Merry Christmas!!

I haven't had time to do any blogging lately but I did want to post this adorable picture of Ellie I took the day after Christmas. We were getting ready to go for a walk and she was just being so cute!! I took the picture with my new camera I got - I love it!! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and are looking forward to the New Year!

Ian's test

Okay so we were all sitting around the campfire last night (Ian was in bed) when Brian mentions that as he was putting Ian to bed that night he accidentally discovered that Ian had placed a deer tooth (do you really want to know?!) under his pillow. Brian asked him about it and he said "I know it's you, dad!" Brian very coyly asked, whatever do you mean? Well, Ian was trying to trick the tooth fairy! So, what did Ian end up with under his pillow this morning? Acorns! Why on earth would a deer need money? Acorns are their chocolate - didn't you know?!
(The picture is from Sunday - he and Brian created it and took pictures - I just thought it showed off his new smile pretty well!)

Josh's Play

The Crucible. Not really something I would've thought of for teenagers to do but it's what his class was doing. I'm sure I read it in high school and I knew it had something to do with hanging witches but that's about all I knew. It turns out there's a kiss in the final act - I was so thankful Josh didn't get the role that was for! A lot more "dramatic" than when he did High School Musical back in the spring!! This class has been good for him - he's made some good friends here that was important for having just moved here. Jeri's mom, JJ, was able to take some pictures of them during their practice run-through on Saturday and she made cd's for everyone with all the pictures. There were 78 total that were on the cd but don't worry I'm not going to share them all!

Josh played Governon Danforth - kinda the "bad guy" in the play. It was funny because I was sitting with my friend Ashley and her daughter Kelsey and they both said Josh kinda scared them a little because they hadn't ever heard him yell before! Josh did a great job - all the kids did. With it being in an older English it was a little harder for them to learn their lines and a little harder to follow so you really had to pay attention!

As a side note - Jeri had quite a few of her friends come to the Saturday performance and when Josh finally walked on stage the whole row literally all smiled and looked at one another. Turns out Josh might have some groupies!! :)

Having their final performance was a little bittersweet for all of them but they are all hoping to see each other for the next class that starts in January.

The three musketeers.

An intense moment.

Ellie in her cute hat!

I had to take some pictures of Ellie in this cute little hat our friend, Eileen, made for her. I was having to bundle her up last week to

go on our walks in the morning - not like this morning where I was out walking in a tshirt and shorts!! Anyway, the pictures turned out pretty cute and I couldn't decide which one to share so I decided to post a few of them.

What a weekend!

Well, it was another busy (but good weekend). I'm going to give an overview in this post then post a couple of separate emails about the particulars. Friday night was Brian's class Christmas "Ball." They had kinda downed it to more of just a "Christmas dress" party but it's easier to just call it a ball. Anyway, I went and had my hair trimmed and put up to get ready for that evening. I was a little stressed because I had to take Ellie with me and I wasn't sure how she'd do but she did a great job - all things considered. We had a good time Friday night and Ellie was a good girl for Josh so we were very thankful that all went well on both ends. My neighbor, Ashley, had even been kind enough to come down and tell Josh that if he needed her not to hesitate to call her. I didn't take any pictures with my camera but some other people took pictures. As soon as I get one, I'll be sure to post it.
Saturday Brian, Ian, Ellie and I had a nice relaxing morning while Josh left to go have a full run-through of his play because they were having performances at 2pm on both Saturday and Sunday and hadn't actually done a full run-through, yet. Due to the content of the play, they asked that no one bring children under the age of 12 so we weren't able to take Ian and, as a result, ended up splitting up for us to both be able to go. I went Saturday and Brian went Sunday. I'm going to do a separate blog about the play!
Saturday evening we ended up having Josh's friend Jeri (who's in the play with him and also happens to be our neighbor at the end of our street) and her mom, JJ, over for dinner. After dinner we played Apples to Apples with them then Jeri stayed to watch Xmen 3 with us.
Sunday we ended up only going to church and not Sunday school because I really needed to go to the commissary and Josh needed to be at his thing at 1 and with the performance at 2 I didn't know when else I'd get a chance to go. So, I went to the commissary right after church and got home in time to have Brian help unload (thank goodness - I hate that part!) then he had to get ready to go. After he got home, we had just a little bit of time before I left to go to a ladies' dinner at my friend Ashley's church. It was very nice. Then, I got home just as the cast from the play was getting here to have a "bonfire" in our backyard. So, we spent the evening hanging out with them and getting to know them a little. It was nice but didn't really allow us time to do anything we needed to do so Brian's busy writing a paper right now for a final that's due tomorrow! Thankfully, he works well under pressure (and I'm so glad it's not me having to write a paper!)

