PrincessMaybePerrault

Kailtyn's First Birthday

2011-06-07T22:02:00.001-07:00

I can't believe it's almost been one year. WOW. First Birthday Card from Shutterfly.com

Stationery card

View the entire collection of cards.

Most Taxing People in Hollywood article

2011-04-18T10:32:00.000-07:00

http://movies.msn.com/story/taxing-movie-people/

GREAT article.

Some of my favorite quotes---

“With Michael Bay, what's frustrating isn't merely the films that are, but the films that you can imagine if only he'd quit being lazy, put in real work and prove that a good movie can make money, too.”

"There is no such thing as a Jennifer Aniston movie — it's always somebody else and Jennifer Aniston."

Christian Bale also gets lavished with wows for losing unhealthy amounts of weight for roles in "The Machinist" and his Oscar-winning tic-fest "The Fighter." Man, that guy really goes all out for his art! My response? To quote Laurence Olivier upon seeing Dustin Hoffman had stayed up for two days to play a character who had stayed up for two days in "Marathon Man": "Try acting, dear boy."

When I look into Angelina Jolie's eyes — at least on screen, not having had that privilege in person — I don't see a whole lot going on in there. And that's troubling.

For almost the entirety of the 21st century, Harrison Ford has been replaced in his films by a version of Mike Pomeroy. He looks as if he showed up because somebody put a gun to his head, rather than promised him $20 million, or whatever it is he makes per film.

A performer believes, usually correctly, that he or she has been hired to be himself or herself within a role, rather than becoming the role. Penn made an early diagnosis on what was indeed to become a chronic condition for Cage: He is hired to be Nic Cage, over and over again.

Kaitlyn Mae Perrault

2010-09-20T13:59:00.000-07:00

Born July 2, 2010 7 lbs 12 oz

First Moment of Panic

2010-06-14T13:23:00.000-07:00

So...Saturday night was ROUGH. Seriously thought I was going into labor. Went to bed about 9:30 and could not get to sleep cause of my contractions. But I've had them for forever so I didn't think much of it. Then they got stronger...and stronger...and closer together. So I started to monitor them. By 10:30, they were every 3-4 minutes and hurting more than normal. So I start to panic.

My brain starts this, "My hospital bag is mostly packed, we are supposed to move in with Kyle but we can probably do that with the newborn, Kaleb is asleep but should be okay on the way to my mom's house to drop him off, where is the camera charger?, should I call Hillary yet?" etc.

I woke Ryan up a few times in a calm panic (he is supposed to work Sunday morning at 6), "I think I'm in labor." "NO you aren't. You aren't freaking out yet. Go to sleep."

An hour later..."seriously. I think I'm in labor. they haven't slowed down and they are really starting to hurt!" He actually opened one eye, "How bad?" "Like a 4 or 5on scale of 1 to 10." "It's not real yet. Go back to sleep." "I can't go back! I never went to sleep in the first place!!!"

An hour later..."I think I need to take a walk. I can't just lay here. I need to move or something." "It's 2am. You aren't walking alone outside. Go To Sleep."

I was waiting for 1) my water to break 2) my daughter to suddenly drop in my belly and have this "it's time" moment or 3) to not be able to talk through my contractions. None of those ever happened and I finally fell asleep exhausted at about 3am. The contractions continued but seemed lighter.

I have to admit the whole episode brought a lot of Kaleb's labor back to me. It's just so intense and to have the pain lower down with the pressure and the tightness and something that is just so...abnormal. It's hard to deal with that. I guess it's good that I'm getting this "prep" time.

I have my doc appt tomorrow at 10am. If I go in and there is NO change from all of that and my continued contractions and pressure, I am going to be VERY POd. I would like my daughter to wait one more week so I can be 37 weeks and IN A HOUSE. After that, let's go girl!!!

Elephantitis

2010-06-14T13:18:00.001-07:00

Which of these images do these feet belong to?

35 weeks and counting...

2010-06-09T08:51:00.000-07:00

Had my doctor appointment yesterday and RN said I am "80% effaced" but that's it. She said, "I'm shocked with the amount of contractions you are having that you aren't dialated yet." Well, I guess that is good though...cause that means I will make it to 36 weeks (which is every pregnancy's goal), but I also have to sigh cause I've been having contractions for 8 weeks and they are hardly doing anything...except being a pain in my stomach (literally).

Had the worst night last night. Poor Ryan. :( I doubt he got a whole lot more than me. My stomach hurt, I was SOOO hot, and every position I tried to sleep in was either hurting my back or put the baby in a weird, painful position. I think I might have slept for 2 hours. Ryan said, "Woah! You are so hot! [not a compliment here] Seriously, don't touch me. I break into a sweat when you get that close. It's gross." I replied, "Well, I'm a freaking oven! I'm baking our baby! So shut up and hug me!" (sobbing)

Ah...the beautiful hormones kicking in.

Also, no one told me nausea can come back at the end of your pregnancy. And after 2 days of not really eating much, I still miraculously manage to gain another 2 lbs this week. I am up to 33 lbs gained, which is half of what I gained last time so I'm happy but I DEFINITELY feel every extra pound. That alone is probably making me tired and giving me my aching back...let alone the fact that I'm carrying a human being in my belly. hehe

Planning to move in with my brother in 2-3 weeks. I'm excited to be back in a "house" with a dishwasher, washer&dryer, and bedroom door. And to have my sleep number bed back...boy did I miss that. I'm a bit nervous though, as it is quite the imposition to him. A dog, a married couple, a toddler and a newborn. That is a lot for my "single" brother to welcome in. We might end up having to rent an apartment after all. But I will just try to keep the house clean, have dinners ready, and not take over too much. Wish us all good luck. hehe

Updating Pregnancy Info (for posterity)

2010-05-26T12:53:00.000-07:00

Please don't misunderstand this post. I LOVE being pregnant. It is truly a miracle and I don't take a moment of it for granted. I am blessed to be able to carry this baby girl and give her a safe place to grow and incubate until she is ready to join the outside world. I just need to write these down somewhere so 2 years from now when the "maybe we should think about having #3" conversation comes up, I WILL REMEMBER. Not just the good parts of being pregnant...but all of it. The good, the bad, the ugly, and the uncomfortable. ;)

Top 8 complaints during this pregnancy

Contractions started at 27 weeks this time. And not just tiny 'braxton hicks' cute ones. HARD, LONG, take-your-breathe-away ones. Entire belly tightened and had to stop what I was doing. When monitored at the hospital at 31 weeks, I was actually having one every 3 minutes but was only feeling the REALLY strong ones, which were like one every 7-10 min. I was sent to the ER twice by the doctor, went once on my own. Nothing they could do. Yes, you're having them, cervix looks okay, order an u/s, monitor you for hours, send you home. Repeat 2 weeks later. :)~
She is riding so high! Heartburn started at 32 weeks and is CONSTANT. I eat tums like every 2 hours. Drinking water gives me heartburn. I had one episode at night where I almost puked the acid up. My entire throat burned and hurt every time I swallowed for the next 3 days. miserable.
Carpal tunnel attempted to hit me at 22 weeks this time. Luckily, it only lasted a couple weeks and it just starting to hit again at 32 weeks. But my fingers were going numb constantly and most nights i wake up due to the numbness/tingling.
Swelling in feet/cankles started last week (32). Only 2 pairs of shoes/sandals fit. Mandi at work says you have to gain FOUR POUNDS in each leg before they swell like this. So of my 26 lbs I've gained so far, 8 of it is water in my legs huh? Freaky. I gained 6 lbs in the last couple weeks (doing nothing different) so I have to think this might actually be true. Also, my temp. wedding ring is a size 7. That is 2.5 sizes larger than normal.
I coughed at 26 weeks and pulled a muscle/ligament on my right side by my ribs. IT STILL HURTS. Doesn't help that she is so high she is constantly kicking it. Oh and having allergies! I got 'gestational' allergies and have had a stuffy nose since like 26 weeks. I'm on Claritin D or Benedryl and I still have to use nose drops to FULLY breathe. UGH.
I am drained of all energy. Most nights I go home and sit and watch my son play. It wears me out just to get on the floor with him (I can't bend over, can only sit straight up) and push a choo-choo train. I'm sleeping okay (only waking up 3 or 4 times/night) but it just never seems to be enough.
If one more person says "you're huge" or "you're due when!?!" or "twins?" I am going to scream. Yes, I'm huge. Yes, my belly is large and out there and popped out at freaking 8 weeks. But there is only one (probably normal-small size) baby and your commenting on how big I am is not making me feel attractive.
My child does not understand the whole belly/baby thing. He doesn't get that I don't have a lap and continues to try to fit on it. He doesn't know why he can't be held so I have to try to one side and it is next to impossible. He wants to wrestle and doesn't know why I cringe whenever he pushes or hits my belly. He doesn't know why I'm tired all the time and why I can't just sit and play all the time. :( I feel so bad but I guess this is prepping him for when I'm holding a baby and equally restricted?

I think that is majority of my complaints. This baby is like marriage. It's a lot of hard work and sometimes you want to punch the person sharing their life with you...but it's all worth it in the end. ;D

BUSY BUSY month...or two...or three...

2010-04-28T14:03:00.000-07:00

We moved majority of our stuff this last weekend into a storage unit. Just living with beds/couch/handful of kitchen stuff and clothes for another week and a half. Then we will be living (temporarily at least) in my grandpa Watkin's motor home on our lot. I know...we're crazy.

