The Lough Family

Finishing out 2011

2012-01-01T16:47:00.006-05:00

Savannah 8 months

Savannah around 9 months

First Halloween, and no, she didn't get to eat any of that!

Kayla's 9th birthday.

Kayla's piano recital

Trevor's 7th birthday

On the Move

2011-10-17T16:49:00.002-04:00

...and not liking it. She cries when she scoots herself backwards. I think it's because she really wants to go forward and hasn't figured that out yet!

I'M NOT READY TO HAVE A MOBILE BABY!

Oct 2011

2011-10-17T16:26:00.003-04:00

Thank you Grandma Barb for the fun Halloween gifts!

Trevor joined Tiger scouts

We had Kayla's birthday party at the YMCA last weekend since the next couple weekends are busy.

Happy 9th Birthday, Kayla

Savannah 7 months

2011-09-25T15:28:00.003-04:00

It's hard to believe how quickly the time is passing. She is now sitting up by herself and I have a feeling she'll be on the move soon. She reminds me so much of Trevor; she has that same desire to conquer and doesn't like it when I won't let her do something. Trevor and Savannah seem to have a special bond. She LOVES him a lot. He can just walk in to the room, and she lights up. I have to go in to the school to pick the kids up and when she sees him walk down the hall you would think it's Christmas morning. I can only imagine the trouble those two will create one day. I often tell Trevor that he is NOT allowed to teach her naughty things.

I don't want to leave Kayla out of the mix, for Savannah loves her as well. She is so good to help care for her. Kayla loves to feed her and is so good to sit with her and read her stories. Savannah is blessed to have two great siblings!

2011-08-25T16:39:00.002-04:00

We went to Chicago last weekend to get together with all of my siblings. While there we had family pictures taken. These are just a few taken.

I love his brain!

2011-08-17T21:17:00.005-04:00

This boy LoVeS to build. He's always sharing his future plans of what he's going to build. His one plan he constantly goes back to is the hotel he is going to build. I hope all of his creative dreams come true.

Almost 6 months

2011-08-17T21:13:00.002-04:00

She MELTS our hearts and brings such happiness to our home

First Day of School

2011-08-17T21:06:00.003-04:00

Our summer went by so quickly. I started working full time as a nurse on intermediate care. I have been orienting on days and will eventually switch to evening/nights. With the day schedule and a baby in the house, the kids summer vacation was a little compromised. They still embraced the change and loved hanging out with their babysitters.

Family Trip

2011-08-17T21:02:00.003-04:00

We made a quick trip to Chicago to get together with family. While there we had family pictures taken. I'll have to post pictures when they become available. I took this one of Ryan and Savannah while we were waiting our turn.

Pizza Night

2011-08-05T22:08:00.007-04:00

We are watching our friends' kids this weekend so they could get away. We made pizzas tonight and I think they enjoyed it. This is our favorite recipe. We follow it to the T. It really does make a difference in heating the stone to 500 degrees. If you don't like as much wheat flour in it, you can substitute more of the white flour. In our oven we ended up turning down the temp to 475 and baking the pizzas for about 8 minutes.
http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2010/02/homemade-pizza-new-and-improved.html

2011-07-25T15:33:00.001-04:00

This is what happens with carrots and prunes.

5 months

2011-07-24T17:27:00.003-04:00

5 months today! She seems to be changing daily. She continues to be such a happy baby.

Kayla saw a tooth fairy pillow online and asked me to make one for her.

Month Four

2011-07-12T22:19:00.002-04:00

I know I missed posting at her fourth month. We've been busy with work and ball games. This pic was just recently taken on our way home from Fort Wayne. We went up this past week because Ryan's cousin got married. This was the first time many were able to meet Savannah.
I'm amazed at how much she has changed this past month.
Some of her favorites:
Her mother!!! I've never had one love me quite like she does. My other two have been so independent of me, so this is quite the change for me.
She loves her squishy toys. She lights up anytime you hand her the "bee" or the "butterfly"
She loves squash
She loves her thumb with her blankie
She loves the water. We've taken her to the pool a couple times and as soon as I get in with her she falls asleep.
She loves her sister and brother.
The swing

What she doesn't like:
The port-a-crib. Yep, we discovered this when we were in Fort Wayne this past weekend.
Carrots; they make her gag.

She is such a sweet baby and we're lucky to have her.

Our Summer

2011-07-12T22:07:00.004-04:00

Trevor at a Fort Wayne AAA ball game with his dad and grandpa

Grandma Lough's first visit with Savannah

Kayla playing softball. This is her second year playing and she has really enjoyed it.

She's a good little hitter!

Kayla and Trevor thought it would be fun to wash the dog in the kiddie pool. Dog hated it and Kayla ended up with a rash from the neck down.

Trevor playing T-ball

2011-06-12T18:55:00.000-04:00

What do you notice about these pictures? Especially the first and last. Give up...Trevor is extremely tall.
This is his last year of t-ball. He's kind of over the simplicity of t-ball and is ready to tackle something bigger.

Kindergarten Graduation

2011-06-12T18:49:00.000-04:00

Trevor at kindergarten graduation. He loved doing this, but was a little disappointed when I told him it would be 12 more years before he will wear a cap and gown again.

3 Months

2011-05-25T22:55:00.002-04:00

This sweet baby is now three months old. Her personality reminds me so much of Kayla; extremely happy. It doesn't take much to get this little girl to smile. She is doing amazing at sleeping through the night. We still have periodic times where she gets up for one feeding. I don't take credit for her excellent sleeping patterns; I think they are the result of her sucking her thumb. Yes, we have another thumb sucker. I don't encourage it, but I certainly am not going to get up in the night to put the binky back in her mouth. I'm not thrilled about it because I know how difficult it is to break a child of this, but it seems to be innate, and in my case, linked to the girls.
Savannah is also thrilled with her siblings, and I'm so grateful for their help. There have been countless times that Trevor has eased the screaming in the back seat by either feeding her or just talking to her. He is such a good sport about it and rarely complains about taking care of her. In fact, he can differenciate her cries. The other day he said, "Mom, she's hungry because she is making the grunting noise when I give her the binky." He was right. He's going to be such a good daddy one day. Kayla too is so sweet to talk to her or to read to her. It's so nice to see my older two so involed with her.

Talent Show at SKE

2011-05-22T20:19:00.003-04:00

Kayla performed in front of her peers at school on Friday. I am very proud of her because I know it takes a lot of courage to do that!

Amazing Message

2011-05-20T18:08:00.004-04:00

I came across this video and it touched my heart.

May 1, 2011

2011-05-16T21:37:00.008-04:00

It was a glorious day! Family from all over the midwest came to our small part of the world to help us celebrate two wonderful events. Sunday morning we had Savannah's blessing. My heart was so full of love and joy for this little girl. Ryan and I always knew there were three little persons to be a part of our family. We got the first two pretty quickly, but the caboose took a little longer. I often ask her why she had to wait so long to come to our family; she just coos back at me. Savannah fills our home with peace and love. The other two children are so sweet and kind with her. I just hope it stays that way, especially when she learns to get into their stuff!

After Savannah's blessing, it was time to attend my graduation. I don't have any pics of me being pinned, but I do have pics of me and the girls from school. I owe so much to these girls. They supported and encouraged me during one of the most challenging years of my life. Being pregnant and going to nursing school is not recommended! I had such a great team behind me cheering me on.

To my family, thank you. I believe my children sacrificed the most. I couldn't always be there for field trips, to read to them at night, to give my 100% to them each day. I did the best I could, and they were okay with that; not always happy about it, but they just seemed to understand. To my spouse, I too am grateful. I remember one morning I was home alone. I had just received my cardiac exam back and it was the first time I hadn't received an A on a test. The exam was intense and I had given all I could to it. My time was so limited with work, family, school, being pregnant & Ryan being gone a lot. I sat at the kitchen table and just sobbed. Ryan had stopped by the house to drop the dog off from being groomed, when he found me a hot mess at the table. I can still remember his words of encouragement. I'm sure in his mind he thought it was no big deal, but to me it was huge. His thoughtful words helped me realize that it's okay and that I would one day be a successful nurse.

To my extended family, thank you. Although we live miles away, there were always words of encouragement. I remember when we had just announced that I was pregnant my sister called to talk about our news. I remember her saying to me, "You have to finish this (school)! We will help you with whatever you need in order for you to finish school." Just knowing that my family believed in me, gave me what I needed.

To my non-nursing friends, thank you. Thank you for watching my children on a weekly basis. Knowing that they were well taken care of made going to school easier. Leaving a two week old baby to go back to school is not easy, but you made that easier by loving her so much. I couldn't ask for better friends.

Trials

2011-05-15T14:44:00.006-04:00

The Mac has died. I still feel abandoned and for the first week I felt naked without it. I didn't realize how much I depend on it. It was the weekend before finals and I was using it for my Stats class when all of the sudden I had nothing. My homework that had taken me 4 hours to do 3 problems was on there. I sat there stunned. I cried, and then I decided I needed to investigate. I texted my brother first. "Do Macs get viruses?"
Response, "Not usually."
Me: "So if they don't get viruses, what is wrong?"
He was busy in meetings and couldn't talk to me until later in the evening.

