Welcome to Our World

Bike part 2

2011-11-22T15:59:00.001-05:00

Riding Her Bike

2011-11-22T15:27:00.002-05:00

John taught Annelise how to ride her bike a couple of weeks ago. She learned so quickly. I was amazed. John did a great job teaching and working with her. She's such a tiny little thing.

Uganda!

2011-04-05T21:02:00.002-04:00

December 2010

2011-01-05T11:44:00.005-05:00

This post is completely upside down...you can start at the bottom and work your way up, if you want.

John and I went to a wedding on New Year's Eve...we didn't make it to midnight, though.

Tia Tricia, Annelise and Coco at the waterfall

Caleb at a frozen waterfall with John's family

it snowed on Christmas day, so the 3 kids and I made snow angels

opening Christmas presents

Caleb, Annelise and BC (baby cousin)

Annelise was a sheep in our church's first Christmas play

December was a full month for us. We enjoyed some time at home, as well as celebrating Jesus's birthday at my parents house, then having some of John's family at our house to celebrate the New Year. It was a nice month.

Thank you Tia Teresa

2011-01-04T09:12:00.002-05:00

My parents asked my aunt, Tia Teresa, to make this skirt for Annelise. She loved it. Thank you Tia Teresa.

OBX

2010-12-01T11:20:00.004-05:00

For my 30th birthday, (and for John's birthday and our anniversary and Christmas presents) we went to Avon, NC in the Outer Banks. There were several "incidents" on our trip, but we had a good time anyway. As we were about to cross the bridge to the OBX we heard on the radio that hwy 12 was closed in Rodanthe due to flooding from the ocean waves. That was the only road to Avon. We quickly tried to find another route and were told that the only other way to get there was by ferry. The ferry only ran twice a day...10am and 5pm. It was about 10am when we learned this, and the ferry dock was 1.5 hours away. The 5pm ferry was a little late (and quite rocky by the end of the trip) so we missed the next ferry to Hatteras and had to wait about an hour for it. Instead of getting to the house at about 10:30am, we got there at 10:15pm...what a day. At least we got to see the sunset on the ferry.

The second night we were there we tried to turn on the gas fireplace. I found a remote with a fire symbol and thought that might turn it on. It didn't...it set off the fire alarm. After 10 minutes we found the code, but the firetruck was already heading down the street. That was the least fun part of the trip.

The waves at the beach were incredible. They were huge and continuous and there were rows of them far out into the ocean. We sat and watched them for a long time.

Here are a few photos from the trip. There are a lot more photos in the photo album on the right column. The first one is John's favorite picture.

sunset at the beginning of the 1st ferry ride

walking onto the beach

fun with shadows

a lot of fun with shadows

We took so many pictures, but couldn't get the perfect wave

Oops, I forgot to tell him the water was coming

Some big waves

Hatteras lighthouse

Back of the beachouse overlooking the Sound (John is on the top deck)

On the deck enjoying the sunset over the Sound

Terra

2010-11-22T16:53:00.004-05:00

Here are some family photos with Terra. We had a lot of fun with her and we are thankful that Annelise will remember her a little. November 3rd, 2010

How does Daddy Sneeze?

2010-10-31T16:35:00.002-04:00

Garage

2010-10-30T19:04:00.003-04:00

Caleb is obsessed with garage doors and would like to be one himself.

Ballet

2010-10-08T14:56:00.003-04:00

Annelise started taking ballet this fall and she loves it. She doesn't always pay attention in class, but it is a class full of 4 and 5 year old girls. Here are some photos.

Annelise is on the right. She has her head turned (not paying attention) and is wearing a ponytail.

Belated Birthday

2010-09-30T13:31:00.005-04:00

On July 5th, Annelise turned 4 years old. We had a birthday party for her. She had a great time with her friends and was just telling me about her special cupcake. That reminded me that I have not shared the photos here. It was a hot July day so we had a morning party. Because of the 4th of July holiday being on July 5th, we were able to have the party on her birthday. I am sorry I did not post these sooner. The first few pictures are from a few days after her birthday. We went hiking after church, then went to the park for fireworks in the evening.

Funny Videos

2010-08-12T12:57:00.002-04:00

Caleb has been very funny lately. The first is just funny. The second video is something he started doing all by himself. I don't know where he came up with the idea.

Niagara Falls

2010-07-28T21:59:00.004-04:00

We went to Niagara Falls in May. Here are more photos from the trip. If you start at the bottom and work your way back up, you will see the pictures in order.

Our last stop before heading home. The water behind us is rushing towards the falls.

Annelise enjoyed the field of flowers as much as anything else.

Cave of the Winds- walking around the base of the falls, lots of spray and cold water running over our feet.

Caleb is smiling because he is no longer in the spray from the waterfall (river going away from falls)

Observation Tower

View from Observation Tower

View from the Maid of the Mist

On the Maid of the Mist boat ride

First time seeing the falls

Camping the night before we reached Niagara Falls, NY

A Vacation Story

2010-05-28T10:16:00.003-04:00

Spring Stuff

2010-04-29T16:35:00.008-04:00

Back to some kids and family photos. The spring time brings the business of fun.

a rattle snake John ran up on during a run

Annelise "reads" If You Give a Mouse a Cookie to Caleb all the time

Annelise and John climbing together

" Mmm, smell goot"

Maybe he fell asleep while climbing into bed

In Mama and Daddy's bed

This was the first time Annelise had seen this book and she did this all by herself while I was cooking. I didn't even tell her the directions. I didn't know what she was doing until she was finished. (sorry to brag...proud mama)

In the "blood water" as Annelise calls it

The cause of the "blood water". Funny little mustache she has, huh?

Caleb thinks outside of the box...and outside of the paper

Caleb wiped out at the end of a fun Easter day with church family

My sister Amy and her boyfriend Bryan visit--eating on the parkway...very windy

Annelise and her new friends. 2 nice boys that are the same age as her and Caleb. She is going cruising with Samuel.

Caleb and his Peruvian sweater

Peru - part 2

2010-04-23T14:45:00.005-04:00

Here are more pictures from Peru. I am having trouble rearranging them, so there is no order here.

This is the house that my dad grew up in

street vendor

dusk at park across from apt

daytime looking other direction

sea lions at Pucusana

lady at a restaurant cooking chicharrones (pork)

sand dune mountains

"friar" preparing to jump into water as suicide reinactment

ceviche, ocopa, papa a la huancaina

yucca, empanadas, lots of other yummy stuff

These cacti were all over the city. They were beautiful.

view across cove from the apartment

view from apartment

Peru (part 1?)

2010-03-24T16:18:00.006-04:00

I recently returned from a trip to Peru. The trip was from March 3-15. It was a vacation, but a different kind of vacation. I went with my dad and we stayed with my Aunt and Uncle. The food was great, the activities were educational and I met a lot of extended family member. It was nice to be free of responsibilities for a while, but it was also nice to come back to my family.
Parapentes (parasailers?) in the sunset

A school we could see from my Aunt's apartment

My dad and me

Colorful homes, the government gives the people in this area paint for their houses

We stayed in one of the buildings in the back ground

Eating at "Rustica"- a peruvian buffet, it doesn't get any better

View from Marriott pool

View from roof of 15 story apartment

Lomo Saltado

Almost daily relaxing spot at the Marriott in Lima

Pucusana, looking back at the mainland from the island

Antonio has been selling ice cream in Pucusana since my dad was little.

A small taxi (a motorcycle with a shell) and the poor houses up the mountain

On the way to Pucusana, a man reinacted a Friar's suicide by jumping off the cliff.

View from the apartment

Skiing

2010-02-06T16:04:00.003-05:00

John took Annelise skiing on Thursday. He said that she went from not being able to keep her balance to this. She had a GREAT time and John really enjoyed spending time with her and teaching her to ski.