I think they can start "building" our new home (as seen here) in another 3-4 weeks. We are waiting for our lot split to be finalized and for permits to be pulled. I'm sure hoping everything falls together as quickly/easily as possible. Cause I just keep getting bigger and bigger...like my belly is the external visual clock for us to watch and say "oh crap...we really are running out of time!!"

Yes, we will probably be in the motor home when our daughter is born. I'm setting up a temporary "nursery" at my mom's house and will basically live there during the day while Ryan is at work.

We had a very nice Easter weekend with family. Then the following weekend we went to the Oregon coast and had amazing luck with pretty darn great weather. It was sunny and one day we even got to take our coats off and put our toes in the water. Kaleb had SOO much fun and talked about "the ocean" and "beach" for weeks. We definitely need to go back again this summer, though he does get to go with Grandpa and Grandma (Rogers) right after baby comes for some spoiling.

The pregnancy is going well. Baby is SUPER active. however, we did end up in the hospital 2 weekends ago (27 weeks) for contractions. I did do a little more than normal with packing preparation but I was having 6-8 contractions/hour for about 5 hours. went in about 11pm (luckily K was at gmas) and got out about 2:30am. LONG NIGHT. But the contractions aren't doing anything (cervix is closed...no fluid leaking) so they aren't going to do anything yet. I have an u/s scheduled for Friday for them to look inside and make sure everything is still okay. But I could just continue to have contractions until baby girl is ready to come. As long as that is AT LEAST 36 weeks, I'll be okay. I'm not sure I could take the stress of NICU or premie with moving/building and work stress too! Whew. Just thinking about it...I think I'll go have another piece of chocolate. :)~

Speaking of chocolate...I'm SO proud of myself. As HUGE as I am, I just now hit my 20 lb mark (at almost 30 weeks) and that is wonderfully better than my 65 lbs total the last pregnancy. As long as I don't gain a pound/day i should be okay. ;)

Update :)

2010-03-16T09:32:00.000-07:00

Forgot to write that Ryan felt the baby move last week! At almost 22 weeks. And we had another ultrasound and baby kept her legs tightly closed so we weren't able to 'verify' the GIRL prediction from the 18 week one. We have another ultrasound in 7 weeks to get some views they couldn't get so that one should reassure us. :)

Got an offer on our house this weekend and we countered and they accepted!! It is contingent on the sale of their house in 45 days but we are ecstatic!! So now we have to get everything lined up with our builder so when they sell their house, we can say GO GO GO!!

We have our lot check on Friday and if it passes the "perk" test then the lot is ours!! Everything is lining up and we are getting excited for this next stage in our life. Sucks to be starting ALL over again (no yard/sprinklers/fence, no painted walls, no blinds, etc.) but we are hopeful that this time it REALLY will be our FINAL house. The one we retire in. And since Ryan got his job at Energy Northwest, he's already counting down the days till that happens...something like 10, 000 left. I think his last year of work is 2043. :)~ hehe

Registering

2010-02-17T10:36:00.000-08:00

WOW. Registering sure makes having a baby feel "REAL". And it was so much fun to look at all the girl stuff. :) I'm thankful they had cute clothes for Kaleb but nothing can compare to pink dresses!!! LOL http://www.diapers.com/baby-registry/7587/Lauren-Perrault I forgot all the little things you need at the beginning. In fact, I've kind of blanked on what happens after you have a baby and before they are walking. :) I hope it's like riding a bike.

BABY #2 is officially a GIRL!!! PTL!

2010-02-11T12:53:00.000-08:00

18 week ultrasound of our baby girl!!

It's True! Baby #2 on the way!!

2009-12-09T11:05:00.000-08:00

We found out just before Halloween that we are expecting baby #2 about July 11th-ish.

Kaleb gets to be a big brother!!! he is so excited! (or will be when he understands what that means ;)

All the family (Grandparents, esp.) were overjoyed at the news!! Babies are always such an amazing blessing.

This is a pic of me at 9 weeks.

Here are some update family pictures since I haven't been very good about posting pics for quite a while.

ADVENT CONSPIRACY!!!

2009-11-05T13:40:00.000-08:00

http://www.adventconspiracy.org/ Americans spend $45 billion PER YEAR on Xmas. You can give clean water to the entire world for $10 billion. Can we all give up ONE gift this year? One sweater we don't really like...one boring gift card...one dust-gathering knick-knack and give that amount to ANY charity instead?!?! This is the TRUE meaning of Christmas and the holiday season. If you were planning on getting me a present (family/close friends) can you do this instead?? Give to ANY charity in my name and put that info in a card. That would be the greatest present you could give to me or to my family.

Summer is Over :(

2009-10-07T14:30:00.001-07:00

My brother (Kyle) and Amanda got married on August 8th, 2009. It was beautiful and Ryan, K, and I all got to be in the wedding party.

We got a boat in late August and sure had fun out on the water. Too bad it cooled off shortly after so we only got 2 days of "swimming" time in.

Found Ty Wenger...male author for women's magazines

2009-09-17T08:33:00.000-07:00

I thought his article below was funny and probably pretty accurate. So thought I would share it with you. :)

Decoding Men's Oddball Love Signals http://lifestyle.msn.com/relationships/he-said-she-said/articlerb.aspx?cp-documentid=21429005&GT1=32023

Some clips...

(After buying his girlfriend a bowling ball) "Because on that day (and many, many days thereafter) my wife made a conscious choice: to see my hapless effort at romance not as a personal affront but as a love note written by a man in his own foreign language."

"Indeed, most guys will admit that during "the chase," we'll bend over backward to act all lovey-dovey, just the way you seem to like it. It's not as if sending flowers, cuddling on the couch, or tolerating your friends are natural acts for us. And once the chase has slowed to a crawl and we revert to our natural monosyllabic ways, your previously exceeded expectations suddenly go unmet." "Which leads to the next great romantic failing of man: Guys give lousy gifts. You know it. We know it. That checkout guy at The Home Depot knows it."

"Guys just want to connect with their woman doing something that they love. It's basically an organic process for them. It's like, What would I enjoy? Oh, Thai food sounds great! And what about a movie and some beer? Wow, perfect evening! And who can I share this perfect evening with? My lady, of course! Your guy knows what he likes, and if he can experience those things with the woman he loves, he's happy." So you see, we're lazy ... because we love you! "

"The honest truth is that by having sex with you, we are expressing our love. You can blame countless millennia of evolution, which have encoded us as such: I like her; I will have sex with her. (Reproduce, rinse, repeat.) That impulse is the driving force of life, so mock it all you want, but it's not going anywhere."

Another article I found with some good advice from Ty

Dating 101: Five Things Super-Happy Couples Do Every Day "What we learned then is something all happy couples eventually discover: A good relationship is a bit like a pet boa constrictor: either you feed it every day or bad things happen."

*You have to make time to catch up! "It's funny, because I always thought that when you lived with somebody, you'd automatically know everything that was going on," she says. "But we find that if we don't take that time to connect with each other, it's really easy for life to get in the way."

*Do something silly together...like watch reality TV. "Life is serious enough, isn't it? Sometimes you need to do something stupid. And if you can't be stupid with your husband, who can you be stupid with?"

*And pray together! "75 percent of the Americans who pray with their spouses reported that their marriages are "very happy" (compared to 57 percent of those who don't). Those who pray together are also more likely to say they respect each other and discuss their relationship together."

Ocean and Vegas trips

2009-08-05T13:31:00.000-07:00

MY NEW CAR!!! 2010 prius is in!!

2009-06-25T09:34:00.001-07:00

Kaleb's words at 21 months

2009-06-25T09:29:00.000-07:00

Daddy, Momma, Nana, Papa, Gampa (Grandpa), yesh (yes), Outside, Doggy, Up, Hi and bybye, Bbd (dvd), Juice, Truck, Car, Pane (plane), Nigh nigh (night night), Banky (blanket), More, Please, Ego (he gets one for breakfast), Peepee, Poopoo, Food, Bike, Emmo (elmo), Cheese, lawnmower (surprisingly clear!), hot dog, purple, titty (kitty :), choo-choo, bubbles, slide, 1-2-3, Uh-oh, Woah!, Go-go-go, First kind of sentence: Wat dat? (what’s that?...says it all the time, esp. when he hears new sound) and after you answer him he says "oohhh" So cute!!!

Playing in the water and Orcas Island

2009-06-10T09:37:00.000-07:00

Summer is HERE!!!

2009-06-10T09:16:00.000-07:00

200th post. WOW

2009-05-15T15:17:00.001-07:00

2009-04-07T09:08:00.000-07:00

"Bish, pleeaase" look was created.

SPRING is here!!

2009-04-06T12:41:00.000-07:00

Kaleb @ 18 months.

WICKED musical weekend

2009-04-06T12:32:00.000-07:00

Sheryl and I went to Portland with friends this weekend to see musical WICKED.

It was amazing and fun and we had a great weekend. I brought my friend Janelle along and we did some great bargain shopping!! Kaleb helped daddy put sprinklers in while mommy was gone. Also, my dad got my new built-in shelf unit complete!!! It looks AMAZING!!! Still need to do a couple of layers of gloss added but it looks wonderful and once it is full of my books, my library is going to be the best room in the house! THANKS DAD!!!

(see Simba helped too !:-)

Isaac Stanley Hunacek arrived!!