The 4th day of Christmas

Ian lost a top tooth today. He looks so cute with his toothless grin. I meant to take a picture but time just got away from me this evening. Brian got home earlier today than he has in a while - around 4pm and we went walking. Ellie and I had already gone this morning but we aren't going to be able to tomorrow because our Kindermusik class got moved to Wednesday so I figured we'd make up for it by going again. The sun was already beginning to set so it definitely made it a little chillier! Ellie looks so cute all bundled up! After our walk, I started dinner and Brian graciously agreed to put the lights up outside for me. He did a great job and although it's not a lot of lights, at least it looks spirited!
Tonight I tried a new recipe for steak sandwhiches. Brian wasn't a big fan of them, but I thought they were pretty good. I'd made sweet potato french fries (baked) and salad. Ian took forever (again) tonight to eat. Brian and I both recall that we had this same issue with Josh at exactly this age so I guess it should come as no surprise but we had to set the timer for him which we don't typically have to do. He did finally eat what we told him he must eat but we didn't allow him to have any dessert.
After getting the kitchen clean and making lunches, I finally got more of the indoor stuff put up. I need to get a couple of finishing "touches" and then I think it'll be safe to say I'm done! Now still need to work on those cards! I did actually sit and stamp a couple of samples but haven't created "the one" yet.
Before Ian went to bed we did do our reading (I have a book of daily readings for the 25 days of Christmas), sung "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" and had our advent prayer so it was a good way to end the evening with him. I was up a little later than usual last night so I'm definitely ready to head that way now. Good night!

Ellie finally has her crib!

Well, I briefly mentioned it in the last post, but Ellie finally has her crib! What a nightmare it's been but we finally have it. The manufacturer has had not one but TWO fires in their facilities so it was taking longer than usual to get the product out. We ordered her crib in September!! We would have canceled it and ordered something else but we really liked the look of this crib and it's the same company that we got Ian's crib from so we knew we really liked the product and quality.


Brian picked the crib up on Saturday and he put it together (with my supervision :)) that evening. It's so nice to finally have her room come together so, of course, I had to get some pictures of it to share with all of you. She hasn't slept there during the night yet - we don't have a monitor yet and since her room is in another part of the house we're afraid we wouldn't hear her but I did put her in there today to nap. At first she seemed unsure about it but then settled in. When I went to check on her later she was looking like a true Lewis - she had rolled to her back and was sprawled out. She hasn't been able to do THAT in her bassinet! :) It was pretty cute. Without further ado - here are some pictures of her room!

The sign that says "Eliana" was made by my friend, Tina, and Ellie absolutely loves it! Any time she sees it she'll just smile really big - it's just TOO cute!!

Lots to Blog About

Yay - I finally have a chance to sit and blog for a little bit! The young kids are in bed, the lunches are made, the kitchen's clean, the laundry is folded that was dry with more in the machines so I have a few minutes. (The living room is a mess with Christmas decorations scattered around that need to have something done with them, but let's not talk about that! :))

We had a pretty good weekend. Friday night Josh went out with a friend to go to a school basketball game (his school was playing her school AT her school - apparently he had fun sitting on her side and cheering for His school!). So, while he was out we ordered pizza and watched our copy of the Jim Carey Grinch movie. I don't remember the last time I sat and did nothing else while I watched that movie but watch it - caught some things I hadn't before. It was a nice way to spend the evening.

Saturday Josh had his acting class and the rest of us were going to a church Christmas Festival. We went and had a free breakfast of pancakes and sausage and then Ian had fun playing on the outside toys with his friend Reed while Brian, Ellie and I went to check out what I thought was supposed to be a craft bazaar. Turns out it was an indoor yard sale so we were quickly finished and back to pick up Ian. The church did a great job with the festival and I had truly intended to go to everything with Ian but he didn't really seem interested so Brian didn't think we should "force him" to do things with us. Ah, well.

After the festival we went to an indoor "flea market" (permanent type) because I'd heard lots about it and had been wanting to go but hadn't made it. We had fun looking around and Ian didn't really complain too much. The hardest part was we carried Ellie through the whole thing - should have brought the backpack but didn't think of it. After that Brian dropped Ian, Ellie and I off at home so he could go pick up the CRIB!! Yep, after 3 months of waiting, the crib is finally here!! So, he went to get that and try to find a mattress for it.

That evening we had a tasty dinner of a new recipe I tried - I'm trying some lower calorie recipes in the hopes that we'll lose some weight we would like to lose. Anyway, it's made with ground turkey which I typically don't buy but the dish was essentially a mexican lasagna made with spiral macaroni instead of lasagna noodles. Brian and I really liked it but the boys weren't big fans - especially after Josh had a mouthful that had a little bit of jalapeno in it. We watched Unaccompanied Minors and it was an unexpected delight. I wasn't sure how it would be but it was a cute movie and the boys enjoyed it - lots of slapstick comedy that boys seem to enjoy.

