Loving Life... One day at a time!

St Anton Arlberg, Austria

2012-02-03T11:39:00.000-06:00

Never thought I would ever say "I snowboarded in the Austrian Alps"! But I did and it was awesome. Ben, Emalina and I went with another couple and their 2 month old little girl Elin for three nights. Auntie Liz stayed home with Bella and Ethan.

I was a little worried about snowboarding, especially on such an intimidating hill. But we all were injury free and survived the hill. Kim and I were a good match and skied/boarded together, in the afternoons, while the guys skied/boarded in the mornings.

The views were AMAZING!

It was a fun filled 4 days and I feel blessed to say that I snowboarded in the Austrian Alps!

4 Months Old!

2012-02-03T11:18:00.001-06:00

This sweet girl turned 4 months on the 26th. Didn't I just write about her 3 month stats!?!?! Time is just flying by! Emalina is the sweetest little baby. Easy going, happy, inquisitive, cuddly, and the list goes on!

Sometimes I look at her and it still blows my mind that we have three kids and that Emalina is apart of our family. She really does fit right in though, and I couldn't imagine life without her now.

Here are some things that she is up to these days:

She has found her hands. She loves sucking in her knuckle or her index finger. Sometime she sucks on her first two fingers... which was exactly like her mama. At time... she even tries to get a whole fist in!
She has started lifting up her legs/knees when she is on her back
She is getting a bald spot in the back of her head
She loves watching Bella and Ethan play
She DOES NOT take the bottle (poor Ben found that out the hard way on our trip)
Even though she loves her susu, she pops it out of her mouth a lot to suck on her finger/knuckle and a few times I have seen that she is able to put her susu back in her mouth all by herself
She reaches for her toys and brings them to her mouth to suck on
Loves her Taggies blankets and has started playing with the taggies
Still loves being swaddled
Sleeps through the night
She has strong abs... in the third photo below you can see that she uses her abs to pull herself forward. We have to make sure that we strap her into her bouncy chair and swing... so she doesn't launch herself out
As you can see, she is definitely scouting the mohawk!
She LOVES covering her face when she goes to sleep
In size 2 diapers
Fits into 3-6 month clothes... but they won't fit for much longer
She has baby thunder thighs! LOL!
Sometimes Emalina really reminds me of Isabella at the same time period. Here is ISABELLA and ETHAN's shrinking Bear links. Check them out.

A Week in the Life: Thursday!

2012-01-12T15:59:00.000-06:00

Good Morning Thursday...

Not too much writing today... I have to get to bed at a decent time tonight! All this late night posting is making me tired!

Out of the house in record time... 11:00! Yes that is a van for all of you who didn't know we got a minivan when we moved here! LOL!

We headed to Landsthul to do some shoe shopping... No luck. But it was fun. The kids got to ride the dragon for being good inside the shoe store.

We passed a pharmacy on the way to lunch and since we don't own a scale (and since every pharmacy has a scale in it), Liz and I weighed ourselves at the pharmacy. I was pleasantly surprised to know that I am just 2 and a half pounds away from my pre pregnancy weight! Woo hoo!

We then headed to the bakery across the street for some lunch.

After lunch, we divided and conquered and went on base... I dropped LIz off at the BX to take the kids to the indoor playground and I took Emalina to the commissary to do a grocery run.

Clearly I had the easier job!

And poor Liz had to entertain these two monkeys, as the playground was closed for painting!

Ethan fell asleep in the car, and as soon as we got home Bella went next door to play with her best bud Liam! These two have such fun together!

After a family Insanity workout... Bella and Ethan were ready for bed and got to watch a little Cars 2 before hitting the sack...

While Mommy and Daddy got to head out to the Macaroni Grill on base for dinner. Thanks Auntie Liz!

We enjoyed a quiet and yummy dinner... and a fabulous dessert... Obviously!

Daddy hanging out with Emalina before bed.

Good night Thursday!

A Week in the Life: Wednesday!

2012-01-11T17:39:00.001-06:00

Good Morning Wednesday... Liz and I had good intentions about getting up early today and getting our day started at a decent time... Didn't happen. Our 3 little alarm clocks didn't ring until 9:44am. Bad, I know. Ben told me today that he is going to get me up when he leaves for work at 7:15, which would probably be a good thing... Too bad he can't hang out to make sure I actually get out of bed! LOL!

Breakfast was brought to you by the pancake letters B and E, along with vanilla yogurt!

LIz and I have been working on a shelf project for over 2 months now... We are in the finishing stages of it and it should be done within the next 2 months... I mean 2 days (hopefully). Stay tuned for pics.

During Ethan's nap, Bella, Auntie Liz and I practiced some preschool flash cards with Bella.

During quiet time... she was busy... Bella came down looking like this:

Trouble with a CAPITAL T!

And then I took Bella to her first German dance class. It was SO cute watching her with the other little girls. She didn't have a clue what the teacher was saying... but I just told her to follow along what the other little girls did. She had a smile on her face the whole time... and so did I. She was a delight to watch!

Not to mention absolutely adorable... as she was at least 2 seconds behind everyone during the dances.

Here is a little video of Bella in action... so cute!

After dance we went over to one of our German friends to play...

Bella and Laura playing with the Playmobil castle.

Sofia and Esther.

We had a Skype date with Mimi before dinner.

And then it was playtime with Daddy again...

And then off to bed... The kids were tired tonight...

And so it goes... another day in the Shaub household.

The End!

A Week in the Life: Tuesday!

2012-01-10T14:31:00.001-06:00

Good Morning Tuesday! Our day started off just before 9:00 with this crazy dude yelling Dizzz from his crib! Dizz aka Auntie Liz had a day off today, so Ben went and got Ethan from his crib and started him off with Soowha!

And this little princess with a blueberry waffle... But she wasn't really into the blueberries in the waffle, or having her picture taken so early in the morning.

Just call me BARBER! Ok, well not really... But I tried! Ethan's hair was driving me crazy (he was beginning to look like a little Amish boy)... so I cut it!

The before...

Here is the evidence...

And here is the result... just give it a few days (or weeks) and it will look great!

I made eggs for Ethan and Bella's real breakfast and they had a little picnic on the floor with Auntie Liz!

By 11, Ethan was acting sleepy... so down he went for a nap! With all of his buba's (blankets) and susu's (pacifiers)!

During Ethan and Emalina's nap time... Bella played with her magnetic horse scene (you all should go and get your kids the same thing... Mudpuppy magnetic figures... hours and hours of entertainment!) And Liz and I hit it hardcore with Insanity... the most I've sweat so far! Check out Bella's shoes!

By mid afternoon, our living room looked like this: Please tell me I'm not alone in this?!?

This sweet little girl hung out in her swing when she was not sleeping during the day.

Italian sausage soup for dinner... fond memories of this soup, eating it with Jason & Laura Brown and Nick & Julie Schindler in the February 2010 ice storm, 9 months pregnant. Still just as good.

Bath Time...

Teeth time... along with another great shot of Ethan's new hairdo!

Story time... It's funny, Ethan never liked reading stories at night until after he turned 18 months. Now its apart of his bed time routine...

His stash of favorites...

And again... Auntie Liz was Bella's chosen story teller tonight!

Until Wednesday... Good Night!

Peety says goodnight too!

A Week in the Life: Monday

2012-01-09T08:21:00.047-06:00

Today was a big clean up day! Ben was on his way home from his trip and I wanted to get the house picked up before he arrived.

The morning started off with an episode of Handy Manny on TV. Ethan has just been getting into watching tv, and I must say that it is really nice sometime to have them both sit quietly and watch something while I am trying to get breakfast ready, clean up... or just accomplish anything.

