JAMES, SUSAN & ELISE

FINALLY POSTING!!!

2011-03-22T18:44:00.001-07:00

It has been several months since I have blogged- and there is sooooo much that has happened in those past 8 months!!!! I'll TRY to catch you all up in this blog so that I can start blogging again regularly :) HOPEFULLY

Here is a picture of Elise is her "new chair" after her 1st birthday party!! We had a wonderful party- lots of friends and family, gorgeous weather- so we were able to play outside, good food and a wonderful cake... and Elise SMASHED right into her cake!! We all had a blast!

Here is one of our favorite pictures of Elise. We were playing outside in our back yard and loving the cool weather and the leaves!! Elise had fun picking up leaves and throwing them and running around the back yard. She enjoyed having the freedom of running and hearing the noise of the crinkling leaves under her feet!!

My baby girl with a pretty bow in her hair!!!! Her hair had just started growing longer and her hair was starting to get in her eyes. I tried to put a bow in her hair and- surprise- she actually left the bow in long enough for me to take a picture!!

Also- she's sitting in her chair that she got from James and I for her birthday. This is seriously the BEST gift that we could have gotten her- she sits in it every single day!! Also- we had her name embroidered in the chair. When Elise sits in her chair, she turns around and points to her name and wants me to spell it- E L I S E. And- when you ask Elise what her name is... she runs to her chair and points at it!!

Here's a picture of my "babies" sitting together. Elise is about 16 months old in this picture and Sieben is 13 1/2 years old (can you believe it?!) It seems like every month Elise gets more and more active- and Sieben becomes more and more tolerant.

James and I were so nervous about Sieben and how she would be with Elise- Sieben has never been good with children. But it's so clear that she loves Elise. She checks on her all the time, she greets her every morning when she wakes up, she sits close beside her at every meal (hoping for some yummy food) and Sieben even shares a seat on her bed!! I'm so happy that our "babies" get along well!! One of Elise's first words- of course- was DOGGIE.

Elise also helped us make a "big announcement" in February 2011. We found out this year that we're going to have another baby!! We waited until the baby was 12 weeks old- and then had Elise pose in her BIG SISTER shirt- so that we could announce through e-mail and Facebook to our family and friends!

Elise is very excited about babies- and if we ever see one, she must go over and see the baby up close!! We've been trying to talk about the baby as much as we can to try to prepare her to the change. I think Elise will be a good big sister- she is already to helpful and curious!

Here is a bit of a gross picture- but certainly something that I should blog about! Elise had her first visit to the Emergency Room in February 2011. She was pushing around her toy grocery cart, tripped and fell on the corner and ripped her labial frenulum (the skin that connects your lip to the gums between your front teeth). She kept bleeding and bleeding- and I finally got her into the pediatrician 3 hours after the incident. While the doctor was examining her, Elise bit him- so they had to restrain her in a papoose (which went completely around her and strapped down her arms, legs and head). Elise and I were both crying!! The doctor was concerned because the bleeding continued and he didn't think he would be able to stop it- so he sent us to Akron Children's Hospital. Elise was examined by two residents and one doctor- and the final decision was to keep feeding her Popsicles and the bleeding would eventually stop. One of the residents made a joke that Elise looked like she had just eaten a piece of dead animal or something- she was literally covered in blood from head to toe. It was a stressful day- but turned out fine and we went home an hour later and both took a very long nap!!!

The next two pictures were taken in March 2011. Elise started her second swimming class!! She had her first class about a year ago- when she was only 6 months old. She was the youngest in the class and wasn't really able to do much more than splash and kick a little.

James LOVES the water- so he was more than willing and excited to get in the water with Elise for her swim classes. It's so fun to see the change in Elise for her classes this time around. She is one of the oldest in her class now and she loves being active and doing everything! She is able to sit on the side of the pool, climb in and out, jump in the pool to daddy, kick, reach and pull, blow bubbles, put her head under and of course sing and do motions with all the song. One of Elise's favorite things to do now is KICK- even when not in the water... and sometimes I'll see her with one of her stuffed animals trying to get it to "reach and pull"- just like she does in swim class!!!! SO AWESOME :)

I'll finish the blog with a picture of me and Elise!! I know that it's not the best picture of either one of us- but it's the most recent.

This little miracle will be 18 months old on March 25th. She is the most excited and energetic child I have ever met- she runs EVERYWHERE!! ("hot in the socks" is what Grandma Ellie says) She loves her baby dolls and stuffed animals and hugs and kisses them several times a day! She talks all the time- even when trying to get herself to sleep. She knows many words (just to name a few)- momma, dada, papa, doggie, door, car, truck, plate, fork, juice, snack, cheese, book, teddy, Stella (her baby doll), piggie, ball, Mick (Mickie Mouse), horsie, push, pull, touch, hot, cold, shirt, pants, socks, shoes, yes and of course NO!!!!

We love spending every day together. Having Elise and staying home to raise her has been one of the best decisions of my life. I feel like I'm a totally different person than I was 18 months ago- and I have my baby girl to thank for it!! She makes me feel like I have more meaning and purpose to my life- and that makes it all worth it!!

Elise 10 months & trip to Atlanta!!

2010-08-04T13:41:00.000-07:00

Elise turned 10 months old on July 25. My mother suggested that we take Elise's picture with all of her books- since she loves books soooo much!! One of her favorite books is "I Love You, Good Night"- which she is holding in the picture! We read Elise two books before each nap and before going to bed at night- she loves to turn the pages and seems to be taking in every single word!!! It's a wonderful bonding experience for both James and I to share with Elise.

Sieben turned 13 on August 1st. She's such a good dog and has been such a wonderful "big sister" to Elise. James and I were both nervous about how Sieben would react and adjust to Elise because Sieben has never been very good with kids. But I think she has learned to accept and love Elise- because she is so gentle with her. Sometime Elise will crawl over to Sieben and grab her paw or her nose and try to pet her (which really means that she's just pulling her fur)- and Sieben doesn't react. If she gets annoyed, she just stands up and walks away!!! She's been GREAT! Happy Birthday Sieben!!!

This past week James was on a SCUBA diving trip. I was going crazy being stuck at home every night, so I decided that Elise and I would take a plane trip to Atlanta to visit Brian, Beth, Garrett and Lucy White! I went to Milligan College with Brian & Beth.

Garrett is 2 1/2 years old and Lucy is 1 year old. We had a BLAST with them!!!!!! Garrett is so fun and full of energy. The girls loved just sitting and watching him run, play and make noise while they enjoyed the pool. I don't think Garrett even stopped moving the whole time we were outside- hehe

Because it was so hot when we were in Atlanta- Beth found a few places for us to entertain the kids that was inside. We went to a place called "PLAY" which has a trampoline, an area full of balls, blow up toys and many other fun things to burn off energy. The girls loved sitting on our laps on the trampoline while Garrett and the other big kids jumped and bounced. It was sooo fun!!!!!

We also played at "Geronimo's." They had a huge room for kids two and under- so that's where I spent most of my time with Elise and Lucy. They had fun playing with blocks, climbing on the bus, playing on the airplane, pushing cars around and crawling and having fun!! Elise had a blast and never sat still very long (you can tell she's still moving in this picture I tried to take of Elise and Beth).

Lucy is so different from Garrett and Elise. She loves to sit and play quietly and observe everything that is going on around her. She sat for a while and played with this brick. She looked it over closely and studied it while watching the other kids play. She did eventually join in and crawled over to the bus where Elise and the other kids were climbing. She looks so stinking cute in her pretty blue dress!!! She's such a good baby!

Elise and I had a blast with the White's!!!! The kids got along great and Elise adjusted by sleeping pretty well during naps and at night. My favorite part was in the evenings after we put the kids to bed- Brian, Beth and I would talk and laugh and enjoy each other's company!!!!! It was just what I needed to pass the time while James was away! I LOVE YOU GUYS!!!!

Elise 9 months & July 4th weekend

2010-07-22T09:02:00.000-07:00

19lbs 9 oz (57th percentile)

29 1/4 inches long (91st percentile)

Elise is now 9 months old and really starting to lose her "baby fat." She is very active and constantly on the move. She loves to crawl everywhere and pull up on the couch, tables, her toy buckets, chairs- anything she can get her hands on.

Her favorite toys are her blocks, balls, BOOKS, her phone and anything she can fit in her mouth to chew on. She seems to have lost interest in her "ball toy" but loves taking the balls and throwing them towards the floor to try to bounce them (a game daddy taught her). She likes to let you build up towers with the blocks so that she can knock them down. She loves playing and wrestling with her puppy- who sings songs and says colors and body parts when you press his paws, tummy and ears.

We don't watch much tv, but when we do- her favorite show is still Mickey Mouse Club House!!!!

Elise can say MaMa, DaDa, ADa (which she says when she sees Sieben- so I think it's "dog"), Ball, Hey, Hi, Bye (and waves). She loves to greet people and smiles and waves when we're at the store or restaurant- she loves the attention she gets when people notice her!! When she waves at someone and they don't respond- she starts yelling at them to get their attention (great- huh?!?!) She does "so big," plays "peek-a-boo" and claps when you sing "if you're happy and you know it."

She will try to walk if you hold her hands and has even gotten brave enough to try to take a step on her own. She will cruise down the couch by stepping side to side while holding on. She also moves from one toy bucket to the other, if you put them close enough, without falling down. And she has crawled up stairs- which MUCH supervision!!!!!

She's growing by leaps and bounds and seems to learn very quickly!

For July 4th weekend we went to Milwaukee to visit Grandpa Harry and Grandma Ellie (James' parents). We found a direct flight from Akron Canton to Milwaukee- so we took Elise on her first plane ride. The flight was delayed about 20 minutes, but other than that- Elise did great!!!!We took lots of "crunchies" and drink for the plane ride to help her clear her ears- and it seemed to do the trick. She didn't fuss at all on the plane!!

While in Milwaukee, we took Elise to the zoo. She got to see elephants, giraffes, bears, monkeys, peacocks and many other animals. She seemed more interested in people-watching than anything else. We had a great time!!

