Sledding

Here's a short video of Erik running Timmy around on the sled.  Enjoy!

Percy

For those of you who have been to our house or talked to Timmy in the recent past, you know that Timmy loves Thomas and Friends.  We have bought some Thomas stuff and kinda had a stock pile in Timmy's closet.  He's getting a bunch of it for Christmas this year from different relatives and yet there's still some left.

Timmy really enjoys watching Thomas and his friends on TV or the computer (we downloaded a whole season on iTunes) and he has a few board books we got from Half Price books.  A lot of them feature a little engine named Percy.  In fact, Percy was the first of the train names that he could say.  We had not purchased a Percy for him and hadn't really given it much thought.

I noticed that he's been talking about Percy a lot and so I thought I'd try to get him one on eBay if I could get one for cheap enough.  We ended up getting one for $3 less than store value and that's even including the shipping that was the same price as the car.  So Percy arrived in the mail today, just one day after I finished wrapping all of the presents for Timmy.  Erik took him out of the envelope he was mailed in and that was the end of that.  Timmy really didn't want to let him go.  He also really wouldn't let you play with Percy.  You could see Percy as Timmy held him, but that was it.  I'll try to get some pictures later.

So just before Timmy went to bed I told him he had to put Percy away with his other trains.  He refused.  He wanted to take Percy to bed with him.  I finally convinced him to give Percy a kiss and put him on the table we eat at (it's in the living room because we don't have a dining room and there's no room in the kitchen so what would you call it?  suggestions?) so he can see him in the morning before heading off to school.

Can't remember the last time I had a toy that I was that excited about and that reluctant to give up, even at bed time.  I'm sure there were some when I was his age but I honestly can't think of a one.

Tomorrow is my last day of work until January 6th.  That's right, I have off until Epiphany and I get paid for it.  It's supposed to snow again tomorrow so we'll see if we even have to go.  Either way, it'll be a good day.

Some Pictures

More photos here.

Snow Day

We've had a lot of snow dumped on us overnight.  I woke up early to check the news for closings and all 3 of us were able to stay home.  SNOW DAY!!  Yea!  

We've already been outside in the snow and Timmy enjoyed throwing snow in the air.  We took down the sled and ran Timmy around a little on it.  He had a great time!  We're going to take him to the park later and run him around on it again.  I'll post pictures later.

The Power of Kisses

We are in the phase of Timmy's life where the power of a kiss is magical.  He believes that kisses can fix any boo-boo or problem.  If he bumps his hand he runs over and says "Kiss it!", waits for the kiss, says "All better!" and runs off to play again.  If only everything could be fixed so easily!

Borrowing Books

Up until November, Erik and I had not been buying a lot of books in the recent past.  This is both good and bad.  Good because we don't have a lot of room for extra books and bad because we just don't have as much disposable income to spend on those types of purchases.  I know that many people are feeling the pinch and perhaps have begun to also not purchase books.  This becomes a little awkward when you go to an author signing or discussion and don't have their books to get signed.

Actually, John Green's event in November was the reason that we actually began buying books again.  That and Erik didn't want to listen to Twilight on audiobook for some reason so we purchased those books.  In the month of November we purchased 8 books which is more than the 5 previous months combined.

However, we have been reading a TON of books, thanks to the libraries.  We easily go to the library once a week if not more.  We've really been better about a lot of things and I'm truly grateful for that.  Timmy enjoys going to the library a lot and that's something else that I really enjoy seeing.  

Anyway, getting back to the point of this post, authors really don't mind that you borrow their books.  While they might prefer you purchase them, borrowing them from a library is important too!

Justine Larbalestier is a young adult author who has posted just this exact thought on her blog a few days ago.  For those of you who don't know her, she's Scott Westerfeld's wife (another young adult author).  If you don't know who he is either...just know that they are both authors and therefore have a different insight.  Justine Larbalestier's opinion about borrowing books (from libraries or friends).  Enjoy!

