Exactly Ten Years Ago Today...

Ten years ago from about this very moment, Mark and I were eating a wonderful dinner at the Hubble House in Mantorville. This was a dinner that would change everything... Mark had driven down from the cities that Friday night and arrived a little later than normal. He had been in the habit of claiming to be stuck in traffic on his drive down, but I later found out he had a little project at a local jewelry store he was working on. After a fun but exhausting week of teaching a classroom full of second graders, I was always excited to see Mark on Friday nights. That particular evening, I was looking forward to a great dinner and then some fun at the 21st birthday party for my cousin in a neighboring town. The night was even better than I had hoped for. At the end of dinner, Mark got down on one knee, recited a sweet little poem he had made up and presented me with a single red rose. Inside the flower's blossom, was a beautiful diamond ring that I discovered as Mark asked me to marry him. Of course, I said YES!! I was so excited and had been waiting for Mark to get around to asking for a quite awhile...but that is another story.

Ten years later, I can't help but be a little reflective tonight. As we enjoyed a nice family dinner around our table this evening and listened to the banter of our two beautiful children, I couldn't help but think back to that special moment ten years ago. At that time, I don't know how I had envisioned us, as a couple, ten years into the future from that very special moment. I am quite certain, however, that the life and love that I have now is far beyond anything thing I was dreaming of on that fateful night ten years ago. Thank you for asking me to marry you, honey! I think it was a pretty good move on your part and I am sure glad I said yes!! I love you!

A Visit with Santa

We braved the cold on Monday night to go see Santa Claus. Both of the kids arrived with their letter in hand ready to talk with Santa.

Ella was a little shy and excited at the same time. Here she is talking with Santa about her letter. The video clip below shows Ella giving Santa her letter and a picture she colored for him. You can hear James saying several times, "I want to talk in his ear!"

James wanted talk to Santa, but he didn't want to sit on his lap. Here Santa is listening to what James would like.


Here's James' chat with Santa. It was pet night at the mall, so right when James was talking a bunch of dogs started barking. In case you can't hear, James is asking for a car Mac thing, a bubble gum machine and a marble set. He is getting to be such a big boy!

Merry Christmas!

Tipping Tractors

Awhile back I posted a short video of James lining up ("parking") his cars. He continues to love to play with his cars and little tractors, but now he has added a little more artistic flair to his parking. He is such a fan of the Cars movie and it is not uncommon for us to see him acting out the tractor tipping scene. Below are pics of what I almost tripped over tonight... If you know the movie, this will make sense to you.

Ella Recites and Sings

The kids have been busy doing their Christmas programs at church and school. Here is a short clip of Ella reciting her bible verse with the rest of her Sunday School class.


A favorite song to sing at our house this time of year is Jingle Bells. I haven't captured James singing his little heart out yet, but I'll be sure to post that when I do. Until then, here is Ella singing Jingle Bells by our tree.

A Snow Day for a Little Girl and Sick Day(s) for a Little Boy

Over five inches of snow fell at our home starting Monday evening and ending on Tuesday morning. Though school wasn't called off for the entire day, the late start meant that Ella didn't have to go to school. She was more than happy to stay home and relax with Mommy and James and watch the snow blow.

The pic below shows the scene by our fireplace the past few days. Inside that cocoon of blankets is James trying to stay warm and comfortable even though he is already burning up. James has been feeling yucky since Sunday night. He has been running a fever somewhere between 103 and 104 since early Monday morning. We took him in to the clinic yesterday afternoon and found out he does not have strep. We are still waiting on another lab result. He has had no other symptoms other than the fever and chills. The fever has kept James feeling miserable and last night he must have woke up every ten minutes between 1 and 3 a.m. saying that he was either hot or cold. Needless to say, we are all getting tired out and hope that James is feeling much better soon!

Snowy Greetings

We have been busy doing a little decorating around our house. I know the following pictures aren't the greatest, but here is our home from the outside. I think that Mark did a really nice job with the lights this year! It is a good thing he got them up before the snow started to fly! The kids love to admire our lights when we drive home at night.

Here's a picture of our Christmas tree. The decorations seem to change location daily, but the kids are having a lot of fun with the tree. Recently James decided that we didn't have enough ornaments on the back of our tree, so he moved many from the front to the back. I told him no one can see the back, but he insisted if you get up on the couch and look just, "You can see, Mommy!" James redecorates often. When he isn't looking, I try to even out the bald spots on the front of the tree... Isabella has been busy monitoring the appearance of any additional presents under the tree. She notices them right away and reads the tags to figure out who they are for. She is waiting patiently for more presents with her name on them.

