Welcome to Our World

New Year Cheer

2012-01-05T21:32:00.004-05:00

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone!! It's been a while since I updated, but, like last time I think, not much really going on. But, I wanted to get up a few holiday pics for, well, whoever reads this. :)

For Christmas, we didn't do much. No traveling for us this year. 2 years in a row now. It was kind of nice that way. Next year is definitely our turn to make some road trips. It was kind of sad though, since I didn't get to see my mom.:( I have a feeling we will be making a trip down there soon. Speaking of my mom.... the picture below is of the boys in their Christmas robes from Grandma Amy Hoxie. My mom is so crafty, I love it. And they loved their robes. So cute. Thanks Grandma Amy!! And Hud's is big enough that it should fit him for a while. Nice work!

Now, it's not to say that we didn't have a BUSY holiday season, it just didn't involve significant road time. Which, again, I like. Traveling is bad enough (to me) add winter weather and a toddler, NO.FUN! In any case, we had a busy couple of weeks, but fun, and family, friends and food filled. All of my favorites.

This is our Christmas tree, courtesy of Grandma Susan. I was not going to put one up this year, for obvious reasons. I thought it would be IMPOSSIBLE to keep Hudson AND the cat out of the tree and presents. So, I just said, no tree, and no presents(well, no presents sitting OUT). I didn't think I would mind, but it ended up being kind of sad, and not really feeling like Christmas. I don't think the lack of snow outside was helping!! In any case, imagine my surprise, and joy, when I came home from work one day and Susan had brought the little guy pictured above and had it set up all nice and pretty and festive on top of the piano. It was perfection. I loved it.

My boys, Christmas morning. They were both looking at the camera and smiling when I started to snap this picture. How fast they move!! haha. Still cute. Love them both, SO MUCH!!

This picture above is Austyn and Hud starting the gift opening festivities at my dad's house. That was our first stop of the holiday celebrations this year, on December 18th. Since my dad works odd (and LOTS) hours at the mine, we had to take advantage of his time off to celebrate. It was a nice time, great dinner and great gifts. Hud got a little excited and stir crazy towards the end, so we had to cut the night shorter than anticipated, but, that's ok. We still had fun.

The next stop was Dewey and Susan's on the 23rd of December for what is becoming our traditional Christmas Eve Eve family get together. A delicious dinner, and great company again. I was so excited to give out my homemade gifts this year. I hope they all liked them. :)

After that was Christmas at our house. We were lucky to have SOME of my family here for that. Nick and Chicory were able to come up to celebrate with us, and my sister Richelle lives with us too. She had to work on Christmas, but she was able to be here for the early morning festivities. We decided we were all turkey and ham-ed out, so we went with a steak dinner with baked potatoes for Christmas dinner. Best.Idea.Ever! It was delicious!! Other than that, we just opened MORE great presents and enjoyed our time together, relaxing. It was a great Christmas season, the only way it could have been better is if I got to spend it with my mom, too.

And, for New Year's Eve.... we didn't do much at all, and it was nice. Austyn was at his dad's, so it was kind of a bummer that he wasn't around to celebrate with us, but he was happy to see his dad. We went to Dewey and Susan's for a bountiful snack buffet, and some games. Above, Hudson was "celebrating" his own way, dancing on the table. I think that's his favorite thing to do at their house. We went home about 8, and just watched t.v., until the ball drop. I was shocked I made it to midnight, because I did not think I was going to. :) Must be getting old.
2011 was a great year for our little family. It went by fast, maybe too fast. We had some definite tough times, but I'm positive that they made us stronger. I feel that our marriage is at it's best right now, and only getting better. Our kids are healthy and happy and a point of happiness and reason for a smile on my face everyday. I love them so much. I love Andrew so much. We have so much to be grateful for, and so many things to look forward to. I know that we will become stronger and closer in 2012, and I really look forward to all the new and wonderful things this new year will bring. :) Happy New Year everyone!!!

Just a quick note about the Jones...

2011-11-19T21:42:00.003-05:00

I figured I haven't given an update in a while (since Hud's birthday!!)so, it's time. We have been busy, but nothing major to really speak of, so I just kind of let our blog fall to the wayside. But, winter is just about here, it's snowed a few times already, and I am sure we will have some "fun in the snow" blogs soon. Especially since it's Hudson's first winter. (Well, that he will notice the snow anyway.) Should be fun. So anyway, until then I added just a few little pics that are recent, and that I love. :)

My boys, before church and the primary program. They are so handsome when they are all spiffed up. I love Hudson's little outfit. So.Cute. Austyn wants one too, so we are on the lookout for a bigger version for him. He likes to dress up like that, and I love it. Such handsome little men. I wish we would have gotten a family picture that day. Maybe next time.

Halloween, obviously. hehe. One of my favorites. It's so fun. Especially when your kids are still young enough that you get to pick their costume out. ;) Austyn is at the age where he likes to me "scary" things, so he was "jigsaw" from the Saw movies. Yuck. The mask did not scare Hudson a bit, I was actually a little surprised. I have a feeling next Halloween will be a different story. Hudson was a giraffe. I was originally going to have him be either a monkey (to go along with my whole monkey theme I have for him, because I love monkeys :)) or a skunk, because, well, it would have been ADORABLE! But, I found that giraffe costume at a garage sale this summer for $1, so a giraffe it was! I love a good deal, and really?? ONE DOLLAR for a Halloween costume?!?! Can't beat it, I had to buy it. The skunk may happen next year. After I saw all the monkeys this year, I have kind of given up on that idea. Unless I find a monkey costume at a garage sale next summer. haha

And lastly, Austyn's football season ended about a month ago. I think their record was 2-6. :( BUT, that's ok, they had fun, and that's what matters. He loved playing, loved his teammates and loved his coach. I think Austyn's was the only coach out of all the teams that you couldn't hear screaming. haha. He had one mishap during the season, that resulted in a trip to the E.R. in an ambulance. It was probably the scariest moment I have had as a parent thus far, and hopefully forever. It was terrible. He tackled someone, and hit them wrong or something, and hurt his neck. They made sure he could move his fingers and toes, and were pretty certain that his neck wasn't broken, but they wanted to take every precaution (better to be safe than sorry)so they called an ambulance, strapped him to a backboard and took him in for a c.t. scan. All was ok, he had a sprained neck, fixed with some ibuprofen and a neck brace. That happened in the second to last game of the season, and luckily, he was still able to play in the last game, in the dome. He had to wear a different jersey for the last game, since his was cut off in the E.R. He kept it for a souvenir. :) And, it didn't scare him out of playing football. So, I was sad to see the football season end (I love watching my kids play sports!!!) but have something to look forward to next year.
So, there is my quick little update. Sorry, no super exciting news this time, but, it's better than bad news. All is going great with our family, better than ever probably, and just keeps getting better. :) We are looking forward to the holidays, and will be posting updates as they come. Thanks for stopping by. :)

HUDSON IS ONE YEAR OLD!!!

2011-10-03T20:33:00.002-04:00

1 year ago, on October 1, 2010 at 7:58 a.m., Hudson Tyler Jones made his appearance into our lives, and changed them forever. :) He wasn't due until the 9th, but decided he was ready to be seen beginning on September 30th. I think he might have then changed his mind because he just would.not.come.out!!! So, after many LONG and PAINFUL hours of labor, an emergency c-section was required to get his stubborn behind to finally join us. He was worth every single miserable second of labor. So, here are a few pictures of his birthday party, and I will give little tid bits of info on him along the way. I hope you enjoy...

When he was born, he was 7 lbs 2 oz and 19 3/4" tall (haha, that's not really "tall" but you get it). That was the 25/50th percentile for both height and weight. I year later, he weighed in at 23 lbs 3 oz and 31" tall, which is the 50-75th percentile for weight and 75-90th for height. So, it appears, so far, we are going to have a tall and slender boy on our hands. We will see. He was bald when he was born, and for the most part, still is. :) He has a few little curls in the back, that are absolutely adorable, but that's about it. He is still the cutest baby ever, hair or not. Although, my opinion is probably considered biased. hehe. But seriously, he is a CUTIE!!

Hudson is, and always has been, a very happy and healthy baby. He has a very calm demeanor, RARELY crying or "mad". He usually has some sort of thoughtful or concerned look on his face, which I think means he is a thinker. He is very attentive of what is going on around him, and loves new things, places and people. I swear he is in a good mood, smiling and laughing about 80% of the time. He is, and always has been, a good eater, good sleeper and well behaved little guy. He just has an awesome disposition. We are truly blessed to have such a wonderful baby. This first year could definitely been harder, but we have been lucky. I can't explain how excited we were to find out we were finally gonna have a baby, then to finally meet him after a long 9 months, then, the icing on the cake, he is practically perfect! :)

Hudson rolled over for the first time at 1 month old, no joke. I think it was a fluke, because he didn't do it again until he was 6 weeks old, and even then it was still sporatic. He was laughing at just under 4 months old, and I still love that sound! He crawled by 6 months and was walking by 10 months old and was waving bye bye at around 8 months old. Now he has discovered that he can climb onto things, and he loves it. He is out little monkey boy. He loves to be outdoors, at the park or on walks or even just playing in the sidewalk in the front of our house. He is a very curious little man. Always learning, quicker than we can keep up.

For his first birthday, we had some family and friends over for a little party. My stepmom made 2 birthday cakes, both pictured in this post, that were awesome!! One was for all of the guests, and one was all for Hudson. We just put it in front of him and let him go at it. He has a good time, as you can see from the pictures. The party was perfect, good food, good people, good times. We are grateful for everyone that came to share the special day with us, for all the help from everyone and for all the great gifts. Hudson had no interest in the gifts during the party, so we opened them later (Austyn helped with that). Everyone gave wonderful gifts that will be put to good use. :) THANKS AGAIN EVERYONE!!!

So, this first year has been fun. As I said, it could have been harder, and we are so grateful to have such a healthy and happy baby. He keeps us on our toes, that's for sure, but it's all fun and exciting. He has hit some pretty huge milestones already, and has so much more, we are just enjoying all the new things everyday. Still waiting on some hair, and a few more teeth, but we're getting there. haha. :) We love, love, LOVE this little man. Both of our boys are amazing, in their own little ways. I am one lucky momma!! Looking forward to many more special years with my kiddos. :)

Football Season Is Here!