2009-04-06T12:29:00.000-07:00

Born 03/29/09@ 2:30am. you can click on the link on my right hand navigation for more pictures and information but Isaac is home now and both mom and baby are doing great. :-)

Hilarious Gas Prices Cartoons I Found

2009-03-13T16:25:00.000-07:00

GO TO FACEBOOK.COM

2009-03-13T16:24:00.000-07:00

If you wonder why this has not been updated...it is because I am communicating with most people on facebook now! I post pics and video there and it is easier/quicker for me. So if you are NOT on facebook.com yet...you need to go!!! Just search for Lauren Perrault or Lauren Rogers and you will find me there. I will still post random thoughts on here just for whoots.

Last email from my Grandma Donna...beautiful story

2009-02-17T10:55:00.000-08:00

I found this recently clearing out some old email. It was the last FW I got from MaSus (grandma Donna). It made me cry. Not just because she sent it, but because the message is so beautiful. I hope you enjoy it.

A Beautiful story....things happen for a reason!

The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned to their first ministry, to reopen a church in suburban Brooklyn , arrived in early October excited about their opportunities. When they saw their church, it was very run down and needed much work. They set a goal to have everything done in time to have their first service on Christmas Eve.

They worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls, painting, etc, and on December 18were ahead of schedule and just about finished.

On December 19 a terrible tempest - a driving rainstorm hit - the area and lasted for two days. On the 21st, the pastor went over to the church. His heart sank when he saw that the roof had leaked, causing a large area of plaster about 20 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall of the sanctuary just behind the pulpit, beginning about head high.

The pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor, and not knowing what else to do but postpone the Christmas Eve service, headed home. On the way, he noticed that a local business was having a flea market type sale for charity so he stopped in. One of the items was a beautiful, handmade, ivory colored, crocheted tablecloth with exquisite work, fine colors and a Cross embroidered right in the center. It was just the right size to cover up the hole in the front wall! He bought it and headed back to the church.

By this time it had started to snow. An older woman running from the opposite direction was trying to catch the bus...she missed it. The pastor invited her to wait in the warm church for the next bus 45 minutes later. She sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor while he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to put up the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The pastor could hardly believe how beautiful it looked and it covered up the entire problem area.

Then he noticed the woman walking down the center aisle. Her face was like a sheet. "Pastor," she asked, "where did you get that tablecloth?"

The pastor explained.

The woman asked him to check the lower right corner to see if the initials, EBG were crocheted into it there. They were. These were the initials of the woman, and she had made this tablecloth 35 years before, in Austria.

The woman could hardly believe it as the pastor told how he had just gotten the Tablecloth. The woman explained that before the war she and her husband were well-to-do people in Austria . When the Nazis came, she was forced to leave. Her husband was going to follow her the next week. He was captured, sent to prison, and she never saw her husband or her home again.

The pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth; but she made the pastor keep it for the church. The pastor insisted on driving her home, that was the least he could do.

What a wonderful service they had on Christmas Eve. The church was almost full. The music and the spirit were great. At the end of the service, the pastor and his wife greeted everyone at the door and many said that they would return. One older man, whom the pastor recognized from the neighborhood continued to sit in one of the pews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he wasn't leaving. The man asked him where he got the tablecloth on the front wall because it was identical to one that his wife had made years ago when they lived in Austria before the war and how could there be two tablecloths so much alike.

He told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he forced his wife to flee for her safety and he was supposed to follow her, but he was arrested and put in prison. He never saw his wife or his home again all the 35 years in between.

The pastor asked him if he would allow him to take him for a little ride. They drove to Staten Island and to the same house where the pastor had taken the woman three days earlier.

He helped the man climb the three flights of stairs to the woman's apartment, knocked on the door and was witness to the greatest Christmas reunion he could ever imagine.

True Story - submitted by Pastor Rob Reid

Who says God does not work in mysterious ways. I asked the Lord to bless you as I prayed for you today, to guide you and protect you as you go along your way. His love is always with you, His promises are true, and when we give Him all our cares you know He will see us through. So when the road you're traveling on seems difficult at best...just remember, I'm here praying and God will do the rest. When there is nothing left but God, that is when you find out that God is all you need.

I know she is up in heaven right now praying for us, sitting next to Our Father. :-)

www.wordle.net

2009-02-03T09:38:00.000-08:00

HYBRID CARS---my two cents

2009-01-26T16:52:00.000-08:00

For those who have not heard, Ryan and I are considering a Prius as my new car as Ryan's STI is paid off. He would drive my Honda as his commuter car. Means he'll get 38mpg and I'll get 50 mpg. NICE!! Anyway, I am ASTOUNDED by the amount of negative reaction we've got when I say "We're going to get a Prius". Geesh! You'd think i was buying a HUMMER the way people gasp. There are SO many incorrect claims out there. I had to post something on here to show the reason why WE are getting one. Not for everyone, I understand, and I would love to hear other viewpoints.

And I have to say it is funny when people tell me "You know you won't save money buying a hybrid. That isn't why I am buying one...or at least not the sole reason. Because I truly believe in the 8-10 years I plan to own mine, it will definitely pay for itself. however, there are so many other reasons to purchase one instead of a normal car (if you can afford to). I know hybrids aren't for everyone--if you are a farmer...probably won't help, if you have 3 or more kids...probably not feasible for you, if you need wheelchair accessibility...might not be accomodating. I am just saying, a hybrid can be considered by most people when they are looking at purchasing a slightly used or new family sedan.

Example: I wanted a Nissan Murrano or a Subaru Legacy...however, they are just as much if not MORE than a prius and got between 22 and 28 mpg. Which, after driving my Honda forever, is just unacceptable to me. I refuse to spend more than $20 in gas when I fill up (I never have)!!!

A main point for me is that part of every dollar I spend on gas is going to foreign countries that supply our gas (and not many of them are "friends") so the less I spend at the pump, the better I feel about that. And the less I spend on gas, the less gas we use and the less demand for gas.

And the more people that buy a prius, the more demand for those and less demand for the gas-guzzlers, which means the auto makers MIGHT actually spend more $$ and time trying to come up with EVEN better fuel alternative than the hybrids! wouldn't that be awesome?! But as long as people are okay with their 22 mpg sedans and 15 mpg Expeditions, I don't think manufacturers will invest their profits making something else. Anyway, throw more comments at me! Love to hear em!!

I am quoting from another article here

Title: The Truth About Today’s Hybrid Cars: They Don’t Save Money

Article COMMENT A few points from a new Prius owner:

1) The WSJ article did not compare apples to apples, i.e., a new prius against a new car in the same class and with like amenities. Forbes I believe compred several hybrids in those terms and found the Prius a good value.

2) New Prius is rated 50 mpg by EPA; users generally report about 45-55 in real-world driving. No SUV gets that kind of mileage.

3) One comment above assumes that all the electric power in a Prius comes from a plug or the gas engine for no net savings in emissions/fuel. Untrue. No plug, and much of the electricity comes from capturing wasted kinetic energy from coasting, breaking, etc. Very smart and efficient.

4) The batteries on a Prius come with an 8-year 100k warrantee. The car has existed for 5+ years now in its current form and Toyota has not had to replace a single battery.

5) The Prius is consistenly ranked as an excellent value in mid-sized sedans (it has 4 doors, people), even leaving aside its hybrid engineering. It has good or excellent ratings for reliability (read lower repairs), safety, performance, and features.

6) All the dead batteries in a Prius go back to Toyota, if the owner disposes of his car responsibly (i.e., doesn’t dump it in the local creek bed). Toyota publishes the cost of replacement batteries so, yes, that is known. The cost is going down as production increases, of course. That’s how Toyota is now making a profit on the Prius.

7) There’s a reason you don’t see ads for Prius. They are unnecessary. They sell themselves.

Perhaps the best argument for buying a hybrid, even if it is not strictly the cheapest option, is contained in the “Tragedy of the Commons” metaphore. Hybrids internalize some of the true costs of car ownership that we previously have left for future generations to pay, in the fouler air and unnecessarily expensive future energy costs that are inevitable from our current wasteful use. It seems to me that one should be rooting for new efficient technologies, rather than dismissing them out of hand.

AMEN!!!

CELL PHONE ETIQUETTE

2008-12-29T14:36:00.000-08:00

This is in response to my growing annoyance with cell phone users. PLEASE READ!!

First, think of your phone as a tool for emergencies (i.e. the baby sitter to say that your child has made a hole in his sister's head; the hospital to say your father's long-awaited kidney is on the helicopter; your staff to alert you the jury is returning; your neighbor to say Ed McMahon is hovering about your door with a massive rectangle of cardboard).

Second, think of your phone as a portable answering machine. It takes messages and when you are in an appropriate place, say your car BEFORE you unpark it; a park bench far from anyone else; a phone booth (!) no one else wants (phone booths are fairly quiet nowadays), etc.

Restaurants: Put your phone on vibrate. Immediately. Regardless of whom you are dining with. It is just plain RUDE to answer a call from someone while you are PHYSICALLY with someone else. You are, in essence, saying that you are only fully available over the phone. If you simply must be available - say for your anticipated dinner companion to tell you that he is caught in traffic so have another drink -practice speaking in a quiet conversational tone. If no one looks your way I think you've got it.