On Sunday night, while I attended our mom's group Christmas party, Mark and the kids braved the cold to go see the Canadian Pacific Holiday Train. The train came rolling into town for a 45 minute stop complete with music and lights. Over a thousand people showed up to donate food to the local food shelf and take in the sites and sounds of the train. Once the train pulled in for its stop, a box car door opened up and musicians and Santa made their appearance. James and Ella were excited as they got a candy cane from Santa. And, James was especially excited because he heard the "Jingle Bells" song! Though they aren't the best, Mark was able to snap a few pictures so I could see what the train looked like.

Thanksgiving Wrap Up and Great Baby News!

We had a great Thanksgiving weekend. The kids are so worn out from shortened and lack of naps that they are BOTH still napping and it is almost five o'clock. I guess I will be waking them up soon!

Mark's parents joined us on Thanksgiving day and I think our Thanksgiving dinner turned out excellent, even to pregnant me who doesn't have a huge appetite. One of my favorite things to eat at Thanksgiving has always been the mashed potatoes and I am thrilled to say that they agree with baby #3. I was happy to have a big plate full and a few meals of leftover potatoes over the weekend--yum!! After James had a nap, we went to the Festival of Trees which is a fundraiser for a local organization. Walking through a hundred lit and beautifully decorated Christmas trees with the scent of gingerbread in the air is enough to get anyone in the holiday spirit.

On Friday, we had a much larger Thanksgiving celebration with twenty-six people sitting down to a great smoked turkey and ham dinner at my brother's house. Again we had a great meal and the kids enjoyed playing with all their cousins. We attempted to take a picture with our kids and their six little cousins, but our photo shoot wasn't too successful. Unfortunately, it was our tired out James who wanted nothing to do with having his picture taken...what a surprise! All the other kids were sitting nicely so we plopped him on the couch at the last moment and the results weren't pretty...but it still was entertaining! : ) I know for a fact that none of those pictures will make it into my parents' Christmas letter this year.

Friday night brought some of my high school friends over for an evening of visiting and game playing. My friend Shawna and her husband, Jeff, brought their little Julia over to play with the kids. Ella and James were in heaven teaching Julia all sorts of new tricks. I think that Ella wants a baby sister even more now...if that is possible! After the kids were settled in for the night, Polly, Megan and her fiance, Terry arrived and the visiting and game playing began. It was a great night and a rare opportunity for all of us to be together again! I'm the only one still living in town.

On Saturday, I tested Mark's patience as I tried to find the perfect Christmas tree. By the end of the night our tree was decorated with help from our eager little elves. I think I will do a separate post on the tree decorating... Let's just say, I underestimated James' enthusiasm and dedication to decorating our Christmas tree.

We woke up to snow on Sunday so we all headed outside to enjoy some sledding a few times during the day. James can now slide down the hill by himself this year and pull his own sled back up! He is getting so big! On Sunday night, my mom and ventured out on very slippery roads to attend the King's Singers concert. The singers were excellent and a perfect end to a busy weekend!

Today while the kids were in school, Mark and I had the joy of seeing our new baby waving too us on an ultrasound screen. I am now 18 weeks along and we received a great report from the radiologist this morning. Most of you know that our children have had a few problems with their kidneys and since these problems are genetic, this baby will be followed a little more closely in utero and have a few additional tests at birth. I have to admit to being a little anxious for this ultrasound, so I was relieved when the radiologist told us that the renal tract looks as it should at this point and there are no obvious problems to worry about for now. The baby weighs only eight ounces though, so what they can see at this stage is limited. We will have another big ultrasound when I am closer to thirty weeks to see how things are developing then. Neither James' or Ella's issues were detected this early, so I suppose we are not completely out of the woods, but it sure does feel good to know that the baby's development looks excellent thus far. I hope to scan in some pictures soon. To those wondering, we didn't find out the baby's gender. The wondering and anticipation is so fun! So, everyone will have to wait-- including our 'anxious for a baby sister' Ella!!

Here are a few pictures from the weekend:

Our Thanksgiving Dinner and the kids are hiding from the camera.

James at the Festival of Trees

Ella at the Tree Festival

Grandma and Grandpa O and the kids.

