic downstairs watching a Scooby Doo movie. Such fun!

For his real birthday, we celebrated all day long! He actually woke up at 5:00am. I had put streamers up in the living room and kitchen and he walked in and said, "This is soooo beautiful!" I was glad he enjoyed it!

For breakfast I wanted to make pancakes, but opted for oatmeal instead. I still topped it with strawberries and "bubble cream" (whipped cream). He was excited but didn't think it tasted like his usual oatmeal. Oh well. I tried! He did drink all of his hot chocolate, though!

We had a couple of friends over for the morning to help us celebrate. The kids from our playgroup where there, as well as our 2 neighbor girls across the street. What fun!

Nolan requested yellow cupcakes with yellow frosting and sprinkles. Can you guess his favorite color? (Since he was 17 months old!)

We had our great friends the Schleiffarths over for dinner. Nolan had his favorite food, Taquitos, but mostly just because he LOVES chips, salsa, sour cream and guacamole! And of course more cupcakes and ice cream!(The super cool Super Nolan shirt is a gift from my friend Ashley. She has her own Etsy shop, Bushel and a Peck. Check her out!)

Then we got to open some pretty cool presents!

Janga Fett

Janga Fett and Darth Vader

($40 and $20 costumes, I scored them for

$4 and $2 after Halloween!!!)

Nolan had a wonderful birthday. Thank you to all the phone calls, facebook comments, and thoughts on his special day. We love you Nolan!

9 Months Old

2010-11-19T14:19:00.004-06:00

I am a little behind, but Parker turned 9 months on Monday!

Don't you love that still-toothless drool?

Parker went for his 9 month check-up, and he is doing great! He weighs 21 lbs. which is the 67th percentile, and he is a whopping 30 inches long, which is the 94th percentile! Huge boy!

Some of his favorite things are feeding himself, songs, growling with Nolan, playing with toys, drinking water out of a cup, and trying to crawl. He gets up on all fours and rocks, but no forward momentum yet. I kinda like that he basically stays where I put him still! He also signs more and all done when he is eating.
Nolan was being quite the photographer, and took some pictures and videos of random things around the basement. So funny!

Down for the Count

2010-11-12T14:08:00.006-06:00

We have been pretty sick in our house this last week. Nolan spiked a 105.9 degree temperature and we brought him into the ER. Poor kid has pneumonia! He was put on an antibiotic and we thought all would be well. The day after finishing his medicine, he got a low fever again, so back to the doctor we went. The pneumonia was worse and his medicine wasn't strong enough. Now he is on new medicine and hopefully will be better soon. Parker also got his first ear infection, and it was a double! Poor little guy. He is on medicine and is feeling a little bit better. Sick boys are not fun!

Although he was really sick, Nolan did something super creative at breakfast. He took a few bites of his toast and said, "It looks like the number 3!" It sure did. The he found a 1 in his crust. He had to think about the number 2 for a little while, but decided if he took a couple of bites, he could make a number 2 also! The 3 is backwards, but this is what he made.

He wanted to have 4 and 5 but he decided they were mostly eaten. What a funny kid!

It seems like forever since we have been out of the house, but we took some fun pictures while we've been stuck here.

The Nolan ScowlBrothers are the best of friendsGetting so big

We have a recheck at the doctor's office on Wednesday, and we are hoping that we can then again venture out of this house. Luckily the weather is in the 70s today so my windows are wide open, trying to get the sickness out of our home!

Halloween 2010

2010-10-31T20:14:00.010-05:00

Happy Halloween!

We had a fabulous weekend celebrating! Friday was a Halloween party at my friend Kresta's house. The kids dressed up and had a blast! Doughnuts on a string
Super Nolan

Lunch

On Saturday, Ted and I took the boys to a pumpkin patch to pick out a pumpkin.

I have to mention that Ted had been growing out his facial hair for all of October. His work was having a "Man Up for Alzhiemers" fundraiser. Monday is Mustache Day. Ted decided to shave his beard Friday and have a mustache all weekend. Not my favorite!

Nolan didn't really care about the pumpkins, he just wanted to play!

Hayride

Seaweed the Serpent

Parker enjoyed watching his big brother, but got too tired out!

On Halloween, we had beautiful weather! Mid 60s and very sunny! So we played outside in the leaves.

These pictures are true Nolan

Our good friends Jim, Kresta, Jackson and Addie came over to help us celebrate!

We carved pumpkins,

ate dinner, and made spider cookies Ted's parents and sister came to see the boys in their costumes

The start of the sugar rush!

Finally, we dressed up and went Trick-or-Treating

Super Parker, too!

Luigi, Super Nolan, Super Parker and a pumpkin

Parker went Trick-or-Treating, too!

Happy Halloween!

Grandpa O'Neill

2010-10-28T13:51:00.005-05:00

My grandfather passed away on Tuesday, October 19, 2010. He was 86 years old and married to my grandmother for nearly 62 years. He had 5 children, 20 grandchildren with one on the way, and 17 great-grandchildren with 3 on the way. He loved people, talking to people, his family, and his faith. He was a wonderful man and will be greatly missed.

A painting my grandmother did of him

We were able to attend his touching service in Duluth, Minnesota and Superior, Wisconsin.

My family that were able to be there16 of the 20 grandchildren

Great-grandma with 13 of the 17 great-grandchildren

Duluth is a major port for all the Great Lakes. Canal Park is one of our favorite places to visit while there. My family was able to spend a nice afternoon together.

A big iron ore ship came in-

My parents actually rode this for a week!
Nolan and Uncle JJ

Parker and Grammy

The 7 of us

It was a jam-packed, family-filled weekend. I was so grateful that I could be there to honor and remember my grandfather. I love you, Grandap.

8 Months and the Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-15T15:06:00.003-05:00

Parker is 8 months old today! He loves feeding himself, laughing, being tickled, snuggling, jumping in his bouncer, and imitating any vocal sound he hears. To celebrate 8 months and the beautiful weather we are having, we went to a pumpkin patch with Kresta and her kids, Jackson and Addie.

How do people with more children get a picture where everyone looks good? Is that what photoshop is really for?

Or, how do you get all the kids to stick their heads in the hole at the same time? Impossible???

We did have a great time at the pumpkin patch. They had a huge playground, a corn maze, a haunted house, farm animals, and a big field of pumpkins.

Pretty soon these stroller shots will no longer be possible. I am not in a hurry for crawling.

Running through the pumpkin patch may have been the most fun of all!

What a gorgeous day! Happy 8 months Parker!

Chicago

2010-10-04T14:20:00.007-05:00

Ted's cousin was married in Chicago this past weekend, so we took a trip! It was fabulous!
We stayed at the beautiful Internation Trump Tower.Saturday morning we woke up and decided to walk to the Shedd Aquarium. It was 55 degrees and rainy, but we didn't mind. The boys were well-covered!We stopped at Millenium Park and the famous Bean.

We also climbed some trees.

When we got to the aquarium, the line was too long, but we got this great picture!

And decided to go to The Field Museum.

After the museum, we needed to get back to the hotel to get ready for the big night. Miss Caren came to babysit Nolan and Parker. She was amazing!

Ted and I were all dressed up and ready to go.

Congratulations to Berkley and Bob! What a beautiful wedding!

Sunday morning we just hung around our hotel and then drove home. You may wonder why there are no pictures of Parker, but he slept the whole walk to the museum and during the entire visit to the museum. Poor little guy. I have no proof of him being there! But he was, and he was cute. We did have a great time and Ted fell in love with Chicago. We are already planning another trip back!

Graham Cave State Park

2010-09-19T21:32:00.004-05:00

The weather has been cooler, Parker is getting older, and it was supposed to be a nice weekend, so we decided to go on our first family camping outing. The forecast said sunny and mid to upper 80s both days. Saturday night was clear with a low of 62. 10% chance for precipitaion. Great for camping! We packed (and packed, and packed) everything up and away we went!
Ted really wanted to get a tent that we could grow into, one that was very water proof, and an easy to set-up and take-down one as well. After much researching, here it is.

Several of the reviews mentioned how it held up well in strong, severe thunderstorms. I thought people had to be crazy to actually go camping if there were thunderstorms forecasted. I mean, seriously, who does that? We checked and double checked the forecast and knew we were safe. But at least they tested it for us and we could be assured that we would stay dry in any light rain we might encounter.

Saturday afternoon got REALLY hot. This was what we did to keep Parker happy:

(That is a battery operated tent fan. Note the drool-teeth are moments away from erupting...hopefully!)

Nolan was happy playing with his cars. I guess Ted was right, a large tent kept these boys happy!

When it finally started cooling off, we went for a hike. 0.3 miles of a paved trail up from a parking lot counts, right? We planned on doing a much longer hike in the morning.

Graham Cave

After the hike and a romp on the playground, we came home for dinner. Hot dogs and marshmallows cooked over the open fire!

After all that crazy playing we were getting really tired and ready for bed.

As we were setting up beds, the ranger came around and told us we were under a severe thunderstorm watch until 10:00 pm. Hmmm. Must be an isolated storm cell. The lightning started shortly after. And continued ALL NIGHT LONG! We had at least 5 waves of crazy strong storms. The thunder was so loud and it looked like daylight with the amount of lightning! We had Ted's cell phone with sketchy internet, so we watched the radar while deciding what to do. We decided to ride it out, but woke up several times throughout the night to recheck the radar. Amazingly enough, the boys slept through the entire night. I have no idea how they managed it. The tent was a success in that we stayed almost completely dry.