I couldn't stand it any longer... I decided to try and use the stove even though it is out of commission... or so I thought! It worked perfectly fine! Wish I had known that over the past week!

There was two loads of laundry to fold and Ethan was my laundry helper... I told Ethan that I would pay him 10 cents for every piece of clothes that he folded...

He did a pretty good job... and made $10! LOL!

Then it was nap time... Bella usually has quiet time in her room for the first half of Ethan's nap... today, she fell asleep. So all three kids were napping at the same time! Ahhh... silence!

I woke Bella up from her nap and dropped her off at Jaimee's house while I left Ethan sleeping to drop Liz off for work. I came back to Jaimee's to pick Bella up and this is what I found...

Two crazy monkeys!!

Bella and Liam doing acrobatics on the couch...

Daddy came home from his trip with stories of the best Italian pizza and fresh squid he'd ever eaten! Along with pictures of his hotel overlooking the Italian coast... Um HELLO, hard life?!?!

Ethan eating Soowha for an early dinner snack... Soowha is his code word for cereal.

This is their favorite part of the day... when Daddy comes home to play. Bella and Ethan LOVE IT!

Bella in her frog princess cape!

Just call me Eva!!!! I won't lie... This is what our floors looked like after Eva's Express Cleaning whipped through the house.

That's Monday... The End!

A Week In The Life... Sunday!

2012-01-08T03:00:00.031-06:00

A week in the life of Bella, Ethan & Emalina.

Two years ago Julie and I did a week in the life of our girls... Go HERE to see That week! Crazy to think that since then, I have had two more kids, left Altus, moved to Germany, said goodbye to many good friends, said hello to new ones... How time flies!

Good morning Sunday!

This is how this sweet little girl wakes up everyday! Bright eyed and beautiful! Emalina went to bed with me around 11 Saturday night... woke up at 8am to nurse and then went back to sleep until 10:30 when I woke her up to nurse before we headed off to church! Don't hate me because my kids are beautiful... sleepers! LOL!

Ben is TDY in Italy, Scotland, and the Azores... Tough life! I was secretly really excited for him though, because this was his first flight in the C20! Go Ben!

We actually managed to get out of the house and be on time for Church! A miracle!

We hurried back home for some lunch... I feel like my kids have lived off of hotdogs, mac and cheese (the microwave kind nonetheless) and yogurt this past week, as Ethan broke our stove top with a Pam cooking spray can and we are waiting to get a new one... So Needless to say, I have been a super healthy mom, feeding my kids super healthy meals... At least they are getting fed!

After a quick lunch we headed off to drop Auntie Liz off at work and then headed out to our friend Kim's house to go for a walk (he husband is also out of town this week). Kim and Derek live in a beautiful village called Gries.

After our walk it was time to head to Awana at Church. Bella is in cubbies this year and had LOVED the program! Here she is in her fabulous princess of the most high king crown!

We then headed home and scarfed down some pizza, before heading back out to get Auntie Liz from work.

Auntie Liz in the BEST story teller... as she is Bella's first pick to put her to bed at night.

Goodnight Bella!

And then it was Insanity time... Liz and I went hardcore with Shaun T for 45 minutes, while Emalina watched on in her swing.

The End!

Here are the links to all our friends doing A Week in the Life this time:

Jaimee

Happy New Year!

2012-01-03T15:39:00.000-06:00

I hope you all were able to ring in the New Year with friends, festivities and lot of fun!

We had a fun, but quiet New Years.

Abi and her family always have Pork and sauerkraut on New Years Day, so we decided to try our own rendition of Pork and sauerkraut in the crockpot. This will definitely be a new New Years tradition for the Shaub household... It was so good. Reminded me of my Grandma's Rocket Caposta (Layered pork, rice and cabbage, that we have every Christmas Eve when I am home).

We had a fun evening of eating, playing cards, talking, skyping with family and a little bubbly!

Our little town of Rodenbach, sure does know how to put on a firework show. It was a little crazy. Fireworks are allowed in the town and people were just shooting them off everywhere. Liz and Abi went out walking the streets after midnight and they said it was nuts. 'No sense for safety' as Liz put it!

Happy New Year to you all!

A Date a Day with Shaun T!

2012-01-01T08:10:00.003-06:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Last year, one of my New Years Resolutions was to do INSANITY... That was before I knew I was pregnant. So needless to say, that New Years Resolution did not get accomplished. This year, Insanity is at the top of my New Years list again... This time, I'm not planning on getting pregnant at any point this year (not that we were actually planning on getting pregnant last year either... but very blessed and thankful that we did). Along with Ben and I doing Insanity, I plan on making 2012 the 'best shape of my life' year.

At some point of every year since September 2007, I have been pregnant! Being pregnant 3 times in 4 years, has definitely taken a toll on my body... So this far I plan on hitting it hardcore and getting in the best shape of my life. I really don't have much baby weight left to lose... only a few pounds. But frankly that is not the point. I want to get back into shape and feel good!

... Although, having an 8 and a half pound baby, has definitely left me a little more flabby then I want to be... So hopefully with a little ShaunT and training for a 1/2 marathon in Paris in March... I can kick my butt back into shape.

My goals: Tone up, gain muscle, lose fat, get rid of my muffin top(LOL!), and be able to check of this new years resolution as accomplished!!! Strap on your seat belt... cause here we go! Haha!

Want to follow along... or even do a little insanity of your own... Jump on the bandwagon and come along. To make sure I stick with my New Years Resolution this year, I am posting before pics and measurements now as apposed to after i finish the 60 day workout...

Cheers to bringing in the New Year with a little insanity!!!

Before Measurements:

Waist: 30 inches
Tummy: 35
Bum: 40
Thighs: 39.5
Right Thigh: 23.5
Left Thigh: 23

Emalina 3 months

2011-12-26T06:32:00.033-06:00

Emalina is 3 months old!!! Wow, how time flies. This little girl is just so sweet, we can't get enough of her. Her personality is really coming out now... She has the greatest facial expressions and definitely reacts to us when we talk to her. She still sleeps a lot during the day. Emalina is a night owl... like her mommy! I would say her awake time is in the evenings. Sometimes in the evenings, she can get a little fussy and on the rare occasion that she does cry, she can get really upset, and boy she sure can cry. I don't think Bella or Ethan had lungs like her. She cries so hard that sometimes she chokes on her saliva (which is a little scary). When this does happen... usually it means that she is tired and wants to be put down to sleep.

I don't know how many times a week I say (out loud) that Emalina is the easiest baby. It sure would make life a lot harder if she was a demanding baby.

She definitely gets a lot of love from everyone! Bella and Ethan just love their little sister. She completes our family (for now:)!

Here are some of the things she is doing this last month:

Loves Loves Loves her pacifier
Found her hands and likes to suck on her knuckles when her susu is not in
Follows people with her eyes
Loves to watch Ethan and Bella play
Fits in 3-6 and 6 month clothing
Is in size 2 diapers
Loves being held in the baby bjorn carrier
Loves to be snuggled and warm
Still loves her swing and bouncy seat
Her eyes are still BLUE and I would be surprised if they turned brown
Nurses well, burps easy and toots often (she has bad gas)
Loves being in her car seat (as soon as we put her in, she falls asleep for the entire time she's in there)
Doesn't make many sounds yet, but she smiles a lot and even chuckles a little
For the most part, she sleep all night
Eats at least every three hours during the day, has lots of wet diapers... but usually only has one dirty diaper a day (if that sometimes)

Thought this progression was funny! What a sweet little girl!

Christmas Eve

2011-12-24T08:03:00.000-06:00

We had a great Christmas Eve with Steve, Ann and Auntie Liz.

