Monday, February 21, 2011
Avenue B Photography
We took some family pictures in January before we left Colorado and here are some of our favorites. We highly recommend Becca Morgenegg with Avenue B Photography for any Denver photography needs. She was our wedding photographer as well, and a long time friend of mine. Check her out at www.avenuebphotography.com!
Graham Crackers and Popcorn
Well, I think I'm doing pretty good when I've been telling myself all day today that I need to get on here and now I actually have. And now that I'm writing, I can't think of too much that needs to be written. Nothing is really new. Shad is still job hunting; I'm still just hangin out with Tommy and doing schoolwork. I haven't heard from Nicole (the wedding cake) in over a week. That's a little concerning because if she does still want me to make her cake, we've now got less than four weeks to the date. It's okay if I don't need to make it, but I'd like as much notice as possible if I am making it.
Tommy is starting to work more on crawling. He doesn't like it much when we make him have tummy time and encourage him to move, but he will sit up, lean forward on his hands and rock back and forth on his knees trying to reach something. He can turn himself a full 180 degrees on his tummy to try and get whatever food I'm having. He likes graham crackers and I'm afraid we've started him on an early popcorn addiction:) Even if he's already in bed, he always seems to know when we're having popcorn and he'll wake up just to eat it with us and go back to bed. He loves his popcorn!
We're going back to look at the same house as last week in 20 minutes. We're just absolutely in love with it and the rest of the family wants to see it with us.
Tommy is starting to work more on crawling. He doesn't like it much when we make him have tummy time and encourage him to move, but he will sit up, lean forward on his hands and rock back and forth on his knees trying to reach something. He can turn himself a full 180 degrees on his tummy to try and get whatever food I'm having. He likes graham crackers and I'm afraid we've started him on an early popcorn addiction:) Even if he's already in bed, he always seems to know when we're having popcorn and he'll wake up just to eat it with us and go back to bed. He loves his popcorn!
We're going back to look at the same house as last week in 20 minutes. We're just absolutely in love with it and the rest of the family wants to see it with us.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Updates...
I'm gonna really try harder to keep this updated well. No promises except for TRYING.
We've been in Kansas for 2 weeks now and have been enjoying it. Tommy loves having his grandparents, Ruth and Levi around all the time. Last Sunday Vern (Shad's dad) came home from meetings at church, but was on the phone. Tommy wanted his grandpa and reached out to him. Vern didn't notice and after a while Tommy got impatient and started whining loudly to get Vern's attention. He was very happy when his grandpa noticed and picked him up. It was cute. He's never done that for anyone but me or Shad before.
Shad and Pris (Shad's mom) introduced Tommy to ping pong last week. He just laughed and laughed! He thought it was the funniest thing. Of course, he won't do it again though. Missed that camera opportunity--I couldn't let dinner burn. Now what we do is set Tommy on the table and play around him. He thinks it's fun, and it challenges us:)
Tommy has also been getting more and more fun to play with. He just loves to laugh!
A couple days last week, I turned the movie Tarzan on to entertain Tommy while I cooked or did laundry. He likes the movie Robin Hood a lot, but I decided we should broaden his horizons. I soon discovered that Tarzan may not be the best choice. For the first 20 minutes of the movie, baby Tarzan makes all sorts of baby sounds and crying. It's hard to tell from another room whether it's Tarzan or Tommy! We're trying Pinnochio today.
As far as we big people go, Shad signed up to sub for the schools in janitor, kitchen and T.A. positions. Definitely not something permanent, but it's there in the meantime. We're feeling the need to get out into our own place as soon as possible, and we need to have a real job first. Job hunting has been a little slow--we've had a few snow days that have prevented Shad getting out, as well as helping people move. He has gotten a couple applications turned in to a bank and the police department for jobs he think he'd enjoy, as well as have the capability of supporting our family. I did talk to a realtor about a house we want to look at, and we'll get to see it today! I'm doing well in my classes and enjoying them.
