Congolese Love

Two more FUN FUNdraisers!!

2012-01-02T13:11:00.004-05:00

Some people have asked why we are doing so many fundraisers. The answer is simple, we are adopting two children, which will cost approximately $26,000. It may even be more than that. We honestly don't know yet. A lot of it depends on timing, etc. We have been blessed with $9000 to date. Over Christmas, we reached $8,998.50. One of our Aunts reached in her wallet and handed me $1.50. It may be simple, but that $1.50 was HUGE in my book.

So onto more fundraisers. One is simple. Super simple. Either you can help, or you can't, and it won't cost you a penny!! How many of you received upgrades on your phones this Christmas, or perhaps in the year prior? We are collecting smart phones (iPhones, droids, blackberries, etc), then mailing them to an agency who will give us money for them. Individually they won't bring in that much money, but combined, we are praying that we can bring in over $2000. So go digging through you child's toy box (come on, you know you have a first generation in there somewhere!), hand them a plastic version to play with (or a block...which is the destructor's new favorite phone) and pass us along your phone.

The second one, I am super super excited about. About a month ago, I went out to dinner with 20+ adoptive moms from the greater Philadelphia area. It was incredible. If you live close to Philly, and you want to connect with the group, let me know! It was so refreshing to sit with other mommas who got it. There was no explaining, just genuine excitement over each other's experiences. There were teary eyes, there was laughter and there was friendship. New friendship. At one point, I questioned, "Who's from Africa?" The leader smiled and said no one, but there is another momma adopting from Africa. Haha, right, I am not actually from Africa, although my babies are. I am already claiming their heritage as my own:):) (side note, I am actually second generation Congolese, because my Papa was a missionary babe, born in the heart of the Congo!!) Sorry for the tangent.....that question led to my meeting Stephanie. I knew I loved her right away. Stephanie is adopting from Ethiopia and is in the early stages of her journey. She was so sweet and even told me about her friends who are also adopting from Congo. It is so special to find others on the same journey as you, especially when you can meet them in person, not just via the blog world!!

Ok, ok, sorry, back to the actual fundraiser. So Stephanie wrote this book for little ladies. Prior to meeting her, I had plans to buy a book for my little lady as well as a few for friends and family. I do have a niece making her grand entrance in March, so I finally have girls to shop for. But alas, I got sidetracked with something or other, so it slipped to the back of my mind. Fast forward to after our adoptive mom's dinner. Stephanie graciously offered to join us in our adoption fundraiser, while she is raising funds for HER adoption. Pretty amazing huh?!? Stephanie penned the book, God Made You Beautiful. Her book is only $10. $5 will go to support our adoption and the rest of the profit will go to her adoption!!! How sweet is that!!!!

I just ordered my copy....now go order yours!!!! It will even be a signed copy by the author!!! In the personalize section, when you check out, please mention our name - "Enns Adoption"

We have an appointment!!

2011-12-30T20:38:00.002-05:00

It is the little things that keep me smiling. We have our appointment scheduled for our biometrics. For those out of the adoption lingo, as I was a few months ago, this is just fingerprinting all over again. Why do we have to do it twice from two separate businesses who pull from the same government database? Who knows....I can take a guess, but alas I won't.

I am just excited to move forward!! It should take a few weeks, then our dossier is all ready for Congo!!

Yippee:):)

4 just sounds so much cozier....

2011-12-18T11:38:00.009-05:00

As many of you know, we began this process in hopes of adopting a little girl. We have always said from day one that we would never split up a family, therefore if she had a sibling, we would bring them home as well. However, we were not at the time requiring a sibling group.

As we continued on this journey of adoption, we both felt led to adopt not just one, but to adopt two. As of now, we are waiting for a sibling group!!!!!! We are still looking to adopt a little girl under two, but we are ALSO looking for a child under the age of five.

Yup, four kiddos!!

Please join us in prayer as we take the next steps in our journey. There is an even greater financial commitment in doing this, but we are sure this is where the Lord is leading us. If HE is leading us in this direction, then we know HE will provide the finances.

The boys reactions...

We have been astonished in how much money has come in for this adoption already. We have raised $8,639 to date. We are awaiting our i600a paperwork from USCIS. Once we have that, we can submit our dossier. With all of your generous donations, we have all of the dossier fees covered!!! Once we submit our dossier, we are eligible to accept our referrals. At that time, we will finally be able to see our sweet babies' faces!! However, with that we will also need to hand over $13,400. And guess what, we don' t have it. Are we worried? No. Are we actively pursuing options and grants? Yes!

Please, please, please be praying for us as we await word from various grants and future fundraisers. We have included a chipin link on the left that you can donate at any point. We will keep that side bar updated as information comes in.

Time-line?? To be honest, we don't really know. We are part of a pilot program, so there are no guarantees (are there really ever in adoption!?!?) Our prayer is that we will be able to submit our dossier by February, but we really do.not.know.

December News

2011-12-18T10:26:00.002-05:00

Thank you to everyone who went above and beyond this month (and every other month for that matter)!!

In regards to our adoption, we have some HUGE news coming, but in the meantime, we are waiting to get our i600a from the USCIS. In simple terms, it means we are eligible to bring home children from Congo (i think).

In regards to fundraising, we were once again blown away by everyone's generosity. We raised $615 in our Kindle give away, along with other donations. Check out the winner here -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_x3aYNdF5Y&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

We were at a Christmas party last night and someone said, "Oh, you are adopting. That is great. If I had a ton of money, I would do that too!" We just giggled and kindly informed her that we do not in fact have a lot of money. What we do have is a family. YOU are our family. Each and every one of you who read this blog, who support us with sweet notes, who help float the cost of this adoption all along the way. Thank you!

Time for another Give Away!!!

2011-11-25T17:48:00.005-05:00

Are you looking for that perfect gift?? Or perhaps you are looking for a little indulgence for yourself.....well.......

Today is the day....it's an another awesome give away!!!!!!

We will be giving away an Amazon Kindle FIRE!!!!!!!

Have you seen this thing yet? I totally want someone to bid a few times for me!!

So how do I enter?!?!?!

Tickets are $10 a piece or 3 for $25. If you buy at least 2 tickets and you re-post the link (via facebook, twitter, blogger, etc) we will throw in an additional ticket for you!! If you 'like' our facebook page "Congolese Love" we will throw in one more ticket:)

Please post a comment either here or on facebook if you re-post the link so we are sure to see it:) This is open to anyone and everyone, so please pass it along. --- If you already 'like' us, just be sure to let us know so you will get your extra ticket!!

To purchase your ticket(s), please select the "chipin" button to your left ** you have to have flash for this**

Ticket sales will be open until December 17 at 5:00 PM. At that time, we will use random.org to randomly generate a winner!! Your Amazon Kindle FIRE will be mailed out to you the next day (or if you are local, we can workout a delivery).

100% of the ticket price will go directly to our adoption!!! If you would like to donate larger amounts and receive a tax deduction, please contact us directly. We will direct you to No One In Need. They are a 501c3 accredited agency who we are working with during this fundraising time.

