Team Andrews

The Show's Over

2011-09-18T19:49:00.001-07:00

I seriously can't believe it's over. It seems like just yesterday it was months away. I really think all the hard work paid off and I'm excited to do it again...someday.

I have so many people to say thank you too! My awesome mom helped wash, cut and pay for my all my fabric (thanks for making my profit actual profit mom!) and Aubrie and my in-laws watched Ava for me so I could sew or go to the show. Dustin's grandma provided the booth space and Aunt Cathy fed my hubby (so important to keep him fed!) So thank you, thank you, thank you! I seriously couldn't have done it without each of you!

So about the weekend:

We went up Thursday night so I could be there Friday to help set up the booth. That meant I had most of the day free Friday so of course we (my wonderful in-laws, Ava and I) hit up the KS state fair! Ava got to feed lots of animals and gave a homely bunny a kiss or two. And with Brad, we ate well to say the least. Of course by well I mean delicious and not good for our bodies at all!
Dustin made it for the last little bit of setting up on Friday night and then we ran a few errands before heading to his Grandma's house for the night. I of course thought of a million things that I NEEDED to do all at the last minute. So, without complaining my sweet husband helped me and we finally went to bed at 1:45 am...and then got up at 5. If you know Dustin very well, you know he can barely function with less than 7hrs of sleep sleep, but he was wonderful! (I think it helped that his Aunt Cathy kept buying him things like homemade cinnamon roles, biscuits and gravy and of course bierocks.) Thank goodness she was because when we arrived to unload all of our items, it was pouring and freezing! My socks and shoes were soaked by the time we finally opened up.

This is a pic of my section of the booth. (It was a laid out a little better than this at the beginning).

And here's my awesome helper. I seriously couldn't have done it without him. Love him so much!
We made it through the day. Cold and a little wet. And we enjoyed it. I am hoping I hear from some people who took my card that want outfits. Fingers crossed! :)

Sunday afternoon Ava got to spend some time with her sweet cousin Emma. Ava just adores her and we were so lucky to get to see her while she was in town. We were also really lucky to see Dustin's cousin Christopher. He's been oversea's serving our country and we are so happy to have him back! Thanks for all you do Chris!
Again, thanks to all of you that helped me out! I am so blessed! Love you guys!

Where's the love!

2011-08-30T18:15:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been getting some glimpses into Ava's teenage years.

She only responds to Dustin and completely ignores me. She craves his attention and begs for him to put her to bed every night (he does this every night, but I guess she's afraid I might try and weasel my way in there). Dustin even has to make a game out of giving me a hug at night time in order for me to get a good night hug! Sigh. I know that she loves me, but it's so sad when you plan activities, play with her, and have to discipline her all day and only get a hurried, please get out of my room hug at night. Oh Parenting.

I better start praying harder for the next 16 years...

Two weeks in Idaho...Chapter 2

2011-08-16T07:50:00.001-07:00

We were so lucky to catch Kyle and Serrah when they were both home (this never happens in the summer because they both fight forest fires and are ALWAYS gone in the summer), and had so much fun with them! They took us for some amazing Thai food one night and some awesome bagels and coffee in the morning. Then they showed us this...
Gorgeous! I can't believe I've never been there before! So we took some pics...

Then they took us to Dierkes (SP??) to get cooled off.

Ava had a blast with her Uncle Kyle and Aunt Serrah! I think it won't be long before I need to ship her off to them so they can teach her how to rock climb.

Back in Weiser, Ava did a lot of swimming, running through sprinklers, watering flowers (whether it was needed or not), and eating tons of popsicles with Grandma.

In the mean time I was probably sleeping or reading...I miss it already. sigh.

Ava also got to spend some time at the park with Grandpa and eat some much needed icecream from Jebs with Grandpa and her Great Uncle Dave.

Mom (aka Grandma) Dustin, Ava and I also went shopping, rode go carts, played miniature golf, went for walks (where sweatshirts were needed at the start), had dinner and game night with our wonderful friends the Clark's and so much more.

After Dustin left, the 3 of us did more shopping, went to the water park (which was AWESOME and I can't wait to take Ava back). This ultimately knocked Ava out so hard that she couldn't finish eating her pretzel before falling asleep...

Ava and I also got to spend some time with the Sorenson's and their sweet boys. We had a wonderful time reminiscing and talking about all that has changed from high school days to parenthood. We also spent time with the Coleman's. Well I think it may be more accurate to say Dan watched the girls while Di and I talked (thanks Dan!). Oh and one of the many high lights of the trip...Di let me help with HS Volleyball tryouts! I had so much fun and am so excited for the team this year. Those girls have some wonderful coaches and I wish so badly I could be there through out the season! ( I may have asked Dustin to quit his job, sale the house and move us there for the vb season...I don't think he went for it though).

We had a blast in Idaho and we can't wait to go again! Thanks for a great trip everyone! Love you all!

Two weeks in Idaho..Chapter 1

2011-08-15T21:21:00.000-07:00

Sorry no pics this time around, but I promise to add them later.

Going to Idaho couldn't have come at a better time. I'm not sure what would have happened if we would have been stuck in Oklahoma a second longer, but I'm pretty sure it would have included us exploding from heat in some fashion. Our AC has not been working very well despite several AC guys trying to help us, there's just not a lot they can do at this point. Obviously it's livable, but at 5:30 when I'm cooking with a not so helpful toddler in our 82 degree house, I think it's fair to say I'm a tad bit cranky (total understatement). So like I said, an escape to Idaho was exactly what we needed.

I often forget how beautiful it is there. The grass is gorgeous...this is real grass people, the stuff you can actually walk on, think about sleeping on. It does not resemble anything that might look like grass in my front yard. It's so awesome that Ava was almost intimidated by it.

Oh and the mountains are gorgeous and even the air seems to smell better (except for Ontario!). (Is it obvious that I miss it???)

Those are all things I never appreciated enough growing up, but miss now. Don't get me wrong, I think Oklahoma is beautiful in a different way, seriously. I just miss what I grew up with too. :)

It was an amazing trip and I'm so glad all 3 of us got to go!

Project Craziness

2011-07-20T12:54:00.000-07:00

I would LOVE it if I could spend more time sewing and less time cleaning, doing laundry, cooking and potty training. (Nothing gets done when I sew!) The only time I seem to squeeze it in is when Ava is sleeping or someone is having a baby that I "need" to make something for. Luckily for me, Dustin's Grandma entered us into the Hillsboro Craft fair in September, so that will be my new excuse to sew. Each time I see her, she asks if I'm starting to build up a good collection of things for it and each time I give her a smile and a little panicked giggle and promise to have a ton of stuff! So the answer is obviously no. Each time I make something I think of someone it'd be perfect for. It's just so fun, but I guess I better get crackin if I'm going to make any money.