It's funny how when you learn multiple languages, or when you are exposed to a language that is different from what you studied in school or what is native to you, that you naturally want to use your previous foreign language. That sounds confusing. My native language is English and I studied German previously. I found that when I was in China and knew that I needed to speak a foreign language, my mind often went into German mode because that's the language besides my native English that I know. The same thing is happening with my Russian class now. When I want to say something in Russian that I don't know how to say, my mind reverts to German. It's kinda fun to have German becoming refreshed to me as I'm trying to learn Russian.
On Saturday we went for a walk and explored some of the shops in town. In one of them I over heard another customer talking about bridesmaids and wedding stuff, so I gave her my business card. Turns out that she's uncomfortable with her current decorator, as the lady is her ex's family. So I'll probably have a wedding cake to make next month! She wants 400 servings! That's bigger than the wedding cake I made last June. She wants a wedding cake, groom's cake and a fun kids' cake. She and her fiance both have kids. The kids love my dog cake, so that's what they want for their cake. I wasn't planning on doing any cake business stuff until we were in our own house and I was done with my classes, but I just couldn't pass up the opportunity for a wedding...it'll be fun though:)
The Dodds, an elderly couple in the ward, moved to Norton last Saturday. Shad used to visit them often and help them with things when he lived here before and they so they have a grandparent/grandson relationship. It's nice to have them closer now--they lived in a town 50 miles away. We started carpooling to church with them yesterday. They have a mini-van and have said that they'll provide the car and gas if we provide the driver.
I got called as the Young Women's second counselor in church yesterday. I'm excited! I've been wanting out of Relief Society for a couple years now, and if I could pick a place to be, I'd pick Young Womens. Because activity in our ward is so small (we are in a ward with 20% activity, so it looks like a branch), we don't have camp leaders. So in addition to regular Young Women's activities and Sunday, I get to go to Girls' Camp in July and possibly to Nauvoo in June for Youth Conference. Fun:)
Ugh! I almost forgot. I got impaled by a 1 inch splinter from the table yesterday! How's that for uncomfortable? About a 1/4 of an inch was sticking out from my thigh and as I pulled, it just kept coming! The site is still tender today.
We've been in Kansas for 2 weeks now and have been enjoying it. Tommy loves having his grandparents, Ruth and Levi around all the time. Last Sunday Vern (Shad's dad) came home from meetings at church, but was on the phone. Tommy wanted his grandpa and reached out to him. Vern didn't notice and after a while Tommy got impatient and started whining loudly to get Vern's attention. He was very happy when his grandpa noticed and picked him up. It was cute. He's never done that for anyone but me or Shad before.
Shad and Pris (Shad's mom) introduced Tommy to ping pong last week. He just laughed and laughed! He thought it was the funniest thing. Of course, he won't do it again though. Missed that camera opportunity--I couldn't let dinner burn. Now what we do is set Tommy on the table and play around him. He thinks it's fun, and it challenges us:)
Tommy has also been getting more and more fun to play with. He just loves to laugh!
A couple days last week, I turned the movie Tarzan on to entertain Tommy while I cooked or did laundry. He likes the movie Robin Hood a lot, but I decided we should broaden his horizons. I soon discovered that Tarzan may not be the best choice. For the first 20 minutes of the movie, baby Tarzan makes all sorts of baby sounds and crying. It's hard to tell from another room whether it's Tarzan or Tommy! We're trying Pinnochio today.
As far as we big people go, Shad signed up to sub for the schools in janitor, kitchen and T.A. positions. Definitely not something permanent, but it's there in the meantime. We're feeling the need to get out into our own place as soon as possible, and we need to have a real job first. Job hunting has been a little slow--we've had a few snow days that have prevented Shad getting out, as well as helping people move. He has gotten a couple applications turned in to a bank and the police department for jobs he think he'd enjoy, as well as have the capability of supporting our family. I did talk to a realtor about a house we want to look at, and we'll get to see it today! I'm doing well in my classes and enjoying them.