Disclaimer - This is NOT a R-A-F-F-L-E!!! Please do NOT repost it as such!!!!

Taking it one day at a time

2011-11-21T09:51:00.002-05:00

Roller Coaster -- Yup, that is the best way to describe each day. There are amazing highs like our Poker Night.....There are also some lows. The seemingly endless piles of paperwork and waiting on various agencies, let alone the heart ache. Then when you least expect it, HE whispers to you and you are blessed....

Two nights ago we had another FUNdraiser....I wasn't able to stay long, but I heard that the Poker night was actually quite fun. I love fellowship, I really do. When we began this process, I never dreamed of how much genuine fellowship would come out of it. The Poker night was just that. The hubby told me how multiple people noted the great time of fellowship. I love that we can have a party, do things we love, and still work towards our goal of bringing home our little girl.

However coming into that night, I was struggling. I was frustrated, I cried when my son fell down (and he is clumsy...this isn't out of the ordinary). It was a crazy, and I mean crazy, day. One of those days where you are running from one event to the next, yup, one of those. As I drove away from a wonderful birthday party for one of B's best little lady friend, I cried...alot....I was exhausted...I had reached my breaking point.

I composed myself, and then I got hubby's call...

....and HE whispered to me.....see, it is ok

The Lord has been so good to us. Early on in this journey, when my hubby wasn't even on board yet, HE showed me our daughter in my lap. I knew from that point on we would adopt a little girl. Of course, HE only showed me this, which was wonderful, but I would love for hubby to see her too. On Saturday, HE showed hubby as well.

You were on the plane with a boy and a girl. You were showing them a photo album of the boys, saying 'These are your brothers.' There was a boy and girl. Then you got off the plane and I saw them for the first time. There was this awkward exchange because they were attached to you. You are their momma.

Will it happen exactly like this? Who know. What I do know is that when HE gave this glimpse to hubby, it gave him peace. When hubby shared it with me, all the tears washed away and I was overcome with utter peace.

Those are the moments....the whispers....that make it OK!

Fundraiser updates...and A HOMESTUDY!!!

2011-10-22T15:06:00.005-04:00

If I can't get two kids to smile in a picture, what will I do with three (or even four!) Haha!!

We are busy, busy, busy.

Life has been a bit crazy these past few months. We had an AMAZING fundraiser hosted by my mother-in-law and sister-in-law in CT. It was awesome, like seriously awesome! We were showered with love from many of their friends, including people we personally had never met before. We were completely blown away.

After that, we headed home to participate in a yard sale for local families who are adopting. It was a rainy, cold day, but people still came out:) This was their second annual yard sale. I am praying for more sun next year!! It really is incredible how many families in our area have adopted, or are in the process of adopting. We have a full support system around us.

As of now we have raised over $7,500! It is incredible!! We know that God will provide the finances for our adoption in HIS timing. We are just along for the ride.

We headed south for a much needed family vacation with our best friends. When we returned home, there was a huge envelope in our mail pile....I was giddy with excitement as I ripped it open........OUR HOMESTUDY IS COMPLETE!!!!

Family Time...yes, please!!

Quite the awesome welcome home present if you ask me! So now we have sent off more paperwork to our agency. We have officially signed contracts with our agency and now with our home study, we can apply for grants! Yeah!! This is huge!!

What are our next steps??

- Apply for our I-600A - This is the US gov't saying we are allowed to adopt....we needed the home study to do this
- Start applying for grants

it is NOT just one

2011-08-01T14:06:00.005-04:00

We are beyond blessed by so many people throughout our lives as well as through this adoption process. Sadly, for every kind word, there is an equally discouraging one. I have brushed off comments time and time again. I have smiled when people give me 'the look.'

So many people have asked the same question. "Why would you go through all this effort for just one child."

I want to scream at them.

But alas, I don't.

We are currently up in Connecticut visiting my hubby's family for the week. We went to church last night and heard an awesome sermon. The pastor presented the gospel from Nahum. (if you know much about Nahum ok, who really does, I was surprised by it). It was exactly what we needed to hear. It was one of those times you feel that the sermon was written directly for you. Truth be told, he only briefly mentioned adoption, but I felt as if he were screaming to me.

Hubby turned to me at the end and said, "I am even more assured we are following the right path." I couldn't agree more.

It got me thinking. Our adoption is NOT just one. We have joined a community. We had a heart for adoption, but it is overwhelming. We did not pursue it immediately. Some of our closest friends are bringing home their sweet baby girl right now. Another friend showed us that adopting from Ethiopia was do-able as well as a need. Friends of hubby's parents showed us you are never too old to adopt. We shared our desires to adopt at our small group and a couple casually said, "you know we have adopted all three of our kids. We have been praying about starting a group to meet with young couples going through the adoption process." We met another couple at church who have adopted. They are in the process of their second adoption. They had the same prayer for creating a group. Since we have shared with the world about our hearts, I have heard from four other friends who are in the initial stages of adoption. They thought they were alone. We are not alone. We are all inspiring each other. We are all supporting one another. We are all loving one another.

AND THE WINNER IS.....

2011-07-23T11:17:00.002-04:00

Check out the link to the iPad2 winner!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DomDzNJLu4

Thank you to everyone who helped out. We were blessed by each of you. We raised $4,025 will all of our July Fundraisers combined!! PLUS, we were donated storage facilities, which will save us $800, bringing our grand total to $4,825!!! We are beyond grateful to each and every one of you!!!!!!!

Holding you in my heart Sweet P

2011-07-10T23:45:00.003-04:00

Tonight at church I was blessed by holding a sweet little baby. She was smaller than my boys ever were. And then I was reminded that I wouldn't be able to hold my baby girl at this size either. As we stood together in the back of the church, I was brought to tears. Tears of joy over this sweet baby in my arms. Tears of yearning for my little girl. Tears of thankfulness for my Savior.

Sweet P - Wherever you are, whether you are in the womb, or perhaps you are already waiting for us. I pray for you tonight. I pray you are held tight in loving arms. Know that I am holding you in my heart....until I am blessed to snuggle you close.

iPad2 Give Away!!!!!!!!!

2011-07-06T22:41:00.018-04:00

Today is the day....it's an awesome one!!! Seriously!!!!

We will be giving away an iPad 2!!!!!!!

To purchase your ticket(s), please select the "chipin" button to your left ** you have to have flash for this**

Ticket sales will be open until July 23rd at 10:00am EST. (the day of our home study!!!) At that time, we will use random.org to randomly generate a winner!! Your iPad2 will be mailed out to you the next day (or if you are local, we can workout a delivery).

100% of the ticket price will go directly to our adoption!!! We are currently aiming for $5,500. This will cover our home study fees as well as our first agency fees. If you would like to donate larger amounts and receive a tax deduction, please contact us directly. We will direct you to No One In Need. They are a 501c3 accredited agency who we are working with during this fundraising time.