2011-09-18T20:06:00.002-04:00

It's finally here, FOOTBALL SEASON!! I am always sad to see summer go, but I love, love, LOVE football! It's sort of a comfort for the inevitable end of summer. Fall is my second favorite time of the year. I love the smell of fall, the colors, school starting again (haha), Halloween, pumpkins, spice scented everything, homecoming parades and football! Just to name a few. ;)

So, with all that said, I am super excited that this year Austyn started playing football too!! One more reason to be stoked for the football season. I have always loved watching football, but I think watching your own child play makes it so much better. It's so exciting and gives me such a proud and overwhelming feeling watching him play.

It's crazy how times flies, and I remember thinking, "I can't wait till Austyn is out there on a football field."

He's is doing good, too. He plays on the offensive and defensive line, as well as kick off's and kick off returns. He knows football is about hitting, and he's a hard hittin' kid. I think he is going to do really well with this sport, and I love to watch him play. I was kind of shocked to find myself yelling on the sidelines at his last game. I was really getting into it! haha. I didn't think I was one of "those moms", but I guess I am. Nothing crazy, of course, but I was a little worked up.

This is Austyn, on the ground, after knocking down a kick off ball, and laying on it, to give his team really good field position. So far, they have played 2 of their 6 games, and are 1-1. The last game was a little rough for them. But, hey, you win some, you lose some. It happens. They are all having fun and learning how the game is played, so that's what matters.

And this was him in uniform before his first game. I think he was a little nervous, but he did so good!! His team had the first game of the season, and Austyn got the first tackle of the season. It was so cool hearing them say his name over the speaker. It's things like that, first days of school, games days, dances, hearing your kids name announced during a sporting event or spelling bee or whatever it is that they do and love, that make you feel so overwhelmed with love, happiness and pride. I couldn't be more proud of Austyn, and it makes me feel so good seeing him out on the football field, playing a sport that I love, but more importantly, that HE loves. :) That's my boy!!

Busy little summer...

2011-08-19T22:11:00.002-04:00

It's been quite a busy summer for us this year, which is probably why I haven't blogged in a while. We have been trying to make the most of the summer... nice weather, fresh air and sunshine. I love it. So many things have been going on, I don't know where to start. I am sure I will leave stuff out, of course, but just a little update to touch on a few things going on. Oh, and I got the camera working, so there are pictures in this one. :)

Andrew and I had the opportunity to go to Mackinac Island last weekend. Very exciting! :) Kind of last minute, but I was stoked. I had only been there once, when I was in 9th grade, so I was really excited to go again. It was just one night, but it was fun. We are already thinking of making it a family trip for next summer, for at least a long weekend. It rained while we were there, so it kind of put a damper on things, we cut our trip short and it was hard to get good pictures, but we still had a wonderful time. So, the top picture is the lighthouse, obviously. Very cool. And the bottom one is Andrew on the boat on the way over. I am not a fan of large boats or being on one in a huge body of water, so I stayed put in my seat. He was lucky to even get me to sit on the top section!

We were also able to take a trip to my mom's house for a long weekend. That was nice too. We hadn't been down in a while and I was missing everyone, A LOT! The weather couldn't have been more perfect the entire time. My mom has a garden, and it.is.huge!! She has everything imaginable in it, just tons of deliciousness and beautiful flowers. Hudson was a fan of the garden. She also made some awesome jam while we were there to take home. LOVE IT! Thanks mom. Hudson also enjoyed a little sunbathing on my mom's deck, drinking from the hose, as you can see below. I was pretty surprised at how quick he learned to drink from the hose, as in, almost immediately! Such a smart little guy. ;)

Ahhh, the piano. Andrew has been wanting a piano for quite some time now. I found one on craigslist for $50, but it was in Calumet. Well, we didn't think we would find a better deal than that, so we made arrangements to borrow a truck and have a few helpers to go get it. The day we were supposed to go get it, we were informed that a family from the church had one that they were giving away!!! And they lived in the same town as us! SO, a FREE piano AND we didn't have to drive 2 hours to get it!! Can't beat that. :) So, this is the latest addition to our home, Andrew has been playing away already and really enjoying it. It's nice. Thank you very much to the Shearer family for the piano and to all who helped move it. We couldn't appreciate it more.

I planted a "garden" of my own this summer. Just a little test one to see how well I would do. So, I planted 2 rows of sunflowers (my favorite), a tomato plant, a pumpkin plant and a few creeping phlox. So far, so good. The tomato plant has tomatoes on it, the pumpkin plant is alive and flowering although actual pumpkins are questionable at this point, the flowers did pretty well, and my sunflowers are blooming!! The picture below is the first one to bloom. I was soooo excited. It's so pretty. Love it!

Lets see, what else... OH YEAH! Hudson is walking!! He has been scooting around the furniture or making his way around via overturned laundry basket for a few months, but over the past 2 weeks, he has managed to go from that and the occassional few steps from mom to dad to full blown walking. He can make it from the living room all the way into the kitchen. He is still a little tipsy and crashes quite a bit, but he's pretty much got it down. Our little guy is getting so big! So exciting, yet so sad at the same time. Austyn started tackle football this week. Crazy! He is doing really good though, and I plan to get some pictures and do a seperate blog on that soon. So watch for it. ;)
So, that was my "quick" little update. Hope everyone is enjoying their summer. We sure are. Au revoir.

July Fourth Festivities

2011-07-05T22:34:00.002-04:00

We had a wonderful weekend. It was busy, but it was a fun busy. Unfortunately, we had a camera that wasn't working, and Austyn took a trip downstate, so we didn't have him with us until the fireworks on Monday night. But, he had fun down there, visiting with family, so it wasn't all that bad of a thing for him to go. The camera not working was a real downer, especially with it being Hudson's first 4th of July experience and he also had his first camping experience. But we made the best of it, and will always have the "mental" pictures for our own memories. haha.
We went camping at Van Riper State Park on Saturday with my Dad and Connie. It.was.packed!! There wasn't a single open campsite, so I'm glad I thought ahead and reserved a site. It's a really nice campground, with a TON of camping spots, but I don't think we will go again on a holiday weekend. I like my camping to be a little more low key than that. They have a really nice beach there, with a park, so we took Hudson down to the lake to check it out. We have a short video of it on here (if it works), and as you will see, he wasn't a fan of the water. Yet. We are working on it though, and I'm sure he will be a little fish by the end of summer. :) He likes his baths, but I think the fact of it being the biggest bathtub ever, along with waves, was a little overwhelming. He did thoroughly enjoy the sand though, and was quite intrigued when I buried his legs. He's so cute. He also did very well sleeping on an air mattress in a tent for the first time. I wasn't sure how he would handle it, but he slept better than I did. He is just such a good and easy going baby. Perfection.

For the fourth, we headed down to the parade in the afternoon. The weather was beautiful. A little toasty to be sitting in the sun for a parade that lasted an hour and a half, but I'm not complaining. I am sooo glad summer in finally here. Hudson wasn't overly excited about the parade, just very interested. He was checking everything and everyone out very intently. We made it through most of the parade without any mishaps, until the end. The fire trucks came by, honking horns and blaring sirens, and that was it for him. His eyes got huge, his lip went out and then came the tears. I felt so bad for him. He wrapped his little arms around my necks and held on for dear life. Poor little guy. It was a little traumatic for him, but he made it through like a little champ. :) After that incident, we headed out to Beth and Stuart's for a family get together. It was good conversation and good food with great people. By the end of that, Hudson, and his sweaty little red cheeks, were whipped! He was asleep before we got home. And I think it's safe to say, he didn't attend the fireworks this year. I was impressed, however, that he didn't even wake up when all the fireworks were going off, considering we only live about 6 blocks from where they shoot them off. Good little sleeper!! Austyn, Andrew and I enjoyed them from the courthouse steps. They had some really cool ones, and an impressive "grand finale". Again, no camera, BOO, so no cool pics. Very disappointing for me. Guess it's time for a family gift to ourselves pretty soon. With kids (especially as cute as ours! hehe), sports, family functions and events, you really can't be without a camera these days. We will work on it.

Well, I hope the video works. And I hope everyone had a safe and happy holiday, and took a moment to reflect on why we celebrate the Fourth of July. Remember to thank our troops (past, present and future) who make our freedom possible. I am grateful everyday for the sacrafices they have made and continue to make for our country, and a proud sister of a soldier, hoping for a safe return home for my brother.

A little video....

2011-06-29T20:34:00.003-04:00

Just trying out the posting video skills. A quick little clip of Hudson's first attempt to walk. Enjoy. :)

School is out!!

2011-06-12T21:40:00.004-04:00

As of Friday, school is out for the year. Yay!! Austyn was happy to be done for the year. Also, this was his last year in elementary school. Next year, it's off to middle school already. That's crazy to me. I can't believe how old he is getting, or how old I am getting!! :) Either way, we are proud of him. He is growing into quite the young man,(even if it is too soon!). Once again, for the 2nd time this year, Austyn got all A's on his report card. So, for 2 of the 3 semesters, he got all A's, and the first semester he got the same except one little B. But that's ok, can't complain about that!.

On Wednesday, Austyn had his last cubscouts meeting. They got their Arrow of Light award. The highest award in cub scouting. Very cool! Another reason to be proud of him. I love this kid!! Next year it's on to boy scouts! YAY!! He really likes it, and looks forward to it every week. I really think it's a great program and really hope he sticks with it.

A picture of the "family" part of the group, sans Andrew.

And here is one with Andrew and Austyn.

We spent the weekend doing more stuff to the house. My sister and I tore off the wallpaper in the office area and painted it green. It used to be this really dark brown color with a wolf wallpaper along the top. Way too dark for that room, and not really my style. So, since she is moving in with us for a while and we needed to clean it out anyway, it was the perfect excuse to paint it while it was empty. It was a little more work than I expected for such a small room, but it turned out awesome and looks sooooo much better now. I am glad we did it. I think the next project will be to get rid of the wallpaper in the breakfast nook and paint that too. Maybe next weekend, or.... :)

And finally, the last bit of "news" for this weekend update... I got Andrew a flip for a Father's Day/birthday gift. We have been wanting a video camera for a while, so what better excuse than a gift, and killing 2 birds with one stone at that!! (Even though I hate it when people combine my birthday gifts with Christmas gifts. hehe) It's small, quick and convenient. We love it. I tried to upload a video, but it didn't work. There is one of Hudson on each of our facebook pages that you can see (if you're on our friends list). If not, keep checking back, I will keep trying to figure it all out. Until then, thanks for stopping by and have a great week.