On Saturday afternoon Grandma Ellie bought a pool for Elise (and Lacey) to play in. Elise LOVES the water- so she was very excited to get wet- and it was nice to cool down because we were enduring some HOT weather!!!!!

Grandma Ellie found some ducks for Elise to play with in the water- which she of course had to have one in each hand while playing (and trying to stand up) in the pool.

We celebrated the 4th of July by watching, and eventually joining in on, the neighborhood parade. The parade is led by 2 police cars and a small marching band. Then, as the parade goes through the neighborhood, everyone joins behind and walks to the nearby park.

At the park you enjoy ice cream and the kids play games!! It was a lot of fun to watch the neighborhood kids decorate their bikes and skateboards and join in the parade!!

Elise entered her first foot race and, with daddy's help, won a blue balloon!!

We had a fabulous weekend and are looking forward to spending time with Grandpa Harry, Grandma Ellie and the entire Moseley family in August when we travel to Maine for the Family Reunion!!!!!

James' First Father's Day

2010-07-06T13:58:00.001-07:00

Even though this post is a couple weeks late, I wanted to be sure to write about James' First Father's Day (or Father's Day Weekend)!!!!!

I let him know that we would do ANYTHING that he wanted- so of course the weekend was packed full of fun activites!!

On Saturday morning, Elise woke up at 8:00 and after we ate breakfast we went to Price Park. We walked around the path twice (about 2 miles) and then headed for the swings!

James pushed Elise on the swings. She's always seemed a little afraid in the past, but I guess she's gotten over her fears because she LOVED it!!!!! She laughed and squealed as daddy pushed her higher and higher. She even seemed to be pumping her legs to go even higher. I loved watching the two of them have so much fun.

Saturday afternoon we headed out to find a swimming pool for the back yard. Ever since Elise's swimming class- James has been wanting to get Elise in a pool to play. He's been dying to put a pool in the back yard- but for now we'll settle for a small plastic pool to play in.

They had a blast playing and splashing. Elise, of course, just wanted to find a way to stand up. She did do a few nose dives into the "deep end"- but I was happy to see that she didn't seem to mind her face getting wet and quickly recovered and wanted to play again. I'm soooo glad that we took her to swimming class so that she's comfortable in the water.

We had my mom and dad over for dinner- made steak kabobs and baked potatoes on the grill. It was a great day!!!!

On Sunday we headed out early to Metzger Park. We hadn't taken Elise for a ride in her Chariot behind the bikes and thought that it was a gorgeous day to give it a try. Elise did great and James and I had a BLAST!!!!!!!

The Chariot is just the right size for Elise and all her stuff- snacks, drink, toys, books... so she seemed to have a good time and we were able to get some good exercise (biked 5 1/2 miles).

Sunday evening we headed over to Grandma Leslie (Lisa's grandma) pool for more swimming. We put Elise into a raft and she kicked her way around the entire pool. She never stopped moving!!!!! She had a wonderful time and it was a great ending to a fantastic weekend!!

Elise and I made James a plate for Father's Day. We went to Glazed and Amused and they helped me make a butterfly out of her feet prints. She liked having her feet in the paint, but didn't like having her feet held on the plate to make the print. It was a bit of a challenge- but turned out pretty nice for a First Father's Day!!!!!!

Happy Father's Day to James- the most incredible man I know! Thank you for being such a wonderful father and example to Elise. Thank you for loving us both!!!!

My First Mother's Day

2010-05-27T19:38:00.000-07:00

I woke up on Mother's Day to find my wonderful husband and baby girl making me pancakes!!!

James loves to carry Elise around the house in the Bjorn- and Elise loves being in the center of all the action (which is usually anywhere James is)- so they had a very fun morning!

James and Elise made a hand print for me for Mother's Day. It's so wonderful because it's something special that I will always have to remind me of my first Mother's Day!! I'll always have a reminder of how tiny Elise's precious little hand was in 2010- and how wonderful James was to spend time with Elise to make such a thoughtful gift!!!!

We spent most of the morning together just enjoying each other's company. James has been so busy with work lately and has had to work several weekends. It was nice to have one day just for the three of us- with no distractions!!

Elise has been very interested in pulling up to standing... She loved having daddy to play with and having mommy as an audience as she showed off her skills (with one eye on Sieben the whole time).

We had a late lunch at A1 Steakhouse (one of my favorite Japanese restaurants), went for a walk at Diamond Park and watched movies at home. It was the most perfect day!!!!

My First Mother's Day... so amazing!!! I think that I say in almost every blog post that I can't believe how quickly time has passed- but it's so true. Eight months ago I gave birth to the most amazing little girl that I have ever known. I love her more and more every day as I see the thrill and excitement in her eyes as she learns new things and grows bigger and stronger. Even when she is sick with a 103 degree temp- she smiles at me and loves me in her own special way!!! One of my most favorite parts of my day is going to her room in the morning... even though she usually smiles up and me and says "da da"- hehe.

Every change and sacrifice that I have made is worth it because we have an incredible daughter who makes me PROUD to be a Mother!

A Week of Firsts!!!

2010-04-24T13:00:00.000-07:00

This week has been a week of FIRSTS for Elise!!!!!

On Monday morning, she figured out how to get up on her knees all by herself. James and I have been working with her and helping to push her up on her knees. She would stay on her knees and rock back and forth a little bit and then fall back down. She would push up on her arms- but never figured out her legs until early this week!!

Unfortunately, all I had close by was my phone to take the picture- so it's not the best quality. And- of course it was morning, so Elise isn't quite dressed in her best and is missing her pants... but she was up on her knees (and almost on her feet!!!)

On Wednesday morning, Elise figured out how to get from her knees to the sitting position!

I wonder how babies figure out how to do these things on their own. James and I haven't shown her how to get into a seated position- but she DID IT!!!!

Of course- once again- this is a picture I took with my phone... so not the best quality. Look at that face though!! She was soooo proud of herself. I think I screamed that morning when I went in to get her. It's odd seeing your child sitting up in her crib when you're used to walking in and she's usually laying on her back or belly.

I'm sure she was thinking "why are you taking my picture?? Get me out of here and get me some breakfast!!!"

Now when we put Elise on the floor- all she wants to do is push up into a sitting position. She hasn't tried to crawl or anything for a few days because she wants to practice her new "skill." If she wants to get a toy, she sits up- then she dives towards the toy. If she's not close enough, she pushes up into a sitting position again and then dives again. It's so funny to watch!!!!

Another thing Elise has done this week is finally start playing in her jumper.

Bryan & Lisa got the jumper for her for Christmas and she's acted afraid of it and every time we put her in she starts to fuss and cry. Well- with her new confidence... she's not afraid anymore.

Here she is this week playing in the jumper. She's not exactly jumping- but she's having a good time. She became very amused with the mirror and started reaching and playing with it. She was so enthusiastic about it that she pulled herself over to one side so that both of her feet are actually off the floor.

We're going to work with her more on the jumping- but the best thing is that she's excited and wants to play in it!!!! So glad!

Below are a few pictures I wanted to share from the photo shoot that we had with Elise a few weeks ago. Our friend Chris (the same one who took our Christmas pics) took them for us. Amazing enough- Elise started sitting up on her own two days before the pictures were taken. So eventhough I have my hands behind her in most of the pics- she's sitting up all on her own!!!!

OUR BIG GIRL!!!! WE JUST LOVE HER SOOOO MUCH!!!!

Swimming class and other fun

2010-04-17T21:22:00.000-07:00

We have had a very busy week filled with special visitors, play dates and swim class!!!!

This past weekend Grandpa Harry and Grandma Ellie (James' parents) traveled from Wisconsin to pay us a visit. This is the first time that they have seen Elise since Christmas- so it was a very special visit!!!!

Elise loved seeing her grandparents! She smiled wide for them and showed them how fast she's been growing up. One night at dinner, Grandpa came to the table to sit down and Elise looked right at him and said "hi." Elise was also able to give Grandma and Grandpa a few good waves- which she's just learned to do in the past week.

On Saturday, Elise and I went shopping with Grandma Ellie for a new bathing suit!!! Of course Grandma couldn't resist also buying Elise a few pairs of pants and a cute pink plaid dress...

On Sunday, after Grandma fed Elise her cereal with bananas and her favorite sweet potatoes, we decided to go for a walk in the park.

We enjoyed the beautiful weather!!! And- as usual- Lacey (Harry & Ellie's golden retriever) found the mud and rolled in it...hehe- I think I was the only one that thought it was funny?!?!

Because their visit was so close to Easter, Harry and Ellie brought Elise's Easter gift with them.

They gave Elise a soft, stuffed bunny rabbit and the classic children's book "I am a Bunny." Elise LOVES her books- so she made Grandpa read her the book right away!!! She loves having you read to her so she can sit in your lap, look at the pictures and turn the pages!!!

The weekend ended too quickly- as it always does. And- as usual I had tears in my eyes as they pulled away on Monday morning to head back home.

The beautiful weather continued throughout the week. Robin and I finally coordinated our schedules so that we could meet at Metzger Park for a walk.

Here is a picture of CUTE Gabe and Elise in their strollers at the end of our walk. We got about 3/4 of the way around the path and Elise started to fuss- so Robin suggested we take the short cut back to our cars.

Considering that Gabe and Elise have opposite nap times (Gabe got up from his nap at 1:00 and Elise was scheduled to go down for her nap at 2:00)- everything went very well!!!!! I hope that we can meet again soon and get even further along the path next time.

Elise started her 6 week swimming class at the North Canton YMCA today. I think James was as excited as she was to get into the water!! The instructor was very nice and she made all the parents and children feel comfortable.

There were 8 kids in the class ranging from 6 months to 2 1/2 years old. The instructor had the children sit on the edge of the pool and put their feet in the water. Then they held onto the edge of the pool and kicked. She also had them get all the way into the pool with their parent and splash and kick.

