The Bjorklund Family

New Blog

2010-05-20T09:37:00.001-04:00

I will no longer be updating this blog. You can find updates about our move and new life in Arizona on a new blog...

http://ourazadventure.blogspot.com

It's kinda plain looking right now as I have not yet found the best wallpaper, but hopefully will get to spice it up a bit soon.

Our family update:

2010-05-17T09:55:00.003-04:00

Ok, so life gets crazy and blogging totally gets pushed to the back burner. So after a very long blogging drought I am here to share some news with anyone who still checks in. Last month Jon was told he would be laid off at the end of the school year. His building is closing and the music department is shrinking. It would take 2 music teachers retiring for him to be called back full-time (if one retires then he'd be called back part-time). Then next year we would be in the exact same position since they will be closing 2 more schools.

Knowing a few months ago in our own minds that he would most likely be getting laid off (we can count and do math and also see the writing on the wall) we started planning to have him attend job fairs and once again a nationwide job search ensued. As you may know, our nationwide search efforts last year didn't yield a single phone call so we were very lucky he was called back full-time last year. This year we knew getting called back was NOT an option so we had to be very serious in our efforts.

Jon has been calling principals, talking with recruiters, etc. But all of this proved to be for nothing. Last Monday a friend he went to college with said that she had a friend in Arizona that worked for a district that was looking for a music teacher. This person contacted him asking for his number as her principla was very interested in talking with him. By Friday he was offered the job! In the end, as my daddy has always said, it's all about WHO you KNOW. So barring any major set backs we will be moving to Buckeye, AZ in 6 weeks! We don't forsee any set backs, but Jon has not yet signed the contract (offer came via phone near the close of the day on Friday, HR should be contacting him today).

It's time for an adventure! I have never been to AZ, Jon was there once as a kid visiting the Grand Canyon. We have to sell our house, find new housing, pack, make moving company arangements, get Jon certified to teach in AZ, and the list goes on!

Just for Fun

2009-11-24T21:12:00.002-05:00

Create your own FACEinHOLE

Create your own FACEinHOLE

My Vent/PSA for the day!

2009-09-11T13:32:00.003-04:00

USE THE CROSSWALKS!!!!! They are there for a reason people. Seriously, why would anyone be stupid enough to cross a 7 lane road not in a crosswalk? I can not tell you how many idiots I see crossing a major 7 lane road near my house that just cross where ever they feel like it. Today took the cake though, some girl decided to cross (mind you she was in between 2 crosswalks that should could have walked to in less than about 2 minutes) the road and just stop in the middle of the lane I was driving in. I had to come to almost a complete stop.

I often see people standing in the center turn lane just waiting, or at night when people wearing dark clothing cross or stand in the center lane, do they not realize people can't see them! It's not like there aren't plenty of crosswalks, there is one at least every half mile, often more frequent than that. Or what about the people who cross like 10 feet from the crosswalk, seriously you had to cut through traffic and risk your life to save yourself from walking 10 feet! It's just unbelievable!

DISNEY WORLD! Days 4-5, August 21st and 22nd

2009-09-01T11:06:00.007-04:00

Friday, August 21st

Day two at the Magic Kingdom. Today we had a character breakfast in the park before park opening. Our reservation was for 8:10am at The Crystal Palace. We arrived at the gate around 7:45 or so and waited to be allowed in. We took a few castle pictures (and got some on the photo pass too, so we will have those at a later date). We were bummed to see a huge crane by the castle that wasn't there on Wednesday so we wished we had taken pictures then, but oh well, what can you do.

At breakfast we were joined by Winnie-the-Pooh and friends. We ate as quickly as we could because we wanted to be out in the park when it opened at 9am. After eating and a quick stop for diaper changes and band aids for the blisters that were forming on my feet we were ready to go right at opening!