Yard Beautification...

2011-06-05T17:36:00.003-04:00

This weekend was BEAUTIFUL! So, we spent the weekend cleaning up the yard, again, and adding to it. I decided that I didn't like our lame excuse for a front yard, and, with the help of my sister, ripped out the "grass". That was A LOT of work. Then we put in bricks around the edge, stone pavers to walk on, some hostas and other pretty little flowers. And, to top it off, covered it all up with some red mulch. It looks amazing! Like I said, it was a lot of work, I have the bruises, sunburn and sore muscles to prove it, but it was worth it. I am really glad we did it, and glad my sister was here to help. :)

This is a picture of our hard work in the front of the house. The picture doesn't really do it justice, I couldn't get a good picture. So, if you want to see how awesome it really is, you are just gonna have to come see for yourself. :)

Huddy came out to "help" in the yard for a bit. He just loves to be outside, but he doesn't like his knees to touch the grass, as you can see by this picture. Before we did all the yard work, my sister and I took Hudson for a nice, long walk downtown. I like to go check out the little shops downtown, and he likes to just chill in his stroller, or sleep, which is what he did most of the time.

This picture really has nothing to do with the weekend, it wasn't even taken this weekend, but I love it! Hudson looks like he is jammin' out, it's hilarious!

So, anyway, that was our weekend. It was pretty perfect I must say. Could not have asked for better weather or better results from all of our hard work. I hope everyone else has as great of a weekend as our little family did. Till next time...

50 Random Facts About Me...

2011-05-30T21:11:00.003-04:00

I rarely, if ever, do a blog about just me. I don't even know who reads this, or what they want to read about when they do, but I figured I would mix it up a bit from the normal "family life" blog. Don't get me wrong, I love my family more than anything, and like writing about us, but I thought something different would be a fun, nice change. So, I decided to post some random facts about me (as the title states) that whoever reads this may or may not have known. So, here they are....

1. My birthdate is December 15, 1978.
2. I am the oldest of 5 children. I have 3 brothers and 1 sister.
3. I lived in the Grand Rapids area until the 8th grade, when we moved to Benzie County (near Traverse City).
4. I moved to Marqette in 2007.
5. My favorite color is green. Followed closely by pink and orange.
6. My favorite flowers are sunflowers and carnations. Daisies are a close second.
7. I have only been to 2 concerts in my life, both of them were Gary Allan concerts, and I would go again anytime. He is amazing!
8. I can't decide if I like summer or fall better. I love the heat in the summer, but fall is beautiful and I like the smell outside during the fall. :)
9. I make lists for almost everything I do. Which, some may say is more work than what the list is for, but I like to do it, and I actually need to do it.
10. Even with my lists, I forget stuff.
11. I was a cheerleader in high school for basketball and football for the entire 4 years. Captain most of the time.
11. I ran track in high school for one year and fastpitch softball for one year.
12. I only weighed 97 lbs. when I graduated high school!! Kinda weird!
13. I can't decide on just 1 favorite food, I like so many things.
14. I LOVE cheesecake. So much that when I was a little girl, I didn't have birthday cakes, but cheesecakes instead, courtesy of my awesome mother.
15. I am allergic to latex, demoral, walnuts and random fruits, like bananas, kiwis, papaya..
16. I can pop my hip in and out, it's pretty gross actually.
17. I have had 5 surgeries on my left knee.
18. I love to go fishing, out on the lake, rain or shine, warm or cold.
19. I can swim, and love to,but have a fear of jumping off of boats, docks or anything else floating in the water that I will have to swim back up to. I will only enter and exit the water on foot, from and to the shore. PERIOD!
20. I have never been to college, but wish I would have gone.
21. When I was a little girl, I wanted to go to school to be a vet. Of course.
22. If I could go to college now, I would probably choose forensic science. I would love to be a forensic scientist or crime scene investigator.
23. I love scary books and movies, but have found out the hard way it's dumb to watch them alone, day or night! haha
24. I had my first child at 21 years old, and waited 10 years to have another one!
25. My mom and my sister are my best friends.

26. My non-relative best friend lives in South Carolina. We have been best friends since high school, talk almost daily, and we are proof that distant doesn't matter for TRUE best friends.
27. I have never been any further west than Iowa. Lame, I know.
28. IF I EVER get to go on a real vacation, I want it to be Hawaii.
29. I hate to have my picture taken.
30. There are rarely any pictures of me without my tongue sticking out.
31. My best subject in school was English, although you probably couldn't tell from my writing skills now. :)
32. I HATE clutter.
33. I'm one of those people that usually tells it like it is. Some people love that about me, some hate it. I have learned over the years though, that there are ways to say what needs to be said without being hurtful, usually.
34. I bit my tongue off when I was a little girl, jumping from the couch to the coffee table. Gross!
35. I hate shopping, all kinds, unless its for my kids or my husband. I can always find a million ways to spend money on them, but never myself.
36. I have never wanted to be a stay at home mom, until recently. And even now, I just wish I could be home at least part time. Not sure I would want to be a full time stay at home mom.
37. I have recently discovered that it's harder than you think to come up with 50 random facts about yourself. hehe
38. My hair is naturally curly (more like wavy actually), I just straighten it every day, and I hate it!
39. I do not like politics AT ALL!
40. The only sport I really like to watch on T.V. is football, and I LOVE IT!
41. I have never been on an airplane.
42. I think a cruise would be cool but I am terrified of huge ships, I don't know why.
43. I am more afraid of june bugs than any other bug, except maybe spiders. It's close.
44. I have had 5 cars in my life. They were all either white or red. strange.
45. I have 3 tattoos.
46. I love the smell of gasoline. So weird.
47. I am still afraid of the dark, or maybe what's in it. Not sure, it's just creepy.
48. I love the 4 seasons, but not a huge fan of winter time. After the first snow, I'm over it!
49. I get excited over stupid things, talk too fast and laugh at inappropriate times, but that's what makes me ME!
50. I probably could have come up with more things about myself, maybe more interesting, maybe not, but I always have a million things running through my head at once, so this is what you get! HA

So, there's a little about me, hope you enjoyed it. Maybe I can get Andrew to do one next, although I doubt it. :) We'll see.

AUSTYN TURNS 11!

2011-05-20T21:43:00.002-04:00

May 17,2000 at 6:30 a.m. I was admitted to the hospital and tried to prepare myself for the birth of my first baby. He wasn't supposed to be here until May 23rd, but I was excited to have him coming early, especially on the 17th, my lucky # and softball #. My labor wasn't really that long, or particularly hard (especially to what I would experience 10 years later! :) We didn't know if it was going to be a girl or boy, but I just had a feeling it would be a boy, and I was right! At 6:33 p.m. that night, Austyn Andrew Tabbert entered the world at 7 lbs, 4 oz and 19 1/4 inches long. He was so perfect. His head was filled with fuzzy black hair, and his 10 tiny toes and 10 tiny fingers were the smallest and cutest things I had ever seen.

From the time he was born, Austyn has always been an "easy" kid. He is fun loving, well mannered and polite, smart, thoughtful and kind and has a wonderful sense of humor and personality all around. He has given me challenges along the way, but what kid doesn't. But, I do have to say I am lucky and grateful to have had the honor to be the mother of such a wonderful kid. He is an all "A" student, has lots of friends, loves his family (especially his baby brother), very helpful, athletic (which I really love since I am too) and almost always makes a good impression upon meeting people. (he is an eleven year old boy after all, haha)

So, this year we didn't do a birthday party for him. I have given him a party EVERY year since his first one, and decided it was time to slow down on that. We told him last year that he could only have one every other year from now on. He was ok with that. I did make cupcakes for him to take to school on his birthday, and we also made a cake at home for him that night, in addition to his dinner of choice, spagetti. So, I still did my best to make it special, without going all out.

Here are some pictures of him opening his gifts in the morning. Of course, Hudson had to be a part of it too. Austyn didn't mind, and it was very cute. Enjoy. :)

A cool new shirt. Hudson is just noticing that something is going on over there.

Some more clothes...(I know, boring, mom!) I can't help it, his birthday is the perfect time to get him stocked up for summer clothes! Hudson also got more into it, and helped unwrap these last ones.

And, a video game. Finally! something cool. "Thanks mom"! haha. And then there's Hudson, confused that it was over so soon.
I love my boys, both of them. I can't believe it's been 11 years since I had my first "little" boy. They grow up SO fast. It's kind of sad. But it's been so fun watching him grow into a young man. And I am so proud of him, I couldn't have asked for better kids!

MAY 15TH.....

2011-05-15T09:11:00.004-04:00

2 years ago today, Andrew and I were married at the Landmark Inn. It was a small ceremony with mostly family, and a few friends. It was perfect. The food was delicious, the ceremony was short and sweet, and the company was good. It was very pretty, nice and relaxed, and most of all, the first day of our new life together as husband and wife. :)
So, I decided to do a short (hopefully) blog about why I love my husband. And have included some pictures of us together.

I love Andrew because he is kind and thoughtful. He always does nice things for me, even if I don't ask him to, and doesn't ever complain about it. Even if it mean going out in the cold to put gas in my car (seriously, I think I can count on 1 hand how many times I have put gas in my own car since we've been together. :)) And that's just one small thing, I really don't have enough time or room on this blog to list all the nice things he does for me. Just trust me, he's awesome.

I love Andrew because he makes me laugh. Even when I don't want to laugh, even if I am very sad, or extremely mad, EVEN AT HIM, he can make me laugh or at least put a smile on my face. He has a silly side a lot like mine and likes to goof around, sometimes too much, but I love that about him. He doesn't let things get too serious.

I love Andrew because he knows me. He knows what I love, and what I hate, and pays attention to ME. Which is nice for obvious reasons, but it's also nice because he gets me the most perfect gifts!! :) The last 2 he got me seriously made me cry. They were SO thoughtful and beautiful. It was almost like he knew me better than I do. He knows when I need a nap (and takes care of Hudson and/or Austyn for me so I can take one), when I need help around the house (and does it without me asking), when I am hurting he gives me feet rubs and back rubs, gets take out when I am too busy or tired to cook... the list goes on and on. You get the idea I think.