We went to the Christmas Eve Service at 5:30 at Faith Baptist... and then headed home to make up a HUGE feast of for dourness, drinks and a Ben sized cookie plate! We were all stuffed! And had a tone of leftovers (except for the cookie plate, that was pretty much cleared off)!

Grampy read the Christmas story, we all sang Happy Birthday to baby Jesus and then we opened some of the presents under the tree. Bella was in fine form and stayed up with us all until at least midnight. Liz and I stayed up until past two wrapping presents from Santa and putting out the kids' stockings (except I don't have stockings for any of us. I haven't needed them, as we have alway spent Christmas up at my parents or the Shaub's... something i have to remember for next Christmas). Thank goodness for kids who sleep in. Bella didn't get out of bed until 10:30 (and Steve woke up with Ethan around 8:30), so we had plenty of time to get some good rest in the morning.

It was a great night, filled with good food, laughs, smiles and memories from our first Christmas in our own home. And yes, skyping with Uncle Dan and Aunt Frannie too!

Our Sweet Children

Heidelberg Castle Trip

2011-12-23T03:14:00.001-06:00

Heidelberg, Germany

We ventured out to Heidelberg on Wednesday with the whole gang. We've been to Heidelberg a few time, but never up to the castle. One thing Steve wanted to do while he was here was to see a castle... this was the perfect one. It is so beautiful. It is amazing to think that it was built so long ago. I could just imagine Bella living in the olden days as a princess (wearing princess dresses, tiaras and acting all proper)LOL!

It was a neat adventure.

We visited the Heidelberg Christmas Market afterwards... no pics from that though.

First Snow

2011-12-23T03:14:00.000-06:00

We had our first taste of snow yesterday. It didn't stay for long, but long enough for Bella and Ethan to play around in it and build a snowman with Mimi. It has been really rainy here this fall. By this time last year, I guess Rodenbach had already gotten a foot of snow. The kids had a great time experiencing snow for the first time this year. It was fun to watch them from inside the warm house!

Couch Surfers!

2011-12-16T14:36:00.000-06:00

We hosted two of LIz's friends from Korea for two nights last week. Hayley and Brooke were wonderful house guests. Bella was overjoyed to have some new faces and playmates for a few night.

Brooke has been traveling through Europe for the last 5 weeks and has been couch surfing... Yes, that's right surfing on couches! I had never heard of it before, but it would probably have been something I would have done in my traveling days through Central America and Europe way back when. There is a whole network for couch surfing... a website, personal profiles and all. I was a tad freaked out about it at first, but the more Brooke explained it to us, I can see how it would be a fun and economical way to travel.

Anyway, I don't quite know if we'll open our house up to couch surfing strangers... but these two were a lot of fun!

Thanks for visiting Brooke and Hayley. Hope to see you again sometime in the next 3 years.

2011-12-16T03:12:00.001-06:00

St. Nicholas Day

2011-12-06T10:27:00.000-06:00

December 6th was St. Nicholas day in Germany. This is the day where the kids leave their shoes outside the front door and St. Nicholas comes in the night and fills the shoes with goodies, candy and fruit.

I didn't really know about St. Nicholas Day until late the night before, so I had to work with what I had this year (Next year I'll be more prepared). Of course Bella was into it, Ethan not so much... But he sure did like the candy that showed up in his shoes in the morning.

Bella was so enthralled with the fact that St Nicholas came... she just stood there looking at her shoes before she dug in. It was really cute!

Emalina is 2 Months

2011-12-02T10:50:00.001-06:00

I wanted to get these adorable photos of Emalina's shrinking bear pics before we head into the weekend. I will update what she is doing these days later. It was a little dark outside today, so I had to use the flash... and it doesn't do justice to her beautiful blue eyes. And it amazes me how different our children all look! Isabella brown hair, brown eyes... Ethan blonde hair, blue eyes... and now Emalina brown hair (lighter then Bella's though) and blue eyes!

I took the photos with her clothes off, to show off her cute little rolls! Her thighs seem to grow every time I change her diaper!

We just love her so much!!!!

Here are Bella & Ethan 2 month shrinking bear photo (click on their names).

Bella

Ethan

Christmas Pictures... Sort of!

2011-11-28T10:59:00.000-06:00

I tried to take some Christmas photos of the kids the other day... It was interesting to say the least (especially when Ben stepped in dog poop trying to help. lol) It is almost impossible to get them all looking in the same direction and smiling at the same time. But here is the result. We sure do have cute kids!

Bella really was excited to hold Emalina... although this pic doesn't say it!

Ethan lasted sitting for about two minutes!

Bella wasn't much better maybe 5 minutes... and then they were off!

Not as good as LAST YEARS.... Maybe I should have brought candy canes!

St Martin's Day

2011-11-28T09:15:00.000-06:00

November 11th was St. Martin's Day here is Germany. You can read about it HERE. This is one of the reasons I love living in a small town. Here in Rodenbach, literally the whole town and all the kids, gathered down near the school. The children all carried their paper lanterns and watched St. Martin ride around in a circle, while we (by we I really mean, the village people) sang the St Martin song. Then we followed St Martin on his horse in a parade around the block and when we arrived back at the school, a big bonfire was lit and the children all received these massive pretzels and the adults got to drink gluhwein (pronounced by us americans glue wine). The German's sure do love their Gluhwein (as it is the drink of choice at the Christmas Markets... more on that later).

One of my German friends made Bella this adorable Leprechaun lantern. Bella was so excited to carry around her lantern. Thanks so much Dorothe, you are a talented lantern maker.

St Martin on his horse... and all the kids with their lanterns

The kids with their massive pretzels!

The Bonfire

The girls

The End.

Berlin Trip

2011-11-28T04:18:00.000-06:00

Over the Thanksgiving long weekend we went on a trip to Berlin with some friends, Andrea, Dennis and their girls Ada and Ella. Ben and Dennis went to pilot training together (way back when) and Ben was actually in Dennis and Andrea's wedding in August 05. When they came through Altus for training a few years ago, I met Andrea for the first time. It was so nice to travel with another family who knows CRAZINESS. With kids outnumbering adults, there were definitely some crazy moments. After the first night eating out (just shy of disastrous) we opted to grab sushi and Japanese food and take it back to our room before heading down to the pool. A MUCH better option with 4 toddlers and a newborn! We enjoyed the Menjivar's company and traveling with them worked out great. We are looking forward to our next adventure with your family. Thanks for the good times!

Berlin wasn't necessarily on my have to see list when we arrived in Europe. But I am really glad we went, and even wished we had had more time to spend in the city. We tried to hit as many places as we could in the 2 1/2 days there. Our first taste of German Christmas Markets... and Berlin definitely put on a great display of the markets. With over 50 Christmas markets in the city... we barely made a dent in the list by going to 5 of them. They were all over the city. These would be a total hit in the USA. Great food, clothing, Christmas decor, gleuwine... and cinnamon sugar doughnuts... my favorite part! Bella's favorite parts were definitely the rides.
I remember when the Berlin wall fell. I was 8. I didn't understand the reason why or its significance. But seeing it as an adult and now to understand... it was incredible to see this part of history. I could not imagine living under a communist regime and then feeling the relief freedom brought when the wall fell. One of my friends here in Rodenbach lived on the East side (the communist side) and how after the wall fell her dad put her and her siblings into a car and drove across the 'line'. What a feeling that would have been. I have to ask her more about it.
Definitely a worthwhile trip!

Prague Trip

2011-11-21T08:57:00.000-06:00

Ben was on his baby leave this past week, so we went to Prague last week for two nights. We took Emalina and left Bella and Ethan with a brave auntie Liz. Our good friend Klara is from the Czech Rep. and gave us some fabulous tips on places to go and things to see. Prague is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to. I LOVE the architecture, old buildings and History. I had no idea that Prague had so much significant history.

