We went to Houston

Leave a Message....

because I won't call you back this weekend!! Ryan & I will be busy, occupying these chairs

And hanging out on the beach.....
We leave tomorrow & I cannot wait!

Everyone in the bed

Perception

To you it looks like a syntax error. To me it says the Chicago Midway
weather took a dive and I have seven airborne flights that need to be
diverted. I bet tomorrow will be a better day.

The News

"It says the Dow dropped 80 pts, the market's heading into a
recession, and they still can't find bin laden..what next a worldwide
shortage of Skittles."

Blue Bell's Chocolate Covered Creepy Bars

Welcome Lucy!

Yeah!! I am so excited - Bryan & Eraina had their baby yesterday....Lucy Larson made her big debut into this world at 1:36 p.m. She is absolutely beautiful! She has a head full of dark hair, the sweetest little nose, and the most adorable squeak when she cries. Bryan & Eraina are doing great - we are so happy for them!
Here is a pic of the sweet new family:

Of course, count on Eraina to look fantastic right after giving birth!!

Bryan & Eraina were able to introduce Lucy to my Dad & to Erik & Yuriko via the computer - it was so fun to "have them in the room with us"!

A pic of the happy new uncle & the happy Grandpa!

Now that they are parents, Bryan & Eraina have so much to look forward to - like Lucy sitting up, crawling, first words, walking....
Things like taking their sweet almost-totally potty trained child to see the doctor, and then having an accident in the middle of the waiting room which results in needing to remove the pants, put on a diaper, and, after the appointment, walk out to the car hoping not to get arrested for indecency.


So much fun awaits!! :)

Lucy Larson

Bryan and Eraina had a girl. Here's Lucy introducing herself to
Grandpa who's only 1800 miles away.

The force

One of the James Dobson parenting books I read said that between the ages of 1 and 2 is the best time to start Jedi training.

Jeans

I'm wearing these jeans today (Target $12.84) and they fit just
right. They are intentionally dingy and dirty looking which is fine
with me because it means I need to wash them annually.

What if in the future clean clothes are so out of style that people
need to own a landry soiling machine? That sounds like a place worth
going.

Bread bags.

Ok, after that last post, and my thinking that Larson looked cute, Ryan declared that I must be getting older, and will pretty soon be storing left-over food in bread bags.....so here it is - a new non-creepy post - - -

We are eagerly awaiting the arrival of Bryan & Eriana's firstborn. Eraina's due date is TODAY, but no word yet. And, to make the waiting even harder - they do not know what they are having! This is, somehow, the only picture I have of Eraina pregnant (it's because she is the one who is usually taking all of the pictures!) She looks adorable.


My Mom has been here for the past few weeks, getting acclimated to life down here, for when she & Dad move down. :) She's been sewing sweet dresses for Secily (pictures soon to follow), and watching the kids while Ryan & I have seen practically every movie currently in the theaters.

Secily has embraced her Texan roots, and has got herself a pair of cowboy boots - they seem to fit as well as her gloves did in Ohio over New Years.....just right.

Mirrors

Creepy or Cute?

Ryan says creepy, I say cute......you decide.

I had a helper.

I built a shelf.

Seriously

This strech hummer pulled up next to us and was as long as a school bus.

My Twin

Karin says the celebrity i look most like is Adam Sandler....flattering.

Planet B-Boy Trailer

I've been a breakdance fan ever since I bought my first Michael
Jackson red zipper thriller jacket. So pumped for this flick.

Check out this video on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6LzRhjUIQA

Retro

During a stroll down the toy isle I noticed that they have started
packaging G.I. Joe soliders in the exact same packaging as when I was
a young lad. My favorite two figures of all time are pictured below:
Snake eyes and Storm Shadow. So good.

Happy Birthday Jeffy!

Today is my brother Jeff's birthday - - Happy Birthday Jeff!! This has been a good week for him - he was also just Ordained on Sunday. So, I guess that would be Happy Birthday PASTOR Jeff!! (he hates it when I do that!)

Some pics of the Ordination service:


And some pics of his Ordination/32nd birthday present from Chandra. What better way to celebrate both of these events than with a.....long-board!!
Notice that Jeff is riding, still wearing his church clothes. Nice touch.

A sweet u-turn....




Of course Bryan had to try it out too....

Never too 'grown up' to have a little fun!!

Let My People Go!