I called Apple support team. The closest Apple store is in Louisville, KY. Nope that won't work. They did offer technicians that are certified in Evansville. Better. What's their number? Called.
Me: "Hi, I'm calling about my Mac that has suddenly 'crashed'. I was working on my homework for school when I went to look up a formula on the internet for my Stats class and it froze. I waited some time and it wouldn't do anything. I decided to shut it off. When I went to turn it back on, all I got was a white screen."
Nice lady on the phone: "Well, you can bring it to us, but it will take 24 hours for someone to look at it. Then $50.00 to diagnose, $ for part, $100.00 to back up old hard drive, if it is the hard drive and there's no guarantee that your info can be saved."
Me (the nurse): "Wait, what are the signs/symptoms (yes I used those words) of a hard drive that's crashed?
Nice lady on phone: "If you hear a clicking noise when you try to start it up." Me: "Yep, that's what I hear. Dang it, my homeworks on the hard drive."
Nice lady on phone: "Well, for an extra $35.00 we can diagnose right on the spot and get someone to work on it immediately.
Me (what I really wanted to say): You are trying to take advantage of my crisis. "Thanks for your help. I'll get back to you."

I decided I didn't have time to drive down to Evansville. My homework was due that night by midnight. I was going to have to redo it. Thank heavens I saved my scrap paper with my work on it. I allowed myself a few more tears; Savannah's birth pics were on there, my resume, my iTunes...so much info that has never been backed because I didn't think I need to with a Mac. I didn't have time to mourn my loss; I had a deadline to make with school. I did try and look at the bright side...my 9 page research paper had already been turned in!!!
My Mac still sits on top of my fridge with the hard drive sitting on top. My brother has given me hope that it can be fixed and the possibility of retrieving my "computer valuables". I hope he's right. For now, I'm back on Ryan's laptop. I do not remember my username and password for my Mac webme site. I've tried several times, but I can't gain access to my site. I'm sad about that too. I loved blogging on the webme. It's so simple and quick. I'll have to come back to my old site until my Mac has been restored.

Try this

2011-01-17T13:50:00.001-05:00

http://web.me.com/melissalough

2011-01-17T09:07:00.001-05:00

Not as Apple savvy as I thought I was!
I'm not sure why the new blog address isn't working. As soon as I get it figured out, I'll let you know.

Our New Blog

2011-01-16T23:54:00.009-05:00

http://web.me.com/melissalough/Site/Welcome.html

2011-01-09T18:00:00.006-05:00

I know this blog hasn't been updated in a while. I have lots of excuses. The number one reason...Ryan has a lot of the pictures on his camera. I've asked and even sent him an email, requesting him to send me the pics (his camera is usually at work). Kayla's birthday and baptism, a small family baby shower for me, Trevor's birthday, Grant's wedding & some Christmas are on there. I say some Christmas because my gift this year from Santa was a camera. I was getting really frustrated because the camera was never here at the house. The problem is now solved that and there is peace in the home...somewhat :-)

The last pics uploaded on my computer are the ones that we took of Kayla for her baptism invitation. We decided to baptize her up in Fort Wayne at Thanksgiving because the majority of the family would be there. Kayla LOVES her family A LOT. In fact, every time we leave Fort Wayne there are serious tears. We felt that this special day should be shared by as many family members as possible. The baptism was wonderful, and everyone that participated did such a nice job. I am blessed by an amazing family.

I promise that as soon as Ryan sends me pics, I will post. I know you're all anxiously awaiting

:-)

I can't find the final version of the invitation that we sent out to family, but this was close to what it was. It was just minor changes to the font that I made to this version; so you get the idea. Thanks goes out to my brother, Cameron, whose knowledge of photoshop made this possible.

Halloween 2010

2010-11-04T14:24:00.000-04:00

Kayla and Trevor had a lot of fun for Halloween. Kayla went as a witch and Trevor as Spider-Man (Thanks to Grandma and Grandpa). Between the Trunk-or-Treat at church and our few blocks around our home the kids filled there bags with sugary treats. This picture was taken at the end of the evening and those kids are so worn out, I was glad to get just a few pictures in before the melt down began. Please take note that Melissa (though very busy) made the bags for the kids this year. I thought they ROCKED.

2010-10-22T23:52:00.002-04:00

So you know that previous post where we said we weren't going to find out the sex of this baby. Well, that didn't work out for us.

We had our ultrasound today. I will admit that as the time has been approaching, my will power has been fading. Maybe it's because of all the cute material at JoAnns and my desire to sew something for this baby. Maybe it was because I just wanted to confirm my inclination. Anyway you look at it, I wanted to know. I knew it was going to take the will power of Ryan to see me through the ultrasound, so while out in the waiting room I confessed my desire to know. He was of course shocked, because after all, this was MY idea to keep it a secret. I was the one that had to convince him that I thought this was a good idea.

So after this two minute conversation that we had in the waiting room, they called us back. I laid down on the table and the first question out of the ultrasound techs mouth, "Are we finding out the sex of this baby?" We both sat there for a moment in silence, and then Ryan says, "I am SUPPOSE to tell you NO!" I then explained to her my dilemma. She then said, "well, why don't I take all the boring pictures first, and then you can decide." Good idea...that will give me more time to contemplate. Well, she put the wand on my belly to find baby and I was pretty sure I saw a good gender pic. She kind of confirmed my suspicion because she moved that wand away pretty fast. I didn't say anything.

She took all the boring pics..placenta, cervix, etc.

She then moves onto baby. Since being in nursing school and being freaked out at all the things that can possibly go wrong in utero, I had lots of questions. I wanted to see everything she was measuring because everything being measured it to ultimately to rule out possible complications. It came time for her to measure the femur bone, and while doing so, this little one pulled the legs up, exposing the gender. I saw it and I KNEW this time I saw it. The ultrasound tech said to me, "Did you see that?" and I said yes I did. I then turned to Ryan and said, "I know what this baby is. Do you want to know?" He sat there in silence, and then I answered for him, "yes he wants to know." The ultrasound tech then announced, "IT'S A GIRL!

We are excited...Ryan said he grew a few more white hairs...I told him we already have one sweet girl, two will be even better! You know who I think needs another girl in his life more than anyone...TREVOR. He's going to have to learn that girls are okay, in fact, we're amazing :-)

Pumpkin Cutting Adventures

2010-10-20T09:36:00.002-04:00

Last Monday evening for family home evening we carved pumpkins. To our surprise Kayla jumped in and had her hands in the pumpkin scooping out the goo. Trevor was a different story. It took him several minutes to decide to put his hands in the pumpkin.

After 1/2 hour of letting the kids de-goo the pumpkins, it was finally time to cut some faces (and for Trevor to finally wash his hands). Melissa was all prepared to carve the pumpkins with a knife, when I came up with a better idea. I went back to the shed, and decided that pumpkin carving needed to involve power tools; a jigsaw would be perfect. A few minutes later we had wonderfully cut pumpkins. I think using a jigsaw on pumpkins would be the start of "YOU KNOW YOU'RE A REDNECK IF" jokes, or just a more efficient way to carve pumpkins...you decide!

It's Going To Be A Surprise

2010-09-25T19:43:00.003-04:00

As you may or may not know at the end of this month Melissa is going to have her Ultra-Sound. After some discussion in our home we have decided since this baby was a surprise (and a blessing) we want to leave it that way. So at the end of the month we have requested that they not tell us what sex of the baby will be. We are looking forward to this next year and our newest little addition. We hope and pray that as the time comes for this little person to arrive, that He or She will be brought into this world Happy and Healthy.

Our Kids

2010-09-23T10:52:00.000-04:00

This pictures was taken on Sunday of Labor Day weekend before we headed out for Church. My, Oh, My how fast they grow. I do believe that this is the only shot of these two I had taken that didn't have Trevor giving bunny ears to Kayla. CRAZY KIDS!!!!!

2010-09-08T21:50:00.003-04:00

Please realize that Ryan get's on this blog and messes with it....this baby's name is not going to be Earl.

Obviously you weren't that busy at church tonight. How about coming home and doing the dishes :-)

2010 Frog Follies

2010-08-30T08:42:00.003-04:00

This Weekend Trevor and I went out for some boys' time. We ended up in Evansville at this years Frog Follies. 1000's of Street Rods and we had a great time looking at all the cars and talking to all the people. This picture is a group of Trevor's favorite cars from the day. I want to say the boy has good taste.

Melissa's Birthday

2010-08-19T17:43:00.004-04:00

Today is my wife's birthday, and we spent it in the hospital. She had two bags of IV fluid with some Zofran on top :-) Not a great birthday dinner. Happy Birthday dear, and I hope that you feel better.

This is Melissa, and I'm editing Ryan's post.

Lovely pic eh? And, a nice way to spend my birthday! I was able to eat some lunch during this episode, so I was grateful for that.

This pregnancy has been tough and maybe it's because I've now turned the magical 35 and I'm considered "old" in the realms of pregnancy. We did go a couple weeks ago to have an ultrasound to make sure there is only one baby in there...and there's just one. I went to the dr today because I was non-stop throwing up for the last two days. When I went my BP was 150/100; definitely, high for me (last visit 118/68). I was also having postural headaches, which contributed to the vomiting. My dr. sent me over to the hospital for some fluids & meds.

I will admit that I really did like sitting with Ryan for a several hrs and just have time to visit. It's sad to say, but that's the longest we've spent together ALONE. His work knew he was with me, so for the most part they left him a lone. We talked for awhile, we laughed for awhile, we slept for awhile, & just sat there in silence for awhile. It was nice! Life is so crazy for us, and we just don't get that much time together, so I cherished it today.