Another Survey

Totally stole this from John Green

1. What is your name? Amy, Mommy

2. What is your favorite thing to wear? Jeans

3. Last thing you ate? Waffles with butter and maple syrup

4. One place you will NEVER eat at? Umm...probably George Webbs (you may know the story why)

5. I say "Shotgun!", you say...? Whatever

6. Last person you hugged? Timmy

7. Does anyone you know wanna date you? I hope so

8. Would you date anyone you met online? I don't need to date anyone 

9. Name something you like physically about yourself: My face

10. The last place you went out to dinner to? Red Robin (technically it was lunch)

11. Who is your best friend? Erik and Katie

12. What time of day is it? 9:10 am

13. Who/What made you angry today? Nothing

14. Baseball or Football? Either

15. Ever gone skinny dipping? No

16. Favorite type of food? Mexican (burritos, tacos, fajitas...I like them all)

17. Favorite holiday? Memorial Day or Labor Day

18. Do you download music? Sometimes

19. Do you care if your socks are dirty? Depends on if I'm leaving the house or not

20. Opinion of Chinese Symbol tattoos? I don't have an opinion

21. Would you date the person who posted this? No because we're both married and he lives in IN while I live in WI

22. Has anyone ever sang or played for you personally? Yes

23. Do you love anyone? Yes, lots of people

24. Are colored contacts sexy? No

25. Have you ever bungee jumped? No

26. Have you ever gone white-water rafting? No, but I want to

27. Has anyone ten years older than you ever hit on you? Yes, when I worked at the bank

28. How many pets do you have? None

29. Have you ever met a redneck? Yes

30. How is the weather right now? Lightly snowing...great December weather, especially when I don't have to drive in it

31. What are you listening to right now? My son interacting with "Super Why"

32. What is your current favorite song? "In the Bleak Midwinter" by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir or "Mr. Heat Miser" by Big Bad Voodoo Daddy

33. What is the last movie you watched? The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

34. Do you wear contacts? Not anymore

35. Where was the last place you went, besides your house? The library

36. What are you afraid of? A painful death

37. How many piercings have you had? Two

38. What piercings do you want? None, I'm happy with what I have

39. What's one thing you've learned this year? That the economy has really made getting a full-time job in my field really hard if you are just starting out and don't have 5 years experience

40. What do you usually order from Starbucks? Hot chocolate

41. What magazines are you reading? None

42. Have you ever fired a gun? Nerf, yes

43. Are you missing someone? Isn't everyone?

44. Favorite TV Show? Life 

45. Do you have an obsession with WoW? Not anymore

46. Has anyone ever said you looked like a celeb? Yes

47. What celeb do you look like? Apparently Natalie Portman but I just don't get it

48. Who would you like to see right now? My grandparents (Heintz)

49. Favorite movie of all time? That's tough, The Shawshank Redemption, Star Wars trilogy (original), The Princess Bride, or Clue

50. Do you find yourself loved? All the time

51. Have you ever been caught doing something you weren't supposed to? Yes, hasn't everyone?

52. Favorite smell? Smells that evoke memories

53. Butter, plain, or salted popcorn? I prefer kettle corn

54. What's something that really bugs you? How easily frustrated I get about little things

55. Do you like Michael Jackson? Not at all

56. Taco Bell or Burger King? Taco Bell

57. What's your favorite perfume? I don't know, not really a big fan of perfume

58. Favorite baseball team? Chicago Cubs or Milwaukee Brewers

59. Ever call a 1-900 number? Nope

60. What's the longest time you've gone without sleep? 23 hours

61. Last time you went bowling? I think May 2005

62. Where is the weirdest place you've slept? I can sleep almost anywhere but probably the maternity ward during labor

63. Who was your last phone call? Erik

64. Last time you were at work? Depends on what you consider "work", if it depends on a paycheck: yesterday, if not: right now

65. What's the closest orange object to you? Some of Timmy's artwork from preschool

1234

Put your iPod on shuffle and then answer the questions.

If someone says "is this okay" you say? "A girl like you"--Edwyn Collins

What would best describe your personality? "Baby talk to me"--Dick van Dyke, Bye Bye Birdie

What do you like in a guy/girl? "What's the Buzz"--Jesus Christ Super Star

What is your life's purpose? "Fields of Gold"--Sting and the Police

What is your motto? "The Sweet Escape"--Gwen Stefani

What do your friends think of you? "Take Me or Leave Me"--Rent

What do you think about very often? "Break on Through (To the Other Side)--The Doors

What is 2 + 2? "Brandy"--Looking Glass

What do you think of your best friend? "Walking in Memphis"--Marc Cohn

What do you think of the person you like? "Honestly Sincere"--Bye, Bye Birdie

What is your life story? "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye"--Natalie Cole

What do you want to be when you grow up? "Dancing in the Moonlight"--King Harvest

What do you think when you see the person you like? "Glory Days"--Bruce Springsteen

What do your parents think of you? "Suddenly I See"--K.T. Tunstall

What will you dance to at your wedding? "All These Things That I've Done"--The Killers