They sang songs and played with balls. It was such a wonderful experience and it will help Elise to be comfortable in the water and learn a few basic skills. She was by far the youngest child in the class and was more brave with some of the exercises than the 2 year olds! I was so proud of her!!!!

I hope that some day Elise has the passion for the water just as James does!!!!

Six Months Old & Easter

2010-04-07T13:38:00.001-07:00

17lbs 12oz (80th percentile) and 27 1/2 inches (95th percentile)

SIX MONTHS OLD!!!!! WOW... I remember Elise being born like it was just yesterday. I remember holding her for the first time, sharing that first special moment with James as we realized that our lives would be changed forever. But- never in my wildest dreams would I have even believed that I would feel the love for her that I do!!!! She has changed everything about me- and I know that I am a better and HAPPIER person because she is here...

As you can see from the stats above- Elise is growing by leaps and bounds. She started eating cereal approximately one week after she turned 5 months old. She didn't really like it at first and just let it roll around on her tongue and would spit it right back out. Quite honestly- at 6 months old... she hasn't changed her opinion much about cereal. I started adding a small spoonful of banana baby food to the cereal to make it taste better- and now I can get about 5 good spoonfuls in her before she wants to move on!!

Elise's favorite thing to eat is sweet potatoes!! This was the first vegetable that I tried and she LOVED it!! This picture was taken after I had already cleaned her face twice... she was such a mess- even had it in her nose!! Since introducing sweet potatoes, Elise has tried squash and sweet carrots- but doesn't like either one as well as she likes sweet potatoes... so I bought her some more so that she can enjoy them this weekend!!

This past weekend was Easter Sunday and our entire family was invited to dinner at my dad's sister's house (Aunt Eileen). I was lucky enough to get a picture of the three girls... Marissa and Abby smiled great and took a wonderful picture!!! Elise, on the other hand, didn't want to have her picture taken- she wanted to play and watch Aunt Eileen's dog run around the house...

Marissa turned 5 in January and Abby is 7... three beautiful girls!!

Elise got her first Easter Basket from the Easter Bunny. She received a Winnie the Pooh crinkle book and a stuffed yellow duck (which she was holding her in 6 month picture at the beginning of the blog). The Easter Bunny also brought candy for mommy and daddy!!!!

We had a wonderful Holiday weekend with James being home with us ALL THREE DAYS!!!!! He has been working a lot lately- so it was wonderful to have him home and enjoying the weekend with me and Elise. We were able to spend lots of time together- reading books, playing with toys and even taking a walk in the park! I cherished every second with James and Elise!!!!!!

FIVE MONTHS OLD

2010-03-02T07:00:00.000-08:00

It's absolutely amazing to me that Elise is already five months old. The time has passed so quickly and she is growing and learning new things every single day!!!

Above is one of Elise's four month pictures. Because James was working late that night, I took Elise's pictures on my own- so I didn't get any pictures of her smiling. In most of the pictures she was either looking around or grabbing onto the bear or the paper- but having fun!!!!!

The yellow dress that Elise is wearing is from Bryan & Lisa. They had a garage sale before I was even expecting- and I just couldn't let her sell this dress... WOW- must have known we were having a girl?!?!

Elise has been rolling over for over a month now- but at five months old she is rolling everywhere!! When I put Elise down on the floor and step away for a minute- I just hope that she's still on her gym when I come back. She's getting so curious and wants to explore- and will do everything in her power to go after a toy if she really wants it.

Here's a picture of her pushing up on her arms. She's getting so strong. Once she figures out what to do with her legs- she'll be crawling soon... and I will be SOOOOO busy chasing her around the house (let's just say- she definately has her daddy's go-go-go personality)!!

Elise has finally found her feet!! It seems like she was late in finding her feet- but I remember my friend Beth saying that once she took off her baby's socks, that she quickly found her feet. I think the same happened with Elise. I've been keeping her bundled up because of the cold winter- but lately I've been leaving off her socks... and she quickly found out how much fun her feet can be!!!!!!

This past weekend we fed Elise rice cereal. The dr recommnded that we start her on cereal before she turned six months- so we thought that now would be a good time to get started.

She took a few good spoonfuls- spitting most of it out. It's hard to tell from her expression if she enjoyed it or not?!?!

I tried giving her cereal yesterday and she didn't want it at all. So- for now it's going to be trial and error. I'll try maybe every other day and see how it goes. She's still gaining weight and doing great- so there is certainly no need to rush her on eating!!!!

At five months, Elise is sleeping 10 to 11 hours at night. Most nights she fusses around 2AM- but I have started letting her cry a little bit and most nights she falls right back to sleep. She is a great sleeper and knows her schedule. If she's a few minutes late for a nap- she lets you know!!!

James and I have been so blessed with a wonderful baby!!! She is our true pride and joy!!!

Fun with Snow

2010-02-07T08:48:00.001-08:00

Elise is now officially 19 weeks old- only 7 more weeks until she's SIX MONTHS!!!!!! I am amazed by how quickly time has passed and how much she is growing up.

Below are a few fun pics that we took this weekend.

Last weekend was Grandpa Moseley's birthday- so we had to take a picture of Elise wishing him a "Happy Birthday." Abby and Marissa helped make the sign and birthday hat.

Above is a picture James took right before I put on her hat- I just LOVE the way she's looking at me here!!!! She's so sweet!!!

Friday night/Saturday morning we got about a foot of snow!!

Since it was so cold- we didn't think we should take Elise outside, so we brought the snow inside to her!!!!

She played with the snow a little bit- but didn't play too long because it was cold on her little fingers. We did get a few cute pictures of her playing with the snow and also with the "mini-snow dog" that James made for her.

Elise had her 4 month doctor's appointment this past Thursday and she received some of her 4 month vacines (I get to go back in two weeks with her to get the rest). She did great- didn't even cry!!

Elise has had quite a few skin outbreaks lately- which the doctor checked and believes that she has Eczema. She shoulders were so bad that they he believed that they were getting infected (so sad). He prescribed her with a special skin ointment and an antibiotic to give her for the next 10 days. She's doing great after only 3 days- I see tons of improvement!!!! She's such a trooper!!

FOUR MONTHS OLD!!!

2010-01-26T19:08:00.000-08:00

We have been taking monthly pictures of Elise with her bear (I have to admit- I copied this idea from Beth White). Since I haven't blogged her monthly pictures, I wanted to catch up with her last FOUR months' pictures.

Elise at one month old- 11 pounds 2 oz and 23 inches long

Elise at two months old- 13 pounds 13 oz and 24 1/4 inches long

Elise at three months old (she had a head cold and ear infection... poor baby!!)- approx 15 pounds and 25 inches long

Elise at four months old- 15 pounds 13 oz and 25 3/4 inches long

Elise didn't have a doctor's appointment at 3 months and her 4 month doctor's appointment is scheduled for next week...

At four months- Elise is rolling over from belly to back (and only once from back to belly), grabbing toys, cooing and “talking” all the time, Elise also loves to scream just to hear herself (she’s scared me a couple times with her screams- I go running and she’s just smiling away!!). Elise also loves to laugh out loud- it’s so fun to hear.

Last night in her bathtub she “found” her foot. She hasn’t grabbed it yet today- but it’s certainly an exciting new discovery!!!! Elise has also been on a consistent 4 hour schedule (awake, eat and play for 2 hours and nap for 2 hours)- and she sleeps 8 to 10 hours at night. She’s doing just great and, as you can see, growing like a weed!!

We are SUCH proud parents!!!!!!

Elise pics

2010-01-18T13:02:00.001-08:00

I honestly have no idea how many people read our blog- but I just wanted to share some random pics of Elise over the last (almost) four months!!!

I can't believe how quickly she's grown and how our lives has changed!! She's so precious!

HOLIDAYS

2010-01-10T12:04:00.001-08:00

It was wonderful enjoying the Holidays with Elise this year!! Even though she wasn't able to understand and be involved in all the Christmas activities- it was so much more fun having her smile to lighten up every party!! Above is her first picture with Santa- this was taken at our PCC Employee Activity Association party...

Here is a picture of Abby, Marissa and Elise at our "Lewis Family" Christmas party. James and I hosted the party this year since it was easier for us to not have to pack up all of Elise's stuff (it's amazing how much stuff a little baby requires). She got a stuffed puppy that talks from Grandma & Grandpa and a "jumper" which you put in the door way for her to jump in from Uncle Bryan & Aunt Lisa (she's not quite ready for that yet- but will be soon I'm sure). We had a GREAT party!!!!!!

We drove to Milwaukee for Christmas and spent five days with the Moseley's. Elise started getting sick on Christmas Eve with a horrible head cold and eventually got an ear infection. Her "Three Month Birthday" was on Christmas morning... she looks so sick :(

She got her "Bumbo Chair" from me and James (which she's almost outgrown already) and clothes and other fun stuff from Grandma & Grandpa Moseley. James' brother and family arrived on Saturday night after Christmas and we opened more gifts with them (sadly I didn't get any pictures- I think I was so distracted trying to make Elise feel better).

James and I were home for New Year's Eve and invited my mom and dad (Grandma & Grandpa Lewis) over to eat Fondue and play Wii. We had a nice relaxing time to welcome the New Year!!

Elise had her "New Years Eve" outfit on and partied until 8:30!!!!!! She was starting to feel better and wanted to show off her "standing" skills. She's been getting very strong legs and wants to stand (assisted of course) as much as she can.

Much love and best wishes to everyone for a WONDERFUL 2010!!!!

First Family pics

2009-12-16T20:52:00.000-08:00

I can't believe I haven't been keeping up with the blog. I feel like I don't have any time during the day... and when James comes home and night I just want to soak up the time we have together as a family.

Corby and Chris VanDee (James' long-time diving buddies) came over and did a family photo shoot for James and I as our "baby gift." The timing was great because we're able to use some of the pics for our Christmas letter and to give as gifts.

Here are some of my favorites... Elise was so well-behaved and

did great until she just couldn't stay awake another minute. Even the "sleeping" pictures turned out pretty well.

Best wishes to all for a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year!!!!!!