First Day of School

2010-08-17T14:03:00.003-04:00

So you're probably asking yourself, "What's wrong with Kayla's eye?" The culprit is in the last picture. He got a little too aggressive with Kayla and hit her in the eye. So I shipped my daughter off to the first day of school in a new school with a black eye. Nice, eh?

Our Trip Home

2010-08-11T13:15:00.001-04:00

Melissa took this picture of Trevor on our way home from vacation. My first thought was, look at the hair. My second thought was, everyone had hair like that in the 80's; my boy's just trying to bring back the David Bowie look.

Our Announcement

2010-08-01T17:47:00.002-04:00

Beware this post is created by a hormonal, very sensitive, pregnant woman :-)

Well our announcement came out a little earlier than what I wanted as a result of being punched in the face by a patient this past weekend. For those of you who don't know, I work on Mental Health. Due to HIPPA, I can't really elaborate on why or how it happened. After the assault, nursing staff was making sure I was okay and I revealed that I was pregnant and that the only test they could do is a simple neurologic test to make sure I was okay.

Well, it was out now, and there wasn't any hiding it now (this is small town livin'). I came home from work and let Ryan know what happened, and I told him it wasn't fair that staff know at the hospital and that our kids, family & friends didn't know; so I gave him permission to tell. He would have told the day we found out, but because this was such a SURPRISE to both of us, I needed time to take this in. We tried for a couple years after we moved here to have another baby, but were unsuccessful. Then Ryan's diagnosis of cardiomyopathy came, and I felt like this was an appropriate time to finish school just in case something were to happen. I've spent the last two years working on my nursing degree and just have one more year left. I've lied awake many nights since I found out I was pregnant wondering why now, and of course, only come up with Sunday school answers; which are simple and easy answers, but not always easy to accept. Because I have always wasted too much time focusing on the future and never having control of it, I also have spent many nights trying to strategically plan out this next school year hoping & praying that an uneventful pregnancy can occur & that I will have the ability to finish nursing school. Then I reflect on my two other pregnancies and think...what was simple & easy about either one of those? Then I reflect about life, and I think, what part of this is ever easy? I go back to my motto that I adopted when I moved here, "I can do hard things!"

I have an excellent support team and couldn't ask for better friends and family to help me achieve what I will consider to be a mighty miracle of giving birth & finishing school. My estimated due date is March 10, 2011 which is during spring break at school. Can you see "my" plan?

The excitement in the home has changed dramatically since we told the kids. Trevor asked me if I could grow a boy & a girl so that they each can have one...as if it's a toy to play with. He has surprised me a lot with how sensitive he has been toward me. We'll see if it last. Kayla couldn't be more thrilled and asked me if she could be there when I have this baby...yeah, I don't know about that? I might scar her for life!

So, there you have it! Baby Lough # 3 on it's way! I'll be anxious to see how it all ends!!!

It's all about the Journey

2010-07-31T16:12:00.000-04:00

Another Yummy Recipe

2010-06-26T21:36:00.002-04:00

We had this yummy recipe at my sister's house a couple weekends ago. We dressed it up a little more to make a complete meal out of it. It's nice, easy & light for the summer.

Rainbow Rotini Pasta Salad

Vinaigrette:

1 c. Mayo

1/2 c. sugar

1/4 c. apple cider vinegar

1 tsp parsley flakes

1/2 tsp lemon pepper

1 tsp basil flakes

1 tsp garlic salt

1 tsp. Mrs. Dash

I make 1.5 of the vinaigrette when I add all the extras

Pasta Salad:

1 bag Rainbow Rotini Pasta, cooked & drained

Bell peppers, multi-colored ( I used red, yellow, & orange)

Broccoli florets (I use about 1/2 head)

Mini-tomatoes (I used about 1/2 of the small container)

** I add 3 grilled chicken breast & 1-2 cups mozzarella cheese

Mix salad ingredients together. Vegetable amts can be varied according to individual preference. Combine vinaigrette ingredients together. Mix well then pour over salad and toss.

Recipe

2010-06-23T16:10:00.002-04:00

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

We LOVE this bread. It never last more than 2 days in our home.

2 c. all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt ( I never use this because I used salted butter)

1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened

1 c. sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 c. ripe mashed bananas (about 3 medium ones)

1/2 c. plain yogurt (I used vanilla flavored & it's fine)

1/2 c. chocolate chips ( I use at least a cup)

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease 9X5-inch bread pan. I used my Pampered Chef mini loaf pan. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, & salt into a mixing bowl & then set aside. With an electric mixer, cream all the wet ingredients. Add dry ingredients (minus chocolate chips). Fold in chocolate chips.

Bake bread for 60-70 minutes (it's about 60 minutes with mini loaf pan from PC), or until the top is golden brown & toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan, on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove the loaf/loaves from pan and finish cooling on wire wrack.

This may be repetitive

2010-06-20T00:24:00.004-04:00

I know I posted this Trevor moment over on Facebook, but I have to post it here as well. I have good intentions of taking this blog & turning it into a book.

Two weeks ago on our way home from church Trevor tells me that last night he had a dream about Jesus. I asked him if it was a good dream, & he responded yes. I then asked him, "Did Jesus say anything to you?" His response was, "yes, Jesus told me to tell you, to give me back the Wii!"

So, why was the Wii gone? Trevor has inherited the electronic gene from my side of the family. He loves them & he can't get enough of them. Cell phones (especially the iPhone), computers, the Wii, Playstation, Dsi. Now, we don't have all of those items, but that's all he can talk about. He doesn't understand why we don't have the desire to buy him every gaming system out there. Now, I have admitted in the past that I was a nintendo junkie in my youth, but I was no where close to what he is turning into. He has this passion for electronics & it's hard to get him to focus on anything else. So, do you see why I took it away. Since it's been put up, he has gone back to all his wonderful creative play.

After his comment two weeks ago, I thought I would let him have some time on that Monday to play; which he LOVED. He's had it for that past two weeks and has done wonderfully at turning it off when I tell him his time is up. Unfortunately, he lost it again today. Ryan took it away for sassing his mouth off . Someday he'll learn :-)

How we started summer break!

2010-06-02T13:39:00.004-04:00

These kids LOVE to swim!

This is Trevor's first time off the diving board. He is daring & willing to try new things. By the time we left he was doing cannon balls & he even attempted to dive. Unfortunately, he didn't dive in hands first, so it was a little painful. We'll have to work on it.

Kayla is jumping off the other diving board.

Update

2010-06-01T20:13:00.007-04:00

Preschool graduation-Can you believe we've made it to kindergarten!

Kayla playing softball

Trevor playing T-ball

The tent is finally being used after two years of sitting in the box.

Father & Son Campout

Kayla playing at the school's talent show

Easter Morning

Dating Iggy....

2010-05-07T01:51:00.003-04:00

and my husband has been very supportive. In fact, I couldn't have done it without him. He has taken time out of his schedule just to make sure I could spend quality time with him.

During my courtship with Iggy I learned many fascinating facts, & he has taken me to an even higher intellectual level. Most of our conversations were interesting, some just drained me, & frankly some were just plain BORING.

Just like with any relationship, we had our ups & downs. At times, I grew angry because Iggy was demanding & expected things of me that were hard. I had to miss out on family activities, church responsibilities, personal time; all to suffice his demands. I was starting to wonder if this relationship was worth it.

The realization came to me today. The more I give the more I receive. Isn't that how all relationships work. The more we selflessly give, the more we are blessed. Today all my giving paid off. He rewarded me well for dedicating time to understanding his theories & evidence based practice. I thank him for taking the time to educate my mind, to show me ways to care for others & to help me be a better person.

Today is a sad day for he has left me. It was mutual. We decided we needed a break from each other. It's temporary, and he will be back in August. He has been deployed to my shelf in the family room. He felt it was best if I renewed my relationships with my family & friends. He's realized that he indeed he was very demanding & sees the stress that it's had on those around me. He is right; I have neglected them; plus he told me my house was a mess and it was time to put it back together.

I have mixed feelings about his departure today. I sit here lost at work tonight, not knowing how to live without him. He has been my constant companion.

MEET IGGY

So very funny!

2010-03-27T06:56:00.001-04:00

Here's my contribution to my blog. Not much, but I hope it makes you laugh today!

Let's Play

2010-03-22T13:27:00.002-04:00

This spring's activity for Trevor is soccer at the YMCA here in Vincennes. He loves to play, run and make those goals. Its funny watching him play in a league with girls. When one of the girls gets the ball he automatically backs off and he won't take the ball. He knows its not polite to take things from other people, especially girls (sisters are the exception). He waits until she loses the ball, then away he goes down the field. We love this sport for him; it's just 100% running! It works him hard and he always sleeps better on Saturday evenings. Go Tigers Go!!!

Grandpa's Birthday in Vincennes

2010-03-22T13:15:00.003-04:00

My Father's birthday is in the beginning of March. This year when we prepared to send him his own birthday party in a box, our children thought it would be more fun to celebrate with him this year. We planned an awesome Scooby-Doo birthday. Grandpa loved it because he thinks we should celebrate birthday months instead of just birth-Days.

Happy 40th Birthday, Dennis! :-) oh wait, sorry, it's 61!

Crazy Hair Day

2010-03-19T08:23:00.000-04:00

This morning my wife and Kayla got up early to prepare for Franklin Elementary's crazy hair day. After getting crazy they drove over to my office so that I could get a gander and take a few pictures. WOW crazy and cute. I hope that Kayla has a great day, filled with fun. We need to do this at my office, no wait I think this is a Friday @ 5pm look.