What will they play at your funeral? "Be Yourself"--Audioslave

What is your hobby/interest? "Mr. Heat Miser"--Big Bad Voodoo Daddy

What is your biggest secret? "Guess Things Happen That Way"--Johnny Cash

What do you think of your friends? "Woody's Roundup"--Riders in the Sky, Toy Story 2

What's the worst thing that could happen? "Call and Answer"--Barenaked Ladies

What is something that you regret? "Lay, Lady, Lay"--Bob Dylan

What makes you laugh? "Float On"--Modest Mouse

What makes you cry? "Hello, I Love You"--The Doors

Will you ever get married? "In the Bleak Midwinter"--Mormon Tabernacle Choir

What scares you the most? "Girl"--The Beatles

Does anyone like you? "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree"--K.T. Tunstall

If you could go back in time, what would you change? "How to Save a Life"--The Fray

What hurts right now? "Strange Thing Mystifying"--Jesus Christ Superstar

What will you post this as? "1234"--Feist

Snow

It's been snowing since about 11 am.  We're in a snow advisory until tomorrow morning.  Timmy really wanted to go out and play in the snow but there wasn't much to play in.  It seems like his biggest problem with playing outside in the winter is the cold.  Go figure.

The snow flakes were pretty large, as you can see in the pictures.  We'll see what it looks like tomorrow.

Double Dipping

Timmy's been watching us use condiments lately and thought that he would give using bbq sacue a try.  He liked it so much that he would lick the sauce off and then dip into the sauce again...and again...and again.  Something we're going to need to work on in the future.  =)

Thanksgiving

I hope that everyone had a great Thanksgiving.  I had a chance to enjoy two small Thanksgiving with family.  I made a Thanksgiving meal for us at home for lunch.  It was the first time I've ever attempted anything like that and I think it turned out really well.

After Timmy's nap we headed over to my grandparents' house for another little Thanksgiving.  It was a good time and I'm really glad that we went and Timmy actually seemed to have a decent time.  My grandparents have an organ that hasn't been plugged in for the longest time but that didn't stop Timmy from playing it and singing.  It was hilarious!  He mostly sings the alphabet song mixed with Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star mixed with some songs we don't quite know (perhaps they sing them at daycare, who knows).  

Anyway, I hope that you were able to spend time with those you love and that everyone remembered to give thanks for all the blessings in each of our lives.  

Snow

It snowed overnight enough for it to actually stick on the ground here.  So after a while, and because he showed enough interest, I bundled Timmy up in his snow gear (yeah, the 18 month snow pants still fit and he even has more room still on the shoulder straps) and we headed out.  At first I thought he would be content to just walk around in the snow in front of our house.  Silly me.

So after it became clear that staying in front of the house was not an option, we headed off on a walk.  Me wearing my wool coat and boots and Timmy dressed like a marshmallow.  To be fair, he would be a blue colored marshmallow with a little red, but the overall effect is the same.  He is also WAY better about keeping his hat on this year and he even wear his gloves.  Last year the gloves were a big issue because not only did he not want to wear them but because they didn't fit him very well.  Luckily, since he's grown, that problem seems to have disappeared.  

We walked to the park (because, seriously, where else would we go?) and Timmy had fun playing with the equipment in the snow...until he started to have a melt down.  First he took off the gloves and then his hat and said he didn't want them anymore.  Then he threw a little fit because he didn't want to go home but clearly it was time for lunch and a nap.  On the way he enjoyed picking up the snow and throwing so I made a few small snowballs and (being the nice mother that I am) threw them at him.  Timmy thought it was so funny that he slipped in the snow and fell face first onto someone's snow-covered lawn.  One of the other neighbors saw this entire thing happen and busted out laughing.  Timmy was cold and annoyed so it made for an even greater trip home.  

Overall it was fun though.  I'm glad that he likes the snow, especially because there's always the potential for a lot of it.  I've got a video of him enjoying ridding the slide of snow, I'll see if I can upload it here later.

Our Weekend

We had a fairly non-eventful weekend.  That seems to happen more often than not though, which is fine by me.  I worked in the morning and then we went down to Racine for a book signing/author talk.  The author was John Green and he just published his third solo book (fourth published book including collaborations) Paper Towns.