Another Snow Day

2010-02-01T09:52:00.005-05:00

Church was canceled Yesterday because of the snow, but we were able to spend some time with church friends anyway. We went sledding and ended up staying much longer than we expected. Annelise enjoyed it at first, then got scared and wouldn't sled for a long time. Then as we were getting ready to leave, she decided she wanted to try again and LOVED it. We ended up staying for another hour or so. It was so much fun. Caleb even seemed to enjoy it...well, he wasn't crying.

Icicles on a restaurant
Ally sledding with Caleb

Annelise and daddy getting ready for take-off

Caleb "sledding" on his belly

Here is a video of John and Annelise sledding together.

More Fall and Winter

2010-01-25T13:54:00.006-05:00

She LOVES to help cook

Caleb just isn't as 'outdoorsy' as his sister...there's still time though

Cousin Lilly wiped out after a long morning of present-opening

Live nativity in Memphis with John's parents

early december snow Angels: Daddy & Annelise

Another photo from early December

"Baby Cousin" AKA "Neeena" at Thanksgiving (carrot nose)

My sister, her boyfriend Bryan, and John at Humpback Rocks, Thanksgiving

cute babies

Bubba loving Mamita

Glimpses from the Fall

2009-12-30T20:02:00.005-05:00

10.20.09 (hiking with friend Andrew)

10.24.09

10.26.09 (sick Caleb)

10.26.09 (sick Caleb)

10.25.09 (John's birthday)

10.19.09

10.15.09

12.06.09 (early December snow)

11-17-09 (L's birthday-a trip to a Garden Maze)

11.17.09

2009-10-14T00:06:00.007-04:00

I can't believe the last post I made was in August. My goodness time has one by very quickly. Here are some photos.

Annelise blowing bubbles, and Caleb helping.

One of the loves of his life

Daddy's little climber

A night out with Mamita and Papito

Lunch on Skyline Drive

Beautiful fall colors

Models

2009-08-27T23:06:00.003-04:00

Do you remember this? (6-6-08)

Check out our newest one.

Fair Phone and Fur

2009-08-27T16:51:00.009-04:00

We had a great time at the fair. Annelise wanted to ride every ride. The cow began to eat Annelise's shirt. Caleb cried when any of the animals looked at him. It all started with a baby duck nibbling his finger.

I love how little she looks in this picture. Everyone else's legs bend and dangle. Hers just stick straight out.

Caleb loves the phone and the giant bear.

MichaelAnnelise

2009-08-18T16:52:00.007-04:00

Annelise has recently surprised us with her color abilities. Maybe we are just the regular proud parents who think that everything our kids do is exceptional. What do you think? Remember, she just turned 3 at the beginning of July.

Working hard on Masterpiece #2

This is the first one she colored.

She did this one in Sunday School this past Sunday. #3

I don't know much about art, but this one impressed me the most.

Masterpiece #4

She also did some building. Before she did this one, she made a tall cross standing up.

And this is Caleb's contribution to art. He works very hard too.

She really did these all by herself. I didn't help at all. I didn't even encourage her. For several of them, I only saw the end product.

More Happy Birthday

2009-08-06T00:41:00.003-04:00

Uncle Eric & Aunt Lori's Wedding

2009-07-26T16:50:00.003-04:00

My Uncle got married on July 11th and the kids and I were able to go 'watch'. Annelise quietly played inside with my sister while I held Caleb and watch occasionally through the window. We did get to enjoy the reception though.

with my sister Amy

4 generations

the new bride and her new crazy siblings

A & C chasing bubbles

with my babies...they certainly were tired

Annelise is 3

2009-07-26T16:29:00.005-04:00

On July 5th, Annelise turned 3. She was very excited about her birthday and was very eager to blow out her candles. She had a wonderful time celebrating her birthday in New Mexico with Coco, Doodad, Tia Tricia and Uncle Doug. We spent a day at a natural hot springs pool and celebrated with hats, cake and presents. Annelise even "jumped" off the diving board.

She went rock climbing for the first time and made her daddy proud. She is a natural!

Annelise also had her first ride on a pony. Her name was Misty.

And she and Caleb threw candy to the crowds in a local 4th of July parade.

PopPop

2009-05-29T10:35:00.007-04:00

John's grandfather, PopPop, died 2 weeks ago. Although it was sad, it was expected. His grandmother graciously flew all of the grandkids and their families out to Texas for the funeral. The service was very nice. After the funeral we spent the weekend at the beach for a family reunion. The kids had a great time. Annelise enjoyed herself very much. She loved jumping in the waves, making sandcastles and picking up shells. Caleb enjoyed walking aimlessly on the beach, but he was not interested in getting in the water. They both had fun playing with all of the tias and tios and their cousin Lilly. There are many more photos in the photo album on the right.

Before the memorial service

Caleb walking aimlessly

Charles with Lilly and Caleb. Lilly LOVES Caleb. She is a very romantic girl.

The sunset and the storm on the last night

Tyner, John's uncle, making delicious shrimp & bacon appetizers on the beach

Easter

2009-04-14T18:53:00.006-04:00

This year we spent Easter differently than we have before. We stayed home and spent the afternoon with our church family. 2 families hosted an after church Easter celebration and the entire church was invited to one of the houses. We had a wonderful time getting to know other families better. We really enjoyed how relaxing it was. The kids had a GREAT time playing outside with all of the kids. There are several girls in the church who love Annelise and Caleb and play with them all the time. It is wonderful for me to get a break! We had a nice meal and then the older kids hid eggs for the younger kids to find. Annelise got 14 eggs and Caleb got 5 , but both had helpers. (There are more pictures in the Picassa album on the right.)

Sarah, Caleb and Emily

Here are Annelise and Ali...notice Caleb posing in the background.

Ali is so sweet with the kids. She loves them and says that Caleb is her favorite baby ever.

Visit to My Parent's House

2009-04-14T18:27:00.006-04:00

I went to NC to help my family out while my mom had surgery on her shoulder. My sister and her baby live with them and she is still having a lot of trouble recovering from having her baby and can't do a lot of normal house activities. I took the kids with me for the almost 2 week stay. I went to help, but sometimes it seemed as though the kids added more work that I did help. It was fun though, but exhausting. My mom is doing much better than before the surgery. She could hardly move her arm pre-surgery and could almost lift it straight above her head the evening after.

Here are some photos of the trip. More are in the Picassa photo album on the right.

I love this picture of Caleb's hair.

My sister and her BIG baby. Baby Christina was 3 months old and over 16 pounds!

My parents just got a swing set for the kids. It rained most of the days we were there, but they were able to enjoy it for a few days. They are getting so big. They look like little kids instead of babies.

Krystina

Annelise woke up at 6 every morning and went to my parent's room.

Caleb and 'baby cousin'

Mamita & Papito and the 3 grandkids

Caleb's 1st Birthday

2009-03-19T13:57:00.004-04:00

We had a fun time with Caleb on his birthday. I know it has been a long time since March 3rd, but I am sure that everyone will still enjoy these photos. I took several photos of him in his "birthday suit" and some of his first bites of cake.

Every time I held up the camera, he made the same funny smile.

I made a yummy apple cake that my grandmother makes. It was very tasty. Caleb wasn't as messy with the cake as we expected. He was pretty tidy, actually. Some of you may notice that we have a different table. We got that on his birthday and are enjoying it.

You should be able to click on the photos if you want to see them enlarged.

Mobility

2009-03-14T19:33:00.005-04:00

It has started. John has been working with Caleb all day today and has been pretty successful. Here is a sample of the fruit of his labor.

You will notice that Annelise would also like to show off her abilities!

Puzzle Time

2009-03-11T18:28:00.001-04:00

Annelise has been doing this puzzle for many months now and she still enjoys it because I gave all of the students different names. I hope you can understand her on the video. She gets very squeaky at the end. (This video was taken 2 months ago.)

