Christmas Pictures

So here are some pictures that we had done at Sears on last Friday. I thought you all might like seeing them. Jonah and Ella were soooo good this day even after spending a day at the mall. It was a small miracle. I rewarded Jonah with a ride on the train and his first visit to Santa. When Santa asked him what he wanted he said "Presents" of course. Christmas is approaching fast and Santa and presents are on Jonah's mind often. This is the first Christmas where I really feel like he is into it. He reminds me of what it used to be like. We sing Christmas songs often and look forward to spending time together as a family. He recently started understanding that concept as well. School is winding to a close for me and Shawn is looking forward to a little vacation time well deserved. I look forward to seeing some of you and hearing about new additions from others. Hope everything finds you all happy, healthy and sharing the Christmas spirit. So Merry Christmas everybody, all month long!

Our New House

Hello All and Happy Halloween! It is ironic that the last post I made was the first day of October and now I'm posting on the last day. I as always have been extremely busy. In fact for a little while I wondered if Shawn and I would stay sane. After all the house debacle, we are finally moved in. I say that with a laugh since any of you who have moved know that moving in is a process that takes longer than just a weekend. I am desperately trying to reign in the desire to decorate and paint since I really need to finish school. I only have 6 weeks left till I graduate! Maybe I will find a few hours here and there to accomplish some of the rooms that we want to paint. I really look forward to having family get togethers here sometimes. I've put up some pics of the house after we started moving everything in. I will post more pics later. I will also try to email all of you our new address. If I happen to miss one of you just let me know. Tonite Shawn is looking forward to taking Jonah trick-or-treating for the first time. He will be going as SpiderMan of course! I will probably be handing out candy (I'm not sure what to expect in this neighborhood). Then it will be nose back to the grindstone for me. I also have put up some pics of Jonah wearing his cowboy hat recently. His imagination has really taken off. Well I hope all of you have a fun & safe Halloween. I look forward to seeing some of you the upcoming holiday season (maybe some little ones for the first time).

House News!

We have sold our house and bought a new one! Yup that's right we will be moving! I will have a new address for all of you within a few weeks. I have soo much in my little brain to share with all of you that I'm not even sure where to begin...Laura had her baby girl! I'm sure you all have seen pics. I have a few but want to make sure that she okays before I post anything. School is in full swing and I have been hard pressed to get sleep with all the homework loading me down. And you all know what lack of sleep does to you... it strains your health. You got it I am sick and so is Jonah. I sound like a frog when I talk and a dog bark when I cough. I'm going to the Doc this week and hopefully Jonah and I both will get cleared up in enough time to pack and move. Jonah has been in pretty good spirits despite being sick. He is powerfully strong willed and definitely 2! I am including funny pics of him posing for me and jumping on the bed. The onry squirt knows exactly when I have my hands full so he can do what he's not supposed to. Today he decided to do homework with me and was busy scribbling at a table I set up next to my computer. Well I need to get to bed. I still have to get up early and read 2 chapters for class in the AM! I hope to find a few minutes to post again soon. Until then, take care.

Update

I Got the Job! I will be starting work in the Birth Center tomorrow morning bright and early. We also put our house on the market this past week. We haven't found the right house yet but seeing as our house isn't sold I'm trying not to feel too pressured. School starts in a week and I am already feeling the chaos starting. On a good note Shawn and I celebrated our 10th Anniversary by being productive with the house and getting all those nagging little projects that needed finished done this weekend. Can't believe its been 10 years since we got married and almost 14 years since we started dating. Time flies by faster and faster every year. Don't know how often I'll be able to post after this but will make an effort to keep everyone up to date. Love you all. Good luck in the coming school year.

Changes

Well as many of you know, I am getting closer to acheiving my Associate's Degree and becoming an RN. I have 20 weeks left till I graduate. I have been working as an intern at St. John's Hospital in Springfield. That has been a major adjustment since I haven't worked since I had Jonah. I see him less when I work those 3 - 12 hour night shifts a week and he and I are trying to get used to it. Its not easy. However, it will be worth it in the end. I have applied for a job as a Nurse Tech II (a position just for nursing students) in the Birthing Center and in Pediatrics. I have had interviews for both departments and will know by the end of the week whether I will be employed during my last semester of school. As for our housing situation... Shawn and I are still trying to decide if this is the right time to move or put the house on the market. We have had our eye on a particular house for some time but the seller has failed to reach an agreement on price with us. I have to hope that God will put us where we are supposed to be both in job perspective and house. Paul will soon be leaving to attend UTI in Naperville, IL for his automotive training. Laura is going to be a mama soon. So many changes all at once. I will let you all know how it turns out soon. God Bless and Take Care.

