The Foery's

Happy New Year!

2012-01-03T20:52:00.002-06:00

Here's hoping all our friends and family have a wonderful New Year. This year we get to figure out where Max will go to Kindergarten (in the fall). We also hope to reunite with family in KY during the year. In July (or is it June?) I will be attending a conference in San Francisco and intend to take the fam - will be lots of fun!
First things first though - a Spurs game on Saturday! It will be Ella's first basketball game!

Christmas Pictures

2011-12-28T09:15:00.001-06:00

Enjoy

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T11:27:00.003-06:00

We hope all our friends and family have a wonderful Christmas. We will post some pictures of the day soon, but you can check out Facebook for the ones I took with my phone for an up-to-the-minute recording of the day so far.
Love you all!
Jen

the cords

2011-12-08T21:04:00.007-06:00

My grandmother was an avid seamstress. While I don't know the entire history of her sewing prowess, I do know she sewed my mother's wedding gown, and that's testament enough for me. So when Grammie asked me if I would like her sewing machine some day, I jumped at the chance. Not because I too am an avid seamstress, but because I knew how much it meant to her & I know she would want her sewing stuff to go to someone who would at least care about it, if not use it.
I know the concept of sewing. I can muddle my way through threading the machine and sewing a relatively straight line, but to do anything more complicated would require me to spend countless hours reading through the "how to" book to try to figure out all the levers and switches and dials - not to mention the bobbins and the tension etc. Anyway, I've gotten it in my head that I could make the gifts for the kids' daycare teachers, and my idea was to use Grammie's cool machine (complete with scanner and computerized embroidery bells and whistles), and embroider a teacher's initials on a blanket. Couple that with a jar of the spice tea mix (y'know, the kind you make with Tang?), and you have a nice, homemade gift that might actually be a little useful.
Grammie's machine and the affiliated manuals and boxes have been sitting upstairs since Mom and Dad brought it when Ella was born. I rifled through boxes and found the manuals and started to review them before I even took the case off of the machine. I was THAT determined to do it right. I've poured over articles that Grammie printed off of the Internet, and even studied the D&C thread guide (which is to embroidery thread as paint chips are to painting - and I LOVE paint chips).
Last night, I found the full blown manual. I brought the machine downstairs to the dining room table (heavy!). I carefully removed the case, even replacing it and taking it off again so I would be able to remember how to put it all back together. I sat down in front of the machine, looked at the book to my right, and realized I didn't have a power cord.
So I went back upstairs to look in the boxes, all to no avail.
Tonight I decided to really unpack the boxes to assess their contents & hopefully find the chord.
I did not find it.
nor did I find the cord for the super cool scanner.
I did find a side of my Grandmother that I have never really known.
When we went to Grammie's to visit, I always liked to visit her sewing area because it had this kinetic energy to it. You could tell that as soon as she sat down at her stool, and had her mind to create (or fix) something, that it was going to be DONE, and it would probably be a good idea to stay out of her way until she was finished. I don't ever remember her sitting down in front of that machine while we were visiting.
As I was unpacking the boxes, I could still feel a little bit of the hum of the machine. She sent a pin tomato, a power strip, LOTS of rolls of stuff that I think is fabric stabilizer, but that's only a best guess. She sent a straight cutter, a pair of old Sears electric scissors, dozens of spools of thread, a thread holder, Velcro and zippers. Among the treasures was a small magnifying glass with my Grandfather's initials in the well-worn copper casing. Holding it in my hand, I knew that she carried him in her consciousness even when she was in "her zone". I wondered how many images that item might have conjured if I was a psychic.
I'm really looking forward to learning to use the machine, and hope she can remember where she might have packed the cords so that I don't have to go buy more.

Past few weeks (months)

2011-12-05T20:49:00.007-06:00

Here are some going back to Halloween. We weren't able to get a lot of pictures of them but they had a good time trick or treating. We really enjoyed having the Glasses over too, the Ella's had a blast.

We got some really good rain this past weekend, a rarity in these parts. During a lull in the rain we went for a walk and let the kids play in the puddles on the way to the park. The were stinky and soaked but it was worth it.

Halloween

November pics:

December so far:

August and September

2011-10-17T08:37:00.003-05:00

Here are some pictures from the last couple of hectic months. Sorry it's been so long since we posted.

Happy Birthday Ella

2011-10-17T08:32:00.002-05:00

Ella's 2! We had a small party for her with just family on her actual birthday and a bigger party for her yesterday. Lots of good friends showed up for snacks, cake and playtime. Thanks to all who came, Ella had a blast and a great 2nd birthday.

Ella bday

Party Pics and Videos

2011-07-12T15:46:00.002-05:00

Here's the action from Max's party. Thanks to all who came he had a blast.

Max's 4th party

From Max's 4th party

Max's 4th videos

2011-07-06T12:34:00.002-05:00

Here's some videos of Max on his bike and enjoying his cake.

From Max's 4th videos

Max's 4th

2011-07-05T10:13:00.002-05:00

We celebrated Max's 4th on the 4th this year since we had the day off and Nanny and Aunt "Happy" were here. Max's big gift was a new bike which he took to immediately. He was turning and braking with ease in no time and even got to ride his bike to the pool for play time later in the day. Enjoy the pics, I'll get some videos up soon as well.

2 Month Gap

2011-06-27T10:11:00.003-05:00

Sorry for another 2 month gap. Here are some pics from May and June. Max turns 4 in 2 weeks, we are totally freaking out. Ella is now using sentences and thinks she's as old as Max now.

Finally New Pictures

2011-04-25T08:31:00.002-05:00

Um, just realized it's been over 2 months since we posted - sorry. Here's some pictures from our silent era.

Update

2011-04-24T15:47:00.005-05:00

We realized we hadn't updated the blog in quite some time! Chris will probably post some pictures soon.

Ella is getting to be such a big girl, and she wants to do big kid stuff like her Bubby. Her language has really taken off too! Some of her favorite words now are: outside, please, thank you, you're welcome, dog dog, woof. She also has some super cute phrases like: "what happened?" (complete with a shoulder shrug), "Oh no",

Holy Cow. I sat down to type this update in MAY. How does that happen?

New phrases: "where is bubby?", "I want silly dog dog" (which means she wants to watch Wallace & Gromit), and "all done".

It seems Max has turned into a little boy overnight. He still loves reenacting scenes from Thomas the Train episodes, but also likes playing with airplanes & playing "spaceball" - which is really just base-ball with a small plastic ball, played without a bat in the living room.