(Chalkboard, Charles, Papito, Tia, Gaing gaing, Mema, Daddy, Doodad, Tricia, Squeeky, desk, globe, teacher)

Snow Man

2009-03-03T12:15:00.005-05:00

Today is Caleb's birthday and I hope to post some cake-eating photos later. (No the photos will not be eating cakes...) John and Annelise made a great snowman yesterday. All he is missing is the corn cob pipe.

I found Annelise in the basement on her motorcycle and with her helmet on. Good girl!

Annelise and her "friends"--thank you Tia

Mama

2009-02-19T15:27:00.004-05:00

For a few weeks, Caleb has been calling us Gaga and Baba (Dada and Mama). Today he finally said Mama. Annelise called us both Dada for a long time so I am enjoying the nice change!

Snow... Finally!

2009-02-04T14:12:00.003-05:00

We have been teased many times this year. But on Feb. 2nd the snow started falling and stuck around. Annelise and I went out and played in it yesterday morning before breakfast. She enjoyed it. It was so beautiful. John said that we got about 4 inches.

Pictures

2009-01-17T16:08:00.006-05:00

Caleb and Skylar. Skylar is our friends' Becca and Tyler's daughter.

with Papito (Lorena's dad)

Annelise was doing a great job smiling.

What a PIG!

Baby Cousin

2008-12-31T14:11:00.005-05:00

My sister went into labor on December 17 and had a baby girl on Thursday December 18th. She was a big girl. She weighed 9 pounds! It is a good thing she was 3 days early. My sister tore a lot during the delivery and had to have surgery to redo the stitches. She was out of the hospital soon enough and we all enjoyed spending Christmas with our newest family member. Annelise had a nice Christmas and enjoyed blowing out the candle on Jesus's birthday cake. Here are a few photos of Krystina Alisabeth (I think that is how it is spelled). Thanks to Annelise, we all call her "baby cousin". If you want to see more photos, follow the Picassa Web Albums link on the right.

Me and my new niece.

Krystina wearing the same outfit her mommy wore (Krystina born 12-18-08, her mother born 12-21-84)

Annelise with "Baby Cousin"

Wave!

Looking at Christmas lights with my dad and Annelise.

Pretty Girl

2008-12-17T11:43:00.000-05:00

Chia Caleb

2008-12-02T10:41:00.001-05:00

October 31st

2008-11-14T15:51:00.006-05:00

We planned to go to a church party instead of doing the whole Trick-or-Treat thing. So we hurried into the car and started driving to a place in the country that we had been to several months ago. Since we are generally good with directions, I didn't think to check them again. We drove and drove and drove and never found the location of our church party. I was very frustrated. We finally made it back home and decided to take Annelise Trick-or-Treating in our neighborhood. She really enjoyed it. Although she was very polite and friendly to most everyone we talked to, she was very confused when we knocked on the door to one house and a human-like black cat opened the door. She loved carrying around her Easter basket and didn't want help with it, even when it started getting heavy for her. By the end of the night, she had a lot of candy and Momma and Daddy are really enjoying it!

Our little soccer player

In the words of Garfield the cat, "Candy candy candy!"

She tried the end of every lollipop over and over and over. She didn't care about the candy part

Somebody is trying to be like his big sister

John's Birthday

2008-11-14T15:32:00.003-05:00

For John's birthday, we were able to spend a little time in Boone, NC where I finished school, where we spent our dating relationship and where we got married. My dad very generously let us use some of his hotel points for a free nights stay there and my parents kept Caleb and Annelise for us. What would we do without parents? We had a very nice meal at one of our favorite restaurants, thanks to John's parents, and really enjoyed our time there. It was very strange for me to be without the kids, but I felt so free. It was very odd. While in Boone, we visited several of our favorite spots and took a drive on the parkway. It was characteristically rainy and foggy for the time of year, but it cleared out on Saturday for our last few hours before we headed back for the kids. Here are some photos from our fun trip. John had a wonderful 30th birthday.

Hebron Rock Colony, near the top

Before lunch

Hebron Rock Colony, near the bottom

Price Lake on the Parkway

Pondering life as a 30 year old...or maybe he is pondering light

Babe Said It

2008-11-05T14:04:00.003-05:00

I know not everyone agrees with me, but I think Babe got it right..."A Tragic Day". So it isn't really a tragedy, but I think he is right. Change is coming. We will see if it will be good change. No matter what happens, there is one constant--God.

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to his purpose."
Romans 8:28

(And, by the way, there are no 'obscure passages' in Romans.)

Please pray for wisdom and conviction for those who are considering and planning to have abortions. Thanks to David and Mary Kay for making an effort to educate many of us on this issue.

Dinosaur

2008-11-03T10:41:00.004-05:00

I took this video several months ago, but it is so cute it never gets old. I call him the dinosaur. Annelise used to make the same noise when she was a baby.

The "Beach"

2008-10-11T12:47:00.005-04:00

Last month we went on vacation with my family to a lake in Alabama. Annelise calls it the beach. It was GREAT! John was was able to stay from Saturday through Tuesday, but the kids and I stayed the entire week. John's parents also joined us for the first weekend. We did have a great time. Since it was the middle of September, the lake wasn't crowded and it wasn't too hot outside. The water was still warm enough. It was just perfect! (So, you think I had a good time?) I have a lot of photos from the trip, so if you want to see more, I am including them in the photo album. The link is at the top of the column on the right.

The first day out. Ahhh, refreshing!

Mmm...snack time

John taking Annelise on a very slow twilight cruise

The porch

On the pontoon boat near sunset

Annelise drove us in circles (with Bryan, my sister, Amy's, boyfriend)

He was so comfortable in this life jacket that he fell asleep in it every time we took him on the boat.

My family: Michelle (aka Squeeky), my parents, and my older sister Amy (aka...)

My mother and me

take me back

Ideas Please!

2008-09-29T10:42:00.002-04:00

John is turning 30 on October 25th and I want to do something special for him. I had a great plan, but it didn't work out. I have a backup plan, but am not as excited about it. Does anyone have any ideas?

Eating Dinner

2008-08-25T20:16:00.004-04:00

I hate meal time. I get tired of making meals and cleaning up after them, but the worst part is trying to think of and then preparing something for Annelise to eat and trying to get her to eat it. Sometimes it is a game of "how many distractions will it take to get her to eat a bite". Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

At the other end of the spectrum is Caleb. He wants to eat everything. If I am spooning food to him too slowly, he lets me know. No matter what I have given Annelise to eat, he wants it. I have been letting him have it too. He loves her PB&J sandwiches.

The other night I was feeding Annelise a pizza that I made. Pizza is usually an easy thing to feed her. She had half of a slice and was finished. It was a little strange that she didn't eat more, but I was just thankful to not have a battle. Caleb decided he was interested in her leftovers. Remember, he is not even 6 months old yet.

If anyone has any ideas of what to feed him or let him chew on, let me know. He likes chicken bones and all foods. HELP!

A Pause for the Olympics

2008-08-21T13:55:00.005-04:00

Things have been busy as usual, but with the Olympics on until midnight every night, sleep is hard to come by. I love the Olympics. It is so hard to turn it off early at night and go to bed, especially when gymnastics doesn't even start until 10:30pm. So, I have been neglecting the computer in order to rest a little during the day.

Annelise and Caleb are doing well. They each had a fever, but are feeling fine now. The biggest news is that we got Annelise's ears pierced. She only cried for about 10 seconds, then was fine. I think she likes them too. I still don't have a good picture of them, but you can see that they are there. They are sparkly flowers with blue centers.

There are other things to write about, but I can't think of them at the moment. Here are more pictures.

One in a chihuahua bed, one in a cat bed

Big boy weighs about 16 pounds now

The earrings

Oh, I forgot to mention that we have started potty training...nothing yet.

What a handsome little man.

They look a little surprised. Caleb loves to stand up.

What Do You Think?

2008-08-09T22:51:00.002-04:00

I am trying new backgrounds. Please tell me what you think about them. I am not sure if I like them. I may just be too used to the original one.