Baby Belly

Laura is 30 weeks pregnant! I can barely believe how fast the time has gone. Everyone has been asking for belly pics so I finally got some the other day. She is so cute. Everyone say prayers that Aaron will be able to get a lot done on the house this weekend. They are both frustrated at how slow going it has been and I think Laura is feeling that nesting urge and cannot do anything about it till the house is in better shape. Her baby shower is this Saturday and I hope to see some of you there. I know we will miss those of you who cannot make it. Hopefully we will be able to have some family get togethers soon. Especially since there will be 4 new babies all in less than 6 months! I can't wait!

July 4th Weekend

We went to Aunt Amy's for the 4th of July. Jonah had a blast watching the fireworks. He loves the pretty lights and the big boom. He also had fun swinging in the hammock with Jeremy and splashing in the pool. Then we went swimming in the lake. This is the first time in two years I have taken him swimming for real. He did very well and only got scared once. He never complained about his life jacket and kicked his little feet like a pro. I think next year I may have a fish on my hands. I'm sure before I know it he will be running pell mell off the dock and yelling "Cannon Ball!" He also discovered the pure glee of squirting Mommy with a squirt gun. I can't wait till we can visit again.

Last Day of Daycare

Well we have decided to take Jonah out of Daycare for the time being to save some money and pay some bills off. We are looking at a house and know if we want it we have to tighten the belt so to speak. I brought cupcakes for Jonah's last day and they all wanted the ones with blue icing. It was quite comical to see them all with blue teeth and lips. I know Jonah will miss all his friends (especially Jacob who I took the other close up of)but we plan to be able to take him back in early 2008. I feel he has learned a lot and by then he will be 3 and ready to start preschool if not daycare.

Trip to the Zoo

We recently went to the zoo with a friend and Jonah enjoyed every minute. These pictures are from the train ride we took them on. He also enjoyed riding on the carousel and seeing all the different animals. I'm hoping to take him again later this summer.

BIG NEWS

I'm going to be an Aunt!!! And I'm going to be one twice in 6 months! Laura is expecting her first baby! She is due September 19 and so far we think it is a girl (but nothing is ever certain). We will be planning a baby shower for her sometime around July or August. She also got engaged recently and will be planning a wedding with her fiance Aaron Jostes for sometime next summer. I'm posting a couple of her ultrasound pics here. Also, Jeremy and Kenzia are expecting their first baby! They will be welcoming a little bundle around January 19th I think. She has not had any ultrasounds yet so this could very well change. I was so excited when I found out that I started jumping around like a Mexican Jumping Bean. I get a little excited about baby news! Anyways everyone pray for happy healthy babies since we will receive 3 new little ones (I included Liz & Tim's new addition) about 3 months apart starting in September. Hooray for babies!

Memorial Day Weekend

For Memorial Day Weekend we joined Aaron's family on their property south of Pana for a nice potluck. Jonah had a blast running around outside playing. Everyone was very nice and we enjoyed ourselves immensely. Jonah even surprised me by learning how to swing on the big kid swings by himself while Mommy pushed and tried not to freak out.

Schools Out For Summer!

Yeah!!! The semester is finally over and I am officially a 4th semester Nursing Student! Only 1 more semester to go and I will be taking my board exam and adding RN to the end of my name. It seems like it went fast but took forever. I will be starting my externship at St. John's Hospital in Springfield on May 31 for 8 weeks. During that time I will experience 3 different departments, the ER, NICU, and Family Birth Center. I hope to stay on through my 4th semester working as a patient tech II and then possibly getting a job as an RN there. Anyway life continues to be busy, challenging, and fun. I will keep try to keep you all posted and up to date.

I Want To Ride My Bicycle!

Friday I decided to get out Jonah's tricycle and see if he was tall enough to ride it. He got very excited and climbed on like a pro. However, he is too short to reach the pedals and his toes just touch the ground. Like the stubborn 2 year old he is he didn't want to give up so I took him across the street to ride in the church parking lot. He had a blast! It is quite funny to watch him move his little feet that fast with only his toes touching. Somehow it reminds me of the Flintstones pedaling their car or a Looney Tunes character doing a twinkle toes act. He already loves to go fast. I imagine I will have to put blocks on the pedals before long so he can actually learn how to pedal. Watch out world Jonah's on wheels!

Funny Boy

Recently Jonah decided it was hilarious to eat his cereal like a doggy. Then when I was taking his picture he said "cheese" with the Fruit Loop still in his mouth! He's such a character!

Fun at Scovill Park

Last week we took advantage of the nice weather and went to the park. Jonah had a blast going from one thing to the next. The park is basically set up like a huge wooden jungle gym/tree house with several different slides. He really kept me busy trying to keep up. Since we went on a weekday it wasn't as crowded as it can be. We both had a lot of fun and we both were worn out by the time we got home. On a side note you might notice he got his hair buzzed. I took him to get his hair trimmed and the lady took the clippers to it. I was pretty mad at the time however, like Shawn pointed out its only hair and he's still the cutest little boy in his mommy's eyes.