Here's a couple blurry phone camera pics of things I've made lately. I won't be selling these, but making some very similar for the show.

I will also be trying my hand at some boys tops and possibly some pants. Pretty excited about that. I don't want to leave all those cute little guys out!

So here's to hoping I accomplish what I'm supposed to!

I'm going to need a lot of sewing nights between now and then Maria!

5 years!

2011-07-07T19:33:00.001-07:00

(Warning, this blog may be sappy).

It's been five wonderful years (tomorrow 7/8) with this tall guy and I am still so very in love.

He is such an awesome dad. Ava LOVES him and will only let him put her to bed. We are so blessed to have him in our lives!
There are a lot of reasons I love this guy...

to name a few:

-He puts up with his girls rather nicely. :)

-He's a blast to hangout with.

-He's hilarious (just get to know him and you'll see)

-He is the spiritual leader in our home and leaves me with no doubts as to where his heart truly lies (with God).

I could go on and on about how much of a handy man he is, how incredibly hard he works to provide for our family and what a stud athlete he still is even though he thinks he's "lost" it, but I better end with him giving me this adorable kiddo. She's like him in SOOOOO many ways and I love it.

Thanks for the last 5 years Dustin! I am so blessed to have met you and lucky you married me, I love you!

We went to Idaho...

2011-06-15T06:37:00.000-07:00

At the end of April...

Ava and I flew to Idaho without anyone but Kyle and a few friends knowing we were coming. Uncle Kyle picked Ava and I up at the airport and we headed to Weiser to surprise my mom.

(At the airport waiting for our plane)

This is supposed to be a video of us surpring my mom at her school, but my blog is fighting me today and won't let me post it. Needless to say, she was thrilled to have the 3 of us there. She hugged Ava for the longest time and Ava was thrilled to see her grandma! There might have been a few tears too. :)

We got to do a lot of things while in Weiser, like go the park. They have an awesome play ground and we drove past it or walked past it anytime we went anywhere. Ava of course got super excited everytime she saw it and with grandparents and an uncle that spoil her, she got plenty of play time.

(Kyle teaching Ava to fly??)

(Eating at JEBS corner...best curly fries ever!)

We were there for Easter and luckily for Ava Uncle Kyle thought about it and planned for it, unlike her mom. Oops! Kyle and Serrah had bought Ava an adorable back-pack and a million plastic eggs which Kyle stuffed with candy. He also hid all the eggs for us. All I had to do was help Ava eat candy. It was awesome!

On our last full day in Idaho, Grandma and I took Ava to the Boise Zoo. We had a blast and Ava got to ride her first Merry-go-round. It was precious until she threw a huge fit because she wanted to go again. At least she liked it, right?!
We also took a walk along the greenbelt. It was beautiful! It's one of the many things I miss about Idaho.
We had such a wonderful time and I can't wait to go back. I think I'll end it here because this post is just making me miss my family, friends and Idaho.

Ava's Birthday

2011-05-23T07:05:00.000-07:00

This little girl turned 2 on Friday! I can't believe it. Time is flying too fast.

We had a small get together and Ava had a blast with her friends in the sand

and the water. Which makes a disgusting combination of course!

She sits...occasionally!

2011-04-05T12:03:00.000-07:00

Since the day Ava was born, she was a mover. Her legs are constantly going and once she learned to crawl she was a much happier kid. Even happier after she learned to walk. I however have been a little happier now that she's also learned to sit.

We have been working really hard to get Ava to sit during church. By sit I of course mean stay between Dustin and I, on the pew or the floor, and without causing a HUGE distraction. I hardly ever hear the sermon, but have hopes that I will soon. I have often thought Ava has no idea what we are doing at church and thinks it is a place to play with her friends. Which of course is true, but this last Sunday I might have shed a little tear as we prayed before taking communion. As soon as Ava saw the deacon walk to the stage to pray, she got excited and yelled "bite!" Joy filled my heart as I realized she is absorbing some of what we're doing, even if she just knows mammy and daddy are going to take a bite of a cracker. I'm sure she doesn't understand that every Sunday we take communion in remembrance of Jesus' sacrifice He made for us, but I hope we can teach her and show her how much God loves us. And I pray that God will help Ava sit longer and longer during services so we all can learn! We have a long way to go.

Ava's a big girl!

2011-04-03T17:16:00.000-07:00

I don't have any pics yet but changed Ava's crib into a toddler bed. Which pretty much means we took the front off her crib and put up a railing so she doesn't fall to the floor in the middle of the night. So in other words, I'm not sure you'll ever need to see a picture of that. Last night was her first night in it. She got out of bed 4 times and each time was to play with her books. We took her back to her bed each time and on the 4th time (after a good talking too and some extra encouragement) she didn't get out of bed again. She didn't even get out in the morning. Just sat in bed yelling Mammy! Mammy! Daddy! Daddy! She did well at nap time today too. Only had to put her back in bed once. So now that last night and today has gone so well, I'm sure tonight will be a nightmare, but I hope not!

Now to get my daughter potty trained. haha.

Busy Hubby

2011-03-27T11:00:00.000-07:00

Ava and I have that nasty virus that has been going around, so my husband spent the weekend building me this while Ava and I watched Marry Poppins and Elmo a thousand times.

I'm pretty excited about it. It's a little more done than this as of now. He has a lot of finishing touches and painting to do and I can hardly wait to fill up all those shelves! More pics to come...

Thanks Maria for sharing your hubby to help with my sewing room. I'm pretty sure that desk is big enough for two sewing machines! :)

Stuck

2011-03-25T14:15:00.001-07:00

A lot has happened blog worthy this past month but instead of updating you on my life, I thought this picture was more blog worthy....

My plan was to make spaghetti squash for dinner tonight. Unfortunately my knife is stuck. I can't cut it open, move the knife up or down, or even remove the knife from the squash. Don't worry I already tried hammering the knife and banged the whole thing on the floor before deciding that might not be safe, especially with a toddler running loose. Now I have to decide to make regular spaghetti or wait until Dustin gets home to help me remove the knife.

So Ava's caught something like everyone else. sigh.