Sunday we went to church then out for lunch then went to get our Christmas tree. Looking at the calendar of events coming up we decided it was the best time to do it. We were a little taken aback at the prices (we'd gotten spoiled in Virginia at the VFW because they hadn't raised their prices in 15 years!) but finally settled on a 10 foot douglas fir - we decided to take advantage of the fact that we had a place to put a tall tree! So, we did our traditional eggnog, Christmas music and working together to get it decorated. The only problem is, it took Brian a while to get the lights on (although I kept the boys doing other things while we waited) and Josh wanted to go with his friend to see another friend sing in his Christmas program at his church. So, we lost Josh before we put ornaments on and Ian lost interest at some point but Ellie helped! :) Part of the problem was I got the boys their own prelit trees for their rooms and they already had them decorated with their ornaments and all so they figured they were done. I'm glad I'm blogging about this because it just occured to me that I should get a picture of their trees this year, too.

Here's Brian starting to put the lights on.

Cool perspective from the balcony looking down at the tree. (Ian took this picture).

Brian and I with our traditional picture of putting on the first ornament together.

Brian and Ellie putting the angel on the top of the tree.

Ian amused himself for a while by taking pictures - this is a self portrait with the stockings! :)

I don't always like pictures of myself but I've really wanted a good one of me and Ellie and I thought this one turned out pretty cute.

Today Has Been a Good Day

Well, it's been a good day all around, I think, so I wanted to write about it and share a couple of pictures.



After getting home from taking the boys to school my neighbor, Ashley, and I went walking. We've been walking together almost every day this week and I've really enjoyed having someone to walk with. We've gone in the afternoons with the boys (Reed and Ian) but it was nice to just have us this morning and it was a beautiful day so it was nice to be outside and Ellie did a great job even though the sun was in her face on the way home, again.


Once we were home Ellie and I actually did some house cleaning - I can tell I must not do a whole lot (of cleaning) with her because the vacuum startled her! Part of that may also have been because I was holding her in one arm and vacuuming with the other and I don't think she's ever been that close (right?!). My arm got tired of holding her so I decided to try out our new backpack we got for her - finally - YAY!! I used to clean house with Ian in his so it's nothing new to me but I wasn't sure how she was going to like it. When I first put her in it she was NOT happy but after I got her in and on my back and went to the mirror so she could see us both she seemed to be better about it. So, I finished doing some vacuuming, swept, and swiffered. She decided that all that cleaning was hard work and she fell asleep right before we were finished. She looked so sweet - I really should have taken a picture but I truly didn't think of it until right now! I put her down for a nap and she slept for a good little bit. Gave me enough time to make my lunch and eat it plus get some things done on the computer. She got up and I had just enough time to get a shower before going to pick up the boys.





Josh was very excited about today because he was getting his class ring. I thought it was pretty neat because they had a class "party" (essentially, "here's your ring and some pizza") to celebrate getting their rings. We didn't have anything like that for mine so I thought that at least they did something! So, I thought I should post some pictures of him and his ring! You may want to click on it to see the large version but just in case, here's one of just the ring. It's a very unique ring and, thankfully, they'll replace it if it's lost or stolen plus if we do move for his senior year, they'll change the school side for him. Plus, when he wants a college ring, they'll melt it down and credit us so, I hope that covers everything!! The only problem is there seems to be a defect on the school logo side so I'm going to go in in the morning and talk to the Herff Jones guy about it. Josh keeps saying, "It's fine." But, I've told him that I paid a lot of money for that ring it should be perfect!! All-in-all Josh is excited to finally have his ring.



Tonight was Ian's Christmas program at school. I must be used to what his school in Virginia usually did for their Christmas program because this was, honestly, a bit of a disappointment. He goes to a Christian school and the "skit" part of the program focused on the true meaning of Christmas but ALL of the songs they sung did not - not sure what that's all about! He did a good job, though, and I took a picture of him on stage in front of one of the Christmas trees. After the show we got a treat at Bruster's and then headed home. Ellie even did pretty well at the show considering evenings are often her crankiest times.


So, today has been a good day - not too busy, not too dull, JUST RIGHT!