I love Andrew because he is smart and determined. He is always working very hard at work (and at home), and doesn't complain when there is MORE to do. He is very ambitious and tries his best to do the best he can for us. Even if he works late or had an especially rough day at the office, he still comes home and helps Austyn with his homework, does the dishes or other housework, and helps with Hudson, and DOESN'T complain. He might pass out on the couch shortly after that, but can you blame him? :)

I love Andrew because he is a wonderful father and stepfather. He is so good with Austyn, it's almost like he has always been a part of his life. He helps with his homework and cubscouts stuff. If Austyn has a sporting even, Andrew helps him practice and is always at the game to watch and cheer him on. He is always very supportive of Austyn. When I was in the hospital and right after I got home and was busy with the baby, he made sure Austyn still got to football and got rides to his friends' house to hang out. He took him to the movies and out to eat, and made sure he was getting attention and not getting too bored when I wasn't able to do those things. While I was pregnant, he did all the things I couldn't, even if it sucked or wasn't really his thing...(cleaning the bathroom, laundry, grocery shopping...) He made sure I was taken care of and as comfortable as possible. When I came home with the baby, I slept on the couch, with Hudson in the pack-n-play, because it was easier than getting in and out of my bed after a c-section, and Andrew slept on the floor or on the loveseat in the living room with us. It was soooo sweet. He did ALL the running around, cleaning, and cooking (aka getting takeout, but he tried :). I just can't express enough how much that meant to me.
These are just a FEW reasons why I love this man so much, and why I love him more and more every day. He gives me a new reason every day and I cannot wait to see what the rest of our lives together brings.

Hooray for May!

2011-05-11T20:06:00.000-04:00

YAY! Spring is FINALLY here!! Although this winter seemed shorter and more mild than the previous years, the last little bit seemed to drag out and was very close to torture. But, it's over now, and the nicer weather is here, and I am looking forward to days at the beach, picnics, bbq's, having the windows open, flowers, sunshine and sunkissed skin. :)
In the meantime, we have been spending time outdoors when we can, even if it means still wearing a jacket. At least it's not layers and layers! May is a busy month here in our home, and this May even more so. On top of Mother's Day, Austyn's birthday (17th) and mine and Andrew's anniversary (15th), my mom, sister and I did the Mother's Day craft show at NMU. It went well for it being our first time, it was kinda slow, but not too bad. I guess in years past it has been MUCH busier (according to the other crafters who have been there before). So, we will go again next year I'm sure, and hope for a better turn out. It was fun though and I am looking forward to the Christmas craft show in December.

So, as I said before, we have been spending more and more time outdoors, weather permitting, and really enjoying it. Hudson, especially seems to be very fond of the outdoors. We usually go for a walk or over to the park for at least a little bit everyday. As soon as we step outside he is all smiles. He is very curious about the outside, as you can see from the picture above, where he found a leaf. He is just too cute. I love to watch him explore everything around him.

Austyn is signed up for football this year. And this time, it's not flag, it's tackle, the real deal. :) He is pretty excited about it, and actually, I am too. So, he is trying to be prepared, somewhat, and decided that when we go to the park, he needs to bring a football to practice. Not a bad idea. I admire his ambition and drive for the things he really loves to do. (I just wish he had that much ambition for his chores! haha) So, he and Andrew threw the ball around for a bit.

This is me (and my mom in the background) and my boys on Mother's Day. I just LOVE both of them soooo much. As I said, I did the craft show with my mom, so it was awesome that I got to spend Mother's Day with her. She is, hands down, the best mom ever. I could not have asked for a better mother. She is my best friend, my support system, my advice giver, listener, teacher and SO MUCH MORE! So I was glad she was here for the extended weekend. The show went well, Andrew and Austyn were VERY helpful with the house and Hudson, they came to visit us at the show so I didn't miss them too much, and they even got me a really great gift from a vendor there that I absolutely L.O.V.E.! We walked down to Aubree's Pizza for dinner, then down to Lower Harbor park for a bit, then back home to relax. I could not have asked for a better Mother's Day. I am so lucky to have 3 wonderful guys in my life. They mean the world to me.

And lastly, Austyn's art was featured in the DeVos art museum during the Children's exhibit. I was so excited for him and so proud of him. This is the second time his art has been chosen to be in it. Last time was a painting, this time it's a sculpture. He is very talented and seems to really enjoy art. I think it may be time to get him into some art classes. I want to encourage him to continue with his creative side. So, the picture is him with his art. His was a little embarrassed because, well, he is just at that age now where it's embarrassing to go places with your parents, especially when they want to take pictures. Haha. He will just have to get used to it, these are the kinds of things I want to always remember.
So, I hope you all had as wonderful of a Mother's Day as I did. I can't wait for next years. There aren't many days that are just for me around here, so I really cherish them. :)

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T19:29:00.004-04:00

Happy Easter everyone. I hope you all had as wonderful of a day as we did. We woke up this morning to a smiling happy baby, and the day just seemed to get better and better. We all got up and got ready for church and headed out. After church, it was back home for me to hide Austyn's eggs for him. This was the first year in many that he actually wanted to color eggs. I think he forgot how fun it was, because when we finished 12, he said..."that's it"? haha. We had a lot of fun together. So, Andrew dropped me off after church so I could get them hidden. Austyn is aware of the Easter Bunny situation, but he still has fun looking for eggs, and presents!

When we got all done with that, it was time to start my first attempt at a "formal" Easter dinner. I have mastered Thanksgiving, but had never done Easter. I have never cooked a ham. And I know, they are already cooked, but you still gotta "season" it and throw it in the oven. I am not a huge fan of ham, but Andrew is, so that is why I cooked it to begin with, and I wanted it to turn out good. And..... it was DELICIOUS! A success! I am quite pleased to say that I am turning into quite the good cook. :) Along with the ham, we had... redskin potatoes with butter, garlic and herbs (YUMMY!!), corn and biscuits. It all turned out very good, and was done right on time. I also made an "Easter basket cake". Which, 1. I forgot to take a picture of, and 2. not that sad that I didn't get a picture because, of course, it didn't turn out quite as pretty as the picture in the recipe. But, isn't that always the case? Not really a cake decorator either, not really my thing I guess. Oh well, it tasted good, and that's all that matters, right? (it wasn't THAT bad, I just am not satisfied with my work unless it's PERFECT, that's just me, though.)

We had our neighbors over for dinner. So, there was 8 of us total. Hudson slept right through dinner, which was actually kinda nice, especially since he gets around pretty good now. I was able to eat all of my dinner at once, while it was warm. :) Jen, our neighbor, brought me a beautiful Easter Lily, pictured below, and I loved it! I used to buy my mom an Easter Lily every year at Easter, but have never gotten one myself, so it was really nice, and kind of extra special for me since it brought back the memories of Easter with my mom that I have missed out on since I moved up here.

After dinner, Jen went home along with her oldest son, and Andrew and I took her two youngest kids on a walk with our family. Hudson absolutely loves to be outside, he just can't get enough. He smiles and screeches and coos, it's so cute! We walked up to the school and let the kids play at the park for a while, then did a little loop back around to our house. The day was gorgeous, the food was delicious, the kids were so well behaved, I really could not have asked for a better day. So, again, I hope you all enjoyed your holiday as much as us. Please enjoy a little taste of our wonderful day with the pictures below. :)

My beautiful Easter Lily. It smells wonderful too!!

Hudson in his Easter outfit. Too cute for words really!

Our family photo before church this morning. Thank goodness for self timers!

Spring break, vacation and a half birthday...

2011-04-10T22:45:00.004-04:00

Wow, spring break has come and gone. It kinda snuck up on me this year. I guess we have been pretty busy, between working full time, getting settled into a new house and taking care of a new baby, things go by pretty fast I guess. It's all been great though, and I have no complaints. Most people I have talked to say that the winter dragged on and was too long. I usually feel the same, but this year it seemed to be very mild compared to most winters, and it seemed to go by fast. Here we are, into spring, heading towards summer, and I am EXCITED!

First things first, AUSTYN GOT ALL A'S ON HIS REPORT CARD!!! We are so proud of him. He always does well in school, but ALL A's?!?! I rewarded him with $5, and I was thinking I should take him to get a book or see a movie also. I really want to encourage good grades, studying and working hard at school. It's important to me that he understands how important it is to do well in school.

We went downstate for spring break, which seems to be our "thing" the last few years. The weather wasn't great, but not that bad either. It was what was to be expected for the first week of April in Northern Michigan I guess. I don't mind at all though. I get to see my family, for a whole week, which I love. It's really tough living so far away from them. I have always been very close to my mom, so my week at their house for spring break, no matter what the weather, is very important to me. We didn't really do anything to specatular or exciting, but it was fun in any case. My mom, sister and I did some crafts. (to prepare for the craft show we will be a part of in May at the Superior Dome.) We did some shopping, I got a lot of great deals at second hand stores for Hudson's summer wardrobe. My brother came over just about every day to hang out too, which was awesome. We all just hung out, grilled out and chatted. It was a really good time.

Austyn got to take his BB gun and get some target shooting in, which he was excited about. My mom has chickens and ducks, so Austyn was in charge of collecting the eggs in the morning and evenings for her. I think he liked it, it made him feel helpful. :) Which he was. After the first day, he asked if we could get some chickens. I don't think we really live in an area that is, uh, chicken friendly. haha. But, if we ever move to a farm, I will keep that in mind. Hudson was quite interested in the chickens and ducks as well. We took him out to see them, and he would just stare and stare, not really knowing what to think. It's fun to see him check out all the new sights and sounds.

On our way home, we stopped in St. Ignace to stay the night in a hotel with Dewey and Susan. The boys got to play in the pool. Which, this was Hudson's first time, obviously. He didn't really know what to think at first, but then he seemed to be enjoying himself quite a bit. His little legs were just kickin' away under the water. It was cute. :)

The stay at the hotel was pretty nice, it broke the long drive up nicely. We came home on Sunday, early afternoon, and that was convenient. We had time to get everything unpacked and put away, and get all of our laundry done. Then, since it was so nice out, we decided to take a little stroll. Austyn was finally able to get his bike out from the winter storage, which he has been dying to do, and Hudson got to relax in his little stroller while daddy pushed him along. He was having a good time. We walked up 7th, and through the cemetary. I really love the location of our house, it is soooo convenient. We are both so close to work, Austyn's school, the park and the beach. We have all kinds of "routes" to take for family walks. I LOVE it!!