"All by Myself"

2008-08-02T13:17:00.004-04:00

John has been working a lot lately, and he is training for a race in November so he is running a lot when he is not working. I have been spending my time with (drum roll)--the kids. Amazing, I know. Here are some fun pictures of our recent times together.

Twins?

My Aunt Teresa made this bow for Annelise.

Just call her Picassa!

She loves purses, I really don't know where she got that from.

Like mother like daughter, sort of.

A Kiss

2008-08-02T11:24:00.002-04:00

I have a hard time taking pictures of and filming Annelise because she always wants to look at the screen. Caleb was unhappy because he was hungry...as usual. He is quite the little pig.

I Cute - July 9th

2008-07-27T15:49:00.006-04:00

Caleb Update

2008-07-15T21:21:00.003-04:00

I can't forget about my little man. He is growing faster than I wanted him too. He is already sitting up. He just started sitting up by himself last week and now I can't get him to lean back on a pillow. Unfortunately, this has led to a couple of tumbles off of the couch...poor little guy. He still loves to be held all the time, and any one who gives him direct attention with receive thanks in the form of a huge smile. Unlike Annelise, sleeping through the night is not his favorite thing. Last night he finally slept all night...from 9pm to 7am. What a relief. I hope this becomes a habit for him. He and Annelise are similar in that they both started standing at about 3 months old. One of my favorite things is to watch Caleb and Annelise interact. It is obvious that they both like each other. Annelise helps me a lot and Caleb rewards her with coos and smiles. To sum it up, he is a cutie pie and I think I will keep him!

How Old are You, Annelise? "I'm 2!"

2008-07-15T20:46:00.007-04:00

It is hard to believe that 2 years have passed since Annelise was born. So much has happened in 2 years, and she has grown so much. I wonder how big she will seem in 2 more years. Her actual birth day:

Here is Annelise a year ago on her 1st birthday.

It was appropriate to have 2 birthday parties for her in honor of her turning 2. The first party was in Memphis with John's family. She had a cupcake with 2 candles and opened her presents.

Her second party was on her birthay the following Saturday (July 5th). We were in NC with my family for the 4th of July.

The week before Annelise's birthday, she stayed with my parents. I had forgotten how relaxing and productive life could be. I got so much work done in the house that I am not able to do with Annelise here. I was able to relax occasionally when Caleb took naps. Although I missed Annelise, I was truly amazed at how different life is without a toddler. My parents were worn out after their week with her. She is constant entertainment!

Memphis

2008-06-30T09:16:00.007-04:00

Last week we were in Memphis for a big family gathering with John's family. Charles, John's brother, has been in Bolivia and Costa Rica with his family for the last 3 years and this was the first time we have seen them in about 2 and a half years. While they were in Bolivia they had a baby girl who is now 5 1/2 months old. It was a busy week for many in the family, but John and I just went with the flow and enjoyed spending time with everyone. We took Annelise to a children's museum and the whole family enjoyed a baseball game together. The drive to Memphis was long, but the week was fun. Here are some photos from Memphis.

Annelise meets her Uncle Charles for the first time.

Lilly is almost 2 months older than Caleb, but he is already much bigger than she is.

Here are the 3 cousins. It was a lot of work to get a good picture!

We celebrated Annelise's 2nd birthday a week early.

On a motorcycle at the children's museum

with Uncle Doug (or Gug or Scug as Annelise calls him)

Caleb on he left, Lilly on the right.

The family at the baseball game.

My monsters got a little sleepy.
Annelise made a new name for Caleb. He is now K-bob.

Annelise put all of these on by herself.

Modeling

2008-06-18T16:57:00.004-04:00

We bought this outfit for Annelise in November while we were on our cruise. She is a natural. I don't know how I feel about that... She insisted on wearing the hat. What a belly! You'd never know that she refuses to eat almost everything.

Yesterday she wanted to put on all of her coats (3 of them) and go outside. I didn't take her outside with her coats on.

And then there is Caleb...he looks so goofy in his towel. 14 1/2 pounds...what a big boy.

Preocupado

2008-06-11T16:16:00.004-04:00

Hello all,

I know it has been a while since my last post, but I have been preoccupied with some tough things happening in my family. I don't feel free to write about them yet, and I don't know if or when I will. It is so hard when bad things happen to someone you love and you can't do anything about it.

"In my distress I called to the LORD; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears." Psalm 18:6

Here are a couple of photos to lighten the mood.

Like Father Like Son?

2008-05-06T16:29:00.009-04:00

When Caleb was born, we couldn't tell who he looked like.

Just the other day we finally started seeing some similarities. John's mother sent me some photos of him as a baby. What do you think?

Here is John at 6 months (I think):

And here is Caleb at 2 months:

Adjustments

2008-04-21T12:14:00.004-04:00

The last 7 weeks have been a whirlwind. It feels like Caleb has been with us forever, but I can't believe that he is already 7 weeks old. We've had many ups and downs and are not fully adjusted yet. A friend told me that the first 6 months are pretty tough, but it gets much better after that.

A lot has happened since Caleb was born. The 2 major things are 1-my little sister got married (yesterday), and 2-our car died (the one with better gas mileage). Now we are busy spending our free time looking for a car.

John has been working late a lot, and has been working many weekends. He is leaving from work today to go to the Outer banks to scout out a kayaking trip in May. He won't be back until Wed evening. I love Annelise and Caleb, but sometimes I think I am going crazy. It is so hard to take care of them all day all by myself. I know why so many women prefer to put the kids in daycare. But, when they are good, it is GREAT!

On a happier note, Caleb started smiling last week. Here are some recent photos of Caleb the Giant. He is already 12 pounds and growing out of some of his 0-3 month clothes. Annelise didn't start growing out of them until she was about 4 months old...

Stopping to Smell the Flowers

2008-04-16T20:14:00.003-04:00

Annelise loves flowers and wants to smell anything that is or has a flower on it, including fake flowers and flowers in books. She likes to smell leaves too because they are also considered flowers.

First she picks a flower.

Then she smells the flower.

Then she shows off her moustache.

New photos

2008-03-26T13:49:00.006-04:00

Here are some recent photos of Caleb and the family. He is changing so much. He is now over 10 pounds. I can't believe how big he is. I am enjoying the occasional nap with him. I didn't cuddle very much with Annelise and now wish that I had a little more. I don't want Caleb to get too comfortable with it because he still needs to sleep in his own bed at night and for most naps. I am still trying to get into a routine with the kiddos and am looking forward to the time when everything starts falling into place (if that time ever comes.)

John's parents visited for Easter and we had a really nice time and got some great pictures. I will put most of them in the photo album on the right. Here are a few good ones though.

Meet Caleb

2008-03-07T16:47:00.005-05:00

Apparently I should have waited a few hours before posting the previous post. Later that day (Sunday) I went into labor. My mom arrived Sunday afternoon and we were at the hospital by 9:30 that night. Caleb was born at 5:08 am Monday morning. He weighed 8lbs 10 oz and was 19.5 inches tall. We were all surprised at how heavy he was, but the delivery went smoothly. Like Annelise, he was out in 20 minutes.

I am posting photos in the photo album in the column on the right. Here are a few others.

Nothing Yet

2008-03-02T13:10:00.002-05:00

Just in case people (like me) are getting anxious, I thought I'd let everyone know that Caleb has not joined the outside world yet. He is due on Sat. March 8th, but I am pretty ready to meet him. When Annelise was due, I was just ready to get her out and get more comfortable. I didn't really know what to expect. Now I am ready for more comfort (although it does come with painful healing) and to meet Caleb and see his face. I am not looking forward to sleepless nights and figuring out how to balance time with him, Annelise, myself and duties. It will certainly be difficult, but we will get through it.

My mother is coming today to help before and after the baby comes. My dad will come to help with Annelise (and meet his grandson) when I go into labor. My sister and her boyfriend will visit for a day in about 2 weeks. Then John's parents are coming for 4 days at the end of the month. It will be busy, but it will be nice to have so much help too.