How we celebrated Thanksgiving

I wanted to add a separate blog about how we celebrated Thanksgiving this year - aside from being with family and eating. In Virginia I was pretty good about coming up with new ways for us to share things we were thankful for but then I was thrown off last year with going to New York and this year things snuck up on me so I was a little behind but I somewhat redeemed myself. Thanksgiving evening after everyone had gone and it was just us and my parents, I gathered us all together and first we went through Thanksgiving past and read what those years said. The first one I had was from 2004 and I put little pieces of paper out with an empty cornucopia and had people fill out what they were thankful for leading up to the day. On Thanksgiving we read them. It was cute to see Ian's little scribbles. He had the most little papers since he was home all day with me at that time. The next one was for 2005 and I'd made a paper bag book with a slot for each family member. This year we didn't write it down but what we did was play the alphabet game and for each letter we had to say something we were Thankful for. One big thing that Brian and Ian shared from last Sunday at church was our answer to prayer for having a little girl, Eliana. I enjoyed hearing Josh's answers now that he's a little older - he had Q and he said quick to love. I wished I written them all down to save but I didn't. It was just nice to share that time together.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Well, we are back from Savannah and we had a wonderful time visiting with family. We hope that all of you were able to enjoy time with family and friends over the holiday weekend.

We were able to leave Wednesday at noon for Savannah. After being on the road for a short time, we noticed our car was acting funny... it kept sort of backfiring and did actually backfire a couple of times. I called my dad and asked him what he thought it could be and he said that it could be the timing belt (not good) or the fuel injector. After he thought about it he said that since it was only acting strange at certain times and not all the time it probably wasn't the timing belt as it would happen all the time if it was that. His best guess was that we'd gotten a bad tank of gas. So, when we finally got to a gas station, we got mid-grade gas at Chevron and after that we didn't have any problems - praise the Lord! We made it to Savannah at about 6:30pm Eastern. Not bad... we won't talk about how fast Brian was going! :)

My parents had dinner ready for us and we enjoyed dinner and then played a family game of Apples to Apples that we'd brought with us. It was a nice way to spend the evening.

The next day folks weren't arriving until 4pm so we had some time on our hands. Brian, Ellie and I went for a walk and got home in time to eat breakfast and watch the parade. So hard to believe that we were there, in person, last year for the parade! Last year it was pouring down rain. It looks like they had a good day for it this year. After a good hearty breakfast and finishing the parade, we got ready for the day. While things were cooking and we were waiting for family to arrive, my mom had made some appetizers. Unfortunately, that meant I ate way too many of those and was full by the time it was time to eat dinner!! Those who were able to come were Kim, Eddie and their son Julian (who's a couple of months older than Ellie), Kim's mom, Uncle Roy and Aunt Sandi, Jocelyn and Brett. We had a good time seeing everyone and, of course, stuffed ourselves silly!! Instead of posting individual pictures click here: http://www.dotphoto.com/go.asp?l=lewisfam&p=5bjjie&AID=4975349&Pres=Y to see our pictures from the weekend.

The next day Brian, Ellie, my mom and I got up and went shopping! We did pretty well and had a nice lunch out and by the time we got home, my brother and his boys had arrived. We had a relaxing (well, as relaxing as you can get with 5 boys around) evening and played another family game of Apples to Apples that the boys seemed to enjoy.

Saturday we had a leisurely morning then went to see the movie "Enchanted." My boys had been wanting to see it but it was funny because afterwards Brian asked me, "How in a family full of boys were you able to get us to see a chic flick?" It was a cute movie and the boys seemed to like it but it was a little on the "chic" side. After the movie, we had an early dinner at the mall then went down to River street for the lighting of the Christmas tree and a parade of lights on the water. It was a little chilly but it was pretty fun. Then, we headed home and got the boys to bed.

Both Friday night and Saturday night my brother, my mom, me and Josh played Spades. It was a lot of fun just spending some time that way (Josh and I beat them both times! :)).

Sunday, we got up and enjoyed some time together before getting packed and on the road. We were home by 5pm Central time so it wasn't too bad and we were able to enjoy some down time before the week began.

It's Just Being 7, right?!

Thanksgiving is around the corner so church was really focused around the things we have to be thankful for. In our Sunday school class, one guy said that he was really thankful for his kids and the tremendous blessing they bring to his life and I even said out loud - it's so great you can say that!! It is sometimes hard for me to feel that way about Ian. I do remember feeling a little bit like this with Josh when he was this age (which is the year Brian and I got married) but I sometimes just chalked it up to the fact that he had some tremendous life changes that year - Brian and I got married, we moved to Singapore, etc. I guess when I really think about it, though, so has Ian. He had a baby sister be born and we moved - his first move to really feel like he was leaving something behind. There are just days when I really think I'm not sure I like him very much! Please don't judge me on this one because I do love him and when it's just him and me it's better but otherwise he can't stand to not be part of the conversation or limelight. I'll be talking with Josh when he gets in the car in the afternoons (after just having 30 minutes with Ian talking about his day) and Ian wants to interrupt and change the subject or tell me something very small (I know, to a 7 year old the small things are big things but you know what I mean). At dinner we many times have to force him to be quiet and eat or no one else can get a word in. His overflowing energy just gets us upset and frustrated with him. Yesterday afternoon we finally let him play playstation just so we could have a moments peace! Am I a terrible mother to feel this way? I continue to tell myself it's just a phase, it will pass but what if I don't make it!!!! :) He can be so sweet, smart and thoughtful one moment and the next I'm yelling at him to just be quiet for a minute!! I am thankful for my kids and I do know they are a blessing from the Lord and I do tell myself that all the time when I'm at my wits end with him.