I'll try to post some more profound, not necessarily kid related stuff soon, but no promises.

And to my friend Rachel, there, happy now? :-)

Snow Day!

2011-02-06T16:22:00.003-06:00

We woke up Friday morning to about an inch of snow. Both kids had a blast with the snow (half) day. Only in TX can in snow one morning and 24 hours later be in the mid 60's.

From feb

From Jan

New Pictures

2011-01-21T14:47:00.002-06:00

Hi everyone. Here's the latest batch of pictures from our 2011 so far.

Whole Lotta pictures

2011-01-04T16:11:00.003-06:00

Here's a bunch of pictures to start your new year off right. These go all the way back to November. The holidays were crazy, hence the lack of posts and pics. We'll try to keep them coming more regularly in 2011.

From Dec 10 videos

Happy New Year

2010-12-31T09:58:00.002-06:00

Well, here we are at the end of another year. Each one seems to pass with greater speed than the year prior, and I am sure that will continue to be the case. The end of the year always seems to sneak up on me though. 365 days seems like such a long time until you get to the 364th day, and then WHAM! you've been through a time warp.

I don't know if 2010 was a transformative year, or a learning year - I feel neither changed, nor smarter or wiser, but usually those feelings come retrospectively, so I suppose I need to wait a little...... I think it was a year that made me want to hold even tighter to those near me - both in spirit and in proximity. 2010 taught lessons in how fleeing life really is, and how it should not be taken for granted, even when unexpected.
The children each grew so much in this year that looking back at pictures from last Christmas, they are almost unrecognizable.

I look forward to 2011 and hope to fill it with more even love, laughter and togetherness. I wish the same or better for all of you.

Merry Christmas

2010-12-27T08:38:00.005-06:00

We had a really nice Christmas weekend. Here are some pictures I took with my phone.

We went to Mike & Nancy's (Agape Acres) yesterday to look at and feed the baby goats. The first pictures are of Ella and Max with the kids (Sam & Josie).

What is she up to now?

2010-12-07T07:38:00.003-06:00

I realized we haven't posted anything lately about what Ella is doing. For those of you who are not Grandparents, this will not be a very exciting post, so feel free to skip it!
In the last couple of weeks, her vocabulary has grown by leaps and bounds. We've felt a little guilty that we haven't read to her as much as it seemed that we read to Max, but now, I don't think we have anything to worry about.
She pats Zooey on the head and says "dog dog" - actually, it's kind of hard to tell if she's saying "dog dog" or "woof woof", but either way, she makes the same sound each time she sees a dog. She also makes a monkey sound when you say the word "monkey", says "sheep" and "baaa" (which sounds a lot like laughing -very cute), duck, and will say "moo" anytime she sees a cow.

She says "shoe", "sock" and "sit". Bows for her hair are "pretty", and of course she is really good at saying "Mama", "Daddy" and "Bubba". She has also started to say "milk" and is making the sign for it, as well as saying and signing "more" and "eat".

Ella also now knows herself in the mirror - this weekend she pointed and said "Ella" (it really sounds more like "Eya".

pictures from my phone

2010-11-29T14:56:00.002-06:00

Here are some recent pictures I took with my phone

Ella at Lowe's with a sassy Santa hat

Ms. Pilgrim and Chief Shining Sun eating their turkey dinner

Please can I have some ice cream daddy?

A Toast to the holidays

2010-11-23T15:22:00.001-06:00

Dear friend Jessica sent me this & I had to share it. Couldn't have said it better myself.

To nearest,
To dearest,
To the crew,
To cahoots,
To the ones who've been there,
To the ones who'll be there,
To dropping everything,
To saying anything,
To no judgements,
To no doubts,
To loyalty,
To trust,
To favors,
To lifelongs,
To been too long,
To nothing's changed,
To having history,
To having your back,
To moving away,
To never too far,
To growing up,
To settling down,
To your second family,
To friends
To celebrating the holidays with those who matter most

Haloween

2010-11-03T15:46:00.000-05:00

Halloween pics, Enjoy!

glut of pictures

2010-10-28T14:24:00.002-05:00

Sorry there haven't been too many posts lately. Between work, juggling the kids, life in general and a wonderful visit with Grandma and Chief last week, things have been crazy. Here's a glut of pictures that has basically been our October.

From October

Day Out with Thomas

2010-10-08T10:31:00.003-05:00

Last weekend Nanny came to visit everyone went to Max's special surprise, Day Out with Thomas. Max got to ride on Thomas and see other trains and characters. A special thanks to Nanny, this was part of Max's birthday.

Last few weeks

2010-10-08T10:28:00.002-05:00

Here are some pics from the last few weeks. Ella got chicken pox in late Sept and was out for about a week. Then I got them last week and have been out a week. No fun at all.

Fit to be tied

2010-09-24T21:29:00.003-05:00

So, our dear sweet boy has turned into an irritating little shit - at least that's what he was tonight. When I picked him up from school today, we were walking down the stairs and I noticed his shoes were on the wrong feet. I told him, "Bub, your shoes are on the wrong feet." and he snapped back, "No they're not." He was angling for a fight about whether or not his shoes were on the wrong feet - and they clearly were!
It didn't get much better than that after we got home & on through the evening until bedtime.

It is so frustrating because you really cannot reason with an unreasonable person. It's also frustrating because the "fight or flight" instinct does not distinguish itself by age. After a long day, when the primate brain is the only part of my brain that is functioning, when confronted by a belligerant 3 year old, mama ape is ready for a fight.

And that doesn't do anyone any good, and certainly doesn't teach him any lessons - other than what buttons to push.

So, I'm adopting a new tactic. When we tell him "no" and he tries to argue, I don't argue back. I respond, "I understand you want to wear your shoes on your ears, but shoes go on feet, and we will not argue about that". Then, the dialog ends.

2nd new tactic - he is a lolly gagger and if he is playing, it is impossible for him to hear you when you are trying to get him to do something. New rule: I ask once, then I take the toy away. He can have it back when he does what I need him to do, but I'm not going to ask again, and again, and again.

Now, wish me luck that I can have enough higher cognitive function.......

Sept so far

2010-09-13T14:18:00.003-05:00

Here are some recent pics and video from our Sept. so far. Ella is pretty much walking, taking up to 8 steps without help. Max is doing great in his new class. We got to go to the kids' first baseball game on Labor Day. The Dell Diamond is a great park and had a lot of activities other than the game. We especially liked being barefoot in the grass behind the outfield.