At about 7:00 in the morning, we decided it was time to go home. Ted pulled the car right up to the tent and he loaded everything up. After we got the boys in, Ted collapsed the tent, rolled it up, and strapped it to the roof of our car. Another success with the ease of taking down the tent in the pouring rain!

I now realized that I was way too quick to judge those poor souls who reviewed our tent. Now my wrath is upon the weatherman. Really, how do you miss 12 hours of storms???

Although we had some bad weather and we spent hours getting ready for our very short camping trip, all in all we consider it a success. We are already planning the next trip! Any suggestions?

Happenings

2010-09-16T15:12:00.008-05:00

I love fall time. Especially since I don't go back to work as a teacher each fall. It gives me time to feel grateful again for staying home with Nolan and Parker.

Nolan is very ready for playmates. We thought about sending him to preschool this year, but then he would have 3 years at the same place. Instead, we are doing a mom co-op with 3 other great families. It is every Thursday from 9:30-12:30. Nolan calls it preschool, he has a backpack and brings a lunch, and they do a letter of the day. Most of it, though, is structured for social learning and exploring. He loves it!

First Day of School

He HAD to wear Darth Vader and his Lightning McQueen socks

The kids at lunch

We have also been busy trying to find other ways to keep Nolan busy. My sister Lara gave us this great sand table that her kids no longer used. We love it!

Aside from outside activities, we staying busy inside, as well. We made a bean bucket (Thanks Wendy!) with dried beans, a large rubbermaid under-the-bed storage container, and a construction truck set. Voila-an inside sandbox! Nifty. We also got a train/car table to keep us occupied. Hooray for independent playing!

In other news, Parker grows better-to-play with everyday. Nolan has begun body slamming him with hugs and kisses. Parker just laughs. Who knew they were so squishy? Nolan can't wait for him to crawl around. I can wait.

Bath time is so much more fun with a little buddy.

Nolan and his favorite Buzz Lightyear pajamas and his superhero cape.

As our summer progressed, so did Nolan's swimming ability. I was pretty impressed with the latest achievement.

We are looking into swimming lessons, but the YMCA won't take kids under 3 unless it is to learn how to blow bubbles with Mom there. I think we might be past that. We'll wait until he is 3.

Parker is 7 Months Old

2010-09-16T15:07:00.002-05:00

Our Sweet Parker is 7 months old!

What a fun kid he is becoming! He loves to play with toys, sit, jump in his jumperoo, go for walks, go to football games (Rams, unfortunately), and laugh like crazy. He makes our family so much better. We love you Parker!

Minnesota Part 4: Camping

2010-09-01T14:23:00.011-05:00

Our final 4 days in Minnesota were spent in my parent's wonderful new camper at Bear Head Lake State Park by Ely, Minnesota. It was gorgeous! Nolan and Papa spent most of the time throwing rocks in the water together.

"I'm gonna get your favorite rock!"

"Where'd it go?"

Nolan needed a picture of his rock in the water

A common view:
The back of Nolan

Playing at the campsite

Nolan's special fort

Parker's spot

"Ladies and Gentlemen, Ta-da!"

The beach with cousins

Pizza dinner at Sir G's in Ely

Night at the campfire

Plenty of dancing!

After all the pizza and S'mores, my Mom and sister Lara figured out how to work it all off.

We love you Minnesota and we can't wait to come back soon!

Minnesota Part 3: Duluth

2010-08-30T15:12:00.004-05:00

On Tuesday, my Mom and I took the boys down to Duluth. We visited with family (see Minnesota Part 2) and then met up with Lara and her family at the Great Lakes Aquarium. What a neat place!

Watching ships in the harborParker had many stroller shots
The Aquarium

This was the kids' favorite part of the aquarium. It was a model of the Great Lakes waterways, the locks, and the rivers that lead out to the Atlantic Ocean. There were small boats to float from the Duluth Harbor all the way to the ocean. The locks actually worked, too!

After the aquarium, my mom and I took the boys to my favorite spot in Duluth, Canal Park.

Nolan LOVED the lift bridge. We were lucky enough to watch a 1000 foot ore boat come through the canal, under the bridge, and out past the pier we were standing on. Nolan was enthralled.

What a great day!

Minnesota Part 2: Family

2010-08-30T14:40:00.004-05:00

One of the reasons that this Minnesota trip was so important was visiting with my Grandfather. He was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and recently experienced some major medical problems. We are not sure how much longer we have with this great man, and I was so grateful I had a chance to see him.

Ben, Nolan, Great-Grandpa O'Neill, Emma, Parker and Grace

I was also fortunate to visit some other relatives while there.

My Grandma O'Neill

Meaghan and Aunt TeriJenae, Uncle Steve, Justyna, Trevor and Aunt Geri

It was very sad to say goodbye to everyone, but especially my grandfather. One of the things I remember most about him is how he was always singing. Since his recent medical setbacks, he hasn't been able to communicate very easily. While visiting him, I asked him if he remembered a song he used to sing, "Arizona". He smiled and nodded, so I started singing it to him. He actually sang the song with me.

Arizona, how do you do?

Arizona, glad to see you.

I love your sunshine,

honest I do.

That's why you see me, smiling at you.

You're the pride of

Old Mother Earth

and nothing can compare with you.

I love your desert trees

and your cactus leaves.

Arizona,

I'm wild about you.

I love you Grandpa.

Minnesota Part 1

2010-08-30T14:19:00.007-05:00

Nolan, Parker and I spent all of last week in beautiful Minnesota with my parents. We stayed at their house in the woods.

and played, played, and played.We hung out with some great cousins, too!

Seeing that we were in my home state, Parker had to represent. Go Gophers!

While Nolan played, ran, played, and did some more running, Parker melted everyone's heart.

We had a great time!

6 Months

2010-08-15T15:42:00.004-05:00

Our sweet Parker is 6 months old today! We went to the doctor for his 6 week check-up on Thursday. He is healthy and growing very well! He weighs 18lbs. 13oz which is the 75% and is 27 3/4 inches long, which is 90%. What a big boy!

I am really loving everything about Parker these days. He loves to laugh, especially at Nolan. He enjoys his exersaucer, the bouncy seat, and just rolling around on the floor. He has recently been able to sit up on his own. He loves grabbing toys and "playing" while sitting. He likes eating, but loves vegetables much more than fruits. He is happy to go anywhere as long as he can see people and nap when he needs it. He sleeps really well at night and is a pretty good napper, too. We just really enjoy being with him and are so grateful for his easy-going, happy personality.

Everyday we are enjoying the brother thing more and more. Nolan is DYING for a playmate, and Parker can't grow fast enough for him. Parker loves watching Nolan play and will crack up whenever he sees him. Sometimes Nolan really thinks Parker is bigger that 6 months and tries to "get" him. I truly don't think he means to make Parker cry. Right?

I am not much of a photographer, but I love the comparison in size between these guys. Also, notice Parker's really cute birthmark.

Now if you ask how old Parker is, we can say a half!

Family visits

2010-08-14T14:44:00.006-05:00

This past week we were fortunate to have some of my family come and stay with us in hot, humid St. Louis. My brother JJ is in law school at Vermont Law School. He had a summer internship in Washington DC and a fall internship in Denver, CO. St. Louis happened to be a half-way point, so he stayed with us for 5 days. He was pretty busy finishing up some things for school and his internship, so I think he saw more of Borders than of us, but we were happy with whatever we could get!

My sister Lara and her 3 kids also came down to visit us and see JJ. The kids are Ben, 6 1/2, Grace, almost 5 and Emma, 2. What a blast we had together. My favorite part was how well the kids played together. Nolan keeps asking for Ben and Grace and wondering when we can see them.

We were pretty busy each day, but knowing me, I of course only got a few pictures.

Emma, Nolan and Ben

Grace and Parker
Ben, Nolan and Emma

The first day we went to the Whittle Train Store in Valley Park. The second day we went to the Kirkwood park, played in the sprinklers, and watched the ducks by the lake. That evening we took the kids swimming at Ted's parents. Grace even learned to swim without her life jacket!

On Saturday we all (including JJ!) got up early and went to the zoo. During the first hour, you can do some of the things that cost money for free. We did the sting ray exhibit.

It started getting pretty warm, so Lara and I took Emma and Parker home while JJ and Ted kept the 3 big kids to have lunch and ride the train. They loved it!

That afternoon, Lara and I did a little sisterly shopping. You can't have a sister trip without including a little shopping! We left our sweet, kind, clean kids with JJ and Ted. This is what happened while we were gone:

Mud baths! They told us over the phone, and Lara and I were dreading coming home to clean it all up. We really underestimated those guys. We got home to thoroughly rinsed off, dressed nicely, and ready to go kids. Thanks guys! We then took JJ to Super Smokers for his birthday dinner. The kids loved it, but no one more than Grace. She at 3 1/2 chicken legs! Go Gracie! Then we all went out for Tropical Moose. Monkey Snot was deemed the best!

With Uncle JJ

JJ had to leave Sunday morning. It was hard to say goodbye. We loved having you!