Dear Lord, Thank you for your patience with me when I won't just be quiet and listen to you!! Thank you for your grace and for allowing me to vent to you about my frustrations - knowing that you feel the same way about your people. I pray that I would love as only you can and that I will show that love to my children even when I'm not really feeling "the love." In Your name I pray. Amen.

It's Just Stuff

Brian and I are both pack rats although we are working on getting better about it. Well, for the last two moves we have been overweight and really needed to get rid of pounds. So, we've gone through books, toys, clothes, the kitchen and sold a lot at a garage sale a month ago. But, one thing I kept thinking about was our bar. It's big and heavy. I briefly mentioned to Brian when we first moved in that perhaps it was time to let it go. We got it the year Ian was born and although we love it, it takes up a lot of space and we never really use it like we thought we would - plus, it's not necessarily the message we would like for people to get when coming to our home. Yes, we enjoy having a drink every now and then but it's not a BIG part of our lives. Well, I was surprised when he agreed that perhaps we should try and sell it BUT we weren't really doing a whole lot about it. At our open house some friend of ours were commenting on how pretty the bar was and Brian said, Yes, we love it but it's for sale. They asked how much and he gave them a price and they said, SOLD! So, as of yesterday the bar is no longer ours as they came and picked it up. It's kind of funny because Brian and I have still had to tell our selves - it's just stuff - but we did buy it while in Singapore and trust me when I tell you they didn't pay near what it was worth and that stings a little bit, too!! BUT, we are hoping now we won't be overweight this move although we have added a dining room set that I inherited from my grandmother (well, it was hers and I ended up with it) plus a crib and all for Ellie. Our dining room looks a little bare right now but it's nice to feel like we have space to spread out a little. It was a big step in the right direction for us. Before they took the bar, I took a picture of Brian with it so we'll have that to hold onto!

Life happenings

Well, I realized I haven't really just written about what's going on in our lives, so thought I should take the time to do that... (you may want to skip reading this just in case any of it ends up in our Christmas letter! :)). We are staying busy.

Josh is still doing his acting class and they are leading up to their final class/performance on the 8th and 9th of December. They are doing the Crucible and, I'll be honest, I'm not sure if I'm crazy about it. This is a class for teens aged 14-18 and there is a scene in which the husband and wife "kiss." Thankfully, Josh isn't one of them but I'm still not sure plus for the performance it says that children under age 12 will not be admitted which means Ian can't go so I'm not really sure what we're going to do!! He has really enjoyed his friends in that class, though, so I am thankful for that. I've wanted him to have a social life but now he wants to go down to his friend's house every night (she lives at the end of our street) and I'm just not sure I'm crazy about it. I know her mom and I know she keeps an eye and ear out but I guess I just miss having him around some, too!! Be careful what you wish for, huh!!

Ian is doing well. He made the A honor roll last quarter and looks on target to do that this time around, too. He's looking forward to starting basketball soon and he continues to enjoy RA's on Wednesday nights although he missed it this past Wednesday because he and Brian went to see Peter Pan at the Shakespeare Festival - they were having military appreciation night so it was buy one ticket get one free. We were all going to go but decided at $45 a ticket it was still a bit much and Josh had already been to see it so since Brian and Ian haven't had a lot of time with just the two of them we decided that was the best way to do it. It was a late night for Ian - they didn't get home until 10:30pm but he did well.

Brian continues with school and is doing well. He was very pleased to have made an A on his final as there weren't many of those given. We had his class Thanksgiving social last night and that was fun. We combined it with another class and the kids all had a good time and it was a relaxing evening. Brian also started this week classes for the language portion of his school. He's doing Chinese and with the time of his classes he's not getting home until a little later but we're hoping that he can get through it and have it done in the next few months because as we get closer to graduation he's going to be really busy with his "research project" called the Gathering of Eagles.

I am hanging in there. Ellie is really becoming a mama's girl which is fine as I do absolutely adore her but it can make it a little harder at times. She is really taking good naps and sleeping pretty well at night. I'm not really enjoying the 2 1/2 hours in the car every day but this, too, shall pass! Unfortunately, stamping things haven't been very successful and I'm really hoping to pick things up after the new year. Today as a family we sat down and put together card fronts that I've collected through the years and made them into cards and put them with envelopes and I'm planning to mail them to some troops in Iraq along with a goodie box. So, I'm glad to finally be doing something with them rather than throwing them away!!

