Life's a Beach

Wow it's been too long!!!

2010-07-22T15:07:00.000-07:00

Well I can't believe that I have not posted a thing since oct/nov!!!! I'm so sorry to those who were following! A quick catch up on our life...In the very beginning of Dec we found out we were pregnant with #2!!! Had a great Christmas, and then had a fun birthday party for Zoe in March!! I can't believe she is already 3!!!! Time goes by way too fast!! We also found out that our baby is a BOY!!! Yay!! We are super excited to bring him into this family! Things were pretty non eventful until a few weeks ago. We finally got to go on our annual 4th of July vacation. We go to St. Pete beach in Florida. Our heaven on earth!!! We had an absolute blast, Zoe swam and played so hard every day. She even took 3hr naps most days!! We were very uncertain if we were going to get to go due to my pregnancy being so far along. We had a doc appt the day we left and were very luckily to get the go ahead!! We made it back safe and the day before I was to go back to work I was put on bed rest. I was in early labor and the doc said off my feet until he gets here. So now a week and a half later I am still here and pregnant. Anytime now we've been told that he could come. I think we are ready for the most part, we had to add a room to our house for the baby because we only had a 2 bedroom. It's painted and the furniture is up and clothes in the drawer...Just waiting :) Oh and his name will be Maximus Ivan Spellman. We will call him Max, but liked the meaning of Maximus, the greatest. Well, that's about it for now...I'll hopefully keep this up and add some pictures too!!

October Fun!

2009-11-09T17:44:00.000-08:00

We have been busy, busy around here! Corey and I headed to Indoanapolis with 4 other friends of ours to run in a race. 3 of us ran the mini marathon and the other 3 ran a 5k!! What an amazing time we had!! Corey finished in 2:02 and I did it in 2:22. We dropped a lot of time from our last race in April. After the race we all went out to celebrate, it was so much fun!
Zoe decided to be a kitty for Halloween this year. She was so cute!! We took her to the zoo with her cousins, and also went to our friends church for their fall festival. Zoe had so much fun! On halloween night we went trick or treating at our friends Rick and Cheri's. At first she didn't want to go. She was scared of some of the costumes, but we showed her they were just kids. Finally we got to go out and after to first house she said "I want more!!". So we went on! She had a great time!
This past weekend my dads family had the annual soup cookoff. We had 11 soups this year and the winner was my aunts white chili...yummy! We had a bonfire and hayrides. It was so much fun! I can't believe it's already November!! This year has flown by! Thanksgiving is going to be here soon! I can't wait! Zoe has been doing great at potty training. She has been in panties for 2 months now I think, such a big girl :)

Potty time!

2009-10-05T12:47:00.000-07:00

About 3 weeks ago I was getting ready to change Zoe's pullup when she stated that pullups were for babies and she wanted panties! So she picked some out and so it began. She has done really well and I just can't believe it! She is growing up so fast, she is 2 1/2 already! She can even do it all by herself. She washes her hands after, even turns the light out when she is done.
The weekend of the 16 Corey and I will be going to Indianapolis for a mini marathon. We are very excited for the race and to have a weekend together. We will miss Zoe, but she will ne with her grandparents and in great hands! 5 of our friends are going too. I feel grateful to help motivate others. It's great to have friends right there with you every step of the way!
We are loving this beautiful fall weather! Soon we will go get pumpkins and go trick or treating! Can't wait, I will post some pics then.

Fair

2009-08-26T05:18:00.000-07:00

Monday we took Zoe to the fair for the day. It was so much fun! She got to look at all the farm animals, jump in a bouncy house, and eat lots of good treats. We let her nap there and then got to take her on some rides. She loves to ride rides, she kept saying she wanted to ride a coaster! We found a toddler roller coaster and she didn't want it to end! Daddy and her went on the ferris wheel together and mommy got to go on the swings with her. Such a good day and we can't wait until next year!! We didn't have our camera with us so Corey was able to get a few pictures from his phone. Enjoy!

Florida!!!!

2009-07-14T05:48:00.000-07:00

It was that wonderful time again. Our trip to St Pete Beach Florida. We were able to fly this year and it was great! Zoe was super excited to ride on the plane. This was her 2nd time an a plane, but she was only 4 months old the last time. It was so cute on the way down we gave her gum to chew for her ears. She would chew for a minute then swallow it, she wasn't quite sure how it worked. Her poor ears were hurting her, so as long as we kept feeding her gum she was fine. Here are some pics of her in the airport and plane.

Our trip was great!! The 2nd day in the pool Zoe was swimming on her own. With water wings of course. I just can't believe what a water bug she is. She went from the pool to the beach and back to the pool again everyday. We were all so worn out that we couldn't even stay up late like usual! There was 2 days of rain, but rather it be there than at home. My brother and sister in law came with their 3 yr old for the last 3 days of vacation. That was our first family trip together and it was nice. I hate that it always has to end. Her first day back to daycare as I was getting her out of the car she said to me "My not happy right now, my want vacation" it was so pitiful. Until next time... It won't be soon enough!

Zoo Fun

2009-06-17T04:48:00.000-07:00

Well, once again I have neglected to keep my blog updated, so here I am. Since the last post we have gone down to Alabama for my sister in laws graduation from nursing school. Go Molly! What a fun weekend it was. They had a big party after it was all over and it was great to meet their friends and neighbors. The kids had a blast playing on a water slide and a water table. The 2 pictures of Zoe in a dress is during the reception of her pinning. The middle picture is on our way home we stopped in Nashville to visit a restaurant called Cock of the Walk. It is so yummy! We had stopped there before when Zoe was a baby and got our picture taken in the big rocking chair too.
My mom retired a few weeks ago and now her and my dad are both done with work. We went to the zoo with Zoe on moms first day of retirement and had a blast. We took a picnic lunch and sat by the pond to eat. I have to say the coolest thing that day was the orangutan. We went to see her and she came over to the window we were looking . A crowd drew and she was showing off. A dad with another family had a baggie of snacks in his had for his kids and he was leaning up against the glass with the bag. The orangutan peeled the leaves off a stick and began to push it through a hole that was in between the glass and the wall. Then she pointed to the bag and pointed to the stick. She wanted the snacks to eat! It is so amazing how smart she is! You just don't think about that. We then were off to the splash park. Zoe had never been before and had so much fun! It was cute and I determined that I needed an suit on while in there too!
We have been very busy and still are in the coming weeks. We will be heading to Florida on the 27th of June for our annual trip. We are so very excited!!! I will post some more when we get back!