2011-03-08T18:41:00.000-08:00

If you know my daughter, you know this has only happened a handful of times in the 21 months she's been around. (I'm only referring to the falling asleep or cuddling, she has my immune system, enough said).
Even when she had RSV she was too busy for us to hold her. Tonight, she obviously isn't feeling good and her fever is winning. I think Dustin is also winning since he is getting so many snuggles!
This has only happened to me on one occasion I can remember, so I think you could easily call me jealous of my husband right now.

Oh the volume of this child never ceases to amaze me!

2011-02-27T13:52:00.000-08:00

Ava needs to nap. She doesn't want to. Sometimes I just want to record how loud and rediculous her screams are just so I'm not the only one listening too it. Unfortunately for you, I don't have anything recorded, so I'll just show you this picture that Mandy Stansberry (sorry you got to experience it Mandy) took at her one year. I can guarantee Ava has this same expression on her face right now.

I think for sanity purposes, we might skip the nap and go for a walk.

Couldn't turn the brain off last night

2011-02-26T05:58:00.000-08:00

I need to clean off the kitchen table so it can be used as a kitchen table

Organize the office

Plant my tulips

Make more bows

Make baby gifts for upcoming showers

Plan upcoming showers

Wash, iron, tag, and hang baby clothes for JBF

Make new items to sale (I have WAY too many ideas + a huge craft fair to get ready for this fall=no sleep, too much thinking, excitement, but mostly no sleep.)

Okay I feel better now. Unfortunately it's 8:00 and Ava is getting up.

OOPS, I forgot to blog...

2011-02-24T09:08:00.000-08:00

A few blogs ago, I said I'd be blogging a ton after my surgery because I wasn't supposed to do much for two weeks. Well those two weeks are up today, and I'm finally blogging. Not sure what happened there. Everything went great and I have been blessed by multiple people since then. Friends brought food and my mom and Dustin's mom chased their ornery granddaughter around for me.

Today is the first day I've been on my own with Ava. I've been lifting her a little more and more the past 4 days and it's getting easier. Luckily for me, she's been an Angel today. In fact I think she just fell asleep so I will leave you with a couple pics from the last couple of weeks. I'm off for a nap too.

We finally let the kid out

2011-02-04T18:24:00.001-08:00

She LOVED the snow! She didn't come in without a fight. I'm hoping tomorrow will be warmer and we can spend a lot of time outside with her. I know I'm ready to be out of this house!

Under the Knife...

2011-02-04T12:05:00.000-08:00

In less than a week I'm having a little surgery. It's something I've been waiting to have done for over a year now (thank you insurance for being difficult) and it's finally time! I'm getting a fibroid removed from my uterus next Thursday. It's been causing me all kinds of pain in my back since I got pregnant with Ava. A few minutes after having Ava and my stomach felt like a big ball of dough (which is pretty gross by the way) my doctor had me feel my fibroid. It was easily the size of softball at the time. Of course the fibroid has shrunk since then, but flares up all the time. I wanted to get it removed a LONG time ago, but when we moved to Oklahoma my insurance was accidently cut off (not my fault) and I went without insurance for 11 days. Who would have thought those 11 days would prevent me from having surgery for a whole year! Well that year is up and although I'm so excited to get it over with, I'm a little nervous too.

Having this surgery has reminded me of how blessed I am. I am so lucky to have a job that is flexible. Staying at home really makes it a lot more possible. I have an awesome mom and mother 'n law who are going to help me take care of Ava for the following two weeks (I won't be able to lift her for 2 weeks), and my sweet husband has promised flowers, chocolate and starbucks daily. Okay maybe that last part isn't true, but I know he will be so helpful and caring during that time as well. I have had many friends say they'll be here at the drop of a hat and I know they would and will be.

So here's to hoping and praying it all goes well. I'm sure it will and I'm sure I'll be doing lots of blogging in the weeks to come since I'll be sitting around so much!

Snow days!

2011-02-02T16:50:00.000-08:00

As soon as we put Ava down for her afternoon nap yesterday, Dustin and I layered up and headed out the door.

Maybe not our best idea because Dustin doesn't feel good today. Maybe he just didn't want to shovel the driveway....

At least I got a good workout! I love snow!

a little winter in Weiser reminiscing

2011-01-20T05:42:00.000-08:00

The two people with me (Di-the blonde and Kim-brunette) will be my BFF's for life. I honestly can hardly stand it when I think about how long it's been since I've seen them. However, I know as soon as we do, it will be just like old times and the laughing, more laughing, and pretty much non stop laughing will take place. These two girls are a huge part of what held me together from birth (Kim literally met me in the hospital right after I was born). Okay enough sappiness about these two for now...

Whenever we have snow days in Oklahoma it makes me laugh because we NEVER had snow days in Idaho. NEVER! So I have to reminisce about a cold, cold day in Idaho when Kim and I were young.

Kim lived on a farm which was AWESOME!!! We were free to roam the ditch roads (those are what you okies call dirt roads). In the summer we would swim in the ditches, sneak into her brothers fort, ride the dirt bike, build our own better forts (even though we knew we could never beat Russ's fort, it was just awesome), but winter was different. We had to get more creative. So one cold morning we threw on our snow clothes, grabbed a sled, matches, our swiss army knives (because that's what most preteens carry around, right??) and headed out for an adventure. We decided the best idea was to climb into the largest ditch and pull each other around on the ice. It was genius for a few minutes until the ice broke. Of course we both got wet and were "freezing to death" and needed to take cover from the cold wind quickly. That's where this old bread truck comes into play...
Of course this isn't the actual bread truck but it looks just about like the one we climbed into. We quickly ripped off our wet clothes and decided we had to build a fire. We took turns running out and looking for wood but realized everything was covered in snow. Home was a good 10-15 minute walk and as smart little 10 yr olds, we knew we wouldn't make it and came up with a smarter idea. We decided to burn the foam from the seat cushions. So we made a little fire pit in the back of that little bread truck and began to build our fire. It felt fantastic. The black smoke and smell, that is still distinct in my nose today, did raise a little curiosity, but nothing to cause alarm. We eventually cracked the back door to let smoke out and sat in there until we were warm enough to go home.

It was wonderful. Not only did we have an awesome adventure, but we had found a new fort! We quickly decided we had to go back ASAP! So it wasn't long before we were back out there again. Not wet this time, but needing a fire of course. So we kept on burning that foam. It was our little secret and an amazing one. We went out to that little bread truck several times before being caught. Keep in mind we didn't realize we were doing anything wrong...this is how it went...

Gwen: (Kim's mom) Girls have you been going down to that old bread truck?

Kim and I look quickly back and forth at each other, not wanting her to know about our new fort and finally deciding the truth was the best route.