BIRTH STORY

2009-11-13T13:10:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it's been almost two months since my last blog. I had no idea how little free time I would have once the baby was born. I thought that I should blog about Elise's birth before I blogged about anything else.

My doctor scheduled me for my FIFTH ultrasound on Thursday, September 24th. James and I met with the doctor after my ultrasound to discuss how I would deliver Elise since she was almost one week past her due date. I was told that Elise was between 9 and 10 pounds, that I was not dilated at all and that the doctors believed me to have a narrow pelvis.

Because of all these reasons, James and I discussed that the best thing to do was to have Elise by cesarean birth and avoid the stress and complications of a natural birth- since it was believed by my doctor that if I chose to try a vaginal birth that I may end up with a cesarean birth if there were complications.

I arrived at Aultman Hospital at 7am on Friday, September 25th. After checking in and going through all the preparations, James and I went to the operating room to prepare for the long-awaited birth of our baby girl. The worst part of the surgery preparation was the spinal. After three tries and calling in another doctor- I finally received my spinal. The surgery went well and Elise Lauraine Moseley was born at 9:53am.

Because the curtain was in front of my face, I wasn't able to see Elise be born- but it was amazing watching her enter this world through James' eyes. He didn't have to say a word as I saw his face and his eyes filled with tears. As James cut the umbilical cord- I began to cry- knowing that we had just become parents and that our lives would be changed forever. James brought Elise to me and we both kissed her welcoming her to our family.

Elise was 8 pounds 15 oz., 20 1/4 inches, light brown hair and blue eyes. We all fell in love!! Elise and I did well while staying at Aultman Hospital. After our second day in the hospital, Elise had learned how to breast feed and was able to eat well enough so that she did not develop jaundice.

We are proud of her development and love her more and more every day. Elise is a blessing from God and a wonder to us. James and I never knew the joy that we could feel in adding a beautiful baby girl to our family.

40 Weeks and still Pregnant

2009-09-19T18:21:00.000-07:00

I am one day away from my due date!!! I can't believe that September 20th is finally here!

I have had a wonderful pregnancy- I think I have been "glowing" from the day we found out that I was expecting. I haven't had any problems, I have only gained 19 pounds (which the doctors tell me is very good) and we're enjoyed every moment- feeling the baby move, picking out maternity clothes, spending time with family and friends at our baby showers and James and I growing closer together by planning for the baby and attending our labor preparation classes.

I had my doctor's appointment on Friday and found out that I'm 50% effaced and dilated 1 cm. I realize that I have a long way to go- but we are very excited to know that progress has begun and we are a little bit closer to having our baby!!!!

My next appointment will be Wednesday and I have been told that if my labor doesn't start by next Friday (September 25th) that they plan to send me to the hospital to be induced.

We hope that labor starts naturally this week. We are going to start walking more, driving on bumpy roads and drinking Red Raspberry Leaf tea (which I hear can start labor). Whether all these things will work or not- I'm willing to try anything!!

Keep watching our blog or Facebook for pictures within the next week... we can't wait to post pictures of Elise!!!!

As ready as we can be

2009-09-07T19:35:00.000-07:00

The nursery is officially READY!!!! James and I finally hung the letters for the baby's name on the wall today above the crib.

ELISE LAURAINE MOSELEY

We are excited that we have agreed on a name and that her first and middle names mean so much to both of us (we'll share the meanings in a later blog).

Now we just have to wait and see what happens next. We are both nervous and excited about the next step in our lives. We are happy with our doctors and are pleased that I will be delivering at a very good hospital. We also feel somewhat prepared through our classes and books that we have been reading.

Please be sure to keep us in your thoughts and prayers- that Elise and I are both healthy and do well through the labor process.

Moseley Nursery

2009-09-03T20:00:00.000-07:00

The Nursery is ALMOST finished.

Here is a small shelf that's above the glider- notice the "E" block- we're naming the baby ELISE!!!!

James heard the name and we both just love it- so that was one decision that was fairly simple. We may have also decided on a middle name- but I'm not 100% sure... so I don't think I'll share it quite yet.

Here's a picture of the glider and small bed that we're leaving in the room for nights that I might have to stay with her. I made all the pillows and most of the stuffed animals are passed down from my nieces or given as gifts from the baby shower.

The only thing we have left to do is put the baby's name up on the wall behind the crib. My sister-in-law Lisa just called me yesterday to tell me that she finished them for me... so I can't wait to see how they look (I will post a final picture when the letters are hung).

I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow and will be officially 38 weeks on Monday (only 2 more weeks until my due date). I have been feeling more and more "tightness" and some pain- but have been continuing to work... just trying to take it easy in the evenings.

I'll keep everyone posted on the outcome of my appointment and all other news as we look forward to seeing our baby girl very soon!!!!!

Work Baby Shower and 36 week appointment

2009-08-29T19:57:00.000-07:00

I know that it's been quite a few weeks since I've posted, but James and I have been so busy trying to get everything ready for the baby's arrival.

The girls at work threw us a Baby Shower. We had a very nice lunch with some VERY yummy cake!!!!!

Most of the group went together and bought James and I our Baby Stroller and Car Seat- which we were excited to get!! James was so excited that he put everything together that night and put it in the car. It's amazing to think that we're going to have a baby so small that she will fit inside- can't believe it's only weeks away!!

We also received a crocheted blanket, sweater and hat from one of our friends from work. Another friend bought us a basket for the dishwasher and other baby stuff. We had a wonderful second shower and are very blessed by everyone's generosity!

I had my 36 week doctor's appointment on Wednesday. The doctor reported that I had only gained one pound- which puts me at approximately 16 pounds in total (feels like soooo much more). The baby's head is still down and she was laying on her stomach- so we could hear the heart beat very faintly. He also checked me for dialation... no signs of labor yet.

I'm continuing to work... and still feel pretty good. The hardest part of my day has been between 6:30 and 7:30AM- getting up, getting ready and driving into work. Once I get to work- I seem to be fine. I usually get home an hour before James- so Sieben and I have been taking naps until he gets home and then the three of us enjoy the evening together.

We will continue to keep you posted- maybe you'll see a post soon from James including the baby pictures...

Much love to all

Baby Shower and Week 32 update

2009-07-27T17:16:00.000-07:00

On July 18th my family and friends threw us a baby shower...

We decided to have the shower at our house in the back yard- and luckily the weather cooperated. We had a great turn out and everyone was generous with their gifts!!!

It was so fun seeing family that we hadn't seen for a while and many friends who I hadn't seen in such a long time!! I was so excited that Jen made the cake- it was so pretty and tasted sooooo good!!!!! Here are a few pictures from the wonderful day.

It was also great seeing Amy- my college roommate, Karen- one of my friends from High School, and her mom Rachel. I also enjoyed having James' mom and dad in town that weekend to join in celebrating the up-coming excitement of our first baby and join in all the plans for the baby shower. We had a wonderful- but VERY tiring weekend (though it seems like everything makes me tired anymore).

This past Friday (July 24th)- I had my 32 week appointment which included my 4th Ultrasound!! At my last appointment, the doctor ordered the Ultrasound because he said that I was "measuring big." According to the results of the Ultrasound- I am measuring exactly where I should be. The baby is approximately 4 pounds and I'm measuring right at 32 weeks. We also found out that her head has dropped and she is getting even closer to being ready for her birth day.

The baby has been very active and has been laying for the last week entirely on my left side. She must have been putting weight on a nerve or something because I woke up one morning and my side, hip and back were hurting so bad that I could barely walk.

The 3rd trimester has definately been a challenge for me as our baby girl grows bigger and makes us more and more aware that she is HERE!!!! She kicks even harder now and was pushing back on James' hand the other night with either an elbow or knee- it was really cool.

My next appointment is in two weeks... I'll keep you posted.

Week 28 and counting...

2009-06-28T12:24:00.001-07:00

I am now into week 28 of my pregnancy with our precious baby girl. James and I can't believe that we are getting closer and closer to holding our wonderful bundle of joy!!!!

We started our Birthing Classes this week at Aultman Hospital- where we will be delivering. The class is great- and has only 6 couples... which is a perfect size. We are all first time parents and seem to be nervously excited for what we have to expect over the next 3 months. Some of the mothers are further along than I am- but we have all been able to share our experiences and have a connection.

I had my 28 week doctor's appointment on Friday. The doctor checked me and said that I was measuring a perfect size and that the baby was approximately 2 pounds now. I have only gained 12 pounds so far in the pregnancy- which they told me was right on schedule. Everything is going well and I really feel great. I'm still having trouble sleeping but try to take naps when I can- as long as the baby isn't feeling too active at that moment in time.

James and I also start on our nursery this week. We bought the border and put it on the walls on Friday after work. Here's a few pictures of the border... I love the brown and pink combination.

James and I also decided that we wanted to leave a small twin bed in the nursery in case I need to stay in the room a few nights in order to not wake James when he goes back to work. We're going to make the bed into a day bed- so we went to JoAnn Fabric's today and bought a few different colors and types of fabric so that I can start sewing pillows. It's going to be so cute- I can't wait to post the final pictures of the nursery when we're all finished.

My doctor's appointments are now every 2 weeks since I am officially into my third tri-mester, so I will be posting again soon. Much love to all friends and family who read our blog- thanks for your prayers... the pregnancy has been going to wonderful so far- what a miracle!!!

Third times a charm

2009-06-09T19:27:00.000-07:00

I had my third Ultrasound yesterday... and everything went WELL!!!!!

I am now 25 weeks and the baby weighs approximately 1 pound and 10 oz (which the doctor said was a little big). They were able to get better pictures of her heart this time as well as all of her other healthy organs.

The best part was seeing her yawn, stick out her tongue and bite a little on her hand. It's amazing how much you can see in a ultrasound.

My due date is still scheduled for September 20th and I am feeling really good. I haven't gained much weight yet- but I guess that soon my belly will be growing bigger and bigger and me and the baby will be putting on the pounds.

This week has been very exciting with the encouraging ultrasound, finally deciding on which crib we like and placing our order and also celebrating (tomorrow) our 3 year anniversary!!!! There is so much to be thankful for.