We Love the Colts

2010-01-25T21:17:00.003-05:00

They make us Hoosier's very proud!

2010-01-24T00:58:00.004-05:00

I have many excuses as to why I don't post pictures to keep family and friends updated:

1. Nursing school (need I say more)

2. Pictures were still on camera

3. My life really isn't all that exciting lately (Trev has been relatively calm)

4. I'm tired, stressed, and really not all that fun to be around :-)

But, I sit here tonight at work (I work 3rd shift weekends) with the unit pretty much asleep and thought I would post a few pictures of at least Trevor's birthday.

Trevor turned 5 at the beginning of December. At times I feel as though it has passed by quickly, and other times I feel like patting myself on the back because we're both still living. We got a Wii two Christmases ago, and he has falling in love with Mario & Luigi. He also discovered that his mother is pretty dang good at the Wii. I will admit I was a little bit of a nintendo junkie growing up.

This year we celebrated just with the family. I was preparing for finals, and the thought of more than one 5 year-old boy in my house overwhelmed me. Trevor is so easily pleased, so it didn't take much convincing to head to Evansville for Mr. Gatti's (like Chuck-E-Cheese). Trevor has taught us so much about life so far, and we appreciate getting the opportunity to raise him ( I can say that now....I'm at work and he's sound asleep in his bed). He has a passion for life and know he will go far in life.

October Events

2009-12-15T21:48:00.004-05:00

Here's a couple pics of the events that happened in October.

Happy 7th Birthday!

It's hard to believe she is seven. Her birthday list began with mascara and high heel shoes. To her dismay, she did not receive the top 2 items on her birthday list. I remind her daily that she doesn't need those items, and to enjoy being a little girl. We celebrated her day with a special visit from Grandma Barb and two boys from her class. We went to see a movie together and enjoyed a more relaxing birthday this year.

Lovely, isn't it!

Halloween is Trevor's all time favorite. The boy LOVES sugar! We have to hide it and ration it out.

This picture reminds me of yet another Trevor story that I haven't shared.

Once a year the children give a presentation during Sacrament meeting at church on the topics they have studied during the year. When their presentation is over, the Bishop usually gets up and shares a few remarks. That is Ryan's calling here (the bishop).

On the "stand" there is the podium from which you speak, and then rows of chairs behind. These chairs are used for the choir or for special presentation such as this. If you're speaking from the podium, you can't see the people behind you.

The children had just finished the presentation and Ryan gets up to speak. His remarks revolved around the scripture that talks about becoming like a little child. Just as he is speaking, "HIS son" starts to pretend he is a jedi. He had somehow made it to the stand that morning with a hoodie on over his white shirt. By the time I realized it, I couldn't do anything about it (the program had begun). I let it go, thinking it's not a battle I wanted to have in front of the congregation. So with this red hoodie, he takes the hood and pulls it up on his head and then partly over his eyes. He begins with "small jedi moves" so you're not quite sure what he's doing, and then being his mother, I knew exactly what this was turning into. Trevor was just to the left of Ryan, but back just enough so that Ryan couldn't see him make a mockery of his talk.

Ryan's telling us all to become like little children...and Trevor's demonstrating what he thinks a little child should be doing.

THANK heavens Ryan's talk was short and sweet!

One more week

2009-12-05T13:44:00.004-05:00

I know I need to update this blog. I have one more week of class and then a much deserved vacation is needed. I just had to add my Trevor comments before I forget.

1. One morning while we getting ready Trevor asked me, "Mom, are you competent?" I chuckled and then asked him if he knew what that meant. He said no, and then I proceeded to explain what it meant. I then asked him, "do you think I'm competent?" He paused and then said, "yeah, I guess so." He does wonders for my self-esteem.

2. On Mondays and Wednesdays we have to get up early because we all have to be at a different place at the same time. It's a delicate balance that must be met by all persons involved. It can be stressful, especially when I have a lack of co-operation. On one particular morning, my voice was elevated :-) trying to get everyone moving. Trevor comes into me and asked, "Are you irritated?" My reply, "YES!" He then walked away, satisfied to know my emotion for the morning.

It's so funny to hear him use words that he hears us use; and for the most part he uses them in the correct context.

2009-10-18T23:04:00.000-04:00

The kids and I tagged a long with Ryan to the temple one Friday evening. It was good for the kids to go. The last time they were on temple grounds was when my sister got married. Kayla was 3 and trevor was 8 months old. While Ryan was inside, the kids and I stayed outside and talked about why the temple was important. I wish we had one even closer so we could have that opportunity more often.
Glad that "Families are Forever!" Who wouldn't want to be with those cute faces forever :-)

2009-10-18T22:47:00.001-04:00

Ryan was able to go with Trevor on a field trip to the fire station and took some great pictures. It's all Trevor talked about when he came home. For FHE that night, we thought it would be a good idea to brush up on our escape techniques. We practiced escaping from our bedroom windows (I should say, the kids did; Ryan pushed the alarm, and I timed them). It was really good practice for both of them. Trevor's bed is against the window wall, so he was able to stand on his bed and get the windows unlocked and the much needed leverage to open the window. Kayla's bed is not, and she had to figure out how to get up high enough to unlock the windows and get the strength to push the window open. I was pretty impressed that she figured it out by herself (she has a chair in her room, and she used that).

I highly recommend you do this with your kids!!!! We hope to do a practice soon,when they really are asleep in bed!

Halloween Cookies

2009-10-18T22:05:00.000-04:00

Here's some of the kids decorating Halloween cookies. I think I ate more cookies than they did.

Side note: If you've kept up with the kitchen remodeling you know it's been a VERY slow process. You can see that I have mudded and sanded the wall and primed it. The tiles are sitting the the left of the picture with Kayla. I'm trying to talk my father-in-law into coming down here in March to help lay them. We've built, but haven't completed the pantry where the stove top was....SO, HOPEFULLY, by summer this project will be completed, but realistically, it will be next fall (2 years later). Someday, the completed projected will be posted

2009-10-18T21:56:00.000-04:00

The kids one day after church.
Any suggestions on how to deal with calics? Poor boy's hair is crazy! It swirls in the back, calics in the front, and if he thinks it's GIRL gel that I'm putting in his hair, he screams!

Past Memories

2009-09-16T23:58:00.000-04:00

...this story belongs to Kayla

Tonight, instead of studying, I was looking through our albums on Picasa, when I came across this picture. To you it doesn't have much meaning, but as for me, being the mother of two small children at the time, it's unforgetable.
This story is the result of me deciding not to distrub my children one afternoon because they were quietly playing together.
This story took place about 3 years ago, at which time we were potty training Trevor. He decided that he didn't like the little toilet, (the one you see at the top of the closet), and only wanted to use the one in the bathroom. I was okay with that, because what mother likes to clean out those little pottys anyway.
Like I said, Kayla and Trevor were playing quietly one afternoon, and I was enjoying the peace. That was, until I heard screaming. I waited a minute to see if it would subside, but it didn't, so I went in to check on them. To my utter surprise and disgust, I see Kayla holding on to the top shelf crying while Trevor was sitting next to the potty on the top shelf. After I rescued her, I noticed that the top of her was wet. I asked her what that was, and she responded in a shrilling scream, "it's my pee." She went on to explain that she peed in the little potty and while she was getting down, Trevor dumped it on her. Gross, eh? I LOVINGLY took that boy down from the top shelf and put them both in the tub. I then went back to evaluate how much pee there was, and discovered that it had gone into all the tubs of toys on the shelves. I ended up not only bathing my kids, but washing all the toys that day.
I Love Being a Mother!

Happy Birthday, Ryan

2009-09-09T21:23:00.000-04:00

What an awesome day to have a birthday, 09/09/09!

With the help from Brother Rothert (a councelor in Bishopric), the Young Women were able to get into Ryan's church office and decorate it for his birthday. Bro Rothert then called Ryan with an excuse as to why he needed to come over to church. We all hid out in the office and when he came in, we surprised him!
Ryan turned 36 today, although Trevor told my friend Jenny today that he was 20; my kids and their estimation :-) We won't complain!
Since 9 is a lucky number today, I thought I would list 9 reasons why I'm thankful Ryan is apart of my life:

1. He finishes taping and mudding drywall on his birthday! Thank you dear, it looks great.
2. He always smiles
3. His lame dancing makes me laugh.
4. He is such a hard worker
5. He rocks at landscape designs!
6. He looks great in a white shirt and a tie!
7. He loves to go shopping with me.
8. He loves the gospel of Jesus Christ
9. He LOVES seeing chick flicks with me!

I could go on, but I will limit you to those.
Thanks Ryan for all you do. I hope your day was special.

Am I That Controlling?

2009-08-30T15:19:00.004-04:00

My mom reminded me of this Trevor story that transpired a couple weeks ago. I'm sorry if they bore you, but I have to record them somehow so that I have documentation of the things this kid says. One day, when his wife comes to me with their struggles of child rearing, I will give her a hug, smile at her, & then hand her this manuscript. I will then kiss their sweet child and wish them luck! Just kidding, you know I'll stay and help :-)

A couple weeks ago we were getting ready for church and Trevor starting pitching a huge fit over his church shoes. He wanted to wear flip flops to church. He said to me, "the girls can wear them to church, why can't I?" He did have a good point, but I pointed out to him that no boys wear them.