Did you know that some of the most famous composers lived in Prague? Or that the name with whom the Nobel Prize is named after lived there? Or that Einstein once lived in a building off the main square?
We had a private tour guide for an afternoon. Petr was his name and crazily, he defected and moved to Calgary for 20 years before returning to Prague to be a tour guide. He was great to have and super knowledgeable about the city and all of its history.
One of the most interesting parts of our tour was when Petr took us through the old Jewish Quarters. Prague played a very significant role in the 2nd Wold War, when Hitler was in power. The Jews in Prague were severely persecuted by Hitler.
In the slideshow you will see pictures of the Jewish cemetery. They only allowed the Jewish people to burry their dead people in this small cemetery, so after one layer of the cemetery was filled up with graves, the Jewish people would put 2ft of dirt down and use the next level to continue burying the dead. Then they would bring the tombstones up to the next level, so they knew who was buried there. There are said to be over 100,00 Jewish people buried in that cemetery.

It was COLD while we were there... So this little munchkin had to be bundled up well. Here is the progression of her outfits...

Ben and I had a wonderful time just the two (well 3) of us. Emalina is seriously the best baby. I don't know how many times I said it over the three days. She literally slept the whole time... SHe sure does like to be cozy.
We ate some of the best food I have ever eaten... Walked all over Prague... Had great chocolate... and enjoyed spending time together.
Thanks Auntie Liz for watching the kids so we could escape to this beautiful city for a few days.

Adventure with Papa & Gramma

2011-11-05T06:16:00.007-05:00

Our time while both my parents were here, was jam packed with lots of adventures, trips and great food.

We ventured up to the Castle Kusel again. We toured the castle ruins... and this time we all went up to the top of the castle. The weather wasn't supposed to be the greatest, but it ended up being mild and the sun even came out a few times.

And had lunch in the super quaint and cozy castle bistro... The best pumpkin cream soup ever! I told Ben that this is going to be a destination for a future date night! Hopefully we make it back while they still have that delicious pumpkin cream soup!

We also went to Heidelberg, Germany. It is one of the only cities in Germany that didn't get bombed in the war. So the old original buildings and churches are in pristine condition and so beautiful. The main street has the most wonderful shops, fashion, restaurants and vendors.

We can't wait to have more adventures with you, Papa Don & Gramma Susie.

Hurry back! We love you!

A Surprise Visit from Papa Don!

2011-11-03T05:05:00.002-05:00

On Thursday Morning, I was sitting with Ethan and saw what I thought was the mail truck outside our window... Since Ethan loves seeing trucks outside, I said "Look Ethy, the mailman is here... Let's go see." And took him over to the window. Then I noticed that the 'mail truck' was actually Rita's Airport Shuttle (the transportation shuttle to and from the Frankfurt Airport). My first thought was, I didn't know that our next door neighbors were having visitors come in. And then I saw a man getting out of the back and thought to myself... that looks like my Dad's hair... Wait a second... that is my Dad... And I yelled to my mom, "Did you know that Dad was coming?"

The kids were so excited to see their Papa and so was I. I am so glad that my Dad was able to make it while Emalina was a baby.

It was so sweet to see my Dad with his 4th grandchild! He truly does love our kids like no other!

It was a great surprise and so nice to have you in our home again.

Thanks for coming Dad. We love you!

Meeting Emalina for the first time...

Papa playing with Ethan..

Papa and Bella going to play soccer! One of her favorite things to do with Papa!

Gramma Susie Come to Visit!

2011-11-01T05:25:00.000-05:00

Gramma Susie came to visit us in Germany. Liz, Bella, Emalina and I drove to Frankfurt to pick up my mom from the airport and take a little tour of downtown Frankfurt. I just love the old European architecture... And downtown Frankfurt didn't disappoint!

We had a fabulous visit with Gramma Susie! My mom was here for 10 days to meet Emalina and see the rest of us. She was a big help while she was here. She got up every morning with Ethan and fed him breakfast, helped cook, clean and do laundry. And even allowed Liz and I to sneak out alone and do a little shopping and project planning (more to come on that later). Gramma Susie was in heaven having LOTS of cuddle time, holding our sweet Emalina, as she is a very easy baby to hold because she sleeps so much.

Going for a walk with ulterior motives!

Ending up at the Italian Bistro for Cappuccinos and gelato!

Thanks so much for coming over mom and all of your help. We look forward to our next visit. We love you!

Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T15:09:00.000-05:00

We had a fun Halloween with the kids. Ben's Squadron had a trick or treat event for toddlers on Thursday. Bella was Sleeping Beauty and hasn't taken her costume off since it arrived over a week ago. Ethan got the short end of he stick with his Halloween costume (but it's not like he cared) and went in his Buzz Light Year pj's... that were too small for him LOL. And our little Emalina was a cute little pumpkin! The kids LOVED going from office to office collecting their loot!

On Saturday we went on base to trick or treat with some friends. This time Ethan went as Top Gun in his swanky leather flight jacket. Looking good, just like his daddy!

Ethan was not a happy camper sitting in the stroller... but you would never know it by these photos... probably because every time I looked at them, Ben had given Ethan another piece of candy to keep him quiet! LOL! Ethan was in heaven! And completely WIRED on candy! It was a fun night!

One Month Old

2011-10-26T11:13:00.000-05:00

Emalina turned one month old last week. Oh how time flies! She is absolutely the sweetest little girl around. She has such a wonderful demeanor... calm, patient, goes with the flow, likes to eat and LOVES to sleep, and snuggle! Since she was gaining weight so nicely at her 2 weeks apt, I decided that getting her up every 2-3 hours at night was silly and that got tossed out the window. Since then, she only gets up once a night to eat, usually sleeping 6 hours in a row and then I feed her and she goes right back to sleep until the morning. LOVE IT!

Forgot to post these...

Emalina at 1 week

Emalina at 1 month

Compared to Isabella at 1 month!

Here are some things that our little girl is doing:

Emalina is a very strong girl, she can hold her head up
When lying on the floor she can turn her head from side to side
If I hold her up off the floor, she will push herself up into a standing position... She definitely has some good SMITH legs!
She loves her susu
She like to be swaddled
She has started smiling
She can follow you with her eyes (and occasionally goes a little cross-eyed)
She fits into 0-3 month clothing
She is in size 1 diapers
She still poops every diaper change (probably goes through at least 10 diapers a day)
She needs to be burped after every feeding... if we forget or can't get one out... she throws up.
The only time she really cries is if she is really hungry or if she has a stuck burp
She still loves her bouncy chair and pretty much hangs out there all day
Is sleeping 6 hours at night
She has BLUE eyes... and I think they just might stay blue
She did not lose her hair... at one month Bella had lost a bunch of hair
She has the cutest sad faces EVER!
She still sleeps in the bassinet right by our bed... because she does lose her susu when falling asleep and it is convenient to just reach over and put it back in.
Her favorite position is laying on your chest

Litchenberg Castle

2011-10-24T15:00:00.000-05:00

Over the weekend we wanted something to do on Saturday afternoon. A friend suggested that we head up to Litchenberg Castle new Kuse. We drove the back roads on the way there. I just LOVE going through the German countryside and through the little town. Ben and I are really excited for the spring and summer to come, so we can hook up the Chariot bike carriers and go road biking with the kids. They path system for biking is absolutely fabulous. Just right outside our house there is a 87 km bike path that goes from town to town. Can't wait!

Anyway, this castle was built in the 1200's. So, now it is mostly ruins... except for a few parts. It was a little cool out and none of us were dressed for the weather (probably the reason why we all have the sniffles now). There is a little cafe in the castle that Ben and I want to come back and try out. Bella is TOTALLY into princesses right now... So she was intrigued with where Rapunzel and Cinderella lived in the castle.