From Sept

Sam's Visit

2010-08-24T10:44:00.002-05:00

Our friends the Tritico's came up for a visit this weekend. Max and their son Sam had a grand time playing. They did great together. So well it made me wish we were closer so they could do it more often. We took them to Locomotion and indoor bounce park and turned them loose. They also had fun playing with trains and anything else they could find at the house.

From August

August

2010-08-24T10:38:00.003-05:00

Well now that August is almost over here are some pictures from earlier in the month. This has been an incredibly busy month. Both kids are doing great. Ella is pulling herself up and holding on to anything she can grab and walking around until her legs give out. She's started to take a step towards Jen or I as well. Won't be too long before she's walking. She's also started saying "Hi" and "love-love" (our words for when she's sweet or affectionate). She's made a little game of grabbing one of our hands then laying here head into to and saying "love love" too sweet.

Pictures and video of them are below.

August Videos

From August

update

2010-08-23T08:14:00.004-05:00

The Tritico family came for a visit this weekend. Sam & Max had a great time playing at Locomotion (the jumping place) on Saturday. Max was so exhausted, he even took a nap at home yesterday (and that is a rarity!). We really enjoyed having them for a visit.

Today is the first day of school. Max and Ella are still at Apple Tree Learning Center, but today, Max will be up in the 3 yr old room full time. His new room is upstairs -all the younger class rooms are downstairs. His room is very cool. I asked him what his favorite thing was & he took me to the music corner - a little stage built into the corner with a kareoke machine and some musical instruments.

Rest of July

2010-08-02T15:42:00.001-05:00

Here's our pics from the rest of July. Both kids are doing great. Ella just started crawling up the stairs this weekend.

Max's 3rd Birthday Party

2010-07-13T14:29:00.002-05:00

We had a wonderful 3rd b-day party for Max this past weekend. His friends from daycare, Ava and Mason, were able to come as was the "other" Ella, Ella Glass a classmate of our Ella, and her family too. We grilled burgers and the kids got to play in the pool. Then Max got his presents, a Woody doll from Ava, a Hungry Caterpillar game from Mason, a Tidmouth Sheds Roundhouse from Nanni, and a cool soccer shirt and homemade cookie cake from Ella G's mom Gabbi. We had homemade strawberry cake and the cookie cake to finish up. Thanks to everyone for the great birthday, Max had a great time.

From Max's party

Max's 3rd Birthday

2010-07-08T10:52:00.002-05:00

Our little man turned 3(!) on Monday. We had a special day of activities for him, namely going to Zilker Park to ride the train and play all morning. After that he got a good nap and lunch. Then he hit the presents, a drum and a rescue helicopter, and topped it all off with homemade strawberry pie. Enjoy pics and video below.

From Max's 3rd videos

End of June and Early July

2010-07-08T10:51:00.000-05:00

Here's some pics of Ella and some from our July so far.

Ella crawling video

2010-06-21T11:55:00.001-05:00

Plus some other good ones below

From June 2010

June so far

2010-06-21T11:50:00.003-05:00

Trying to catch up a little on the photos. Ella started full on crawling last weekend. She really wants to start walking and has been taking some baby steps with much help from Mom and Dad.

I had a great Father's Day. I got a sweet cast iron dutch oven and our first meal to cook with it, pork roast and veggies, turned out wonderful. The kids took a good nap and Jen snagged a really good picture of me and Ella.

May Video

2010-06-21T11:48:00.001-05:00

Also belated video for your viewing pleasure

From May 2010 videos

Belated May Photos

2010-06-21T11:46:00.001-05:00

Here are some much belated May pictures. Ella started feeding herself towards the end of the month. She's growing so quickly.

Fast and Furious

2010-05-05T15:57:00.003-05:00

I think nearly every time I post from here on out, that could be the title. There is so much going on right now, time is just flying by. The kids are growing up so fast & as parents, I think we are doing everything we can to keep from screwing them up, but there are days when I wonder if any of us will survive un-medicated.

So, for the grandparents (and anyone else who thrives on the minute details), here's an update on what the kids are doing right now:

Ella is pushing herself up and rocking back and forth - she knows she's supposed to do something, but hasn't quite figured out how to coordinate her legs and arms into a cohesive motion yet. She has gotten really good at rolling around,sitting up, and will even pull herself up from time to time When on her tummy, she does a 360 scoot. She babbles "dadadada" ALL the time, and has started picking food off of her tray and feeding herself. She absolutely adores big brother Max. He plays games with her and it is really a joy to hear her laughing at him. Their favorite game to play is "look at me down here" where Max crouches down in front of Ella's high chair (Max calls it her hiney chair), then jumps up and says "Rowr!". He laughs, she really laughs, hilarity ensues.

Max is getting better and better on "the potty train". He loves his Thomas the Tank Engine big boy underwear (and you have to call them underwear. If you say underpants, he will correct you!). When we get home in the afternoons, he will change into his underwear and has gotten really good at going pee pee on the potty. Still isn't ready for #2, but I know he'll get there when he's ready. He knows if he goes poop on the potty he will get a new Emily train, so when that becomes a big enough draw for him, we'll be one step closer to 100% big boy underwear.

Max is also learning to test his boundaries. He started learning some time ago, but he has gotten smarter and much better at pushing my buttons, so it's much more challenging now. Last night he bit Ella, wouldn't listen & ended up in time out. He kept attempting to climb out of his time out spot (the pack & play), so each time he swung his leg over the edge, I added another minute. 6 MINUTES LATER, he seems to have gotten the picture - at least that time. I have to keep reminding myself that he is so smart, that actions like this are his way of testing the independence I hope we will be able to foster as he gets older. If not, I guess the college fund can always be used for therapy.

April videos

2010-05-04T10:28:00.002-05:00

And some videos from the last few weeks.

From 5-30

Aprl

2010-05-04T10:21:00.001-05:00

Here's some pics from the last few (busy) weeks of April. We are having a wonderful spring.

Easter

2010-04-12T14:04:00.002-05:00

Here's our Easter pics. Mom came up, Max got to dye and then hunt for eggs. Ella had a great first one, complete with the mandatory festive hat.

KY Trip pictures

2010-04-12T13:58:00.001-05:00

Here's the pictures from our trip a few weeks back. I'm sure Jen will post some additional words later, in the meanitime enjoy the pics.

March pics

2010-04-12T13:51:00.000-05:00

Here are some pics from mid march, before the KY trip.

1st day of Spring - really?

2010-03-20T16:57:00.002-05:00

So yesterday I planted up the 4x4 garden with:

3 seed potatoes
5 tomato plants
1 eggplant
basil seeds
zinnia seeds
tobacco plant seeds
And Max helped me plant some sprouted Asparagus Long beans (about 15).