This battle went on all morning long, and continued as we journeyed to church. In the parking lot, I told him that he was not allowed into the chapel without church shoes. I opened his door to help him put them on, and he screamed at me, "Why are you always trying to control my life." At that point I knew I needed to leave and give him some space. Kayla and I went into church, but I stayed out in the foyer to wait for him. Eventually, he came walking up wearing flip flops and stood outside the glass doors. Another couple came up to the church, obviously seeing the struggle we were having. They tried to help, but Trevor was sticking to his "guns" and I was sticking to mine.

He eventually went back out to the car and got his shoes and we continued with trying to have a nice Sunday.

Follow up story:

Wednesday when I picked up Trevor from preschool, I could see he was struggling a little. I was trying to talk to his teacher, and ended the conversation early because Trevor was not behaving. When I got out to the car, I explained to him that I didn't appreciate his behavior and that it wasn't acceptable. He then said, "When I turn 18, will you stop controlling me?" I responded back, "With pleasure."

We really do love Trevor, and he and I have very similair personalities. We are TRULY INDEPENDENT people, so it's difficult for us both to feel like we're being controlled by each other.

I know we will laugh at all of this one day!

Memories

2009-08-27T20:30:00.005-04:00

This morning while I was going to school, I was listening to Bob & Tom. This song came on, and it brought memories back of driving home from Fort Wayne to Cincinnati. This huge gianormous image was always an indication that we were almost home. Below is a picture of what the statue looks like. As the song indicates, it just might be an "engraven image".

A Day of Fun

2009-08-25T13:24:00.007-04:00

This last weekend Grandpa and Grandma Lough came down to Vincennes for some fun. Saturday morning we all loaded into the cars and headed for fun in Santa Clause, Indiana. We spent the day riding rides, getting wet and being cold, but oh the fun. Kayla and Melissa road the Voyage, a huge wooden roller coaster. Kayla said no more of those for her. Though she did take the opportunity to ride down the Pilgrim's plunge, a huge. Lots of water; lots of fun! Trevor enjoyed spinning around and around with a g-force ride and gave himself a bloody nose on the bumper cars, and shot many turkeys with a laser. Grandma and Kayla even spun around and around and up and down on a tilt-a-turkey ride and both looked a bit green coming off the ride. To make it more fun yet, we meet our good friends the Klein's and their children in the park and the kids really enjoyed the opportunity to spend some additional time on some of the more queasy rides with Adam and Matthew. Thanks all for a great day and many memories.

SCHOOL TIME

2009-08-24T12:34:00.001-04:00

This is Trevor and his almost first day back to preschool picture. I'm not sure who was more excited that morning Trevor or mom. This year Trevor has a new teacher, so he'll have to learn all new limits. This boy is growing quick and is getting more clever by the day. What new things will he learn, what new trouble will he invent and How mad can he make his mother, these questions and more answered for you here as the semester progresses. ---Ryan

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!

2009-08-18T15:02:00.002-04:00

We (Ryan, Kayla, & Trevor) would like to wish our very special, wife and mother a very special Happy Birthday. She means a lot to us. She works very hard to serve a very busy family with lots of activities. We appreciate her patience, love and understanding as we all grow together as a family in the Gospel. She is our everything, She is the glue that keeps it all together. We love you we appreciate you and we hope that you have a wonderful day. HAPPY BIRTHDAY. LOVE YOU ALWAYS,

YOUR FOREVER FAMILY.

First Day of School

2009-08-14T00:28:00.000-04:00

This little girl woke up three times during the night, and finally got up at 6:00 a.m. for the day. She was so nervous about the first day of school. I do have to admit that I choked up a little bit when I dropped her off this morning. It's hard, even though I was ready to get back into a good routine a month ago, to give her up to someone else for the majority of the day. Each year a little more innocence is lost, and frankly, I don't like it!

2009-08-14T00:18:00.000-04:00

Don't I have a cute family? There's some missing in action, Ben stayed home to study; Ryan and Trevor went to a family reunion; Scott and his family live WAY too far away, especially for our liking; and Eric is on a mission...but here are the favorites, oops, did I just say that! Just kidding, we all know that James is the boy favorite, and I am the girl favorite. Wait, did I mess that up again! My mother LOVES all her children NO MATTER what.

2009-08-14T00:11:00.001-04:00

Grant and Trevor enjoying a game of bowling.

Kayla sportin her knee high socks while bowling. The girl almost beat me!

Giving her mama some love.

Enjoying an evening with the cricket. If you haven't seen what the cricket from Provo Craft can do, go check it out. It's fun and very addictive!

More Family Fun

2009-08-14T00:03:00.001-04:00

We just can't seem to get enough of each other this summer. We gathered as a family (minus one brother and his family), to spend some time with Grant who flew home from college for a few days. Here's some silly Zinn family fun!

We had a push up contest. I'm embarrassed that I only did 12 AND they were girl push ups! Grant, on the other hand, threw out the most (30)! There were some that wouldn't participate. May I suggest this website: www.hundredpushups.com

This family LOVES computers, and some are trying to convert everyone to iMac. I do have to admit, I was impressed and would love to have one (hint: James buy your very dedicated, I gave up my name for you, bore you two wonderful obedient children, Stay-at-home-wife, who never complains that they live in Chicago and you work in New York and are never home during the week a new iMac, so I can have the hand-me-down one :-) How do you like that for a plug, Tam?

Here we are with the very loyal apple customers taking pics to add to the contact list for their iphones. Ryan and my brother's fam have iphones. This time here's my plug: Ryan dear, I REALLY love this phone. I love going to the dentist office with you as our children are getting their teeth cleaned, and you and I are watching YouTube. I need one so that I too, can be just as organized as you!

Sweet Amanda and Kayla at Panera's. This girl really belongs more with her Aunt Amanda than she does with me.

Other great pics

2009-07-21T22:11:00.003-04:00

On the day we were going to the zoo, we all came down dressed like this. I guess great minds think alike!

While at the park a little girl was throwing an embarassing temper tantrum. The whole park was watching as this girl was out of control. She was with her grandpa and he was beside himself as to what to do. After listening to this for about 10 minutes and all of us tired of the screaming, I told Kayla to go over there and give that girl a hug, tell her to stop crying, and that Jesus loves her. My family didn't think she would do it, but to their suprise she did. That girl got off the ground, wiped her tears, and went back to playing.

Some great family fun

Trevor telling Ben how it's going to be!

Busy July

2009-07-21T21:12:00.007-04:00

We started out in July going to Columbus to visit Amanda and Ben. We loved going to the zoo, park, hanging out and eating great food. Thanks Amanda and Ben for a great time.

Then on to project 500 on this house. REALLY, I don't know if they'll ever end. A long story short. The wax ring on toilet leaked, rotting out the floor boards. We ripped it all out last Thursday and last night we finished up the floor. I do have to say that together we rocked this project.

I saw the tile layout out at Lowes and really wanted it in the bathroom. Ryan was a little skeptical about doing it. I so SWEETLY convinced him to do it...plus I already bought the tiles.

So, Mr. Lough, thanks for doing such a great job! We rocked. (now are you ready to do the tub walls?)

With the bathroom project and working a couple extra third shifts, I am tired! Today Trevor got up before I did and decided he was hungry, so he put a hot dog in the microwave. He's usually okay with using it but not today. He apparently put the hot dog in for 10:00 mins. After 3 min the hot dog started smoking and the fire alarm was going off. He came running in screaming that the alarm was going off. I ran into the kitchen smelling something, but not fully comprehending where it was coming from. After realizing it was the microwave, I cut the power. I cleaned it out today, and unfortunately, I don't know if the smell will ever leave. We might have to replace yet another appliance due to my curious boy.

Kayla Phrase

2009-07-15T22:00:00.002-04:00

We always seem to talk about Trevor on this blog, but Kayla earned a post today when she said to me, "That's straight up CRAZY!"
Where does she get that from?? :-)

Give the diapers and the bottles

2009-07-01T23:14:00.004-04:00

to someone else! I love this stage of my kids life. Okay, not always! Not when they're sassing their mouths off, or coming home from school learning things I don't approve, but I love being able to go do so many fun things with them.

We were able to spend the day with some friends at the lake on Monday, and as you can see, the kids truly enjoyed themselves. I was a little anxious with Trevor tubing because, oh yeah, he's four. But, he did great; plus Adam was kind enough to be with them. He did have to catch them a few times from falling off, so he was a lifesaver, especially for my anxious heart!

Happy Father's Day

2009-06-21T22:14:00.006-04:00

Dear Dad,
Thanks for all that you do for us. We appreciate your sacrifices, and your desires to make us happy. Thanks for building bird houses with us, and fixing our toys. Thanks for hot fudge sundae runs, and playing with us at the pool.
Oh, and thanks for doing things for Mom, she's much happier when you're around.