Gwen: Shock covered her face...Well I just got a call from Mr. Tally (I think that was the neighbors name). He said you two were smoking pot down there. Are you two smoking pot in that bread truck??!!!

Kim and I: What's pot?

Gwen: Relief covered her face. Well are you smoking down there?

Kim and I: Start laughing, NO we're not smoking! The giggles continue...

Gwen: Obviously believing us now. Well what are you doing down there?

Kim and I: It's our new fort!!! We've been building a fire in the back to stay warm!

Gwen: SHOCK! Scared Shock at that! WHAT!!!!

Needless to say our bread truck fort days were over and Kim and I had to apologize to the neighbor, because it was his bread truck. Sigh. Don't worry we found a better fort. Oh and we didn't tell Gwen we were burning the cushion until years later...we were smart enough to only give her the information she needed at the time. :)

2011-01-12T07:57:00.000-08:00

I am so lucky to wake up to this cute little rugrat and hangout with her every day! She has been a huge blessing to Dustin and I. No one tells you how incredibly difficult it can be going from a family of two to a family of three. I mean people try and warn you, but they are so excited I don't think the message ever really gets through. Ava was a wake up call for us in so many ways. She made us more aware of what time we go to bed, how and what we eat, the things we say about ourselves and others, how we treat each other and others, and most importantly how we live our lives for God. Although we are trying to teach her every day, she's also teaching us all the time. Okay enough sappiness...Here's a couple pics of her and her friends.

Ava and I get to hangout with this cutie 5 times a week. They have so much fun together even on the days they're fighting, stealing and screaming.
Ava and I have been missing our little Violet, but she is getting to spend some wonderful time with her beautiful mommy and new little brother. A play date needs to be in the works soon!

contest pic

2011-01-07T11:35:00.001-08:00

My entry for Mandy Stansberry's photo contest. I'm not a very good picture taker, but this one of my Granny, mom and daughter was hands down my favorite from the year!

We growl around here...

2011-01-06T14:32:00.000-08:00

Some people teach their kids things counting, the ABC's, but we're working on growling. Ava may still not be able to say please, but she can growl thanks to her Papa. Sorry most of the video is me growling at her trying to get her to growl. Also, my daughter thinks pumpkins say Boo. Please don't break it to her that pumpkins don't speak. :)

Firsts

2010-12-14T08:02:00.000-08:00

Brent and April had an Ugly Sweater Christmas party...it was our first Ugly sweater party and we really enjoyed it! Dustin is wearing a girls sweater and I made mine. We are looking forward to wearing these as many times as possible before Christmas!

Also, Ava has a shirt with a blinking snowman on it. Don't let her face fool you, she loved it.

Ava went to her first Thunder game and did awesome! We went with Matt, Maria and Ella and the girls were way too cute! We just hope they grow up to play basketball and not be Thunder girls...

Today is Ava's first official day of taking only one nap. When I started this post she was sitting quietly on the couch next to me (see the pic below). However, in the last 3 minutes she's managed to pull out ALL the toys I just put up and is currently trying to put on my boots. You'd think by 18 months I'd realize picking up is overrated...I'm still learning.

Two Moons

2010-11-19T11:38:00.000-08:00

Yesterday afternoon Ava and I were at our neighborhood park when two little rugrats showed up. Two boys probably 4th or 5th grade. I knew something was about to go down because there whispers weren't as quiet as they had hoped. The smaller of the two boys came towards the playground equipment that Ava and I were headed too and bent over showing the top part of his rear to both of us. We were within 10 ft of him and I was searching my brain as hard as I could to find the right words. All I could come up with was something along the lines of how I didn't appreciate him doing that and exposing my daughter to such behavior. He said he was sorry while trying to hold back the giggles.

About 2 minutes later his friend walked passed us giggling, bent over and completely mooned us! This time I was a little more prepared after thinking what would Tiffany Roberts say to these little delinquents!

I started by telling him to pull his pants up and by up I mean I don't want to see your underwear either. I then asked him where he lived because I needed to talk to his parents. He told me he didn't know. I called him out on his lie and responded with the police could probably find his house if need be. At this point the looks on their faces were almost enough to make me start laughing. I proceeded to tell them they couldn't be doing stuff like that and could get in big trouble and that they had ruined my daughters trip to the park.

We then packed up and headed home.

On the way, I was full of mixed emotions. Annoyed that we have been so excited to live close enough to a park we could walk to and now we have to deal with these kids. However, by the time I had gotten home and repeated the story to my husband, I was cracking up. I'm not sure I ever mooned anyone, but I can guarantee that my BFF Kim tried to get me to on more than one occasion.

Anyways, here's a picture of Ava to document her first mooning experience.

two words

2010-11-18T08:39:00.000-08:00

Even though I cannot get this kid to say please for the life of me (she nods her head for please), which I think she's doing on purpose just to stress me out, she started saying two words together!

I know this is boring to most of you, but I was sooooo excited!! Last night we gave her a snack before bed and she said "more crackers". We were shocked to hear her put the words together, not to mention we'd never heard her say cracker before!

Then this morning she said "bye bye Dad" as Dustin was heading out the door.

On occasion I've felt like my daughter didn't talk enough, mostly because her BFF is Ella and I think Ella started talking years ago. :) Comparing is never a good option people! A lesson I remember most of the time, but forget here and there....especially when my kid won't say please!

Anyways, these simple two words were like music to my ears!

Clarification....

2010-11-09T15:23:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to say I appreciate so much more and am doing things I didn't do before I was carless. I didn't mean my last post to be a debbie downer, just to clarify. :)

Car History

2010-11-09T11:02:00.001-08:00

This is what happened to my car when a Leavenworth citizen hit in in the middle of the night and then took off (a year ago).

It was totaled and although the police knew who hit it, he was no where to be found and had no insurance. So I was carless until Dustin's grandparents let me borrow this....

Minivan! (not an actual pic of the van) I NEVER wanted a minivan until I used this one. Now, I will most definitely buy a minivan in the future. After several months of borrowing it, we had to return it.

I'm currently driving this...

This has been my only ride during the day (besides the times my awesome friends pick me up and take me somewhere) for the last 4 months. I have to say at times I have not been pleased about this, but now that the weather is cooling off and I have a house, my attitude is changing for a few reasons...

Exercise was something I needed more in my life and now I get it.
The weather is beautiful and Ava and I do not like to be inside.
There's a park around the corner.
There's a Hobby Lobby and 7 Eleven within walking distance.
I spend less money because I can't go to Target.