Some updates on the Moseleys

2009-06-02T19:52:00.000-07:00

The past two weeks have been a bit rough in the Moseley house... but I wanted to write and update family and friends who occasionally read our blog.

James and I have been working on getting all the projects done on our house before the baby comes. We have installed new hard wood flooring on the first floor of our house- which is absolutely gorgeous!! We got new counter tops in the kitchen and finished the look off with new drawer pulls which really make the counter tops stand out. About a week later we decided to install new tile flooring and counter tops in the upstairs bathrooms before we started work on the nursery.

A few days after the tile was installed in the guest bathroom- we woke up to discover that the bathroom pipes had broken loose during the night and had dripped through to the first floor ruining the ceiling in the kitchen and approximately 500 square foot of the brand new hard wood flooring that we had just finished installing. The water had sat so long that it also started to leak through to the basement and ruined a few of the tiles of the drop ceiling and cause water stains on one of the basement walls. WHAT A MESS!!!!!!

To make things worse, the same week, there were some family misunderstandings involving my niece and my twin brother and I got into a HUGE argument. So our stress level was very high that week and my blood pressure has been higher than "normal."

Today I received a call from the doctor's office telling me that I need to come in for another Ultrasound. I was surprised and feel nervous because I don't know exactly why... I have been told by several friends that this could be a routine Ultrasound and maybe they just need more information or a better picture of the baby. I hope that nothing is wrong- but at this point I just don't know!!!! The appointment is Monday, June 8th and my mother has agreed to go to the doctor with me.

Please pray that everything goes well on Monday and that James and I are able to work through the next few weeks and have all the repairs completed and be able to move onto preparing the nursery soon.

IT'S A GIRL!!!!

2009-05-19T19:51:00.000-07:00

We finally had our Ultrasound and were told that we will be having a GIRL!!!!!!

James and I were both shocked by the news... but are so glad that we know now and can start planning and decorating the nursery!

The baby was very active during the Ultrasound- but we were able to see close ups of all the organs including the baby's heart (heart beat was 148 beats per minute), her stomach, kidneys, liver and also were able to see a close up of her spine... very cool!!!!!

They measured her head and spine and determined that she was "normal" size and weighs approximately 1 pound.

This week I am 22 weeks and FINALLY started feeling the baby move. It has been so exciting and kind of strange all at the same time. Most of the times when I feel her move is right after I eat... so I'm sure the sugar has her flipping in circles.

My next appointment is Monday, June 8th... more updates soon!!!!

Baby Update

2009-04-19T10:17:00.000-07:00

On Monday, April 13th I had my 17 week OB appointment. I met with one of the doctors at Atrium and she did updated blood work and several other tests.

After my usual exam, I finally got to hear the baby's heart beat!!!!!

The doctor had quite a challenge chasing the baby around though... She found the heart beat quickly, and we listened for a few seconds. But then the baby moved. She found the heart beat again and we listened and then he/she moved again. The baby was definitely dancing around inside!! She followed it around for a few minutes.

When I feel the baby start to move- I am going to be in BIG trouble... he/she is VERY active!!!!!

On another note- the floors are finally completed and we will have our new kitchen counter tops installed tomorrow. So- I will have some new pictures of the updates posted very soon. It looks so great- like a whole different house.

We have our next OB appointment on Monday, May 11th (the day after Mother's Day) when we will FINALLY found out the sex of the baby!!!! James will be at the appointment with me and we're both very excited to find out what is growing inside of me and start planning the nursery.

Baby News

2009-03-10T19:14:00.000-07:00

I think that most of our family and friends know- but I wanted to make the announcement official and put it on our blog. WE'RE EXPECTING A BABY!!!!!

It's funny how the result of peeing on a stick can be so exciting... hehe

I have had a wonderful pregnancy so far. I have had very little nausea and no sickness- though I have been taking a ton of vitamins to be sure! The only problem that I have is being soooo tired- though I've been told that it's normal and should ease a little in the 2nd trimester.

I had one of my first "important" doctor's appoinments this week. We were supposed to hear the baby's heart beat... but the nurse was unable to find it. So, just to be safe, they scheduled us quickly for an ultrasound. It was the most incredible experience of our lives!!!!

James was at the doctor's office with me and we both watched the screen in amamzement as our baby jumped actively all over the screen. The tech got some really great pictures of our baby and a close-up of his/her face.

We still have 2 more months to wait until we can find out the sex of the baby- but we have decided that neither one of us wants to wait... and we plan to find out!

As of today I am 12 weeks pregnant and my "estimated" due date is September 27th- though they suggested at my last appointment that because of the size of the baby they may move my date up one week (could now be September 20th)

If anyone has any words of advice and books you recommend me reading- please feel free to share. We look forward to the next 6 months and being able to finally hold our beautiful, healthy baby!!!!

Woman to Woman Encouragement

2009-01-10T20:50:00.000-08:00

I received an e-mail on Friday and it made my day... so I thought that I should pass it on...

Woman to Woman Encouragement

Someone will always be smarter. Their house will be bigger. They willdrive a better car. Their children will do better in school. And their partners will fix more things around the house.

So let it go and love you and your circumstances.

Think about it. The prettiest woman in the world can have hell in her heart. And the most highly favored woman on your job may be unable to have children. The richest woman you know -she's got the car, the house, the clothes - might be heartbreakingly lonely.

So, love you. Love who you are right now. Tell yourself, "I am too blessed to be stressed."

"To the world you might be one person, but to one person you just might be the world."

When I think about all the wonderful women in my life- I knew that I just had to share! I'm not sure how many people read my blog... but I know the women who have told me that they read- and I love them all dearly!!

I wish the best for everyone in 2009 and hope that we can continue to encourage each other.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

2008-12-31T14:14:00.000-08:00

December has been a busy month of making cookies, going to parties and celebrating Christmas with co-workers, friends and family!! I don't have all the pictures from the holidays yet- but I'll share a few from our cookie-baking experience...

Here are pictures of Marissa and Abby making cut-out cookies (best part is playing in the flour)

James and I had a huge Christmas cookie making party. Lisa, Abby, Marissa, Audra, Sklar, Clayton, my mom & dad and Grandma Hembree came over to help us make five different kinds of cookies- which we are still eating (three plus weeks later). James gave me one of my Christmas presents the night the night before- a new Kitchette mixer- which I love!!!!

Here's a picture of some of the cookies before they went into the oven- notice the "hot dog" that Marissa made... so creative. Of course it didn't look the same when it came out of the oven.

Even though Audra, Clayton and Skylar came over to our house- they weren't very interested in helping make cookies- they decided to cuddle up and watch tv instead.

James and I attended several parties- including our work party, Lewis family party and traveling to Wisconsin to spend a week with the Moseley family. It has been a very busy Christmas!!

We are both looking forward to a quiet night at home- just the two of us- for New Year's Eve. We both worked all day today and, after traveling so much over Christmas, are looking forward to staying home.

Our Holiday cards will be mailed out soon (for those of you that have been wondering)- so that we can wish you all of the best for 2009.

Best wishes and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!

I've been TAGGED

2008-11-11T18:58:00.000-08:00

Denise "tagged" me so I need to post the 4th picture in the 4th folder from our computer on our blog. The only thing about this is that James has many folders of pictures on our computer from before we were dating...

This is a picture from 2000. It's Christmas morning at James' parents' house. In the picture is James' brother Bill, Ben (who will be 9 this year), Julia- James' sister-in-law, and of course Sieben and Nitney (James' parents' dog). This picture was taken 4 years before James and I started dating.

The funny thing to me about this picture is the fact that this living room and the "Christmas morning" scene looks exactly the same as it does every year that I have been at their house (which has been every Christmas morning for the last 3 years) though Nitney has now passed- sadly.

I'm going to "tag" some of my friends- but you'll have to look for their posts on Facebook not blogs. Enjoy!!

10-YEAR COLLEGE REUNION!!!

2008-11-04T18:16:00.000-08:00

Over a week ago James and I drove to Milligan College, TN for my 10-year college reunion!!! I can't believe how quickly time has passed... I feel like it was just yesterday that I graduated.

Here are a few pictures from the weekend- we had a blast!! I was so glad to see lots of friends from our class- and of course a few friends that didn't graduate with us but have a special place in my heart!!!!!

After our small gathering- we enjoyed a parade, which is new since we graduated, but quite fun!! The students make floats or ride in a car or truck and get to entertain all of us. They even threw candy for those who brought their children.

On Saturday night a group of us went to Cici's for dinner and enjoyed catching up, laughing and (you know me) crying a little. I enjoyed so much seeing everyone!!!! The highlights of the weekend (for me anyway) were getting to spend time with "the gang" (Beth, Brian, Emily, Misty, Kyle & Megan, Ladd & Emily, Adam & MaryEllen and everyone). Thank you for being so kind to James and allowing him to feel welcome into our "family."

One of the strongest bonds that I have are to my friends from Milligan. I love that we can go for years and not see eachother- but every time we are together it is like no time has passed. I love you all... and you will always have a special place in my heart.

And- Denise, Danielle, Amy and Kerri... I missed you all soooo much!!! We'll have to get toghether soon.

We had a great time and were sad to leave. Hope to keep in touch with everyone- and see you all at our 20th (if not sooner!!)

Cute Ballerina

2008-10-13T18:47:00.000-07:00

Tonight I went to watch Marissa at Dance class. She was dressed up in her Ballet outfit with her cute little Ballerina slippers (she's on the very right in the picture below).

Here are a few pictures... they are a little blurry- but soooo cute!!!!

Here's a picture of Marissa on her tippie-toes holding onto the bar. She was so excited to show off and dance around in her beautiful pink Ballerina outfit.
Marissa kicked higher than all of the other girls in the class... she was so excited!! I can't wait to go again and see her dance. She loves dressing up and being a "princess ballerina." We had a great evening!!!!

What's in our back yard?