Theaters, concerts, meetings etc: Check at the entrance to be sure your phone is "off." If you're compulsive, check for voice mail at breaks. (Remember, you used to have to go home to check your messages.) If the only time you could get tickets to take the kids to "The Lion King" coincides with the only time a major mucky-muck is available for a conference call, put your phone on "vibrate" close to your heart and dash for the exit at the first tremor. If you forget both "off" and "vibrate" and your phone rings, turn it off instantly. (And as unobtrusively as possible so nobody will suspect you are the jerk responsible). No matter what: DO NOT ANSWER IT!

Museums and art galleries: Consider the reasons you are in such a place and be there totally. Turn off the phone, or better yet check it with your coat or tote bags.

Someone else's house or office:Turn off your phone. If you are expecting a call of extreme importance, ask if it is acceptable that you receive the vibrating only call so you can leave the room to take the call.

Places of Worship: Leave the cellphone at home, in the car or at least turn it off before you enter. God may call you but it's unlikely He will use Verizon.

Airline Travel: Follow airline personnel instructions. Usually cellphones must be off as soon as the aircraft doors are closed until the doors open again on arrival. (Unless otherwise informed on long apron delays etc.) Be particularly diligent if you have a cellphone with you but haven't used it lately. It could be on; there is adequate evidence that electronics within can interfere with those that guide the plane.

Face-to-face with someone: Do not talk on the phone while someone is trying to take your order in a restaurant, locate an upgrade for you on an airplane, or return the shoes you had half-soled. Attend to the face-to-face business totally even if you have to ask the one on the line to hold. Continuing to use the phone while nodding and signaling to the person in front of you is belittling and so extremely rude I've only seen the obnoxiously self-important do it.

Now here's a thought: Do you really want to be available all the time? Does that truly make you more productive, or does it just spread the productivity thinner over more time?

Keep in mind, the more available you make yourself the more available everyone will expect you to be. People will actually be miffed if you are not instantly and constantly available rather than being pleased when you do call. Think: Do you really need to be - or want to be - "connected" 24/7/365? And ask: what's it doing for that tension across your upper back? If you can summon the discipline to be unavailable at certain times - and even for uncertain lengths of time - it's doubtful much will change, except your peace of mind. THANK YOU for being not so selfish and instead courteous to everyone else.

Santa and Kaleb Meet

2008-12-18T09:47:00.001-08:00

Poor Santa!!

New Family Photo and new haircut

2008-12-17T14:49:00.001-08:00

I'll replace this picture later, once we get it scanned.

Family photo with my new short hair!!

2008-12-03T14:57:00.000-08:00

click on picture below to expand. Speaks for itself. :-)

For Posterity

2008-12-03T08:22:00.000-08:00

Remarks of President-Elect Barack Obama-as prepared for delivery. Election Night Tuesday, November 4th, 2008, Chicago, Illinois.

If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.

It's the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen; by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the very first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different; that their voice could be that difference.

It's the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled - Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been a collection of Red States and Blue States: we are, and always will be, the United States of America.

It's the answer that led those who have been told for so long by so many to be cynical, and fearful, and doubtful of what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.

It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America.

I just received a very gracious call from Senator McCain. He fought long and hard in this campaign, and he's fought even longer and harder for the country he loves. He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine, and we are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader. I congratulate him and Governor Palin for all they have achieved, and I look forward to working with them to renew this nation's promise in the months ahead.

I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton and rode with on that train home to Delaware, the Vice President-elect of the United States, Joe Biden.

I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last sixteen years, the rock of our family and the love of my life, our nation's next First Lady, Michelle Obama. Sasha and Malia, I love you both so much, and you have earned the new puppy that's coming with us to the White House. And while she's no longer with us, I know my grandmother is watching, along with the family that made me who I am. I miss them tonight, and know that my debt to them is beyond measure.

To my campaign manager David Plouffe, my chief strategist David Axelrod, and the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics - you made this happen, and I am forever grateful for what you've sacrificed to get it done.

But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to - it belongs to you. I was never the likeliest candidate for this office. We didn't start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington - it began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston. It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give five dollars and ten dollars and twenty dollars to this cause. It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation's apathy; who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep; from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on the doors of perfect strangers; from the millions of Americans who volunteered, and organized, and proved that more than two centuries later, a government of the people, by the people and for the people has not perished from this Earth. This is your victory.

I know you didn't do this just to win an election and I know you didn't do it for me. You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime - two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century. Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us. There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after their children fall asleep and wonder how they'll make the mortgage, or pay their doctor's bills, or save enough for college. There is new energy to harness and new jobs to be created; new schools to build and threats to meet and alliances to repair. The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term, but America - I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you - we as a people will get there.

There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won't agree with every decision or policy I make as President, and we know that government can't solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And above all, I will ask you join in the work of remaking this nation the only way it's been done in America for two-hundred and twenty-one years - block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.

What began twenty-one months ago in the depths of winter must not end on this autumn night. This victory alone is not the change we seek - it is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were. It cannot happen without you. So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism; of service and responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves, but each other. Let us remember that if this financial crisis taught us anything, it's that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers - in this country, we rise or fall as one nation; as one people. Let us resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long. Let us remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House - a party founded on the values of self-reliance, individual liberty, and national unity. Those are values we all share, and while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress. As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, "We are not enemies, but friends...though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection." And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn - I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your President too.

And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of our world - our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand. To those who would tear this world down - we will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security - we support you. And to all those who have wondered if America's beacon still burns as bright - tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from our the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity, and unyielding hope.

For that is the true genius of America - that America can change. Our union can be perfected. And what we have already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.

This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one that's on my mind tonight is about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She's a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing - Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old. She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn't vote for two reasons - because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin. And tonight, I think about all that she's seen throughout her century in America - the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can't, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can.

At a time when women's voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can.

When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs and a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can.

When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can.

She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that "We Shall Overcome." Yes we can.

A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination. And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change. Yes we can.

America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves - if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made? This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time - to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental.

For Christmas this year....

2008-12-01T16:10:00.000-08:00

I like to post gift ideas on this blog in case people who have our name are stumped. I wish everyone did this cause Man...it seems like everyone already has everything they need. And actually, making a list like this forces me to see just how truly blessed we are. It was hard to come up with things! And there aren't any NEEDS at all, just wants. So I guess I am thankful for that this year. For having all our family's needs met. I know a lot of families are not as privaleged. And with that in mind....

donation in our family's name to http://www.kiva.org/. This is a wonderful company that gives interest-free loans to individual's in 3rd world countries so they can become self sufficient and provide for their families and their future.

Plant trees in our name throughout the U.S. and replenish what man-made fires have destroyed at http://www.americanforests.org/

Help us be a voice for animals who are treated cruelly and abused who can not speak for themselves.

Or help us spread the Word of God on our favorite radio station http://www.klove.com/

If you would like something to actually wrap and put under a tree, here is a list of what I could come up with for our family.

Lowes gift card for new home items (blinds, yard, fence, patio, etc)
Dinner gift cards for mommy and daddy date nights (anywhere)
Fall Out Boy new CD
David Cook new CD
Wall E on DVD
Prince Caspian on DVD (For Lauren)
Hancock on DVD (for Ryan)
Burn Before Reading on DVD
Mamma Mia on DVD
The Dark Knight on DVD
Wanted on DVD
House (all seasons) on DVD (for Lauren)
Scrubs (any season) on DVD (for Ryan)
THE HOST novel by Stephanie Meyer (for Lauren)
A Great and Terrible Beauty... by Libba Bray (for Lauren)
The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray (for Lauren)
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher (for Lauren)

And for Kaleb, pretty much any car items. :-) He LOVES cars. Please, nothing TV related, as we are trying not to let him watch TV at this age. Also, he could really use winter clothing in 18 month sizes (should be in this size soon) and spring/summer clothing in 18-24 or 24 month or 2T sizes.

He loves to climb ALOT!! And any toys that help him explore or that he could ride on. :-D

Duplo or Quatro blocks, automoblox cars, any Fisher-Price Little People sets (he has bus, truck, airplane and horse), anything musical, tools...really, I think he will be happy with anything.

We are FINALLY in our new house!!!

2008-12-01T11:21:00.000-08:00

Yes, it's true. We are finally in our new home. New address: 5516 coolidge ct 99301 Send your Christmas cards! :-D

BIG THANK YOU to everyone who helped us move. We could not have done it so quickly and with such ease without you. A special thank you to Andrew Clement who was there I think every single day helping.

We will post pics as soon as we get our computer up and running and find our digital camera cable...it's in there somewhere....hehe

Family picture on Thanksgiving at Skvarek's.

Kaleb turning headlights on the car bed his Grandpa Mark made him. What an awesome gift! And it matches daddy's car!!! :-)

Halloween 2008

2008-11-21T11:50:00.000-08:00

Halloween was much different than we had originally planned. It was in California for the first time. Instead of freezing our rears off on what is usually the coldest night of the year back home, we walked around in shorts and sandals. Kaleb was actually sweating in his costume. When has that ever happened in Washington?! hehe His costume was a skunk costume that my grandma Donna made for my cousin Deni about 16 years ago. It seemed fitting to be in California, saying goodbye to my grandmother, on her favorite holiday, with her grandson in a costume she hand made. What a unique tribute. :-)

And with the difference in weather...there was a difference in costumes as well. :-)~

Long Awaited pics

2008-11-21T11:32:00.000-08:00

Kaleb at my Grandpa's house in California.

Ryan taking Kaleb for a ride in Grandma's "wicked witch" bicycle basket.

Family picture...right before my grandmother's memorial on grandparent's front lawn.

My crazy family. Aunt Rene chocking childhood girlfriend.