Nothing else to report here. Caleb kicks hello to all.

6 years ago

2008-02-19T11:13:00.003-05:00

6 Years ago today I was in college and had known John for about 9 months. He came to my apt/dorm that evening a little frustrated and said he needed to use the phone. I was making dinner (I think) so he went down to my room to make his phone call. He was taking a while so I went to check on him. He was obviously flustered. I did notice the list of phone numbers in his hand were all my family's numbers.

After dinner we went on the Blue Ridge Parkway and stopped at a pulloff. We got in our down sleeping bags and enjoyed the quiet darkness.

A little later, John got behind me and put his arms around me. He told me several things that, sadly, I don't remember, but I do remember him saying that the only thing missing was having me with him for the rest of his life. Then he asked me to marry him and gave me a ring. I turned around and hugged him.

10 months later we were married.

Photo Album

2008-02-15T13:41:00.003-05:00

I added some photos, mainly of Annelise, to the photo album. The link is on the right. The new photos are under "Nov-Dec 07" and "Jan-Feb 08". Here is one I didn't add, but I think it is really cute. This is my dad with Annelise in October.

Big Momma

2008-02-15T11:37:00.003-05:00

Here are some photos of me and my big belly. They are a little dark, but it's the best I could do. 3 weeks to go!

Say Doodad

2008-02-08T10:46:00.000-05:00

4 more weeks. I hope to get a picture posted soon of my large belly, but I can't take the photo myself. I am excited and nervous about Caleb's entering the world. Although it will be exciting to have a new baby, I am dreading the adjustment and the lack of sleep. In the beginning it will be very hard, but it will only get better and better.

Last night we were trying to get Annelise to say "Doodad", which is John's dad's grandfather name. She didn't quite get it, but she is getting close.

Haiku

2008-01-18T15:43:00.000-05:00

I have a book called Cat Haiku by Deborah Coates. As any good cat-lover would, I enjoy reading from this book occasionally and thinking about my cat, Jasper, and his poor lost sister, Savy. Here is one of my favorites:

You Call and I hear.

But I am a jungle cat

And will not answer.

New Baby

2008-01-10T15:15:00.000-05:00

Yesterday at 2pm, Lilly Cruz McCall was born in Bolivia to Hannah and Charles. Charles is John's brother. Annelise has a cousin! We are very excited for them and are looking forward to meeting Lilly in May or June. Another fun surprise is that yesterday was John's mother's birthday too so she gets to share it with her new granddaughter. They don't have pictures up yet, but they will post them on their blog soon. Follow the link for "Charles and Hannah" on the right.

Lilly Cruz McCall
Born at 2pm on Jan. 9, 2007
Weight 6 lbs 5 oz
Both mother and baby are doing well.

Praise God!

Since I don't have any pictures of the new baby, here is another one of Annelise.

Not Enough

2008-01-04T12:07:00.000-05:00

At the end of our Christmas vacation, John and I were very happy to have dinner with our friends Bob, Judi and Abigail Podgurski in Albuquerque, NM the night before we flew home. We met the Pod's while living in Colorado and love every minute we get to spend with them. Although our dinner was short and weepy (with a very tired and sick Annelise), it was nice to see them again. Bob did inform me that I do not blog enough. I don't have as much time now that Annelise doesn't sleep as often, and when she does I usually want to lie down too. But, it is true. I don't blog enough. Well, Bob, this one's for you.

Caleb is due in 2 months and I feel like it is coming very quickly. We are going to try to put him and Annelise in the same room once he starts sleeping through the night (which I hope will be very soon). John doesn't really like this plan, but it is so nice for me to have this extra room for the computer and for company. I use it a lot and don't want to give it up since the kids won't know the difference anyway. If sharing a room doesn't work out, I will give in and let each one have his own room. I am really hoping it works though. After all, years ago, that is what everyone did. Kids shared a room. Why can't it work today?

John's brother and his wife are expecting their first child any day now. It is a girl and we are so excited for them. They are in Bolivia right now but will move back to the states at the end of May. It will be so nice for Annelise (and Caleb) to have a cousin!

I think Caleb is a little uncomfortable. He squirms all the time and kicks me a lot. Maybe he will come a little early.

Photos:

1-Annelise after church with a fun pine cone.

2-John made a big pile of leaves that Annelise enjoyed playing in with Terra.

3-At the NC zoo with my parents a few days before Thanksgiving. I sure do look small in that photo. I don't feel that small anymore.

Cruise

2007-11-28T11:38:00.000-05:00

John and I had a wonderful vacation in the Caribbean. Many unexpected things happened, but we always enjoyed each other's company and really enjoyed the food and snorkeling. The night we left was the first eventful night. While we were enjoying our first dinner, the director announced that the captain was going to turn the boat around and head back towards Miami so a passenger could be airlifted to a hospital. (After the cruise was over, we heard that the person died in the hospital.) The second mishap was on St. Thomas where we were supposed to dock at the pier, but the Harbormaster had overbooked the harbor so we dropped anchor very far away and had to borrow tender boats from another cruise ship to get to and from St. Thomas. Many people were very upset about that because they had to wait a very long time to get onto the island. John and I had gotten up very early and were on the first boat to the island. The final major event happened early Sat. Morning (on my birthday). I looked out the window at about 3am and noticed that we weren't moving. A searchlight was shining out over the water. John and I prayed then went to the pool deck to see if anyone else was awake and knew what had happened. A crew member had fallen overboard. Off in the distance we saw the light on a life jacket flashing. As we got closer we saw it was empty. Someone informed us that the person had been rescued. As soon as the person fell overboard, the captain was informed and it took 3 miles to slow the ship down to release a rescue boat. I am amazed that they found the person. It is a big ocean and is very very dark at night.

Besides those 3 things, we had a nice time. We watched some movies, spent a little time at the pool (but not too much time because it was always crowded), walked out on the lower decks and felt the spray from the waves as we cut through the water, and watched live shows. My favorite activity on board was our dance class. It was short, but it was fun. We learned very basic cha cha steps.

As we walked into our room for the very first time, we saw that, instead of seeing the darkness of an interior stateroom that we had paid for, we had a big room with a big window. That was very exciting.

I have posted some photos in the photo album on the column to the right. Just follow the link. Some pictures are still in the camera so they will have to come later. I took out photos of the ship because I don't know if I am legally allowed to post those. If you really want to see some, let me know and I will e-mail them. I don't have many of the boat. Most photos are of our fun time snorkeling on St. Thomas. That was our favorite thing about the cruise.

Much Happening

2007-10-29T11:54:00.000-04:00

Well, there is a lot going on around here and it has been keeping us all busy.

Annelise is doing well. She will be 16 months next week, but still doesn't weigh 20lbs. At this rate she will be 5 years old by the time she can face forward in her carseat. Besides that, she is doing very well. She is very happy and is always trying to say new words. She is also enjoying bathtime (finally!) as long as she doesn't know she is getting cleaned while playing in the water.

John's parents came to town for a short visit. It seemed like they left as soon as they arrived. It was nice having them here and Annelise certainly enjoyed all of the attention!

I had an ultrasound a week ago and there was no mistaking the sex of our next child. Annelise will have a little brother sometime in early March! (It would be interesting if he was born on Feb. 29th.) His name is Caleb and we are very excited. I come from a family of all girls so this will be a new experience for me. It makes me nervous, but also excited.

The week before the ultrasound I received a call and found out that one of my family members is getting married. This was a bit of a surprise considering I didn't know she was dating anyone, but it let to a fun surprise that weekend with the family.