**** update - as of this morning (7/13), we have raise $1,790 from the iPad2 give away! This covers our home study:):) Lord willing, we will continue to raise enough to cover our initial agency fees. God is moving!!!!!****

Disclaimer - This is NOT a R-A-F-F-L-E!!! Please do NOT repost it as such!!!!

Our first fundraiser!!!

2011-06-30T11:52:00.005-04:00

As we embark on this journey, one recurring theme will be fund raising. If you know me, you know I LOVE coffee. Therefore, I found it only fitting to raise funds for our adoption by doing something I love....drink coffee (which I may or may not be doing as I write this)!!

You can click here, or select our link on the left hand side. This will take you to our specialized store. For every pound of FAIR TRADE coffee or t-shirt you buy, $5 will be donated to bring home our beautiful baby girl.

Happy sipping!!!

Here we go.....!!!!!

2011-06-29T21:15:00.002-04:00

Well, it is official. We have been accepted by our adoption agency into the Congolese program!!!!!!!!! Yeah!!!!!! Now we owe them a LOT of $$$$. Doesn't it always work that way? :)

We have a crazy awesome fundraiser that will be launching any day now once we get all the details figured out. Keep watching....seriously...it is awesome...I totally want to bid on it.....NO JOKE!!!

Prayer updates -

- We replaced our car (and will save $$!!- holla'), plus we can fit 3 car seats (and it is NOT a minivan--is it bad that I am happy about that??)
- We are moving forward with moving out of our place in August
- Pray our parents love us deeply as we move in with them for 6-8 months
- Pray for our sweet baby girl, wherever she is right now
- Pray we can quickly accomplish our home study so we can keep moving along before we move out of our place. It will save us time, $$, and frustration if we can finish it before we move

"So, did you buy a house?"

2011-06-23T08:34:00.004-04:00

We hear that question a lot lately. The simple answer is "no." But we are happy with that. We feel very content that this is the direction the Lord is leading us. We looked at the houses and we even thought about buying one. However, we are not yet at a place to carry two mortgages. So, we wait. And that is totally fine!

We are still working out the logistical details, but we still are planning on renting out our house. We still have an interested tenant or two (still without advertising it AT ALL!!). For now, we will stay in our place through the summer, then move forward from there.

As far as the adoption process, we have met with an amazing organization, No One in Need, and they have offered to help us! That is HUGE for us. We have so much love and support all around us. It really is a blessing! We are also meeting with two families this weekend. One family has adopted and the other family is just about to finalize their adoption (eeek! I'm so excited for them!!!). We have selected our agency and have finished our application. Yes, it took us a long time. But we wanted to make sure this was the right place for us. It is hard, because we do not know anyone personally who has used the agency. We have virtually met various couples through blogs, etc, but it is just not the same!

Please pray for us for the following -

- selling our car for a smaller one (anyone want a Sante Fe?!?)

- renting out our home in September

- acceptance into our agency

- peace and direction in all of our decisions

Seriously God?!?!?! Your kinda Awesome!!

2011-04-28T21:42:00.002-04:00

That is my current facebook status. And it is honestly true!! So for those who are wondering (Natalie, Laurie and Julie), God is moving. And moving fast in our lives! Apparently some (all) of you took my last post to heart and have been praying for us in our living situation.

You see, we technically live in a 2 bedroom townhouse. I say technically, bc we have 2 rooms in our walk out basement (we live on a hill, so the back door actually looks just like a front door) but they cannot be deemed bedrooms. They currently hold our office/craft room and our play/guest room. There is even a bathroom:)

Well, the first step to adoption (after prayer, prayer, prayer, and application of course) is a home study. They ask you all sort of questions and acquire all types of paperwork (or at least that is what I think happens). They also make sure your home is livable for another child. Currently the boys share a bedroom and love it. In fact Bennett told me today that he loves that Keagan sleeps in the same room as him, but he doesn't want me to. (I did tear up a little at that). If we adopt a boy, we can have another one in their bedroom, but seriously, who wants 3 boys in a tiny bedroom?!? If we adopt a girl, then they can share until one of them is 5. Well, since the big man turned 4 yesterday (eek!), that gives us 364 days to find a new place.

So, what did we do? We went on a date (sat next to 10 screaming children!) and brainstormed. No idea was too outrageous. Here is what OUR plan was (can you hear God laughing already??). We would rent out our house (in September), then we would try to move into some loving souls home for a few months to save $$ (cough, cough, Mom and Dad, cough, cough). Then after a few months, we would have some $$ for a down payment. THEN we would put an offer into this house that we love. Now we do have some faith. We had faith that God would keep that house for us (which is currently $80,000 more than we would ever pay for it...and even what we would pay would be stretching us), not only would he keep it, but he would drop the price. See, we do have faith.

Now, a little background on this home. Last June, our church, Providence Church purchased a building in the borough where we live (we currently live about 12 min from church -- when you are trying to live out community, 12 min is an eternity!). If you want to hear that MIRACULOUS story, then check it out here.

Back to the house. The one we love is 1 block from the church, yep, you heard me, one block. Well, on Easter Sunday, we shared our hearts with our family. They were beyond supportive, and my sister, being the go-getter that she is wanted to see the house as soon as we walked back inside. She pulls up a different house, which is ALSO one block from the church (different street). "What about this one?"

Now this house is....um....a diamond in the rough so to speak. It would need a LOT of work. BUT, it is 50,000 LESS than what we were planning on spending!! Crazy, right? Not only that, there are THREE, count them, THREE houses on this street for sale all within the same price range. Guess what day the prices dropped? The day we opened up and shared our prayer with our family.

So we looked at one of the houses, and haven't been able to check out the other two yet. Hopefully next week.

But wait, it gets better:)

Last night, we were having Bible study, and I went to fill my water glass. I felt led to walk outside and talk to our neighbor. I know, so taboo to walk out on Bible study. But God tends to bless those taboos! I was talking to my neighbor and we started talking about their rental house. She mentioned she had a friend who was looking to rent it, but they aren't ready to move out. Would we like to rent our place? Um, hello?!?! Not even what I was expecting, AT ALL!

She stopped by again today to get more information about the place. We would rent it at a price to cover our current mortgage, thus opening us up to get a second mortgage in town.

We are beyond blown away right now, and completely and totally covet your prayers! Clearly they are working, but please join us in prayer for direction with everything. We don't want to rush into anything, but we also don't want to walk away from what the Lord is providing for us.

I will keep you updated, but there you go....that is why I am shocked at his guidance right now. Not at ALL in OUR timing, and not at ALL in OUR plan, but clearly in HIS!

Late Nights

2011-04-22T00:26:00.004-04:00

Now that we officially have begun this process, I have spent EVERY night reading. There are not too many people adopting from Congo, so those who do, love to speak out. And this is a very wonderful thing! I have already 'met' many people who are on the same journey as us. Every night I sit on my computer and read, or if Ryan convinces me to go to bed, I end up reading on my phone for hours. I have found a whole world of information through story after story of hope, love and family! I am honored to be part of this great path the Lord is guiding us through.