Family Photo

Attempt at a picture of the little cousins on my side of the family. See how happy James is?

Cousin Bella and James doing a fun puzzle with cousin K.C.

Ella and Julia who is hamming it up for the camera!

James hugging Julia after the gift of a belated birthday present. Thank you!!

Ella watching out for Julia.

James sledding down our hill.

A happy girl!

Bundled up kids enjoying the snow.

A sled full!!!

Hope your weekend was as fun as ours!!!

"I'm Glad I'm not a Turkey" Sung by our little turkey!

Isabella has learned all sorts of cute songs from her kindergarten teacher this year. Here's a quick video clip to get you geared up for the Thanksgiving holiday. One of our cats, Thorn, makes a cameo appearance in the clip until the drama is too much for him... Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving a few days early!!

We Have a Secret... Well, Maybe Not Anymore!!

We've been keeping a big secret around our house for the past few months. In less than six months, we will be a family of five! I'm actually still a little stunned when I think about it... Mark and I have kept this secret since the end of August and have just recently let the cat out of the bag. We've had to be extra secretive this time as we didn't want to tell the kids until we knew that everything was going well with this pregnancy. I am now 15 weeks along and all appears to be well. This time around, though, the pregnancy is hitting me harder than before. I have had a lot more persistent nausea and vomiting--not fun. Last week gave in and started taking the Zofran that my doctor prescribed. Though I wish I weren't taking it, it really does help me keep my food down on most days. Hopefully, I'll get lucky and I will start feeling better sooner rather than later!

I didn't realize how fun it would be for Mark and I to share our news with the kids. James seems to have a pretty good understanding that we will have a new baby in our house. And, at the age of five, Ella is very interested in the baby and extremely excited... PROVIDED that the baby is a GIRL! James, on the other hand, would really like the baby to be a boy. The kids have had a few arguments on the subject and they usually end with James sweetly saying we can have two babies--a boy for him and girl for Ella. I think one baby will be just fine and I don't think we will be finding out until the baby makes his or her debut near the end of April. My actual due date is May 4th. Since my other two babies arrived a few weeks early, I would be shocked to make it to my due date with this one... but, you never know!

Below is an ultrasound from my last appointment a week and half ago. I think this is one of the best early ultrasound pictures that I have had from any of my pregnancies. The baby seemed to be waving at us or giving us a thumbs up when this image was captured. It is so amazing to catch a glimpse of a little miracle growing!!

Happy Birthday, James!!

This is my little boy bright and early this morning. It is so hard to believe

that he is three years old today!!

And this is what it looked like outside when we woke up this morning:

James was excited to see the snow...





And so was Ella!





The snow started melting before we made it outside, but Ella still found enough to make a snowangel and a snowman.







You may have noticed that our little guy has a new big boy bed! He first slept in on Tuesday afternoon for nap. Here is James when we walked into his room and saw his big bed
for the first time. He was so excited!

Here he is climbing on the bed with Ella

and laying down for the first time...

James has his first nap in his big bed! Isn't he cute?

James was so excited that he got to sleep in a big bed he had to call Grandpa Jim and tell him all about it at bedtime.



Happy 3rd birthday to my sweet boy!!

Just One

Just One


by Author Unknown



One song can spark a moment,
One flower can wake the dream. One tree can start a forest,
One bird can herald spring.
One smile begins a friendship,
One handclasp lifts a soul.
One star can guide a ship at sea,
One word can frame the goal
One vote can change a nation,
One sunbeam lights a room
One candle wipes out darkness,
One laugh will conquer gloom.
One step must start each journey.
One word must start each prayer.
One hope will raise our spirits,
One touch can show you care.
One voice can speak with wisdom,
One heart can know what's true,
One life can make a difference,
You see, it's up to you!

This was the scene at our house this morning when James didn't get to say hi to what I hope is the last "door knocker" to ring our bell during this election season. James is a little out of sorts this morning as he hasn't adjusted to daylight savings time yet and the lack of sleep has caught up with him.

We'll be heading out to vote soon, but it will happen in shifts. Mark is home sick from work with a nasty sore throat and body aches and Ella is in her bed hopefully recovering from the stomach flu. Today should be a great day!

Happy Halloween!!!