Too Busy!

2009-05-20T05:00:00.000-07:00

I am so sorry it has been so long!! We just go non stop it feels like and I can't seem to keep up with my blog! Last time I posted Corey and I were getting ready to do the mini marathon. Well, we did it!!! It was so amazing, there are no words to describe. I recommend everyone walking or running a mini marathon at least once in their lives. Corey did so well, he finished in 2 hours and 30 mins! My finish time was 3:16. Not too bad for our first go around. I was frustrated that I couldn't run like I was training to do, but that's ok. I got to do it! We enjoyed it so much we have decided to do another in October... are we crazy??? Derby weekend was a good time. We had a great time with family and friends and ate way too much food!
Last week Zoe had her first dentist appt! She was so good I just couldn't believe it! They had prepared me for the worst so I guess I just expected her to be afraid. Nope, she sat on my lap and they cleaned her teeth and then the Dr checked them. She was just amazing!! I am so proud of her! I have pictures on my phone, but I need a SD card to put them on the computer. Hopefully I will get it soon! I am sure there are lots of things that I am forgetting to write down, but at least you have a quick update!
These are pictures during the mini that a company called Brightroom took. It was neat to find out that they captured some of us!

Relief

2009-04-23T14:41:00.000-07:00

I had my follow appointment with the surgeon today and she says I am healing great. It's such a good feeling to know that it's better now. She told me still no heavy lifting for 4 more weeks due to a possible hernia and I don't need that. The other good news is she says I can walk the mini marathon! I am so excited that I still get to accomplish my goal even though I won't be running. It's only 2 days away, I can't believe it!! I really wish I could run it with Corey... Oh well things don't always go as planned. I am looking forward to next weekend with Derby and all. We have some friends coming up for Derby from Alabama. This is their annual trip to Louisville and we always have a great time with them.
Zoe is doing well, talking so much now! You can have little conversations with her now. It's just amazing to me how big she is. This week we were at the doctor because she has another sinus infection, but 24 hours on meds and she is great. I'll post again soon and get some Zoe pics on here!

Much to Blog About...

2009-04-15T15:15:00.000-07:00

What a past couple of weeks we have had! The first full weekend in April we went down to the lake for the night. I woke up Sunday morning very sick to my stomach and developed a fever later that day. I couldn't move off the couch after we got home from the lake. Monday my stomach was a little better, but I still had a fever and my lower right back was hurting. I woke up Tuesday feeling better and no more fever so I went on into work. The pain in my back was very uncomfortable and it had began to move to my lower right abdomen. I called the doctor and they got me in first thing wednesday morning. The doc first thought kidney stones, but then my tests came back fine. Then he felt it could be my appendix. My blood work came back fine, but that didn't mean anything so he sent me to get a cat scan done. The cat scan results were inconclusive because it didn't show the tip of the appendix which is what gets inflamed. My doctor decided it would be best to see a surgeon just in case. So Corey and I made the trip to her office Thursday morning to find out that she was scheduling my surgery for the very next morning! She said that the physical exam I did show signs of appendicitis and she felt it was best to go ahead. This was my very first surgery and I was so nervous! It is a very common procedure and they did it out patient laproscopy. It is so amazing how they can do it so easily. Everything went very well and my appendix was slightly infected, so it was a good thing that they took charge and removed it. It would have gotten worse over time and that can be so dangerous. I am very thankful I listened to my body and decided to make the call. Now I am recovering and I have 2 weeks off of work. That is so tough!! The biggest thing I am sad about is that I can't run the mini marathon. I was looking so forward to doing that with Corey and it is a huge let down! If she will let me walk it I am going to go!
Enough about me. Zoe is now sleeping in a big girl bed! Corey changed it over the weekend because I can't pick up Zoe for the next 2 weeks. She has done so well and she loves it! I really hope this puts a stop to all the waking up at night she was doing. She loves to tell everyone what a big girl she is! It is too cute! We also celebrated Easter on Sunday. We went up to Corey's Grandma's house for a yummy brunch and a huge Easter egg hunt. Zoe had so much fun hunting the eggs and running around with her cousins. When we were going through the eggs to see her treats, every piece of chocolate she came across she bit into it! She was a chocolate mess!! Later on we went to my parents house for another delicious dinner and a small egg hunt with her cousin Parker. It was a very long day with lots of sugar and goodies. Here are some pictures of Easter. The first is Zoe with her Grammy(Corey's mom). The 2nd is of Corey and Zoe and Granny(Corey's grandma). Then her hunting eggs. The last is of her on Easter morning seeing what the bunny brought her. Enjoy!

Chicago

2009-04-02T18:39:00.000-07:00

Well, I made it. I made it a whole 2 days without Corey and Zoe. It wasn't easy, but the group of girls I was with made it a lot of fun. What an experience that was to see the Hair Show and what it is all about. I had never been before and it was so neat. So much information packed into a giant convention center! Wow is all I have to say. I think it would have been every girls dream to walk through there. Just for the products and makeup alone. The really cool part of it is seeing the top hairdressers in person like it was nothing. They were on stage and walking around like normal people. I know they are, but to me they are celebrities! We even saw John Paul DeJoria the owner of Paul Mitchell products just hanging out in the hallway. I also saw Nick Arrojo from What Not to Wear on TLC. A lot of the stylist that were on Shear Genius were there too. We ate at 2 fun restaurants. One was a 50's diner where they dressed up and danced. Then the other was Trader Vic's. My grandparents used to take us there when we were younger and they would serve us fancy drinks. I highly recommend going just keep in mind it's pricey. I was all just so amazing! Thank you Corey for keeping Zoe and letting me enjoy it! I love you!