Your words and prayers have been such a blessing and encouragement already. Our cup is already overflowing with your kindness, and we have just begun! The Lord is truly honoring us in this.

I am so blessed with friends who have walked this path before us. Just today, I spent a few hours huddled on a picnic blanket talking with a dear friend who is finalizing her adoption very soon. We smiled, we laughed, we even got misty eyed over our children who are waiting to come home right now. We probably would have started full out crying if someone (not naming names here) hadn't started peeing right next to us with a big ol' grin on his face. That lead to even more laughter. I am beyond blessed to live life with her! If you haven't seen her ETSY shop, go there NOW. Seriously, now....go....what are you waiting for.

And if you asked her, she would tell you how she is blessed. We have another friend who lovingly started an ETSY shop in honor of her sister. Her shop supports those in need as well, and let me tell you.....one word.....adorable.....!! Now that you have oohh'd and ahhh'd over Ang's craftsmanship, go check out Aftan's. I can't wait to place an order. You can't go wrong....adorable purchase....help bring home a lovely lady who is waiting patiently to be in her Momma arms, as well as her Daddy's and her two big brothers.

All that to say, we are blessed....we are blessed by our friends, we are blessed by our children, we are blessed by our extended family, we are even blessed by those who are traveling along the same journey and are willing to share their lives with the blog world!

For those who have committed to joining us in prayer, we have a lot of tough decisions to make in the very near future. Specifically, will you pray with us on:

1 - Finalizing our decision on an agency (we are 99% sure!)

2 - Direction on our housing

Where have you been?

2011-04-19T12:33:00.004-04:00

I have received that question a lot lately (well in regards to my blog that is!). There are a lot of reasons I can list as to why I have been quite silent these past months (year). The funny thing is, I start blogs in my head all the time, but I can't find the time to write them down. When I finally have a minute to write, I am distracted by all the other AMAZING blogs out there. The boys wake up from their naps and I have written nothing! Sooo, I blame three things --

1 - Facebook -- Let's be honest, sooo much easier to upload uber cute pics of my kiddos quickly from my phone

2 - My computer -- It's on the fritz, so I no longer upload pics to it, and who want to read a blog without said uber cute kiddo pics

3 - All of you -- Your blogs are too darn entertaining:)

4 - Ok, one more!! -- My kiddos -- I have been spending loads more time WITH my children this past year. I used to struggle alot with being a mom. Maybe one day I will post on that. Now, I love it and want to spend all my time loving life with them.

So sorry blog (no not really!), you got the back seat.

All that to say, I do plan on blogging more, although it may look a little different. You see, God is taking us along a bit of a different course, a course that, Lord willing, will take us over 6,000 miles away. We have prayed over this decision and we have been blessed. We ask you to come alongside us in our journey towards adoption from The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). We don't know what the Lord has in store, but we do know one thing....we need YOU! We need your prayers as we move forward. We have already heard a lot of no's from Him, but by faith we will receive our third child in His timing!

I am positive that I will continue to write on this subject, and I hope you don't mind. In the meantime, here is a crazy image to help you gain perspective of a land where our child is coming from.

Our Digital Christmas Card

2010-12-20T19:57:00.006-05:00

Merry Christmas Everyone!!!!!!

My newest adventure

2010-12-10T22:29:00.008-05:00

Lately, I have been trying to find something new I can do to calm down at night. I don't live a highly stressful life, but I enjoy a time of rest at the end of the day to help my brain to slow down. Television used to fill this said void, but since we unplugged our cable last year, I have found that I spend faaar too much time surfing the internet for who knows what. Dreaming, facebooking, blog stalking, etc. All that to say, the other day I found my old knitting supplies. If you know anything about knitting, the needles need to be straight and you need two. I had one bent one. Hmm. I vaguely remember allowing B to use them as drum sticks. Perhaps that wasn't the brightest idea. Anyway, I dug a little deeper, and I came across a crochet hook. Ryan bought one 5 years ago with intentions of learning how to make a hat. The string is in the bottom of the box as well. Now I had supplies. I just needed to figure out what to do. Along came youtube. Gotta love it! My first few attempts were complete and utter failures. But hey, I get a learning curve, right?!

First few stitches...before it got bad...

Then I started picking it up. The hats were too long to make, so I adjusted to a goal of an ear muff. I actually got my inspiration from the Eagles game (crazy, right?!?) The girl in front of my had this little number on...yes, I pretended to take a picture of the end zone so I could document my inspiration.

Well, one very long car ride to Connecticut, plus another youtube tutorial, and I have come up with these. I am digging the red one with the flower. Still needs some tweaking, but, not too shabby.

I love that I hate to follow patterns, and this is what occurred

I am NOT digging this one. Kinda looks like a tiara or something. Maybe someone else likes this style, but not me.

Ryan told me he is proud of me, and really, that is all that matters to me:)

Wait, what's that, my crochet hook is calling......

'Tis the Season

2010-12-04T23:05:00.013-05:00

Our first Christmas with Bennett, we lovingly convinced our family to start a family tradition...cutting down a tree. Of course that year, we couldn't even cut down our own tree because our apartment complex only allowed fake trees. Thankfully our family didn't care, and the tradition was born.

So today, amidst the freezing cold, we ventured out. We have had our ups and downs through the years, between mud, snow, saw races, hot chocolate, cookies and more. This year had its own highlights, namely Ryan in his 'dress,' me handing B a saw, then throwing him into my arms and cutting my hand - yeah, not my most shining moment- but thankfully B wasn't injured. Of course he did get all sad and think it was his fault. He apologized at least 4 times. I kept explaining to him that Mommies make mistakes too, and it was an accident. I think he finally believed me that it wasn't his fault once we left:)

Moments before my mom FAIL moment

The smirk on my face is my attempt to protect my little boy for the intense pain I was dealing with.

K spent the day nice and warm, all bundled up. So much for cute pics. There's always next year, right?! That is what tradition is all about. And speaking of not so cute pics....guess which family member found the blow dryer this morning and was bored....just sayin'

The blowdryer incident of '10

Yup, K was there too!

She's got skill

B got his chance to saw this year...for a split second that is

The man attempting to cut down the tree in his 'dress'

K wasn't feelin' it

The cold didn't stop us:)

SERIOUSLY ADORABLE! I LOVE my nephew!!!
The Lusby's and their tree

What are cousins for!!
Grandma's Pick...yup, their living room is high enough to fit it!!!

Mush, mush Grandpa!

Hurrying to help out Daddy

I am blessed!!!

Merry Christmas Everyone!!

Love

2010-10-27T19:07:00.003-04:00

So far he has...

2010-10-24T13:51:00.008-04:00

...pet the donkeys

...cleaned up their poo

...ridden Fancy

...found a hidden treasure in the garage

...gone searching for alligators...no luck

...chased the chickens

...discovered even more hidden treasures

So far, I have...