The first stop on "The Plan" today was the Tomorrowland Speedway. Emily couldn't go on this ride so we got a baby swap pass and Jon took Nathan on first then I got to take Nathan on without having to wait in line (lucky kid got to go on twice in a row). Jon drove when it was his turn but I was brave and let Nathan drive. Lets just say there is a reason 2 year olds don't get drivers licenses.
After two rides on the speedway we headed to Astro Orbiters. We thought it was just another "Dumbo" ride but it was much faster, not good for a girl with vertigo, even Jon had a hard time with that ride. After that we went on the Carousel of Progress (something we hadn't planned to doing but we were getting warm). After that we grabbed a snack...ice cream. Part of our dining plan was getting 2 snack a day and until that point we had not used very many of them so we had tons of snack credits to use up. Nathan dropped his ice cream within minutes of getting it so we went to get him a new one and they just gave it to us. They really understand a 2 year old at Disney! Next stop, Buzz Lightyear!

Once we were confident the evil Zurg was defieated we headed over to Toon Town.
The plan was to ride Barnstormer then explore all the houses and see some characters. Barnstormer wasn't working at that time though so we visited Minnie's House, and Mickey's House. Saw some princesses (pictures of that at a later date, they were on the photo pass). Cinderella, Belle, and Aurora were all amazingly princess like and were great to our little prince and princess. Emily wasn't afraid of them at all and Nathan walked away with lots of lipstick kisses on his face. We checked out Donald's Boat and a little play area before hopping on the train to go to Frontierland. It was getting close to nap time and both kids fell asleep in the stroller.
We took advantage of this and went on Big Thounder Mountain Railroad.

After Expedition Everest the day before this was actually kinda lame. Then we were getting hungry. The kids were still sleeping so we got ourselves lunch at Pecos Bill. We figured when the kids woke up we'd get them something. They did wake up while we were eating but at that point they had gotten a decent nap so we saw no need to leave the park to go back to the hotel. We headed over to Pirates of the Caribbean (Nathan was singing "yo-ho, yo-ho a pirates life for me") only to find it was temporarily shut down. But Captain Hook and Smee were right across from the ride so we waited in line to see them.
By the time we saw Hook and Smee Pirates was working again, so we parked the stroller and went to get in line. I felt a rain drop so I ran back to cover the stroller so it wouldn't get too wet. Jon and I got split up and it took a few minutes to find each other but we finally did and we got in line. After Pirates it was pouring. We decided early in the trip that we don't melt so we weren't going to let any rain bother us. We left our stroller by Pirates and visited the rest of Adventureland. Only problem was because of the rain most of the rides had to close down. We went and saw the Tiki Room show and then the Swiss Family Treehouse. We also grabbed fastpasses for the Jungle Cruise since it was closed at the time.

Carpets of Aladdin finally opened (another "Dumbo" ride) and we were in the first group to ride it. Then we went on the Jubgle Cruise using our fastpasses (good thing we got them because there was a long line already and we were able to pretty much walk on).

At this point we had pretty much done everything we were hoping to do. We still wanted to get on Barnstormer and meet Mickey and Minnie. Nathan also wanted to ride the cars at the speedway again. So we went back over to that side of the park. On the way we saw the Carousel line was short so we went on the Carousel again. Today Nathan was excited to ride the horses.

We went back to Toon Town and rode on Barnstormer. It's a little rollercoaster that was designed for kids. It lasts all of about 1 minute, if that. Nathan and I went on and he decided that once was enough even though he could have gone on with Jon if he wanted. The line for Mickey was still rather long, which was kinda sad for me, I really wanted to see Mickey. The speedway was still closed from the rain so we took a stroll up and down Main Street USA and ran into Chip and Dale.

I don't remember what we did after this, but we eventually went to dinner at the Liberty Tree Tavern, quite posisbly mine and Jon's favorite Disney restaurant (although Whispering Canyon Cafe has given it a run for it's money). After dinner we again skipped the parade and fireworks. Instead we finally go to see Mickey and Minnie since everyone else was distracted by the shows. Those pictures on on the photopass so they will be posted later. We then headed back to the hotel. It was late, but since we opted to stay at the park instead of go back to the hotel for a mid-day break we had to pack all our stuff. We were being picked up at 6:30am to be taken to the airport.

Saturday, August 22nd
Two plane rides back home, no problems. I was super tired and when we got home I went right to bed. That's about all there is to tell. I was so out of it and tired from our fun few days at Disney that I really don't remember much from the flights home, just that I really wanted to sleep but I couldn't.