Party!

2009-03-26T19:05:00.001-07:00

This past Saturday was another birthday party for Zoe. Her Grammy and Doodad threw it for her up in their hometown. Teresa my mother in law made a delicious meal and my sister in law Lyddia made her another too cute tinkerbell cake. The kids were able to play outside and enjoy the beautiful weather. Her big gift was The Rose Petal Cottage. She loves it so much! There is a stove and washer, table and chairs plus many more smaller items. It is adorable! It was a very fun time and we are so blessed to have such great families! Thank you to all who came to her party!
This weekend is my first weekend away from Corey and Zoe. I am going with my work to Chicago for a big hair show. It's my first one and I hope it's good! I am very nervous about being away from the two of them. I know I will greatly miss them!! I love them both so much!!!
Our cameras batteries were dead so I wasn't able to get pics taken from the party. As soon as we get the pics that Doodad took I can post them. Here are some of her playing with her cottage. Crazy morning hair!!

2 Years Old

2009-03-19T14:46:00.000-07:00

We have been so busy. I feel like it's non stop from the time I wake up to the time we go to bed!! Monday we had Zoe's 2yr pics taken. They are very cute and I can't wait to get them in!! She was shy at first then warmed up in the end. Of course! My father in law "Doodad" is great at taking pictures. He has recently decided to set up a studio at home. I am really looking forward to it because it will be so much more relaxed! He will do a great job, and we won't have to mess with going somewhere else! Thanks Grammy and Doodad for taking us to get Zoe's pics done.
Today was Zoe's 2yr doctor check up. She is 26 1/2 lbs and is 2'9" tall!! I cannot believe it. The doctor said she was right on track with everything. I am very proud of her. She sings her abc's and is counting to 14... Has conversations with us. She is a little girl now. This past weekend she even wore big girl panties! She did very well. Only 3 accidents. We just need to master telling us she needs to go while she is playing. She gets caught up and says she doesn't need to go and then it's too late! That's ok, I am still so proud of her!! Here are a couple pictures of her 1 year ago.

At her first birthday party

Birthday Weekend

2009-03-09T05:57:00.000-07:00

What a fun busy weekend we had! Friday Zoe got to have a little party for her at her daycare. I made cupcakes for them to have and they sang happy birthday to her. Saturday we had a party for her at my parents house. My brother and sister in law came up for the party from Huntsville, AL and my nephew Parker. We had lots of close family and friends to celebrate. Here are a few pics from that.

Then Sunday was her actual birthday so we let her enjoy it again. I think we sang the birthday song to her at least 50 times!! My mom made breakfast and put candles in her and Parkers biscuit's and we sang to them. Later we went home for some much needed rest. She napped for almost 3 hours!! She was worn out. We took her to dinner at our favorite mexican restaurant and they put a sombrero on her and sang happy birthday in spanish! It was so cute! She also got her first haircut too. Thank you Daddy!! Finally we sang one last time and she finished it off with some of her tinkerbell cake and ice cream. Thank you to all that came and gave gifts, and helped out!! It was a great time!

Sweet Sleep!

2009-02-26T14:55:00.000-08:00

We finally got some sleep last night! She only woke up once and was so out of it she went right back to sleep. Thank you to aunt Molly and Grandma for your advice! I sure do hope it helps! I didn't know what to do, so I put her night light where it would be brighter and told her that monsters are scared of it. There wouldn't be anymore monsters! She seemed ok with that. . . Time will tell!

monsters...oh my!

2009-02-25T05:57:00.000-08:00

What a past few days it has been! Poor Zoe is waking up terrified of monsters. Last night was the worst, I believe we got up with her 6 times!!! It has been so long since we had to do that. What do you do for a almost 2yr old that thinks there's monsters?? We calm her down and try to tell her they aren't real, but she doesn't seem to get it. I know all this waking up in the middle of the night is making her tired because it's 9:00 in the morning and she is still asleep from last night. I wish there was something we could do to make it better. She is also getting her 2 yr molars in and that's not helping either. I sure hope it goes away soon!!! I hate it for her.
On another note we are quickly approaching her 2nd birthday. I still can't believe it. My how fast they grow!! We have been talking to her about it and she keeps asking for birthday cake!! Yesterday morning she was finally able to hold her fingers up as 2 and she was so excited! We have been showing her that as well. We love her more and more everyday!!

Our Little Valentine

2009-02-15T18:05:00.000-08:00

What a fun weekend we had. Zoe had her first Valentine party at her school and I think it went well. Too much junk and sugar because she didn't eat much dinner! That's what it's about right? Saturday night Corey and I cooked dinner for my Gran and Grandpa. We got a live lobster and a steak and made baked potatoes. They were so excited about it. I am so glad that we did that for them. It was interesting cooking a live lobster for the first time. I of course became too attached after the place I bought it from showed me how "pretty" he was. I couldn't be in the room when Corey dropped him in the pot. I am a little ridiculous! Later we came home and had our dinner and watched a movie. Corey got Zoe a fuzzy pink pillow that matched the big one he got her last year. And the cutest heart blanket. She doesn't walk around with out one of them now! I got her some cute slippers and M&Ms. She was so excited about all of it. Corey was wonderful and got me a CHI flatiron for home. I am so thankful!! It's great. I also got him some nice sunglasses. We had a great time!
On a sadder note our fish Fred died today:( He had been with us for a year and a half. He was a part of our family and will be missed. We had to explain to Zoe what happened and he was going to heaven. Not sure how well she understood, but she told him bye. It was sad. We happened into him at a friends wedding. They used Beta fish as their center pieces and needed to find homes for all of them. So, we took the one on our table home with us and named him Bright Red Fred. He was so pretty. He will be missed... This picture was taken while he was alive and well.