From left to right...(unknown friend), the youngest Mindy, John, Rene, Grandpa John, my mom, and Jeff. My aunt Margo is missing from the picture.

One Last Tribute

2008-11-04T13:23:00.000-08:00

My aunt Mindy read this poem during my grandmother's eulogy and I had to add it here. It fits so well for how our family feels and I hope it will comfort someone else who has felt the loss of a wonderful woman.

He Only Takes the Best

God saw she was getting tired and a cure was not to be.

So He put His arms around her and whispered, "Come with Me".

With tear-filled eyes we watched her suffer and fade away.

Although we loved her deeply,We could not make her stay.

A golden heart stopped beating,hard-working hands put to rest.

God broke our hearts to prove to us

He only takes the best.

Guest Book for Grandma Donna

2008-10-30T18:06:00.000-07:00

http://www.legacy.com/OrangeCounty/GB/GuestbookView.aspx?PersonId=119460905 sign the guestbook for Donna Mae Sustacek

IN Memory of Donna Sustacek

2008-10-24T11:35:00.001-07:00

My grandma Donna Sustacek passed away last night.

"If ever there is tomorrow when we're not together… there is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we're apart, I'll always be with you.”

This is from Winnie the Pooh but could have come right out of this wonderful woman's lips.

She was a strong, stubborn, giving, loving and much loved woman. She had 6 children and raised all of them to become fabulous parents. And those children are starting to become parents themselves...hopefully as wonderful as ours were.

She was a role model that I will continue to look up to. She was my best friend. She was a wonderful listener but she never gave you the easy way out of a problem. No BS from Grandma...she told it like it is.

After her stroke 3 years ago, cancer last year, and a heart attack...it was just her time. I prayed that my grandmother would be able to hold my son in her arms and God gave me that blessing. Not only was she able to hold him, she got to see him smile for some of the first times, hear his laugh and they even shared a conversation or two "dadad?" "Dadada".

She will be missed by SO MANY PEOPLE, most of all by her closeknit family.

Thank you for your prayers and well wishes.

The Funeral will be late next week sometime (Oct 30th-Nov 1).

Little did we know that morning God was going to call your name. In life we loved you dearly,In death we do the same. It broke our hearts to lose you,But you did not go alone. For part of us went with you,The day God called you home. You left us peaceful memories,Your love is still our guide. And though we cannot see you,You are always by our side. Our family chain is brokenAnd nothing seems the same. But as God calls us one by one,The chain will link again.

And a last fitting quote for my grandmother (by Ingrid Bergman): "I have no regrets. I wouldn't have lived my life the way I did if I was going to worry about what people were going to say." Don't worry Grandma. No one is going to say anything but the best about you....cause that's what you were.

Prayers Please

2008-10-21T09:26:00.000-07:00

My mom's mom (Grandma Donna) is in a coma. She had a heart attack on Thursday. The hospital sent her home with oxygen and morphene on Friday. She was strong enough to say "goodbye" to Kyle and I over the phone on Saturday and know that all of her kids were there surrounding her. That night she went into a coma. We are just waiting for the end now...

She doesn't seem to be in any pain as her body shuts itself down but hospice says her mind is still working. They are surprised she is still alive, frankly. But she always was a stubborn woman and I'm not surprised she isn't letting go. She'll go when she's darn well ready.

I am just so happy that we've had these last 3 years with her. When she had her stroke, we all thought it was the end. To have her hold Kaleb, to see his smile, to hear him babble....I know we are blessed that his Great-Grandma Donna got to be there for those things. She is a remarkable woman and I only hope I can live a life as full of laughter, friendship, love, and true memorable moments as she has.

Move in/Move out Dates

2008-10-17T13:23:00.000-07:00

Well, we got our move out date. November 2nd we say goodbye to our first home. Sad but leading to the next stage of our lives together. Ryan's mom, Becky, bought our Nash Dr. house and will be renting it out. Good investment for her, easy transition for us.

Our move in date for our new home at 5516 Coolidge Court Pasco, WA 99301 is set for November 7th. Even though they are still doing sheetrock and have only 3 weeks left...our Olin Homes lady swears they will be done by then, as it is our loan lock expiration date (and they don't want to have to pay the fees if they aren't done).

We are excited but this is going to prove a VERY stressful next 3 weeks as we prepare to move out, move in temp. with my parents or my brother, move out of temp resident, move in to new house. I can't wait though! Each day we see the new house it is looking more and more like a home. I just want to move in the last box, collapse on the couch with my husband, smile at our son playing on the floor, breath a sigh of relief and know that it's over and we're in!!

Benny Lava Make You Laugh

2008-10-17T13:15:00.000-07:00

Walk and Talk

2008-10-09T12:15:00.000-07:00

Man do they pick up this walking thing fast! Kaleb went from walking mommy to daddy and back across the living room to walking EVERYWHERE by himself in three days!! I wasn't ready for that!! This is day 3 of walking as he runs along babbling. :-)~ Now he can stand up by himself too! Without any furniture. he just squats and pushes up and off he goes. I still can't believe we have a child that is walking. crazy.

Walking (the PG-13 version) LOL

2008-10-03T07:56:00.000-07:00

WALKING!!!!

2008-10-03T07:48:00.000-07:00

Vegas Baby!

2008-10-02T14:03:00.001-07:00

My world traveler! He got to swim with the dolphins (or look through glass at them swimming....same thing!)!! We went to the dolphin exhibit and it was pretty darn cool.

Here he is with his "gang" comprised of Miss Abbigail Grace, Little Luis, and Noah (mohawk)...all one year old! Waiting for a tram, in front of the Trevi Fountain, in front of Treasure Island Pirate Ship, in front of Beatles Advertisement, and posing with life-size Siegfried and Roy heads.

They all played very nicely and even napped together once a day! However, the only way we could take this picture of all of them sitting was to bribe them with food on the floor! hehe

Here are the four of us mommies as we board the shuttle to the strip. We were quite the parade!

From left to right, Sarah (Abbigail), Teresa (Luis), Erin (Noah), and me (Kaleb). Boy did we have a great time and Sarah is already planning next year's get together. Hopefully, we can have more than 4 mommies make it! We had 16 originally wanting to go, then down to 10, then 6, then 2 last minute. We still had a blast though! And probably more down time than if we'd had 16 mommies and 16 one year olds...(GULP) can you even imagine?!?!

FIRST STEPS!

2008-10-02T13:37:00.000-07:00

Kaleb took his first steps back and forth between people Tuesday (Sept 30th) on his 1 Year, 1 month birthday! So if I let him hold my finger and then release him while he is in motion, he takes 3-6 steps to get to the person holding their arms out. Yesterday, he just started letting go of my hand as he rushed towards someone. But he still won't just walk on his own. Maybe he just doesn't like first gear. LOL

He also stood for the first time all by himself for more than 5 seconds on Tuesday! We went to Picture People for family pictures and the photographer told me to count to 3 and then let go of him and we'd get shots before he quick sat down. But he stood there for like 10 seconds while she snapped away and looked at us like, "WHAT?!" Ryan and I were so excited!

So...he stands pretty much on his own, he doesn't need to hold anyone to walk...any day he should put it all together and he'll be off running! hehe

I'm trying to appreciate his holding my finger though. Not much longer and he won't want to do that anymore. :-( My big boy. Also, he had his 12 month check up and he's finally out of the 10th percentile! He is 50th percentile for both height and weight!! Wohooo!!! He's 21.5 lbs and 30" long. And, of course, he is in his "big boy" carseat now. Forward facing rocks!!

And here is family picture from my Uncle Mark and (new) Aunt Lara's wedding last Friday. It was very nice.

Oh and Bonnie reminded me...we missed Talk Like a Pirate Day this year cause I was in Vegas. Here is Kaleb's solute, though it is posted on here a little bit late (Big thanks to his Grandma Ruth who made his outfit!!)

BIGGEST LOSER!! personal competition starts today!!

2008-10-01T16:43:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I know none of us have weight to lose cause we all look HOT. But, I would like to lose a few pesky pounds and wondered if having a biggest loser type contest would help motivate anyone else.

Basically, if you don't watch the show (http://www.nbc.com/The_Biggest_Loser/), the people compete against each other every week and the results are in percentage of weight loss...so if someone has to lose 75 lbs and their competition only has to lose 25....they have same chance of winning each week.

What I was thinking was this: Everyone who wants to participate emails me back. We have our "starting weigh in" on Tuesday (night show is on..or wednesday morning for those of us who prefer a morning weight) and everyone writes down their starting weight (you can email it to me or just keep it yourself by OCTOBER 8th). Then we will weigh every Tuesday. You can email me your starting weight and then weight lost each week or just your % of weight lost each week. Then I will "announce" the winner by email and a spot on my blog each Wednesday afternoon. We will do this every week with a potential to be the "biggest loser" starting again every week!

Here is the big motivation. We all put in $5 each week. It's not much...a starbucks coffee or mcdonald's breakfast (that we won't be eating anyway)...but the winner each week gets the pot!! This could be anywhere from $15 to $70 per week!! Depending on how many people participate. Along with announcement of the winner, i will include that person's home address so we can all send our $5 to them.

So what do you think?! Please pass this along to any friends who might be interested! The more that get involved, the more competition but also the more potential for big wins, and the more of us that will get healthy!!!