DISNEY WORLD! Day 3, August 20th

2009-08-31T14:45:00.007-04:00

Thursday, August 20th

Animal Kingdom day! Because it was such a short trip this time we decided the kids would probably enjoy Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom the most, so those were the 2 parks we did. We didn't plan nearly enough time for Animal Kingdom but we know we will go back soon (2012 at the latest, next summer at the earliest). Our day started with breakfast at Cape May Cafe at the Beach Club Resort. We had a 7:45am reservation but we weren't quite sure how we were going to get there that early. When I made the reservation they had suggested we walk, but it would have been a couple miles of walking on a busy street, so we decided against that. Luckily Disney Transportation has improved since we were last there and when we go to the bus stop at 7am we were quickly greeted by a bus to Hollywood Studios. We got on and there was only one other family (when the park doesn't open until 9am getting on a 7am bus could only mean one thing really...you're going to breakfast at another resort). The driver asked if we were going to Cape May and we said we were so he told us to stay on the bus and he would take us there after going to HS. We got there is plenty of time for breakfast, even has time to spare since they weren't even open when we arrived.

Cape May Cafe was our first character experience this trip. Donald, Goofy, and Minnie stopped by to greet us at the table while we ate. Emily did ok when Goofy stopped by (the first character) but after that she wouldn't let any other characters come anywhere near her (except for the princesses and Mickey Mouse...more about them tomorrow). Jon jumped in the picture with Donald because 7 years ago we didn't get to see Donald even one time, and Donald Duck is Jon's favorite Disney character, so we had to grab the opportunity while we had it.

Emily before any characters came to visit

Nathan and Goofy; despite taking some not so great pictures, Nathan did love meeting all the characters

The closest Emily let any character get to her, after that they all had to stay at a lengthy distance

The Boys with Donald

Nathan and Minnie Mouse

After Breakfast we headed over to Animal Kingdom, arrive just a few minutes before opening. We once again had "The Plan" and today's plan was a bit ambitious since we were only spending the morning at Animal Kingdom, like I said before, not enough time at all. We started by running to get our fast passes for Expedition Everest. They were also handing out Fast Passes for Kali River Rapids so I got those too. Then we went over to the other side of the park to go on the safari. While on our way we stopped at some drums and Nathan got out to play them and we took some pictures of the Tree of Life.

Animal Kingdom Sign

Nathan and Emily playing drums

Tree of Life

The safari was great, the kids loved seeing the animals. We have been to the zoo a lot this summer but seeing the animals so up close, and seeing animals we don't have here was fun. Here are just a few safari pictures.

After the Safari it was time to use our fast passes for Expedition Everest. That was an AWESOME ride! Jon rode it first then I rode it. We decided against Kali River Rapids because we didn't want to risk getting soaked. Then we headed to Dino Land to ride Triceratops Spin (think Dumbo but a dinosaur). After that we saw Finding Nemo the musical. Very well done. We looked at the time, knowing we had to leave at 1pm to make it to lunch on time, and thought maybe we could head over to Camp Mickey-Minnie to meet a character or 2 but it was a mob scene over there as the Lion King was letting out so we just left.

DINO-Land

Nathan and Mommy on Triceratops Spin

Daddy and Emily on Triceratops Spin

Lunch was at Chef Mickey's at the Contemporary Resort (that's the one the monorail drives through). It's the guarenteed spot to meet the Fab 5 (Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, Pluto). I was very excited that we were even able to get a table when I called to make the reservation. My review however, looking back it wasn't worth it. The obssessive calling and stalking on the internet for a time slot. Planning the whole day around that meal. It's not that it was bad, but it wasn't great either.

Pluto

Goofy

Mickey

Donald

Minnie also came to the tale but I was at the buffet getting food and Jon didn't remember to take a picture. No biggie we saw Minnie 2 other times this trip.

After lunch we went back to the hotel where we found Nathan's stuffed Grover relaxing on the bed. The kids needed a nap. Since Animal Kingdom closed at 5pm we couldn't go back after nap time. We decided to just relax a bit that night and ate at Shutters, the restaurant at our hotel (thumbs down...I see why they always had plenty of times available). Then we went swimming before calling it a night, knowing we had yet another early morning ahead of us.