And finally, John and I will be celebrating our birthdays, anniversary, honeymoon, and inbetween babies on a cruise in November. We are very excited about the chance to take a vacation together and can't wait for all the fun and food aboard the ship. (I am especially looking forward to the food.) We are going on a 7 day/8 night Carnival cruise to the Carribean where we will stop in Puerto Rico, St. Thomas and St. Maarten. Everything worked out very well. Instead of going straight home and back to work, we will spend the week after the cruise with my family for Thanksgiving. Annelise will be staying with my parents while we are away. It will be strange to be away from her.

So that is our life until December (when more fun begins!) No wonder this pregnancy is flying by.

A Bit Late

2007-09-18T11:09:00.000-04:00

I have been thinking about when to write about this and as time goes by, it just gets a little more awkward. Now it seems that I am a bit late in giving out this information. It is better late than never.

If everything goes as planned, some time in early March we will become a family of 4 (not including pets of course). We found out the day before Annelise's birthday that we will be having another baby.

Although we are very excited, I am very exhausted. It is easier to be home this time around, rather than at work, but Annelise keeps me busy when she is awake (which is most of the time.) I am very thankful for our kitties who keep her entertained about half of the time. She LOVES the kitties.

I am about 15 weeks pregnant and just started the 2nd trimester. The due date is somewhere around March 8th. It is going much better this time around. I haven't been very sick this time, just extremely tired and quite hungry.

I guess we will find out in about 5 weeks whether it is a boy or a girl. I would like for it to be a surprise, but John wants to know.

Here are 2 photos. One John took while hiking with Annelise and Terra. The other was taken early September and is a 4 generation photo with my grandmother, mother, me and Annelise. It is a little fuzzy and Annelise is blocking her face, but it is the best one I have.

Changes

2007-08-27T10:18:00.000-04:00

It is amazing how much babies change in a year. Annelise is becoming more and more exciting every day. She always has new tricks. Since she started walking a few weeks ago, she hasn't stopped. If she isn't sleeping or eating, she is walking. She loves the garbage cans and the cat food and water. I think she tried a piece of Friskies from the bowl and enjoyed it. She keeps going back for more. I am trying to find a new solution for those things, but I haven't come up with one yet.

She isn't taking her naps as well as she used to. She very often cries for a while before taking her naps now. My mother suggested giving her a toy or a book. That does help. I really need those breaks during nap time. I am not ready to give them up yet, and she is still a baby and needs her sleep!

Getting into the kitchen cabinets is a favorite activity for Annelise. She climbs in and plays around with the pots and pans.
She "knocks" on the door if I am in a room and the door is closed. She has started singing to songs.

We have been deciding on a church and are eager to get involved. Unfortunately, the 2 we have been looking at don't seem to have any group for mothers. I was really looking forward to getting involved in something like that. It would be great for Annelise and me.

Peru's Earthquake

2007-08-23T09:26:00.000-04:00

For those who don't know, my dad is from Peru. He grew up in and around Lima. We still have family there, mainly his cousins and aunt and uncles, but still family. After the recent earthquake he did hear that all of his family was safe. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case for many people. Praise God that more weren't hurt. Here is a link to some photos that someone sent to my dad. Numbers 11-20 are repeats. It is amazing how quickly our lives can be turned upside down. Only the Lord knows what will happen tomorrow.
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8IasmjNuzbsU0&emid=sharview&linkid=link4

IT"S ALIVE!!!

2007-08-06T10:23:00.000-04:00

Beware...she is coming for YOU!

Vacations

2007-07-31T09:33:00.000-04:00

The last 3 weeks have been pretty eventful for us. Annelise and I spent a week with my parents while John was in New Mexico with his family. Then we had a week to prepare for the next trip. Last week Annelise and I were in at a beach in Texas with John's family. John joined us Wednesday. In the last 3 weeks, Annelise has had 3 birthday parties, done a lot of walking, and has had a lot of fun. She started a new thing at my parents house where she doesn't just smile at people. She opens her mouth as big as she can, squints her eyes and sucks air in while looking at people. She thinks she is really cute--she's right.

Here are some photos of her second group of presents and the best I could get of her walking. She is so fast that I didn't have much time to take the pictures.

Annelise was afraid of the water at first, but soon loved it. She likes sitting and playing in the soft wet sand. I don't have many photos from the beach because I was afraid to take the camera outside. John's dad took some photos that I hope to post soon. Here is the only good one I have. John's mother, "Coco", is holding her.

Happy Birthday!

2007-07-06T10:24:00.000-04:00

Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday, Annelise. Happy birthday to you.

Yesterday was Annelise's first birthday. Because we are in the middle of preparing for and recovering from various trips, we just had a small family party. I made her a cake and bought her a toy remote control. We also bought her a pool which we have not been able to use yet.

John's parents joined us via internet for the singing and birthday cake part. I think the pictures show that Annelise really enjoyed the cake. After I took her high chair tray off, she frantically tried to get all of the crumbs that had fallen into her lap. John said she looked like a heroine addict desperate for her drugs.

We leave for my parents house tonight and will have another mini-party tomorrow. John will be in New Mexico next week helping his parents with the Arkwings trip. (http://www.arkwings.com/)

The unpacking of the house has been put on hold. I don't think I will get back to it until August. There are just too many trips scheduled right now to think about unpacking boxes.

Fun Stuff

2007-06-22T14:44:00.000-04:00

Here are some fun photos. If you want to see a bigger image, click on the photo.

Mmmm Spaghetti!

It almost fits.

Perks of living in the woods.

Settling In

2007-06-22T13:46:00.000-04:00

Thursday morning we woke and drove to our new town where we stopped to get paint and a bite to eat. By the afternoon we were unscrewing outlet covers, taping frames, filling holes, sanding, wiping, placing plastic, and finally priming. We worked until about 2am on the Living room and kitchen. Although we were incredibly exhausted, we needed to get the primer on so it would have time to dry because we needed to paint on Friday before we moved on Saturday. I am so thankful that it is finished. It is disappointing that we only have 2 rooms finished, but they were the 2 most important rooms, and they look great. We are really happy with the colors. Check out the before and after pictures at the bottom of the post. The house isn't clean and there are still some boxes, but you get the idea.

My parents drove up early Saturday morning to help us move. Our former neighbor who works with John also surprised us by offering to help. We made 2 trips with the moving van and finished very late...again. Thankfully we didn't have to get up early Sunday morning. Of course, my little alarm clock doesn't have a snooze button, she has an "I'm awake and I'm ready to eat!" button. At least we got to rest on Sunday. I have been working hard this week to get the house in order. Besides our bedroom, I am impressed by how much I have accomplished. Annelise's room is completely finished, the kitchen is practically finished, the extra bed room is mostly set up, and I have rearranged the furniture in every room except the living room.

Annelise has not been her usually good self. She is whiney and demanding. It started with her getting a fever while we were painting. Her top teeth are coming in and she was not happy about it. She had a fever for about 2 days and didn't want anyone but mama...mama was very tired. Now she is feeling better, but is still using the screaming to try and get what she wants. Why couldn't she be perfect forever? I have been disciplining her, but if anyone has any suggestions, I'd love to hear them.

It feels so good to own the house. There are many more problems that need fixing than we originally thought, but that is just the way it goes. We are still very happy. Remember, if you ever want to come visit or will be in the area and need a place to stay...you are welcome here!

Heading Out

2007-06-13T18:11:00.000-04:00

We are leaving this evening for our new house. Our evening will consist of dropping off essentials, buying painting supplies from Home Depot, finding something to eat, and initial preparations for painting. That is a lot to do in one evening, especially since I am exhausted from all of the packing. At least it is an exciting time. I will update as soon as I can.

The Calm Before the Storm

2007-05-31T10:19:00.000-04:00

It sure has been a while. I have been really busy and it is getting warmer and warmer upstairs where the computer is so I am not as excited about spending time online, although I have missed hearing from people.