...remembered how much I LOVE my camera

Bring on the Green Beans!!

2010-10-10T14:19:00.005-04:00

When I had Bennett, I made peas once....and he spit them all over me.....I stopped making green vegetables.

This time around, I have attempted more green things, namely green beans! My dear mommy friend showed me how to steam/boil these bad boys. Let me tell you...even MORE simple then previous baby food posts!! Yeah for quick and easy!

Step one:
Buy local -- Highland Orchards-- I think I spent $2-$3, but I can't actually remember...sorry!
Step two:
Snip off the tops. For those who are trying to distract 3 year olds, this is a GREAT job for them!
Step three:
Boil water. Clearly this did not need a picture, but I liked it anyway:) Step two and three should really happen simultaneously;)

Step four:
Place previously snipped green beans in the water. Seriously how divine to they look?!?! And NO, I did not edit these photos. That is just how deliciously green they always look!!

Step five:
When they look like this, you are officially ready. I usually end up eating a few at this point. Sprinkle a little Parmesan cheese on top and you have a tasty snack. Better yet, make these while setting the dinner table, and you have a side item for said 3 year old and Daddy.
Step six:
Puree --This is the Magic Bullet. A food processor works better in my opinion because you can fit more, but I was cooking from home this time, so you gotta work with what ya got!

Step seven:
Pour into jars and basque in all your beautiful glory! Seriously, these look YUMMY!
Step eight:
Let them cool overnight, then place in the freezer in the morning.

ENJOY!!!

My frugal carbon footprint

2010-09-23T15:15:00.003-04:00

Through the years, I have rarely been one to have a lot of extra cash sitting around. Okay, so really that never has happened. Perhaps when I was working full time in college, but the only reason it was 'laying around' was because I was too lazy to take my hard earned tips to the bank.

....anyway....

Due to all of that, I have found ways to be frugal. It gives me great joy to find ways to cut our bills. I am more than blessed to have a hard-working husband that allows me to only work part-time while our babies are still babies. I feel like part of my job is to find new ways to be frugal whenever I can. In honor of that, I am trying to post more about some of the little things I do around the house.

It brings me great joy to go back in time to a time of less energy consumption and more hand-on life. I LOVE going through this with my 3 year old son! When I started this adventure to save money, it was just that ---to save money--- however, now I have found a life where I am constantly trying to lessen my carbon footprint. And I am teaching my son how things work without the spoilings of technology.

I just told someone last night that I am completely unable to fully transform my life, but I am able to do small things. And that is truly what it is all about.

Do you know that any given appliance/charge/TV, etc pull 40% of its power just by being plugged in?!? 40 %! That means, when you go to bed, your cell phone charger, your TV, your coffee maker and your computer are all still hard at work, even though they aren't on. In the past we started to unplug our TV and it DRASTICALLY dropped our energy bill. I am not going to lie, we have gotten lazy with this. This is my reminder to start that up again. Also, I unplugged my dryer! I know I will have to plug it back in through the winter, but through the summer months, it was fun to dry my clothes outside. Plus, Bennett LOVES to put all the clothes pins on. It is a win-win situation. I keep him busy outside and I get housework done!

If you have been to my home, you know my back porch is tiny.
Seriously, you can find a space if you want to!

This year, we planted 3 tomato plants, onions, 2 pepper plants, and maintained our raspberry bush. The tomato's took off! We were begging people to take them off our hands. I must have harvested AT LEAST 100 large tomatoes and 100's of cherry tomatoes. Next year I am sticking to one cherry tomato bush and one yellow tomato. The peppers ended up a major fail this year. But that was our fault for planting them too close to the tomato's. Associations - Grr! The onions did well enough considering their lack of space. Next year, I will re-plant more after my first harvest (oops --still learning here!).

This was Sunday's harvest. I just picked 5 more today!

Finally, I make my own baby food. Seriously - EASY! I have had my ups and downs with the whole canning process, so I am going to stick to freezing my little jars. See my post below for the full process if you are interested. A couple weekends ago, we went to the West Chester growers market and got a butternut squash for $1. It made all these lovely jars. Seriously, you can't beat that price!
Well, that's all for now, but check back for some more tips in the future. Remember, it is the little things!

Baby Food ~ Peaches

2010-08-16T12:23:00.007-04:00

When I had Bennett, I loved making all his baby food from scratch. The only problem was that I would make it in bulk, then he would get really tired of the same food day after day. Well this week I learned how to solve my problem...canning! I have always wanted to, but never had the time to figure out what to do. Thanks to my wonderful mother-in-law, I finally figured it out. And let me tell you a secret...it is SUPER easy! So for all you moms out there, here is how I make baby food...

This process can be used for almost all fruits, and loads of vegetables.

Step one- Recieve a HUGE bag of peaches from your wonderful aunt thus making this adventure FREE!

Step 2 - Cut your peaches in half and place face down in a glass oven safe dish. Pits removed, skin stays on

Step 3 - Add about an inch of water and bake at 400 degrees until your house smells delicious...or about 30 minutes...

Step 4 - When the peaches start to blister, take them out of the oven. They are super hot, but if you leave them in the water, they soak up too much water in my opinion, so I use a fork to slide, yes slide, off the skins. Then plop them in a food processor.Step 5 - Puree Step 5 - Place in a pot and bring to a boil. Be careful not to burn the bottom. As soon as you see a slight bubble, it is done!Step 6 - While the peaches are on to boil, boil the lids of your cans. When they are in a rapid boil, they are ready too.

Step 7 - Place the peaches in the glass jars, being sure to wipe off any extra that dribbled on the rim. CAREFULLY use tongs to take the lids from the boiling water and move them to the jars. Seriously hot!

Step 8 - Screw on the outer lid

Step 9 - As they cool, the suction with seal the food. If the jar is cool and the top still pops, you had food on the rim. No worries, just repeat steps 5 to 7.

Step 10 - Store in a cool place...like a basement... then enjoy as you little one desires!

Happy July 4th

2010-07-15T14:17:00.004-04:00

Cousin Love

We are still working on a family photo!

And the cousin wrestling matches have begun (prompted by Grandpa of course!)

Introducing...

2010-06-25T21:53:00.006-04:00

Keagan Jeffrey Enns

7 lbs. 14 oz ~ 21 "

June 22, 2010

11:36 PM

I could use some of this right now!

2010-06-14T13:38:00.006-04:00

Yes, Uncle Matt, I still do this months after you taught me!! :)

3rd Birthday Bash

2010-06-05T18:38:00.006-04:00

Bennett turned 3 on April 27th. We had an awesome time with friends and family. Enjoy the highlights!

If you ever ask Bennett who he is going to marry, he will tell you Eden. This is the one and only Eden Crans! We are quite pleased with his selection:)

Can you tell it was hot?!? Although, this was right after a water gun fight, so I guess it is not all sweat.

Pin the tail on the Dinosaur. Owen definitely rocked this one out!