As the title mentions, Hudson is 6 months old now!!! Time is just flying by! I can't believe how fast the first 6 months have gone by, maybe a little too fast. He is getting so big, it's just crazy. He hasn't had his 6 months check up yet (that's tomorrow), but when he was sick a few weeks ago we took him to the doctor, and he was almost 20 lbs! He is a big boy. He is trying to crawl now, he can get up on his hands and knees and rock back and forth, but so far, no forward moment to speak of. He can scoot backwards, but it usually just makes him mad because he is getting further away from his goal. It's cute though. He is still such a good baby. He giggles and smiles all the time and it just melts my heart. He seems to be interested in everything now. He grabs at things, and looks at everything so intently. We all just love him so much, he really is a wonderful baby and a joy to have in our lives. I am the luckiest mom ever to have the 2 most handsome and smart guys for my boys! :)

These are a few of my favorite pictures from spring break. The one on the top is Hudson checking out the chickens. haha. You can tell he doesn't know what to think of them. (p.s. that is the hat my mom made for him and its absolutely ADORABLE!) And the one on the bottom is, well, just perfect! What a great smile. So.So.Cute!

Mid-Winter Fun

2011-02-13T21:46:00.005-05:00

We are about half way through the winter, and I think everyone is getting a little cabin fever. This last week was VERY cold, the coldest days of the winter so far, but it warmed up nicely for the weekend. It was a nice change.

Hudson had his 4 month check up on Monday, and shots :( , but did well. He is a healthy 15 lbs, 10 oz and 25 1/2" tall. He has over doubled his birth size. The doctor was very pleased with his growth and development, and so are we. He is so fun, and such a good baby. He sleeps through the night now, for about 10-12 hours at a time, and that is awesome!! We are so lucky to have such a healthy, happy baby. Not to mention how absolutely adorable he is! ;) I think the picture above is hilarious, his face is so funny. He is full of expressions, all of them so fun and cute, there are just too many pictures to take and share.

So, on Saturday, I was in the kitchen doing stuff, and I heard Hudson start to fuss a bit. So I went into the living room to get him and he wasn't on the floor where I had left him. I looked at Austyn in the chair and was about to ask where the heck Hudson was, and saw this perfect moment. Austyn has picked him up and put him in the chair with him to watch some you tube videos. It was so cute. Hudson is always amazed with Austyn and loves to watch him all the time. If Austyn is in the room, Hudson stares and stares at him, distracting him from anything else he is doing. I love it.

Since the weather was so nice this weekend, we decided to get out of the house for a bit, and enjoy it. We figured it was even warm enough to take Hudson out to see the sights of winter. It was his first winter outing, other than the occassional trip from the house to the car for trips to the store and such. I am not sure how he felt about it, he just looked around. I think we had him bundled up pretty good, so I don't think he was cold. He didn't like the wind in his face though. He just hung out with daddy, watching Austyn sled down the hill at the park next to our house.

His little face is so cute, all chubby and packed into his snowsuit.

When we got home, Austyn and I decided that we hadn't had enough of the outdoors yet. We wanted to soak up all the "warm" weather we could while it was here. Besides, it was perfect snow for making a snowman. So, that's what we did. We didn't have carrots and coal for the "normal" snowman making, so we used pine cones and branches. And we decided instead of a hat, we would give him hair with the bare branches left over from his arms. After the picture taking of our wonderful snowman, Austyn decided to take him out. So, he was soon just a smashed up pile of snow and pine needles.

After the snowman, we decided we wanted to make the biggest snowball we could. So, here it is. That thing was so big, and heavy, it got to the point of being impossible to push anymore. This picture is of Austyn trying to give it one last push, to add as much to it as he could. After we got to that point, he told me that I should go in the house with Hudson, and send Andrew out to help him finish our massive snowball. Since Andrew's muscles are bigger. :) It was a lot of fun, and turned out to be quite impressive in my opinion. That is a huge snowball!!

All in all, it was a nice weekend, with lots of family fun. We enjoyed our time outside, but I think its safe to say we are all ready for winter to be over and springtime to get here. We can't wait to be able to spend more time outdoors, without the cold, wet and bundling involved in it now. Not much longer, hopefully. :)

Hello 2011

2011-01-09T00:22:00.003-05:00

Well, 2010 has come and passed, and it was a very good year for us. New baby and a new house, we couldn't ask for more or be more grateful. We are so lucky to have such good things happening in our lives, and all of the great people that are a part of it as well, it really is a wonderful and fulfilling feeling. I am excited to see what the new year brings! :)

I didn't remember to have my camera out on NYE, which was a bummer. Although, Austyn was at a friend's house, and Hudson is too young to care, and wasn't even awake, I still wish I would have documented it with a nice little picture. Andrew and I stayed home with Hudson, and I made a few little snack trays for us to enjoy. The last of the holiday junk foods, then on to healthier eating for all of us.

This picture of Hudson was taken on New Year's Day. He is in his new snowsuit he got from his Aunt Richelle for Christmas. He already outgrew the other one from Uncle Chad and Aunt Libby. He is growing so fast. He is 3 months old exactly in this picture. His first picture, and first outing of the new year. We were on our way to Dewey and Susan's for New Year's Day lunch, which was a delightful assortment of chinese. Yummy!! I couldn't resist the picture, he is so darn cute in his reindeer suit. :)

The picture below is Hudson, in his baby's first Christmas outfit, on Grandma Hoxie's lap. He was having a great time, getting so much attention from everyone. He is such a smiley and happy baby, and I think this picture captures that perfectly.

Christmas for us was busy, eventful and fun. We did Christmas with Dewey and Susan on Thursday. We had dinner and exchanged gifts with everyone and just had a nice, low key evening. Very relaxing, just the way I like things.

On Friday, we went to my dad's house, and unfortunately, I wasn't feeling good. I didn't have my camera, and really was in no shape to be out and about or visiting with anyone. When I got home, I was bummed to still be sick, because my family was here to visit for the holidays as well, and I just went straight to bed. Austyn and Andrew were not too far behind, with both of them coming down with the flu late that night. I was feeling a little better Christmas morning, as was Austyn, but unfortunately, Andrew was not, and was laid up in bed until Sunday morning. :( Not many pictures were taken, again, because I was not feeling well and was pretty busy. So, it was not the greatest Christmas, but we were thankful to have family there to help, and that Hudson did not get it!!

The picture below was one I got of all the family that was here to visit, (besides Nick and Chicory), gathered around my table playing some cranium. I didn't play, I kept Hudson occupied and visited with Nick and Chicory, but they all had fun, and it was nice to have everyone here and having a good time. I wish we could do these things more often. We got a nice little surprise, 2 actually... My Aunt Tina and Uncle Jeff came up for the holiday, and we got to skype with my brother Chad on Christmas morning. So, despite the flu, I think everyone had a great time.

Ahhh, and lastly, Austyn, with his pride and joy Christmas gift. Aunt Richelle really nailed it this year, and I think his face gives it away. He loves his nerf gun, and is now planning on starting an entire arsenol. So, that should be fun! haha. My mom and sister also made us handmade stocking, and mittens. They are AWESOME!! Oh, I got a really cool apron too. They made really nice handmade gifts that I absolutely love. So crafty. I wish I had those skills.

All in all, I think everyone was happy and had a great time and wonderful holiday season. 2010 ended well for us, and 2011 started out just as good as 2010 ended. We are eager to see what the rest of the year brings for us and to start working towards our personal family goals for the new year. Happy New Year everyone!!!

It's been almost 2 months already!!

2010-11-21T20:23:00.003-05:00

First I want to start off with a little "update" on Austyn. The picture above is of his flag football game. That's him catching a scoring pass! This is the second year he has played flag football and he seems to really like it and does very well. This year the weather was really nice for it too, not too hot, not too cold, just perfect. Maybe next year he will be playing tackle, but flag is good for now, makes me less nervous! :)
He has adjusted well to the new school and made lots of friends. He is quite the popular guy these days, always on the go. It's been pretty much non stop with birthday parties and sleep overs, busy, busy, busy. It's ok though, we are glad he is so well liked and seems to easily make friends. He is doing very well in school, as usual. All in all, I am very proud of him and feel very lucky to have such a well behaved, smart kid. Guess I'm doing something right. ;)

Hudson is almost 2 months old now, it seems to have went by fast. He is getting bigger by the day, and of course, cuter! He is such a good baby, again, I feel very lucky. above picture is daddy and Hudson playing "baby in space". Andrew likes to hold him up and "fly" him around while singing his own little song about him being in space. It's very cute, and funny. I think Andrew enjoys it more than Hudson at this point, but I am sure in the future it will be a favorite for both of them. It's so fun to see them playing together.

He is quite the smiley guy these days too. He has started smiling when you talk to him, instead of just the random smiles in his sleep or from gas. It's soooo cute. He is trying to "talk" too. He recently starting making cooing sounds trying to be part of the conversation, I just love it. He has also rolled over twice already!! He like to move around and kick his legs, he is a busy body already. We finally got him sleeping in his crib instead of the basket, which is nice. He doesn't quite sleep through the night yet, but only gets up once usually, which isn't so bad. I am pretty excited for him to sleep all the way through the night though.
He really loves his bath time, which is nice. I would hate to have to struggle to get him clean. His likes to eat too!! At his 1 month check up he was up to 9 lbs 8 oz, quite a leap from his birth weight, over 2 lbs! He's a very healthy, growing boy!

A rare occurance, a picture of mom and baby! Usually I am the one with the camera snapping all the pictures. I wish he would have been smiling, but he is still cute as ever!

All in all, both of my boys are healthy, happy kids, and we couldn't be happier about that. Hudson has been a very good baby, and an absolute joy. We are so happy about our growing family, and are enjoying every minute of it!

Hudson Tyler Jones, born October 1, 2010

2010-10-31T20:34:00.007-04:00

Well, it's been a while since our last posting...and for Hudson Tyler Jones, it's been a lifetime, literally. We were blessed to have our little boy born on October 1, 2010 at 7:58 a.m. Sabrina had a heck of a time going through labor, as Hudson gave her her money's worth for about 16 hours. He weighed, as you can kind of see below, 7 pounds 2 ounces. and was 20 inches long.

This picture above is one of our favorites and was taken about a half hour after he was born.

Here he is taking a little power nap. He still sleeps a lot, but is staying awake more and more and getting a little more personality to him. His three main moods seem to be crabby, serious, and curious.

This is his *robe*. So far he loves taking baths, and looks very relaxed in the tub.

He definitely has a serious side to him, or at least some serious faces. It always makes us laugh.