Even though being a family with only one car comes with its frustrations (ex. I couldn't make my dentist apt because I had no way to get there), there are many positives to come from it too. Today I'm going to be positive about it and take my kid to the park.

By the way, I have no idea why the last half of this is underlined...

Making $$$

2010-09-21T08:38:00.000-07:00

I am finally making some money. There is a catch though...I'm paying myself. Let me explain: I'm paying myself to get healthy.

Payment Plan:

$1 Running

$1 Turbo Jams

$1 Drinking 5 glasses of water

$0.50 Eating veggies

$0.50 Eating fruit

$2 Eating more protein than carbs (this one is very difficult for me!)

$1 No sweets (also a big one for me)

$1 Not eating after 7:30

The picture is of my little calendar I just made to help me keep track of all the money I'm making. :) When I earn enough $$ I will be purchasing a new pair of Jeans. I'm pretty excited about them and can't even wait!
Making actual $$ (hopefully)

I've been sewing for a little while now and am finally going to start really selling items. I'm making sets of taggie blankets and soft blocks/rattles. Here's an example of one I made for friends little boy. Hopefully I will have enough made up by December to sale them at the craft fair in West Plains with Angela. Maybe I should get off the computer and start sewing!
If you need a baby gift let me know! :)

Pooh

2010-09-21T08:29:00.000-07:00

Ava has no clue who Pooh is but when she saw him on the shelf at toys r us, she HAD to sit by him.

(Showing me her shoes Auntie Christina bought her)

She sat a little too close and moved around a little too much and he fell off the shelf. She was holding on to him for dear life.
I managed to get him back on the shelf, but she stayed attached.
It took a good 20 minutes to get out of that isle. So sweet though. And no, I didn't buy the $50 Whiney the Pooh.

15 months

2010-09-13T08:30:00.000-07:00

STATS
Weight: 21 lbs 15 oz 30%

Height: 31 in. 60%

Head 75%

Love/Hate

Ava loves: Melmo (aka Elmo) and Veggie Tales

-Mostly anything that has music, but Melmo is her favorite!

Ava loves: being outside. The sand box is the new favorite, although she is pretty much happy if she's outside.

Ava loves: Blueberries, spaghetti, macaroni, frozen peas, oatmeal and milk.

Ava loves: climbing. She will climb on anything and thinks she can do it (even after you've told her no).

Ava loves: Her grandmas. She knows exactly who each of them are, loves to hear their voices and gets so excited when we talk about them or show her pictures of them.

Ava loves: Bathtime. She will do whatever it takes to get in the bath, including trying to dive head first into the tub.

Ava hates: being told no. She often does it anyways and also hates the consequences to her actions.

Ava hates: grape skin (however, I refuse to peel them, so she's just going to have to eat them anyways).

Ava hates: holding my hand in the store. She will often just sit down until she thinks I'll stop trying to hold her hand. She's always wrong, but she continues to try. Strong willed much?!!

A few things we love about Ava:

I love that she smiles all the time.

I love that she thinks she's hilarious and cracks herself up.

I love that she cuddles before naps and bedtime.

I love that she (most of the time) likes to share.

I love that she loves country music (better than anything else!)

I love that she has a high pain tolerance and keeps trying after she gets hurt.

Ava we love you so much! Thanks for being such a blessing in our lives!

BFF's

2010-09-09T12:44:00.000-07:00

Summer= popsicles

swimming or getting in and out of the pool while your mother just wants one cute picture of the two of you together in the pool!
smiles, lots of smiles
eating sand
and running through sprinklers with your best friend.
Ella graciously shared her home, toys and parents with us while Dustin, Ava and I moved in for a couple of weeks. What a sweet little girl!

Walmart and Ava

2010-07-28T11:35:00.000-07:00

Ava and Walmart have a love/hate relationship. She gets so excited when she first gets in the cart, she can hardly stand it. However the excitement never lasts and half way through the shopping trip a meltdown tends to occur. At that point I usually push snacks, if that doesn't work, I'll hold her. She never wants me to hold her though. She just wants down. Down is never good, because she is fast. A quick one year old is never helpful grocery shopping, but for now (and I do say now, because I know this probably won't work on our next shopping trip), we found a compromise.

Naptime

2010-07-15T20:54:00.000-07:00

The last couple of days Ava has woke up screaming during her nap and I can't seem to get her back to sleep in her crib. So, I have been lucky enough to take two naps with her on the couch. I know I shouldn't enjoy it as much as I do, but I love it!

June...

2010-07-07T08:31:00.000-07:00

My mom came to visit and we drug her all over Kansas....Allison got married while she was here and it was soooo wonderful to get most of our friends together. I loved it! And Allison and Tyler looked so happy! We were so lucky to celebrate with her!

From KC we went to Dustin's mom's house in Buhler and had Ava's second 1st birthday party. It was great! So many people came and Ava was completely spoiled. Plus, Grandma Cheri made her an awesome cake! Later that night we attempted to head home, but only made it a few miles away before the winds were 60mph, the rain was pouring, and a tornado warning had been issued.....so I forced Dustin to turn around and wait it out. :) I love you hon!

When we finally made it back to Edmond my mom graciously watched Ava, so Dustin and I could go on a date and spend our first night away from her. We went to Toy Story 3, which was awesome, except that it made me miss Ava. Then we spent the night at a hotel down by the mall. It was wonderful! We both attempted to sleep in, but couldn't of course (thanks to be used to our little alarm clock named Ava). However, our checkout time wasn't until 2, so I got a nap in between the time I woke up and when we had to check out! I was pretty pumped about that!

So, June was a very busy month, but sooo much fun! We are so grateful for all the help we got from my mom and for Brad and Cheri throwing Ava such a wonderful Birthday party. We are so blessed!

More pics...sorry if you're sick of these!

2010-05-24T08:02:00.000-07:00

Ava loved all of her gifts! Thanks everyone for making this such a special day for Ava. I know she loved having you there (and I enjoyed hanging out with you all!) Lets use our kids to hangout more often! :)

Pics from the party.

2010-05-24T07:54:00.001-07:00

This was my second attempt at making Ava's birthday cake. Thanks Lovett's and Wilkins' for eating my first one! The Teddy grahams chilling under the umbrella's was Dustin's idea (it's great being married to a graphic designer...much more creative than I ever am!) Over all it turned out okay or it tasted good at least!

Where did the time go???

2010-05-24T06:56:00.000-07:00

Ava is ONE!!