Yesterday was the BIG DAY. We met with the title company and the sellers and we now own a house--woohoo! Annelise was flirting with the Title Company man ( I don't know what else to call him). I have never seen her do that before. She was staring at him and flashing huge smiles at him while raising her shoulders and pulling up the front of her onsie/dress. He was trying really hard to pay attention to what he was supposed to be doing and I was trying really hard not to laugh, although a few giggles escaped anyway. After I had signed the first round that included me, I took her out to (you guessed it) walk walk walk walk walk walk walk...and walk some more. After about 20 minutes, the seller left and I took Annelise back in where she sat quietly on the floor distroying a magazine and eating Goldfish. The meeting went smoothly for the most part and now we just need to finish packing and move. We are very excited.

The seller moves out on Wednesday, June 13th. We plan to remove the wallpaper and paint on the 14th & 15th. We have reserved a Budget truck that we will pick up Friday and return Saturday. My parents will be joining us to help us move. I am so thankful for them. It would be so hard to move it all by ourselves while taking care of Annelise.

So that is the plan. We are very excited about our new place. Removing the wallpaper is what I am dreading the most, but it will be so nice when it is finished. *sigh*

If you want to look at more pictures of the house, they are in the photo album at the top of the blue column. I have not added any new ones. If you want to see the house in person, just let us know. We'd love to have you over.

Bye Daddy!

2007-05-10T11:18:00.000-04:00

Annelise has been getting closer and closer to actually speaking words. She says "mamama" all the time and has recently started to say "ba" to John when he leaves for work in the morning. It sounds like a real southern "bye". She is usually cruising around in her walker when he leaves in the morning. She follows him to the door and yells "ba (bye)" to him repeatedly and waves. It usually takes John a little longer to leave now because he returns her goodbye and waves a lot too. She stays there waving and saying bye until his car is gone. It is really fun to watch. It is interesting to see how much she loves her daddy. She gets very happy when he comes home from work too. Big smiles and arms raised always greet him when he arrives. We will be spending next week at my parents' house while John attends a kayak training. I am not sure if we will have internet access. Here is a fun picture of a quick bath Annelise got after flooding the changing table! What was your first word?

Fun Times

2007-04-29T14:34:00.000-04:00

We took a break yesterday and went to a park called Sherando Lake. Complete with campsites, trails and a swimming area, this place will be a dream--especially on those hot summer days. Isn't every summer day a hot one? I guess we will be spending a lot of time at the lake. John helped Annelise walk in the sand and put her feet in the cool water. Then she enjoyed walking on the nice grass for a while. Her day ended with a nice helping of dandelions for a snack. It has been a rough week for her (and us) so it was nice to have a long afternoon of happy baby. There are more pictures of her at the park in the photo album at the top of the blue section on the right.

We enrolled Annelise in a swim class in January. It finished at the end of March. Although it was good for her to see and be around other babies, it really wasn't a very fun experience. The class was right after church and Annelise was usually tired and we were always in a rush. We are thankful that it is over, but did get a few good lessons from it.

A Sad Time

2007-04-19T11:37:00.000-04:00

It is hard to be so close to something so terrible. I don't know anyone at Virginia Tech nor have I seen the campus. So many people here in Charlottesville have connections to that university. It is hard to understand a situation like this. It seems as though it is a movie, not reality.

There was a young man on tv who survived the columbine shooting, but lost his sister in it. He commented that the media always makes tragedies into a record. This tragedy is the worst shooting in the US or something like that. The young man said, "Records can be broken". Sadly, this one will be broken some day. It almost encourages others to want that title or record.

More focus should be placed on the victims. MSNBC has victims stories, but on the right column, photos of the shooter pointing his gun at the camera. How insensitive can the media get? Who cares about morals or ethics-- just make it a good story.

Easter Sunday

2007-04-10T10:19:00.000-04:00

We just celebrated Annelise's first Easter. We woke early to attend the early service at church. Annelise enjoyed herself as she ate cheerios during the sermon. This worked wonderfully as quiet entertainment. After church we returned home where we prepared for our first annual Easter Party. It wasn't a big event, but I expect it to get better every year. This year's celebration consisted of a nice meal, dancing, homemade chex mix, and ice cream. It was a short party, but the four of us enjoyed it (yes, Jesus was there too!)

Yesterday (Monday) we went shopping for half price candy and found more than enough to satisfy us for quite a while. We took turns hiding the foil eggs for the other person to find. It was a fun evening as well. Then the most amazing thing happened. We sat down to watch a show but John got up and went upstairs. I assumed he was getting on the computer so I called for him to come back. After a few minutes he came downstairs carrying my game table and a puzzle! It was a dream come true. I ask all the time but he never wants to do a puzzle with me. This was a really happy time. Ah the simple joys in life...

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter. Praise the Lord for the blessings He has given us. We do not serve a dead god. Our Lord is alive and He has made a way for us to be with Him. Believe in Him.

House Photos and a Trip to the Toy Store

2007-04-05T16:30:00.000-04:00

Hello again folks. My mother has been in town and I have not been on the computer much. Sorry for the delay. Here are the much anticipated pictures of our soon to be house (Lord willing). I included captions to help. The best way to see it is to come visit us, of course. So, when are you coming?
To see the photos, click on the photo album on top of the blue sidebar.

On Sunday, we took Annelise to a toy store. She had never been to one before (besides Toys R Us). She had a blast. She oooohed and aaaahed at everything. I don't think she was silent the entire time we were in there. She was very excited. Wouldn't it be nice to be excited about such little things? We got her a small purple ball. It wasn't her favorite toy, but it was something we could afford and something she will learn to enjoy. Every baby needs a ball.

Albert Einstein

2007-03-27T20:55:00.000-04:00

I just want everyone to know that I did one of those online IQ tests today and I scored a 141. Yes, as you all suspected, I am a genius. You can stop wondering now. It is official, I am the next Albert Einstein. Don't let my mediocre blogs and comments fool you. I try to water down my writing so that it is understandable for the average person.

House Update

2007-03-27T10:05:00.000-04:00

Not much has happened since our offer was accepted. We did have the house inspected and found a few problems that we have asked to be fixed. We are still very excited about our new home. We hope everything goes well. We will not be closing until the end of May because the owner wants her daughters to finish the school year before they move. They will be out of the house on June 13th. We plan on having the carpets, kitchen & bathrooms cleaned and we are hoping to strip off some wall paper and paint some walls before we move in. Here is the bad news. There is no A/C in the house so moving in the middle of the summer will be really hot...again. We always seem to move when it is really hot. I am thankful that my parents (or at least my mother) will be able to help us move. If anyone else is nearby and wants to help out, we'd love to have you!

It is so strange to see this house and think that it will soon be ours, Lord willing.

What a World

2007-03-23T16:02:00.000-04:00

My grandmother sent me a message written by Chuck Colson regarding a new law in the UK. The law forbids anyone in schools to teach that a certain Christian belief is right--even private Christian schools. I am not surprised, but I am sad and even a little scared. The Bible teaches about the last days and they sound frightening to me. I replied to my grandmother that I worry about what kind of a world my children are going to grow up in. Sometimes I wonder if I should even have anymore. I don't want to live in a world where I am constantly persecuted because of a Christian and I certainly don't want my children to have to suffer through that. I know there is terrible persecution many places in the world today, and has been since the beginning. The "western world" has been somewhat of a safe place for believers so far, but that seems to be changing fast. It almost seems more humane to not bring more children into the world, but to adopt those who are already here and teach them Truth.

But children are a gift from God (biological or adopted). I know that God has blessed me by giving me a healthy and happy daughter. If He blesses me with more biological children, I will thank Him and work hard to raise them to glorify Him. My grandmother reminded me that "the rewards outweigh the trouble". That really is true. There is no comparison. The trouble that we or our children will go through because of Him is nothing compared to the reward in heaven. The trials in this life are only temporary. The rewards are eternal.

How Does it End?

2007-03-07T10:16:00.000-05:00

Isn't it amazing how God works? Sometimes things don't go the way we want them to, but then something even better happens. Here is a story about just such a thing...