I also did a pot with cilantro seeds, basil seeds, and chive seeds.

Today, it won't even get out of the 40's and we are expecting a freeze overnight. Needless to say I have everything covered!

Ella laughing

2010-03-19T09:09:00.006-05:00

I was getting ready to give El a bath the other night & she pushed against my stomach & scooted herself across the island in the kitchen. I pulled her back toward me & she giggled. So, I got out the camera & proceeded to do anything I could to elicit another giggle. The video below captures the moment.

Spring is On!

2010-03-15T20:40:00.003-05:00

Man, if you are not in Texas this time of year, you are totally missing out on some awesome nature stuff. Seemingly overnight - and that's really not an exaggeration - the trees have started to bud out & wildflowers are starting to come up. In Texas, we do get 4 seasons, but the fall and spring are only a couple weeks long, so we have to try to hoard them while we get them. I remember in college in KY, on the first nice and sunny day of spring everyone would head outside. It might be 50 degrees out, but if was sunny, you somehow managed to incorporate a pair of shorts into your outfit & could talk your professor into having class outside. It's like that here too. The weather is absolutely perfect for such a short time that we drink it up like fine wine on sale. You dive headlong into the sunshine that isn't too hot, gulp up the fresh spring air and try to get as much of it as you can before you wake up the next day and find that it is 100 degrees again.
Our spring activities over the next few weeks will be:

adding another 4x4 bed for the garden and planting tomatoes, eggplant, beans, potatoes, garlic and some flowers. We might throw in a few peppers too. I've been drooling over the "seed porn" in the Burpee catalog, so who knows what else I might decide to throw in there.
going to the Wimberley butterfly days at the Emily Ann Theater. We hope to meet up with Gabbi, Mike & "the other" baby Ella
Going on a wildflower drive and hitting a couple wineries

Of course, we have to cram all of that into 3 days before summer hits (just kidding - we have a couple of weeks yet).

March so far

2010-03-11T16:54:00.003-06:00

Here's a couple of pics/videos from early March. Ella is sitting up a lot more. In just the last few weeks she's started to say Mama and Dada, and even an occasional Bubby. She seems to be developing so quickly, quicker than I remember Max developing. Speaking of, he's doing great. Yesterday, to my amazement, on the way home he used the word sometimes correctly twice. I aksed him what colors he painted with and he said "blue, sometimes I paint with red, orange, brown, green and sometimes purple."

1 pic and video here

Mar 1-9

Breather

2010-03-01T20:56:00.002-06:00

Wow. It seems like time has sped up exponentially since Ella was born. I thought we were time traveling enough when it was just Max, but now, here nearly 5 MONTHS have passed! Between work and keeping up with the kids, I seriously do not know where the time goes.

I had a friend from college come to stay for the weekend. She didn't have any purpose for being here other than to visit us, meet the kids, and supply an extra set of adult hands. She would periodically ask if she could help with anything & most times I would say, "no, I've got it". We have a pretty tight routine set up with the kids. Even on the weekends there isn't much room for variance & I think that helps us stay sane. We so infrequently have someone to help, we don't know what - or how- to do when we do have it!

I always figured it would be a challenge to work full time & have a family. I'm thankful to have an employer that helps me try to have a work/life balance. But somewhere down the line - I, and other professional women like me, have gotten the idea in our heads that we have to do it all. We wear so many hats that we forget how many we have piled on our heads & when we take some of them off, we feel a bit unbalanced. I know personally, I'm not trying to prove anything - I'm just trying to make it through the day with my sanity and relationships in tact.

I listen to a podcast & read a blog called "Manic Mommies (the podcast for moms trying to do it all)". Kristen & Erin are two very likable women who have 2 kids each, husbands, jobs, households & they talk about everything from clipping coupons to child behavior issues. I really enjoy listening to them & my time in the car on the way to daycare is often the most solitary "me" time I get. Anyway, Kristen is coming to Austin later this month for SXSW, and I have an invite to go to the meet & greet she is doing with other Austin-area mommies. I think it will be a lot of fun, but I will be challenged to not feel guilty about leaving Chris and the kids for 3 hours on a school night. I believe I will be in good company though. They aren't called "Manic Mommies" for nothing.

Recent pics and videos

2010-02-23T10:14:00.002-06:00

Here are some of the latest pics. Ella is really developing quickly. She's very much a talker and will sit and gab with us all, even with Max. She's been getting tummy time practice and a few weeks ago started to eat cereal and sit in her high chair.

Max is doing great as well. Here's some video of him laughing at a video of himself that we were watching on the tv.

Max laughs at himself

More January pics

2010-01-19T15:10:00.002-06:00

Here's some from the last week or so. Ella is adjusting to daycare very well. She's taking longer naps and is taking the bottle much better now. She's starting to hold her head up more and more and is even trying to roll over.

Ella video

2010-01-14T10:17:00.002-06:00

Here's some video of Ella with Max serenading her towards the end.

From 1-10-10

Max pratices his manners

2010-01-14T10:12:00.001-06:00

We've been working with Max on his manners. Click the photo below for a video of him practicing saying "Excuse Me" after he burps.

From 1-10-10

Christmas Pictures 2009

2010-01-05T10:11:00.002-06:00

Christmas and end of Dec. pics below. We had a great first Christmas for Ella. Nanny came to visit and had lots of goodies for Max and Ella. Max is at a good age to be interested and get in the spirit of things, but not be totally obsessed with the stuff under the tree and opening presents. He paced himself all day and would only open a few at a time and play with those toys for a little while then ask (or be asked) if he wanted another present. Ella did great for her first holiday and got some really nice outfits and diapers.

The New Normal

2010-01-04T20:46:00.002-06:00

Today was our first day back in the real world. Ella did ok at daycare - while still not a pro at taking the bottle, she did seem to rally later in the day & ate more than she did at the beginning of the day. Of course, she nursed like she was starved when we all got home, but I didn't mind one bit. She was really tired though & thankfully went to bed a little early. Hopefully she will sleep really well tonight!
Max usually has a tough time at the daycare drop off on Monday mornings - particularly those that follow a prolonged break at home. Today though, he didn't cry a bit & acted like a really big boy, helping his little sister get acclimated.
My first day back went pretty well too. I had a lot of emails to sort though, but had been able to keep up with them while I was out, so it wasn't anything earth shattering. I stayed really busy, which helped tremendously, and the day seemed to go pretty quickly. I can only hope the same goes for the rest of the week until we get used to everything again.