Sunday was church and then we had dinner and swimming with Ted's parents again. Nolan can now jump off the side of the pool (over his head) and swim to me in the middle. Without floaties or anything. What a super star!

Monday we spent at the Magic House. What a great place to go and explore!

Soon enough sweet ParkerPlaying checkers with random girls

Trying to be inside a bubble

Due to the health of our Grandfather, Lara and the kids had to cut their trip short. We swam at the Kirkwood pool Tuesday morning, and they left shortly after. We loved having you guys here and can't wait to see you in Minnesota soon!

Friends and Swimming

2010-07-27T15:42:00.006-05:00

We were so lucky to have my amazing friend Lisa and her family come visit us for a night from St. Paul, Minnesota. Lisa and I taught together at Murray Jr. High in St. Paul for 3 years. We even team taught a math-English class for 2 of those years. She is an inspiring person, and I am so grateful to count her as one of my closest friends.
Although they were only with us for 22 hours, we packed in the good times. The kids played wonderfully together. Lisa has 2 children; Max is 6 1/2 and Elly is 4 1/2. They had fun with Nolan's toys and LOVED cuddling Parker. I wish I had taken more pictures, but we were just having too much fun. Then we all went swimming at our neighborhood pool.

That night, Lisa and I were able to go to the Muny to see The Sound of Music. It was so great to have them here and I hope to see them in August when we go up to Minnesota.

Talking about swimming, we have been doing A LOT of that around here lately. Nolan thinks he is the expert swimmer. He can jump in and swim Ted's parent's entire pool with his arm floaties, swim in lakes with his life jacket, and splash like crazy in the Kirkwood pool. His favorite may be Ted's Grandmother's pool. It is about 2 1/2 feet deep and 8 feet across. Perfect for him! He puts his head underwater and actually swims a little bit. Way to go Nolan!

Nolan and Parker have been "playing" much more lately, too. This morning they were rolling around in unison. Parker can flip any which way and Nolan loves keeping up with him. Synchronized rolling? Maybe the new olympic sport!

Maine 2010

2010-07-19T15:24:00.005-05:00

Last week we took a great vacation to the beautiful state of Maine. Ted's mom was born and raised outside of Augusta. She still has all her family living there. We left Thursday, July 8th and drove through the night and got to camp 25 hours later on Friday. What a haul! The boys did wonderfully.

Most of the time was spent on the boat, in the water, or lounging around. I ate 2 whole lobsters, lobster bisque, and a lobster roll. Fresh Maine lobster is so delicious! But the best time was when we were with the many relatives in Maine. I of course didn't get as many pictures as I'd have liked. I need one of my many talented photographer friends to follow me around to document for me. I had my hands too full (of lobster?) is my excuse!

Parker meeting his Great Nana 4 generations
Nolan's best buddy, Abbie

We snuggled together as often as possible

A great nap on the lake

View from the dock

The Joneses' Camp

One day, Ted and I took the boys down to the ocean. To get to open ocean is at least a 2 hour drive each way, so we went to an inlet that had ocean water. We called it the ocean. Nolan was happy.

Cold water

Digging in the sand

A great nap

(on his 5 month birthday!)

My boys

As I mentioned earlier, Ted has a ton of family that live in Maine or Massachusets. What wonderful, kind, loving, fun people they are! I didn't get good pictures of everyone, but I can offer a small sampling. Just so you know, there are 2 grandparents, 4 aunts, 4 uncles, and 14 cousins. That excludes Ted's family of 2 parents, 3 sisters, Ted, me, Nolan and Parker. What a great bunch!

Maggie and Addison (in order) with Parker

(Identical twins!)

Abbie, Livie, Riley and Whitney

Nolan and his buddy Nickolas at Nickolas'

3rd birthday party!

Ted caught his first fish in Maine on a river by their camp. Ted and his dad took Nolan to that same spot where he proceeded to catch his first fish as well!

Look how big

There isn't a bathtub at the camp in Maine, so the kitchen sink has been the sight for many Jones kids' baths. What history!

Parker loving the bath

Cute Chubbs

This was Nolan in that sink at 9 months oldNolan nowThank you to everyone there for making our trip memorable. We loved every minute! We can't wait to come back again.

Around the 4th

2010-07-19T15:10:00.003-05:00

Just a few random pictures I meant to post before our trip, but of course didn't.

Lovin' each other

Nolan dressed up as a knight

(face mask, helmet, sword and shield)

Pretty creative little mind

Best Buddies in their fort

What we do instead of napping
Heartbreaker

Loving the new exersaucer

4th of July Celebrations

Perfect Lemon Cake

At the Parade
Josie on her Float

Great seats!

First Bites

2010-06-18T09:05:00.003-05:00

Parker had his first bites of cereal yesterday. He has been "sitting" at the table with the rest of us during meals, and he finally got to actively participate. Although it was so brand new yesterday, he actually did quite well this morning with eating. He opened his mouth for the spoon and swallowed a good amount, too.

Somehow I can't get the video up, but I can try later.

Nolan was very interested

First of many messy faces

Messy faces run in the family

I also got to have an adventure yesterday! I had my hair cut in April '09, December '09, and then nothing. You can imagine the disaster that was my hair. It was easy to put it in a ponytail everyday and forget about it. But, really, you can only feel so blah and unattractive for just so long. So, on a whim, I called our nearby salon and got an appointment at 8:00 last night. What a blast! The lady tood and hour and 45 minutes to massage, wash, cut and style my hair. It ended up shorter than I had planned, but hair always grows back. What do you think?

It is a high of 95 today, and at 10:00 it is already 90. We are headed to the pool to cool down. Have a great day!

4 Months

2010-06-16T15:41:00.002-05:00

My how big we've grown! Parker was 4 months old yesterday! We went to the doctor for his check-up today. What a perfect, healthy little boy. His weight is 16lbs. 4oz. (75%) and is 26 inches long (86%). He has grown 4 inches and nearly doubled his birthweight! We will be starting cereal tomorrow! What a great guy!

He is really starting to be a fun little guy. He rolled for the first time today, loves holding toys and snuggling with his giraffe, laughs, talks, and smiles all day long. He is such a joy to have in our family.

Happy 4 months!

Blessings Galore

2010-06-14T08:49:00.008-05:00

We had a wonderful weekend. My brother Nate and his wife Alli came to visit! They were the first in my family besides my parents to get to meet Parker. We had a fabulous time. They arrived late Friday night and had to leave early Monday morning, but we packed in the good times.

Nate meeting Parker

The weather was really hot this weekend, so we tried to make the most of it. Saturday morning we went downtown. We visit City Garden again, and everyone had a blast. I think Nolan enjoyed it the most, though.

Then we went down to the river. The Mississippi was really high from all the rain we've been getting.

For the afternoon we stayed home and watched US vs. England in the World Cup. I think we all had a nap except, of course, Nolan.

Parker-like the outfit? Go Gophers!

Nate loves barbeque food. Seeing that St. Louis is known for barbeque, we decided to indulge Saturday night. Funny enough, Ted and I weren't sure where to go. After some good emailing and facebook suggestions, we heard that Pappy's Smokehouse is the only place to eat. But they were already sold out of chicken. So we went to The Plush Pig instead. Nate was satisified, the food was good, and they had a guy playing old-fashioned piano music that made Nolan dance. It wasn't Pappy's, but it was still good.

Sunday was Parker's baby blessing at church. That was the reason Nate and Alli came down to be with us and so Nate could do the blessing. Ted's entire family and his Grandmother were able to join us at church and for a brunch afterwards. It was a beautiful blessing and we are so glad to have had so much family with us for Parker's special day. My talented Mom made Parker's blessing outfit. Thanks Mom!

Nate and Alli with the boys

Wada and Nonna

Four generations

The Joneses

Janny, Josie, Steve, Jody, Parker, Hope, Ted, Nolan, Kristina and Jody

The Downings

We had a great weekend. Nate and Alli kicked our butts in Smear (a Minnesota card game), but we let them do that so they would want to come back and visit! We are sad it went too fast, but so grateful for the wonderful families we are a part of. Thanks everyone for thinking of us or being with us.

Surgery

2010-06-05T20:12:00.003-05:00

We had quite a big even in our home this past week. Nolan had surgery. He has had 7 ear infections in 5 months, and the doctor said it was time to do something about it. On Tuesday, he had tubes put in his ears and his adenoid removed. Did you know there is only one? It is mistakenly called adenoids all the time. Anyways, we are really hoping it helps, but man, was he miserable. He is feeling much better now.

Other things have been happening around our home. Summer has hit with full force and we are doing our best to enjoy it. Sprinklers, pools, parks, and popsicles have been a constant in our days. I may even brave Tot Time at our community pool.

My great friend Kresta has two kids that Nolan loves playing with. We spend lots of time with them, and they LOVE Parker. And better yet, he loves them. They took turns holding him for about 20 minutes the other day. Parker just talked and smiled the whole time. So sweet.

Jackson, Addie and Parker

Downtown St. Louis has this great new park called City Garden. It is a summer paradise! Fountains, wading pools, waterfalls, and statues that the kids can play in. So much fun!

In other super exciting news, my sister Melissa had a new baby yesterday! Mason Henry Howell joins his big siblings Connor, Isabel and Lucas. Congrats Melissa, and welcome to the family Mason!