Love,
Kayla & Trevor

I included these two pics of Ryan because they show how happy is by being a dad. I vividly remember the day that Kayla was born. She was so small, and Ryan was afraid to hold her (she was 6 weeks early). I literally plopped her in his arms and told him he wouldn't break her. From that time on, he was mesmerized by her. He loved snuggling with her in the evening when he came home from work. I don't think he truly was prepared for the way he would feel by becoming a dad.
Those feeling didn't change when Trevor came. As a matter of fact, I think they intensified. Trevor has proven to be all boy, desiring to do all the things that Ryan loves to do. When Ryan's fixing something, Trevor wants to be right there, learning everything he can from his dad.
So on this father's day, I want to say thank you Ryan, for all that you do to make the children happy! Oh, and even though I'm grouchy at times because I think you're never home, I still love and appreciate all you do :-)

Love,
Melissa

This is what my four-year old did today

2009-06-17T19:42:00.003-04:00

So, this isn't exactly what the slide looks like at our pool, but it's close; actually ours is a little bigger. He begged last year to be able to go down, but wasn't tall enough. This year, thanks to his genes (he's 48" tall), he hit the line. Trevor spent 30 minutes trying to convince me it was okay for him to go. I finally agreed, but I told him I was going to go first. I waited for him at the bottom, and as he came down he had THE BIGGEST GRIN! He kept saying over and over, "that was so awesome!"

I often say to Trevor, "where has my baby gone?" His response to me is always the same, "he is gone, Mom." That is true. He had no desire to stay little for long. He has such a drive for life, for trying new things, and to take his adventures to the next level (whether I like it or not).

Iliotibial Band Syndrome (runner's knee)

2009-06-10T23:43:00.004-04:00

So, for the last year I've struggled with my breathing when running. Six months ago I went to my GP and she prescribed me albuterol. When I left, I was hopeful that it would help. The next day I went out for a run, and the medicine didn't help at all. As a matter of fact, I think it made it worse. Unfortunately, I was so busy with work, school, kids...life in general that I never went back to the doctor.
After my second race this summer, I knew I needed help. It was so hard to finish the race. I felt like I was breathing through a straw. So I went for a follow up and she diagnosed me with exercise-induced asthma. I wasn't too surprised, I do have a brother and a sister diagnosed with asthma. She gave me singulair, and again I came home helpful. The next morning I went out to run, and I wanted to sing!! I couldn't believe the difference one little pill could make.
My enthusiasm for running has increased. I've been out 5 mornings a week running 3-4 miles, loving the way my lungs feel.
My enthusiasm came crashing down this last week as I hit another road block, runner's knee. This past week, I took four days off (which is killing my spirits), iced both knees, and taken NSAID's. I went out yesterday morning hoping that I could resume activity. I got one mile in and BAM, there was the pain again. I had to walk the rest of the way home. I'm frustrated, I finally getting my asthma under control, and now my iliotibial bands are damaged.
Does anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks for listening!

Trevor Even "Drains" the Car.

2009-05-26T22:20:00.004-04:00

Preface to the story:

My driver's side window doesn't roll down. It's been that way for a while. Like everything else, it takes time for Ryan to fix things. Unfortunately, his list is getting too long. We have the motor to fix the window, but Ryan's time is so limited in the summer.

With the window not working, Ryan disconnected the power to the window which also controls the power-lock to all the doors. Thus, we never lock the door manually unless we feel necessary. During the day, locking the doors is not necessary.

With that, there have been a few times that Trevor has gotten into the car. Not really to play, but do get my gum and change that I stash. One day last week he was in the car. I caught him and told him to get out. While getting out, I thought, "it looks like he turned the lights on. Let me get him inside and playing with something, and then I'll go out and check." As soon as that thought came, it left (Short term memory is trying to reboot since schools been out). I got dressed for work, Ryan came home, and I left in the truck.

At 11:30 p.m. that night as I pulled in the driveway, I thought, "Oh no, I never checked the car. I know it's dead!" Sure enough it was.

Ryan jump started it the other day, and it has ran okay the last few days. As I went out tonight, to try our sweet Betsy, she finally gave up. She couldn't hold on anymore.

While she rest tonight awaiting a new battery, I am envious. I too, wish at times, to just rest a few days from our curious little boy.

Lia Sophia Silent Party

2009-05-14T20:11:00.002-04:00

I'm helping out a friend get started on her Lia Sophia business by hosting a silent party. It doesn't matter if you live here or thousands of miles away, you can still get some awesome jewelry. You can go to http://www.liasophia.com/ to check out their products. If you would like to place an order, email me at melissalough22@aol.com I have to have all orders placed by May 24th.

The specials for May are:

*Every two items you order at regular price you can choose the third item at 50% off. You can make the half price item your most expensive item!

*You can also purchase up to three bracelets at 50% off.

Remember, every order comes with Lia Sophia's life time guarantee.

Happy Mother's Day...

2009-05-10T17:21:00.004-04:00

To three great women. Each day we are blessed in countless ways. On mothers day we reflect on some of the greatest blessings of all, our mothers. I would like to say thank you to my wife which helps to promote a happy, healthy, learning environment for my children. She is a great mom that takes time to play,teach and have fun with our children. I'm very blessed to have her as my wife.
To our mothers (Anita and Barb) I would also like to say thank you for your patience, for your teaching, for your love and your devotion to us your adult children. Throughout the years we have given you grief, pain, and tested your patience on occasion, but still you continue to love, nurture and watch over us. To this we extend our great love and thanks to you. You are great mothers, and are even better grand mothers. Happy Mothers Day!!!

Yeah!

2009-05-08T21:49:00.003-04:00

So, I had my last final today at 4:00 p.m.! Whew, am I glad this semester is over (3 A's and 1 A-)! Now on to enjoying the summer.

Super Fun Weekend

2009-05-02T21:33:00.004-04:00

I commited my family to a 5k last year during the Olympics. Then six weeks ago, we received a wedding invitation for one of the YW I taught in Cincinnati. Both events were going to take place on the same weekend; one on Friday and the other on Saturday. To top it off, I was scheduled for a final on Friday as well.

With help from Ryan and friends, I was able to rearrange my final, babysitting for Trevor, and my tag # for the 5k being picked up on Friday afternoon.

The only sad part of the whole weekend, was how quickly it passed by. I was able to visit with friends from Cincinnati that I haven't seen since I left. I realized a couple things, I really do love all of my friends from Cincinnati and hope we all get to hang out together in the life here after. It doesn't matter if it's been three weeks or three years, we seem to pick up exactly where we left off. Have you ever had friends like that? Where it's just so easy to be with them. I truly feel blessed to have them in my life, and hope to keep it that way.

So, what's the other thing I realized when going back to Cincinnati? I hate TRAFFIC now. When I lived there, it was just part of life. Sure there were times that were very frustrating, but you learned and adapted. I guess I'm grateful for the simplicity of Vincennes traffic. :-)

After the wedding on Friday night, I drove to Indianapolis, where we staying for the 5K. It was AMAZING! (by the way, I shaved a minute off my last 5k time). This is so lame, but I got choked up with emotion a couple times. To see so many gather together (estimation of 60,000 people) for the insane love of running/walking. What I love about competing in these races is that there is no discrimination. Everyone is invited to participate no matter what your athletic ability is.

We were on such a high after the race that we were planning the next event. So, to the rest of the family that pittered out, are you willing to give it a try? We've even thought of coming to a race your way (hint Chicago fam/Sacramento fam). Once you try it, I promise you'll go back for more. Who doesn't love the natural endorphins...it's free? :-)

We've even thought of bumping it up to a 10k!

Those Moments

2009-05-02T09:06:00.005-04:00

Well, Melissa said that I should do some blogging, so here goes. This weekend we are in Indy so Melissa, and some of her family can run in the race. I needed to get here early in order to get Melissa's information and running packets, since she had the opportunity to attend a wedding in Cincinnati. Well after several hours of being in the car and several drinks, Trevor really needed to use the bathroom. I took Trevor and Kayla into the Convention Center in order to pick up Melissa's stuff, and we stopped by the bathroom. As Trevor and I entered the bathroom, he noticed one of the mini urinals and was very excited. So there we are, me, the boy, and several other men all standing in a row doing our business. As Trevor finished, he posed the question, "DO YOU SHAKE THIS THING?" (referring to his boyhood). The resounding response from everyone in the bathroom was, "YES!", followed by extreme laugher from all the men.

So there is my Trevor story for the week. Although, women and mothers do their best, sometimes a dads prespective is just different. Don't we all love the teaching moments no matter when they come?

Parenting With Love & Logic

2009-04-30T22:46:00.003-04:00

So, when all my friends were reading this book (Parenting With Love & Logic), I have to admit I kind of laughed. At the time, I had just given birth to my first child. She was and is such a happy girl. I couldn't believe people read books about parenting. Wasn't it something that you just KNEW how to do? :-) Yeah, well now I have to repent. Since then, Trevor entered the picture, and my sweet girl is growing up, and unfortunately, has picked up some DRAMA.
Since Trevor was born, I've either read or have bought a dozen different parenting books. I had forgotten about "Parenting With Love & Logic", but then came acrossed it again. I remembered my Cincinnati friends reading it and thought I would give it a chance. I really was skeptical because I hadn't really received any help from all the previous books I've read.
After reading the book, I'm ready to give all my other parenting books away. This truly has the answer to the myriad of issues we face as parents.
So, why the post. We had a "parenting with love & logic" moment in this house about 2 weeks ago.
With me going to school, there are mornings during the week that we are on a tight schedule. I don't have time to ask five times to do something. One, it makes me late, and two, it "drains my energy". Kayla has struggled with this!!! Remember that we have been in school 8 months now, and eight months later, we struggle. It's not that she's tired, she's just pokey!
One morning I had had it. I made no mentions to her about getting things done. Trevor and I went on doing our thing, while Kayla sat and played with the dog.
At 7:45, I quietly went and packed her clothes in her backpack, wrote and note to her teacher, and then sat her down and put her shoes on. She then realized what was about to transpire. She was going to school with her pajamas on. I told her everything she needed was in her backpack including a note to Mrs. Burgei. She began to cry, and I told her I was sorry. I had warned her previously that this would happen. I then gently edge her out to the driveway to wait for the bus, which thank heavens, was coming around the corner. I was afraid that she would have tried to change.
Since then we have had NO problems getting up and getting ready. As a matter of fact, she was up at 6:30 the next morning getting ready.
The other day I went into the school to drop off snacks. Her teacher approached me and congratulated me on my creative parenting and that she wished more parents would discipline in that manner. I told her I couldn't take credit for the creativity, and that it came from this book. She was so impressed that she took note of it.
So, if you haven't read the book and have children....READ IT! It just may save your sanity. It's helping mine!