I need to know who is going to be participating by THIS TUESDAY (OCTOBER 7th). A small group of us started on October 1st, but everyone else will just miss the first week of competition and jump right in after that. So pass this on and let me know if you are ready for this challenge!! My email is http://us.mc508.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=alyssa80ryan@yahoo.com (Lauren) And for those of you wondering...yes, this is based on the honesty system. I am trusting people to send me their exact and true percentage each week, and trusting that people will send the $5 each week to the winner. No cheating. If we all play fair...this should be great motiviation!!!

KALEB IS ONE YEAR OLD!!!

2008-09-25T15:37:00.000-07:00

What a year!

I can't believe how fast time flies by!!

I'll post some more later but I'm on my way home to see my beautiful birthday boy!

Today is Anti-Procrastination Day

2008-09-24T12:59:00.001-07:00

I'll put something here later.

House update

2008-09-15T10:15:00.000-07:00

Electrical should be finished this week. Also, Ryan says concrete should also be poured this week for our patios and driveway. After this will be inspection, insulation/drywall, and inspection. We locked in our loan for 60 days and house is due to be completed before then (Nov 8) but we are REALLY hoping for closer to mid-late October. We'll see. We did do ALOT of custom stuff. I just want it to be done!!! :-)~

Big Boy

2008-09-15T10:08:00.000-07:00

His first "bite" of an apple. Look at those little baby teeth marks. awwww

Amber and Len had their baby!

2008-09-10T10:06:00.001-07:00

Amber texted me at about 9:30 Friday morning to tell me her water broke. 14 hours or so later...

Lilly Lou Nuanez was born!!! September 5th at 11:05 pm. She weighed 8 lbs. 5.3 oz. and was 20.5 inches long. Mom and baby are doing great. Dad on the other hand....

Silverwood Carshow on Saturday

2008-09-08T13:10:00.000-07:00

We went to Silverwood on Saturday to a carshow with Ryan's friends Andrew and Jessica. It was fun. Ryan got new wheels for his STI and was all excited to show them off, along with his custom-made centercaps. It was nice weather and we got to ride every ride there once. The new rollercoaster was AWESOME.

Kaleb's new toy!!

2008-09-08T13:00:00.000-07:00

Kaleb says, "I can't believe Grandpa Mark got me a REAL truck!!"

Happy Early First Birthday, Kaleb!

2008-09-08T12:22:00.000-07:00

party festivities His home-made Baby Einstein caterpillar cake!!

"Hmmmm...what is this?"

"mmm...not bad."

"What? my hands in it?!"

"oh...guess that's okay. mmmmm."

Note: this bag says, "picked just for you"

This pic cracks me up. I think we are both a little TOO excited about this gift. hehe

I'm Elizabeth Bennett....who are you?

2008-09-02T15:46:00.001-07:00

Take the Quiz here!

New Blogs

2008-09-02T15:25:00.000-07:00

Check out my new links on the right side here. I've found a few interesting blogs that I thought other people might enjoy perusing. Let me know if you have any you'd like to share. :-)

KALEB'S FIRST BIRTHDAY PARTY

2008-09-02T15:21:00.000-07:00

Will be early this year. THIS Sunday (Sept 7th) at 3pm @ the park across the street from our current house (Sandifur and 84th). Call or email if you need directions alyssa80ryan@yahoo.com

We will have picnic blankets for everyone to sit on but if you'd prefer a chair...feel free to bring your own with you! Unfortunantly, there is only one picnic table at this park :-( and there will be WAY more than 6 people there. hehe

We can't wait for this weekend! It's going to be so much fun. We sure hope you can be there. Can you believe Kaleb is ALREADY (almost) going to be ONE?!?! We can't. :-)~

Somebody ask for a DJ?

2008-08-30T13:52:00.000-07:00

INTRODUCING DJ KC

Dance Party? Wedding? Anniversary? We've got you covered! Call Kaleb Perrault and make sure your whole party is shaking their booty! He'll crawl on over to your place

Who's the best DJ? "KC" I can't hear you?!

pics and updates

2008-08-30T13:44:00.000-07:00

First haircut. Okay...it was barely a trim but I cut the hair that was hanging over his ears. And that was it. I'm chicken!! Kaleb and I waving to daddy from his new bedroom window. Daddy took Kaleb to the Benton-Franklin County Fair for the first time. He really had a great time...until a cow got a little too close. Otherwise, I guess he just stared at all the animals and then looked at daddy to say "Are they safe?" Then he'd smile.

THANK YOU!!!

2008-08-26T10:56:00.000-07:00

To all who supported our team Portland To Coast Walk for cancer last weekend. We had a great time and our team raised over $2000!!!

Since Sheryl and I walked with each other, we walked almost 18 miles in 22 hours!!! But had a blast doing it. On our 3rd leg, we decided to push it and walked our 3.6 miles in 50 minutes. That is average of 14 minute miles!! Wohoo!! Of course, that meant our 5.35 mile last leg was a lot harder than our previous 3 legs. Sheryl had to drag me the last mile or two. She pulled a Mark (my dad), "Just another quarter mile, lauren!" 2 hours later.....

http://www.walkingdade2008.blogspot.com/ Our group did great! We finished THREE Hours ahead of our projected time. Go Walking Dade!!

How confusing is my work?

2008-08-26T10:49:00.000-07:00

An employee at my company recently graduated from the National Contract Management Association Contract Management Leadership Development Program.

In my group, we are mapping our subject area. So...I am creating a process flow chart of the standard based management system standard procedures, as well as the process flow chart for the developing revisions development process. Later, we'll have to double check our process flow for our process development process.

Anyone else confused?

Send your question to: the VPP's SME or MSO regarding SBMS ROC requirements. :-P

Thought for the day...from Communities of Hope book

2008-08-14T13:14:00.000-07:00

"If collision is the natural antecedent of mistrust, accusation, and seperation, then mutual credibility can be the precursor to respect, missional collaboration, and generative friendship. Three paths of inquiry and practice will accelerate this journey to credibility and beyond: a critical analysis of culture, a less selective appropriation of history, and a relocation of theological dialogue from the border of initiation to the creative embrace of mission." ~Tim Conder

Dan lent me this book to read and as I read the first sentence aloud to Ryan, we both shook our heads. If this guy was trying to send the world a message...I think it got lost. Anyway, now I read it and laugh cause...could he have used BIGGER words?! Remind me to thesarus this blog from now on so it will sound more pretentious. :-)~

2008-08-11T12:55:00.000-07:00

House on 08-10-08

2008-08-11T12:11:00.000-07:00

Here is the house on Monday (8-4-08)

And here is the house on 8-10-08 You can see Kyle's house through our 3rd bedroom window!

This is our living room when you first walk in the front door. our stairs are to the right.

This is upstairs...my library room and Ryan is standing in 3rd bedroom. And this is the view from our upstairs hallway (3 picture windows).

Ryan and Kaleb in what will be Kaleb's bedroom.

Kaleb and I in the family room. The picture below shows you how HUGE this room is going to be. We are so EXCITED!!! Plenty of room for friend/family hangouts and holiday parties!!!

And Ryan's HUGE garage. He is standing by the back where he'll have a sliding back door.

Weekend of Weddings

2008-08-11T09:54:00.000-07:00

First wedding...Matthias and Michelle Lieb was on Friday at 7pm. It was BEAUTIFUL...after the rain stopped (about half hour before ceremony).

Kaleb cried. He thought he was going to marry Michelle when he was all growed up. :-( But he was still willing to give Matthias a high five. What a good sport he is. Second wedding was Eric and Patricia Wetterling on Saturday at 1 in Sammamish. Lots of cameras at this wedding. Had to get a picture. here is the sound, "click click click click click"

Had to take the 10 Down, 2 To Go pic for our group of guys. WOW. Can't believe there are so many who got caught in our web!

Then we went to Kendrick's wedding at 6:30 in Kabota Gardens near Seattle. Kendrick is Ryan's Subaru friend (partner...if you will). It was a very nice, small wedding ceremony (20 people?) outside as it rained on and off. But the bride and groom had great attitudes and laughed it off. Then we went back to our hotel in Seattle and PARTIED with our friends!!!!

update on life

2008-08-06T11:18:00.000-07:00

Kaleb is over 10 months old now!! We are planning for his first birthday party (SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 7th @3pm)

Ryan has got to go hiking twice this summer. once with our friend Seth and once with my stepdad (Steve) and his dad (Noel). They had a great time. And, as always, Ryan opens up a can of beans in honor of his grandfather. Kaleb is getting into mischief. He is crab-crawling now. Playing with big boy toys...

And he thinks he is a dog. Him and Simba share kisses, water, and doggie doors.

new home

2008-08-06T11:11:00.000-07:00

Photos of our lot....and start of our NEW HOUSE!!! To see how close we are to my brother (Kyle)'s house, this last pic...center of photo brown house just beyond light post is where him and Amanda are living! It's one block up and 2 blocks over. Niiiice.

NEW JOB

2008-06-26T13:19:00.000-07:00

I am busy at my new job at PNNL so this blog probably won't be updated for a little while until I settle in. Just wanted to let everyone know that I am LOVING my new job and finding it very exciting and fulfilling. Ryan and I are finalizing our new house tonight and it should be done mid-October if all goes well. Our current house is up for sale...if anyone knows of someone in need of a 1089 sq ft. 3 bedroom, 2 bath home. Sale price is $134,900 but we are willing to negotiate a "friend of a friend" price. :-) Kaleb is crawling EVERYWHERE and into EVERYTHING. Keeping Ryan busy all day. :-) Will update later!!! Hope everyone is doing well. Hugs{{{}}} Lauren

CRAWLING VIDEO

2008-06-11T10:20:00.000-07:00

Amber's baby girl

2008-06-11T10:05:00.000-07:00

My friend Amber Nuanez (used to be Amber Cleavenger) and her husband Len are expecting baby #1 soon. She sent me pics of her 20 week ultrasound and I just had to post them. I can barely remember belly photos!!!