Here is one of baby and mommy shortly after they were "reunited" after the surgery. Sabrina is breastfeeding him so far, and he took right to it. Even though he is so little and cute, he can definitely get some serious gas...loud gas.

Austyn came up to the hospital to visit the day he was born. He has been a very good big brother, and as far as we can tell, he loves the new guy.

And here is proud daddy, taking a nap with his son. We like to play together, but most of the time when I hold him, he seems to avoid eye contact with me, and focuses his eyes on some inanimate object to my right or left (like a lamp or curtain). It kind of ticks me off, but I don't think that's his intent. Haha.

So, we have certainly had our hands full for the last month. It's been such a great time having him around, after all those months of anticipation. We feel very fortunate to have had such a healthy, cute little guy, and are looking forward to helping him grow and develop. We appreciate all the support and help we have received from our family and friends; it has made the experience so much easier.

Quick little update...

2010-08-22T20:18:00.003-04:00

Alot has been happening this summer, and I haven't had a chance to update our blog. So, here is a quick overview...

Andrew and I moved into our new house in mid July. We LOVE it!! It's so nice and quaint, and we love living in town. It is very convenient living in town. We are both only a few blocks from our jobs, a few yards from the park, and 2 blocks from Austyn's school. Not to mention, closer to the hospital, for our upcoming visit there! :) We have managed to get all settled in for the most part, and are getting used to being in town and having much more needed space.

My baby shower was at the end of July, and it turned out fantastic. Beth, Angela and Susan did an excellent job, and I was very pleased with how well it went. Connie made the cutest cake ever also, and I just absolutely loved everything. We received a lot of nice gifts for our little man on the way, and we couldn't be more grateful. After that was all over, I was finally able to get the last few things for the nursery and get it all set up. (That wait was KILLING me!!) Of course, pregnancy brain has gotten the best of me this whole summer, and I forgot to bring my camera, so I have no pictures of the shower. I will work on that.

We have been able to spend lots of time at the beach, especially being closer, which has been nice with how hot of a summer this has been. Of course, the summer that I am pregnant, it's unbearably hot!! I think this may be the first time in my life that I am looking forward to the end of summer. I have enjoyed the sunshine and heat (well, for the most part :) ) but not the sweating, swelling, shortness of breath and exhaustion that the combination of summer heat and pregnancy bring. I have to say, I don't like to complain, but this summer and pregnancy has been pretty hard on me and I am ready for it to be done. We have 7 more weeks to go, and I am seriously counting down the days. We cannot wait to meet our little man. He is growing right along and is already a very active little guy. He likes it when Andrew sings to my belly. Austyn finds it comical, but I think it's sweet, and really cool. He usually moves right up under where Andrew's lips are pressed against my belly, and when he stops singing, the baby starts kicking. :)

So, for the pictures in this blog, (that I did manage to remember my camera for)....

First up, the "belly" picture this time is a shadow picture. haha. I didn't have a recent belly shot, but I did have this one I took of my own shadow, so that is gonna have to do for now. Besides, I am not that fond of pictures of myself, especially at this size. ;)

This is our kitchen in the new house. Which is also my favorite room in the house. This picture doesn't even really show how awesome it really is.

And this is our living room. I love the fireplace, although we aren't sure we will even be using it. At least not this year. We need to have it swept out and make sure its safe for use first, but it looks nice for now.

So, there are a few pictures, of the new home. Austyn finally came home from his dad's after 6 LONG weeks, and loved exploring his new house, and loved his new room, which is in the basement. I think it gives him a sense of independence and maturity that he likes, being down there by himself, almost like his own little apartment. He has already made friends with the neighbor kids across the street and has adjusted to the move well. I am sure he will adjust just as smoothly at his new school. He is a very likeable kid, and gets along well with other kids. We are just glad to have him home for the last little bit of the summer, I really miss him while he is gone. And worry!!

Well, so much for short. Sorry I didn't have more pictures. Maybe next time. At this rate, the next time I post, it will be about the birth of our newest family member!! We will keep you all posted.

We have officially entered MONTH 6!!

2010-06-20T14:04:00.004-04:00

Well, school is out for the year, much to Austyn's excitement, and he is heading into 4th grade next year! Wow, time flies, I can still remember his first day of school, and how excited he was to be going on the bus. :) Now, he's already asking when the last day of school is, on the first day! haha. Didn't take him long to decide he didn't like it. Hate to tell ya son, you have a long way to go before it's all over. Despite his lack of excitement for school, he does very well. He got all A's, or the 3rd grade version of them on his report card. He was top of his class, and excelled in all subjects. We are so proud of our smart little guy, and can only hope he continues to grow and excel the way he did this year. He is quite the talented artist as well, I will have to scan some of his drawings to upload to here, so everyone can see how awesome he is at it. I am glad he found something that he is not only good at, but LOVES to do, and hopefully he continues on with his drawing, he really is great at it.
In addition to the last day of school, his end of the year pack meeting was this past week. I guess we are wrapping everything up all at once. :) Which is good, since he is leaving on Monday to go to his dad's for summer visitation, so I am glad he was able to be here for this. I wasn't feeling well that day, so I didn't get to make it, but thankfully, Andrew remembered to bring the camera, take pictures AND video's, so I didn't completely miss out. All the boys in his pack received their bear badges, for finishing the bear program. I am so proud of him, and glad he decided to join such a great organization for young boys. He really likes it and I think he learns alot from it.

And, lastly, We are into the 6th month of this pregnancy. A few more weeks to enter the 3rd, and FINAL, trimester!!! YAY! Week 24 actually crept up on me a bit, and it was weird the excitement I had when I realized how far along I am. Surprisingly, it has been going pretty fast for me, unlike my first one, but I am still getting antsy and anxious. I can't wait to meet our little man!! Oh, ya, IT'S A BOY!!, for anyone who didn't already know. Our ultrasound went great, it took 2 hours!!, but everything looks good. We have a healthy, fast growing little boy that everyone is excited to meet. Andrew has been VERY helpful, and that has been really nice. I am still feeling really good, except on those really hot days. I feel the baby moving alot now, he is quite busy, and Andrew is finally able to feel and see him moving around too. It's really cool. I hope the remainder of this pregnancy goes as quickly as the first part has, I can hardly wait to meet our new little addition. Below I posted a new pregnant belly picture. I think Austyn's expression is hilarious, and shows his excitement for his little brother to be quite well. Or maybe it's just his awe of the size of me, haha. Either way, it's cute.

We also celebrated Father's Day this weekend. With no pictures, sorry, can't remember much these days! haha. We went to Dewey and Susan's on Saturday for dinner and family time with the dad's and dad's to be. It was a very nice and relaxing dinner with delicious food. I gave Andrew his card and gift from me, Austyn and Hudson this morning, which was a football. The dog had chewed up his other one, and I thought it was a nice gift for the soon-to-be daddy of a little boy. Hopefully he can hang onto it long enough to play catch with Hudson before the dog gets ahold of this one too. This afternoon we will be going to my dad's house for dinner and family time, and that should be nice too. I just like to eat, so all these "special occasions" are awesome! :)
So, there is our update for the month. We will try to get better about posting more frequently. Hope all the dad's out there have a wonderful Father's Day! Take care everyone.

A beautiful weekend in May...

2010-05-16T17:36:00.005-04:00

This weekend was BEAUTIFUL! Finally!!! Some nice weather. We have all been waiting for it, and it couldn't have come for a better weekend.

First of all, this weekend, Saturday, was mine and Andrew's 1 year anniversary. We took a trip to Escanaba, enjoyed a scenic drive, and some nice alone time. We went to dinner at a local cafe, then stopped at a roadside park with some "falls", although they weren't much of falls, more like rapids. It was pretty though. We weren't much into pictures though, so, I have nothing to post of that little trip. I also don't have any pictures of our wedding on this computer, so I can't post some then and now pictures like I had originally planned. I would like to say though, this past year has been the best of my life. Andrew is the love of my life, and I look forward to many more wonderful years with him. He is a wonderful husband and stepfather, and I am positive will be a great father, and will have the chance to prove it soon! :) Love, love, love our life!!!

Sunday was even nicer, weather wise, so we decided to continue our outdoors adventures, and make it a family day at the beach. The first one of the season. Austyn wore jeans, as I thought it might be chilly by the lake, like it usually is, but it wasn't. It was pleasantly warm, and he was a little disappointed he didn't wear shorts. He didn't let it stop him from wading in the water and attempting to bury himself in the sand. He and Andrew took turns throwing sticks for the dog, (who is finally getting into the water), and then skipped stones together.

Little Presque Isle is one of my favorite places near my house, it is just soooo beautiful. I think these pictures capture it well.

All in all, it was a wonderful weekend, we could not have asked for more beautiful weather, and I am getting very excited for summer time and spending more time at the beach and having picnics, bbq's and lots of family time.

Lastly, tomorrow, (the 17th) is Austyn's 10th birthday! I am glad the weather is going to be nice, its so up in the air this time of year. He is growing so fast, I can't believe how time flies!!! His party will be next weekend, which he is extremely excited for, of course. I am so proud of what a smart, polite and handsome young man he is becoming! Before I know it, we will be doing a blog about his first formal dance, and high school graduation! :)

Well, I hope everyone enjoyed this update, and the pictures. For those of you who don't get to live in as beautiful place as we do, sorry, and try not to get too jealous! hahaha. If it wasn't for our 7 or 8 months of cold, wind, rain and snow,
we could pretty much say we lived in paradise. :)

Big News; Bigger Belly

2010-05-03T20:35:00.009-04:00

We have big news. Most of you probably know by now, but we haven't blogged in a while, so here is our blog-announcement: Sabrina and I are having a baby! She is 17 weeks along now, and doctors say everything is progressing nicely. We are finding out at the end of the month the baby's gender. Hopefully the summer will not be too hot, since that is when Sabrina will be at her most pregnant. The due date is mid-October (doctor says 9th or 13th).

She has been craving a lot of sweets and dill pickles, so I think that's a good sign.

Our dog, Buster, has been living up to his name. He is very active; never seems to stop running around and lookin' for trouble. He's a good little guy, though.

Work for me has been going well. We are a very busy firm, and have cases all over the upper peninsula, so I travel quite a bit.

Austyn has been enjoying Cub Scouting. He likes the kids in his den. He also is doing very well in school, according to his teacher at our parent-teacher conference.