Here are some photos and a very funny video of our trip to the castle.

Be prepared to laugh... This is funny, at least I thought it was!!!

Brotherly-Sisterly LOVE!

2011-10-20T07:45:00.000-05:00

Ethan is TOTALLY enamored with his little sister. He just LOVES Emalina. From the moment we brought her home, he has taken a surprising interest in her. I wasn't too sure how he was going to be with a new little baby, but he is so sweet. Every time she cries, he is more then concerned about her and points in her direction and won't stop until we do something about it. He brings Emalina her pacifier (when its not in and tries to put it in her mouth), her blankets, stuffed animals, and diapers. We do have to watch him when he is around her... as his LOVE sometimes turns into a head bonk... or eye gouge!

I am excited to how their relationship grows as Ethan and Emalina get older. My guess is that he will be the protective BIG brother.

Where's my Newborn?

2011-10-17T14:39:00.000-05:00

Where did my newborn go? Emalina is three weeks old today and growing so fast. She had her 2 week well baby last Thursday and she weighed 9 lbs 9 oz and was 21.5 inches long. The 88% for weight and 90% for height. She is a great eater... I must be making some good fatty milk this time, after making skim for Bella and Ethan! LOL! Do I dare say that Emalina is only getting up once a night to eat?! I feed her before I go to bed, and then she is usually up around 3 to nurse and then not again until the morning in between 7-8! She is by far the best sleeping baby out of the three! At this point, she literally sleeps ALL DAY LONG! It definitely makes for an easy baby!

We are definitely enjoying this little baby! She's a snuggler and loves to lie upright on your chest. Our friends gave us a baby swing, and she loves that too.

We are so thankful for Emalina and the joy she brings to our family.

Around Rodenbach

2011-10-06T03:51:00.000-05:00

This is our little village. It definitely has its charm and is beautiful! There are lots of walking paths, parks, forests, a great coffee/gelato/italian bistro, a fabulous italian pizza restaurant just around the corner, nice German people, friends and our little family. Ann took most of these photos when she was here. Aren't they great?! They are all great representations of this little village we will call home for the next three years.

Rodenbach has a great soccer field.

These pics are taken just down from our house on a biking path. I can't wait to get biking next spring/summer. The path connects villages over an 80 km stretch!

Our village (and another village called Wilerbach) from a distance

Our House!

A cake for Baby Sister

2011-10-04T08:42:00.000-05:00

The night we were supposed to come home from the hospital, Bella, Mimi and Auntie Liz made a homecoming cake for baby Emalina. Even though we had to wait another night to taste it (because of Emalina's jaundice), it sure was tasty!

What a sweet girl!

2011-09-30T15:39:00.000-05:00

Here are a few more pics of our sweet little girl. We just love her so much.

And it sure does help that Emalina is just so cute!

Hospital Pics

2011-09-29T08:12:00.000-05:00

Wow... Brand new. It was a little crazy at the end, but I wouldn't change it. She's perfect and healthy! What a true blessing to be parents again to such a sweet gift from the Lord. There really are no words that can describe the feeling of finally holding such a miracle in your arms. I was more emotional this time around.

We are so thankful!

Mmmm...We were both hungry!

One of the techs gave Emalina her first bath... She liked when the tech poured warm water over her to wash the soap off... Everything else... Emalina screamed!

Emalina and Auntie Liz

Finally in our arms. And the wait was worth it.

What a sweet little girl! We are so in love!

2 Days Old.

The traditional Green pea outfit. A favorite at the hospital.

Just look at all that hair!

I was really excited about being able to leave the hospital on Tuesday evening, but when Emalina's lab results came back, it showed her bilirubin level to be higher then they like. So we had to stay another night. She had to sleep under the bili light for the whole evening and all day on Wednesday. But thank goodness her level was low enough that we were able to come home on Wednesday night. I was so thankful to be in my own bed!

Mimi getting Emalina dressed to meet her older sister and go home.

It was too late to bring Ethan to the hospital, so Daddy and Bella picked us up.

A very very proud BIG sister!

Taken today... Bathing in the sun to continue to help break down the bilirubin in Emalina's system. What a little angel!

Holy Hugeness!

2011-09-25T14:44:00.000-05:00

Well we have come to the night before we will meet baby girl. I am getting induced tomorrow morning! I am not that excited about having to be induced, but I am, on the other hand REALLY REALLY excited to finally have her on the outside! To finally meet her and hold her! To see who she is going to look like.

These last few weeks (I admit) I have been miserable. Thank the Lord Ann and Liz have been here and have been so helpful. I could not have done it without them. I have been more sore, slept less, been more irritable, and lacked motivation. It has been hard waiting for this little girl! Especially since we all thought she would be early. I am NOT a fan of this overdue thing!

I am a little nervous about tomorrow. It just doesn't make sense that she hasn't come out on her own. I have been dilated for at least 3 weeks, had my membranes stripped twice, gone on LONG (5 miles last week) walks, went to Zumba and had good and painful contractions and even some back labor. By the pictures below... As you will see I am Significantly bigger then my other two pregnancies. Liz and I were laughing as we compared the pics. I just hope she's not 10 lbs!

41 weeks with baby # 3! 38 weeks with Ehan

(a few days before he was born)

40 weeks and 2 days with Bella

I'll keep you all posted as much as I can. Please be praying for a smooth and successful delivery... But most of all a healthy baby girl. Thanks so much!

While We've Been Waiting!

2011-09-18T11:15:00.000-05:00

All the towns around here have little carnivals with rides and fabulous street vendors. Last Weekend we went to the Landstuhl Carnival... Of course, Bella and Ethan's favorite attraction was the rides. Mine, was the food!

Yesterday Ann, Liz the kids and I headed back to Bernkastel-Kues. We walked through jam packed antique shops, ate lunch at a German bakery, had gelato for dessert and enjoyed the sights of this beautiful quaint little German town.

I love all the doors and windows here in Europe. They are so beautiful and unique. Here are a few of my favorite from this trip.

The kids were totally tuckered out from our adventures.

Updates... Updates... Updates!

2011-09-13T14:52:00.001-05:00

I had a blog intervention this afternoon by my good friend (and neighbor) Jaimee Summers!
Thanks Jaimee... it was exaclty what I needed!

And it truly was time... time to update our blog.

So scroll on down for posts from the last 2 months!
Not too much writing... but lots of pictures!

Sorry to keep everyone checking back with nothing to look at.

I'll try to not let it happen again!

Pregnancy Update!

2011-09-11T11:17:00.001-05:00

32 Weeks 37 Weeks

Ann and Liz took a few pictures of us the other night. I truly cannot believe that this baby is not here yet. I was dilated to a 2 and 25% effaced last Tuesday for my 38 week appointment... and with all the contractions, discomfort and pressure, I thought she would have made an appearance by now! I was hoping she would come while my parents were here visiting... but I guess she had another plan. Every night, I go to bed thinking... this has to be the night... for some reason I have some good/painful contractions at night. But, then every morning, we wake up and Ben asks me how I am feeling... and I wish I could say something other then 'good'. I have another appointment tomorrow, so we will see what the dr says.

Visitors in our new Homeland!

2011-09-10T10:46:00.001-05:00

My parent came to visit us on the way back from a European trip they were on. Bella sure was excited to see some familiar faces when Papa Don and Grandma arrived. It was fun being able to show them around our new home. We moved into our house the day before they came, so things were a little out of sorts... but it was great visiting with them. Thanks foe stopping by Mom and Dad. Looking forward to your next visit. Sorry baby girl didn't make an appearance while you were here.

Headed out to dinner at this fabulous Italian restaurant just a few minutes walk from where we live.