For those of you who don't know, I was first introduced to John Green in 2007 through my Young Adult Materials course.  We had to read his first book Looking for Alaska which won the Printz award (a prestigious award for young adult authors, more info here).  I thought it was a great book and I highly recommend it.  A few weeks after we read Looking for Alaska, one of my classmates mentioned that John and his brother Hank were doing an experiment called Brotherhood 2.0.  Brotherhood 2.0 was created because John and Hank realized that they were mostly communicating through chat and email and not actually talking to each other.  So they decided that they were going to communicate only through non-textual ways (hence the video blog).  They alternated days, only filming during the week and being exempt if there were a holiday.

Originally Brotherhood 2.0 was created for the brothers to communicate with each other but it grew to something bigger.  Eventually the followers of the vlog, readers of John's books, and people familiar with Hank's work became known as Nerdfighters.  John sang a song about being a nerd fighter and eventually that just became the name of the community following the brothers.  On May 29, 2007, Erik was able to get John to wish me a Happy Birthday.  It was the greatest birthday gift (and completely free).

So on Saturday we went to Racine for the Tour de Nerdfighting (as opposed to John's book tour).  There were actually two events, one at the Racine Public Library and another one later at a community center.  We went to the library one because we thought that would be easier with Timmy.  It actually went fairly well.  Erik walked around with Timmy a lot while I sat and listened to John and Hank.  Erik actually got to see them first when they arrived downstairs and I guess he said hi to them and everything (a little bit jealous on my part).  I was able to get my books signed which was great (because I guess technically he wasn't supposed to because he had the other event to get to and everything).  We had been practicing with Timmy to say John Green and nerdfighter, both of which he refused to say when the time came.  Oh well.  Timmy is a lil' nerdfighter and that's all that really matters, not whether John Green knows he's a nerdfighter or not.

John talked a little bit about the importance of libraries (YES!) and read from Paper Towns before opening it up to questions.  One of the questions was about the dead author...pretty much are books written for the author or for the reader.  John would argue (and I would say successfully) that books are written for the reader.  If a book were only written for the author then the author wouldn't have it published to begin with.  Books are meant to be read and enjoyed by others.  Another question was about the English classness of books, meaning are books written to be dissected and is there more meaning than what is written on the page.  Again John would argue yes, and that even if one doesn't necessarily understand all the symbolism in books, a book can still be a great read.  He talked about reading Huck Finn when he was 11 and how it was a great book about a raft trip.  At 11 he didn't get the book was about slavery.  But this didn't mean it wasn't a good book to 11-year-old John.  He also talked about the imagery from A Catcher in the Rye and how one doesn't necessarily need to understand the symbolism of the red hat that Holden wears is the same color as Holden's dead younger brother's hair to understand that Holden has had some sad things happen to him in his life.  It was truly very interesting and I highly recommend going author signings.

Pictures from the Tour de Nerdfighting can be viewed here.

Sunday we decided that we were going to go hardcore with the potty training (a strange concept, I know).  Timmy did go pee in his potty at least once.  We let him run around naked so that he could better know when he had to go to the bathroom.  We had a few accidents which Timmy cleaned up first and then we cleaned up again (just to make sure everything got taken care of).  I foresee us doing some carpet cleaning in the near future.  This morning he's been doing a lot better with the potty training but it's slow going.  I know it will take a little bit but it's still frustrating.  

So, for those of you also doing potty training, or who have done potty training in the past...any ideas?

Weather

Our weather here has been a little strange the last few days.  I know I live in WI and so weather in the fall is touch and go anyway but this has been a little more strange than normal (at least I think so).  Early last week it was nice enough that I didn't need a coat when I went to the park and by Friday is was sleeting/snowing and that pretty much stayed all through the weekend.  Tuesday it was raining and in the 30s.  Today, it's supposed to be in the 50s and sunny until late afternoon.  What is going on?

At least all of Timmy's stuff from last year still fits.  In fact, his winter coat sleeves are still a little too long and still need to be cuffed  up.  I have high hopes that he'll be able to still wear his snowpants from last year too (even though they are size 18 months).  Last year they were SO long and his straps were as tight as possible and even then they still stuck up above his shoulders about an inch.  He actually wears the shoe size that his boots were last year so I'm hoping those fit too.  Timmy seems more open to wearing his hat and gloves this year.  I think that the gloves fit better this year so that probably has something to do with it.

Well, we are off to enjoy the day while we can.  

Michael Crichton

As some of you may know, Michael Crichton died of cancer yesterday at the age of 66.

I was very interested in the writings of Crichton after Jurassic Park and have read almost everything he's written.

Here more information about the man and the life that he lead.