A while ago I wrote about a nice house that we made an offer on. John especially was excited about it. It seemed to have everything we wanted. Their counter offer was too high for us and within 2 business days there was another contract on it. It was disappointing.

We decided to look at buying land instead. We saw a few plots, but none were what we wanted. John found one listed online and called about it, but found that the land had been sold months ago--the website had not been updated. The man he spoke with had a house for sale that was in our price range and was the size we wanted as well. We were very interested, but before we could tour the inside there was a contract on it. Another blessing came our way almost immediately. The same man knew a woman at his church who was facing foreclosure. She needed to sell her house fast and was willing to sell it for the payoff amount. We checked it out and it was WONDERFUL. A quiet new neighborhood, on a cul-de-sac, fenced yard, lots of room and even a new in ground swimming pool. AMAZING! Although it was on the high end of what we could afford, we went for it. We were working hard on our end, but didn't feel like there was much effort on the sellers end. We began to get a little frustrated. John started looking at houses online again and found one identical to this one (minus the pool) and it was just down the street. The best part about it was that it was over 20K less. We pleaded with them to let us see it that day (Monday March 5th) and they finally allowed it. We saw it and went directly to our agents office to make an offer. Yesterday evening we got a call that our offer had been accepted. YIPPEEE! We are a little closer to becoming homeowners now. It is a nice feeling. We won't close until May because the family doesn't want to move during the school year. Please pray that everything goes smoothly. We are really excited about this house. The price is such that we can live off of John's salary. It is amazing that we have that opportunity while having a nice house in a nice neighborhood. Please pray for the woman who's house is facing foreclosure too.

But most of all, PRAISE GOD!

Gingerbread House

2007-03-05T12:51:00.000-05:00

This has been a very intense time of house hunting for us. There have been several that we thought were "the one", but so far, none have turned out that way. We are currently pursuing a house that is soon to be under foreclosure. There are many great things about this house, but it is a lot of work to actually get the house. Even though the owner is facing foreclosure, we feel like we are the only ones eager to "get the ball rolling". It is a little frustrating for us. The house is a wonderful investment, but it is on the high end for us, and may get higher if we have to pay fees related to the foreclosure. The longer we wait to get things moving on this house, the less appealing it is to us. There is another house on the same street that we just found. It is a lot less money and probably won't bring along as many complications.

We are still trusting in God to lead us to the best house for us. We are really ready for this process to be over. I am ready to have my husband back. Maybe we should just buy a gingerbread house and be finished with it!

With or Without You

2007-02-27T10:03:00.000-05:00

It is interesting, as my mother pointed out, that everything changes once there is a baby in your life. "What did you do before Annelise?" Well, I worked. Although work was enjoyable most of the time, this is so much better. I do miss the interaction, but Annelise will grow and soon I will be having 2-way conversations with her. Since this blog is mainly about Annelise, and she is the only one pictured here, I have decided to change the title to "Welcome to Annelise's World".

We did put an offer on a house, but they counter offered. It was just a little too high for us. Before we could re-counter, there was a contract on it. John was disappointed at first, but we are okay now. We have been looking at other options like buying land and building a modular home, older homes, and even a forclosure home. We looked at 2 really nice ones yesterday. God is in control and I know He is will take care of us. We just need to be patient and listen for Him. It is so freeing to know that He is watching over us and guiding us. What would we do without him?

Updates

2007-02-13T15:28:00.000-05:00

Here is a quick update. Sadly, Duke lost, but it was a good game. We went to the women's game the following evening and Duke won that one.

Today we are putting in an offer for a house. I am a little nervous. Please pray that God does what is right here. We really like the house, but this is just a big step. It has 3 beds, 2 baths, 1600+ sq ft, a fenced back yard, a nice kitchen and it is on a cul-de-sac. I think we'd be happy there. The only bad thing is that it is about 30 minutes from John's work. But, the closer to his work we get, the higher the prices are. There was another offer on it, but we don't think it was a good offer.

We found another tooth...it is right beside the first one. Her bottom two front teeth are coming in fast.

And finally...the photo contest. I did finally make a decision. I chose #6. I was deciding between #s 4 and 6 because those are the ones people liked the most. #4 was very cute, but #6 showed her face better and she wasn't biting her lip. I had trouble sending over the website. I tried many times. I hope it actually went through.

Tooth or Hair

2007-02-01T19:50:00.000-05:00

Almost 2 weeks ago, John and I were in church trying to entertain Annelise while participating in the service. It was John's turn to entertain and baby was enjoying sucking on his finger. John looked at me and told me that he felt a tooth. Although he was really excited and had me feel for the tiny bumps that were poking up through her gums, I was a little sad. I really like having her as a baby and don't want her to get older. I know I will enjoy her more as she gets older, but I don't really KNOW that yet. It was exciting to feel the baby tooth in her mouth, but it made me sad. Maybe I need to have another one so I can let Annelise get older!

As for the hair situation...it is sad. She is getting more hair, but it is very apparent that she has my hairline. Sometimes she looks like she has a mohawk. She still looks pretty bald to me.

John is assisting with a kayak roll session tonight so Annelise and I get to go to a basketball game together. "And who is playing?" you ask. "Why it is the amazing Dukies! How could you even ask?" Yes, Annelise gets to see her first Duke game tonight. We are very excited, but a little nervous also. The game starts at 9pm, which is usually when she goes to bed for the night, so we may have a little trouble. Either way, it will be fun for a little while. Honestly, I don't even know if I can last for the entire game...and I really don't want to battle the traffic jam at the end of the game. Blah! I will be one of the few in the University of Virginia arena cheering for the loathed Duke team. Well...Let's Go Duke!

The Search Begins

2007-01-30T20:07:00.000-05:00

John and I have decided that we want to buy a house. We will probably be here for a while, so why not put our money into a place that is actually ours? Once we have a few that we like, I will post them and we will have another vote. Just kidding! We looked at a couple this morning and will look at a few more tomorrow morning. Houses in Charlottesville are very expensive. Actually anything in the entire county is expensive so we are looking in the adjacent counties. We saw a really nice one this morning that is a little above our price range. We are considering making an offer on it, but want to look around more first. The first house we will see tomorrow seems like a really nice house. It is slightly bigger than the one from today, but is 15K less...that's more like it! It is not as close to the city, but is in a more established neighborhood. I hope we like the inside as much as we do the outside.

We have been enjoying the process so far. John has been spending so much time house hunting and getting the financial stuff straight that he has barely done any work! Because it is a slow time, it hasn't affected any projects. Things have been progressing faster than we expected so it has been nice that John has been able to spend so much time getting us pre-approved (and whatever else he has been doing--I don't understand everything.)

So here is what we are looking for, but not necessarily what we will end up with:
3 bedrooms 2 bathrooms, 1 story, central air/heat pump or natural gas, fenced yard, storage space, a nice kitchen, a DISHWASHER, built within last 20 years, nice neighbors/neighborhood. That's not too much to ask for, is it?

From Annelise

2007-01-27T17:03:00.000-05:00

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she has so musch to sgafgy nn I have to fight hter tfor thge keyboard .

Picture Contest

2007-01-23T12:49:00.000-05:00

Hello folks! A friend from Colorado helped me get started with this blog page and I am excited about it. The first thing I want to do is get people's opinions on some pictures. I want to enter Annelise into a picture contest, but cannot decide which photo to use. Please let me know what picture you like best and why. I plan to update this page regularly (and it won't always be about Annelise!) I appreciate your help in this!

I removed #s 2 an 7 because those are not anyone's favorites.

#3

#4

#5

#6

#8

#9

What is that bump???
No, she didn't hit her head on anything, and I didn't whack her with a frying pan. The bump is a cyst that she was born with. It doesn't hurt her or bother her at all. If it doesn't grow into her hairline, we may have it removed some time down the road, but it isn't a big deal. My dad says that she is growing a horn and turning into a cow because she has been drinking too much milk.