Mimi and Auntie Liz also arrived for their visit! I sure am glad to have all the help! Don't know what I would do without a supportive family... Probably go CRAZY!

The best gelato place in our village... Cant wait to go back!

Bernkastel-Kues, Germany

2011-09-01T10:26:00.001-05:00

Loved this place. Can't wait to go back!

5 Years Later!

2011-08-12T09:08:00.001-05:00

Ben and I celebrated our 5th wedding Anniversary this past August. I can't believe it has been 5 years already... But we sure have traveled a lot of miles, shared great memories, laughs and some tears, personally grown (A LOT), and made a fair number of babies...

We visited the Banff Springs Hotel on our way back from the cabin... It sure does bring back a lot of great memories. I LOVE you Honey!

This year on our actual anniversary, Ben's brother Dan and his new bride Frannie got married in Omaha, Nebraska. So we will now share our anniversary with them! And as Ben says, it will be easier to remember now.

Dan and Frannie sure did make a beautiful couple on their wedding day. Congratulations you two!

A cute and VERY wild flower girl!

Cabin Time!

2011-08-09T08:57:00.000-05:00

The second week we were up in Canada, we headed to the cabin. It was a much needed break and relaxation time!

We lowered the hot tub temps and the kids (and I) LOVED being in there.

We also discovered going to the park and beach, just down from my parents cabin...

Family, Friends and Fun in Calgary!

2011-08-05T09:21:00.001-05:00

It has been quite a while since I last posted... But if you knew our itinerary over the last month and a half, you'd understand why.

After Billings, I flew with the kids, the cat, two car seats, two suitcases, a double stroller and a massive diaper bag by my self, 33 weeks pregnant by myself up to Calgary to visit my with my family. The trip actually went quite smooth all things considered.

We had a great time while we were visiting Papa Don and Grandma Susie in Calgary. Bella and Ethan got to hang out with their little cousin Rocky. As they get older, these little guys are going to be good friends every time we are in Calgary.

Here are Grandma and Grandpa Smith with all of their Great Grand Children!

Sean and Phil were wonderful helps with Bella and Ethan. They are really great with little kids. Bella still talks about Sean and Phil to this day.

We hung out with Katherine, Will and miss Molly at the pool a few times. The kids LOVED the slide. Bella was even brave enough to go by herself. And Ethan couldn't get enough. As soon as he was down, he wanted to go back up.

Isabella even learned to go down the slide all by herself... and loved every minute of it!

Bella and Papa made lots of trips to the park!

Ethan LOVED sitting in Papa's convertible!

We had a wonderful dinner with my Auntie Annie and Uncle David... They made my favorite... RIBS. I honestly think I finished at least a rack and a half all to myself. Mmmmm, they were so good.

The Ice Cream Won!

2011-07-18T16:05:00.002-05:00

I don't know why I didn't think to take his shirt off before giving him a chocolate fudge bar!!!! But it failed to cross my mind. Thank goodness we only gave him 1/3 of the bar! Can you imagine how covered he would have been?

Ethan was completely mesmerized by his ice cream! In a total ice cream daze! It was really funny to watch. He loved EVERY LAST BITE! click on photos for your expanded pleasure!

These last few are even funnier, because we thought he was done with his ice cream after putting it down on the ground with a little mouth full left... But nope, he picked it up off the ground and made sure he finished every last bite.

After soaking all night in oxi clean, and spray n wash... and once through the washing machine... there is still chocolate stains on his shirt! Oh well... It was well worth the photos of Ethan enjoying a fudge bar on a really hot Montana day!

Yee Ha! I'm a Cowgirl!

2011-07-16T15:38:00.001-05:00

Ann's neighbor called Saturday morning and asked if Bella wanted to come over and ride one of their horses! Bella was super excited at the thought of riding on a horse! At first I was thinking we'll probably get over there and she won't want to get near the horses, let alone ride on... Boy was I wrong.

As soon as we walked over to the corral, she was eager to get up on CRISPY the horse. Initially she road with the neighbor's daughter Aliyah... and then Aliyah hopped off and walked beside holding onto Bella... AND THEN Aliyah completely let go of Bella and let Bella hold onto the Saddle all by herself (Aliyah walked around the corral leading the horse). I couldn't believe it! Here I didn't even think Bella would want to get up on the horse... and there she was riding all by herself! When she was all finished, she looked at me and said "Yee ha, I'm a cowgirl!" And what a cute little cowgirl she is!!!

I must admit, I was a little nervous watching her up there on that BIG horse! But she did great. And of course, she was more then thrilled to tell everyone that she road a horse all by herself. Since then, she has asked a few times if she can go over and ride 'her' horse.

And even this morning, when we were pulling out of the driveway, the neighbor's son was riding one of their horses, and Bella says "Remember, I road that horse... Crispy's my friend. I love Crispy."

Ethan at Mimi & Grampy's house!

2011-07-13T18:23:00.000-05:00

Ethan has been enjoying being at Mimi & Grampy's too. He has actually started to stand on his own more and even take a few steps! Way to go little buddy. I will have to post some photos and video of that later. But for now, here are some cute photos of all the things Ethan has been doing that last few weeks.

Actually a cute one of Bella!

A few of Grampy and Ethy...

And one with Unky Dan too!

Ethan has spent hours on this little bike and car... We will definitely have to invest in some when we get to Germany!

This is one of Steve's old hats... it has become one of Ethan's favorite things here at Mimi & Grampy's! He LOVES wearing it!

Pics from the Farm!

2011-07-11T17:20:00.000-05:00

Ann and Steve's neighbor from their previous neighborhood has a farm about 30 minutes outside of Billings. Last Monday we went out to check out Farmer Pat's farm. Bella was tickled that she got to meet a 'real' farmer and be on his farm. Since we were out there, she still asks where farmer Pat is?!?
Pat's property is beautiful... With lots of old red barns... and farm equipment. The kids had a great time checking it all out... and of course I used it as a photo op! Most are of Ethan... because he is at the age of cooperating for photos... Bella, not so much.

And then there is the little miss... It is almost impossible at this point to get a good photo of her!!!! If you say look at the camera... this is the picture I get:

If I say smile... these are the pictures I get:

What a darling little girl!!!!

Bella liked being up on the tractor just at much as Ethan did...

Bella at Mimi & Grampy's!

2011-07-10T11:41:00.000-05:00

Bella has been having a fabulous time here on Steve and Ann's property!

Here are some of the things keeping her busy:

Mowing with Mimi

Helping Mimi weed and water the garden... and kicking dirt in the ditch!

Yes, even in her pj's and dress shoes!

Enjoying the hot tub time in the evening...

Discovering a ladybug!

Moving Time!

2011-06-30T21:23:00.000-05:00

We have had a busy last couple of weeks!!!

Here is a recap of our moving process:

June 26th: Picked Ann up from OKC
June 27th: Ben and I drove down to Dallas to drop his car off at the shipping station, so we will have it when we arrive in Germany.
June 28th: Packers and Movers # 1 came to take all of our unaccompanied 'stuff', the things we want available to us when we arrive in Germany.
June 29th: Packers and Movers # 2 came to take the rest of our household goods to Germany.
June 30th: Packers and Movers # 3 came to take all of our stuff that will be left in permanent storage in Altus, while we are in Germany.

I think this pic was from the Packers and Mover # 2 day... It was so confusing sorting out all our belongings for each of the movers... I'm sure Ben explained what should go in which move to me at least 10 times... but I'm still not sure I get it even now!!!

I love these photos... A lot has happened in the 3 1/2 years that we were in Altus!!! When we arrived, it was just the two of us (I was 3 months pregnant with Belles)... As we head out of town, we are leaving a very blessed and bigger family. Bella 3, Ethan 16 months and 28 weeks pregnant with baby Shaub #3, a baby girl .