Grover lounging around

DISNEY WORLD! Day 2, August 19th

2009-08-31T12:22:00.004-04:00

Wednesday, August 19th

This was Magic Kingdom day 1. A very exciting day. We started the morning early by grabbing breakfast at our hotel food court (I should probably add that we purchased a dining plan so all of our meals were paid for in advance, which is how we managed to eat so much food relatively cheaply). We then hopped on a bus to Epcot so we could take the monorail to the ticket and transportation center, where we then jumped on the ferry to the Magic Kingdom. We figured Nathan would probably like to experience all that Disney transportation has to offer since he is fascinated by airplanes, trains, buses, and boats.

On the ferry, it was so humid outside that the lens fogged over.

We arrived at Magic Kingdom right at 9am, opening. I had hoped to get there a little early since that was what "the plan" had recommended we arrive about 8:30am, but it didn't throw us off too badly. "The plan" I refer to is what got us through Disney without waiting for more than about 30 minutes for any ride or attraction. We used a slightly modified plan from "The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World" website. We planned on spending 2 days at the Magic Kingdom so I roughly followed the 2 day Magic Kingdom plan for families with small children. I modified it to meet our preferences and to include a few "thrill" rides for Jon and I.

The first ride of the day was Dumbo. Now you must realize that my dad still reminds me that when I was younger I made him wait in line for HOURS to ride Dumbo, so when we waited less than 20 minutes I just had to call and rub it in a bit, LOL. Nathan did NOT want to ride Dumbo, and for that matter he did not want to ride anything while we were standing in line for various rides. But once we were on the rides he loved them all! He and Emily both LOVED Dumbo, they were both laughing and clapping, having a great time! Then we rode on Peter Pan's Flight and The Many Adventures of Winnie-The-Pooh. At this point Nathan wanted a snack so we got him so gummy bears.

We left Fantasyland at that point and headed over to Adventureland to get fastpasses for Splash Mountain. The time for us to return would be right at the time we were planning to eat lunch so we got the passes and hoped they would honor them later in the day. We then went over to Tom Sawyer Island. Neither Jon nor I could remember ever going there as a kid so it was new for all of us. After Tom Sawyer we did diaper changes then saw The Country Bear Jamboree. The air conditioning was very welcome at that point.

It was then time for lunch. We ate at Tony's Town Square, a restaurant in the Magic Kingdom, themed like the restaurant in Lady and the Tramp. After that we headed back to the hotel for nap time. We had a 5:00 dinner reservation at Boatwrights at the Port Orleans Riverside Resort, but we were still too full from lunch as the time approached to ready to go so we cancelled and ordered pizza to our room later that night. Once the kids woke up we went back to the Magic Kingdom.

The first thing we did was see Mickey's Philharmagic. 7 years ago on our honeymoon they were builiding this attraction so we have been eager to see it all this time. After that Nathan insisted on riding Dumbo again (which wasn't on "the plan" but we were doing so well on time we did it). After that we all went on the carousel and then It's a Small World.

Emily on the Carousel, all smiles and giggles.

Nathan screaming "I don't want to ride the Carousel" which of course when it was over he thought it was great!

Right after the Carousel ride (see I told you he cheered up quickly, look at that smile) Nathan tried to pull the sword from the stone.

It was getting dark now and we headed back to Splash Mountain to see if they'd take our fastpasses, and they did. So I rode first while Jon waited with the kids, then Jon rode and I took the kids to catch part of the Spectromagic Parade. They could have really cared less about the parade as they were getting sleepy. We met up again when Jon was done with Splash Mountain and rather than watch the parade we went on one last ride, The Haunted Mansion. With both kids practically asleep this was perfect because they wouldn't get too scared.

When The Haunted Mansion was done we started to walk to the main gate. Of course by then the fireworks had started, making it rather difficult to get out, but we did make it out and to the bus before they ended, beating the crowd. Jon and I would have loved to stay and watch the fireworks, but Nathan is petrified of them. We did catch Tinkerbell flying from the castle and were surprised to see it was an actual live person. We both remember it being a figurine in the past.