New Computer = New Pictures

2010-01-04T12:18:00.003-06:00

We finally got our new computer last week. I've been having fun setting it up and finally got some pictures uploaded. Here's some from the first part of December. We should be updating a little more regularly now.

Visit with Santa

2009-12-19T20:55:00.005-06:00

We went to the Christmas party at my company's Red Rock office. Ella seemed to like Santa just fine. Max was not enthused, but at least sat on Santa's lap. He does have fun saying, "Santa says 'HO HO HO'!"

Getting ready for Christmas

2009-12-19T20:31:00.009-06:00

Wow, so much is going on in preparation for Chrismas, and the New year to follow. I'm still off work & do not have to go back until January 4th, but that time is so quickly approaching! Anyway... here are some updated pictures. These are ones I took when I was trying to get the "perfect" pictures for the Christmas cards:

I thought this one was so funny - they both have the same expression on their faces!

Max is helping me make hutzlebrot:

Max helping to decorate the tree

Max loves to "drink coffee". He pretends that his closed play dough container is a travel mug & we have to pretent to fill it with coffee. Here is a picture of him imitating Chris, sitting with his coffee, reading the paper.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T19:38:00.006-06:00

We've had a great day. The weather was beautiful, the turkey delicious & we have enjoyed having Sue here with us.

Quick update

2009-11-23T12:18:00.004-06:00

Well, we have been having computer problems & therefore can't upload pictures from the camera to post on the site. I have taken some in the last few weeks with my phone though & thought I'd share them. The kids are growing and changing so much, and so quickly!
Max is a real rock-n-roll toddler - he loves pretending to play guitar and entertains us regularly with songs sung at the top of his lungs. The kid has a good set of pipes on him for sure! He loves to watch the Biscuit Brothers, Thomas the Train, Sesame Street and Austin City Limits! He also loves doing anything he sees us doing. He likes to sit near the stove with a bowl & spatula and tells us he is "cooking". When asked what he is cooking, his reply is "pizza". He also is a big helper, putting clothes in the washer & dryer, helping to put the clean dishes away, and letting Zooey in and out of the back door.
Ella is working very hard at holding her head up and practices on a regular basis. She will be moving into her own room (as soon as she gets over her cold). She has also been practicing taking the bottle from Daddy. She seems unfazed by the commotion when Max gets home from daycare & enjoys when he holds her.

Halloween

2009-11-01T14:55:00.003-06:00

We had a wonderful Halloween. My cousin Steve, his daughter Colleen and her 6 and 3/4 years daughter Meredith (aka cousin bugs) were in San Antonio and came up with my Mom to see Ella and Max and do some trick or treating. Despite the age difference Max and Meredith got along famously. She was very good and patience with him. He enjoyed meeting one of his cousins very much. After an afternoon of playing we all set out for some trick or treating, he as a pumpkin and she as a cheerleader. Ella was not impressed with any of it and slept through the whole affair.

Ella is 3 weeks old

2009-11-01T14:45:00.001-06:00

Doesn't seem possible but she's 3 weeks today. Her 2 week well check was last week and she's gained a little weight 9.10 oz and grown a .5 inch to 20". Here's the latest pics from the last week or so.

Ella's first weekend home

2009-10-21T13:44:00.001-05:00

This was Ella's first weekend at home. Here are a few shots from the weekend.

Bill and Elaine's Ella pictures

2009-10-21T13:38:00.002-05:00

Here are the pics from Bill and Elaine during Ella's arrival and their stay.

At least we'll have a good story

2009-10-20T08:54:00.002-05:00

So, last Friday, Chris and I spent the evening getting the finishing touches done on the house - preparing for baby & house guests. I should have known labor was immenint when I was on my hands & knees scrubbing the tile in the shower & using the little motorized brush to get to the grout.

Saturday we did the usual running around. I was feeling huge & oh-so-pretty with my elephant sized feet & ankles and enormous belly. The day was pretty uneventful, but I was tired - figured I had overdone it once again. Sue arrived that evening and we had a really nice dinner - Central Mkt had lobster tails on sale. I started feeling a bit uncomfortable, but dismissed everything as just being tired from a long day. Of course I didn't have a hospital bag packed - I still had another day before we had to go - but I had the foresight to set some things out just in case I didn't feel any better during the night.

12:45am & I woke up to a contraction. Then another, and another. By 5am I had not had any sleep and decided it was time to call the doctor. They said to come on in to the hospital, so Chris and I threw stuff into a bag, woke up Sue to tell her we were leaving & headed to the hospital.

Despite being really tired, I felt good & really began to doubt whether or not I was overreacting. We figured that even if they made us turn around and go back home, we'd have a good story to tell Ella one day. We both hated having to leave without telling Max bye - and a part of me really hoped we would be told to come home so I could spend one more day with him as the only child.

We got to the hospital & all hooked up to monitors - which confirmed that I was, indeed, having real contractions & they were not all in my mind (thank goodness!). So, they prepped me for surgery & Ella was born - approximately 26 hours earlier than we had anticipated.
She is beautiful, and we still have a good story to tell her.

Ella is Home

2009-10-15T21:46:00.002-05:00

Ella and Jen got to come home yesterday. We are all starting to settle into life with baby sister, especially Max. He's had a few rough moments but is doing incredibly well with her and is already becoming a great big brother. He wants to sit with her when she's feeding and today he held her for the first time.

Mommy and Ella are both doing great. Ella has her first check up with the doctor tomorrow.

We'll post more about the delivery and the return home later.

Ella Katherine

2009-10-12T22:26:00.002-05:00

Ella has arrived, a day early in fact! She was born Sunday 10-11-09 at 8:23 AM, 9lbs 2oz, 20.5 inches long. Mom and baby are doing great. Max is very happy baby sister is finally here.

More details to follow. Both of us are too tired and in the new parent haze to be very coherent right now. In the meantime here are the first round of pics from the last 36 hours.

Max's first concert

2009-10-04T16:35:00.002-05:00

Last Sunday was a special day. Max went to his first concert to see The Biscuit Brothers. We watch their show regularly and were very excited to see them. Max was a little overwhelmed by the kids and noise but still had a good time.

Max is riding bicycle!!!

2009-10-04T16:31:00.001-05:00

Now that we're having better weather we're actually getting to play outside more. Max is loving that and is getting to ride his bike (actually a tricycle) more and more. He is finally getting the leg strength to turn the pedals himself.