I love that Rowan and Foster (brothers on either end) have the EXACT same look:)

The boys were getting a little impatient (and rightfully so!) with Bennett's meticulous present opening!

I love their little smirks here:)

It was a tiring day, but it was awesome! Thanks to everyone who joined us on our special day, especially his very first cousin....Nolan Lusby!

Greetings from Hilton Head!

2010-04-08T14:39:00.002-04:00

Bennett and I decided to take a pre-baby break courtesy of my parents. Thanks Mom and Dad!

730 in 365 challenge!

2010-01-10T09:21:00.003-05:00

A few months back I began reading this blog. She always has great tips, but I struggle to find the time to always check it. Needless to say, I didn't actually read this post until today. However, I am super excited about this new challenge.

Without further adieu, I challenge you to the "730 in 365 Challenge!"

The challenge is simple in theory. Basically, you throw/give/sell 730 things in your home in the next 365 days. Since we are already 10 days into the year, I will only have 355 days, but I think I should still be ok. I haven't taken our Christmas decorations down yet, and I think that will be taking a hit this year! I actually have some item which I NEVER put out, yet every year I box them back up thinking 'maybe next year...' Well this year, they are NOT getting re-packaged (well technically they are still in the box, bc I never took them out...so I guess this year I am fully emptying the box).

After the Christmas boxes, my next stop with be Bennett's toys. I will save many of them for the next child, however we have an overabundance of little nick-nacky toys that he never plays with. Frankly, if he can't see it, he doesn't use it. When you have a box full of toys, what happens to those stragglers in the bottom...they stay in the bottom. Hello, didn't you see 'Toy Story?'

Anyway, the challenge is 2 items a day. Of course I won't do this daily, but I know I will be moving out bag fulls at a time.

If you like this idea and want to join the challenge (even if it is a different number), let me know. Post a comment. We can keep up with each other to hold one another accountable to our junk (or hopefully lack there of soon!)

I guess life without a lens isn't so bad. I should have tried this writing thing awhile back!

Life without a Lens

2010-01-10T09:13:00.002-05:00

So many of you (ok, the two of you who still check this) have wondered what happened to us this past year. Well, it is simple, our camera lens broke. I have never been a swell writer, so I have relied heavily on pictures of my adorable son to carry us through this blog world. Well, about a year ago our lens began to malfunction. By six months ago, it was completely out of commission. So what does that mean for me? I rely on my family to take all the photos. All of Bennett's birthday pictures are on Greg's camera. All of our Halloween pictures on Carla's camera. All of our snow pictures are on my Dad's computer. Oh, and finally all of our Christmas pictures are on Natalie's camera.

Now granted, I am SUPER SUPER thankful to my family, however I am not so good at tracking down those pictures. Oh well. Hopefully soon:)

In the meantime, we have been relying on our cell phone to take all important uber-cute pics of Bennett. Then those pictures are easily posted onto other social networks like Facebook. Sorry blogger, I haven't fully mastered you yet.

So will I come back?

I do hope to! I have asked for a new lens for my birthday this month, so hopefully I will soon be overwhelming you with adorable new pictures of our TWO children. Yes, that's right. If you haven't heard, we are expecting our second child in the end of June. We are super excited. Plus it gave me extra motivation to get all caught up with B's scrapbook (thus requiring the acquirement of all above stated photos!)

Here is to hoping....

I am willing to pass on the honors!

2009-10-06T14:06:00.001-04:00

Is is bad I secretly want my son to have eye issues?

2009-08-18T14:48:00.002-04:00

I just find him the absolute cutest in these!!

Family Makes Us Happy

2009-08-18T14:42:00.004-04:00

If you have spoken to Bennett lately, you will find out quite quickly what his current obsession is....Greg. In particular, Bennett is obsessed with "Love." Although, in B's words it is "showing me how." Every morning, Bennett asks to listen to Greg play drums and cymbals so he can play along. He even throws in "not now, people sleeping, in a little bit, 'amember, kay?" Then the moment we get into the car it is, "Mommy, listen to Greg? Not Bono, Greg, kay?" Now I do love my son and have grown quite fond of my sister's love aka Greg, but I do wonder when this current obsession will fade. Until then, I am sure it must make his Uncle pretty proud that Bennett knows every lyric of "showing me how."

Ahhh, obsessions...

Stumbled Genius

2009-08-17T12:50:00.002-04:00

You know those days when you find yourself unexpectedly childless. Ok, some of you may not, but for me, it is rare. Needless to say, it is so rare, I don't quite know what to do with my free time. I started reading, then decided to move on to bigger and better...reading complete strangers blogs. I find it quite fun to get an un-biased glimpse into others lives. You would be amazed what people feel willing to share. Anyway, I stumbled upon this site and am now hooked. Of course it is titled, "Happy Housewife," so I guess I should go be that again. Summer only lasts so long, school ***aka 'work'*** is right around the corner. Off to the grocery store to save $$

Double Take

2009-06-26T16:06:00.004-04:00

Quiet Moments

2009-06-26T15:58:00.001-04:00

Tiger, Tiger Woods Y'all

2009-06-15T16:55:00.001-04:00

Where is Aunt Niece-y?

2009-04-23T10:26:00.003-04:00

Al-bain-a

Happy Birthday Daddy!

2009-04-20T20:11:00.004-04:00

Happy Birthday Daddy! We miss you and love you so much! We'll be home soon to celebrate:)

What to do on a rainy day when you are tired of people asking how old you DAUGHTER is!

2009-03-22T14:21:00.003-04:00

Happy Birthday Uncle Greg

2009-03-08T09:11:00.002-04:00

Snow Day

2009-03-03T00:23:00.004-05:00

What we do for our kids!

I was telling him a secret:)

Enough pictures already!

Bribery works wonders!

B's first igloo!!

Singing

2009-01-30T16:29:00.003-05:00

I miss you Aunt Denise

2009-01-30T16:24:00.004-05:00

Tis the Season

2008-12-10T21:20:00.001-05:00

Italy and Launch

2008-12-03T10:36:00.001-05:00

Ok, I am being lazy. If you want to see our Italy highlights, go here:

www.aaronlynndesigns.blogspot.com

Or just check out my facebook page. I am too overwhelmed to ever get them up on this website! Why do I create these problems for myself?!??!

This will be my newest endeavor which focuses more on photography. It is a growing passion. We will see where this all leads:)

Good times:)

2008-12-03T00:34:00.001-05:00

Photo courtesy of Chuck May Photography

For much we are thankful

2008-11-27T21:53:00.007-05:00

How is this NOT a snow day?!?!?

2008-11-27T21:33:00.003-05:00

Let me just say, I was super, super mad that I had to go to work and missed B's first real snow storm! It took me over an hour to get to work...I am still bitter! But at least Daddy and Bennett got to have some awesome quality time:)

Bye-Bye Mullet

2008-11-27T21:28:00.002-05:00

Dogs and Candy....Two of B's favorites!

2008-11-15T10:01:00.011-05:00

B's latest love interest...Eden Naomi Crans!!! We love, love, love her!!