Back at the hotel we ordered pizza and the kids were out. No trouble getting to bed that night, we were all tried.

Note on pictures: We do have more pictures we want to share, but we don't have them yet. Disney has professional photographers at various places throughout Disney World called Photo Pass Photographers. We preordered a photo CD so when we get it I will have more pictures to share.

DISNEY WORLD! Day 1, August 18th

2009-08-31T11:47:00.004-04:00

On Tuesday, August 18th, we set out on a journey to Disney World in Florida. We woke up super early (at least it was super early to me) and drove over to Jon's brother's house. Dave was going to drive us the rest of the way to the airport so we wouldn't have to pay to park our car there. We got the the airport about an hour and a half before our flight. We couldn't check-in online for whatever reason so we had to stand in line to check in. We got up to the check in kiosk and we still couldn't check in. So the lady at the counter took our IDs and reservation number and disappeared for awhile. She never did say what the problem was, but she came back with our boarding passes in hand. Then we looked at the line for security...it was so long. Thankfully they had a separate "family" line so we didn't have to wait at all. Getting through security is quite the ordeal when traveling with children, but we made it through all in one piece. We got to the gate and they were already boarding, score...no waiting in the airport with 2 small children who wanted to run around!

The first plane was great, we flew into Atlanta and both kids slept most of the way. Once in Atlanta we had a 55 minute lay-over, so in other words just enough time to stop at the potty for diaper changes, grab so grub, and make it to our gate...again they were already boarding! We went to board and they stopped us telling us there was a problem with our seat assignment. After standing there awhile the guy gave us new seat assignments and we got on the plane. Of course there were already people assigned to the seats he gave us and our original seats were wide open so we just sat in them anyway. This time the kids were awake most of the ride, but for the most part they were still good.

We arrived at Orlando airport and went to find the Disney Magic Express bus (notice I didn't say we found our bags first...a great service of using the (FREE) Disney Magic Express is they get your bags for you and deliver them to your room a few hours after you get there). A half hour bus ride later we were checking in at the Caribbean Beach Resort. The CBR is a very spread out resort. Our room was on the second floor of a building in Trinidad South, which with the stroller was not fun since there were no elevators. Trinidad South was also the farthest away from just about everything, but there was a resort shuttle that just drove around the CBR all day. It helped a little but it was a bit annoying. Our room was a pirate themed room.

Pirate Ship Beds

Curtain that seperated the sleeping area from the bath area.

It was pretty cool, but we did pay extra for the room (not our choice, it was the cheapest room available on Disney property when we booked) and I don't think the price of the room was worth it. Overall we were not super impressed with the CBR and will probably not stay there again. 7 years ago for our honeymoon we were at Coronado Springs Resort and we loved it, so that will be our first choice when opting for a moderate resort in the future.

After getting in our room Jon took Nathan and Emily to the little beach area nearby our room. It had a little playground. I waited in the room for a crib and our groceries to be delievered (we ordered some groceries from gardengrocer.com, a local online grocery store that delivers to residents and resorts in central Florida). Before we knew it it was time to go to our dinner reservation for the evening. We had a 6:30 reservation at the Whispering Canyon Cafe at the Wilderness Lodge. If you ever go to Disney, this is a MUST EAT restaurant! The name "Whispering Canyon" is very misleading (we knew that going in). It is a fun, loud, hootin' and hollarin' kinda place. Jon ordered a lemonade with his meal and when he got a refill the waitor brought out an iced-tea instead (not exactly something we are going to drink) so Jon told him of his mistake and he came back with a HUGE jar of lemonade and said he wouldn't make that mistake again! They had the kids do stick horse races around the restaurant, random sing alongs to the Hokey-Pokey, and watch out if you ask for Ketchup or a specific color crayon!

Jon's Lemonade

Nathan asked for some Ketchup and the waitor yelled "Can somebody please pass the ketchup?" and tons of kids came over to the table to bring us our ketchup...lots of it!

We thought about going to Hollywood Studios (formerly MGM Studios) that night but by the time dinner was over it was late, we had had a long day, and the kids were ready for bed.