Jen's Shower

2009-10-04T16:28:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago some of Jen's friend threw a shower for her, complete with ladybug cupcakes. Fun was had by all especially a little man who got to lick icing.

September

2009-09-13T09:45:00.000-05:00

Sorry it's been so long since we posted. Here are our latest pics.

T minus 29 days to baby girl, yikes!

Thoughts on today

2009-09-11T11:48:00.003-05:00

When I woke up this morning & got to work, the events of 8 yrs ago did not occur to me. Then, when I realized the significance of the date, I felt a little guilty - but should I have?

We were all affected by the events of 9/11. Everyone has their story of "where they were". Many unfortunate few were more affected than the rest of us, either through a loss of their life, or the loss of a loved one - or maybe even just the loss of someone they knew through their grandmother's 2nd cousin. No one can deny, however, that we all felt it, and continue to feel it.

But at what point do we cross the chasm between Remembrance and Reopening Wounds? As with any significant loss in one's life, for the most part, the pain gradually ebbs and the living takes over. For those who have tried to get busy living over the last 8 years, if you wake up on a significant anniversary & don't immediately remember, is that a good thing?

August so far

2009-08-18T08:20:00.002-05:00

Here's our latest pics from the domicile, enjoy. Max is starting to say and sing his ABC's. He's also into making music with Daddy's guitar. And he is still completely obsessed with the washer and dryer.

Trip to PA

2009-08-17T08:33:00.004-05:00

I got to visit with Dude, Mel & Jess last week during a business trip to PA. We had a great time & it was so nice to get to hang out with them for a little bit. Here are a few pictures I took!

July pictures

2009-07-28T14:38:00.002-05:00

Hi everyone. We've had some internet issues at the house so it's been a while since I've been able to upload photos. Here's some recent pics of Max enjoying some of his b-day gifts and just growing into the little man he's becoming.

Max's 2nd Birthday

2009-07-06T14:22:00.002-05:00

Well Max turned 2 yesterday. How can a period of time seem so long and so short simultaneously? He had a good birthday although he ran a slight fever most of the day so it wasn't quiet the day we had planned but a good one none the less. Nannie and Aunt "Happy" aka Kathy came up for a visit. Max got all kinds of good stuff; a play phone, a car/truck set, a set of emergency vehicles, a bubble lawnmower, a construction sandbox, complete with digger, a yet to be inflated pool , bath toys (boats and an Elmo propeller boat) and lots of other things that I can't remember off the top of my head. Plus a yummy strawberry cake that Jen made. All in all a great day in spite of the slight fever.

Pictures at last

2009-06-29T08:53:00.002-05:00

It's pretty sad to realize we haven't posted pictures in over a month. Not quite as bad as the rate Dude and Mel post, sorry it's been so long.

We've had a busy past month. Just to recap we bought a new dishwasher, refrigerator and washer and dryer over Memorial Day weekend. Also got a new 40" flat screen that same weekend. Then we went to Port Arthur for a visit. We were schmoe's and didn't bring our camera but Roy got some great pics of Max and Sam playing, click the link if you haven't seen them yet. We also got a new car for Jen, a black Mazda 5. Her Santa Fe's seat belt and airbag system aka SRS thought the vehicle was in a wreck and locked up the seat belt and fortunately the airbag didn't deploy. When she took it to the dealer to see what could be done they said they whole SRS would need to be replace and it would be around 2k. So we decided it was time to move on. We love the new car. It's more like a sleek station wagon, can seat six with the back row seats up and has plenty of room for our growing family. Somewhere in there we went to see the NINJA (Nine Inch Nails / Jane's Addiction) tour, which was really great. And this past weekend we finally replaced the carpet in the master and half baths with tile! So yeah, we've been super busy and have a 2 year birthday to plan, yikes. Enjoy the pics.

Happy Father's Day

2009-06-21T08:45:00.003-05:00

I've chosen to write a father's day greeting on our blog today because I know Dad always checks it when he's at work. I know we don't have any new pictures up - sorry folks - but, if I get it up in time, he will at least have something new to read.

I always have a hard time deciding what to do for Dad for Father's day & more often than not, I'm late getting it out anyway. I hope he doensn't take that as a sign that I appreciate him any less - it's more of a general commentary on my organizational skills. Anyway, this year was no different. What do you get the man who has everything? I don't really know that father's day is about giving per say, but more about showing dad what he has given you - for me, that could take a while.......

When I was a kid, I remember riding in the car with dad. I don't remember where we were going, or where we had been, or where my mom & dan were - I just remember being in the car with dad. He always had the radio on WAKY - they wacky oldies station in Louisville, and it was there that I committed to memory a lot of the songs that were WAY before my time, but enjoyable nonetheless. I specifically remember two particular instances: One night we were driving toward home & the song "Horse with No name" came on. Imagine dad trying to explain THAT one to an 8 yr old. I remember another night, we did't even have the radio on. We were driving back from the farm & dad and I were singing. Now, my father didn't have the best singing voice, but it was a lot better than he ever let on. He taught me the song "Old Mill Stream", and we sang away the trip home.

Dad liked to spend time in the shop. I always like to think that if I ever had to build a cabinet, I could figure out how to do it simply from my memories of watching dad measure, saw, glue, nail & sand a piece of furniture he was working on for mom. As crafty as he is in the shop, he taught me even more in the kitchen. I never had an Easy Bake Oven - I didn't need one. I had a grown up kitchen & lots of cookbooks & dad had instilled in me the way to do things right. You can't teach the feel of a ball of bread dough, or the right way to knead a ton of fruit into hutzlebrot simply by reading a cookbook. Dad spent time with me, showing me the chemistry of the kitchen , and sharing parts of our family's heritage. I remember Dad telling me that yeast is made up of tiny little animals - like in the circus - and when they get warm and eat some sugar, they start to grow and grow. To this day, I can't look at proofing yeast without thinking of elephants.

From doing a tag team rendition of Wicked John, to simultaneously raising an eyebrow, I have always felt a close connection with my dad, and as I grow in life & wisdom, I continue to gain a greater appreciation for the many lessons he has taught me. It means so much to me when Dad says he is proud of the way Chris interacts with our son. I can imagine that feeling is akin to how the understudy felt when he received a compliment from Michaelangelo.

So, thanks Dad. I love you. I miss you. And, as always, I look forward to the next time we get to share our time together.

Love,
Jen

Mother's Day 2009

2009-05-12T12:00:00.002-05:00

We had a nice Mother's Day this year. My mom came up so it was a double celebration.