One of Ted's aunts posted this picture on facebook and I had to share it. It is Ted sitting on his great-grandmother's lap when he was about 4 or so. I think he looks EXACTLY like Nolan. I did give birth to him, but it does not seem that I contributed to his looks at all. Genetics is so interesting.

3 Months Old

2010-05-15T20:02:00.002-05:00

Our little Parker is 3 months old today! My, how time flies. He has gotten so big. He smiles, coos, holds toys, and starting today, he laughs! We are loving this little sweet boy.

Parker's first laughs.

Mother's Day

2010-05-09T17:11:00.005-05:00

Why I love being a mom.

Happy Mother's Day!

2 Months and Other Fun Stuff

2010-04-30T16:21:00.003-05:00

Parker turned 2 months on April 15th. We went to the doctor for the mandatory check-up, complete with shots. He has been growing very well! He was 23.5 inches long (75%) and 11 lbs. 7 oz. (45%). He is smiling, cooing, and trying to grab everything. If he has it in his hand, he gets it in his mouth! We have been having a great time as a family.

Nolan really loves his brother
2 months old

Nolan has some great news, too! He is potty trained! Well, mostly. Since Parker has made his grand entrance, Nolan has been having some temper tantrums and power struggles. Most of the time he is accident free, but there are always a few accidents and on purposes. I will say that it is quite nice to be changing less diapers and Nolan is so proud of himself! Although Nolan may be acting up, he has not shown anything but love towards Parker. He takes it all out on Ted and me. Well get through it. :) We love you Nolan!

Other fun stuff in the Jones household includes:

No more naps=Tired little boy My 31st birthday present-

a new double stroller!

Nolan's new outside toy

I was upstairs making dinner and Nolan was playing downstairs, fully clothed. He runs upstairs yelling, "I'm going fishing!" The only thing missing is rolled up pants!

Easter

2010-04-30T15:44:00.004-05:00

This may be a little late, but we had a wonderful Easter this year. We went to our friends Jim and Kresta's house for a brunch and General Conference (an LDS church broadcast). Afterwards, we went to Ted's parents for and egg hunt and delicious dinner. Happy Easter!

Busy

2010-04-03T15:04:00.007-05:00

We have been pretty busy in the Jones household. These 2 boys are keeping us on our toes, but we are enjoying every minute of it. Parker has started smiling and cooing all the time, which makes Nolan laugh like crazy. Nolan is forever trying to get Parker to look at him and does so by making funny faces, using silly voices, and just giggling. I can't wait for Parker to really respond to him.

For all of you family far away, I just wanted to get a bunch of Parker pictures so you could get an idea of just how cute he is.

My boys

Our family

Just another thank you to Grammy and Papa for spending so much time with us. We miss you guys!

Nolan has been keeping pretty busy also. This was our animal water park that was quite messy but kept him interested for over an hour before I had to end it.

Nolan and Daddy

First ride of the year

After this, I am hoping to take more pictures and be better at posting them. I love this crazy life!

More Pictures

2010-02-25T13:59:00.004-06:00

We have been having so much fun with our new little member of the family. Parker is fitting right in and has been such a good baby. Aside from our little ER visit... He had an uncomfortable night of crying and pooping that brought us to the ER to be sure that everything was fine. It was. He is doing great!

My parents have been here since Sunday and are staying for another week! It is wonderful to have Grammy and Papa helping out. Nolan has especially been the beneficiary of all the love and attention they have to give. And I will admit that the extra naps on my part have been very appreciated!

Grammy, Papa and Parker

Grammy and Parker

First Bath-Notice the chub on his body. Nolan took a month to get back to birth weight, and Parker was above birth weight at 8 days! Way to eat Parker!

It really has been wonderful adding Parker to our family. What a sweet, special little boy.

Parker Calhoun Jones

2010-02-19T21:22:00.003-06:00

Parker Calhoun Jones joined our family on Monday, February 15, 2010. He weighed 8 lbs. 3 oz. and was 22 inches long. After a long 29 hour labor, he was successfully delivered as a VBAC . When he was born, he had a little trouble breathing and needed to spend his first few hours in the NICU, but then was given a clean bill of health and brought to our room. We feel so blessed to have this little guy in our family. Nolan has been the best big brother; singing to him, reading him books, showing him all his toys, and running in the room to see him as soon as he gets up in the morning. Parker seems to be a pretty happy guy, and he is settling in very well. Welcome to our family!

Me in labor

Right after delivery
In the NICU

Nolan warming up

Kisses for "Baby Parter"

Happy at home

This video was taken shortly after birth.

We love you so much baby Parker!

Our Christmas

2010-01-05T22:28:00.005-06:00

We had a fabulous Christmas this year. It was the first year that Nolan actually understood most of what was going on.

We had a great time decorating our house with Aunt Janny.

We made Nana a neat birthday present.

We also did many things I did not capture on camera; baked cookies with friends, drew Santa pictures, wrapped presents for others, played with LOTS of ornaments from the tree, baked fudge, cookies and cherry bread at home, drove around to look at lights, and just had a great time talking about everything Christmas. Nolan loved the idea of Jesus' birthday being celebrated, thought Santa Claus was cool and was determined to be on his "nice" list, LOVED Christmas trees and lights, and knew he was getting presents. One morning we were listening to "Little Drummer Boy" and I asked him what he would give baby Jesus. His reply was, "Blueberries, sing him a song and do a dance, and build him a fort and play with him in it." So sweet.

Christmas morning was so exciting!

The Bat Cave has been a HUGE hit

A great table from Grammy and Papa

(only certain toys can be played with on this)

Celebrating with the Joneses

We hope you all had a wonderful Holiday season. We can't wait for all the excitement to come in 2010. I did not send out Christmas cards this year, but I am planning on doing birth announcements hopefully soon! (Fingers crossed to be finished as soon as safely possible!)

Grammy's Visit

2009-11-23T14:34:00.006-06:00

My mom came down 2 weeks ago to play with Nolan and me. And play we did! It was just wonderful having her here. Nolan is super fun to take anywhere, even shopping, so we took advantage of that. Every day we had a different adventure. The weather was beautiful for the first 4 days, so we spent most of the time outside playing in the front yard, going for walks, or going to the park!

We went to the zoo:

The penguin house Riding the carousel
Hi Mommy!

Don't they belong inside the fence?
Nolan and Mommy

Watching giraffes

A nice picnic

Up close with a water buffalo

Ted's family came for dinner one night.

Jody, Nana, Wada, Janny, Grammy and Nolan

Grammy celebrated Nolan's birthday with us. He got some great presents.

Cheesey grin

Thomas pajamas!

A "Grammy Made" card

A fun puzzle

Shouldn't every kid have one of these?

Then Grammy took us to dinner at Red Robin where Nolan got to meet the real Red Robin. He also got an ice cream sundae and the Happy Birthday song sung to him! What a fun celebration!

For Grammy's last day, we went to the Whittle Train Store near our house. It is an old train depot filled with toy train tables for kids to play with. It is totally free and provides hours of fun!

Grammy and Nolan reading

Thank you so much for visiting us Grammy! We love you so much and are so sad you had to leave. Please come back soon!

Nolan's 2nd Birthday!

2009-11-23T14:18:00.004-06:00

Our sweet boy is 2!

Yesterday was Nolan's birthday, but the celebrations weren't limited to only one day. While Grammy was here, we celebrated with her Tuesday night. Nolan got some great presents and then we went to Red Robin for dinner. Luckily, Red Robin himself appeared and walked around the restaurant greeting all the kids. Nolan was completely enthralled and almost didn't eat because of the excitement. After dinner, Red Robin brought Nolan an ice cream sundae complete with whipped cream and sprinkles, and all the servers and Red Robin sang "Happy Birthday" to him. Unfortunately I didn't have the camera, but it was wonderful. Thanks Grammy!

Saturday night Ted, Nolan and I had a movie picnic followed by popcorn and juice boxes. Nolan requested those after the ET party with his cousins in Minnesota. A new tradition! Sunday was fun-filled every minute.

Opening presents

A yummy breakfast of pancakes with blueberries, strawberries

and bubble cream (whipped cream)

Nolan handsome for church (Thanks Grammy for the outfit!)

At church, Nolan got to take sacrament and had Mommy and

Daddy teach his nursery class!

The Cars birthday cake

Opening presents at Nana and Wada's house

Look Mom!

Blowing out the candles

Happiness at the end of the day

Nolan had a great time celebrating his birthday. Thanks to the many family members and friends that called or celebrated with us. Happy birthday Nolan!

Halloween Fun

2009-11-04T08:32:00.007-06:00

We had a fabulous Halloween week this year! I love celebrating, and it is so much more fun with a child that loves celebrating, too! Because of backwards pictures, we have our week in reverse!

Halloween night was spent at the end of our cul-de-sac with all the neighborhood kids. We had a pot luck dinner, games, treats, and a fire. We LOVE our neighborhood and all of the great people who live here.

Nolan and his glow sword

Nolan and the pinata

Buzz Lightyear and Addison the flower

Some of our neighborhood kids
Ready for Trick or Treating

Buzz Lightyear

Halloween morning we went to our local farmer's market to pick out the perfect pumpkin. It was the first sunny day in over a week!