The Feeling of Content

Lately we've been having weather in the 60s and 70s.  It's been beautiful!  On Monday I took Timmy to the park by our house.  It was the best day!  We played and then he ran along the fence through the leaves.  There was no sound but Timmy running through the leaves and the sun was nice and warm.  I don't know that I've ever known what the feeling of absolute content was before that moment.  We were in no rush to do anything and were able to just enjoy the day.

Today I was able to take him to the park again and have a similar experience.  The weather here has been so beautiful that I can't stay indoors (especially knowing how it will turn in the near future).  I'm just grateful that we have a decent park within walking distance and that Timmy enjoys the park and the freedom.  Today he enjoyed running with the leaves and the wind.  It was so cute!  He also showed me that he knows how to climb up a slide the wrong way and isn't afraid of heights.  

I've got more pictures here, some of which are attempts at being artistic.  Enjoy!

USS Freedom

On Sunday we took Timmy down to the Discovery World to see the fish (because he LOVES them).  While we were there we saw a Navy ship over by Veteran's Park so we decided to drive on over and check it out.  Turns out that it's the new Navy ship being commissioned next week.  How awesome is that!?!

Here's some more information on the USS Freedom:

Navy

USS Freedom  

TMJ4

Here are our pictures.

What a Smart Guy!

Timmy and I went to run a few errands after dinner.  When we were coming back he noticed the steam from the dryer exhaust in the basement (because it was only about 40 degrees).  He looked and said "Mommy!  Fire!"  I told him it wasn't fire just steam but that we could check it out if he wanted.  I tried to get him to come upstairs when we got inside and he wouldn't go until he saw the basement wasn't actually on fire.  We went downstairs, he saw there was no fire and everything was okay.  That's actually what he said too "Okay, no fire, Mommy".  Then we were able to go upstairs.  So perceptive!  

End of October Conferences

Erik left early this morning for a conference in Chicago.  I've noticed that quite a few of my friends also have their husbands/significant others out of town at conferences.  Is there something about the end of October that just screams "Let's have a conference now!!" that I just don't know about?  Curious.

My Funny Guy

When Timmy was done eating dinner tonight and getting down from his highchair, he bumped his knee on the footrest.  He started saying "Ow!" and "Mommy fix!" even though I knew he wasn't really hurt.  When I asked him what was wrong he said "Timmy hurt" and I asked him where and he said "Just kiss it!"  Hilarious!  He is of the belief that every hurt can be fixed with a kiss.  It's so cute.

The other day he "hurt" his hand and asked Erik to kiss it to make it better.  Apparently he was so hurt that it took more than one kiss.  Erik gave Timmy's hand two kisses and then asked him if it was better and Timmy said almost.  He just cracks us up.  We didn't even know he knew the word almost, much less the proper context.

Kids, they are truly amazing.

Halloween

On Saturday we had our neighborhood Trick or Treat.  Our neighborhood goes all out for Halloween.  There's registration (so you know about how many kids to expect and therefore how much candy to have), glow devices for those that register (so you know who registered and they serve a handy purpose as it gets darker), we have cops come and supervise--both on foot and horseback, and the streets get blocked off.  It's really a great time.  It's the fourth time we've participated in any fashion and it's always a blast.

This year we were a little worried that it'd get rained out (and if it had then we just would've had friends come over for chili and hanging out) but the weather was great!  It was a little cool but not too bad considering that on Monday we had some snow (but not a lot).  Timmy only had on a long-sleeve shirt and a light coat under his costume.  He was one of the only clowns that I saw.  The kids in our neighborhood are always so creative with their costumes and this year was no different.  We saw a few Iron Man costumes and Stormtroopers which made all the guys happy.  

I did a test run of Trick or Treating down our block with our friends Scott and Lisa and their little boy Jacob.  It went well with both kids but we still decided to stop at home to eat (none of us had eaten before hand) and then headed out for another round of Trick or Treating.  Our friends were pretty cool with staying behind at our house (although they were certainly welcome to join us) while Erik, Timmy, Paul, Katie, Scott, Lisa, Jacob and I went Trick or Treating.  We had a really great time with everyone and I'm glad that people were able to stick around after Trick or Treating to hang out too.  We generally don't get to see our friends that often and they don't really see each other too much either so it was nice for everyone to be able to hang out and talk.