Where did the summer go?

2009-08-31T11:22:00.002-04:00

This summer has just flown by, and I've been a bad blogger. Let's pick up where we left off...the rest of our New Jersey trip was fine. It rained the entire time we were there and was a bit chilly, so we were indoors most of the time. We searched for a mall with a play area but apparently they just don't have those in NJ. Our last night there was quite the adventure, not so much in a good way though. We lost power at my Grandma's house which wasn't good. Grandma was on oxygen 24/7 and no power meant no breathing machine. She did have a portable one that she used but she wasn't getting enough oxygen and I had to call 911. Luckily my aunt and uncle lived right next door so they and my cousins came right over knowing more about what to do than I did. They also had a few neighbors down the road that were part of the response team for their area so my aunt called them right away so they got there within minutes. We left the next morning while Grandma was still in the hospital. Typical Grandma, she didn't want us to make a fuss over her so she insisted we still continue with our plans to leave the next morning. We drove pretty much to the Pennsylvania/Ohio border and decided to get a hotel for the night and drive the rest of the way home the next day. Pennsylvania just does a toll on us mentally, it's such a big state that it seems like it is never going to end so the break at the border was just what we needed. On a sad note I must also report that in mid-July Grandma did pass away. But on a much happier note she is now with her husband again in heaven, they have been apart for far too long...42 years.

Once home we spent our days at the zoo, library, pool, and several MOMS Club events. Jon finished his last few classes for his Master's degree (in fact he is presenting his "thesis" later this afternoon...I say "thesis" because it's not really a paper like a traditional thesis, instead he had to put together a compilation of all of his conducting experiences throughout school, just about as time consuming as a thesis would have been).

Emily's adoption was finalized in July, so she is officially ours. We are taking her to the temple this Saturday to be sealed to us. We chose this Saturday (Sept 5) because it is her 1st birthday as well, so we think that makes it extra special. She's grown so much this summer and we can't believe our little baby is going to be 1 in less than a week. This past Saturday we took her to get her ears pierced. She did great, only crying for a few minutes, and she looks so pretty.

Nathan has kept us busy this summer. He is still just a big ball of energy. He loves to go to nursery at church with his new nursery teacher. Nathan has been such a big helper at home too. He tries to take care of Emily and help us with the house work that needs to be done, his favorite thing to help with is cooking.

In August we went on our ward camp out, just a short little overnight with friends from church. The rain held off all night but first thing in the morning it all came down. Lucky for us I told Jon to take down the tent as soon as we had woken up, so it was still dry!

The big conclusion to our summer, the thing we most looked forward to all summer, was our trip to Disney World! Disney deserves a post all of it's own, so check back soon to see all about our trip.

Day 1: New Jersey Trip

2009-06-17T20:31:00.002-04:00

Today we set out on an adventure...New Jersey or bust! Our day started when the alarm went off at 2AM! After a few clicks of the snooze button we were up and ready to go at 3:30am. Now for a normal person this is a 10 hour drive, however we aren't your normal people.

Our first detour happened right off the bat when we realized the 75 is still closed, so we got to follow the detour through Detroit and actually drove under the Ambassador Bridge. Hop back on the freeway and we have smooth sailing until Ohio.

Get to Ohio and my memory of how to go doesn't match the directions that google gave us. So we decide to go with what I know and realize that we are now on a toll road with only a few dollars in change with us...opps! So we stop and look at a map and figure out how far we can go with the $$ we have then determine a route taking back country roads to get us from middle of nowhere Ohio to Pennsylvania. It was a beautiful scenic route but it really added time to our trip.

After I had been driving for 7 hours (and we were just barely in PA at that point) so we switched drivers. Jon drove for 4 hours (so most of but not all of PA...it's a long state) and then I took the rest of the stretch (so the final 3 hours). We did stop a few times but not as much as I thought we would.

It rained for most of our journey, drizzle through Ohio but pouring through PA. It was not an easy drive. And the hills in PA were terrible. It's like they are trying to lull you to sleep.