2008-11-15T10:01:00.007-05:00

Aunt Tanya and Uncle Casey's got hitched!!!

2008-11-15T10:00:00.005-05:00

Camping

2008-11-15T09:59:00.005-05:00

So we officially tried our first family camping trip and it was awesome! We heading to French Creek to be safe. I managed to have 0 mis-haps, B wiped out on the concrete, and Ryan strained his foot. But all in all, it was totally worth it and we do way more of it next summer!

Please pardon our dust...

2008-10-14T08:24:00.002-04:00

Bennett's playroom

Our bedroom

Bennett's bedroom...yes it is that bright, don't adjust your screen!

Livingroom/Dining room

Kitchen

Have patience with us...

2008-09-30T08:32:00.002-04:00

Well, we bought a house and are in full on demo mode right now! But as promised, I will post pics eventually! It is just a little tough right now with all of the craziness. If anyone feels like painting, hanging drywall, patching a ceiling, running phone lines, moving electric, putting in floor, taking down wallpaper......you get the point, feel free to stop by...we are always there working for the next few weeks! We have to move by Halloween, so hopefully I will post something by then! Until then, just pray when you think of our craziness!

Out of Office Reply:

2008-09-12T15:10:00.001-04:00

Greetings from Hilton Head, SC.

Photos courtesy of Nate Heckenberger

2008-08-27T08:10:00.002-04:00

We had an outdoor service this past week, which was amazing. It also showed me that I need to have a yard with a lot of sticks and B will be entertained for hours. I just have to watch out for those fire pits and we are good to go. But honestly, is he not the cutest kid EVER?!?!?

Talking to Aunt Denise

2008-08-11T14:32:00.001-04:00

And yes, Grandpa was posing by a deer.

It's not a perfect science, but it keeps us in contact:)

~Weekend in CT~

2008-07-04T19:31:00.002-04:00

I love you Daddy!

2008-06-24T14:00:00.002-04:00

I know I missed your Father's Day post, so I wanted to take the time to say that I love you! Thank you for always playing with me and teaching me all sorts of new things like how to tackle Mommy!! I LOVE YOU!!!

We're back, our luggage is not....more to come when I'm not so tired...

2008-06-01T14:36:00.001-04:00

Happy Mothers Day Mom

2008-05-11T08:19:00.001-04:00

Boom!

2008-05-03T10:11:00.003-04:00

Last night we were over at Carla and Greg's celebrating Ryan's birthday (which was April 21st....so what if we are little behind in the times). Bennett was being a big boy sitting in his own beach chair. He was happy as can be when he dropped his cheese stick on the ground. Big mistake, bc then he wanted to pick it up. While he has mastered the art of climbing out of chairs at home, I guess his medicine head kicked in (yes, he has an upper respiratory infection...ouch) and he decided to dive head first out of the chair. Which ended up with a face plant, right onto the cement. You know it hurts when they don't cry at first. There is that long pause. Carla went to get him ice and came out with Greg's wisdom teeth bandages. FYI, those things are great for kids! You just velcro it to their heads and away they go:) Pardon the blurry pic, the camera was the only phone we had around. But you get the idea.

As a medical update...B woke up this morning with a bright red scrape across his forehead. It will look great for all his birthday party pictures we take this afternoon:) Gotta love 'em!

Guess who turned one and decided to walk?!?!

2008-04-29T22:31:00.002-04:00

I did, I did!!!

We traveled up to Canada for a long weekend and Bennett walked around all day Thursday! After that day, he has refused to take another step! Talk about a stubborn personality. Let's pray this is NOT a sign of things to come!!!

Summer is on the way!

2008-04-23T15:51:00.004-04:00

Kindly ignore all the oatmeal on Bennett's face. Next time we have an impromptu photo session, I will be sure to use my magic mommy spit to clean up!

Is it seriously that bad to get a picture with mom?!?! Bennett's personality is ALL over this picture!

Two words for ya, "Young Life"

2008-04-03T08:29:00.003-04:00

Phillies Opening Day!

2008-03-31T20:06:00.001-04:00

We had a blast, even though we got a little wet. Thanks for the great day Mom and Dad. **Special thanks to Aunt Carla and Uncle Greg who let us enjoy it baby free**

Hi Grandma and Grandpa

2008-03-27T19:31:00.002-04:00

I hope you are enjoying the beach!

We too have a "walker"

2008-03-18T21:50:00.002-04:00

Happy Birthday Greger!!

2008-03-14T02:34:00.003-04:00

Enjoy the Xbox 360 and the pickles...it's a toss-up over what you were more excited about:)

I truly do love this kid

2008-03-14T02:28:00.004-04:00

Even if it means vacuuming an extra time!

I love you GG!

2008-03-06T00:10:00.004-05:00

It'ly or bust baby!!!!!!

2008-02-23T16:59:00.001-05:00

14 weeks to go...can't wait to meet Aunt Denise!!!!!

A new favorite....clapping!

2008-02-21T11:43:00.000-05:00

2008-02-13T22:36:00.003-05:00

A gorgeous wife who supports me in everything that I do and the cutest son in the world. Could a guy ask for anything else?
I love you guys

So, do I take after my mom or my dad??

2008-02-13T17:27:00.003-05:00

Yes, the cops do show up.....

2008-02-10T15:04:00.000-05:00

....when your 9 month old son dials 911!

B Spent the night with Aunt Jordan and Uncle Josh

2008-01-12T11:03:00.000-05:00

You can tell he is really missing us! It looks like we need to get a dog! Uh-oh! I think we will just stick with hanging out with friends dogs for now!

Beautiful "Spring" Day

2008-01-09T15:09:00.000-05:00

After a crazy Christmas, this "Spring" day sure made it feel like Christmas was over. Instead of being inspired to take down our tree, I decided it was time for B to experience his first trip to the park. He loved it. We started with the swing, and he gave me a look of confusion as I let go. Then I swung him slightly and his face beamed. Of course, the higher I swung him, the more he smiled. We attempted the slide together. I thought he didn't like it bc I couldn't hear him make a noise, but when I looked at the pictures I was surprised to see his little smirk. He was particularly fond of driving the car and crawling through the tube! All in all, it was an awesome time! I can't wait for the real spring to come along!!!

8 months old and already getting into trouble

2008-01-01T20:36:00.000-05:00

Attempting to teach B the true meaning of Christmas

2007-12-22T11:02:00.001-05:00

Yeah, we are still working at it....I don't think he quite got it.

Little Drummer Boy

2007-12-18T12:57:00.001-05:00

Uncle Greg would be proud!

All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth....

2007-12-18T12:53:00.001-05:00

Oh yeah, I already got those....Plus #3 just poked thru last night!

Having a home office.....

2007-12-18T12:42:00.001-05:00

It sure has it's perks!