BooBoo :(

2009-02-10T18:51:00.000-08:00

Zoe got her first "booboo" that needed a band aid over the weekend. It was so amazing how as soon as Daddy put it on she was almost all better! She is so stinkin cute! I had to put the picture on here because it's a milestone in a way. . . Now she thinks she has to have a band aid on it all the time :) Yesterday we bought Dora band aids at the store, all we had were plain ones. I swear she is growing up so fast. In just a few short weeks my baby will be 2 years old. 2!!!! I just can't believe it. We love her so much more and more everyday!
Her daycare is going so good. She now walks into her class, says goodbye and never looks back as I walk out the door. I am so thankful that she is happy there and is finally letting go a little. It used to break my heart to hear her cry for me as I was leaving. This Friday is her first Valentines Day party. She picked out Dora valentines to give out to her classmates. I am excited, I think it's cute. I remember how fun it was growing up. Happy Valentines to all and have a good week!

Snowed In

2009-02-02T13:57:00.000-08:00

We had a good time while the city was "shut down". We were lucky to have our power the whole time and so were our parents. We played a little Wii and in the snow. We really enjoyed driving around in our Jeep! It is so amazing how much damage was done. I really feel sad for everyone. Over the weekend we went to the boat and rv show. Zoe got to play on a boat and we watched the dock dogs. She loved watching them jump in the water. It was cute! Here are more pictures of our backyard after everything stopped falling. We have a lot of cleaning up to do. And here are some random pics of Zoe being cute:)

Ice/Snow What a Mess!!

2009-01-28T06:08:00.000-08:00

Well, this is what we got up to this morning and slowly but surely more are coming down!

We did not get much sleep for the fear that one of our big trees would fall on the house. Thank God it hasn't happen yet. Now snow is falling rapidly and it really is beautiful . Even though it has been causing so much chaos. Poor Zoe woke up quite a bit from the noises. Our neighbors lost a tree in their front yard and part of it fell towards Zoe's room. Luckily it didn't hit the house!
On a lighter note here are a few pics of our sweet baby girl. She woke up one morning and her hair was so funny! It looked like I had curled her bangs back!! Then the other night before bed she was so wound up and put on her toboggan. She was being so silly!! Stay safe and I'll post more later!

Weekend

2009-01-25T18:46:00.000-08:00

We had a great weekend! Friday night we ate dinner at my parents. Kind of quite and laid back, well as much as can be with Zoe around!! Then Sat Grammy and Doodad(Grandad) kept Zoe all night. Zoe had a really good time playing and snuggling with them. Mommy and Daddy got to go out to dinner and on to a friends birthday party. It was a lot of fun and nice to have a night away. We are so blessed to have the help that we do with Zoe. Thanks Grammy and Doodad!!! Then today we went up to his parents and we had a delicious lunch and enjoyed the company. To end our weekend we stopped by my parents to pick up our dog Bimmer and mom had dinner for us. Yummy!! Thank you! All in all it was a good time. Zoe was so worn out! I'll post some more pics this week.

The New Year

2009-01-21T05:23:00.000-08:00

Not a whole lot has been going on with us. Zoe is growing up so fast. I can't believe she will be 2 in about 6 weeks!! She is into everything, singing songs like her abc's and twinkle little star. She loves the birthday song and itsy bitsy spider. She is quite the singer!! I would love to get it on video and put it on here! More and more it seems that she has a conversation with you. I am so amazed by her. We sure do lover her! This weekend she is going to be having a sleep over at her Grammy and Grandad's house. We are excited because she doesn't get to see them as often we'd like. They are going to have fun. Here are a couple of pictures. My cousin Amy got her a robe for Christmas and she loves to wear it. Thanks Amy!! This is for you. . . And she also has her tutu on that her Grammy and Grandad got her for Christmas to dress up with. Thanks to both of you too!! Hope everyone stays warm!!! And last but not least, our neighbors little boy Eli. We have enjoyed playing with him and getting to know him. He is so sweet!!

Sleep over

2009-01-11T08:29:00.000-08:00

Last night was Zoe's first sleep over with a friend!! She spent the night with my best friend Colleen and her little girls Shilin(3) and Sofia(6mths). Colleen watched Zoe from the time she was 4wks old until right before she had Sofia. So they developed a close relationship. Shilin always asks about Zoe and when can they hang out so Colleen called me the beginning of the week and said that she wanted to keep Zoe all night. I was a little nervous because she has only slept away with grandparents or Corey's sister. It turns out she had a great time! They played hard and watched a movie and went to sleep with no problems. This morning the girls helped make pancakes for breakfast and played some more. I am so very thankful that she kept Zoe for us. Corey and I went out with our friends and had a great time. We have been so blessed to have the friends and family that we do and are able to get out often. Thank you to all that help us out!!! If I can get a hold of some pictures of last night I will post them.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-02T17:38:00.000-08:00

So where do I begin! Christmas went really well. Zoe really got into it this year. I still don't think she understood all of it, but she had fun! The best part was when we were trying to get her into the family room to see what Santa brought her. She wasn't having it. After we finally carried her into the room she looked around and said "Santa all gone??" After that she got down and had a blast. I think she thought he was going to be in the room. She wasn't real thrilled about him this year! It was cute.
We had a fun New Years Eve party. A lot of our friends were able to come and we stayed up way too late. One night a year, I think I can handle it! It was such a good time. The next morning Zoe put on my cousins glasses. Here is the pic:

Also I have some pictures of Disney:

Corey and I with Mickey at our Character breakfast at the Polynesian Resort.(Zoe was too scared when he got close!)

Zoe finally enjoying the breakfast during the maraca dance!

A beautiful picture of Cinderellas Castle with all the Christmas lights on it.

Zoe sliding down a flower petal at the Honey I Shrunk the Kids playground.

Only a tiny part of the one million light show at Hollywood Studios. It was absolutely amazing!

Zoe and her cousin Chloe wearing the cute tutus they got for Christmas!

Christmas morning. . .

And last, getting caught playing in her baby's pack n play!

I wish everyone a wonderful new year and hope that it brings you well!

WOW!