We are going to my parents house in Savannah this week and I'm looking forward to that although not neccessarily the 6 hour drive. Would not have bothered me in the past but after a couple of hours in the car Ellie seems to have had enough so I'm a little nervous about how she's going to do. We shall see. Well, that's us in a nutshell!

Update about church for us

Since we arrived here, we've been "church searching." We've been to quite a few and just didn't feel like the Lord was leading us to one. We had many friends advise us that we just needed to "pick one" so the boys and us could be settled before it's time to leave again. Well, a couple of weeks ago Brian and I were at a loss as to where to go on Sunday. So, on a whim, I asked Ian out of all the churched we'd visited which one he would rather go back to. He said right away - Frazer. Frazer is a Methodist church that some friends of ours from Virginia go to and they have a son who was in his class and he really enjoyed it. As far as the worship service - it was most like what we enjoy so we decided to visit again. It's a BIG church - 6 worship services (2 going on simultaneously each hour, one is contemporary and one is traditional), have to take a cart in from the parking lot, and the childrens section is amazing. Anyway, we've been going there for the last two Sundays and feel like that's where we're going to stay. Josh has had a good experience with the youth, Ian really enjoys his class and Brian and I have been going to a small group Sunday school class. Ian played soccer at Frazer and he's signed up to play basketball there, too. So, although we aren't methodist, we feel led to continue to go to church there. Now we're just trying to decide if we go ahead and join for our last months here or not.

Ellie is 5 months old!

Well, another month has gone by and our little girl is now 5 months old! She has been doing pretty well although the last week has been a little unusual - she's been pretty cranky in the evenings (we thought we were over that). We feel like she may be in the stage of wanting mama, though. Tonight Brian was holding her and she was just a fussing then I took her and she stopped. Brian said he's not ready for this stage! Last night she gave us a little bit of a scare. We were watching a movie after she'd gone to bed and we heard her choking. We went in to check on her and her bed was covered in spit-up and it was still coming. We took her to the bathroom and got her out of her wet pajamas and I got in the shower with her. I fully expected her to get upset about the shower and she didn't so that worried me, too. After her shower she continued to spit-up/vomit for the next twenty minutes. I held her on my lap on the couch and she gagged a few more times but finally went on to sleep. I put her in her bed around 11pm and she did sleep until 5:13am but went back to sleep after eating until about 7am. She was fine today, though, so we really don't know what happened. I had given her a little bit of my potato at dinner so we wondered if that was it or something else. Needless to say I won't be giving her potato again anytime soon!! :)

Today she was great. We went to the zoo as a family and had a good day. I don't know if she ever really saw the animals but every now and again it seemed something would catch her eye.

Some things Ellie can do: giggle, smiles at everyone - many people say she's a very smiling baby, roll from tummy to back, take her socks off, grab toys, put things in her mouth, hold her head up while on her tummy (as demonstrated in the picture), and she has gotten to where she notices Downey (our cat) and will watch him walk across the room. Won't be long and she'll be chasing him across the room! All-in-all we are at such a fun stage and we're trying to enjoy every minute of it!

Visit with Amy

Last week went by so quickly! My friend, Amy, came to visit and arrived on Wednesday in Birmingham. Thankfully, Brian had the afternoon off so he was able to be home and pick the boys up from school while I went to get her. It was so good to see her. We've been friends since we both lived in Ohio (we moved in 2004) and we are also stampin' sisters. She is in my downline with Stampin' Up! (R) and we talk often about what we're doing and share ideas. I'm so thankful to have a friend like her!

Anyway, while she was here I was hosting bunco at my house for the bunco group I'm in and the theme was Margarita madness. So, Thursday morning we made up some margaritas and squeezed MANY lemons and limes (see photo). Our hands were pretty tired after all of that and, unfortunately, I think I may have gotten contact dermatitis (spelling?) - an allergic reaction - to all the juicing because I now have two spots on my hands that burned, turned red and have blistered. Not fun. However, the margaritas were enjoyed by those that partook and it was a fun evening. I even won for most buncos! YAY!! Friday night we finally did some scrappin' together but we were both so tired from the night before that we didn't get a lot done.

Saturday her flight was leaving in the afternoon so we had a leisurely morning and nice breakfast then we drove up to do a little shopping and all before her flight. We ate at the Cheesecake Factory and found a neat little store in a shopping center called the Summit. Then, it was time to take her to the airport. We had a fun time but both agreed we should add one more day the next time so we can truly get some good stampin' time in!

Ellie

Ellie has just started making this face in the past couple of days - she sucks in both of her lips and it's just too cute! Also note the drool - she's definitely a drooler and, no, I don't think she's teething!

These two pictures were some I took yesterday and I couldn't decide between the two of them so I decided to post both of them! :) Ellie finally had her 4 month check up yesterday (she'll be 5 months on the 12th!) and she is doing great. She weighed 13 pounds, 1 ounce (50th percentile) and was 25 inches long (75th percentile). So, she's growing and healthy.