It's funny how when you learn multiple languages, or when you are exposed to a language that is different from what you studied in school or what is native to you, that you naturally want to use your previous foreign language. That sounds confusing. My native language is English and I studied German previously. I found that when I was in China and knew that I needed to speak a foreign language, my mind often went into German mode because that's the language besides my native English that I know. The same thing is happening with my Russian class now. When I want to say something in Russian that I don't know how to say, my mind reverts to German. It's kinda fun to have German becoming refreshed to me as I'm trying to learn Russian.
On Saturday we went for a walk and explored some of the shops in town. In one of them I over heard another customer talking about bridesmaids and wedding stuff, so I gave her my business card. Turns out that she's uncomfortable with her current decorator, as the lady is her ex's family. So I'll probably have a wedding cake to make next month! She wants 400 servings! That's bigger than the wedding cake I made last June. She wants a wedding cake, groom's cake and a fun kids' cake. She and her fiance both have kids. The kids love my dog cake, so that's what they want for their cake. I wasn't planning on doing any cake business stuff until we were in our own house and I was done with my classes, but I just couldn't pass up the opportunity for a wedding...it'll be fun though:)
The Dodds, an elderly couple in the ward, moved to Norton last Saturday. Shad used to visit them often and help them with things when he lived here before and they so they have a grandparent/grandson relationship. It's nice to have them closer now--they lived in a town 50 miles away. We started carpooling to church with them yesterday. They have a mini-van and have said that they'll provide the car and gas if we provide the driver.
I got called as the Young Women's second counselor in church yesterday. I'm excited! I've been wanting out of Relief Society for a couple years now, and if I could pick a place to be, I'd pick Young Womens. Because activity in our ward is so small (we are in a ward with 20% activity, so it looks like a branch), we don't have camp leaders. So in addition to regular Young Women's activities and Sunday, I get to go to Girls' Camp in July and possibly to Nauvoo in June for Youth Conference. Fun:)
Ugh! I almost forgot. I got impaled by a 1 inch splinter from the table yesterday! How's that for uncomfortable? About a 1/4 of an inch was sticking out from my thigh and as I pulled, it just kept coming! The site is still tender today.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Together Forever:)
Besides the normal stuff of school and work for Shad and I, we had an exciting weekend. Shad took Friday off. His family was coming in town from Kansas and he wanted to see them; he also just needed a little break to recharge from feeling burned out. Shad's dad and mom, Vern and Pris, and his younger sister and brother, Ruth and Levi, stayed with us at our apartment. We enjoyed spending time with them and watching a movie. They enjoyed visiting and playing with Tommy. Shad's sister Cherean and her husband David came from Idaho with their 4 month son, John. They stopped in Salt Lake on their way here to pick up Shad's cousin Stacey and her husband Cole as a surprise. They stayed with Dan.
Saturday morning we got to go to the Denver Temple and be sealed as a family with Tommy for time and eternity. It was such a wonderful experience. We had my mom and grandpa; my brother Jake and his wife Amber; Shad's parents; Cherean and David; Stacey and Cole; Grandma Judy; our friends Paul and Wendy; our adopted parents, Brett and Shannon Mickelsen; and Robin Clark. Dan came with Ryan and met us outside the temple, and Ruth and Levi were there too. Robin, Paul and Wendy joined us for lunch at Applebees with Shad's family after we took pictures. Then all the Kendells gathered at Dan's to visit before Vern, Pris, Ruth and Levi went back to Kansas.
Stacey and Cole came over to our apartment with us to watch a movie while we waited for Dan, Ryan, Cherean, David and John to come over for dinner. We had a late dinner and then played "What If?" Stacey, Cole, David and Cherean went to church with us for stake conference on Sunday. Shad went with them in their car to help them find the church and Stacey stayed back at the apartment with me while I gave Tommy a bath because he sprayed during his diaper change right before we had to go. Stacey, Tommy and I were half an hour late.
Shad and I had lunch and played games with our friends Aaron and Ginny at their apartment on Sunday. Then we went to my parents' house to give my sister Lori her birthday presents. Her birthday was on Saturday, but we didn't get over to see her because we were with Shad's family. Then we went to see our friend Chris.