2008-12-22T19:39:00.001-08:00

It's has been a long time since I've blogged! I just haven't stopped at all and won't until after the new year. Between work and Christmas and Disney World my head is spinning! I really wish that I could figure out a way to have more time. There are so many things I'd like to do this Christmas, like bake cookies with Zoe and really shop for gifts. Not like run in and out real quick to pick up something, just take my time and browse to find that perfect thing. Oh well, I'm still enjoying it all and can't wait for the next few days. Zoe is so into it this year and she is too cute. Christmas is going to be fun.
We went on a fabulous trip to Disney last week. Thanks Mom and Dad for taking us for Christmas. And thank you to my brother Jason and Molly! They led us on great adventures and made it possible to see almost all there is to see in 5 days. Zoe got to meet Mickey and Tinker Bell. She wasn't real sure about them all but warmed up to them a little. I don't have time to post any pictures, but I will do asap. Merry Christmas to everybody!
Also Congrats to our friends Thom and Lesley who have brought their precious baby home from Ethiopia. He is so cute and I look forward to watching him grow!!

Dress up

2008-12-04T18:28:00.000-08:00

This morning as I was rushing around getting ready for work Zoe came out of our bedroom and said "Mommy look!" I turned and this is what I saw! She had put on Corey's t'shirt and it was so cute! Enjoy!

Thanksgiving Weekend

2008-12-01T06:38:00.000-08:00

What a fun long weekend we had! Thanksgiving Day we spent the day with Corey's family. We ate great food and got to see everybody that we don't get to see very often. Zoe wasn't sure about it all. She was very clingy! Later that night we went to my parents house to hang out with them and my brother and sister in law. We watched Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. The funniest Thanksgiving movie there is! It's a tradition for us to watch it.
On Friday we went with Corey's family to Connersville, IN to ride on the Polar Express. What a fun thing to do with the kids! They all dressed in their pj's and we rode a train to the North Pole. On the way there they had hot chocolate and cookies. Then Santa came aboard and visited all the kids. They each got a bell from him. It was cute. Zoe loved the train ride and the hot chocolate and cookie. Santa scared her and she cried some. It was probably a little overwhelming for her. After Santa moved on behind us she was so excited. She kept saying that Santa gave her the bell and that she was crying! It was so funny. Here are some pics of that night.

On Saturday night we went out to dinner for Corey's birthday. It's actually today, but we decided to celebrate it then. So Happy Birthday Corey! I love you!! That was all the excitement for us. I hope everyone had a good holiday! We will be in Disney in 2 weeks!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-27T05:12:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to say what I am thankful for today. My daughter Zoe and husband Corey. My parents and Corey's parents. Our brothers and sisters and all of my nieces and nephews. Just all of our families in general! Our good friends and my coworkers. We are both thankful for our jobs!! There are tough times right now and we are very lucky to be able to get up every morning and still have a workplace to go to! And last I am thankful for today. To be around those we love and eat a good meal!
I am also thankful that my Grandpa is getting better. They have moved him to a nursing home rehab. It is close to their home and makes it nice for my Gran to go see him. The facility is very nice and he is in a private room. Now it's time to get his strength up! It will take some time, but he is in a good place. Well, Happy Thanksgiving day and I hope everyone enjoys it!

Clean and fun!

2008-11-24T05:20:00.000-08:00

This was a fun but busy weekend. My mom and dad kept Zoe Saturday night for us so we could deep clean our house! It was much needed because it is so hard to do with the little one around. I held a shower at my house on Sunday for my friend and neighbor Lesley. Her and her husband Thom have adopted a little boy from Ethiopia. They will be leaving to pick him up in less than 2 weeks and are anxiously awaiting! We had a great group of women and several cute babies! I think everyone enjoyed themselves. At least I hope they did! Congrats Lesley and you can learn more about their adoption on their blog at thomandlesley.blogspot.com.
I do think my grandpa is doing a little better. He is still in the hospital and we aren't sure when he can leave. They have been able to get him out of bed for a few minutes so that is a good thing. We are just taking it day by day. Thanks for the prayers! Here are some pics from this weekend. This first pic was after everything was over and I caught Zoe on the chair eating the leftover spinach dip with a spoon! It was so funny!

The last is right after Zoe ate some yogurt. She was a mess!

Prayers Please

2008-11-21T05:01:00.000-08:00

Things haven't been going as well as we were hoping for with my grandpa. He has had a mild heart attack and the cardiologist doesn't know what is happening yet. His heart looks ok, no damage done that they could tell. He has been in a lot of pain and they are trying to keep him comfortable. So please pray for comfort for him. I don't know what direction things will go, we just want him to be out of pain. Thanks a lot and I hope things will be better the next time I blog!

Good News

2008-11-18T16:49:00.000-08:00

Surgery was successful on my grandpa's hip! He is recovering and we will take it day by day. When he leaves the hospital he will go to a rehab facility for maybe 3-6 weeks. Thanks for the continued prayers and I will update all if there is any new news. Other than that Zoe has been great these past few days. She is talking so much now and putting about 4 words together. I cannot believe how fast she has grown!!

Update

2008-11-17T15:38:00.000-08:00

My grandpa will be having surgery on his hip tomorrow morning at 7:30. I just pray that it goes well because he has been through so much!

Time Away

2008-11-17T04:59:00.000-08:00

This weekend Corey's parents kept Zoe over Saturday night so Corey and I could have a date night. It was a good time and we really are thankful to have them so we can enjoy some time away. She has been wanting to be more and more independent, which has been causing more meltdowns! I never really knew what the terrible two's were until now! It is a whole new learned experience. She will be great one minute and then on the floor so upset the next. And I never know what is going to trigger her! The funny thing is she is so good around others, but when she is with me or Corey it happens. I just pray that we can get through Disney without any major meltdowns!! On a sadder note, Saturday night as my grandparents were getting ready for bed, my grandpa fell. My family decided to get him to the er and we found out last night that he has broken his hip. I just feel for him so much, after all he has been through! He can't catch a break. An orthopedic surgeon will be in today to discuss what will need to happen. He has a broken hand from the last fall and they wouldn't operate because he hasn't been in great health. So please say a prayer for him. I don't know what is going to happen. I will update soon.

Been a While. . .