Date Night with Ian

Last year I had decided I should start dating Ian so that as he gets older he will be prepared and know how to treat a girl. Well, we went on one date in October last year and then never went on another one. He asked about it a lot but it just never worked out. So, we've been trying to find a good time to go again since we moved here and it finally worked out that we were able to go last night. We decided to go to a paint place and paint something. Brian helped him by making the reservation in Ian's name. Well, we had a great time. I had thought we would get dessert after we were done but after we finally got painting (it took us a while to figure out what we were going to paint) I realized we were going to be there longer than I thought. Thankfully, a Marble Slab was right next door so we were able to go get some ice cream and bring it back to keep painting. Ian painted an ornament he plans to give to Ellie and he also got a little dog to paint for free that he painted to look like Bully (MSU's bulldog). I painted a plate that I plan to use as a special plate that a family member will get at certain times to let them know they are special. Or, I may just hang it up - we'll see how well it comes out. Anyway, we had fun hanging out together and it was nice to have some one-on-one time with him.

The kids all dressed up!

As promised, here are some pictures of the kids in their costumes!

Josh and his friend, Jason, are dressed like characters from a movie called "Equilibrium." Ian and his friend, Reed (who is dressed as Survivor Man) ready to go trick-or-treating. I included the picture of Ellie in the stroller because I thought she looks more like a chili pepper there!

Joshua Clayton Smith

Joshua... our oldest, the one we test everything on, the "leader of the pack", the 3rd parent, entertainer, sometimes shy, cook, artist, tv addict, computer person, air soft player, singer, actor, "man of the house" when Brian is gone. He has been through a lot and will be through even more before he leaves for college. He's on his 3rd high school and is supposed to move again for his senior year. Although he tends to be a little more on the shy side he's done well with this move. He started acting lessons a few weeks ago and has made some good friends there.

He's a talented guy and I can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for him! He loves to listen to contemporary christian music and he loves to read the comics. He's more mature than most 16 year olds and I enjoy being able to spend time with him. He has his permit and is looking forward to being able to drive (so am I). He's a big help and I'm thankful to have him!

Nathan Ian

Well, I did a whole blog on Ellie so I thought I should do the same for the boys. I'll start with Ian.

Where do I start? He's a sweet boy with a strong will. He's funny, frustrating, stubborn, sometimes short tempered, likes to enforce the rules with others but not always with himself, loves the Lord, lots of energy, up early, all boy, loves his siblings, daddy's boy, likes to go on dates with Mom, loves to play, does well in school, loves sports, likes to help, likes to get people band-aids, and loves to be outside.

He's a good mix of his mommy and daddy or at least enough to frustrate both of us at different times! He adds a lot to our lives and things are definitely quiet when he's not around.

This is Ian being funny at the pumpkin patch!

Ellie has her first solid!

I had planned to wait until she was a little older before I gave her solid food but Ellie has been showing such an interest in eating I decided we should go ahead and get her started. So, last night we put her in her high chair for the first time and gave her some oatmeal cereal. It was only a tablespoon of cereal but she ate all of it.

Busy Weekend

I can't believe it's already Monday again! The weekends go by way to fast!! Friday night we just had a casual dinner. Josh finished up baseball tryouts that night and, unfortunately, didn't make the team so we were ready for a quiet night at home. After Ian went to bed Brian, Josh and I watched the first Bourne movie and we have the 2nd one to watch, too. That way, when we get the newest one (it's on our Blockbuster online list) we will remember the story line.

Anyway, Saturday was busy. Ian had his last soccer game (see photos) and Josh had his acting classes but was able to get a ride with our neighbor. I was supposed to go to a baby shower but by the time we got home from soccer and got breakfast ready, I realized I would be late and I wasn't even dressed yet so I made the last minute decision not to go. So, we got some things done around the house and then had Brian's ACSC fall festival that evening. Those who put it together did a great job and it was a lot of fun. Ellie did great - she seems to really enjoy when there's lots of activity and gets bored when there isn't. She is a chili pepper for Halloween - it's something I had wanted Ian to be when he was a baby and it didn't happen so Brian insisted I had to do it this year for Ellie. She looks pretty cute. Ian is a soldier this year or GI Joe as he calls himself. I would attach pictures of them in their costumes from that night but because Halloween is coming up and I'll be taking more then, I'll wait to post them for that!!

Sunday we visited yet another church. This one was one our friend Pat from Ohio goes to so although we hadn't talked to her since we'd gotten here, we thought we would show up and surprise her! It's a pretty small church but it's a close group and Brian said it reminded him of a true "Acts" church. It was pastor appreciation Sunday so they'd arranged a pot luck after the service and asked us to stay, so we did. It was very enjoyable and the people were all very friendly. We are still undecided about going back, though. We're praying about it and trying to see where the Lord leads us this Sunday! It was good to see Pat, though, and catch up with her.