I honestly never thought this past year would go by so fast. Nor did I think I would be this emotional about my baby turning one! It really is amazing how much you can love your child. You carry them for 9 (more like 10) months and then they are born. You have this love and desire to protect them immediately, but that love only doubles every day. Some days I feel like I'm overflowing with it, because I just love her so much (I know, cheesy, right?) So true though! We are so blessed that God allowed us to be her parents!

12 Month appointment

30 inches long : 75%

19.9lbs : 25%

Head : 85%

-She is tall, skinny, and has lots of brains.....I believe there's a volleyball player in the making! (I don't need my kid to be a doctor, just play sand volleyball in the Olympics. I don't think that's a lot to ask for! haha).

Ava likes her music!

2010-05-19T06:11:00.000-07:00

Ava and Ella Dancing

2010-05-14T12:51:00.000-07:00

This is a little better picture....the front is exactly the same as the back. I attempted a skirt for myself with the same fabric., but it didn't turn out very well.

New Projects

2010-05-14T12:42:00.001-07:00

I made my first Hooter Hider for Brooklyn with fabric roses and my first dress for Ava. Sorry you can't see much of the dress. Ava was not very helpful when I was taking pics.

Ava and her Daddy

2010-05-14T12:34:00.000-07:00

Ava has been saying dadada for some time now but has just recently started saying dada when she see's Dustin. She says it in this sweet little innocent voice..it's so precious, but it's also made me aware that she has Dustin wrapped around her pinky already! It makes him so happy and I love it!

After searching my camera for pics to post, I've come to realize that we have no pictures of Ava and I. The top picture is even on mothers day and it's with her dad! haha, oh well. It was a special mothers day none the less.

Ava walking

2010-04-12T13:43:00.000-07:00

2010-04-12T11:24:00.000-07:00

2010-04-12T11:18:00.000-07:00

2010-04-12T11:09:00.000-07:00

A lot has gone on since I last posted...

2010-04-12T08:46:00.000-07:00

I am going to be brief about the last month because I am babysitting and I never know when the kids will wake up!

Big 12 Championship!

Dustin and I were blessed enough to get free tickets from his work to the Big 12 tournament and take a couple of friends with us. I ended up skipping Friday's nights game so I could hang out with Allison, Tyler, Angela and the kids, but went on Saturday to the championship. It was a blast! And they have $1 slushes at the QT in the stadium!! Can't get better than that! (well it did help that KU won!) On our way home we got to meet Brad and Cheri for some lunch in Wichita and Ava got to eat plenty of mashed potatoes.

California

Ava and I flew out to California to see my family. Ava got to meet her great Aunt Jacque, my cousin Brian, her second cousin Sophie, and her great grandparents. It was a pretty special trip for me. My mom also got to fly out and we all had a blast. It was the first time my grandparents got to see both of their great granddaughters, so it was pretty wonderful. Ava also got to see the ocean for the first time while she was there. She loved it and wanted to get in it! It was a wonderful trip and I miss them already!

Surprise Showers

For the last several months the SS7 minus one (Brooklyn) planned a surprise shower for Brooklyn. We are all so excited for her and Jerad and wanted to show her. So Kelsey and I planned a sleep over with Brooklyn, but she didn't know that Leta, Allison, Angela, and Tiff were all going to be there too! It was pretty awesome! We also surprised Tiff with a baby shower and Allison with a "wedding shower". It was such a wonderful weekend and I wish we could all be together every weekend!

Easter

Ava had her first Easter. I had planned on taking her to an Easter egg hunt, but she slept instead. Luckily, Brent and April had a little hunt for Collin and Ava Sunday afternoon. Dustin had to miss Ava's first Easter Egg hunt because he had to work, but I'm sure next years will be much more eventful than this one anyways!

Past weekend Kansas City Trip

Nathan had his bachelor party this past Saturday, so we headed for Kansas City again. I thought it was a good excuse to go visit Allison and I was invited to Kristi's bridal shower, so it worked out great. Dustin took off Friday so we could go visit some friends from Leavenworth and go to watch my track girls Friday night. He then headed out with the guys for a fun weekend of golf, Royals game, Dave and Busters and very little sleep. The next time I saw him was 3 am Sunday morning! I too had little sleep because Allison and I are good talkers haha.

2010-03-05T19:34:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the bad filming job. I was actually trying to vacuum while taping Ava.

Ava hates the vacuum

2010-03-05T18:46:00.001-08:00

I have vacuumed in front of Ava before, but today didn't go so well. It was kinda hilarious for me, not so much in her eyes. As soon as I started the vacuum she took off towards the kitchen to get away from it. The baby gate was up and she was trying frantically to climb it. I eventually stopped vacuuming to calm her down and then put her in her crib with some toys to keep her occupied. I thought this would work, but it failed miserably. Poor thing had a look of pure terror on her face the whole time. I caught a little bit of it on my flip and I'll try and get it posted. I hope she grows out of this because it will be her chore eventually. :)

CIO Method

2010-02-27T22:51:00.000-08:00

The Cry It Out method is about to make me cry.

Ava has recently taken to a new type of cry. I would describe it as she wants the whole neighborhood to think she's dying. From the moment Ava was born I knew she had good lungs. She came out screaming and didn't stop for an hour. I have to say that made me a little nervous, but those screams don't even compare to the one that's currently going on at my house. About 45 minutes ago the blood curdling screams began. We waited about 12 min. before Dustin headed in there with a bottle. All was quiet for about 10 min. then they began again. Ava had downed 4 and 1/2 oz. pushed her bottle away and refused to let Dustin hold her by pushing with her arms and feet against him in true temper tantrum form. I have to say that is one of the most frustrating moments as a parent. All you want to do is help calm them and nothing is working. They don't want to be held, but they don't want you to put them down either. So, Dustin decided to turn on her slideshow/music star and lay her in her crib. We were going to have to let her cry it out. The doctor told me that it's always worse for the parents than it actually is for the child. I am currently thinking about asking her to write a note to all my neighbors explaining the same thing. Oh the joys of living in an apartment with a small child. I will not be surprised when someone knocks on the door and asks us to do something about our ridiculously loud infant, because the cannot sleep. However, my husband currently has no problem sleeping through the screams as he has been out since I asked him to hand me the laptop. So then again, maybe I'm the only one bothered by Ava's stifling screams.

Well it has now been about 29 minutes since Dustin laid Ava back down and all is quiet. Thanks for bearing with me through this last half hour...I couldn't have done it without you! We may see you again in a few hours...

Since the false alarm...