2008-11-12T17:50:00.000-08:00

Well, it's been a while since my last post because there is not much new going on with us. Which I think is a good thing, not much stress! My grandpa is doing very good at home. We are still currently thinking about assisted living care for them. I am just very thankful that he is better! Zoe is doing well. She has been having a tough time with a cold and her 2 year molars are trying to work their way out. I know it's painful. When we can get tylenol in her she feels much better but she says she doesn't like it. So it's hard to give it to her! She has been calling my father in law Doodad which is hilarious to hear her say it!! He is actually Grandad and she was saying it already. I have no idea why she is saying this now but it's cute! Here is a pic of her tonight while we were playing. Oh, and we have about 4 more weeks till Disney!! We can't wait!

Good : )

2008-11-05T17:29:00.000-08:00

Things feel like they are getting much better! My grandpa is doing very good. His MRI came back good and his foot is healing. Hopefully he can go home tomorrow and begin his road to recovery. It's so hard to watch your grandparents go through this. Going from being so independent to having to rely on your family to take care of things. I hope I can take it well when Zoe is trying to deal with us!!
We are loving her new daycare! They are so good to her and she seems very happy. When I pick her up and ask her how school was and she says "Good!" I think it's neat, they have a Spanish teacher that comes in 2 days a week and teaches them. She also is doing the Tumble Bus and they say she plays so hard on it! It is the best feeling when you know your child is in good hands while you are busy at work!
Friends of ours just had their adoption pass through court so they get to go get their little boy in a few weeks. Then we have had 2 other great friends give birth to healthy boys! Lot's of babies!! It's all so wonderful! Not to mention, we are going to Disney World in less than 6wks!! Here is a picture of Zoe goofing around with my Halloween headband!

Fun Weekend!

2008-11-03T04:52:00.000-08:00

On Halloween night we all went trick or treating at our friends Rick and Cheri's house. Zoe and my nephew Parker love their son Matthew so they wanted to go with him. We had a great time, Zoe would walk right up to the houses and say trick or treat then thank you. It was really cute! Here are some pics of them that night.

We also dressed up at work that day. We got some cute halloween head bands with spiders on them. So we called ourselves funky witches. It was fun, and the puppy is Shadow, Tiffany from works dog. The dogs were so cute, we had a baseball player and a football player!

On Saturday we had our families annual soup cook off. It was a great turn out and We had 9 different soups to taste! The winners were Cheri and her chicken noodle soup and my uncle Doug's spinach soup. It was really good to get to see my dads family. There are so many of us that we just don't get to get together much.

Later that night we went to a friends Halloween party. Corey made his own costume as usual and he was a breathalyzer. It was quite amusing! Tiffany from work came with us and we had a good time. All though I do feel like a mom! I can't hang with everybody so late like I used too!!

My grandpa was put back in the hospital on Friday by his doctor. They had taken him down to his office to show him how my grandpa was acting. He took one look at him and knew that something was wrong. It was such a relief to know that he finally believed us. It took several days to convince his doctor. It was so frustrating! On Sat we found out that my grandpa had a urinary tract infection which is what was causing him to act so different! I can't believe something like that can alter a person so much! Towards the end he had no idea who anybody was. They started antibiotics and by Sat night he was coming around. My mom , Zoe and I went to see him yesterday at the hospital. It was so nice to see him getting back to normal! He does have a broken hand from falling one night and they found a brain bleed, so we are now waiting to hear what will happen from this point on. The slow road to recovery. What a long few weeks!

To top off our weekend my parents surprised us with our Christmas present. They are taking all of us to Disney the week before Christmas!! We just can't believe it and are so excited! It will be so much fun! I haven't been since I was 9! I can't wait! It's only 6 weeks away!

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T05:27:00.000-07:00

Last night I was up until 11:30 making cupcakes for Zoe. Her school(daycare) is having a party today, her first school party! Yes, I am that mom. So here are the pictures of the finished cupcakes. They are supposed to be spider webs. I am also excited because my brother and sister in law came in town last night! We will get to spend the weekend together and I know it's going to be fun. We have 2 Halloween parties to go to and tomorrow is our families annual soup cook off. I am looking forward to it all! On the down side, my grandpa isn't doing so well. Since he has been home he has been hallucinating and not making since some of the time. They are having a hard time getting his blood sugar to stabilize and he has already had 1 trip to the er. We are very thankful for my sister in law Molly to be here because she is in nursing school and knows a thing or two about what's happening. She stayed all night with my grandparents last night to monitor him. I am so thankful! We were at the point of not knowing what to do. Please keep him in your prayers until we can get this all straightened out. Thank you! The first picture is of Zoe cheesing at 7 o'clock this morning!!

Home. . .

2008-10-29T14:21:00.001-07:00

Well, my Grandpa came home from the hospital today, although we aren't sure if he should be home! He has a lot of healing to do on his foot and poor guy doesn't want to sit still! I went to see him today and he is very tired so we will see how it goes the next few days. Thanks for the all the prayers!

Chicken!

2008-10-26T17:24:00.000-07:00

Zoe got to go trick or treating on Saturday night at our church. It was so cute and fun! She is a chicken and I think it is the cutest costume! I love watching her take it all in. She didn't know what to think of all the kids running around dressed up. Here are some pictures of the fun night.

Tonight we decorated the pumpkin that she had picked out. My mom and Corey found a Mrs. Potato Head kit to use. So, Corey helped Zoe put it together and this is the finished product.

I also took Zoe to see my Grandpa today at the hospital. He is the same, not eating much and they have to keep nerve drugs in him to make him rest. He is the type of man that likes to be doing something all the time. It is so hard for him to just relax! So I appreciate the prayers and please keep him in your thoughts.