After church we got home, changed and left again for a social for Brian's GOE group. It was at the instructor whose in charge home and he lives in a BEAUTIFUL neighborhood. I'll be honest in saying that I was a bit envious driving through that neighborhood. WOW! Anyway, he has a lovely home and the cookout was on his back covered patio and he has a pool, a trampoline, a playground, a soccer goal and another little game similar to what I used to play in junior high - oh, tetherball, that's it!! Anyway, it was a lot of fun getting to meet all the families of this group Brian's in. In fact, it turns out that one of the wives and I were at Ramstein at the same time. She's a year behind me in school and we would have only overlapped for my freshman year but I thought that was pretty cool! We stayed at the cookout until about 6:30pm and then came on home.

We ended up staying up late watching the last game of the world series. I kind of feel bad for the Rockies. I was hoping they would win at least one game. Oh, well, that's me - I like to cheer for the underdog!!

Eliana Noel

I thought it appropriate to take time to tell Eliana's story. Ian actually started praying for a little sister years ago (and Josh had prayed for one a long time ago but got Ian instead! :)) Well, in September of 2006 I went to Oklahoma for my dad's retirement from the Air Force. While I was there, Brian took the boys to visit his parents in New Hampshire. During that time, Brian and I both had the thought that we should have another child. So, needless to say in October I found out I was pregnant! I spent a lot of time negotiating with God and really praying that this little one would be a girl. Plus, I had a lot of friends who were praying, too! We were finally able to find out the sex of our baby in January and boy was I nervous!! Well, the tech finally said it looked like we were getting our wish - the baby was a girl!! Brian and I went to lunch and bought a couple of girl outfits while we were out.

For the next few months I was still nervous - what if the tech was wrong? Plus, I had lots of people saying, Oh, are you having a boy? Or, you look like you're carrying a boy - that sure didn't make me happy! Our due date came and went and still no baby. Finally four days past her due date, Eliana Noel made her appearance! My labor was different from all the others. This time I woke up because my water broke - normally my water hasn't broken until time for the baby to come so because of that trend, Brian and I rushed to the hospital! (Plus, my labors have lasted 3 1/2 hours or less!) I still wasn't really having strong contractions, though, and was only 1cm dialated. I finally had a good contraction about an hour later and decided that although I'd had the others naturally, I thought an epidural might be okay for this one! So, despite my fear of needles in my back, I took the plunge and had an epidural. BOY what a different experience! Brian and I were able to essentially sleep through most of my labor. I finally started feeling some pain and talked to the nurse and she was going to get the guys to give me more stuff but the doc decided to check my progression. Well, it turns out I was 10cm dialated and ready to push that's why I was having pains! Brian finally woke up about that time! :) After 6 3/4 hours of labor, Eliana Noel was born! It really was a girl. Eliana is Hebrew and it means "God answers prayers". I thought she looked so tiny but it turns out she is my biggest baby weighing in at 8lb5.5oz! She was 20 3/4 inches long. She was a little blue and they wanted to watch her for a little bit because her blood sugar level was low but otherwise she was healthy. I didn't get to try and nurse her until after they sewed me up and let her come out of the nursery. She took right to it but, unfortunately, I had a lot of the same problems nursing her in the beginning as I did with Ian. Thankfully, though, things improved after about 7 weeks and she is nursing fine.

This sweet picture was taken by my friend Andrea - she got a new digital camera and
took some great pictures of Ellie for me!

I do believe she may have had a touch of colic or reflux. Not really sure which all I know is for about the first 2 months if she wasn't eating or sleeping she seemed to be screaming. She is a sweetie now although this week has been a little harder because she has a little cold and hasn't been feeling that great. I have so enjoyed having a little girl and getting to do little girl stuff for her - we got her ears pierced a couple of weeks ago and I have little hair bows I put in her hair just about everyday. It's funny because now that it's a little colder out I'm not sure how to dress her! With Ian I never had to worry about that so it's funny having to worry about if she'll be warm or not.

I love this picture of Ellie and her new baby doll -

she smiles so big when she sees her!

Brian and I are really enjoying her. She is still sleeping in our room for a couple of reasons: 1. We dont' have her crib yet although it's on order & 2. We don't have a monitor yet and her room is on the other side of the house & 3. She is still getting up around 5am to eat and it's just easier to not have to walk across the house to get her!

All of this to say that we feel so blessed that the Lord

answered our prayers with this sweet baby girl!

This picture was taken this week

in an outfit our friend Lisa

gave us when we

found out we were having a girl -

thank you, Lisa!

She is getting SO BIG!!