2010-02-22T18:15:00.000-08:00

We all got the stomach flu...all I can say is UGH!! Dustin and Ava had it first and I quickly followed. On Wednesday night, I threw up over 30 times and ended up in the ER for dehydration and to stop my vomiting. Poor Ava was throwing up in the ER and it went all over Dustin of course. This was all happening around 3 am, so Dustin took Ava and drove around Edmond so she could sleep and I could get two bags of fluids pumped into me. By the time we got home it was 5:30 am and Ava wanted to be held nonstop. Luckily Dustin (who has only slept about 2 hours) stayed up with her until they both fell asleep on the couch. By about 10 am the throwing up had finally stopped. However, the other half of the stomach flu kicked in (we won't go into that though). Ava is just now getting over it. That is some yucky stuff!

On a happier note, Ava had her 9 month checkup today. The doctor said she's perfect...okay that's not true, but we think so. haha.

Here are her stats:

Weight: 17lbs 7 oz (she lost a little from the flu) (25%)

Height: 28 inches (50-75%)

Head: 44 1/2 cm (50-75%) Does that make her a little like a bobble head?

False Alarm...The sickness is not over!

2010-02-16T18:26:00.000-08:00

I'm up to my armpits in puke!

Well actually I had puke from my chin to my toes, thanks to Ava and a nasty flu bug.

Dustin also has the flu bug to thank for his throwing up as well. This is the first time he's thrown up since he was a child!

My poor babies are sick once again. Praying that it's a 24 hour thing and everyone feels better tomorrow!

The last few weeks...

2010-02-16T07:13:00.001-08:00

tested me as a mom and wife.

1. Ice Storm= don't go outside for several days.

2. Dustin gets sick=Ava gets sick

3. Ava's cold=RSV

4. RSV=Me panicking that my child is having a hard time breathing and coughs so hard she throws up!

(Luckily my mom was here to help!)

5. Me stressing=a sinus infection and the flu (in the same day) with a sick baby.

1-5=A long few weeks!

We are all feeling much better now and I am appreciating the sun today! I think we better make it to the park!

Chase and Cat food

2010-02-02T11:40:00.000-08:00

Ava's new favorite game is chase. She takes off and then looks back to make sure you're going to chase her. It's so precious and she gets so excited. Sometimes she gets so excited she just bounces up and down and claps her hands. She especially likes it when she thinks dad is chasing her.

Ava also had her first piece of cat food. It didn't go over very well. She has been eating puffs and LOVES them, but since then she thinks she can eat whatever she wants. This includes carpet, paper, and now cat food. Yesterday, Ava snuck past me to the cat food bowl. This is the second time she's done this and I quickly caught her and emptied her hands of cat food. I shut the door so she couldn't get to it and put her back down. A few moments later, she starts coughing. Her hands are at her mouth and I immediately know she's put something in her mouth. I tried the finger swipe and failed to find anything. So I just picked her up and started patting her back, trying to get her to stop choking. Talk about scary!! I kept patting her back and she finally threw up all over me and what was in it...one piece of cat food! Yum. Luckily Kelsey was here to help with Ava while I changed from my puke drenched clothes. Awe the joys and worries and adventures of being a mother. I'm just glad she was okay!

She just keeps changing...

2010-01-09T21:47:00.000-08:00

In the past two weeks Ava has decided to take off. She has started crawling. At first it was funny, because she didn't realize she could crawl and would only crawl for things that were a short distance from her and something she desperately needed (like her puffs). Now she has figured out that she can get anywhere by crawling. This means one thing, my life as a stay at home mom just got a lot busier. On top of that, she also decided to pull herself up on anything and everything as well. This has resulted in tears, smiles, bumps, and pictures of course. As of yesterday, she is now standing up in her crib anytime she doesn't want to go to sleep. So every time I lay her down for a nap she automatically rolls to her side, then her stomach, relaxes for a half second before realizing I'm leaving the room, panics and sits-up, starts crying, and then pulls herself up into a standing position. I have to go back in and lay her down in order to get her to fall asleep. Although it is tiring during the ordeal (probably for both of us), it's quite hilarious watching it happen.

Ava received her first birthday invitation today...Ella is turning one and I'm pretty sure Ava can't wait to celebrate with her. (Or I'm excited to go hang out with Maria haha).

Dustin and I have been planning all our meals out to help save money and eat healthier. We've been doing a pretty good job, but this last week we ate shake 'n bake on two separate nights and I had it only salads for lunch. Needless to say, any easy, cheap, healthy recipes would be appreciated!

Really Christina...

2009-12-07T08:14:00.000-08:00

While at Uncle Bobby's, Christina noticed I had written my name on my cup and thought she should do the same. So she grabbed a permanent marker, walked to the table, and started writing Aunt Christina on a cup. The whole situation seemed normal until she stated..."I wasn't drinking milk... I didn't even have a cup!" She had written her name on someone elses cup! This was followed by Dustin saying "Who drinks milk with their Thanksgiving dinner!". In the end no one claimed the cup and Christina's only option was to write Not in front of her name. It was quite hilarious and this might be a situation you had to be there for, but it was so stinkin funny! Thanks for making us laugh Not Aunt Christina! You're the best!

2009-12-07T08:10:00.000-08:00

Ava enjoyed her yummy squash for Thanks- giving. Luckily for Dustin and I, squash was not on our Thanksgiving menu!

Ava Marie-Thanksgiving

2009-12-06T20:19:00.000-08:00

Ava's new moves...

2009-12-06T20:03:00.000-08:00

Ava continues to amaze me. It seems like just yesterday we were waiting for her to smile or coo. Now she squeals like a true girl, gives big gummy smiles, and so much more. For example...about three weeks ago Dustin was holding her and I was next to him and she reached for me. Talk about the best feeling ever! (I cried a bit). Since then she's learned to hold her arms up anytime she wants up. She is rolling from her tummy to her back and back again. She is never quite content though. Forever she wanted to sit up by herself. She can do that easily now, but the only thing she wants to do now is crawl or stand up (she can't do either on her own yet, but we're very close!). She is getting good at going from a sitting position to a crawling position but quickly falls to her stomach. If she does manage to keep her stomach up, it's because she's in a bear crawl position with her face planted in the carpet. It's quite humorous to watch. I am really enjoying being around to see all of her changes. God has truly blessed us with a beautiful little girl and so much more!

Ups, Downs, and Everything in Between...