Ah.....bedtime stories. I loved them as a kid, and we have just begun to really get into them around our house. Larson no longer wants a book read to him at night - he would rather "a talking story". Most nights he will let you know who he wants in the story, and sometimes, what he would like to happen. Of course the main character is played by him and he really loves it when I throw in something about him having some kind of super-power, a jet pack, a truck to drive, or massive amounts of candy. However, lately he has had a special request:
"Mommy, tell me a talking story. About me....and Moses." He doesn't want just any story about him & Moses - he wants THE story of Moses, with him thrown in there too.
Um, okay.....not quite sure how to tie this all together, but -

"Once upon a time, there was a little boy named Larson, who went to the land of Egypt....."

or maybe:

"Once upon a time there were two good friends, Larson & Moses......"

Should make for some entertaining & amusing evenings around our house!

New Year's in Ohio

We brought in the New Year up in Ohio with the Files Gang.



We enjoyed countless games of 'Ticket to Ride'

Played Boccie Ball in the woods

and enjoyed the snow!!


Oops - we forgot to bring Secily's mitts from home....good thing we found some that fit her just right.
(Does Lesley look totally out-of-control in this picture? She was. Yes, she had to bail before she hit the bridge!)
We even made snow ice-cream....yum! It was a great vacation, and very fun to be with family to bring in the new year.

December Highlights

Well, it's a new year, and since one of my New Year's Resolutions is to blog more often, I better get to it!

I guess I should play a little catch-up from December......

December 16 - Larson's 3rd birthday! I cannot believe how fast these 3 years have gone by!
We had a very fun "Cars" birthday, complete with a Mack cake!

It is very fun to see Larson's personality developing - he is a great combination of rough & sweet - for example when I was crying recently, he said to me "It's OK, Mommy, you're a tough girl" and then the next time I was sad, he came over, brought me a blanket and said "Here Mommy, I will wipe the water off of your face." Too sweet!

December 25 - Christmas!

We had a great Christmas with Bryan & Eraina, Chris (our friend from Canada), Jeff & Chandra, and all of Chandra's family!

Reading the Christmas Story...where's the Bible you ask? It's downloaded, onto the iphone....somebody likes his new present!!

Helping Bryan open his gifts

Playing with the new toys

What is a Christmas without some unicycling?

Christmas dinner

Merry Christmas!

Ellis Anne Files

It has been a hard, hard month. I cannot find the words to write my feelings, so I will just tell the facts:

On November 19th, Ryan & I lost our baby girl, Ellis Anne, who was due on December 31. I was 8 months along and I realized that I hadn't felt her move in a little while, so I called & went into my doctor. As he looked at the sonogram, he saw that she had turned from being breech, to head down, and in her moving she had twisted the umbilical cord. She had no heartbeat. She had the cord wrapped around her neck and her wrist which were pulling against each other, and the cord had been kinked like a garden hose cutting her off from everything she was getting from me. He said it's a random, unpreventable, uncontrollable event - like being hit by lightning.

We went into the hospital that afternoon, and I had surgery at 6:00. Ryan & I were able to spend about 2 and a half hours with Ellis after I delivered her, holding her, touching her, memorizing her - she was beautiful. Perfect in every way, with head full of hair & a nose to match Secily's. Having them take her from us, knowing that I would never in this lifetime see her again was, and still is, heartbreaking.

We had her funeral a week later - my parents had come in, and Ryan's parents were able to be there as well. We are so thankful for our families - our parents took 'shifts' and stayed with us for 4 weeks - until I was cleared to lift Larson & Secily.
Larson & Secily have been oblivious to the whole situation, and I have been thankful for that. They are a great distraction for me, and I find myself doubly thankful that we have them.

Ryan & I have been so overwhelmed by the support of our church, family & friends. The flowers, meals, phone calls, cards, emails, letters, work & support we have received have meant so much...more than we could ever say.

Poem for Ellis - November 2007

(written by Jan Thomas, my aunt)

I’m just a little daughter

Who didn’t quite make it there

I went straight to be with Jesus

But I’m waiting for you here.

Don’t you fret about me Mommy

I’m of all God’s lambs most blessed.

I’d have loved to stay there with you

But the shepherd knows what’s best.

Many dwelling here where I live

Waited years to enter in,

Struggled through a world of sorrow

And their lives were marred with sin.

So sweet Mommy, deep in sorrow,

Let this truth help in your gloom,

I went straight to be with Jesus

From my loving mother’s womb.

Daddy gave me something for you,

It’s our secret Mommy dear.

Pressed it tight against my forehead

Whispered in my tiny ear.

I’ll be waiting for you Mommy

You and Daddy, Larson, Sis.

I’ll be with you then forever

Then I’ll give you Daddy’s kiss.