Something Funny

2009-04-23T20:26:00.002-04:00

For YW last night they completed the PP about storytelling. One of the girls read this. Thought it was funny.

In the beginning...God covered the earth with broccoli, cauliflower, and spinach, with green and yellow and red vegetables of all kinds, so man and woman would live long and healthy lives.
Then using God's bountiful gifts, Satan created Ben and Jerry's and Krispy Kreme.
And Satan said:"You want hot fudge with that?"
And Man said: "Yes!"
And Woman said: "I'll have one too with sprinkles."
And lo they gained 10 pounds.
And God created the healthful yogurt that Woman might keep the figure that Man found so fair.
And Satan brought forth white flour from the wheat, and sugar from the cane, and combined them.
And woman went from size 2 to size 14.
So God said: "Try my fresh green garden salad."
And Satan presented crumbled Bleu Cheese dressing and garlic toast on the side.
And Man and Woman unfastened their belts following the repast.
God then said: "I have sent you hearty, healthy vegetables and olive oil in which to cook them."
And Satan brought forth deep-fried coconut shrimp, butter-dipped lobster chunks, and chicken-fried steak-so big it needed its own platter. And Man's cholesterol went through the roof.
Then God brought forth the potato, naturally low in fat and brimming with potassium and good nutrition.
Then Satan peeled off the healthful skin, sliced the starchy center into chips and deep-fried them in animal fats adding copious quantities of salt. And Man put on more pounds.
God then brought forth running shoes so that his Children might lose those extra pounds.
And Satan came forth with a cable TV with remote control so Man would not have to toil changing the channels.
And Man and Woman laughed and cried before the flickering light and started wearing stretch jogging suits.
God then gave lean beef so that Man might consume fewer calories and still satisfy his appetite.
And Satan created McDonald's and the 99-cent double cheeseburger.
Then Satan said: "You want fries with that?"
And Man replied: "Yes, and super size em!"
And Satan said: "It is good."
And Man and Woman went into cardiac arrest.
God sighed...and created quadruple by-pass surgery.
And then Satan chuckled...and created HMOs.

Trevor's Comments

2009-04-20T19:59:00.006-04:00

Trevor says the funniest things all the time, and unfortunately, I don't record them as often as what I should.

Last week Trevor and I were looking at pics my brother sent of his family's vacation to Hawaii. I thought I would post some of Trevor's comments that he made while looking at the pics.

He thought this was my sister-in-law, Tam, surfing. He said to me, "Mom, Tamara is awesome at surfin."

When we came to this pic, I didn't tell him what they were doing. He knew, and his comment to this one was, "Oh, Jesus is gonna be mad about that pig."

I made the comment to Trevor, "Isn't that cool." He responded back, "Mom, that's what Hawaii people do."

Where does he come up with this stuff. He truly does make up laugh daily.

Fun Weekend

2009-04-19T18:32:00.009-04:00

Ryan's parents came down for the weekend. It's always fun to have them down, and they always helps with some projects when they are here.

Saturday morning started off with the Healthy Kid's Race at the YMCA that the kids and I signed up for. I ran the 5K first, which despite training for, I ran in 34 min 30 sec. I hope to get some more running time in before the 5K in Indy, which my sisters, brother-in-law, and I participating in.

The kids participated in a 1.2 mile race, which was one lap around the perimeter of the YMCA. Kayla took off, and ended up in 8th place. Trevor and I lagged behind. After we made it up the hill, he looked at me and said, "Why are we doing this?" I told him there was more to do than cartoons and the Wii on Saturday mornings. It took a lot of encouragement on my part to get him to finish; I do have to admit that 1.2 mile is long for a four year old. About half way through the lap, he looked over and could see there was a road to cut through and asked if we could take that path instead. I told him that would be cheating, and we had to follow the course. It was all worth it to him at the end when he could see his grandparents and his dad cheering him on. The ribbon for participating was a plus as well.

That afternoon Ryan and Dennis got the four wheeler working for Trevor. Some friends gave it to us because their children had out grown it. It needed a battery, and just a little handy work and it was up and running.

The rest of the time was spent hanging out with these two people. The kids LOVE hanging out with them, and there are so many tears from miss Kayla when they leave. Thanks for coming down!

My Secret

2009-04-15T23:09:00.003-04:00

No, I'm not pregnant!
I've been asked about the bag I made, and many have asked about it. So, I guess I should share the blog that I totally love. I happened upon it while blog hopping; yes, I'm totally guilty! Her blog is posted on Sugardoodle, so I would assume it's okay to post it here. She inspires me to be crafty. Her projects are simple enough that even I can do them. So here it is: www.homemadebyjill.blogspot.com
As I admitted above, I love to blog hop. I love being inspired by other women, many of whom have no idea the impact they have on me. They inspire me to become a better wife & mother.

Fun Project

2009-03-29T21:13:00.000-04:00

I made this bag today while Kayla was at church and I was home with Trevor (he has mono). I saw it on a blog while blog hopping. She said it was about a two hour project, but with my lack of skills it took me three hours. Despite my skills, it was a very simple project.

We're still here...barely

2009-03-17T23:29:00.004-04:00

I know it's been awhile, and many have asked for an update. This semester of school is truly sucking the life out of me, and blogging is at the bottom of the list. By the way, I despise organic chemistry!
VU was on spring break last week, so it was nice to be able to slow down and breathe again. Sometimes you don't realize how busy you are until you stop, and boy did I ever stop. I felt like I hit a brick wall, and now this week I'm trying to gather the pieces to finish this semester. Thank heavens for my mom and Cameron. They very graciously took Kayla and Trevor for me this week since the kids are now on spring break, and I'm back to school. To see their update go to: http://barbzinn.blogspot.com/ . I'm glad they are having a good time. They have sacrificed a lot this year so that I can work on school.
As for school, all the prerequisites will be completed in 7 weeks! Yeah!!! I have received my acceptance into the nursing program for August and I'm excited.
So, that's my short little update. Don't give up on us, we hope to slow things down a little come May. We're looking forward to have a relaxing fun-filled summer with many pictures to blog.

The Lefty

2009-02-18T08:21:00.000-05:00

Well the other day Melissa and I noticed this after Trevor had been playing at the computer. He wasn't happy that the mouse was on the right, so he rearranged things to suit his needs. How hard it must be for a lefty in the right mans world. We have had an interesting time learning the ways of a lefty. But adaptation is a good thing and with a pair of scissors and new paper, I think he's going to make it. May all you Lefty's out there be blessed.

Oh how we love the snow days, let me count the ways

2009-01-30T23:39:00.008-05:00

The last day my kids were in school was Monday. That seems like decades during the winter time. We had 13 inches of snow and ice dumped on us this week. Yes, I know that's nothing for my friends that live in Utah and Wyoming, but here in our neck of the woods that's huge. On Wednesday, we were on a state of emergency. I didn't know this, and the kids and I went out. I thought it was a little eerie that I was one of the few out on the roads that morning. Ryan called while I was out and asked where I was. I told him I was out running errands, and he told me I better get off the roads before I was ticketed. My reason for going out...that morning I realized my children and I would probably be spending the rest of the week together, so I better go out and gather the necessities needed to send these two very active children out in the snow. You see, the first winter we were here I was fully equipped with boots, snow suits & sleds; we didn't so much as have a dusting. Last year we were kind of hopeful and bought another sled, but we decided to wait to buy snow gear. It was a good thing, because again the snow that we did receive didn't even cover the grass. This winter we decided to pack those sleds way up in the shed, because the thought of not using them made us sad.

You can see in the video the shear joy the snow has brought to these two kids. I'm still trying to teach them that you can't walk up the path that you went down or else you'll never get a smooth fast track. No matter how many times I told them, they still went up the same way they went down. Oh well, that'll come with time!

Kayla started to cry in the car when I told her that a lot of this will melt on Sunday because we will be in the 40's. If I were still a kid, I would probably would cry too. I had so many great memories as a child going out and building snow forts in the cul-de-sac, eating snow (but not yellow snow...I had to warn the kids), & endless snowball fights.

I said this when winter started and I'll say it again. All I want is one decent snowfall, and then bring on Spring. So here it is, now let's be done!!

At Home With Dad

2009-01-27T19:08:00.000-05:00

We had 5" of Snow come down last night and its been freezing rain all day, so this evening the kids and I made a cake and homemade frosting. Here Trevors making sure the frosting meets the highest of standards. MMMMMMM Frosting!!!!

New Trevor Story

2009-01-24T13:36:00.003-05:00

I went out to eat with some girlfriends last Monday, and we started in on Trevor stories. My friend brought up some stories, that honestly I forgot about. My only explanation is that I supress those memories. :-) While reminiscing, I forgot about the most recent Trevor story.