We went to visit our friends Brett and Andrea on Monday cause they just had baby#3 and the first boy. He was born bigger than Kaleb (by a few ounces) but I SWEAR my son was never THAT small!! I remember Karen saying the same thing when she say Kaleb for the first time...but for her Elijah never was! hehee

Still, isn't it weird how a year doesn't seem like very long but it's life changing!?!

Hey Jude

2008-06-09T15:51:00.000-07:00

This is my friend Carrie's son Jude. She is a semi-professional photographer, who has the best model in the world in her son. I just HAD to post this picture because it is the most adorable pic I have ever seen.

LIFE CHANGES

2008-06-09T11:58:00.000-07:00

Those of you who haven't heard...I am starting a new job next Monday (June 16th). I got a job as a Technical Editor at PNNL. I am super excited! This is wonderful for my career and will allow me to get some amazing experience with a very well-renowned company. I wasn't necessarily looking for a new job but Joel Osteen told me, "God does not want you to be stagnant. He doesn't want youto just sit and be 'comfortable'. He's given you talents and he wants you to use those talents!!" Okay Joel. Fine. So I applied when Melissa Hunacek called and told me there were editing positions open at her work. Figured, if I got a call back, I'd go from there. Two months later, I'm accepting the position. WOW. Life changes and there is always a reason. Guess I gotta hurry and keep up!! :-)

Well, Ryan and I did a lot of talking and decided it was time for our next big step in life. Another baby!!! Just kidding! Someday. But no, I mean a BIGGER HOUSE. For those of you who've been over, you know why we are considering a move. We are outgrowing our 1089 sq ft house. :-( It's actually sad to put it up for sale. We love this house. Kaleb's room is perfect and Simba loves the backyard...and Ryan and I put so much sweat and tears into this house....but we can't even think baby #2 until we find room for what we've already got. So we are going to de-clutter our lives and move it on up. We are going to build a new home with Olin homes, who just got done building my brother's house! In fact, our corner lot we picked out is one block behind him and one block over. We never thought we'd live next to each other but Kyle and I are both excited to be living so close. And I'm sure our parents are all thrilled...much easier for family get togethers! And what a team we make. Kyle's got the projection screen mini-movie theater in his house, and Ryan and I will have the giant living room for hosting parties and the backyard for BBQs and soccer.

I forsee Ryan and I will be hosting many family get togethers (esp. CHRISTMAS) since our house will now hold a few more people. Here is our floorplan (2712 sq ft):

It shows it with the optional tandem 3rd car garage, which we will be getting. Ryan is going to to a 16x40 3rd car tandem with raised ceilings so he can have his shop. It will be so nice for him to have his own area to do side jobs and to work on his Subaru. He is very excited.

Here are a few pics of VERY similar house already built:

So...now that Kaleb is moving everywhere...he'll have a whole new house to explore!! in about 4 months. We are really hoping to have it completed by Kaleb's first birthday. We'll keep you updated here.

Why does my baby keep growing?!?

2008-06-09T11:54:00.000-07:00

Guess Kaleb just doesn't want to stay little. He wants to grow up and explore the world!

This morning I woke up as I always do...to Kaleb's babbling. Such a sweet, wonderful sound. So I sleepily entered his room and stopped dead in my tracks. My son was STANDING IN HIS CRIB!! He looked at me and smiled through his pacifier and went on trying to get out of his cage. Ahhhhhhhhhhhh! I guess it's time for mommy and daddy to lower the crib. We seriously said we were going to yesterday but we got home so late, and he was so tired...we thought, 'one night won't hurt'. LOL How many parents have said that exact sentence huh?! So today, the crib is REALLY going to get lowered. My silly boy. Doesn't he know we can't handle this many changes?!?!

Brandon and Amanda are Married

2008-06-02T11:39:00.000-07:00

Ryan's step-brother Brandon and his girlfriend are officially married...and have been for a while in secret. Here is the proud new couple with their almost 6 month old son Tyler. cutie

It's Official: KALEB IS CRAWLING

2008-06-02T11:30:00.000-07:00

Our little man is growing up! Kaleb decided on Memorial Day that it was time for his independance and started to crawl, 3 days after his 8 month birthday. He is still not "crawling" as in hands and knees shuffling all over. Rather, he lays on his tummy then gets on his tippy toes and pushes then pulls himself with both hands at the same time! it looks so funny but he gets moving. I will post a short video once we get it uploaded. just thought we'd let everyone know.

Also, he said "dada" the day before Ryan came home! Couldn't have asked for better timing, huh?!?! We teared up a bit. And when he says it now...boy does Ryan get a big ol grin. Nothing better in the world, if you ask me.

NEW FAMILY PICS

2008-05-30T15:11:00.000-07:00

MORE VACATION

2008-05-30T14:53:00.001-07:00

While in Palm Springs, we took their ariel tram up to the top of Mount San Jacinto. It was very cool. The tram makes two 360 degree rotations while it goes up so no matter where you are standing, you get a GREAT view. They advertise that you start in the "mexican" desert at 100 degrees and only a few minutes later you are in the "alaska plains" where it can be 40-50 degrees and snow covered!!

It was about high 80 at the bottom and high 60s at the top for us. No snow. But spectacular view of Palm Springs and surrounding area. We took a little hike but hiking with a hungry baby and a stroller is harder than we thought! We had a great time still. Kaleb enjoyed dining out with us one meal a day and he was such a great big boy. he had his cheerios and "chicken with veggies" meal and even drank from his own "kid" cup!! He is growing so fast!!!

When we got home on Sunday, the Snyder family picked us up and we hung out with them all day Monday. We took a KFC picnic lunch to Spokane Falls.

For those of you who have been there, it was....WOW. Supposed to be the most water running through there since the 70s or something. It was pretty impressive. If you walked across one of the bridges, you got SOAKED! Anyway, we had a great time with them talking houses and babies and just catching up. Any Spokane trip is always a blast for us.

VISITING FAMILY

2008-05-30T14:32:00.000-07:00

The main reason for our vacation was to visit family. In Palm Springs, Ryan got to meet Steve's mom for the first time. I don't have a pic of all of us (parents camera) but will post when I get it. The boys had a fun time in the desert but did not get a chance to go hiking (we were BUMMED) cause of the high wind warnings.

Kaleb was pretty spoiled while we were vacationing. Nona bought him a new cowboy hat. And his Great Aunt Renee bought him lots of very cool books (one had a dog with real fur to pet) and his own set of car keys!!!

And of course, we got to visit my Grandpa and Grandma. She is still undergoing radation treatment for her cancer, and has lost a lot of weight, but things are looking up and she is being so positive! She cracked jokes and bossed everyone around from her bed! That's my grandma! :-)

Kaleb just adores her! Everytime she'd say his name, he'd look over and SMILE. They had a great time.

BEACH VACATION

2008-05-30T13:44:00.001-07:00

Well, we had a pretty nice vacation last week. We went to Oceanside and Newport Beach. Both days we got there just as the sun was starting to set since it was about 100 degrees during the day...just too hot for a baby. At Oceanside, we stayed in our timeshare that was almost on the pier!! It was really nice and Kaleb had a great time playing in the pool for the first time. After 3 days there, we moved on to Palm Springs where it was above 100 degrees the first day and then the next 2 were low 70s with 50MPH wind warnings. very weird weather. But we still enjoyed our stay...the timeshare was beautiful here with another pool to play in.

Daddy Coming Home!

2008-05-12T12:23:00.000-07:00

Changes since Ryan left: *Started baby food the week Ryan was home, now Kaleb is on Stage 2 food and eating cheerios and puffs all by himself. *Could hold his own bottle for a couple minutes, now does it the entire bottle. *Up one diaper size (2-3), went from 3-6 month clothes to 6-9 month clothes. *Sat by himself for a few minutes before tipping forward, now he purposely tips to reach toys and can get onto his hands and knees if needed. *Could stand up with someone holding his hands but very wobbly and now he can stand up by himself when he holds on to furniture, and he is making stepping motions. *He was just starting to make screaming noises, now he can say "Gee, Gaa, Eeee, Iiii, Ahhhh, and Hiiii." *He could get his pacifier into his mouth by himself after many tries and now he just pops it right in. *Needed to be rocked to sleep and now I just lay him in his crib and he falls asleep on his own (this one was hard for mommy). :-(

Before 03/02/08

Now 05/02/08

Before 03/02/08 Now 05/02/08

We are just SOOOO glad that daddy is FINALLY going to be coming home!! 9.5 weeks is just too darn long!! He is due home Wednesday and then we are off for California on Thursday till Memorial Day. Lots of bonding time for father and son, and a much needed rest for both mommy and daddy. We will also get a chance to visit grandparents and family again. We are going to see my mom's parents for about 5 days...Grandma is home from hospital and hanging in there....and then to see Steve's mom for 3 days (whom Ryan has never met...so that will be nice). We promise to call and make the rounds when we get back. :-D

Daddy coming home yet?