My Grandpa

2008-10-25T04:31:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to give those an update on my Grandpa who I have talked to about him. He is doing ok, just frustrated because he can't do anything! This all started 2 weeks ago when he had a blister on his foot. My Gran noticed that it wasn't looking good and wasn't sure what to do. By the time they decided to get to the doctor he had a bad infection going and was immediately sent to the hospital. He has iv antibiotics and they did surgery on him yesterday. We really didn't know what to expect. We were so surprised they were going to go through with a surgery. He is almost 85 and is not in the best health. So, they took him in at 6:00 in the morning and he was done about 9:30. They were able to remove all of the bad stuff and he woke up from surgery better than we expected. Now they can't get the area to quit bleeding. I guess it's not something they can stitch up. He will be in the hospital until it heals. No idea how long it will be. Thank you for all of the prayers and thoughts. I just pray that he will heal quickly and start eating again! I will update you when I find out more. Thanks!

Finally some fun!

2008-10-20T08:36:00.000-07:00

What a great weekend after the crazy week we had! My parents got back in town on Friday and my brother and sister in law came up to visit. We all went to Bearnos for dinner and had some good food. Then on Saturday we went to a party at some family friends house. They had a camp fire and the kids enjoyed collecting wood and leaves for the fire. Here is a couple of pictures from that night.

The middle picture is Zoe and my dad, and the last one is my nephew Parker, Zoe and our friends daughter Jenna. Later that night Corey and I and my brother and sister in law went to a "haunted corn maze". What an adventure! We had a great time just hanging out together but don't waste your money on it!! It was out off Seatonville Rd and not very scary, all though I had someone freak me out! He was right behind me breathing down my neck(it felt like it!). On Sunday they went back home to Huntsville and we were sad to see them go. We ended up taking Zoe to pick pumpkins. We had both sets of grandparents with us and just enjoyed Zoe. It was cute, she picked out her own pumpkin all by herself. At first she wasn't sure what to think then she got into it and had a great time! These are some pictures that we got from there. By the way, it was a great place to go. Lots of good pumpkins and they have a neat playground, hayrides, corn maze, and homemade food. It's Montgomery Farms in Scottsburg, IN. Check them out!

Bad to worse!

2008-10-16T17:25:00.000-07:00

I just don't know why in the world this week has been so crazy. It all began with mom's flat tire and then the water issue, which is still not fixed! We haven't seen anybody out here and there is a big hole in our front yard with boards covering it and 4 caution signs(the big ones with the flashy lights!). Zoe started her new daycare, which is going well but has been rough on her. She napped the first day only for about 30 mins and then at night she hasn't slept much! Poor thing keeps crying out for me and Corey and when I go in there she still doesn't realize that it's me. I think it's about me dropping her off in the morning and leaving her. I hate it for her, but the new school is great! I know that day by day it will get better. She had picture day today(too cute!) so here is a picture of her this morning in her outfit.

What put the icing on the cake today is I got a call from Corey telling that he had been in a car wreck. He is ok, some bruises and scratches and pretty shaken up. I wanted so badly to be there for him, but he was on the WK parkway. He definitely didn't need this. I just couldn't believe that it happened! What a week! I am so thankful that it wasn't worse. Life is so short and I love my family so much. I know that we can get through any kind of week that God brings our way!
To help me feel better I just look at "our beach" where my parents are right now. It is also where we got married. In St. Pete, FL. We love it there and it just makes me smile. We have had so many great memories there. This picture is where we stay and if anyone is interested go to longkeybeachresort.com you'll love it!

What a Day!

2008-10-14T06:19:00.000-07:00

Monday is my day off and I was looking forward to it. Zoe and I had several errands to run, including getting my mom's flat tire fixed on her car. My parents went to the beach on Saturday and I drove her car to take them to the airport. The next morning Cory noticed that she had a flat. Bummer! We get up Monday morning and I start a load of laundry, soon after I hear water gushing from somewhere. . . I ran in our bathroom and our bathtub was filling up with water. Gross water at that! So I had to call a plumber who found a blockage way out in our yard. Which he was able to clear, but he says that it is roots from a tree causing the backup. Tree roots have grown into our sewage pipes and they are causing all kinds of trouble. So instead of having our fun, busy day off we were stuck at home waiting around for things to be taken care of. Now this morning our yard is going to be torn up by the metro sewer district because it's their job to take care of the root issue. Thankfully we won't have to fork out more money to get this issue corrected and we will no longer have any backup issues! So, what a mess!
Also today is the day that Zoe starts her new day care. Please pray for her and hope that she does well. It's such an upside down feeling when you are trusting others with your child. I know that she will be in a better place now, but it's still nerve racking. Wish us luck!!

Not Much

2008-10-10T19:55:00.000-07:00

I don't have a whole lot to blog about, but I got some really cute pictures of Zoe on Wednesday so I wanted to post them! She began to get sick on Friday last week and by Sunday I had come down with whatever it was. Wednesday Zoe began to feel a lot better, which so far has been my worst day, so I started taking pictures. She was just so happy and cute all day. The first is of her new shoes we got the other day. Then of her eating her dinner. She asked me for more dinner 2 times! That's when I knew she felt better! She made a mess! Then She wanted to color like a big girl at the kitchen table and had me put a pony (tail) in her hair. She loves wearing a pony! So, even though we have been sick and managing to keep it from Corey, we have still had fun!

My Gran

2008-10-08T05:31:00.000-07:00

Today is my Gran's birthday and she is 85. Happy birthday Gran! She is my moms mother. We love her very much and are so happy to have her! Also today Zoe is 19 months! I cannot believe how fast the months have gone by. It seems like yesterday she was just a tiny baby! Next week she will be starting a new daycare. It will be more like a school setting which we feel is best for her. She will be in the 2 year old class. I pray that she does well and enjoys her new friends. She talks about her friends at school and says their names. I wonder if she will miss them? I would love to know what goes on in their cute little heads!
Well, here is a picture of my Gran and Grandpa. They went down to visit my brother, sister in law and my nephew for his 3rd birthday in Huntsville, AL. He had his party at the science center where they live.

And this is a picture of Zoe this time last year! I can't believe how much she has grown since then!

Big Girl!

