What's new?

OK-so everyone keeps bugging me to blog again. I don;t know what my deal is, I just can't get into it (and don't don't worry-I have not abandoned blogging for facebook-which everyone also keeps bugging me to join! I can't keep up a blog-do you think FB will be any better?!) Anyway, I need to upload pics again so I will post as soon as I remember to do that but what's new? Well, I am back to school, week #3! Allee has adjusted well to daycare (other than naps). They could not believe how much she grew up over the summer! She is so funny. It amazes me each day how she changes. I can;t get her to utter please or thank you but she will pull her blankie off her head and say "There she is!" or ask "what is that?" as she points to everything! I think I have told her the boys are practicing football everyday for 2 weeks now as we drive by the feild after school. At night all we have to do is ask her if she is ready for bed and she picks up blankies, gives kisses to whoever is not going upstairs, and heads to the gate. Then she hands blankies off and starts up the stairs. She has to stop every few steps and wave (the CUTEST thing ever-I'll try to get a pic) She's just growing up so fast. She is super cute with Garrett too (no, that does NOT mean we will have another baby soon either!) Well, I am at work and need to get Allee from daycare so I better jet. I will try to get pictures up soon (and make no promises about being a better blogger-but please check back on occassion-you never know!) ;] Happy Fall Days!

Baby, Baby, Babies!!!!!

I just wanted to take a post to say Congratulations to all of my friends and family who have had babies since I have last posted (and hopefully I do not forget anyone-leave me a comment to shame me if I do!) And I am also going to blank on a few middle names-sorry never been my stong point!

July
Jack Michael to Amanda and Ross W
William Cole to Tim and Sara B
Nina to Sara and Craig S

August
Jordyn Paige to Dana and Adam G

September
Garrett Michael to Wendi and Dave K (my nephew!!!!-I will post pics soon)
Alivia to Megan and Ryan D
Lucy to Lisa and Joe B

Wow! So many babies!!!!!! Congratulations to you all! You have been so blessed and I pray God blesses you with many happy, healty years!

And a few more pics...

Allee's 1st "big" boo-boo. She wiped out running down the hallway at my mom's and went face first into the wall (which is textured) This week alone she has gotten a big bruise on her leg-not sure how, wiped out in the tub and gotten a black eye (long story-totally my fault) and biffed it at my sister's today on the driveway and scrapped her chin. She's a little accident prone.

She LOVES to vaccuum! She tries to help me when I do it so I usually bust out "buster" and she helps me :] This is also her new cheesy grin!

Watching fireworks on the 4th-surprisongly she liked them! :]

Jenna and Allee being patriotic!

Shoot-I forgot tho rotate this one, oh well... Anyway, the other morning I looked over and she was licking the syrup off from her plate-what a silly goose!

More Pictures...

A Day at the Zoo with the Lucas'

Happy Father's Day Daddy!

Yes, she really is looking at herself in the mirror holding up an outfit-13 months going on 13! This was the same day she pulled her nose up at her sippy cup when I handed it to her with milk in the AM.

Mommy's little helper! It does not matter whose house she is at, if she hears the dishwasher open she comes running!

This is what happens when mommy leaves the Cheerio box on the edge of the table and someone can reach it!

Growing so fast!!!

Yes, I know, it has been forever since my last post AGAIN! I don;t know what happened, I got so busy with work and just got out of the habit of posting all the time. Anyway, Allee continues to grow, grow, grow! It has been fun to be home with her this summer and spend more time with her to see her change on a daily basis. She is running all over the place now, is becoming more verbal (says a few words and you can just hear that when she does start talking we are in TROUBLE!), she is really into "play" now-by that I mean more imaginative play like with her farm set or play kitchen, and overall she has her own personality!!!! She has found herself a little attitude as of late. When she wants something, she lets you know it, and when she doesn;t get what she wants, she lets you know that too! :] Her facial expression are hilarious! Beyond that, not much is new. We celebrated Allee's 1st b-day back in May with a family party at Brad's parent's house-she ate some cake but didn;t freak out on it or anything. We also went to the zoo with Brad's family for father's day-Allee was a hoot! She loved the tiger and the monkeys! Overall though it has been a BORING summer since the weather has been so cool. Not many trips to the pool. We do get to GH most weekends and walk the channel, etc... This weekend we helped Wendi and Dave move in with my Mom until their house is done, which is coming along nicely. Nothing too special coming up either-I have a 2-week training for work that I want to go to yet I am sure those will be the 2 warm weeks of summer (and it sort of signals an end to summer too, ya know?) Exciting news is that Wendi is due the end of Aug and my friend Sara B is having her baby the end of July. My friends Ross and Amanda just had a baby boy (Jack Michael)-Congratualtions guys!!!!!! I am so happy for them! And I have 3 other friends who are expecting within the next 3 months as well so it will be baby city!!!! It is so weird to see a newborn and think that was Allee just over a year ago-it is CRAZY how much they grow and change and learn in 1 year! Well, I think that is it-we just keep thanking God for our many blessings (jobs, health, family, and friends) when so many are not as blessed. I hope all is well with you and yours!