I hope it's not so long before we can see everyone again!  For more pictures click here

The 501st--Vader's Fist

Yesterday we had the opportunity to go down to the Discovery World (where my older brother works) for a Star Wars group exhibit.  It was a reenactment group that dresses as Stormtroopers or other members from the Empire.  There was also a group that made R-series droids (like R2-D2).  All members of both groups make their own costumes/droids.  It's an expensive hobby but actually really cool.  

We were able to watch a guy mold a mask for Chewbacca and he discussed how it was made and how the mouth is made (each tooth created separate).  It was really neat.  There were also a lot of props there that people could handle (carefully--these people made them themselves for goodness sakes!) and so we have a few pictures of that too.

Timmy had a good time.  He was a little scared of the people in costume (maybe because he couldn't see their eyes?) but didn't freak out or anything.  Erik, of course, was in his element.  We had contacted a few other Star Wars fans but they were unable to come (really, studying is more important?  On a Saturday??).  While I have been tolerant of Erik's enthusiasm for Star Wars and have even read a few of the books myself (also known as the extended universe) I was never as excited over the prospect of this event as Erik.  However, that being said, I would totally go to something like this again.  It was so neat to be able to talk to the people behind the costumes and to see everyone enjoying the event.  There were a lot of little kids there dressed like Stormtroopers (so cute!) and a few dressed as Jedi.  Apparently the Chewbacca guy actually dressed up in his costume later but we had already left.  There was also a Darth Vader walking around but we came on his lunch break (what!?!  Darth Vader eats lunch like a regular person?).  

Again there are more pictures here.

Black Hawk

On Thursday we had a Black Hawk helicopter touch down in our neighborhood park.  We found out about it when we signed Timmy up for Trick or Treating. But even if we hadn't found out early, there would have been no missing the helicopter landing in the park.  It was LOUD!  Since Timmy is into helicopters and planes (and pretty much anything else with a wheel) we thought it would be cool to take him to see the helicopter up close.  At first he was a little hesitant but I think that's more because he's shy than anything else.  The helicopter came from our National Guard base in Madison and had a crew of 4 guys who were around to answer questions.  They were really great and kept thing fairly under control, even when the kids got rowdy.

They had the helicopter open so that people could sit in the back (well, in reality that's always open) but you could also sit in the pilot's seat.  That was pretty cool.  The helicopter holds 15 guys with gear or can transport supplies.  One of the crew mentioned how he always thinks the helicopter is so crowded but then he saw all the little kids sitting in the seat where the seat belt couldn't be tightened enough.  He thought it was really neat to see so many people interested in the Black Hawk and how he was able to gain a different perspective on the equipment as seen through the eyes of little kids.

Overall Timmy had a great time but I think his daddy and Uncle Jake had a better time.  They were able to talk to some of the crew members while I took Timmy over to the park to crash through the leaves.  One of the dads at the park thought they should have brought a Huey as well for comparison purposes.  Umm...they don't use them anymore so what would that matter?  Erik and Jake overheard someone asking where the pamphlets were and when they were going to start their recruitment speech.  The crew member said that they were there as a gesture of good will because our neighborhood association asked them to come.  Apparently the hardest thing was obtaining permission from the Parks Department.  I don't understand why people can't just accept that sometimes people do nice things just to do nice things.

There are some other pictures from our Black Hawk experience here.

Happy Anniversary

It's hard for me to believe but Erik and I have been married for 4 years today.  It really doesn't seem like it's been that long and if we didn't have a 30 month old I totally would not believe it.  A lot has changed in our lives (mostly obviously, becoming parents) but even more seems to have remained the same.  

I would just like to take a moment to thank all of those who were able to share our special day with us and especially those who stood up for us.  We truly appreciate having such good friends and family surround us.  

Erik, I am so thankful that God put you in my life.  You are a wonderful husband and father.  I could not have accomplished all that I have in my life without you.  Your constant support and desire to see me  accomplish my goals is more than I could have ever wished for.  I know that I have my Master's degree because of you and the sacrifices that you were willing to make.  I love you very much and am thankful that we've been able to be together for so long.  You are truly the love of my life.

Trying Something New

Hello Everyone!

I've been hanging out over at LiveJournal for a while now and just thought that the ease of blogspot/blogger might be easier for me to navigate (plus it's super easy to create your own personalized look and there are a lot more options).  All of those are superficial though.  I have seen some of my friends blogs over here and thought that the ease which with they uploaded pictures and the overall look of their blogs was worth checking out.  

There's not too much happening in my life right now but I thought that I'd give journaling over here an honest try.  We'll see how it goes.  I hope that everyone had a good weekend and I look forward to the comments to come!