Tree Shopping

2007-12-11T18:04:00.000-05:00

So I had the great idea of starting the tradition to cut down our Christmas tree. I thought it would be awesome to start this tradition with Bennett's first Christmas. The only problem is that in our new apartment, we are not allowed to have live Christmas trees. I was determined though, so I hatched a great plan. I convinced my awesome family they they too really wanted to start this tradition in their families. They all agreed, even when I said, "Yeah, I think I know where it is. I am pretty sure I passed some kind of tree farm on the way to a friends house one time."

At first it was a little bit dis-heartening for a couple of reasons: 1. It was during the Eagles game (don't worry, we were taping it) 2. We were trecking up a big muddy hill while dragging a cart and 3. because Ryan and I decorated our fake (ugh) tree last week....some people were a bit bitter! But then we started to really get into it. We found tons of Charlie Brown trees, and we knew it was only a matter of time before we would find the perfect tree. In my wonderful insight and persuasion, I also convinced my parents that since they have a vaulted celing, plus it is a flat rate for the tree...no extra $$ for height, that they they should get the biggest tree we could find. Well, we found it! Conviently right by Carla and Greg's perfect tree. It was a match made in heaven! When we put B next to Grandma and Grandpa's tree, we all just laughed. The thing is stinkin' huge! I love it! I can't wait to see it all decorated at my parents soon.

Another perk of the day was feeding Bennett his first Christmas cookie. He was so tired, that it just kinda let it droop in his mouth. He even let it fall right out. I am sure that he will be more excited for it next year.

All in all, it was an awesome day! Bennett was such a trooper all day. He never complained once even though he was utterly exhausted by the end. He did sleep long and hard after this trip. I think that in and of itself was a great reason to go!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

I even make marshmellows look good

2007-12-09T23:41:00.001-05:00

Bennett's First Snow

2007-12-03T11:17:00.000-05:00

Don't worry, we were only outside for 2 minutes. Bummer we forgot his winter coat! Hopefully next time he can play a little longer.
The snow was fun to play with for about 3 seconds, then it hit him that it was cold!
Let's get a close up on that face!

Unpacking

2007-11-25T18:18:00.001-05:00

As all my fellow movers can attest to: You never know what you will find in the "misc" boxes!!

Excuse me Aubrey,

2007-11-25T18:17:00.001-05:00

Do you mind if I borrow your glasses for my close-up?

Happy Halloween!

2007-11-25T18:13:00.000-05:00

Yes, we know it is a month late, but we just found the camera today.Stroller today, Harley tomorrow baby!

Gobble Gobble

2007-11-22T09:28:00.000-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Happy Autumn!

2007-11-12T08:56:00.001-05:00

Yes, we are still awaiting our Halloween pictures. Sorry we are so behind, but please forgive our tardiness as we move this week. Hopefully we will be up and running soon enough. Right now, the camera is packed, um, somewhere...

I love this man!

2007-10-30T15:54:00.000-04:00

Greetings from Hilton Head!

2007-10-10T18:58:00.001-04:00

Congrats to Jon and Shannon

2007-10-08T21:18:00.000-04:00

We had a great weekend heading up to Cape Cod where Ryan was in a wedding for his best friend Jon. It was great to celebrate all weekend long with everyone. There were poker tournaments every night, tons of laughter, and an all around great time. The crazy summer weather followed us up there, so the landscape looked like a fall day, but the temperature was perfect. It was amazing. A highlight for Ryan was being able to give the blessing at the reception. I was so proud of my hubby while he blessed the happy couple. Of course, with every good day there has do be some downfall. For me, that was not getting a single decent picture of them.
Bennett was amazing the whole time. He had a blast on the dance floor, was sure to eat his vegetables, cheered on the Phillies (bummer on that one) and of course got in a victory cigar. What a great kid.

5 months

2007-09-27T11:46:00.000-04:00

It is quite hard to believe that 5 months have gone by. Life has changed so much in many ways. However, it other ways it hasn't changed at all. You are growing by leaps and bounds these days. In the past month you have developed quite an appetite for all the foods around you. Some things you like are bananas, apples and yams. The food you don't like are peas, rice, alvocado and squash. Of course you still have to eat them, so we just mix your fruits and vegetables together:) I do feel a little bit better that a yam is a vegetable, even though it is sweet. It makes me feel good that at least you like one vegetable. I have had fun making all your food so far. Sometimes Daddy walks into the kitchen amidst an assembly line of food, laughes and walks right out. But don't worry, he helps me out all the time as well!

You love rolling over, especially from your back to your belly. I think since you spent three months on your back, you are making up for it by always being on your belly. Since you are always doing "tummy-time" on your own, you have developed quite strong neck muscles. That works out great for Mommy and Daddy because we can leave you alone more and more. You LOVE being in your exersaucer as long as we make faces at you every once in awhile. You like being in your jolly-jumper, but haven't quite mastered the art of jumping yet. If we bounce if for you, you love to laugh and laugh. Just yesterday you grew out of your swing. You are able to sit up in your "big boy seat" at the table. We are excited to put your swing in storage to make room for all your toys.

It is neat to see you stare the toys with such inquisitive looks. I love seeing your little brain work so hard.

You are still a great sleeper and even sleep for 11 hours at night. It is wonderful for Mommy and Daddy because we get to spend time together while you get your ZZZ's. You are growing up so much, you even put yourself to sleep (well most of the time.) As long as you have ALOT of blankets in the bed with you, you are happy as can be. It is funny because everyone laughed at how many blankets we got at your baby showers. Little did we know that you would use every single one, AT THE SAME TIME!!

Mommy and Daddy love you so much. We are so happy to call you our son. Of everything you do, the absolute favorite is how big you smile. There is something very special about you B. When either one of us walks in the room you get all excited and jump up and down (when you are in your exersaucer that is). It melts my heart every time.

I love you B!

~ Mommy ~

Who the heck is Curtis?!?!

2007-09-26T18:28:00.001-04:00

That was what we were saying all day Sunday! Ryan and I we having dinner with a family late Saturday night when they asked us what we were doing Sunday. Ryan replied, "just watching the game." Which of course meant on our t.v. at home with a child who cries every time you cheer. Basically it causes our sports time to be quite quiet. The friends response, " oh, we have tickets to that game if you want them."
Well, you don't have to ask me twice. Ryan, being the better half than myself kindly turned them down due to a meeting with friends. So away we drove, totally bummed we couldn't take the four, yes, four tickets. I made Ryan call our friends to make sure they wouldn't cancel the next day. What do you know, they were soooo wonderful to be flexible. After all, it is the Eagles! We were able to change our meeting to a breakfast in WC, then we swung back around to pick up the tickets. We were stoked. Now who to invite...

Carla and Greg of course!

We had a blast at the game and all lost our voices. It was awesome. We kept asking, "who the heck is Curtis?" Of course my favorite Westbrook did not disappoint either! He did so well that he single handedly killed Ryan's fantasy football game. Ryan can fill you in on those details if you wish;)

Let's get a closeup on that one! I just love 36! Although 80 is jumping up there. We will see what happens this weekend! I can't wait!