Carving the pumpkin with Daddy

I want this one!

The family (I'm 6 months pregnant)

Kirkwood Farmer's Market

With the aforementioned horrible weather, Nolan and I got pretty bored being stuck in the house. We made Halloween crafts!

Coloring

Nolan's Jack-O-Lanterns

Playdough pumkins

Cute!

Earlier in the week, we went to my great friend Kresta's house for a Halloween party. Nolan did wear his costume, but it only lasted 5 minutes and I didn't get a picture in time. I was surprised that Halloween night he didn't want to take it off after over 2 hours!

The popular red car

Eating the pretzels we made

Scary story time

Doughnuts on a string

All the big kids

We had a wonderful Halloween!

Keepin' On

2009-10-08T14:15:00.004-05:00

I have finally gotten some new batteries for my camera, so now I can be back in the blogging world. We have been busy, as always, with everyday life and living. For our first big news, Nolan will be having a new BABY BROTHER!!! It's another boy! We are so excited for the crazy wrestling, running, screaming, and all things boy to happen to our household. Ted always wanted a little brother, and being the oldest with 3 younger sisters, is very excited for Nolan. As for the pregnancy, I am almost 22 weeks along and still throwing up nearly every day. Let me just tell you-so not fun. But seeing that he is growing well and moving all over the place, it will be worth it someday. (Right??? I am pretty sure...)

In other news, Nolan is still growing like crazy and doing tons of fun new stuff. He sings the entire ABCs all day long, can count to 20. (Except 14 and 15. They must be really hard ones.) And is such a fun little guy to be around. Papa and Grammy in Minnesota found a beautiful wooden bunk bed at a garage sale in northern Minnesota. Papa took it home, sanded it down, and refinished it. We didn't have a bed for Nolan, so voila, we got Papa's bed! It is gorgeous.

Nolan all snuggled in

Nolan's "boy bed"
Fall happens to be a favorite around here. Yesterday we went to the apple orchard with some great friends and had a blast enjoying the beautiful fall day.

Eating in the orchard

Addie, Kresta, Jackson, Nolan, and me
Driving the tractor

Playing Golf

(Of course-such a sports boy)

Fort Eckert

I also realized I never put any pictures from Minnesota up here. The most important part of the trip was time spent with family. Nolan still talks about his cousins and can list all of them when we talk about who "lives" in Minnesota. (Sorry Howells, but it's too confusing to explain.)

All the cousins (except Emma) at the

movie/popcorn/juicebox party

watching ET

Ben, Nolan, Grace and Emma

Papa and Nolan feeding the birds

One last request-boy name suggestions! We are having a hard time thinking up boy names for our new little guy. Any thoughts????

Take a Guess

2009-08-21T20:30:00.002-05:00

Is it another boy? Will we get a girl this time? What will Nolan's new sibling be? We are having our ultrasound on September 15, so you have until then to cast your vote. We can't wait to find out!

Updates

2009-07-19T14:59:00.008-05:00

We have been having a fun, busy summer. The weather has really been quite wonderful. It hasn't even seemed like we are in St. Louis!

I went to Girl's Camp for church as a Stake Leader during the week before the 4th of July. It was an amazing experience, and Ted got to be a stay-at-home-Daddy to Nolan!

Other interesting things in the Jones family:

Cardinal's Game

All Dressed up and ready to play

A trip to the Sculpture Gardens

Watching the clouds

VERY beginning of potty training

There has actually been a couple of small successes!

Swimming!

Grant's Farm with some great friends.

Playing baseball from morning till night

Tomorrow Nolan and I are heading up north to Minnesota for a 3 week vacation to visit my family. We are so excited to see everyone. We will miss you Daddy!

Last, but definitely NOT least, I may have an excuse for not posting for awhile. WE'RE PREGNANT!!!! The baby is due February 12, 2010. I have felt pretty miserable for most of the pregnancy so far. Hopefully it will improve in the next couple of weeks. We are very excited and eager for Nolan to become a big brother!

18 Months Old

2009-05-22T20:16:00.009-05:00

Did you hear the news???

"What?"

Nolan is 18 months old today!

"Who, me?"

Yep, you!

"Sweet!"

What a fun-filled 18 months we've had in this household! Nolan is getting very big, and we love all the new things he can do. It is great that he has really become Daddy's little buddy lately. The two are almost inseparable.

Nolan has been working on talking for a long time, and we recently have crossed that two-word bridge. Last night, unsolicited, he said, "Love you Mama." I will proudly admit that he brought me to tears. (Ok-that may not be too surprising.) He says bye-bye to everyone and thing. We are working on "Miss you" for Grandma and Papa in Minnesota. Aside from that, he has over 100 words. He is doing great and we love every word.

Physically, he has been improving his utensil usage. He has mastered eating Cheerios with milk for breakfast. And by mastering, I mean he still gets a nice pile on his tray, but most end up in his mouth. He loves to "run," throw and kick all balls, and try to catch about 3 seconds after the ball has been thrown. He drives his trucks all over the neighborhood, and tries to go downstairs to play with his trains first thing every morning.

The newest fun we have is swimming outside. We go to our buddies' "Memma" (Emma), "Yi-yee" (Lily), and "Beebee" (Phoebe) house to play in their little pool. Or we just fill up some bowls and splash around our front yard. As long as we are wet, we are cool!

We go to the doctor next week for his well-child visit, so we will update size then.

Here are a couple pictures from today.

Phoebe and Nolan

Hey bud, 18 months NOT 18 years!

Happy 18 months Nolan. Mom and Dad love you so much!

Creativity

2009-05-16T14:10:00.002-05:00

When my sister Melissa visited in April, she helped me with a couple of cute, easy, creative decoration ideas. I am not good at starting projects, but somehow, finishing them seems to be even more difficult for the ADHD ridden Kristina. (Can I really use that as an excuse?)

The first project is super cute, and super easy! I saw some prints I wanted for our new basement, but they were $225. Not in our budget. Melissa showed me a super cool site (Just a Girl) with tons of great, really cheap decorating ideas. She suggested I try this great "canvas" idea!

It was so simple! All you need is: 12"x 12" scrapbook paper, a 12" x 36" in styrofoab sheet, black cardstock, and a glue gun. Cut the styrofoam in thirds, glue on your paper, trim the cardstock to fit on the edges, glue on, and voila! Designer beauty! I am really loving it, and it makes the basement so much more homey.

The next project is St. Louis style cherry blossoms.

Melissa and I went on a stick hunt in my neighborhood. We just got random, nicely angled sticks off the ground. Take pink and white (or light pink) tissue paper. Cut out 5 petal flowers (does NOT need to be perfect! The best part!) out of both together. Grab the center and twist into a flower. It was suggested to put floral wire around to hold it, but that was a big pain. Hot glue worked fabulously. Then apply to sticks. Another great project!

As I mentioned before, I have a hard time finishing projects. This week, I went crazy! Melissa was here for Easter and we started both these projects together. I finished the cherry blossoms last week and just hung the pictures today. Huge slacker, I know. Also, when my parents were here and they painted my house, they left a TINY spot for me to put a second coat on. Well, They came the first week in March and I finally painted Monday. Sheesh. So embarassing. I am hoping that fessing up to blogland, I may improve this weakness. Probably not, though.

Now I am just waiting for a sister or parent visit so I can start my next project.

Graduation

2009-05-15T21:08:00.006-05:00

The day has finally arrived...TED GRADUATED!!! After 4 years (5, if you count St. Lawrence University right out of high school) of hard work, perserverance, determination, and a lot of sacrifice, he has earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Urban Affairs/Public Policy from St. Louis University. We are so proud of him, and are happy for him to be finished.

We have been lucky to do quite a bit of celebrating so far. Yesterday, Ted's work gave him a nice luncheon to celebrate, and they invited Nolan and I to participate as well. He is a lucky man to have such a great job filled with caring and supportive co-workers.

Last night we went to dinner with his parents, little sister Jody and his grandmother. It was delicious and nice to be together for celebrating.

Today, we had a fun-filled afternoon down at the SLU campus.

Lunch at a campus hot spot
The really old church where the ceremony was held
Nolan trying to find his daddy

Proof

More proof

Daddy and Nolan

Nana, Nolan and Wada

Cute group

The handsome graduate

So, what next, you ask? We have been married for 4 years, 2 months and Ted has been a student for all but the first 4 months of this time. We aren't even going to know what to do with all this extra family time. I guess that now we can tackle those yard projects, organizing our house, camping, hiking, biking... I think we'll find some great things to keep us occupied.

Thank you so much to those of you who sent cards, phone calls, or kept us in your thoughts today and over the past 4 years. It has meant a lot to Ted and me. I am married to a college graduate! Yipee!

Catching up

2009-05-11T14:00:00.007-05:00

Another span has passed in my non-blogging life. But I think we can now safely say that we are moving forward positively. Our computer has been replaced, the camera USB cord has been located, and I am back in the spirit of blogging. To begin this new chapter, I first have to share a little of what you have missed.

My pictures are backwards, so you get the mixed-up version.

Phoebe, Lily and Nolan

(GREAT neighbors!)

Ted graduates from College on Friday. That in and of itself is a beautiful thing, but I will post on that when it happens. With energy focusing away from school things, we have been enjoying some more family adventures! We went to Forest Park and had a nice picnic. It was a gorgeous day and such an ideal location for a picnic.