Yesterday was Mom's birthday. Tommy and I walked to King Soopers after Shad left for work. We bought supplies to make cheesecake at Mom's house. Lori and I got Mom a puzzle. It was nice to have one last dinner with both grandpas while my mom's dad was still here. He left this morning.
Mom and I worked on canning pickles today after my class. We're canning 3 dozen quarts for each of us and probably only got half done. Lots more work to do tomorrow.
I'll post pictures later. We got some good ones of everyone at the temple.
Saturday morning we got to go to the Denver Temple and be sealed as a family with Tommy for time and eternity. It was such a wonderful experience. We had my mom and grandpa; my brother Jake and his wife Amber; Shad's parents; Cherean and David; Stacey and Cole; Grandma Judy; our friends Paul and Wendy; our adopted parents, Brett and Shannon Mickelsen; and Robin Clark. Dan came with Ryan and met us outside the temple, and Ruth and Levi were there too. Robin, Paul and Wendy joined us for lunch at Applebees with Shad's family after we took pictures. Then all the Kendells gathered at Dan's to visit before Vern, Pris, Ruth and Levi went back to Kansas.
Stacey and Cole came over to our apartment with us to watch a movie while we waited for Dan, Ryan, Cherean, David and John to come over for dinner. We had a late dinner and then played "What If?" Stacey, Cole, David and Cherean went to church with us for stake conference on Sunday. Shad went with them in their car to help them find the church and Stacey stayed back at the apartment with me while I gave Tommy a bath because he sprayed during his diaper change right before we had to go. Stacey, Tommy and I were half an hour late.
Shad and I had lunch and played games with our friends Aaron and Ginny at their apartment on Sunday. Then we went to my parents' house to give my sister Lori her birthday presents. Her birthday was on Saturday, but we didn't get over to see her because we were with Shad's family. Then we went to see our friend Chris.
Yesterday was Mom's birthday. Tommy and I walked to King Soopers after Shad left for work. We bought supplies to make cheesecake at Mom's house. Lori and I got Mom a puzzle. It was nice to have one last dinner with both grandpas while my mom's dad was still here. He left this morning.
Mom and I worked on canning pickles today after my class. We're canning 3 dozen quarts for each of us and probably only got half done. Lots more work to do tomorrow.
I'll post pictures later. We got some good ones of everyone at the temple.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
It's been too long...
Oh goodness, I meant to be better about this. Life happens, though. Shad and I started school 3 weeks ago. I broke my left pinky toe my first day of school, stubbing it on a box in our apartment. I am just taking one integrated science lab class Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2-4:40 in the afternoon. What a horrible time! I'm not happy with the person who chose a time in the middle of school and work times. Doesn't make it very easy for me needing a babysitter, but we're coping and only have 9 weeks left. The class itself is fine, I just wish it were at a more convenient time.
Shad decided to drop his classes this semester. He has been at Metro for 3 or 4 semesters and still sees no future or direction for his schooling. We decided he needs to look at trade schools. He is much happier with the options he sees there.
We got to see Shad's brother Jimmy twice this past week. He came to Colorado a week and a half ago on Saturday to go to Utah with their brother Dan and nephew Ryan. We hung out with him that Saturday and again just 2 days ago on Sunday as he was on his way back to Kansas. We don't see Jimmy very much, but always enjoy it when we do:)
We remodeled our living room on Saturday. It was quite exciting. Since before we got married, Shad has wanted a projector. A while ago he decided that a big screen plasma tv would work instead. He finally found one Friday at a size and price he liked, but they were out. He was able to pick it up on Saturday, though, using Dan's truck. Our friend from church, Aaron, went along with Shad because they also needed to pick up the couch we bought at a thrift store the day before. Aaron stayed with us for lunch. He and his wife Ginny have been helping babysit Tommy for me when my mom works. Ginny was in Utah for her brother's wedding.