We have not fallen off the face of the earth, we've just been managing to keep really busy around here during the past few weeks... Though, I couldn't let this spooktacular night end without sharing pictures of our beautiful little princess and our adorable little knight. We trick or treated in our neighborhood and made a stop over at the farm. By the time we made it home, both kids were begging to go to bed. I guess the excitement of the day was just too much for them! Happy Halloween, everyone! And, a special Happy Birthday to my brothers who turn the big 35 today!!!

Isabella was Sleeping Beauty this year and James was a knight. The weather was warm enough that the kids could just go out in their costumes with warm layers underneath--that was a nice treat!


Here's a pic of our front step. Ella helped me to make these ghosts this afternoon and she was very proud once she helped hang them on our tree. James' helmet for his knight costume was actually so big it fit Mark a little better than it did James!

Our feet are tired!

We are making the most of our time in NYC. Yesterday we wandered through many different Manhattan neighborhoods. We had brunch at a french bistro in the meat packing district with Mark's cousin and her family. Then, we walked through Soho, Greenwich, Little Italy, China Town, Chelsea, and the East Village. We snacked at an authentic Mexican diner in Soho and ate a late lunch at a cute Italian place in Little Italy. We found some great gelatto in Little Italy too. We completed our day by having Japanese food for dinner last night. It is so fun to try all the different restaurants. There are so many to choose from.

I would like to know how many miles we have walked while we have been here. We're also good at hailing cabs and are getting the subway figured out enough to get around. We've had a great guide in my friend Niki. And, Mark's cousin has given us lots of different suggestions for meals.

Today we were up too early to go see the Today show. If you were watching, you may have caught a glimpse of us around 8:00, 8:30 and 9:00 a.m. central time. We saw Matt, Meredith, and Ann as well as a few others. Though the weather was nice, the anchors weren't outside very much. Dakota Fanning came out to greet the crowd a bit, too! After the show, we went to the Top of the Rock and enjoyed taking in the city from 70 stories up. Then, we did the NBC Studios tour and saw Studio 3A (Nightly News) and Studio 8H (SNL). Next, we took a stroll around and caught a few moments of the Columbus Day Parade. We also walked down to Central Park and took a carriage ride around part of the park--beautiful! After a stop at Macy's, we headed back to our hotel to rest up. In a few moments we are headed out to dinner and then to the Phantom of the Opera. Should be fun!

In New York City!

We made it here safely last night and managed to fill our evening with lots of fun. We ate at a Korean Barbecue called Chung Moo Ro just a couple of blocks from our hotel. We walked down to Times Square and had dessert in fun Pub. We visited ESPN Zone, Toys R Us (there is a Ferris Wheel in the middle of the store that our kids would have loved!) and mainly just wandered around. We ended our night by taking the subway back to our hotel, walking through Penn Station and past Madison Square Garden on the way! We encountered a few really excited Rangers fans by Madison Square Garden. Time for more fun today!

A boy on the bus told Ella he wants to be her boyfriend... OH MY!! And, other news!

How can this already be happening? Isabella arrived home from school this noon with a mischievous smile and the interesting announcement that Ben on the bus wants to be her boyfriend. We told Ella can't have a boyfriend until she is 16 and to pass that news on to Ben. To this Ella replied, "But, I already have a boyfriend. Trenton is my boyfriend." Trenton, for those who don't recall, is Ella's cousin and he provided us an easy out. Ella is going to tell Ben that she already has a boyfriend. That should cover us for awhile... What's next in this year of kindergarten saga?

Other fun news... Last night we met up with my friend Chris. She used her fancy camera and photography skills to take a few fun fall pics of our family. I don't have the pics to post yet, but Chris has posted a few of the shots on her blog. You can see them by clicking here. Thanks a bunch, Chris!

When I get around to it, I have some fun fire station pictures to post from our trip to the local fire station in honor of National Fire Safety Week. We are a little busy at our house right now, though. Mark and I are prepping for the kids to spend some time with Grandma and Grandpa while we head to New York City for a long weekend. Should be lots of fun for us...and the kids...and Grandma and Grandpa! I am sure Grandma will hold the fort down while we are gone. Isabella is super excited and started makings plans for time with G&G as soon as we told her about the trip. Last night she informed us that Grandma is nicer than we are and lets her get up and have a snack after she goes to bed if she tells Grandma really nice that her tummy is hungry. Maybe Grandma will read this and not be such a push over while we are gone!

It was so beautiful at the park last night that I couldn't resist taking a few pics, too! So to close out this post, here are a few of our snapshots from the park last night. Chris' pictures are fancier so don't forget to check them out!