6 turtles!

Nolan and me infront of the art museum

Oreos are yummy!

"Art Hill" and the lake Nolan got caught
(Notice a toothbrush in each hand? Great dental hygene!)
My 30th birthday-at the Cardinal's Game

Right behind home plate!

My sister Melissa and her family came to visit from Colorado. We had so much fun and it was hard to see them leave. She did a much better job recording our adventure on her blog. Her kids are a blast, and Melissa and I did a ton of shopping. Sisters are really quite wonderful.

Kids on Easter

Lucas, Isabel, Nolan and ConnorNolan, Ted and I at the top of the arch Connor, Melissa and Isabel on top of the arch
Nolan and Lucas climbing a volcanoSisters and kids at the zoo

Well, you are mostly updated. I have to really complain for a minute about this horrible formatting thing with blogger lately. Rearranging pictures has become impossible! And I can't ever get my spacing right. I hate auto formatting!!! Big things are happening in the future, and I will keep you posted. (I am so funny!)

Happy Birthday to Me!

2009-04-23T19:29:00.002-05:00

You may have noticed (but probably not) that I have not been in the blogging world lately. Actually, I haven't been in the computer world lately. Our computer (that we got in the fall) has decided to quit. We know the problem, and apparently, this type of computer suffers from this fatal flaw-with only a 90 day warranty. Sucks, huh? So, I have had scare access to the world. We are working on this problem, but who can really afford new computers???

But onto bigger, better stuff! MY BIRTHDAY! Ted and I took Nolan to his first Cardinals baseball game. We sat right behind home plate. We had a great time and Nolan was a superstar. He actually took a morning nap today to prepare-he hasn't done that in months! Thanks for the present, buddy! We went out for dinner together, and are just enjoying the evening of beautiful weather.

We have tons of fun pictures of all of our activities lately, but until we resolve this computer issue, this post will have to suffice. Cross your fingers that we figure it out soon! Oh, and being 30 really isn't too bad!

Jackpot!

2009-04-03T18:52:00.004-05:00

I have become a HUGE Craigslist fan. As I was browsing today, I came upon an incredible find.

Nolan has been obsessed with trains since he turned one. We went to a train museum for his birthday, and he has loved them since. Thomas is a pretty expensive toy to love. I saw 5 engines at Target the other day for over $40. This set came with 22 engines and 10 other cars.It also has a big carrying case for the engines.
Check out the 4 buildings that came with it! A lumberyard, 2 cranes, and the depot/station thing.Poor little Nolan cried all through dinner because he couldn't wait to get back to playing with his new trains. Of course, Ted is pretty excited too!All this was only $40! Can you believe it??? And the lady was only about 5 minutes from our house. I call this a successful day!

Fit is Go

2009-03-21T18:18:00.003-05:00

For the past year or so, we have been living life happily with no car payments. Our cars were no where near new, but we felt that they were fairly reliable and safe. Well, Ted drives around 30,000 miles a year for work. We took his car in on Thursday for what we thought was a small oil leak. Apparently, there is no such thing as "small". They guys told us there were many things needing to be replaced at a cost of at least $1500. Who wants to pay that for an old car??? Not us!

So, we spent every minute since Thursday in our search. It ended today with our new (used) Honda Fit! Only 8,000 miles and combined MPG of 35. Not too bad for a guy who does nothing but drive for his job. Yay for mileage reimbur

All Dressed Up with No Place to Go!

2009-03-21T18:15:00.001-05:00

Nolan got his first tie. Cute, huh?

Blogging Slacker

2009-03-17T20:51:00.003-05:00

I am so glad that it is spring! We have been playing outside for HOURS every day! Walking or biking to the park has taken up much of that time. We also love our little cul-de-sac. I know I've mentioned it, but there are 11 kids under the age of 10. Of course, all are girls except Nolan and #12 who will be born in April. We couldn't be luckier! We spend much of our time wandering around outside until someone comes out to play. Here are just a few pictures of our recent activities.

Hiking

Biking

Playing in the sand

Playing with trucks

Nolan's First Haircut.

Before

After
With friends at the park

Riding Horses...
...at our friend's birthday party!
Playing with Papa and Grandma
Ted and Nathan (across the street) playing with the Nerf Machine Gun.
(100 continuous rounds! Go Nathan!)
And just being cute!

Thanks for catching up with us! Did I mention how much I am LOVING spring???

New Paint

2009-03-17T20:40:00.002-05:00

When my dear parents were here a couple of weeks ago, there was no easy going vacation for them. As soon as they got here, they went to work beautifying my house. My mom painted all the trim inside of the house and the front door. My dad scraped all the exterior paint, caulked the wood, washed it, and painted the entire non-brick front. Thanks so much Mom and Dad!

I picked out the colors and we even changed the main exterior paint 3 times before finally just leaving it like this. I am not sold on the colors together, or even the wall color alone. But, they did a wonderful job and it is painted nicely and protected from the elements. We aren't changing it anytime soon, (Dad isn't coming back in the near future. :) Ha ha ha!)but please tell me your honest opinions. Thanks again Mom and Dad. We miss you and can't wait to see you again!

Happy Anniversary

2009-03-12T16:18:00.002-05:00

Wow-4 years. The first 3 felt like regular years, but since having Nolan, I think I measure in weeks or months instead of hours and days. Time is just flying so quickly!

I was trying to think of something to write about for our anniversary, but I've done what I like about Ted, our "story", and many of the things we've been through in our marriage. I decided that I would try to think of 3 things that I've learned since marrying Ted.

1. Compromise means truly more than just Ted compromising to give me what I want. I get mad because I think that he won't compromise enough, but that is only because I am rarely willing to budge. It is a big work in progress, but I am trying to appreciate his opinions, individuality, and let go of some things that I truly need to stop trying to control.

2. It isn't all about love. Faced with some big hurdles in the beginning of our marriage, we went forth on faith and love for each other. There is WAY more to marriage and living together than just fluffy love stuff. I've learned that loving him doesn't always make it easy to like him. And also, I don't need to be madly in love with him everyday to have a happy marriage. Those days really are nice, though.

3. I really love living with Ted. It is so nice to know that after whatever our days bring, we end up together in the same bed. I love that I don't have to worry about what I am going to do each weekend or who I am going to hang out with. I have a built-in buddy. He actually always likes being with me, too. It isn't always easy to have a permanent roommate, but who else will ask me to play Schmear, or Tick, or Cribbage at 10:00 at night? Or watch recorded House, Chuck, and NCIS episodes with me?

I know that the list of things learned, things I am trying hard to learn, and things that will be taught for years to come doesn't end here. I am glad that I have my best friend to share all this with. I love you so much, Ted. Happy Anniversary!

Pay it Forward

2009-02-18T13:40:00.000-06:00

Pay It Forward .....

So, here's how it works: the first 3 people to leave a comment on this post will receive, at some point during the year, a handmade gift from me. What it will be and when it will arrive is a total surprise! The catch is that you must participate as well. Before you leave your comment, write up a pay it forward post on your blog to keep the fun going (or copy and paste like I did). Then come back, let me know you're going to play and sit back and anticipate the arrival of your gift! Please submit in an e-mail or on the comment, your address, if I don't have it already. Remember that only the first 3 comments will receive a gift from me, so be quick!

Have fun!

Feeding Time

2009-02-02T08:59:00.003-06:00

Nolan has 2 favorite stuffed animals, Bear and Kitty. (Original, I know. He isn't old enough to name them, so we are practical.) He has just recently started feeding them. I got this little video mostly for grandparents and out of town relatives. Enjoy!

Basement Furniture

2009-02-02T08:38:00.003-06:00

I have a big weakness in my marriage. Compromise. I have an idea of how everything should go in our home (or, let's face it, in all situations), how the furniture should look, what decorations we should use, the colors everthing should be, etc. You know how it is. Ted has just as many ideas and opinions as I do. That complicates everything. So we have gotten a lot of practice with compromise during this basement project. We are both stubborn, but I finally feel like everything is coming together to please both of us. We had the new furniture set up a different way, and I was ready to send it all back to the store. With gentle persuasion Ted moved everything around, and now I feel really happy with it. What do you think?
The other side of the room is open for all of Nolan's toys.
We love it!

Our New Basement!

2009-01-22T14:35:00.006-06:00

Our basement is finally finished! In a little under 3 months, we have been totally transformed. We had a completely unfinished basement (except for a small bathroom) and now we have tons of great new space. We have almost doubled our square footage. I have tried to take some before and after pictures from similar locations. First, our floorplan.Next, the family room and staircase. Notice how icky the stairs were before. What a change!
Bedroom and office:
It is kind of hard to get a good picture, but the walls are the same color as the living room. See floor plan for room layout.

We are so excited to be done and I can't wait to get decorating. Maybe we need some furniture first! We'll show more when we have gotten some things in our rooms.

Welcome Back Blogger

2009-01-05T14:35:00.004-06:00

I finally figured out how to get pictures onto Ted's laptop! (OK-Ted really figured it out.) I am going to just give a sampling of what we have been up to lately.

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season. Christmas with the Joneses was fun as usual. I actually did some crafty things to decorate our house.