January Finale

2010-01-30T20:52:00.004-05:00

Well, January has been pretty uneventful, and relaxing for us. As you can see from the picture to the left, we have spent most of our time lounging around. (This picture also shows how BIG Buster is getting already!) The holidays were fun, but they were exhausting, and it has been nice to not have to do anything, or be anywhere at any certain time.
So, being that we haven't really done anything, this blog is actually going to probably be pretty boring and short. haha.

Last week, when I went out to start my car before work, this is what I saw. Austyn had left to get on the bus while I was in the shower, so he didn't get a chance to tell me goodbye the way he wanted to apparently. So, he decided to write it on my car. I thought this was so cute, and very sweet, and had to get a picture. He is such a sweet kid and so thoughtful, (most of the time :) ) I just love him.
Also, that amount of snow on my car is the most snowfall we have had in over 2 weeks. It has been pretty "warm" (for this time of the year) and quite sunny and pleasant. It's not that good for business where I work, since we plow in the winter, but other than that factor, I have NO complaints on the sunshine, now melting and little mid-winter heat wave. Now, its back to reality though. This week has been very cold and gloomy, still no snow though. Personally, I would rather have the snow, than single digit temperatures. Oh well, spring will be here soon, I hope!

And lastly, this Friday, Jan. 29th, Austyn and some of his classmates were offered the opportunity to sing the National Anthem at the NMU hockey game. He was pretty excited about it all week, practicing and such. On Friday, he was a little upset that we couldn't find his Wildcats shirt, but... we were able to come up with a wildcats paw tattoo, that he sported on his face to show his team spirit. He did get a little nervous when we got there, I think when it finally hit him on what was going on and how many people he would be singing in front of. They all did really well though, and I was proud of him. I took a picture, but I was in the wrong spot, and only got their backs, and they didn't turn the lights on, and so its really dark and hard to see. So, instead, I put up a picture that Austyn took during the game. He took quite a few good ones, but I figured this was good. It was a good game, they played Alaska, and it ended up going into overtime, which still resulted in a tie. So, they did a shoot out, and NMU won!! It was very exciting and a great ending.

Speaking of endings, I don't know how great this is, but I think I am about finished with this entry. So, I hope you have enjoyed this most recent peak into our mostly non-eventful life, and hope all is well with everyone. Maybe next time I will have something a little more exciting to post for you. :)

Goodbye 2009, Welcome 2010

2010-01-03T15:09:00.008-05:00

Happy Holidays everyone. We had a busy and exhausting, but fun, holiday season. There was so much going on with family, friends, company parties, shopping and travel, I don't really know where to begin.
We had several different Christmas celebrations to attend this year. They were all fun, and we had the opportunities to see lots of family that we haven't seen in a while. First, we had Austyn's holiday program for school. The theme was Christmas around the world. They did songs from around the world, and it was pretty interesting. Austyn even had a solo speaking part, which he was very excited for, and he did an excellent job.

On Christmas Eve Eve, we went to Dewey and Susan's for a family get together, since Ethan and Angela were up, and we would be gone for the Christmas weekend. It was very relaxing, and nice to see everyone together. The dinner was delicious, although, so were the appetizers, which everyone was filling up on before dinner. All in all, everything turned out nicely, except that I forgot to bring the camera, so I didn't get any pictures.
We did our little family Christmas on Christmas Eve, since we planned on leaving that afternoon to head downstate to see my mom. Austyn was soooo excited, that he could not get to sleep that night, he finally did around 1 a.m, but did not sleep for long. He was up and about at 4:30 a.m. and knocking on the bedroom door at 6. We told him he needed to wait until 7, because we needed our sleep for the drive later on. I remember being that age and the anticipation, so it must have killed him to have to wait another hour. :) I think the wait paid off though, as he described this Christmas as the best Christmas "of his entire life". What an accomplishment for us to be able to pull that off. I think the Wii that we got him was the deciding factor for him this year. We figured it would be fun for everyone, but we really had no idea just how much fun it was going to be. We have all spent the majority of our time playing the wii and are thoroughly enjoying every second of it, except in the morning when we wake up very sore. Andrew really gets into the bowling, and I really like the tennis. Austyn just likes all of them I think, but he seems particulary fond of the pool.

My Dad and Connie came over for Christmas Eve morning before we left. I made breakfast for everyone, then we exchanged gifts. Austyn got the wii sports package from them, which he was really excited about. We all took turns checking out the games. That thing really is fun for the whole family.

Early that afternoon, we started our journey to Traverse City for rest of the holiday weekend. My brother Chad and his wife Libby were home for Christmas from Louisiana. They are expecting their first child in March, and its probably the last time I will get to see Chad before he goes to Afganistan. So it was very nice to be able to spend some time with them. My mom always does a theme for the Christmas tree, and this year it was Dr. Suess. I think she pulled it off quite nicely, as the tree could not have been any more lop sided or weird looking than it was. The dinner was awesome, and there was plenty of food for everyone. We spent the evening playing cards and catching up. It was really nice to have all of the kids together for Christmas. I wish I could have gotten a picture, but my battery died on my camera. :(

For NYE, Andrew and I decided to stay home and enjoy a quiet evening to ring in the New Year. So, I invited my dad and Connie over to join us, and made a bunch of snacks. We just hung out playing games, playing the wii (of course), eating and relaxing. It was a lot of fun, and really nice to be home and not out and about at all the parties and stuff for once. For New Years Day, Dewey and Susan came over to have a late breakfast with us, and watch Andrew play the wii. I am telling you, I don't think that thing ever gets any rest, except when we sleep. It is just way too much fun. Later that day, we went into town to do some shopping, have a little lunch and go to a movie. Kind of a date afternoon I guess you could say. Then on Saturday, we headed to the bridge to pick up Austyn from his week long visit with his dad. We are glad to have him home, and now he is joining us with the addiction to the wii.
All in all it was busy, but fun and relaxing. It was nice to see everyone and have a chance to catch up. Now its time to clean up, get back to work, and lose all the weight we gained from all the delicious meals!! :)

An update, FINALLY

2009-12-09T18:39:00.002-05:00

Well, it has been quite some time since our last blog, for several reasons. First and foremost, we are just busy, busy, busy. But, our computer crashed and we were out a computer for about a month. Now that we have a new one, I haven't taken the time to figure everything out, like how to get our pictures from the camera onto the computer. Which, I was kind of waiting for. Since so much has happened since our last blog, in September! I guess we will have to do without the pictures for now.

So, lets see, first of all... we got a puppy. As most everyone knows already, but he hasn't been mentioned yet, so lets consider this his 5 minutes of fame. :) He is a Springer Spaniel and we got him in mid September. His name is Buster. He has been quite a handful, but its been fun. He is the cutest dog ever, and is just full of energy and spunk. Austyn likes to play with him around and gets him a little too riled up sometimes, but it's fun. Sometimes we have Dewey and Susan watch him if we have to go out of town or are going to be gone for a long period of time and he and Buddy seem to have a lot of fun playing together too. It's always nice when Dewey takes him for a nice long walk when he has him so that he sleeps good that night. He finally sleeps through the night, but for a while it was like having a new born baby in the house, getting up every few hours to let him outside. It was exhausting!! But, he is getting better trained and sleeping through the night, so things are easier, which also makes it more enjoyable. I will try to get some pictures up soon.
Andrew and I have been both very busy with our jobs, at times it seems like we never get a break. Andrew has been getting some clients of his own, and is settling in well at his new job. He has to travel a lot out of town, from one end of the U.P. to the other. I just hope with the winter weather coming, that his travel time slows down. It's hard not to worry about him when he is on the road all the time, and it will be even harder with the road conditions getting worse. I am thankful that he got a new car though, which has all wheel drive. It's a nice step up from the Jeep, and was much needed, especially for the highly improved gas mileage. He got a 2008 Subaru Impreza. It's a really nice little car and so far we like it a lot. It seemed to handle itself well in our first snow storm of the season too. And, trust me, it was definitely put to the test.

Austyn joined cubscouts and seems to really enjoy it. He is fitting in well with the other kids, and it gives him something to look forward to almost every week. He is learning lots of new things and meeting new people, which is always fun. He made a toolbox which turned our really nice, I was very impressed with his craftsmanship. He also had parent-teacher conferences 2 weeks ago, and they went very well. He is very well liked by both his teacher and classmates. His teacher expressed how smart of a young man he is and how eager he is to learn, and how well mannered he is. He really likes to draw and seems to have a nice talent for it as well. He is turning into quite the little artist, which he does not get from me. They also had a food drive at his school, and we were able to provide Austyn with 2 grocery bags full to donate, which, was the most anyone in his class had done, so he got to be the helper of the day for 2 days in a row, which was very exciting for him. Lastly, on the school subject, last week was the "secret santa workshop" for his school. The kids get to bring in money and they have a little store set up where they can purchase and wrap their own gifts for their family members. Austyn really likes that, it gives him a sense of responsibility and control at Christmas time. I think its fun for the kids, and they keep it fairly inexpensive. He is very excited to hand out his gifts.

Andrew and I did Thanksgiving at our house this year, and it turned out really nice. It was just a little dinner, with our family, Dewey and Susan and my Dad and Connie. Everyone brought a dish, so I wasn't responsible for everything, which was very helpful. And Susan was even nice enough to do my dishes for me after dinner, which I could not have been more thankful for. All in all, it was a really good dinner, and a nice time for visiting. Our parents got to get to know each other a little better, since they haven't really had the chance to do that, and it was nice. Also, I should mention, that my Mom and Rich came up the weekend before, to buy the Jeep from Andrew, and we had Dewey and Susan over for a cookout that day too, so that BOTH sets of my parents could get a chance to visit with Andrew's parents. It was nice, food and weather wise. Actually, that was probably the last nice weekend we had weather wise. But I can't complain, being that we are getting our first snow really on December 9th. And the snow seems to be making up for lost time.
Anyway, I guess I will wrap this up for now. Just though I should post a "little" update on our lives since I have not been keeping up with our blog so well. Sorry it turned out to be a little more than little, hope I didn't bore anyone. Until next time....(with pictures I hope) take care.

Little Presque Isle

2009-09-20T21:35:00.004-04:00

After the adventures in flag football yesterday, we decided to continue to enjoy the weather and head out to Little Presque Isle. It was awesome. I know I said it in my last blog, also written today, but I cannot stress enough how incredible the weather was.
Presque Isle is so pretty, and such a relaxing place, I love it there. It's one of the many places that I remind me of why I live here, even though I hate the winters. We are really lucky to have such beautiful places to spend our days during the summer and fall. It makes it worth it to tough out the winters here.