First Steps!!!!!

OMG! My baby took her first steps tonight-while it is absolutly cute to see her take 4 wobbly steps I am so not ready for her to be walking-to me it it just one more step away from baby and onward toward toddler but I suppose they must grow up sometime huh?! :] Well, wish us luck as we embark on this next step in the journey of parenthood-I am sure it will bring many funny stories (now I just need to be sure to post them) :]

Easter

After church we spent time with the Browers and then headed to my mom's to celebrate Easter as well as Dave's b-day (the big 29-last one before the BIG 3-0!).

11 month Picture

Climbing the Stairs...

They grow so fast!

10 month pic

It amazes me all the time how quickly Allee changes and how fast she is learning new things. Sometimes I look at her and I can't help but think she has somehow changed since that last time I looked at her 2 seconds earlier; her face has filled out, she has gotten taller, her hair is longer, etc... She is constantly learning new things too-such a little sponge she is! She is VERY verbal (I know-shocking!), she is into packing and unpacking things-cupboards being her favorite, and she recently learned how to climb the stairs. She also "cruns"-which is what Brad and I call this thing she does is which she crawls REALLY fast and you can hear her hands slapping on the tile and she makes this funny little noise-it's like running while crawling :]

Missing Dad...

I'm not one of those people who puts my emotions out there for everyone (unless its on the anger side right?! for those who know mw best) but since today is 3 years ago that dad died I thought I'd put a little post to say that boy do I miss him. I think my sister said it all better (read her blog) but know that we all think about him all the time, I still pick up my phome to call and ask a question, and oh how I wish he could see Allee grow-I know he would love her like he loved Jenna. Anyway, I'm not good at this so...

9 month pics

Here are just a few of her 9 month pics-I did them again. you can see all of the ones I deemed cute and a few other Misc pics at http://picasaweb.google.com/alleecat08/9MonthPics?feat=directlink

Finally a post!

Yes, we are still all alive (barely some days though it seems). I want to apologize to all of you who actually check this and are routinly disappointed by the lack of updates-and thanks for all the gentle reminders to do so. I will try to summarize what we have been up to and then post some pics. I have been oddly busy at work. I am always busy but for somr reason this year has been a strange sort of busy. I think it is a combination of trying to balance being a mom and a teacher-I can't just stay at work until 6 or 7 anymore and man am I tired by the time Alle goes to bed-and some added reponsibilites at work. Oh well, 12 weeks to go! With that being said, we just started a new trimester at school but it was also MME week (CHAOS!!!!) so I am ready for the weekend and will be glad when this week is done. To start fresh, with new kids is kinda nice but it won't be good until next week when all this state testing has died down. Let's see, Brad is still laid off, waiting for the weather to clear, but it sounds like they have work for the summer so we are thanking God for that, especially when many of his friends in concrete say their companies have nothing or very little. Beyond that, there are so many people that I love who are pregnant-so much fun!!!!! This summer will be full of babies. My sister Wendi is expecting in Aug. so it is fun to go through that with her again-esp. now that I know what it feels like. :]

Ok-So now for all the Allee updates, because that is really the only reason anyone reads this blog anyway! :] Well, she is 10 months old now. She is crawling all over the place. It started as this cute/funny army crawl and is now a very fast crawl-she is into everything! She has 8 teeth-4 top 4 bottom. At her 9 month apt (which was more like 9 1/2) she was 21 lbs 12 oz and 30 inches tall. She "talks" non-stop and has even started talking back a little when we tell her no or take things away from her-I think we have a sassy one on our hands! She has been saying mama and baba for months but just started saying dada a few weeks ago-she did it in backward order according to the Dr :] OOOOhhhh... she had the stomach bug, vomiting, thing a few weeks ago-YUCK! and then of course both Brad and I got it -YUCK! but there is nothing like holding your child while they projectile vomit to break your heart. I admit-I cried. Let's see, what else... She is eating, sort of... she was doing really good with table foods and eating any baby food we tried etc... but since she has been sick she has digressed-much less of an appetite and much pickier. I guess she'll eat if she's hungry right?! Actually I should say she always eats good at daycare-just not for me! :] and I've been hearing that a lot of babies do this "stage" at 10 months so we will see. Other than that, I think we have a daddy's girl on our hands. A few week's ago he had to work some insane hours on a commercial job and she didn;t see him from Thurs PM to sat noon-she would actually crawl around the house like she was looking for him and then when she saw him she just freaked out-it was so cute! Well-I think that is it for now. I will try to be a better blogger-promise.

More Pictures...

Christmas (Finally)

So I have been super lazy about posting, sorry! Our Christmas was great. Allee was so much fun and since she is a little older could sort of open presents. I had to laugh as I put pictures on the computer-so many of them have her putting something in her mouth or someone reaching to take something out. Here are a few pics of the MANY parties we went to.

Pics Finally...

You would think with so much time off from work I would have done this sooner...

Anyway, here are a few pics from the Christmas card shoot. I thought they should use the first one...


But the winner was...