A couple weeks ago I came in the kitchen and noticed that the dishwasher was running. It was just Trevor and I at home, and I didn't remember starting it. So, I went and asked Trevor, and he proudly answered, "yes I started it to help you out mommy." There was a different smell coming from the dishwasher, so I asked him what he put in it. He then went under the sink and pulled out the mop and shine.

I don't think it will take much of an imagination to realize what that does to your dishes. Yes, a nice film of mop and shine was all over the dishes. I had to end up washing all of them by hand. To top it off, the dishwasher now is not working. Ryan has taken it apart and to no avail, it remains quiet; a sound that I miss hearing.

We are now on the hunt for a dishwasher. I don't know whether to thank him for helping me get a new one, or cry because I have to wash dishes by hand in the meantime.

Oh, how we LOVE this boy!!

It is too much to ask?

2009-01-15T00:07:00.001-05:00

to have this back! Mother Nature has decided to give us a taste of Candian Air, and frankly, the Canadians can keep their cold air. Tomorrow morning the schools are on a 2 hour delay because it is suppose to be cold. I know, for those of you who live up north, laugh at our reasons for delaying school.
I too, laugh at the school corporation's reasons for delays. Look, I'm willing to make the sacrifice to even DRIVE my daughter the five minutes it takes any one of us parents to get them to school on time. Our town consists of 18,000 people and we have FIVE elementary schools, which means many live withing a five minute walking or a five minute drive to their elementary school. We love our children dearly, and don't want them to suffer, but what ever happened to "character building" school stories. You know the ones I'm talking about, "I walked up hill five miles to get to school...." What will my daughter tell her daughter about her school days? She won't have any. She doesn't even have to walk to a bus stop; they pick her up and drop her off in front of the house. She can't even say she had to walk and wait for the bus in the cold.
So, while I'm staying up late because we all get to sleep in tomorrow, I thought I would make a collage of some of our summer pictures. I love the summer! I really could care less about snow and freezing temperatures. I long for the hot summer days! Doesn't it look so much more fun; better than hearing the furnace kick on every 5 minutes!

If you thought the last whole we made was big...

2009-01-01T21:06:00.000-05:00

...check this out.
Thanks to christmas bonus, gift cards, & cash gift for christmas, we were able to buy the sliding glass door we wanted to put in the kitchen. Of course, it makes me anxious to get that paver patio in this spring. I love the way it's opened up the kitchen, which by the way, is still way under construction.
Thanks Ryan for taking one of your days off, (which doesn't happen very often), and spending the ENTIRE day doing this. I REALLY appreciate it!

My First "Completed" Quilt

2008-12-30T00:49:00.001-05:00

I've wanted to blog about this quilt a month ago, but then it wouldn't have been a surprise to Amanda and Ben. We had them this year for Christmas. I was so excited to give this to them!! I talked about it with so many people, that I almost let it slip so many times when talking to Amanda on the phone.
I hope it brings much warmth to them while enjoying the games. Here's to you, Amanda & Ben..

I am a Utah man, sir, and I live across the green.Our gang, it is the jolliest that you have ever seen.Our coeds are the fairest and each one's a shining star.Our yell, you hear it ringing through the mountains near and far.
CHORUS
Who am I, sir? A Utah man am I A Utah man, sir, and will be till I die; Ki!Yi!We're up to snuff; we never bluff,We're game for any fuss,No other gang of college mendare meet us in the muss.So fill your lungs and sing it out andshout it to the sky,We'll fight for dear old Crimson,for a Utah man am I.
VERSE
And when we prom the avenue, all lined up in a row,And arm in arm and step in time as down the street we go.No matter if a freshman green, or in a senior's gown,The people all admit we are the warmest gang in town.
CHORUS
VERSE
We may not live forever on this jolly good old sphere,But while we do we'll live a life of merriment and cheer,And when our college days are o'er and night is drawing nigh,With parting breath we'll sing that song:"A Utah Man Am I".
CHORUS

Ode to the Ward Budget!

2008-12-30T00:41:00.001-05:00

Ryan challenged us to be more conscious with the ward budget, therefore, paper products have been cut from the budget. This is just a glimpse of the dishes from the ward christmas dinner. I love that he was the first one in the kitchen to help with the enormous task of doing dishes. Now, why can't I get that kind of help at home :-)

The Impact Santa Can Have

2008-12-30T00:23:00.002-05:00

This was at our ward Christmas party. Have you ever seen the boy stand so patiently? Just proof that it can be done!

The Big Day

2008-12-29T23:45:00.004-05:00

We challenged Kayla to memorize the 13 Articles of Faith this year. As a reward, she wanted to get her ears pierced. We decided to do this when we went to visit for Christmas. Thanks to Ben, we have the moment documented.
Kayla was extremely excited and motivated to get her ears pierced, but when it came to that day she was scared. Everyone kept reassuring her that it wasn't that bad. You can tell from the pictures how worried she really was. The moment right before, she got tears in her eyes, so the two girls piercing the ears tried to hurry. The result was a latex glove being pierced along with the earring. We were able to cut off the majority of the glove and then ripped the rest off. No sustainable damage, just a funny fluke.

Reflections of Christ

2008-12-15T15:57:00.006-05:00

You need to pause the music at the bottom to listen.

Grades are in...

2008-12-12T14:17:00.004-05:00

and I continue with the 4.0.
I worked so hard this semester and it paid off. Now for the break! I need a month off to put this house back together. Ryan and the kids have been so patient with eating frozen dinners and digging clean laundry out of the basket that just never made it to the drawers! So, thank you to all of you who were my cheerleaders! A big thank you to Glenda and John, who so willing give of their time to come watch Trevor for me. You truly are a blessing in my life. It's not easy being a working mom and going back to school, but it can be done!

Happy 4th Birthday, Trevor

2008-12-07T19:22:00.008-05:00

It's hard to believe that he's four. I felt so many things for this child the day he was born (including what it's like to give birth to a 9 lb baby).
So, here's a re-cap of his four years of life:

Birth-one year:

Unfortunately, because Trevor was so big, they had to break his clavicle to get him out. He spent his first 6 weeks with his arm pinned. Not easy nursing a baby with a broken collar bone!

His #1 goal seemed to become as mobile as possible. He accomplished rolling, sitting, crawling, & walking very early. He walked from house to house by himself on his first Halloween.

We had a full glass storm door at our house in Cincinnati that he would stand at and smash his face against. I could never keep the drool off.

One:

After many ear infections, the doctor finally decided to put tubes in.

Climbing was the name of his game. Babyproofing gadgets was our game

We moved to Vincennes, and one of the first naughty things he did was to dump a Sam's Club size bottle of dish soap all over our hardwood floors. It took me about 4 hours to clean it up.

Two:

I can only think of one thing to put in this year and that is we had SO MANY MESSES.

Oh, I guess I can had potty training. He was so much easier and earlier than Kayla. So that may give hope to all of you that just have boys.

Three:

As soon as he turned three we asked Kayla's preschool teacher if she would take him in the 3-4 year old class even though he wasn't suppose to be there until the next year. She graciously did, and he was THRILLED.

The messes did let up
We had two incidents with the Vincennes Police Department. One is when we went to talk to the officer when Trevor had stolen a pack of gum. Scared the poor kid to death (he has never attempted to steal again). The second incident is when he hid from us (read previous post).

So, now we begin our fourth year. He has been blessed with so much creativity. Ryan and I will sometimes just stand outside his door and listen to his creative play. He will have two or three dialogues going on between his toys. He has been blessed with determination like I've never seen before. He figures out how to fix things, how to get that candy that I think I've hidden so well, and how to get the transformer pjs that I've put up in so many different locations that are two sizes too small. He's just not ready to give them up yet. We love having him in our family. He teaches us so many great virtues!

So, on to the next year's adventures

Our First Thanksgiving at Home

2008-11-28T20:29:00.007-05:00

So, Ryan and I have been married for seven years, and we've always gone home for Thanksgiving. Even when I was 5 days from delivering Trevor, we made the trek home to Fort Wayne. This year, I had to take my turn at the hospital to work, and Ryan had to work the day after Thanksgiving. Life has been crazy busy with work, school & church, so we did our best to create our first memories at home. We truly deliberated between cooking at home or going to The China Buffet. I opted for a home cooked meal.

I loved the idea of creating a "thankful tree", so Wednesday we went out and cut a limb off our pear tree. I cut out leaves, and during dinner we took turns writing what we were thankful for. I made three for each of us, and when we were finished Ryan said, "Don't you have any more leaves? We still have more blessings to add." I agreed with him. We do have much to be thankful. I hope to laminate the leaves and continue to add to them next year. I thought I would share some of our thoughts.

Trevor:
I am thankful for
1. My daddy
2. The earth (thanks to Tam, his eyes have been opened. She gave him the LeapFrog globe.)
3. The scriptures

Kayla:
I am thankful for:
1. For Jesus
2. My mommy
3. The new dog

Ryan & Melissa:
We are thankful for:
1. Our family. We truly have the greatest families. They so willingly sacrifice for us. Like roofing for 4 days straight in the rain without complaining!
2. Our health.
3. Our oven. Read previous post. Ryan wrote on his leaf, "Mama's thankful for the oven; Daddy's thankful for what come out of the oven."

Although we were away from family this year, we enjoyed our first one together.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!