2008-09-22T16:52:00.000-07:00

I noticed that Beth posted last week about the beautiful creatures and flowers she found and took pictures of in her back yard. After looking over it- I thought that I would share a few pictures of our back yard... after Ohio felt the aftermath of Hurricane Ike.

This is one of the four trees that we lost during the storm last week. You can see that the tree just literally broke it two (half of the tree was still standing).

Unfortunately we didn't think to get pictures of the other trees until we had cleaned up most of the yard (which took us four days).

Here is a picture of part of our fence that the neighbor's tree fell on. This is the same part of the fence that we have had repaired two times already for trees falling on it... still waiting to hear back on that quote. The neighbor was kind enough to clean up the tree from the fence- mostly because I'm sure he wanted the firewood.

It's amazing to me that Hurricane Ike was so strong that it caused such damage in Ohio- which is many miles away from Texas... Even though we had plenty of damage and lost our power (and water- since we have a well)- we are still lucky that we didn't suffer any real loss.

I'll try to post some more pictures in the fall when leaves start to change- we really do have a beautiful back yard and I'd love to share it with friends are family that have yet to see it.

Walk for Autism

2008-08-26T17:03:00.000-07:00

Over two years ago (on April 5, 2006), Christopher Kuhlmann was diagnosed with autism. Chris is the son of my friends Ken and Kate- who I have known and grown very close to over the last 10 years. Chris is a wonderful 6 year old who is planning to start the first grade this year. He loves learning the alphabet and writing letters, he loves reading stories, swinging and especially watching movies. He is a very special boy with some challenges.

Here are some facts on Autism that you may not know:

- 67 children are diagnosed with autism every day
- A new case is diagnosed almost every 20 minutes
- Autism receives less than 5% of the research funding of less prevalent childhood diseases

James and I have joined Ken and Kate’s relay team to walk on Sunday, September 28TH. If you feel led to help, please click on the website below and click on my name (Susan Moseley) and make a tax deductible donation.

http://www.walknowforautism.org/c.mrKQIUPAIoE/b.3619331/siteapps/teampage/ShowPage.aspx?c=mrKQIUPAIoE&b=3619331&sid=arKJK0NMLjLRJ2OGIsE

Thank you in advance for any donations or words of encouragement you can offer me and/or our team.

Susan

What I've been doing the last three months

2008-06-07T13:53:00.000-07:00

I know, I know- I haven't been posting on my blog. I've been busy with so much lately that I haven't been able to find the time... but I'm going to TRY to start writing more often. Sooooo- here's what has happened in my/our lives since I last wrote in March....

1. My Grandma Hembree had knee replacement surgery and was moved into a Nursing Home. Though this may not seem like too much- it was a lot for the entire family. My Grandma is 87 and having knee replacement surgery was a VERY big deal. She had her surgery on "Good Friday" and everything went well. She didn't deal with the pain medication very well mentally (she made some very random phone calls telling family members that she had been kidnapped) so James and I visited her every day in the hospital. After she was moved to the Nursing Home- I visited her twice a week after work. I enjoyed our visits and got her hear some great stories of "When I was your age...." I love my chats with Grandma Hembree and so does James.
*** Update is that she's doing well and has been walking and was moved recently into Assisted Living- which is a great hurdle for her... I know that she was struggling with therapy.

2. Sieben (our dog) had a minor surgery. This is really no big deal and maybe not even worth mentioning- but she's my "baby" and I struggled a little because she was acting very odd and got very sick. She had two abscessed teeth which caused her to be in a great deal of pain and not eat. We didn't even know what the issue was because sometimes she does get into a mood where she won't eat. But she started throwing up a lot... and losing a lot of weight. Then- one morning we woke up and her cheek was about as big as a golf ball. So- I panicked and made a vet appointment that day and we got her teeth pulled. She had some recovery where she didn't want to eat... but a month later, she's back to normal and hyper as ever.

3. We traveled to Milwaukee to see James' folks for Mothers' Day. The weather was gorgeous and we had a wonderful visit. The drive is the worst part (7 hours one way). We drove Friday after work and arrived at midnight. We woke up on Saturday and went to the Botanical Gardens- which was really pretty. We went so early in the season that it would be great to go back in the late summer and see all the other flowers and plants that we're up in the Spring. We had a lovely dinner on a beautiful Restaurant which was right on Lake Michigan- we got to experience a gorgeous sunset. Then we all went to church together the next morning (Pentecost Sunday) and enjoyed a lovely service together. I just love James parents and always enjoy our visits!!!!

4. James experienced another Dive Tragedy. Bill Prince (one of his fellow divers) passed away in early May. Bill was not only a diver but had several boats and took many SCUBA Divers out in Lake Michigan through his charters. James has been on his boats several times- out of Milwaukee once and took a week like trip with him last summer out of White Peak Michigan. It was a terrible loss and quite surprising to all the Divers that we know. These accidents don't happen very often (you rarely hear of them)- but to have TWO deaths to James friends in six months is really tough. James hasn't talked much about it with me- but I know that it was difficult. He told me that other day that he knows that he has a dangerous hobby- but he loves it. So, you can't argue much with that. I know that he's trained to dive and only dives with buddies who are trained and safe- so I just have to trust that he will be fine and let him enjoy his life. It would be much harder to fight with him and be scared all the time...

5. I signed up for the Becker "fast pass" Review Course in order to prepare for the CPA Exam. It started in early May and goes until July 31st. I go up to Akron University on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights from 5:30 to 9:30PM. The material hasn't been too tough- but the schedule is brutal. I go to work from 7AM to 4:30PM and then straight to class. I'm lucky if I get home by 10PM. Most nights I'm in bed by 11:00PM. It's been really tough on me and James- but it's only for the summer and going to be one of the best things I even did when I get my CPA.

6. Last but not least... I'm not even sure if I should share this or not, but I'm excited. James and I have decided to start a family. For those of you who know me and James- this is AMAZING!! When James and I got married James didn't want kids and I was only 50/50 about having kids. We love our dog- and were happy with that. But, something changed in both of us this year and we have decided to plan for our future and have kids. Of course this isn't going to happen right away, especially with me taking classes and him traveling with SCUBA every weekend, but we hope in the next year or so to be able to make an "announcement."

Well, I know this is a lot of information (and sorry- no pics this time)... but I wanted to be sure that everyone was caught up. It has been a crazy few months and probably will continue to be- but who isn't busy and running around like a "chicken with their head cut off"?

Hugs to all friends and family. I hope that I can get in touch and catch up soon. I hope that you all enjoy a wonderful summer!!!!

Seven things you may or may not know about me

2008-03-17T19:07:00.000-07:00

Denise has "tagged" me- so I have to list 7 things- interesting or wierd or random- about me... then I have to list 7 people at the end who are "tagged" and have to do the same (that might be the tough part because I don't know seven people who have blogs).

So.... here it goes-

Random fact #1 (that I think most of you already know):

I am a fraternal twin. No only am I a twin, but my brother Steve and I are POLAR OPPOSITES!! I don't know one person in the whole world that I'm more different than- other than my twin brother. I hate to get dirty and I work in an office every day, he loves getting dirty and works in a factory as a welder (hands always have some sort of grease on them). He smokes a pack a day, and I can't stand the smell of cigarette smoke. I drive an Audi which has to be in top working condition and have a full of gas at all times (I'm a freak like that)- he drives an old pick-up truck that has had the "check engine" light on for about 6 months now (at least!) It's so funny how two people who were born at the same time and raised by the same parents are so different (the list could go on and on)- but he's a blast and a great person... so maybe we are alike.

Random fact #2

My husband, James and I starting dating after we met eachother at work. Though I think most of you know this fact as well- what most of you probably don't know is that I met with the Controller and General Manager to inform them of James and I getting serious and told them "If this is going to be a problem- then we'll have to talk about my last day at PCC." Not only did I know that James was "the one"- but I knew that I was willing to risk my job for him. I kept my job at PCC- and we both still work there- but it has been difficult from day one because we always seem to end up talking about work when we get home. And- eventhough we work at the same place, we don't carpool. James still rides with Chuck to work every day. No matter how much you love someone- you can't spend 24 hours with them.

Random fact #3

My Junior year in college, when I was in Student Government Association, our group went to University of Tennessee for the day to meet with their SGA. The SGA from U.T. took us on a tour of the campus- and when we went into the Field House, we saw Payton Manning practicing. The guy giving us the tour knew Payton, so he took us over and introduced him to us. It was pretty cool. I'm not a football fan- but I knew who he was!! It was a very cool experience (I know that Becky is probably STILL mad about missing this one!)

Random fact #4

I am half Scottish. My great-great grandfather came over to America from Scotland (Albert Stewart). The most interesting thing to me about this fact is that we still have Scottish family reunions where family members wear the "Stewart tartan," play bagpipes and some of our extended family members know the Scottish dances. It's actually a very cool family reunion and I enjoy hearing the bagpipes every year. My older brother Bryan enjoys the bagpipes so much that he talked Lisa into having our cousin Nancy (who knows how to play the bagpipes) walk them up the aisle after saying their vows at their wedding.

These last three- James suggested for me (as signs of my "wierdness")

Random fact #5

I put my deodorant on the "wrong way." I move the deodorant stick from side-to-side rather than up-and-down. I never knew that I was "doing it wrong" until I got married. I guess that I'm supposed to move the deodorant stick up-and-down so that I cover more area and cover up the stinkiness... but I just can't do it the other way. James stops and makes a comment almost every single morning- but I've been "doing it wrong" for 32 years now... and I can't even make my wrist go the other way. So strange. I guess you'll have to sniff before you come too close- just in case I didn't cover the stiny areas correctly.

Random fact #6

If a light is "off"- then the light switch must be down. We have several light switches in our new house where most times there are two light switches for the same area (hall ways, kitchen, bedroom, garage, etc). There are times when James will turn on the light at one switch and then turn it off at the other switch.... this is enough to drive a woman insane!! If he turns it on at one switch and then turns it off at the other switch, then both switches are pointing up- but the light is off!! I run around the house after he leaves sometimes and "fix the switches." I finally fessed up one day (after he caught me running around fixing the switches) that this was a major issue. Funny thing is that James was making fun of me one day at a family party- and we quickly found out that both of my brothers must have their light switches the same way as I obsess about. Up is on, down is off.