After getting the couch and tv in, Shad really felt that our current tv stand was too small and we needed a bigger one. We found a great one at another thrift store. We love it and are very excited about it!
Our anniversary was on Sunday, so in addition to all this living room work we did on Saturday, we tried a new Asian restaurant for dinner, then went to Walmart to buy some treats and a movie to enjoy at home. We picked up Tommy from my parents who babysat him for us to go to dinner, then went home and got the tv set up for Dumb and Dumber. Honestly, I think we both forgot how funny that movie is:)
New family picture taken on our one year anniversary, Sept 12, 2010.
Uploading pictures here is too much of a pain, so I'll include links to my photo albums on shutterfly:
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0AaNWbZi4bNWLFMg
Shad decided to drop his classes this semester. He has been at Metro for 3 or 4 semesters and still sees no future or direction for his schooling. We decided he needs to look at trade schools. He is much happier with the options he sees there.
We got to see Shad's brother Jimmy twice this past week. He came to Colorado a week and a half ago on Saturday to go to Utah with their brother Dan and nephew Ryan. We hung out with him that Saturday and again just 2 days ago on Sunday as he was on his way back to Kansas. We don't see Jimmy very much, but always enjoy it when we do:)
We remodeled our living room on Saturday. It was quite exciting. Since before we got married, Shad has wanted a projector. A while ago he decided that a big screen plasma tv would work instead. He finally found one Friday at a size and price he liked, but they were out. He was able to pick it up on Saturday, though, using Dan's truck. Our friend from church, Aaron, went along with Shad because they also needed to pick up the couch we bought at a thrift store the day before. Aaron stayed with us for lunch. He and his wife Ginny have been helping babysit Tommy for me when my mom works. Ginny was in Utah for her brother's wedding.
After getting the couch and tv in, Shad really felt that our current tv stand was too small and we needed a bigger one. We found a great one at another thrift store. We love it and are very excited about it!
Our anniversary was on Sunday, so in addition to all this living room work we did on Saturday, we tried a new Asian restaurant for dinner, then went to Walmart to buy some treats and a movie to enjoy at home. We picked up Tommy from my parents who babysat him for us to go to dinner, then went home and got the tv set up for Dumb and Dumber. Honestly, I think we both forgot how funny that movie is:)
New family picture taken on our one year anniversary, Sept 12, 2010.Uploading pictures here is too much of a pain, so I'll include links to my photo albums on shutterfly:
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0AaNWbZi4bNWLFMg
Monday, August 16, 2010
Blogging, I suppose?
We'll see how well this actually works and if I keep it up. It was painfully hard to write once a week for my English class a couple semesters ago, and that was for a grade. But Shad has me in the habit of writing in my journal now, so maybe it'll work better.
We got all moved into our new apartment on Friday and Saturday. Some guys from the Elders Quorum at church said they'd come help move at 6 pm on Friday. Shad and his friend Matt had already taken a truck load of boxes earlier in the day. The first people didn't show up until 6:45 to help. I was frustrated and had given up hope that anyone was coming and was about to call Jeremiah from the Singles' Branch to see if he could rope people into ditching their Friday night plans to help me. Luckily I didn't have to. More people showed up later and we worked until about 10:45, making two trips with two trucks and a couple cars. Shad and our neighbor Will moved the table and last odds and ends on Saturday while I showered at my parents' house--our shower needed Drano first, but I was too impatient.
Sunday we went to the old ward for Shad to give a talk in sacrament meeting, then to the new ward for sacrament meeting so we could find the ward clerk and get our records pulled in quickly. We all took a 3 hour nap after that and then tried to eat dinner. First time cooking in the new kitchen: FAIL:( Our kitchen consists of a fridge, sink, stove, no counters, no microwave and what few cupboards fit over those appliances. Between that and not knowing where all my kitchen supplies are yet, cooking was frustrating, messy and hazardous. I won't go into details, but I quit and gave up, being close to tears. The good news is that it can only get better!
We love our little Tommy and getting to know him. He gets his "peek eye" from Shad where his eyes stay cracked open while he sleeps.