July 1st: Ann and I were supposed to leave in the morning to drive our other cars back to Billings... but between painting Bella's room, organizing all of our stuff that got left behind, packing the cars, cleaning up our house for the housing inspection and doing little odds and ends here and there... we didn't actually leave until 5:45! At least we got on the road!
July 3rd: Ben flew to Savannah, GA for C-20 training for the month and we arrived in Billings, MT for the next 3 weeks.

The first night we drove about 5 hours to a little town in the pan handle of Oklahoma and stayed at the Longhorn Motel... Which to say the least was Sketchy! There were only two options... and after staying there, we probably didn't choose very well. It was only $58 for the night... I guess what they say is true... you get what you pay for! LOL

The second day we made great headway, and drove to Casper, WY. I was pleasantly surprised when I looked on the GPS and saw that Billings was only 4 hours from Casper.

Ann and I could not believe how great the kids were. Ann drove with Bella in the MDX and I drove with Peety and Ethan in my little car. I think Ethan and Peety entertained each other the whole way. It was really sweet... Ethan sure is going to miss Peety when we move to Germany! He loves that cat! We drove a total of 1870 km over the three days. I am so thankful that Ann was able to help me drive with the kids. I have a feeling that having one in each car, was the trick to them being so well behaved. Thanks so much Ann for helping us move!

A Not so Fini Flight

2011-06-18T12:10:00.001-05:00

Ben was supposed to have his fini flight today (more on that later)... But because of the BIGGEST hail storm I have ever been in, happening on Thursday night, that didn't happen!

It started off fairly light, but with the biggest balls of hail... then for about 25 minutes it just kept coming... and coming... (and as you will hear, Ben was in fine form being silly, joking about wanting to go outside)

And Coming!

After it was done... Our cars were sporting a new dimply look all over the surfaces. Here are two pics I took on my phone. The pics don't show the damage as bad as it is. There is a USAA appraiser coming out on Tuesday to assess the damage, so we will see what the outcome is!

The temp dropped from 105 degrees to 74 in the matter of 10 minutes. It was crazy. We sure have lived through some crazy weather here in Altus (see HERE & HERE)... At least I wasn't 9 months pregnant this time :)

The calm after the storm! God sure does have a sense of humor in Mother Nature!!!

The planes were damaged from the hail storm... so Ben and Nate's fini flight was cancelled. It's a good thing that neither Ben or Nate are really sentimental (even though Audrey and I both are), because their last flights in the KC-135 will not really be a big deal. Unless Ben happens to fly this coming week, his last flight will have been this past Tuesday. I was hoping to get in some good pics of Bella marshaling Ben in, holding the marshaling wands and spraying him off... But oh well! And considering it was 110 degrees outside... taking pictures on the tarmac would have been CRAZY HOT!

Regardless, we still had a PARTY at the Squadron!

The Tolle Family!

strawberry. marshmallow. blueberries... yum!

Col Tamblyn still made the boys get doused with water...

Lt Col John Tamblyn and Ben

It was a fun day... and even though it didn't go as planned... It was still filled with lots of great people and fun memories.

3 Years Old.

2011-06-16T14:43:00.000-05:00

Just thought I would get some pics up from Bella's 3rd Birthday this am.

She has been talking about this day and getting excited about it since the beginning of June.

I will write more and post more pics later on... but for now... Here is our sweet little girl, whose THREE!

She has been asking for a 'pink' kitchen for a while now... So that was her present.

I had the camera all set up to video her walking into the family room this morning... But she surprised me and came out of her room without making a peep. So I missed the initial reaction (which was priceless). I'll try to download the video later!

She tried to blow that candle out at least 5 times...

So mama had to help a little.

EVA SOPHIA

ALY Birthday Girl!

Friends at Bella's Party!

Bella showing that she is 'three'

The beloved Bouncy Castle...

Squadron Play Group!

2011-06-10T14:36:00.000-05:00

This morning we walked to the Base housing pool for the squadron play group! Bella is really doing well in the pool with her little life jacket. Every time we go, she is getting more and more courageous jumping off the edge, kicking her legs and going in by herself. Ethan on the other hand, was more excited about crawling around the pool like a mad man!

The bathing beauties: Sophie, Violet, Eva and Bella

Some of Bella's favorite people!

2011-06-10T14:26:00.001-05:00

Since last August, Bella has been going to Sunday School classes before church on Sunday's. She has the most WONDERFUL teachers. Half the time Belles is the only child in her class, so she has gotten totally spoiled by Ms. Julie and Ms. Jayme. Ever Sunday when we drop her off, they greet her with the biggest smiles and hugs. They both make her feel so special. There is no doubt in my mind that Bella will remember these sweet ladies when we leave and in her future. I believe Ms Julie and Ms Jayme have made a very strong Godly impression on our little girl and I know she is and will be a better person because of it.

Ben and I am so thankful for the love of Christ that Julie and Jayme have shown to Isabella. We sure will miss them when we leave!

On another note... we went up to Qwartz Mountain for lunch after church with three other families (wish I took my camera out of the car... and taken some photos). After some lunch, Bella was looking like a crazy woman... sometimes I wonder why I buy her nice clothes (it took me 3 washes, scrubbing and oxyclean soaking to get these spaghetti stains out).

One cute kid!

2011-06-10T14:15:00.002-05:00

This little guy is going to be my climber and mischief maker... He is into everything! We now have to keep the toilet lids closed (he makes a bean line for the toilet as soon as he gets into the bathroom), make sure we drain the bathtub (after he flipped over the tub edge while I was drawing him and Bella a bath (thank goodness I was right there) and watch him around the cupboards! He loves opening and closing the cupboards... especially the cupboard under the sink!

Ethan's first time pulling himself up to standing in his crib (May 17th, 2011)

Ethan's favorite toy! His Rocket!

Bath time is one of his favorites!

Our sweet little boy! He LOVES the swing!

Look at those chompers!!! Ethan has gone from almost 2 teeth at one year old... to having TWELVE teeth at almost 16 months. He does pretty well with his teeth coming in. Not too much fussiness or issues. Which make for one happy mama!

24 Weeks!

2011-06-01T14:44:00.003-05:00

I had my 24 week ob apt today...

I feel great! I am still teaching my spin classes and feel like I am in (somewhat) good (pregnancy) shape.

Baby girl loves to move around in the mornings and especially in the evenings when I head to bed. I have a feeling that she will be our biggest baby to date (hopefully not too big though). Bella weighed 7lbs 6 oz and Ethan was 7lbs 8oz, 9 days early). Her kicks and punches are really strong!

I have enjoyed this pregnancy so far and even after 2 pervious pregnancies, I am still mesmerized at the miracle of growing a baby!

I like being pregnant... Ben on the other hand, is a little tired of the extra pregnancy gas and hormones. He has said numerous times lately that he is ok if this is our last baby. When he asks me if I am 'done', my answer has been the same each time... "I can't say right now."After Ethan I knew I was not done having children yet. So we will have to see!

Here I am at 24 weeks.

20 weeks!

Memorial Day Outing!

2011-05-28T14:17:00.000-05:00

We went up to OKC for the night on Sunday. This will probably be our last trip to OKC before we head out. I will miss this city.

We stayed at the Hampton Inn. It had a little water park, which both the kids enjoyed playing at. It was a fun family outing on this special Memorial Day Weekend! Thanks for serving in the military honey! We are grateful for our freedom! The freedom that you and so many other, who have served for this country, have worked so hard to give us!!!

Night out at a Pizza Restaurant

Swimming in the pool!