Random fact #7

I must have the sound of a fan on while I sleep at night. I don't know when this started, but I have to have a fan sound or some type of "white noise" in order to sleep. I have the hardest time when I travel because I just can't get my mind to stop racing- I have to focus on the sound of James breathing or the furnace turning off and on. James has been a good sport and put up with my fan running at night- he just hopes it stops when we have kids so I can hear the baby crying. We'll see...

I don't have seven friends with blogs, but I do have friends with My Spaces, Facebook, etc (I'll figure out the links later)

Jen Barcus, Tim Barcus, Karen Ollis, Kristine Rohrer, Kate Kuhlmann, Krista Belcher, Kerri Shold

I blew out my candles- and now I'm THREE

2008-01-13T19:03:00.000-08:00

Marissa's Birthday party was this weekend!! She had a "Princess Theme." It was a wonderful party- everyone had a great time.

Even though Marissa's actual birthday was on Tuesday, she was convinced that she didn't turn THREE until she blew out her candles!

Below is a picture of her cake and also a cup cake tree that Lisa decorated which was awesome!!

Marissa loves playing dress up- and usually wants to dress as a princess. She loves changing from one dress to another... and continued the tradition throughout her party. James and I counted NINE outfit changes during the Birthday celebration... below are the ones we got on camera- she looks so cute and had so much fun!!!!

HAPPY 3RD BIRTHDAY MARISSA- WE LOVE YOU!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR

2007-12-30T12:24:00.000-08:00

James and I enjoyed our Christmas celebrations with both the Lewis family & Moseley family- below are some pics...

We celebrated with my Mom, Dad, Grandma Hembree, Bryan, Lisa, Abby, Marissa, Steve, April, Audra, Sklar and Clayton (and Audra's boyfriend Jake). We ate lots of food and open TONS of gifts!! We all had a great time.

James and I drove up to Wisconsin Dells to enjoy Christmas with the Moseley family the weekend before Christmas. We made cookies and enjoyed lots of sled riding. Above is a picture of James, me, Sophie, Ellie (mom), Ben, Bill, Julia and Harry (dad)- and of course Lacey!!

We enjoy the Holidays and love traveling to spend time with everyone- but we are also happy to be home!! Merry Christmas (a little late) and Happy New Year!!

ALL THE BEST IN 2008

THANKSGIVING

2007-11-29T16:44:00.000-08:00

This year James and I hosted the Family Thanksgiving Dinner- which included 16 people (James and I, his parents, my parents, Grandma Hembree, Steve, April & kids and Bryan, Lisa & kids- also there was Sieben and Lacy... the dogs)- it was a full house!!

Here is a picture of James' dad (Harry) taking the turkey out of the oven. Notice how close Lacy is to the turkey... she was very interested!

Next is a picture of the dining room table set (we had to use two tables this year). We used James' Grandpa's china and I bought new tablecloths and napkins.

James' parents stayed with us the entire weekend. Ellie and I went shopping and made cookies and got to catch up on all the family stories. James and his dad spent time building a new work bench in the basement... here are a few pictures.

James and I both enjoyed having family over and being able to have Thanksgiving Dinner in our House!

SCUBA Accident

2007-11-11T19:59:00.000-08:00

I've never written a blog like this- and quite honestly, I don't know where to start...

This past week James and five of his SCUBA buddies traveled to Ginnie Springs, Florida for their annual Cave Diving Trip. This year was different...

On Thursday afternoon one of the guys, Jeff Thompson, had an embolism during one of their dives and died. I know that James and the others guys have many questions about what happened, what caused it and why... It's so scary because it hit so close to home- it could have happened to any one of them. It makes me realize how short and precious life is (below is Jeff's obituary)

Jeffrey D. Thompson, age 46, a life resident of Lockport, New York, died suddenly on Thursday, November 8, 2007 in Ginnie Springs, FL. Born on April 25, 1961 in Lockport, NY, he was the son of Richard Thompson and Constance Wynes. Jeffrey graduated from Lockport High School. Jeff was an enthusiastic technical diver. He dove the Andrea Doria as well as caves in Florida and Mexico. He enjoyed hunting and maintained a healthy active life. Above all of these, Jeff loved his family. Jeff was on the executive board of IBEW 966 and also served as a steward. Jeff worked at the AES plant from the time it was built. He is survived by his wife, Lori J. Blackley; daughter, Nicole Thompson; son, Joseph Thompson; brothers Richard Thompson and Steven Thompson.

Even though I didn't know Jeff personally, I know that James has a great deal of love and respect for him. Our prayers are with Jeff's family at this difficult time.

My thoughts are also with James and all the SCUBA Divers that witnessed the event and are dealing with so many difficult emotions. I wish that I could say or write sometime to make Jeff's death easier to deal with... but I don't know what to say. I just hope that you all continue your passion for SCUBA Diving and honor Jeff's memory.

I added a picture of the Cave Diving Group taken last week- James is on the left and Jeff (who passed away) is second from the right in the light blue shirt.

Trick or Treat, Smell my Feet

2007-11-01T17:55:00.000-07:00

This past week has been packed full of Halloween fun.

Below are pictures of me painting pumpkins with Abby and Marissa...

Here is a picture of me and James dressed up at Chuck and Andrea's Halloween party...

Below are various family pictures from Aunt Eileen's Halloween party last weekend...

The costumes were great- I believe Bryan dressed up like a woman!!!!

The last picture is of Abby and Marissa right before starting Trick-or-Treat...

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

THE KIDS

2007-10-10T19:16:00.000-07:00

I just realized today that I haven't posted many pictures (if any at all) of my nieces and nephew on the "Lewis side" of the family... I have some fairly recent pics- so they are included below.

The first picture is of Skylar, Abby and Clayton. Clayton and Skylar turned 12 and 11 years old this week- and Abby is five (remember I posted her Birthday party?) I can't believe how grown up all three of them are!

Here is a picture of Audra this past summer... she has grown up really fast too (she's 15, has a job at McDonalds and is getting ready to start driving). The picture below shows her sporting her "fashionable cast" which she had to get this summer after a minor wrestling match with one of her friends.

Next are the pictures that I took of Abby and Marissa this past weekend with the family of scarecrows that made and have displayed at their house for Halloween this year. Bryan & Lisa went all out this year with decorating- and their place looks great!

I will try to post more pics of THE KIDS when I can. I'm sure that you will all be amazed to see how quickly they are maturing... They are all growing up to be so beautiful and smart (must run in the family- hehe) I love them all sooooo much!!!!!

Hot Air Balloon Ride

2007-09-24T16:39:00.000-07:00

James and I just did the coolest thing ever!! We went up in a Hot Air Balloon...

For our 1st Anniversary- I wanted to go along with the "paper theme" and I bought James a gift certificate to go up in a Hot Air Balloon. Because of bad weather (the conditions have to be perfect)- we weren't able to go on the Hot Air Balloon ride until now... it was the coolest thing that we have ever done! One of the guys we work with has a Hot Air Balloon- and he took us for a ride.

First they fill the balloon with air using a large fan- the picture below shows them filling it.

I was able to climb into the balloon while it was still on its side, and they were still blowing it up, and take a picture of the top of the balloon from the inside.

After the balloon was blown up, James and I climbed in the basket and flew over Minerva. We started at the old Jr. High (that was recently torn down), flew Northwest and landed in a yard over by Kiko Meats.

Below is a picture of is flying by PCC Airfoils (where James and I both work) and a picture that Kyle took of the two of us riding in the Hot Air Balloon about 500 feet in the air.

We had a great time- though I think I had butterflies the whole time. It was a little scary- but well worth it! We landed fairly smoothly- hitting a tree in the process (oops!) But besides that- everything was great!!! We finished the ride with a champagne toast (one of Kyle's traditions).

The Greene Twins

2007-09-16T19:39:00.000-07:00

James and I were in Portland, Oregon this past week at a conference for work. Luckily we were able to visit my friend Denise (from Milligan College), her husband Andrew and their two baby twin boys (Drew & Gavin) while in the area- they recently moved to Richland, Washington.

We had a fabulous time- though we were only able to spend a little over a day with them.

Here is a picture of Drew (left- sleeping) and Gavin- three months old.

We also took a trip with Denise and the boys to a local winery- Bookwalter Winery. Here is James standing in front of some of the grape vines- with a newly purchased bottle of red wine.

Denise and Andrew just recently moved to Richland, Washington- because Andrew moved to a new job with the same company. They have been really busy and haven't had a lot of time to unpack all of their boxes.
Friday afternoon, James, Denise, the twins and I were sitting downstairs talking- and all of a sudden we heard some rustling. We thought maybe a mouse was in one of the boxes, so we sent James to investigate (as we ran upstairs). He discovered that a SNAKE had gotten stuck on the packing tape of one of the boxes. We found out later from the neighbors that it was a "good snake" (eats rattler snakes)- but we didn't want it around. I was brave enough to take a picture of it- after James put it out on the back deck (our hero).

Friday and Saturday were wonderful- spending the weekend with Denise, Andrew, Drew & Gavin. We had a wonderful time, and even enjoyed the beautiful scenery on the way back to the Portland Airport (here's a picture I took from the car- almost losing the camera in the process....hehe)

I'll leave you all with one last picture of James and I holding Drew & Gavin.

The weekend was wonderful- and it was cool seeing Denise (I miss you so much!!) HUGS

Visiting Minnesota

2007-08-16T19:58:00.000-07:00

This past weekend James and I flew to St. Paul, Minnesota to visit Bill (James' brother), Julia, Ben and Sophie.

Luckily we were able to visit the family the weekend after Sophie's 5TH Birthday- so we were able to attend the birthday party!!

The one thing that Julia suggested that I do for Sophie's birthday is paint her finger nails- here is a picture after I finished... she was so excited!!