The lifesaver of the trip...I sent Jon to the store late last night to buy a portable DVD player. We got an awesome clearance deal for a dual screen DVD player so both kids had a screen where they could see it and they were happy as could be.

We are now at my Grandma's house and I have been awake for 18 hours and it's time for bed. We are staying in the camper outside since the beds in the house are all claimed (my dad and sister are here too).

The weather doesn't look to great but we will have fun anyway. I'll write more about the trip at a later time (since the rest of the trip hasn't happened yet).

Job Found, well sorta

2009-06-06T13:32:00.002-04:00

Thought I should update my blog readers with the latest on the job search. We found out yesterday that Jon has been reassigned back to his old full-time job (yay!)!

So the job search is over although we now have probably close to 40 applications out there and if the right offer were to come along we may just have to take it (but chances are we are staying right here).

I was excited about the thought of moving but I am so glad we don't HAVE to move. And to celebrate the good news we planned a trip to Disney for the kids. Ok so maybe it's for us since the kids can not fully appreciate Disney, but Nathan is excited to see where Mickey lives.

Job Hunt Update

2009-05-28T09:42:00.003-04:00

Not that there is much to report. We have applied to probably close to 30 jobs and have yet to hear anything from any of them. It's still early, but still discouraging. Most of the jobs we have applied for are in Texas (big state with a love for music so lots of band openings). We've also heard of some prospects here in MI but we REALLY want to move, it's time for a change. Jon's current district is doing a "restaffing" and there is one possible thing they could do that would give Jon his old job back. That was supposed to happen yesterday so I don't know when or if we will hear anything but it would be nice to have that job security back again, just in case nothing else comes through.

Job Hunt

2009-05-11T18:44:00.002-04:00

As some of you may have heard we are about to begin an adventure. We are on a nationwide job hunt for a full-time band/music teaching job for Jon. His district has made crazy cuts for the fall and he will only be part time, giving us a 40% pay cut. While we are grateful for the fact that yes, he does still have a job, which is more than many can say, sadly we can not live on what his new salary would be...which means it job hunt time. One major problem we are running into is that many full-time openings we have found pay less than what he would make here working part-time.

I'm sure that some of you may be thinking that I (Michelle) going back to work could help the problem. We have thought of this. However, I have been removed from the classroom now for over 2 years and I left my last job mid-school year (major taboo). In order for my certificate to stay current I would have to start taking grad classes, which we obviously can't afford. I also have no where near the earning potential that Jon has. He has 5 years experience and almost a master's degree (he'll finish it this summer). Jon can actually make more money part-time than I could full-time as essentially a first year teacher. The only thing I have going for me is that I have a more diversified certificate being able to teach K-8 self-contained or 6-8 language arts or science. However, the cost of daycare would negate nearly one of our whole salaries so it still leaves us in the same spot as we started.

So, while i know my readership is rather low...if any of you out in cyber-land know of any jobs that my wonderfully talented hubby is qualified for, if you wouldn't mind sending the info our way that would be great. Thanks!

Oil Painting

2009-04-10T22:08:00.004-04:00

As I mentioned in the update I took an oil painting class this past weekend. I am not a very artsy person (yes I can be creative but I really don't have the patience to actually make art). But I needed a new hobby and this sounded like fun. So here it is, my painting, "Rocky Mountain View". The class was about 4.5 hours and it was a wet-on-wet oil painting technique.

Just waiting 2-3 weeks (or longer) for it to dry so we can get it framed and then hang it up somewhere. I can take 1-2 classes per month (I'm thinking 1 since it's not super cheap) so soon my house will be filled with my own art work.

My First "Mom Knows" Review!

2009-04-10T16:57:00.002-04:00

I mentioned about a month or so ago that I was one of 100 people chosen to be on the sheknows.com "mom knows" review panel. I have already received 2 shipments of products to try and review. They have both been full of Wild Harvest Organic products. You can read my first review (a yummy pasta dinner) here: http://talk.sheknows.com/f1172/wild-harvest-organic-pasta-dinner-788922/#post7977251

We need to be healthier

2009-04-07T11:20:00.002-04:00

That is what I have decided. We have all been so sick this winter that I think something needs to change. Now if only I knew how to go about making a major lifestyle change. Two problems I run into are that I am very LAZY (yes I freely admit that) and that I am a super-duper picky eater. I'd love to say that I can today just start making all our food from scratch and get an hour of exercise daily and get a full night's rest, etc but that's just so unrealistic. So I am going to attempt to make some goals to follow. The things we do aren't limited to these and this will not be an overnight change, it may take years to reach the desired outcome but these are some things we will be working on.