I painted the sign, and the stockings were hand-stitched. My mom helped me with the pattern and stitched one of them for me, but I did much of it. Thanks for the help and fun ideas, Mom!
Then we needed the ever-popular Santa Claus shot. I thought Nolan would love him.There's always next year!

We were very blessed with thoughtful gifts. Nolan enjoyed opening everything, and we are looking forward to a finished basement so we can actually make use of all the new items.

A first for me this year was Christmas away from my family. I have spent every Christmas in northern Minnesota with my parents and siblings. This year was finally a year to be with Ted's family. I missed everyone in Minnesota (and Colorado!), but we Ted's mom wanted to take everyone on a special Christmas trip....FLORIDA!!! We were able to spend a week (poor Ted only got 4 days, but someone's gotta pay the bills) in sunny, warm Vero Beach. We had a great time with aunts, grandparents, and the ocean. The day before we left, Nolan suffered (or was it mom that really did the suffering?) his first walking-related injury. He was playing in a closet (I was there with him, but probably not a great idea) and was heading out. The door had a metal piece sticking out from it and Nolan tripped and landed on the metal with his little eye.His little eye got all swollen and it looked like he was going to have a huge shiner. I underestimated the healing power of children. 5 days later, barely a mark where the scab used to be. No shiner ever. Whew! That was a close call.

We are grateful to be safe, home and settling into our routine again. Today is the first day that Nolan and I are alone in almost 2 weeks. I'm loving it! Here are some random pictures of random fun things.In other Jones family news...our basement is nearing completion! It is being painted as I type. It was measured for the carpet this morning. We are almost done. Our living space will be almost doubled. Of course, if you double 850 square feet, you still don't have too much, but we'll take it. I can't wait to post the transformation.

Happy Holidays!

2008-12-23T14:34:00.002-06:00

The Jones family is leaving tomorrow for sunny and warm Florida! We are spending Christmas with Ted's family this year, and they decided to do it beachside. Yipee!

We continue to be unable to transfer pictures from our camera to a computer, but will someday give a nice photo entry for all to enjoy.

We hope you are warm, happy, and able to spend this time with your family. Merry Christmas and have a happy New Year!

Happy at Home

2008-12-15T16:15:00.002-06:00

I have been reflecting lately on my position in life. Nolan and I were walking through the park the other day. I was thinking how my life is so simple. I felt like it has always been this way. Then I remembered "before".

I used to be in college. I marched in the marching band. I took classes. I had tons of friends. 4 years of all that with grad school. Life was so crazy!

I used to teach jr. high math. I was active in my singles ward. I had friends over all the time. I lived in St. Paul, Minnesota. Life was so crazy!

I moved to Alaska! I didn't know anyone before I got there, but fit right in. I taught elementary school; 1st-2nd grade and 5th-6th grade. I went hiking, camping, sleeping under the stars. I met Ted and fell in love. Life was so crazy!

We moved to St. Louis. I taught 5th and 6th grade math. I started a real home. Life was crazy!

Now, I stay home every day with Nolan. I clean my house, cook dinners, and basically try to make home as love filled, comfortable and cozy as possible. I don't have anywhere to be, no one telling me what I have to do when, no pay check, and nothing looks to be changing anytime soon on the horizon. Life is not as crazy. I LOVE EVERY MINUTE OF IT! As I looked back at this small snap shot of pre-Nolan/stay at home mom life, I feel so grateful for my experiences. I can be happy and satisfied being home. I never know what may change in the future, but I am going to enjoy this for as long as possible and savor every minute.

We've Been Busy

2008-12-09T13:23:00.006-06:00

Sorry about the delay in posting. We have been experiencing technical difficulties. Well, I still am, but I decided I better try to get a post done before I just get too behind.

Grandma and Grandpa Downing came to visit for Thanksgiving. We had such a fun time with them. I realized that I didn't get any pictures from the actual day, but it was definitely a day to remember. My first time cooking Thanksgiving dinner.

I decided to be a great hostess and make the pumpkin pies the day before. Disaster! Twice the pies spilled all over the oven. The second time there were actually embers roasting on the bottom of my gas oven. I really worried that I had no idea what to do if a fire actually broke out. Smoke filled my house and the alarms went off. Luckily, Nolan slept right through it all! After they finished baking (yes, I did push on) they looked alright, so I salvaged them.

Our turkey was also an interesting experience. We cooked it the designated amount and tried carving it. It looked raw! Yuck! So...back into the oven. We kept checking it, and decided after 2 more hours, it HAD to be done. (Good thing dinner was scheduled for 4:00-it wasn't too late for usual dinnertime!) Upon carving, Ted discovered that the jiggly undone-looking part was still there. Our poor turkey must have had a tumor or something like it. We just ate the other side and still had plenty of leftovers. I don't have any pictures of our dinner, but my parents and Ted said everything tasted good-especially the pumpkin pies! Who knew?

Nolan's birthday party was a blast! We had my parents, Ted's parents, his 3 sisters and his grandmother over. We had a great time. Here is Nolan's cake:
He really loves this truck. He puts all his toys in it and pushes it all over the house. Super cute!

He was also a great present receiver. Everytime he opened something, he looked at it, smiled, and really seemed to show appreciation. He got some really great things. My favorite reaction, and I think everyone's who was there, was this:
My mom makes each of her grandkids a quilt for their first birthday. Nolan's has puppy faces with floppy ears to snuggle. I opened it, and he immediately snuggled in. He spent a good 5 minutes rolling in it, smooshing his face down on it, and just letting grandma revel in his reaction. A great treat for the loving hours she spent on it.

Another favorite present:
This was from Great Nana and Papa in Maine. Nolan LOVES it. Mom will love it when it has a place in our basement. (It should be refinished in about 3 weeks! More updates to come!)

Well, as I was trying to post this, my computer really had it. It is chock full of viruses. Poor thing. I did manage to load 5 pictures before it shut down, but I can't for the life of me get Ted's laptop to work. Seeing that I started this post 2 days ago, I figured you get what you get and don't throw a fit! I guess we will all be in suspense for the remainder of our pictures. We did have such a great time with my parents. My dad was pretty sick, but gave Nolan TONS of love. My mom helped me with 2 craft projects-Yep, 2 in a month! Crazy. I made stockings for Ted, Nolan and I. Fun! Hopefully I can get things up and running again soon.

Nolan's Big Day

2008-11-22T21:45:00.001-06:00

This morning we had Ted's family over for breakfast. Ted made a delicious Santa Fe egg bake. It was great to have everyone here to celebrate with us. After breakfast, we headed over to the Museum of Transportation. It was such an interesting place. There were many old trains with interesting engines, passenger cars, and cargo cars that we could go inside of. Nolan kept pointing and going "Vrroomm, vrroomm." It was only in the 30s, but Nolan was bundled well and we really enjoyed ourselves. I bought both of these jackets for "my boys" last Christmas. I pictured Ted and Nolan walking hand in hand together wearing them. Cheesie-yes, but today I got to see it happen.
We found a little love for the Northern Minnesota family.Nolan even got this really great hat to practice conducting his own train!
After that big morning, we needed a nap. We ended our big day with a delicious dinner at Grandma and Wada Jones' house.

I am sure you are wondering where his cake pictures are. My parents are coming down for Thanksgiving and we are going to have Nolan's birthday party next Saturday. That will be the presents, cake, ice cream, decorations, etc. necessary for a true first birthday party. What a lucky little boy-2 special Saturdays in a row! Happy birthday to our sweet, sweet boy.

Nolan's Birthday

2008-11-22T21:14:00.007-06:00

I have not realized what a sensitive person I have become until this past week. I was so excited for Nolan's birthday. We were planning the fun things we would do and just how we would celebrate. Somehow, I think the former pregnancy hormones came back to haunt me because tears came easily whenever I thought of Nolan turning one. I cannot say that they were sad tears; I loved my little baby, but every day Nolan gets more and more fun. I look forward to him being able to do so many more things. I can't say they were completely happy tears though, either. It truly is cliche, but where on earth has this year gone? I feel like I was a part of everything, but that it didn't really happen. Do I really have a one-year-old? I am so grateful that my blog is such a great record of all the things we have done.

I don't think I can remember everything new that Nolan can do, but I will try. He is walking, eating and loving any and all foods (except of course nuts!). He loves playing catch, refrigerator magnets, pulling things out of drawers, bath time, his bear and kitty, books, toys, music and dancing, singing, the "Itsy Bitsy Spider", riding forward facing in his carseat, and watching other kids. There isn't much he dislikes aside from sitting still. He says "ba" for ball, "da-da", makes the sound and sign for an elephant, dog and bird, and says juice. He signs fan, hat, milk, more, all done, blows kisses and can identify many body parts. I am sure I am missing many more things, but we think he is truly amazing. (Compared only, of course, to himself and our previous experience raising children.)

The journey of Nolan:

Today was a turning point in Nolan's walking. He was taking a couple of tentative steps when coaxed, but nothing much more. Well, he decided that today he would let it all out. He has been trying to walk all day long! He still can't stand from a seated position, but he is definitely working on it. The first video is from this morning. What a great walker!

This video is from a few days ago. Future NBA star!

We love you Nolan and look forward to watching you continue learning and growing.