Because James and I arrived on Friday night, we were able to help with the shopping, decorating and other necessary preparations for the party- which, to me, was really fun!

The birthday party theme was bugs and butterflies- and Sophie wore her best outfit which included wings and her own dilly bopper (I'm not sure that I'm spelling that correctly).

Sophie's friends also made dilly bopper's at the party along with their very own self-painter t-shirt. Because it was VERY hot that day (in the 90's)- Bill and Julia filled a pool for the kids to play in after their crafts.

Below are some pictures of the kids doing crafts and swimming/playing in the pool... what a blast!

Bill, Julia, James and I went out to dinner after the party- and the adults enjoyed spending time catching up! Even though the weekend was brief, we had a great time visiting with the family.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SOPHIE!!

Are you for SCUBA?

2007-07-27T20:14:00.000-07:00

I thought that our blog wouldn't be complete without a post about SCUBA Diving...

James biggest passion right now (besides his wife of course)- is SCUBA Diving. He was interested in Diving before we started dating and went SCUBA Diving occasionally.

Now James has gotten more involved because he is a Certified Technical Diver- which means that he breathes a special tri-mix of gases and can dive 300 plus feet deep (crazy- I know).

The best dives in our area are in Lake Erie and Lake Michigan where he can dive Ship Wrecks. He goes diving at least two weekends a month and has been included on SCUBA dives helping to locate many newly discovered Ship Wrecks within the last year (here is a picture of James on Lake Erie in his dry suit).

Because it's too cold to SCUBA Dive in Ohio in the winter, James learned how to Cave Dive.

Here is a picture of a Cave in Mexico where he went SCUBA Diving. I wasn't able to go on this trip to see the caves- but it looks incredible. Cave Diving is very dangerous- and probably the most scary for me. James actually SCUBA Dives through tunnels in the cave under the water.

Even though he is very careful- there are many things that can wrong and there is no easy way to surface.

Because I love spending time with James, I also learned how to SCUBA Dive and got Certified in November 2005. Here is a picture of us SCUBA Diving together in Curaco (South America).

I enjoy spending time with James under water- seeing fish, coral, crabs and eels in their natural environment. James and his friends call me a 3/80 SCUBA Diver- which means that I like to Dive in 80 degree temperature, 80 feet of visibility, carrying an aluminum 80 tank... sounds good to me!

Even though I don't have the passion to dive as deep as James (300 plus feet) or SCUBA Dive in caves, I love that we have a hobby that we can share and something exciting that we can do together when we go on vacation.

ABBY IS FIVE

2007-07-08T18:11:00.000-07:00

It's hard for me to believe- but my niece Abby turned FIVE!!!

Her birthday was actually on June 15th- but because she had her tonsils removed, Lisa decided to delay the Birthday Party a few weeks... which ended up being a great idea.

James and I bought Abby the "Chair-a-go Round" which was a big hit. Here is a picture of James and Abby riding it.

The cool thing was that it went up and down like a teeter-totter, but it also flipped around like a merry-go-round... quite the dangerous toy!! All the kids played on it for a while- and no one got hurt... yet!

Here is a picture of Abby blowing out all of her Birthday candles after we sang to her. She had all of her friends surrounding her.

Every time she wants to do something (dangerous or otherwise)- she says now "But I can do it because now I'm FIVE"

Here is a close-up picture of the cake... I had to include the detail because Lisa did such an incredible job!

As you can tell- Abby's Birthday theme was "Candy Land"

Lisa made the game board on the cake using Starburst Candy, she used suckers, peppermint candies and chocolate to create all of the different little candy lands along the board.

It was the coolest kids cake that I've ever seen.

She also did a great job with the decorations- by using Candy Land Boards all around, suckers and she found Candy Land beach towels to use as tablecloths.

Lisa always has everyone pose for a Group Picture too. We each had to hold a sucker and smile big!!

James and I are right in the middle- near the back.

Abby is in the front row- a little to the right.

The weather was perfect and the day was a great time!

HAPPY 5TH BIRTHDAY ABBY!!

ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY

2007-06-11T16:49:00.001-07:00

It's amazing to think that it has already been one year since our wedding!! This year has gone so fast and has been so wonderful for both James and I.

We decided to celebrate our One Year Wedding Anniversary by visiting Niagara Falls.

Here are a few pictures of our visit- including our ride on Maid of the Mist, our ride to the top of the Skylon Tower, the Butterfly Exhibit, the Botanical Gardens and the Walk behind the Falls.

Some of the pictures of Niagara Falls are from our goreous hotel room.

We had a wonderful weekend and enjoyed celebrating our Anniversary!!

SIEBEN

2007-05-16T19:37:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted in a while... but I thought that I would introduce everyone (if you haven't met her yet) to our Weimaraner Sieben. James got her almost 10 years ago. She got sick in the car SEVEN times on the way home ("Sieben" is seven in German).

Here's a couple pictures of her. The first picture is my favorite of Sieben and her buddy Zeph (who we miss greatly!) The last picture is Sieben "the mountain goat" running through the trees and brush at Lake Cumberland... she loves trying to hunt down squirrels and raccoons.

WHAT A GREAT DOG!!

Chocolate Trifle...yummy!

2007-05-03T15:59:00.000-07:00

Because James loves chocolate... I decided to surprise him with a chocolate trifle when he came home from work this week. If you've never made one... it is so good. James thought that it was good enough for me to share with everyone on our blog- so here it goes:

Ingredients:

- 1 package of chocolate cake mix

- 1 (3.9oz) package of instant chocolate pudding

- 1/2 cup water

- 1 (14oz) cap sweetened condensed lowfat milk

- 1 (8oz) container frozen whipped topping- thawed

- 1 (12oz) container frozen whipped topping- thawed

- 1 bag of oreo cookies

Directions:

-Prepare cake mix according to package and cool completely. Remove from cake pan and cut into 1 inch squares

- In a large bowl, combine pudding mix, water and sweetened condensed lowfat milk. Mix until smooth, then fold in 8oz wipped topping until no streaks remain.

- Crush some of the oreo cookies to use between layers as desired.

- In a trifle bowl or glass serving bowl, place half of the cut cake pieces, half of the pudding mixture and half of the 12oz container of whipped topping and some of the crushed oreo cookies. Repeat layers. Use some of the remaining oreos on top for decoration.

- Refrigerate 8 hours before serving.

I love this recipe because it's such a great dessert- and it's really fun to make... enjoy!!

OUR NEW HOUSE

2007-04-29T10:35:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures of our new house.... Even though we have been living here for almost 7 months- we finally feel like we can concentrate on making it "home" (now that James' house is sold).

This is, of course, a picture of the front. We love the brick exterior and love the fact that it's located on a dead end street (no traffic at all).

The landscaping is a "work in progress." The previous owners had one of everything in their flower garden- and we wish to simplify- we don't want to spend every single weekend in the garden (all 7 of them!)

This is a picture of our "Great Room"- which we love because it so open and has a gorgeous fireplace.

We need another chair or something in this room because there's a big space in the right corner (which you can't see because I cut it out of the picture).

You can see the keys of my piano in the bottom right- I guess I need to start playing it again... huh?

This is our cute little living room/sitting room. It's going to be great for any time when when one of us just needs a "moment alone" because it has pocket doors which completely close off the room.

I love the colors in this room and the curtians. It was the perfect place to hang our gorgeous wedding photo.

**For anyone who remembers- this is the furniture from my apartment.

This our kitchen/dinette area. We both love the island (which we have never had before) for the extra counter space and extra storage.

Even though James was a little nervous about painting the walls blue- I think that it was a great improvement and gave the room a little character.

I want to put curtains in this room... but I know it needs something else- any ideas?

This is our dining room and the newest furnished room in the house. We bought the dining room furniture for each other as our Christmas gifts this year- and we FINALLY recieved the last piece the first week of April.

I love the colors in this room and the chandelier. We need to add curtains, a table runner, pictures/mirror and some other decorations.

I currently am displaying James' Grandmother's china in the buffet (which you can barely see in this picture) and some of our wedding flowers and decorations in the china cabinet.

This last picture is our screen-in porch and probably our favorite part of the house. We have been spending most of our time this Spring on the porch eating dinner and talking in the evenings.

This room gives us a beautiful view of our back yard... we have 1 acre of grass and 2 acres of woods. It's a lovely, peaceful area.

James is planning to add insulation and carpeting to make this porch a three-seasons room so that we can use it even more in the future.

We're both enjoying our new house and spending time together decorating it and trying to make it "our home."

Getting Started

2007-04-26T19:55:00.000-07:00

Well, after talking for a few days, James and I decided to start our own blog.

We have realized over the past year that so much has changed in our life- and we feel like we have lost touch with all of our friends and family. Hopefully this will help us keep up with our friends and family so many miles away...

As most of you know- we got married in June 2006. It was a beautiful wedding.... We enjoyed beautiful 60 degree weather as we got married outside (my dream) at Stan Hywet. We spent the next 1 1/2 weeks Honeymooning in Hawaii- the perfect honeymoon. Every day was an adventure... we hiked to the bottom of the volcano, took a helicoptor ride around the islands, attended luaus, SCUBA dived (of course), snorkeled, took sunset cruises and visited Pearl Habor (both of our favorite days!)

Being married has been a wonderful, growing experience for both of us. We were both such independent people- and now we're learning to "think of two" (as James says). There have been two large challenges- both of which I believe we have now overcome.

The first was selling both of our houses and finding a home to call our own. My house sold quickly before the wedding- but we finally just closed on James' house this week!! It's so wonderful to have only one mortgage payment (maybe we'll have some "fun money" now).

The second challenge for me was teaching Sieben (James' Wiemaraner) that she can't sleep on the bed anymore. There have been a few nights when she's just so cute that I can't say no- and I break the rules. Besides-she's been James' bedmate for 10 years now... and you know- "You can't teach an old dog new tricks!"

We have been blessed with so many wonderful things in the last 10 months since we were married- and hopefully there will be more... I will try to stay faithful in writing each week so that I can continue to share with friends and family. Much love-