Max makes a basket

2009-05-03T13:35:00.004-05:00

It wasn't his first or last, just the only one we've managed to catch. Let the family discussion on which shade of blue (or burnt orange) he will wear should he prove to have actual skills.

April

2009-05-03T13:08:00.002-05:00

The whole month of April slipped away for us. Apologies to the grandparents et. al. for not keeping up with the pictures. April had a few firsts for him. he got his first basketball goal, and make his first basket! He had his first trip to Lake Travis as well. He's been keeping us busy with his improved motor skills and coordination. He can now catch the ball as well as shoot it. He's also starting to make sentences, stringing words together like Mama Max water, meaning mama and max are drinking water together. He's getting better at asking for what he wants, drink, bite, up please etc. A new favorite is pulling himself up on the couch and patting the spot next him and saying "Mama/Dada sit, book please". Enjoy the pics.

Something new

2009-04-28T21:49:00.002-05:00

Well, my wise friend Stephanie said that Max was having melt-downs because he was about to do something new. She was right.

Max can now make baskets when playing basketball (on the 4 ft goal)
and he's starting to learn how to catch the ball. We'll post some pictueres & maybe a video in the near future.

very exciting stuff

Very frustrating

2009-04-20T20:39:00.002-05:00

In the evenings when we get home, Max has taken to melting down. Full blown, crocodile tears, red face, snotty nose, kicking and screaming melt down. I'm sure it is that he is just tired and worn out from a busy day at school, but man is it getting old.
Tonight, we had at least three different episodes - and that doesn't even include the 25 minute cry fest he just put on when I put him to bed (and that he just started back up again).
I don't know what the solution is. Short of strong medication - for us, not him - we are at an impasse.

Brief observations

2009-04-01T20:09:00.002-05:00

The closer to Dallas you get, the more sparkly the billboards become
The American Airlines Training & Conference center smells oddly like an airplane
"Under the Tuscan Sun" is a beautiful movie.

Away from home

2009-03-31T19:29:00.002-05:00

As Chris mentioned, we went to KY last week. I always tend to get a bit anxious prior to travel, and this last trip was no exception. While I did not actually start packing until until the night before we left, I was making lists in my head for weeks.
My anxiety was for nought, however. Max did fabulous on the plane trips. The only time he got really fussy was in the last 45 minutes of the final leg home - and I was tired enough I was about to have a melt-down myself, so who could blame him! Poor little guy, we spent a lot of time traveling - between the round trip airplane rides, and the drive to Mom & Dad's, the Farm & TN, Max spent a lot of time in his car seat. The parts outside of the car were really nice though & it was great to have so many members of the family together in various locations. I especially enjoyed meeting baby Jessica!

Now, I'm away from home again - this time, all by myself - and it's very strange. It's not very often I am completely by myself - even when I go to the quarterly off-site meeting for work, I'm with at least one other person.
Today, I drove to Ft. Worth by myself (BTW, thank heavens for the GPS in my phone - I had to find an alternate route & had NO IDEA where I was going), ate dinner by myself, and am in a tiny galley room all by myself (which is a good thing, more than one person in here & you'd have to go outside to change your mind). I've learned as I've gotten older that I am most comfortable when surrounded by my "pack"; close friends or family. If surrounded by strangers, or totally by myself, I feel completely out of my element & don't like it very much.
This is the first time since Max was born that I have been away from home for more than one night. Max is much more aware of when things at home are different, so hopefully he will settle ok & won't give Chris a hard time. *sniff*

KY Trip

2009-03-27T16:57:00.002-05:00

It's been ages since our last post, sorry. At least there's a sort of excuse, we went to KY last week! We had a great visit with Gramma and Chief, Uncle Dude and Aunt Mel and the newborn Jessica. The kids did great together. We also got to go to the farm for some authentic home cooked fried chicken, and got to visit with all the farm folk. Then took a quick jaunt down to TN for Jen's cousin Heather's wedding. I'm sure Jen will post a little something about the trip later. Meanwhile enjoy the pics.

Pt Arthur trip plus Feb pics

2009-02-16T10:21:00.002-06:00

We went to Pt A last weekend for a visit. Max got to see his buddy Sam and they had a grand time playing on various vehicles of self propulsion, namely a plasma chair and tricycle. We shall have to have one I'm sure. The rest of the pics are from this month so far.

Weekend fun

2009-02-09T09:44:00.002-06:00

We went to visit Nannie this weekend & Max got to play on the playground at the mall after lunch. We'll post more pictures from the weekend later, but here are a couple of Max climing on a big duck.

January pics

2009-02-02T10:04:00.002-06:00

I can't believe January is already over, and yet it felt the month dragged on. Here are our pics from the rest of the month. Max got a fire hat from Grandma and Chief and wore it with the appropriate excitement and we got some cute ones of him showing off. I've been trying to play guitar more and Max, being the good son that he is, is excited to hear my awkward chords and pseudo-picking. He will ask me to play "gcar" and will sit in my lap and take it all in. If I'm playing something a little more uptempo he'll get up and dance. We love how responsive he is to music.

He's at such a fun age right now. He really wants to be in the middle of everything and helping. We had to get a gate to keep Zooey out of the kitchen. Long story short, she is misbehaving in her old age. Max had to help us put it up though. He and Jen manned the screwdriver to help put it together. As he was holding it and turning he had a gleam in his eye. Soon he'll be playing with the power tools.

There are also some good shots of baking experience #2. Max loves helping in the kitchen. Enjoy the pics.

Amen and Amen

2009-01-20T11:46:00.002-06:00

What a great day to be an American.

Honestly, I think that pretty much sums it up, and yet, I feel like I need to say more.

I was listening to NPR's coverage of the inaugural celebration this morning & it was mentioned several times how this is a peaceful transition of power. This is a special day for many reasons - the swearing in of the first African American President, the end of the Bush era, a fresh beginning and a challenge to the American people to wake up and get busy. With all of that going on, and all of us swimming in history, it's easy to loose sight of what today really is - a PEACEFUL transition. We are so blessed to live in a country where our new President was elected democratically, rather than through a military take over of the White House. We are blessed to live in a country where we are united in hope for the new administration & a new day in American politics, rather than united in fear of a new ruler. We are blessed to live in a country where we can wave a flag, say a prayer, and join together as people of all color and creed - as Americans.

Amen......

Hallelujah......

Close enough.

Additional pictures

2009-01-12T08:45:00.004-06:00

We had a nice visit with Aunt Sandi, Uncle George, Grandma, Franklin & Clinton on Saturday. Here are a few additional pictures to commemorate the event

Sandi, Max & Grandma

Max wearing Clinton's hat

Sandi, Max & Grandma (again)

Max loves Guerro's beans & rice!