Austyn wanted to go over to the island, Al and I were not dressed for the walk through the water, but Andrew was, so he took him. They did a little hike, not the entire island, maybe next time.

Austyn was too busy swimming to get into a family picture with us this time, we will get another one. I am sure this won't be our last trip out there this year.

While Andrew and Austyn enjoy the water, I like to just lay around and enjoy the sunshine and sand. I was quite comfortable.

Al and Buddy came along too. We found a tennis ball someone had left on the beach, so Andrew and Al took turns throwing it for him. He was loving it.

All in all in turned out to be a really great day. We made really good use of our time off together and the enjoyable weather. Hopefully we get at least a few more weeks like this before the cold and snow close in on us.

Another Beautiful Weekend... perfect for flag football!

2009-09-20T21:13:00.003-04:00

Austyn has been asking me for at least 3 years to play football, and the time is finally here, sort of. It's flag football, for now, but it's still fun and exciting for him. This Saturday was his first practice, and he could barely contain his excitement. It was a beautiful day for it too, not too hot, not too cold, sunny and gorgeous. So, we have about 5 or 6 weeks of Saturdays at the football field, and hopefully the weather is just as nice, or close to it as it was this weekend. I added a few pics for everyone too.

They all got to take turns playing quarterback, and also playing offense and defense. I absolutely love the middle picture. :)

Labor Day Weekend

2009-09-13T16:48:00.003-04:00

Labor Day weekend here in the UP was beautiful. We had some of the nicest weather that we've had all summer. I had a softball tournament, which was in Big Bay. Its an annual one they have up there, along with the one for the 4th of July, and I have played every year so far. There are usually around 20 teams in it, and its fun, but quite competitive. There are a lot of really talented ball players up there, and it's a pretty large event. Our team took 3rd place this year, which was huge for us. We usually do fairly well, but have never placed, so it was very exciting and fun for us.
After that ended on Sunday, we went to camp Hiawatha to spend the night with Dewey and Susan. Austyn was quite excited about it, and actually, Andrew, Al, and Austyn left before I did to head out there, as I was still playing ball in Big Bay. They took Austyn's mini bike out there too, which I believe Andrew likes to ride just as much as Austyn, even if it's not exactly his size. It was a perfect place for them to ride it, with little to no traffic to worry about. I think Austyn's face below describes how much fun he has on his mini bike.

The next morning, we had a nice pancake breakfast, then headed across the lake for Austyn to do some shooting with his bow and his bb gun. He was loving that, and doing quite well, considering he doesn't get much practice shooting since we don't really have an area for him to do so. Unfortunately, I forgot to bring my camera to get any pictures of him shooting, maybe next time.

Later that afternoon, we decided to spend some more time on the lake. Dewey had an inflatable row boat that Austyn was insistant on trying out by himself. So, after quite an effort to get it blown up, and a short rowing lesson from Grandpa Dewey, Austyn was on his way in the lake. However, as you can see from the picture, he figured out it wasn't as easy as he had hoped, and needed Andrew to help him out. So, I stayed on shore to take pictures, while they went off on their boat ride, and Dewey and Susan went off in the row boat.

All in all, it was a very nice weekend. When we got home from camping, we headed out to my dads house for a cookout. He prepared some fresh walleye that he had caught, burgers, and some of the venison from the deer he got last year. It was all very good, and a perfect ending to a wonderful holiday weekend. We loved it out at camp Hiawatha, it was very relaxing and a perfect place for some quality family time. We hope to get at least one more trip out there this year before our cold and snowy UP winter closes in on us, and many more next summer.

The Rope Swing and Lake Superior Waviness

2009-08-30T21:42:00.013-04:00

Okay, here are some more pictures from the fair first. Austyn met a new friend; he is a robot. The robot was pretty cool, he made jokes and even told Austyn to give him bunny ears.

After some rides and games, Grampa Dewey graciously bought me and Austyn a hotdog, elephant ear, and soda. Despite the look on Dewey's face, he is really enjoying that bratwurst.

They had a bungee/trampoline for kids there too. Austyn really liked it, and didn't wet his pants, which was good.

The waves were really kicking on Saturday, so I jumped in for a while. It was cold, but worth it.

And here is the rope swing. It's a lot cooler than it looks in these pictures. You can swing from about 30 feet up, from a platform. But Sabrina told Austyn he better take it easy and swing from pretty low.

So this is some of our fun summer stuff.

The Fair and Summer Tree Chopping

2009-08-30T21:23:00.006-04:00

So, summer is quickly winding down up here, it seems. This summer has been pretty cool anyway, but the last week has actually felt like fall. Leaves in our yard are changing, for pete's sake! We found out a couple weeks ago that our neighbor to the rear is pretty handy with yard work stuff, including a chainsaw. We learned this after a tree in our front yard got struck by lightning, and the neighbor helped Sabrina's dad, Dave, cut it down. So this evening the neighbor, Mike, cut down three more dead trees in the back yard. So now we have a huge pile of firewood for the fire pit, and a much larger back yard...at least it feels larger, without those big, looming dead trees.

In other news, I won a sweet grill from our bank for Customer Appreciation Week. It's a good one, which is cool, because we've been grilling out a lot this summer. We don't have it yet; still arranging transportation, as it won't fit in either of our cars.

In still more news, Sabrina had a softball tournament last weekend, so I took Austyn to the UP State Fair, which was a lot of fun. We rode quite a few of the rides. Austyn and I became near-obsessed with a game, too. It involved catapulting rubber frogs onto lily pads that were floating in a pond. Austyn got the hang of it, and actually won some cool prizes, which I didn't think was possible at the fair. The most I ever won when I was young was a ring-pop and pixie stix.

Another Weekend, another waterfall...

2009-07-14T21:07:00.000-04:00

Andrew and I had this past Saturday all to ourselves, so we decided to do a little hiking and take some time to enjoy the nice weather and awesome scenery. First, we decided to go out to Laughing Whitefish Falls. They are about 30 minutes from our house, between here and Chatham. They are so gorgeous. I absolutely love waterfalls, and enjoy taking day trips to go see them. I try to go to different ones all the time, and make sure I always take my camera. Although, the camera cannot quite capture how beautiful it really is. The Laughing Whitefish are close, and one of my favorites. Its about a half mile hike back to the falls, and then the stairs that take you to the very bottom. Usually by mid to late summer the flow of water has slowed enough that you can actually walk up the falls and get right underneath them. Its really cool. The pictures didn't quite capture what I would like to show, but they are good. I guess you will just have to go for yourself to get the true experience.

After the falls, we headed into Chatham to visit my Uncle Steve and Aunt Donna, and my cousin Rachel, her husband Gil and their 2 kids Stevie and Gavin. It was a nice visit with them. My cousin Rachel has been living in Mexico for the past few years, so it was nice to have her back and get to spend some time catching up.

Then, we were on on way home. We tried to make it to the top of Marquette Mountain for the sunset, but unfortunately we missed it by about 10 minutes. It was still a nice view, but not quite what we were shooting for. Maybe next time. We did make a trip to Presque Isle on Sunday night after a little popcorn snack with Dewey and Susan. That time we did make it for the sunset which was nice. That was the first time I have seen the sunset from Presque Isle. Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera, so no pictures this time.

So, thats the latest. So far we are thoroughly enjoying our summer and looking forward to more outdoor activities and visits with family and friends.

Weekend in Big Bay

2009-07-05T20:13:00.000-04:00

Sabrina and I went camping this weekend in Big Bay. Sabrina had a softball tournament. It went okay. They won two and lost two, so I guess you really do win some and lose some. We took a decent little hike on the Fourth to Yellow Dog Falls. It was pretty, but the water is still way too cold to do more than stick your feet in. It was a nice weekend; we've gone camping two weekends in a row, which is cool, because I hadn't gone in a while. It's been good having the same work schedule. We both pretty much work 9-5 Mon to Fri, so we get to spend time together on the weekends. Weekends: We're lovin' it!

So, that was our Fourth. Nothing too crazy; just nice and relaxing. And tomorrow, back to work for both of us.

Summer is finally here, i think.

2009-06-19T12:44:00.000-04:00

I think summertime is finally here. We are hoping anyway. With the actual first day of summer, (as well as Andrew's 30th birthday), quickly approaching this Sunday, I have to say that we are ready for it. Its nice to have warm weather to sit out on the porch after work or go for a walk after dinner. I play softball in the summertime too, so its nice to have this weather, instead of standing on the ball field, freezing and wishing the game would hurry up and get over.
Andrew got a new job with the law firm Hyde and Swajanen last week, and has been quite busy already for his first week. He is really enjoying it, and I think this is a very good thing for him and our family. I am really proud of him, and he is working very hard, learning lots from them.
Austyn went down to his dads for his summer vacation last weekend. Just in time for Fathers Day, which is nice. I like him to be able to spend time with his dad as much as possible, but I miss him quite a bit while he is gone. So, Andrew and I have been using our "alone" time to get stuff down around the house that's easier done without kids, such as cleaning the carpets and rearranging furniture and all that. Its been a lot of work, still in progress, but it gives us a good feeling of accomplishment. We are also enjoying just being able to spend time together, with no interruptions and being able to just up and leave to do whatever we want, whenever we want. That is also a nice little change. Like I said, we miss having Austyn there, but we are making the best of it. Its our own little honeymoon at home in a sense and it has been really nice.
So, that is what has been going on so far this summer for us. We are looking forward to a few upcoming events. We have some camping trips, softball tournaments, trips downstate and visits from family and friends that are all on the list of happenings for us that we are excited about. So, I hope everyone else is enjoying their summer as much as we are. Till next time...

2009-06-16T11:28:00.001-04:00

Well, Andrew and I, (mostly me) try to keep up on family and friends through either facebook or their blogs, so I decided that maybe we should have one too. Its just too busy sometimes to get time to sit down and make a phone call to catch up, so I figured this would work best. I try to keep up with Angela and Ethan from their blog, then inform Andrew of what is going on, and now our family and friends can do the same with us. So, here it is, the beginning of our blogging. I will try to put more up soon, with some pictures, and try to keep up with it, and get used to it and learn what i am doing. :) Hope you enjoy reading ours as much as we enjoy reading yours.