Walk along the Riverwalk... This picture was taken right after Bella's treasured blankie went flying into the canal. Good thing it was within arms reach... or one of us would have had to take a swim!

Some photos in Bricktown

BEEing Like Jesus!

2011-05-26T12:12:00.000-05:00

Bella had her last MDO class today. She absolutely LOVED going to 'school' every Monday and Thursday since last August, from 9-2:30. Her teacher's Ms Loyce and Ms Robin were wonderful teachers and loves Bella so much. I know that she will miss going to school now that MDO is over for the year. Sometimes I don't know how Robin and Loyce were able to control 9 two year olds... and were even able to get all of them to lay down for a nap in the afternoons! A gift, for sure!

Bella learned her letters, colors and numbers, lots of Bible stories and songs, as well ashow much Jesus loves her and how to BEE like Jesus! BEE like Jesus was the MDO theme for the year. I am so thankful that our church has such a wonderful Godly program for our children. And even more thankful that the program has such wonderful ladies to teach the program.

Of course, if I was on top of things, I would have taken more photos throughout the year. Thank goodness Ms Robin and Ms Loyce were on top of things!! Although, I did take a few of Bella's last day of class.

Check out how much Isabella changed from the first day of MDO to the last!!!! Crazy!

Here are some photos documenting her MDO room!

Bella and Eva!

Girls eating cake at the MDO graduation ceremony.

I have a cute video of Bella and her class singing at the graduation... but I can't download it for some reason. Ben will have to help me with it later. Stay tuned!

It's a GIRL!

2011-05-20T09:42:00.000-05:00

Isabella and Ethan are excited to announce...

They are going to have a baby sister!

For a second there I thought this baby just might be a boy... But for the record I posted on Facebook the day before our ultrasound that I thought we were having a girl. The tech asked us too... Ben chose boy, I think he said that just because I said girl. But really... they are all just guesses anyway!
I am super duper excited that Isabella is going to have a little sister. Now she won't have to wish for a sister everytime she blows out her birthday candles every year like I did!
And another good thing is this baby will have plenty of clothes in her future!

We cannot wait for this little girl to be born and come into our family. She will be the perfect addition.
We are so blessed!

In the Life of Ben!

2011-05-15T20:52:00.002-05:00

MAJOR Accomplishment!

Other then being a great Father, wonderful spiritual leader and head to our family... Ben is a very dedicated and hard worker! His ability to organize, prioritize, focus and get the job done (successfully) all with a spirit of integrity and humility is one of his greatest characteristics. Ben is one of the hardest workers I know. He is never one to leave work, when there is still work to be done and I know he strives for a high standard of excellence. Over the last 3 1/2 years since we have lived in Altus, besides being an Instructor Pilot, Ben has had some high stress and very demanding jobs. However, he has managed to complete his Master's in less then two years, take on other demanding POC tasks and be a husband and father (to 2 little kids)... and usually ends up cleaning the kitchen every night!!!!

I am so thankful for Ben! For who he is, and because of who he is, for what he has accomplished along the way. While we were in Hawaii, Ben was notified that he is a Major Select this year! It wasn't all that much of a surprise (I had no doubt in my mind that he would make it). He will pin on the rank of Major within the next year and a half...

We are so proud of you honey! I am so thankful that our children have such a wonderful leader to look up to! Congratulations.!

33 Years!
It was Ben's birthday on Wednesday. It was nice, because he flew wednesday night... so he was home all day. I made his favorite dish for lunch/dinner and we had a June's cake. Bella and Ethan's favorite part of Daddy's birthday was his cake!

Happy Birthday honey & Daddy! We love you!

Insanity...
Ben started a workout called Insanity this past week (a high intensity 60 day video led workout). I wish I could do it with him... and I think he does too... I usually sit on the chair watching him do the workout and yell (I mean motivate) him to do the exercises properly and keep going. Bella has gotten into the motivating part also. Its quite cute...
Here are Ben's before pictures. Honestly, most 33 year old men would would want these photos to be their after pics... but stay tuned for his after photos in less then 60 days!
He'll probably be mad at me for posting these pics :)

Good work honey! You are doing a great job!

"Sprechen Sie Deutsch?"

2011-05-09T16:11:00.000-05:00

Do you speak German?

At this moment... NOPE! I can't say a single German word...

But maybe if you ask me in three years, my answer will be different!

WHY?

Because we are moving to GERMANY...

Ben got C-20's to Ramstein, Germany for his next assignment. It was Ben's top choice on his 'dream sheet'... so we are pretty excited.

As of right now, we are planning an August 16th departure date right after Dan & Frannie's wedding August 12th (Ben's brother). I will be 35 weeks pregnant. We figured it would be easier to move with two kids rather then three. We are really excited to go overseas and can't wait for all the adventures!

If you ever wanted to go to Germany... now you have people to visit!

Halfway!

2011-05-06T22:50:00.001-05:00

I was 20 week prego on Monday!!!

I am amazed at how quickly this pregnancy is going by. I am feeling great... I have been able to continue teaching my spin class twice a week. I have never really gone with the 'keep your heart rate under 140 bpm' like most of the pregnancy books tell you to. The doctors here are firm believers in keeping in shape during pregnancy and with every pregnancy have said as long as I exercised before, I can continue with the same sort of exercise. So that is what I do.

With that said... I have packed on the pounds in this first 20 weeks. So much so, that I am starting to think this baby just might be a boy.

I feel like I am constantly eating! Eating, munching and snacking literally all day long. But the thing is, is I don't ever feel full!!!! LOL!

So here is a tally of reasons for a Boy vs Girl up to this point (cont'd from a few weeks ago):

BOY:

Gained just as much weight, if not more then with Ethan. At this point (see below) with Belles, I think I had only gained 4 lbs and you could hardly tell I was pregnant.
This baby is only on the move sometimes... I remember having a scare with Ethan at 20 weeks, when he didn't move for almost a week straight. And this baby is similar. I will feel him/her move on most days, but sometimes, baby decides he is just too snug to move around and I wont feel him move for a few days in a row. Not the most reassuring thing.

GIRL:

I remember feeling like my bra strap was always too tight with Bella... and feeling like she was super high in my belly. I feel the same way with this pregnancy.

We have our ultra sound next week on Thursday and at this point, we are still going to find out the sex of baby. I have a few mixed feelings about it. Bella and Ethan were such wonderful surprises... that it is hard to think about not having that element of surprise during labor and delivery!!! It will be interesting to see if we like finding out the sex, or if we decide we like to wait.

So stay tuned for the big news nest week sometime!

20 weeks and 4 days with Baby # 3

20 weeks with Bella (Wow, what a difference!)

Stay tuned for more posts coming soon... as there has been a lot going on these days!

HE IS RISEN!

2011-04-23T23:15:00.000-05:00

No power in death...

Grace given for you and ME...

TODAY OUR SAVIOR IS RISEN...

I love this video of the RESURRECTION DANCE... The enthusiasm of young Christians proclaiming their faith in and thankfulness for the risen son Jesus Christ!!! and because it was filmed in Hungary not too far from where my Mom was lived for the first three years of her life. Brings tears to my eyes.

HE IS RISEN!

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die." John 11: 25-26

NOTHING in my life is more important to me then knowing Jesus as my Lord and my Savior!

There is no sting in death, when we have Christ! And on this day when my Savior lives and rose into heaven for you and ME I cannot help but reflect on what that means in my life. Is my life any different because of this gift? Do I have HIS joy, faith, perseverance, love and eternal perspective... I would love to say I do all the time... but I am a sinner and I'm not perfect and that is why I need HIM... and therefore even more thankful for HIS grace and mercy in my life!

Thank you Lord for being obedient... even obedient to death on a cross, so that through you we may have LIFE!

HE IS RISEN INDEED!