He gets his hiccups from me--he had loud hiccups during sacrament meeting from the end of the sacrament to 5 mins before the closing hymn. He likes music and dances to it. He stops fussing when we get in the car and forgets whatever he was fussing about...unless he's hungry. He doesn't forget that and won't stop crying for the whole car ride...even 15 or 20 minutes. (He gets that from Shad.) Some days he sleeps all day and all night, only waking up when he's hungry...even when you try to wake him up. Other days he only takes 10 or 15 minute power naps. His biggest trouble in life right now is when his hand grabs a handful of hair and it hurts. So he cries and his body tenses up, causing his fist to clench tighter and his arm to pull harder. So he wails louder until somebody comes running to rescue him and pry open his fingers and he suddenly feels better. This little boy just always makes us laugh:) He likes hanging out with Dad
and chillin in his swing
cuddling with Mom
working on his modeling
getting a good morning stretch
and talking to his parents.
He really is talking here. He makes little ET sounding grunts:)
We got all moved into our new apartment on Friday and Saturday. Some guys from the Elders Quorum at church said they'd come help move at 6 pm on Friday. Shad and his friend Matt had already taken a truck load of boxes earlier in the day. The first people didn't show up until 6:45 to help. I was frustrated and had given up hope that anyone was coming and was about to call Jeremiah from the Singles' Branch to see if he could rope people into ditching their Friday night plans to help me. Luckily I didn't have to. More people showed up later and we worked until about 10:45, making two trips with two trucks and a couple cars. Shad and our neighbor Will moved the table and last odds and ends on Saturday while I showered at my parents' house--our shower needed Drano first, but I was too impatient.
Sunday we went to the old ward for Shad to give a talk in sacrament meeting, then to the new ward for sacrament meeting so we could find the ward clerk and get our records pulled in quickly. We all took a 3 hour nap after that and then tried to eat dinner. First time cooking in the new kitchen: FAIL:( Our kitchen consists of a fridge, sink, stove, no counters, no microwave and what few cupboards fit over those appliances. Between that and not knowing where all my kitchen supplies are yet, cooking was frustrating, messy and hazardous. I won't go into details, but I quit and gave up, being close to tears. The good news is that it can only get better!
We love our little Tommy and getting to know him. He gets his "peek eye" from Shad where his eyes stay cracked open while he sleeps.
He gets his hiccups from me--he had loud hiccups during sacrament meeting from the end of the sacrament to 5 mins before the closing hymn. He likes music and dances to it. He stops fussing when we get in the car and forgets whatever he was fussing about...unless he's hungry. He doesn't forget that and won't stop crying for the whole car ride...even 15 or 20 minutes. (He gets that from Shad.) Some days he sleeps all day and all night, only waking up when he's hungry...even when you try to wake him up. Other days he only takes 10 or 15 minute power naps. His biggest trouble in life right now is when his hand grabs a handful of hair and it hurts. So he cries and his body tenses up, causing his fist to clench tighter and his arm to pull harder. So he wails louder until somebody comes running to rescue him and pry open his fingers and he suddenly feels better. This little boy just always makes us laugh:) He likes hanging out with Dad
and chillin in his swing
cuddling with Mom
working on his modeling
getting a good morning stretch
and talking to his parents.
He really is talking here. He makes little ET sounding grunts:)
Sunday, May 10, 2009
I am SOOOOOO ready to be done
It's hard to tell for sure, but I think it could very well be possible that my mind has officially become frazzled beyond anything...at least to my recollection at this point in my life. I think this mostly stems from the mass dumping of assignments these past 2 weeks from all of my classes on top of work and work and social and family and all of these obligations that have been constantly pulling me in all different directions. I ended up taking 2 days off of work this week in order to work on homework ALL DAY. If it weren't for my friend, Paul, constantly distracting me in every way and opportunity he could, I would be beyond insane. But, it all ends tonight and I am so glad to be back to biking to work and having my free life back. Less chaos will definitely be good for my health:)
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