2008-10-06T16:50:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Zoe got fitted for shoes like a big girl! We just couldn't find shoes that fit her so my mom and I took her to the mall. I can't believe how fast her feet have grown, well all of her at that! We got the cutest pair of brown shoes with pink flowers on them. After we got them we realized that they are the kind that light up when she walks! They are too cute. Corey and I also decided to buy her some big girl panties. She has been going on the potty at home very regularly so we figured we'd try and see what she does when she has them on. We went through 2 pair today. When she wet her pants she was so upset and then didn't want to put new ones on! I had to tell her it was ok to have accidents, but I don't think she really understands. We are slowly getting there!

Here is a couple of pictures that my cousin took from last weekend when she came to visit. We were at our grandparents house that morning.

Long Weekend

2008-09-29T08:52:00.000-07:00

It was a fun but long weekend! Friday I got to spend time with my cousin Amy who lives in Texas. She came in town for a much needed visit. We went to the U of L game that night and Grammy and Grandad watched Zoe for us. Thanks guys!

She had so much fun with them. Saturday we went to the balloon glow with our friends and my parents. It was a little crazy at first, I think Zoe was so overwhelmed with all the people and balloons! After a while she really began to enjoy it.
Then on Sunday Grandma took Zoe to the zoo with her friend Matthew. Mom said that she walked almost the entire place! She really got into the animals and had a great time. Corey played in a golf scramble for our church while I drove the refreshment cart and a little extra $$! My dad won the scramble so that was neat! Good job dad! I forgot my camera so I have no pictures. This one of the balloon glow is one I got from the newspaper. I am hoping to get some from others so maybe I can post them soon. Well, that was our crazy weekend and I'll update you some more soon.

Typical mom

2008-09-24T18:01:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I know everyone will probably think I am crazy, but I'm just crazy about Zoe. The past few days have been huge for her. She can spell out her name! It is so cute she says "Z-O-E"!! I just can't believe it. This morning we were coloring and I was writing out her name with her hand. After I got up and walked away she said "Mommy, Z!!" And she had drawn a Z all on her own! So of course I had to take a picture so everyone can see.

Also she has been so sweet and says I love you so much now. I was laying her in bed the other night and I tell her good night and I love her. Well she whispers right back to me that she love me!! I tell you she just surprises me everyday! I just love being her mom!!

Go Chargers!!

2008-09-22T05:17:00.000-07:00

I have to say that we are Chargers fans and tonight they are playing on Monday night football. Corey did some picture taking of Zoe in her Chargers cheerleading outfit. So cute!! My mom got it for Corey before Zoe was born! She wore it last year, but it swallowed her up!! Good luck San Diego Chargers!!

Power!

2008-09-21T05:26:00.000-07:00

After 7 long days and 6 nights and we finally got our power back! It's nice to be back home in our beds! Zoe took a 2 hour nap when we got home. She was so cute all snuggled in her bed! Thank you mom and dad for letting into your home and all of the craziness we brought with us! We really did enjoy our stay with them. Not to mention that we got a little spoiled(all of us)! Once we returned home we had to do some cleaning. It is so amazing how dirty things become when no one is living there. I couldn't believe it. So Zoe helped me wash down the fridge and had a fun time doing it! Here is a couple of pics of her.

It's so nice to have things back to normal. I hope that everyone else gets their power soon too!

So much to say, so little time!

2008-09-17T18:15:00.000-07:00

Gosh it seems that in the past 5 days so much has happened!! I know everyone is talking about Ike hitting Louisville. We still have no power and have been living at my parents. We are so blessed to have them near by!!
Saturday we went to our nephew Ethan's birthday party. We had a blast and here are a few pics of Zoe enjoying herself. Her and her cousin Chloe got a bath in the sink! They played so hard and Zoe ate her ice cream with her hands!

Then Ike came thru on Sunday afternoon and caused a nightmare for all! I am thankful that we have a home still standing. It was the strangest day though. No one had any idea what was going on or how severe it had become until it was all over. Here is a huge walnut tree that fell from my parents property onto their neighbors. It was so old and very sad to see it go. They had a lot of help clearing it up which was wonderful! And lastly my boss and coworker got Zoe the cutest costume for Halloween. This is just a preview, but she didn't want to take it off!!
Good luck to everyone out there that has faced Ike in one way or another. Our prayers are with you!

Oh No!!

2008-09-13T13:12:00.000-07:00

So I picked up Zoe from daycare on Friday and her teacher says "Do you want to hear a funny thing that Zoe did today?" and she proceeds to tell me that Zoe pulled down her pants, took off her diaper and then peed on the floor!! I was so shocked!! I have no idea why she did this! We thought maybe she wanted attention and Corey says that he bets they will pay attention to her now!! I just can't believe it, I have not a clue how to go about handling this. My guess is to put her in pull ups and have them take her to the potty often. Any other thoughts??

9/11

2008-09-12T05:02:00.000-07:00

I completely forgot to say something about 9/11. What a tragedy that was! I was driving to work yesterday morning and saw a man holding the American flag and I though how great it was to see him so proud to be an American. I wanted to honk as I went by but I came and went too fast on the street. As I passed him I heard a few horns. I got chills and the weirdest thing was I had no idea what the date was. . . until I got to work and saw it was 9/11. Suddenly it all made sense to me. No wonder he was out there, how neat is that. Even 8 hours later he was still standing there holding that flag. People amaze me sometimes. My family and I were lucky and knew no one that was hurt that day. Although we will never forget it, I think we can all tell exactly what we were doing when it happened. I saw this picture not too long ago and I thought it was so neat how the sun formed a cross on the flag.

First time user. . .

2008-09-11T18:36:00.000-07:00

Please bear with me as this is the first time I have blogged. I didn't even know what it was until about a year ago! At 27 I never imagined being so out of touch with reality! Actually I think my focus is mainly being a mom, a wife and work. So this is our wonderful daughter Zoe:

She is now 18mths and I can't believe it!! They grow so fast!! It just amazes me everyday how much she knows! She talks non stop all day and has a kind heart already. I decided to begin this because I think it is so neat to be able to keep up with other friends and family. I have also been touched by a few blogs that I have seen even though I don't know who they are. So please enjoy and Hopefully it can help me remember all the things Zoe is doing right now! I've not been good at writhing things down like I should!