First Steps

2008-11-13T20:12:00.003-06:00

Nolan took his first steps tonight! Ted was holding out some cornbread, and it was just too enticing for Nolan to pass up. He took 5 steps! We didn't get the camera out fast enough, so we missed it. We will try to get some footage in the next couple of days. Our little boy is growing up.

Veteran's Day

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

4 years ago I was a young 25-year-old woman. I had just started my new adventure of living in Alaska. I was teaching an exuberant group of 25 5th and 6th grade students. I was making new friends, and really loving life. Some of these new friends happened to be in the US Air Force.

In Anchorage, AK, there are 2 military bases-Elmendorf Air Force Base and Eilson Army Post. Alaska is full of active duty military families, as well as many retired military families. Needless to say, Veteran's Day is a big deal up there.

To honor this holiday in my classroom, I decided to ask one of my Air Force friends, Andy, to come in to speak to my class. He asked if he could bring a friend along to help out, and I thought that was a great idea. On November 11, Andy and his good friend Ted showed up in their full military BDUs (camouflage gear, etc.) to teach my class about military life. They put on an exciting presentation and my kids had a blast. I sat in the back with a teacher-friend of mine and giggled about Andy's really cute friend. I never believed what they said about a man in a uniform, but I understood what was meant that day.

Ted was a 21-year-old "boy". I thought he was so cute and was in GREAT shape. We became friends. I had a little crush on him. I figured that this guy, only 21 years old, would just be a really fun guy to date, get to know, and hang around with. I knew he wouldn't want a commitment, (who would at that age?) so it was harmless. Little did I know the mind of that young man...

2 weeks later, before our first date, Ted went home to St. Louis for Thanksgiving. While there, he met up with a good friend from high school. "Rob," Ted declared, "I met the girl I am going to marry."

After a lot of convincing (sorry sweetheart!) I ended up agreeing with him, and the rest is history.

Marrying a man in the military brought many things close to home. Although he was honorably discharged 4 months after our wedding, he is still an inactive-duty airman until December 2011. Every time I see a commercial for the military, hear a story of a brave man or woman injured in the line of duty, or even hear the National Anthem, I think about Ted. I think about how we could've been and still could be affected. He will never call himself a veteran. Ted has never served over-seas. He has never set foot on a war-zone. I have never had to live one day without him while he was deployed. But he still served honorably and faithfully. He could be called back without any notice at anytime. It could be him over there tomorrow.

I am so grateful for the men and women who have chosen to serve our great country. Many have given their lives, and most will never be the same. Whether or not I agree with our position in the war, we still have families forever altered by the repercussions of this war. I am grateful for our vets, and feel so strongly about what they stand for. Veteran's Day helps me remember.

Election Day

2008-11-04T10:23:00.000-06:00

I VOTED!!!

Did you???

Crafty Day

2008-11-01T14:50:00.006-05:00

For those of you who know me, I am a VERY non-crafty person. I don't tend to create many artistic items. Part of the reason why is that I never can sit down alone and accomplish something creative. I lose interest quite quickly.

Today, my ward had a "Super Saturday" of crafting. There were some fun projects you could make. The great part is, someone else thought of it, someone else helps you make it, and there are plenty of other great women to chat with while doing it.

These are my creations:

A great banner for Nolan's room

Fun paint/decopage magnets

I also made some really yummy Chilled Curry Pumpkin Soup.
I have a general recipe that I followed, but I didn't have all the "right" ingredients, so I substituted with what I thought was yummy. It turned out pretty tasty! Here is the original recipe:

1/4 c. butter
large white onion, sliced
3/4 c. green onions (white part only) sliced *save green part for garnish*
1 large can (15~20 oz.) pumpkin
4 c. chicken broth
bay leaf
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. curry powder
1 1/2 tsp. nutmeg (I didn't have this-I used pumpkin pie spice instead!)
1 Tbsp. chopped parsley (I omitted)
2 c. half and half or whipping cream
salt, pepper, cinnamon and cloves to taste
*molasses and/or brown sugar to taste for a sweeter soup

Melt butter in 6 qt. saucepan over med. high heat. Add onions and saute until soft and transparent. Stir in next 7 ingredients. Bring to simmer and continue simmering uncovered for 15 min., stirring occasionally. REMOVE BAY LEAF. (I forgot this part!) Transfer soup in batches to blender or processor and puree. Return to saucepan and add cream or half and half and remainder of your spices. Simmer 5 to 10 minutes, but do not allow to boil.

Can be served hot or chill thoroughly for a cold soup.

Top cold soup with green onions, chives, tomatoes, or sour cream.

Enjoy!

Happy Halloween

2008-10-31T20:36:00.004-05:00

We have had a busy Halloween. First, we went to our neighborhood Farmers' Market to pick out a great pumpkin.
Of course, we couldn't pass up the second pumpkin.
Then we took it home and carved our SCARY jack-o-lantern. (Notice how both the pumpkins have 2 bottom teeth that show when they smile.)
Then, we knew we were ready to put on our costume. Can you guess who I am?
That's right! Indiana Jones. I travel is style. Notice my creepy-crawly bugs lingering about. Don't worry though. I have my trusty whip to take care of them. But, aren't I supposed to HATE SNAKES?
On our way out trick-or-treating, we ran into some scary folks: a pirate, Wonder Woman, and Snow White. We joined ranks and went on our merry way.

We came upon a mysterious scene: there was a party going on at the end of our cul-de-sac.
Many of the neighborhood villians, superheroes, princesses, and other random exciting people were putting away their stigmas and mingling together!
After all this excitement, we sure were tired.
Happy Halloween Everyone!

New Rash

2008-10-26T19:10:00.003-05:00

Sorry for all of you who are tired of Nolan sickness updates. But this kid just can't kick it! These pictures are his latest rash. It started yesterday, and has just spread over all his torso. From his scalp to his entire bottom area. Strangely enough, it seems to have spared most of his arms and legs-seeing that they are already suffering from the other rash. The doctor said it is just a secondary symptom. At least he isn't itching! Poor little Nolan

A Fun Day

2008-10-25T16:23:00.004-05:00

I spoiled myself today. Since Christmas last year, I had been saving some gift cards for a special day. Today was that day. I left Nolan at home with Ted, and went out for 4 luxurious hours alone. Here were my great purchases:
After all that hard shopping, I discovered what makes for a great lunch.
Thanks Ted and Nolan for letting me out of the house!

Nolan's Spots

2008-10-25T15:08:00.004-05:00

Any Doctors in the house? We have been experiencing this very strange hive-like rash for about 2 months now.

It started in August, and the doctor said it was probably bites. She thought our dog Cassie brought some bugs into the house. We put him on Zyrtec, washed and vacuumed everything in the house, and found Cassie a new home. (I will admit that this isn't the only reason Cassie had to go. She was a great dog, but shed like crazy. Nolan was always covered in dog hair, and I just couldn't take it.) The Zyrtec got rid of the "bites" and all was well.

After a week, we stopped the meds and the bumps came back. Then the Doc said it was probably an allergy. Try Zyrtec for a month. No bumps.

A month later, stopping the Zyrtec, bumps are worse than ever. Do you see how big they are? The doctor doesn't know what is causing them. I don't want to keep him on Zyrtec anymore. They don't really bother him. Anyone have and advice what to do?

The One

2008-10-24T01:57:00.002-05:00

It is 2 am. He woke up with a high fever. I held him while the medicine took affect. I have such faith in the doctors and Ibuprofen. I am so grateful for modern medicine.

As we sat rocking together, I felt this strange empowerment.

I am the One

I am the one who will comfort him because I am Mom.
I am the one who will nourish him because I am Mom.
I am the one who will love him because I am Mom.
I am the one who will support him because I am Mom.
I am the one who will cry for him because I am Mom.
I am the one who will be there for him because I am Mom.

I can think of no greater power than being Nolan's mom. I can also think of no greater responsibility. When we are given these little beings, we are entrusted with so much. I think we are given an extra little help: being Mom.

Ear Infection

2008-10-23T11:53:00.004-05:00

Another milestone was reached today. Nolan has his first ear infection. He woke up again last night with a fever of 103.7. Poor little guy. He was so miserable. We went to the doctor and found out that he has the ear infection, and probably has a little something else, too. Amoxicillan for us. As for his rash, she has no idea what is causing it. It is probably an allergic reaction to something. What? Who knows. We may never know. Ahhhh-my allergy saturated gene pool.

On another note, I need some advice. You may remember that when Nolan was born, he basically starved for the first 3 months of life. My breastmilk wasn't doing it for him. When I started supplementing, he gained 2.5 pounds in 11 days. That is more than 2 ounces a day! Our pediatrician wasn't concerned about it. She is of the thinking that breastmilk is always best and will work itself out eventually. That thinking may be good for some people (do I hear La Leche????) but didn't make me feel any better about constant nursing with no satisfaction. EVER. She is an extremely intelligent person, great at what she does, and has earned many awards. Do her accolades and experience outway my personal grudge?

Today's appointment was with a different doctor in the same practice. I LOVED her. She experienced the same nursing issue with her first child. She supplemented. The baby thrived. Do what it takes to help them eat and grow is her philosophy. I am much agreed.

So---do I switch doctors? They are both competent, able women. I will have a guilty conscience every time I go there if I switch. The second doctor assured me that people do it all the time and no one takes it personally. What would you do?