2008-05-08T14:36:00.001-07:00

Last night, Ryan said he will be home WEDNESDAY night. (sigh) I know. So...you guys probably won't see him until June. He comes in Wed and we leave Thursday night to drive to Spokane for our flight to CA early on Friday morning. Then on vacation through Memorial Day. Kind of sucks cause he won't have time to visit...probably just have time to visit with his Gpa and repack his suitcase and then we'll be off. And he can get to know his son again on the plane ride. :-P

We are looking forward to our first FAMILY VACATION!!

relaxing spring weekend

2008-05-08T12:53:00.000-07:00

Video of Kaleb Standing...almost by himself

2008-05-05T15:04:00.001-07:00

Dome and Standing Montage

Story from my friend Meredith

2008-05-05T10:46:00.000-07:00

Meredith is one of my mommies friends on my babycenter forum and she posted this story over the weekend. Just had to share it.

So, now I have to tell you this story about my bro's bout with kidney stones. Last month, he had been feeling pretty lousy all day like he might be coming down with the flu, but he pressed on & played swordsman with the boys. All the sudden he got this really sharp pain & collapsed to the floor. He was rolling around on the floor writhing in pain...moan & groaning. Well Andrew (11) called 911 & calmly told them what his daddy was telling himwas wrong with him. Cameron (9) is on the other phone calling mom & telling her that she needed to get over ther fast because daddy is dying. Now, for the funny part...while they were waiting for the paramedics to get there, Andrew was holding his hand & stroking it gently saying, "Stay with me dad, stay with me. Everyting is going to be ok. Don't go to the light dad. Stay with me." They had just finished watching Band of Brothers the week before & apparently that is what one of the medics was saying to his buddy after he got shot. Too cute!!

LASIK SUCCESS

2008-05-02T10:15:00.000-07:00

SURGERY WENT GREAT!!! I wasn't nervous at all. I even declined the medicines they offer for pain relief and to calm you. Hey, if I can give birth...this outta be a piece of cake. ;-) They numbed my eyes, took me into a room, laid me down and then walked me through what they were doing to my eye...kind of. "Alright Lauren, you'll see a dot then your vision will blur, you'll hear a noise but don't let it startle you, then your vision will darken for a moment, just keep staring straight ahead, now you'll see light and then the dot again. And we're done with that eye." WHAT?!?! SERIOUSLY!?! You just cut my eye, peeled the flap back, lasered it, and put it all back together JUST NOW?!?! Had I not watched the video, I would not have know they were doing any of that. I felt nothing, I had no pain, even the thing holding the eye open didn't bother me a bit. After 5 minutes, they raise me up, I blink, and everything is clear...a bit cloudy but I can see!!! I sit and wait for my follow-up exam and just look around. I'll admit, it didn't hit me right away cause it just felt like I was wearing my contact lenses. But this morning when Kaleb woke up at 4 crying, and I could see the clock 4:10 without grobbing dowsy with sleep...it hit me a bit more. I even went into his room without turning on any lights, changed his diaper, and went back to bed. It was wonderful. :-) Later, I woke up, did my morning routing (minus put in contacts or put on glasses), drove to my dad's to drop Kaleb off, and drove to my doctors with no vision problems. Test results are back: I have 20/20 VISION! It's official! Now, I still have to keep up a strict regiment of 3 different drops every 2 hours until tomorrow when I can go every 4 hours but then add artificial tears as needed, sleep with my goggle things (as seen in photo above), and no make-up for a week. But it is SO worth it. They also said my vision may change as my eye continues to heal but everything looks wonderful. literally!! hehe I am so happy I did this and so incredibly pleased with Pacific Cataract and Laser Institute. I got a free fleece vest too. I told my parents, "I got a $2800 vest but the LASIK was FREE! It was worth it!" LOL

New montage 04/30/08

2008-04-30T17:03:00.000-07:00

My Montage 4/30/08

LASIK

2008-04-30T16:08:00.000-07:00

So tomorrow is the big day. I'm getting my eyes lasered!! If you have horror stories of people you know that did this...I don't want to hear it!!! :-P

I go in tomorrow at 7:45am and should be able to see without contacts or glasses by the time Janelle picks me up at 11. SO EXCITED!!

I've been looking into LASIK since I was 21 and it just never worked out...my eyes kept changing and then we didn't have the money with buying our house and then baby on the way. But now the day is finally here.

Prayers for me and the doctor are much appreciated. :-D hehe

SEE you all later (pun intended)

MARCH FOR BABIES

2008-04-30T13:52:00.001-07:00

First of all, THANK YOU SO MUCH to everyone who donated to March of Dimes for this cause. I have done WalkAmerica...now called March for babies...for 12 years and it is dear to my heart. Especially now that I personally know people with premature babies and have been blessed with a healthy son myself.

Sheryl, Stephanie, Michelle, and I all participated and had a blast. Gma Sheryl got to push Kaleb for part of it and show him off to her coworkers that were there.

Stephanie brought her son Kaiden, who did awesome. Just sat there chilling in his sunglasses.

Even Michelle brought her daughter, Daphne, along. She did great and on her fours she kept up with our twos. :-)~

Along the walk, we made friends with some other babies! Stephanie's next door neighbor was there with her baby boy and her friend and her son. So...all four boys sat around at our impromptu picnic after the walk...and had a wonderful time....eating grass together. :-)

Lots of New Babies!

2008-04-30T09:21:00.000-07:00

Lisa and Kim Schultz (mike hunacek's sister) had their baby girl, Amelia, on April 20th.

My cousin Adam and his wife Brenda had a son, Elijah Joe, on April 14th

Bonnie had her baby girl, Adelyn, on April 6th (her estimated due date!...those docs are good)

And I realized that I haven't posted any pics of our step-nephews! This is Brandon and Amanda's baby boy, Tyler. He is 4 months old and already the same size as Kaleb! One big boy!

As you can see from this picture.

And this is a pic of Beau with his girlfriend and their baby boy J.D. and her other son.

Weekend in Spokane

2008-04-14T12:01:00.001-07:00

Since it was Elijah's birthday...he got to order for all of us at Tomato Street (our FAV). Since Mark and Karen want two kids...we decided to let them adopt Kaleb. I mean, him and Elijah get along so well....

Speaking of which,

here are the two boys tubbing together. Bathtime sure is fun!

K and I carpooled up with Mike and Melissa and got to stay at her parents' new house in Spokane. It is HUGE!! And absolutely gorgeous. We were all sorry Ryan wasn't there...Mindy and Bryan want to be shocked at his food consumption again. hehe

We even posed this pic so that we can photoshop my husband in. It just isn't the same without him.

Saturday night, Kaleb and I stayed with the Snyders.

Sunday was SOOO beautiful! like high 70s and sunny. So we took the boys out for a walk to the park near them. They got to play on the toys and swing...which they loved!

And, for the first time!, Kaleb pulled himself up all by himself!!!!

I almost cried.

My son is getting so big.

He will be 7 months old in less than 2 weeks. I can't believe it. Daddy better hurry home!!

Elijah Turns ONE!

2008-04-14T11:59:00.001-07:00

How old are you Elijah?

Mom and her hand-made First Birthday Cake. Is she proud or what?

Lots and lots of presents for this lucky boy!

Kyle and Amanda Move!!

2008-04-14T11:52:00.000-07:00

Kyle and Amanda got the keys to their brand new home on Friday!!

WOhoooo!

Boy were they excited. It is in Pasco by the Trac...on Hayes...very nice neighborhood and right next to a huge park. The house is about 1400 sq ft and the double doors you can see in the back of the kitchen lead into their media room!

They can't wait to invite us all over to watch movies with surround sound on their projection screen. After both working at the movie theater for 5+ years (Amanda is currently asst manager at the one in the mall), it's no surprise that they share a love of movies. Ithink Kyle set up the media room before he even plugged in the fridge...hehee..priorities.

On a side note, Megan and Dan (and Zeke) got their house keys this weekend too. They were also excited but I think Megan is a bit overwhelmed with the large task of painting the interior...

I don't have pics of their house yet...but I do have these that I just had to share. Zeke in Melissa's heels... so funny!!

Daddy was upset at first but it was just too darn cute not to help him out when he couldn't get the 2nd one on without help.

Oh Zeke...such a character!

Grandma Sustacek

2008-04-11T13:22:00.000-07:00

I'm sure some of you have heard that my grandma is not doing very well. She is back in hospital and has emphezema (spelled wrong), pneumonia, and her "lung" cancer is back.

I was going to take Kaleb and go there ASAP but my mom and her sisters convinced me to stay and see how she does. Apparently, she is doing better today. She can't have chemo until she gets her immune system better and that seems to be quite a bit down the road.

So...any prayers are much appreciated as this fiesty old lady shakes her fist at us and tells us she is going to be just fine and we're all in a tissy for nothin'. Gotta love her!!

Also, remember to keep Stephanie's dad in there too....though last I heard from her, he is doing remarkably well! Good news indeed!

The simple things in life

2008-04-11T13:08:00.000-07:00

How a box, a dog, and a bone can make a small boy's day.

It was nice weather (besides the wind) so we spent some wonderful time in the sunshine.

Then it was time for bath and bed.

Have you EVER seen this much drool?!?!

It's GROSS

Montage of Videos

2008-04-01T15:22:00.000-07:00

http://www.onetruemedia.com/shared?p=56fe41f5029815d9423e94&skin_id=701&utm_source=otm&utm_medium=text_url