2009-11-07T06:52:00.000-08:00

The past month and a half have been crazy for our family. To begin, Dustin was offered a job at Chesapeak. We were thrilled because he knew this was a place he could grow and hopefully eventually begin his graphic design again. And what an AMAZING company to work for!! With the decision to move came a lot of stressful decisions. We had to decide when I'd move down there. I had already begun teaching this year, so I would have to break my contract. (Luckily, the school was wonderful, supportive and very encouraging). Next we had to figure out what I was going to do when we got here. Now that we have our precious little Ava, was I going to stay home? Could we afford to do that? Should I find a job, which of course meant finding care for Ava. Could we afford that??? haha. We finally made some decisions; I would move 5 weeks after Dustin started and I would stay home for now...I guess until we want to eat again. :)

Now, the fun part begins...or something like that. Less than a week before Dustin is leaving, we wake up to a really loud bang outside. Dustin jumps up as I am trying to wake up. I look out the window and see my husband running down the sidewalk. A neighbor was also out looking to see what happened. I hear Dustin say to the man (the man that lives at the crack house across the street) "they definitely hit something!" The man responded "Yeah, your car!" At that, I jumped out of bed and went outside too. My little red Nissan was totaled. They had pushed in the back tire so far it had broke the back axel. So we spent the next hour talking with the police and trying to figure out how I was going to get to work. The really great part came when the police told us we had to have the car off the road in 48 hours. We now have no car, and have to pay to move it! The police found the car that hit ours (it didn't make it very far), but the man had fled and didn't have any insurance. We decided at that point, laughing was the best option. We still crack up when we think about where we lived in Leavenworth and that we didn't get out before being in a hit and run. AWESOME! Luckily for us, Dustin's great grandpa is no longer allowed to drive and loaned me his mini van...sweet ride, I know. I am actually a huge fan of all the space. Babies take up so much room!!

So the month without Dustin begins. It actually goes pretty well. Ava had a variety of wonderful people watching her. Dustin got to come back on the first couple of weekends. I went to visit on the 3rd weekend and we found an apartment to live in. The next two weeks went by pretty quickly, and then it was time to move. So everything was as good as it could be except that Ava decided to get up 3 times a night instead of sleeping through the night and got her first cold. Oh and I was left to pack up the house by myself with a 4 month old. I guess that's where the emotional roller coaster began. I did get to work with my replacement, Heather, and we had so much fun together. I wished we would have been working together the whole time! The last month of work was pretty stressfull; trying to figure out what info I needed to leave Heather, teach class, and pick up Ava right after school. There were 3 fights in the gym during that month and I had a student pretend like he shot me with a riffle...nothing happened to him of course, because he has some special needs. I did not feel safe there after that point. It was time to leave. So the last Friday finally came, my mom (my lifesaver) flew in that evening and Dustin got back for the big move. Saturday and Sunday was full of wonderful people, we owe huge thank you's too for helping us move. So, THANK YOU!!!! We seriously couldn't have done it without you! I didn't arrive in Edmond until Tuesday because I had a doctors apt and got to spend some wonderful time with my mom.

So we finally made it and one box at a time, we will eventually be unpacked. I am looking forward to the night of sitting on the couch without boxes around and watching a movie with my wonderful husband. For now, I am more than content to be back in Edmond! God continues to bless us...

8 weeks old...getting bigger!

2009-07-17T18:28:00.000-07:00

Ava talking?

2009-07-17T17:13:00.000-07:00

Hair Cut

2009-06-14T20:49:00.001-07:00

Amy and Ava enjoying a nice evening at Zona Rosa. Amy just had her hair cut and highlight done. Ava just ate. They were buying me (Dustin) my father's day present... a new phone! Haven't had a new one in 4 years, which I thought was pretty good but Amy thought it was me being cheap. Good call, Amy. I love the gift!

Ava's Warning Cry

2009-06-14T20:29:00.000-07:00

Think we're proud of our little girl? We even post her when she's whining!

This is the calm before the storm.

Only 19 days old and already online

2009-06-08T21:25:00.000-07:00

Bikes, Deer, and Lakes...can't ask for anything more!

2008-08-11T14:19:00.000-07:00

So yesterday evening Dustin and I finally took our new bikes out to Shawnee Mission park. It was absolutely gorgeous outside! As soon as we got out of the car we saw 3 deer, which was awesome! If you know me, you know I LOVE to watch deer. We hadn't really been out to this park before but we new there was a lake and we decided that's where we should head. Unfortunately about 20 min. into our bike ride, we realized we hadn't been doing a lot of peddling, which meant we were going to have a lot of work ahead of us on our way back. UGH!! We made it to the lake in about 30 min. of riding and stopping to look at deer. There were deer everywhere! It's so amazing to be in such beautiful country (I know you're thinking..Amy you live in Kansas! But it really is gorgeous in this area!) and to see wildlife so close to you is awesome. I have no idea how someone could not believe in God after seeing how magnificent this world we live in is. Anyways, we hung out at the lake for a bit, but the sun was setting quickly so we headed back. The whole way back I was sucking wind! I definitely don't remember riding a bike being this hard when I was a kid! Anyways, we made it back just as it got dark. It was such a great experience and I can't wait to go back. Maybe next time we will start in a different spot though! I wish you all could be here to see how beautiful it is!

On a completely different note, you can see Dustin and Isaac's new songs on my facebook page. They are under my MusiciLike tab and their group is called The Epic New Yorke. If you can't find it, just send me an email or facebook me. I hope you love them as much as I do! Enjoy!

Summer is OVER!!

2008-08-06T12:35:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is my first official day back at school. I've really enjoyed the summer and am not exactly thrilled about going back to work. School doesn't actually start until the 14th, so that means many boring meetings until then. I am ready to get back into a routine though. I always think I am going to have more time to do things during the summer, but that never seems to happen. Dustin and I have been playing slow pitch softball which has been awesome, but that is drawing to an end next week; so we picked up with sand volleyball. I am so excited and I can hardly stand it! We will be playing with Isaac, Leta, Jon, Lori, and Llon, so it's guaranteed to be a good time. My volleyball season at school will be starting soon also. I am really excited about coaching this year! As far as Dustin goes, he is super busy! He just started his freelance company, Double 6 Design and Media Group and so far everything is going great. I am so proud of him for getting started! (I think that's the hardest part). He's also taken on the teen youth group class on Sunday mornings, teen life group on Sunday evenings, leading singing, and anything else the church can talk him into. haha. We are both really looking forward to getting to know the teens at church better. He and Isaac have also been doing some writing and recording, so as soon as I can figure out how to get music on this thing, I will get some of their songs up. I can't wait for ya'll to hear them!

2008-08-06T12:03:00.000-07:00

So I'm just starting this blog thing...Dustin doesn't even know yet. Haha. Hopefully this will be a better way of keeping all of you updated, since I'm not so great at that.