Sandi & Max at the Capital

Max grooving under the rotunda

First pictures of the New Year

2009-01-11T16:06:00.002-06:00

Here are our first pics for the new year. Max got his first hair cut last Friday and you'll be able to tell how short it is. Jen said he did fabulous for it, didn't fuss or wail at all. It's already growing back quickly. We also got some good pics of him baking with Jen this morning. What started as him helping her make biscuits quickly degenerated to him and the floor being covered in flour.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T20:24:00.006-06:00

Well, we made it through another year relatively unscathed. I mean, the world seems to be falling down around us, but what else is new, right?
Anway, I thought I would sit down and take a look at the goals I set at the beginning of last year, and see how well I did. Let's see......

We are going to create a will - um, no - but we are closer to getting this done than we were this time last year
We are going to establish Max's college fund - ditto the answer from above
We expect to start working on child #2 (yep, I think I am officially certifiable at this point for even thinking about it) check
We are either going to go to Arizona or to a wedding in Florida to see family members who have not yet met Max - well, this didn't happen in 2008, but I'm planning a family reunion for this year
We will get some official/professional pictures taken of Max - check, and check.
Plant a "Max tree" in the back yard - We didn't really plant a "Max" tree, but we did plant a fig tree that we've had for a while
I'd like to start and finish two books (just two - that's all I ask!) check! I actually manged to read 5 or 6 books this year - and that doesn't count the ones that Max wants to read
I'd like to get some stuff in the house organized - book shelves, wall shelves, storage containers etc. - that's a negatory
I'd like to get the garage set up so that it's functional - sort of check. We can get one car in the garage, but still need some more organization to it
I'd like to set the garden for the spring & build a large compost bin . Half check. I did build a garden bed, but did not get the compost bin built - I do have a very large pile though.

Other things we did accomplish this year that we didn't set out to do:

Max is completely weaned off the bottle now (still has his pacifier, but we'll work on that this year).
We have helped Max develop an appreciation for reading and music. He has even started to sing
Chris got a new and better job
I know there is more, but I can't think of it right now....

Now on to 2009. What do I want to do this year? I have no idea! I'll get back to you on that. In the mean time Prospero Ano mi amigos!

Other December Pics

2008-12-28T20:34:00.002-06:00

Better late than never right? Here's the pictures from earlier this month. There are a lot of pictures of Max at dinner because a) we were still getting used to the new camera and b) that's the only time Max is still enough to get really good face shots.

Christmas photos 2

2008-12-28T20:31:00.000-06:00

These are mom's pics from her Christmas visit.

Christmas Day Pictures

2008-12-28T20:29:00.001-06:00

Here (finally) are the Christmas pics, enjoy!

Merry Christmas

2008-12-25T17:35:00.002-06:00

Wow, what a nice day it has been. Max let us sleep until 8am, then I got up with him and we went downstairs. Nanny gave him a wagon for Christmas & he thought that was pretty cool, but didn't initially pay too much attention to it (now, however, we can't get him out of it!). We have staggered his gift opening so as not to overwhelm him too much. He has gotten some fun toys: a guitar that plays tunes that were popular when Mommy & Daddy were young, so it makes us feel old, a Little People garage, the wagon, a wooden fire truck that has firemen that spin around when you pull it, a ride on Fire truck that makes lots of great noise.
There are other gifts still under the tree, but I think those will wait until tomorrow.
Anyway, we had a nice breakfast, then played with Max most of the day. Chris is cooking slow-cooked-southern-green beans right now & we'll have lamb & potatoes all together for dinner. We'll post some pictures later to show you how much fun we've been having!!

And now, some more pictures

2008-11-28T21:19:00.006-06:00

Chris may want to add something later on, but for now, we hope you enjoy the photos!

A thought

2008-11-28T21:04:00.003-06:00

About a week ago, I was having lunch with some friends & Jessica asked us this question, "what are the three most important things in your life?". I had several things that immediately came to mind, but only said, "Max" out loud - not "family", or "Chris", or any of the other things that are really important to me.
That really bothered me on several levels. Did I only say 'Max' because I feel my own importance is now inextricably linked with his, so therefore he was the only thing I could say out loud? Did, by not saying 'Chris' or 'family' out loud, mean they were not important to me? Max had been ill so I think I was feeling particularly "Mama Bear" that day. He (him?) & my protection of him, were foremost in my mind.
But what about my other important people?
My friend Barbara did not say her husband's name in answer to the question & when asked why, she said she felt it was a given because they had been married so long.
Hmmm
I realized that in the hustle and bustle that has become our lives lately, I have been so wrapped up in getting from one place to another, then getting something done once I get there, that I haven't stopped to take time to think about what I'm doing & who I'm doing it for.
Every once in a while, it is really important to stop and think about that.
Then, once you are done thinking - say it out loud. Don't think it's a given that your spouse, or the rest of your family are really important to you just because they have been there for so long - be sure and tell them so.

The Foery's

Happy New Year!

Christmas Pictures

Merry Christmas!

the cords

Past few weeks (months)

August and September

Happy Birthday Ella

Party Pics and Videos

Max's 4th videos

Max's 4th

2 Month Gap

Finally New Pictures

Update

Snow Day!

New Pictures

Whole Lotta pictures

Happy New Year

Merry Christmas

What is she up to now?

pictures from my phone

A Toast to the holidays

Haloween

glut of pictures

Day Out with Thomas

Last few weeks

Fit to be tied

Sept so far

Sam's Visit

August

update

Rest of July

Max's 3rd Birthday Party

Max's 3rd Birthday

End of June and Early July

Ella crawling video

June so far

May Video

Belated May Photos

Fast and Furious

April videos

Aprl

Easter

KY Trip pictures

March pics

1st day of Spring - really?

Ella laughing

Spring is On!

March so far

Breather

Recent pics and videos

More videos

More January pics

Ella video

Max pratices his manners

Christmas Pictures 2009

The New Normal

New Computer = New Pictures

Visit with Santa

Getting ready for Christmas

Happy Thanksgiving!

Quick update

Halloween

Ella is 3 weeks old

Ella's first weekend home

Bill and Elaine's Ella pictures

At least we'll have a good story

Ella is Home

Ella Katherine

Max's first concert

Max is riding bicycle!!!

Jen's Shower

September

Thoughts on today

August so far

Trip to PA

July pictures

Max's 2nd Birthday

Pictures at last

Happy Father's Day