Sleep:
Kids in bed by 8 and Jon and I in bed by 10:30
Wake up by 6:30 daily (even on Saturday...ick), Kids up by 8
Kids afternoon nap/quiet time from 12:30-2:00 (Emily other naps as needed)
I get a short daily nap as well during the kids' nap time
Sunday naps for the whole family

Exercise/screen time:
With the weather warming up we should spend at least 1 hour outdoors playing everyday
Nathan may watch 1 movie per day or 2 TV shows (when there is nice weather)
No TV during the hours of 8-4 daily (when there is nice weather)
Limit mine and Jon's computer time to 1 hour per day

Food:
Buy natural and organic when possible
Prepare 1/2 our meals from scratch each week
Limit eating out to once a month
Increase intake of fruits and veggies
Increase intake of whole grains
Limit meat and dairy intake
Increase amount of water we all drink daily
Limit juice to 1 cup per day of 100% juice mixed with water
Limit sweets to one (serving) per day
Make homemade bread regularly
Buy a wheat grinder and wheat

Health Care:
Avoid unnecessary medical intervention to allow immune systems to strengthen
Learn to identify when medical intervention is necessary
Regular chiropractic care

Give away!

2009-04-06T22:04:00.001-04:00

I was #3 to respond to the very creative Ann's give away so now I must pay it forward!

The first five people to respond to this post will receive something made by me. HOMEMADE! The item will be my choice made just for you!

Restrictions and Limitations:

1. I have complete creative freedom
2. What I create will be just for you
3. It will be done sometime during 2009
4. You have no clue what it will be. It may be a personalized note cards. I might bake something. I might not think of anything until 6 months from now...

The catch? You must re-post this on your own blog and offer the same giveaway to 5 people who comment. The first 5 people to leave a comment telling me they are in, will win a FAB-U-LOUS homemade gift from me! Be sure to post a picture of what you get!

Here's to creativity!

Wow it has been a while and some tag

2009-04-01T21:11:00.002-04:00

Lets start with the tag which oh my, I have to list 10 things I like starting with the letter U...thanks Tia (and if you "tagged" another Michelle to do this and I didn't have to grrr!). Yes, I admit some of these are a stretch but I gotta get creative here, it's U for crying out loud, lol. I actually can't go for the obvious Umbrellas because I actually hate them and I have never been to Utah so that is out too.

University of Detroit Mercy Pep-Band Director...that would be Jon :)
Unicorns
Underwire bras
Understanding the things Nathan says more and more everyday
Unaccompanied choirs (aka a cappella)
Unbraided hair...when it's all wavy after having braids in for a while
Undercooked brownies and cookies, so they are still a bit doughy
Unguarded sweets, especially chocolate
US government and history courses (yup I'm a dork)
Ultraviolet lights that make your white clothing glow

WOOHOO! I did it. Now as for who to tag (and I apologize if you have been tagged already)...
Mel...letter P
Becky...letter H
Stephanie...letter J

And now for the "it's been a while" part of the post. I have been a bad blogger with this blog and both kid's blogs. So consider me lashed 50 times with a wet noodle. I guess a quick update for each family member is the best way to go.

Starting with the youngest.

Emily- She is going to be 7 months on Sunday, can you believe it? She is working hard on sitting up and she loves to roll all over the place. She grabs at anything in her reach. She finally started eating solids yesterday. We were trying every week or so to see if she was ready but she has had the tongue reflex up until yesterday. She loved eating carrots. We were gonna try peas tonight (she's had carrots before as part of our weekly test so we know they are safe and we can move on) but she fell asleep early. Thankfully she is still not close to crawling (imagine mommy doing a happy dance). She still doesn't have any teeth but she's been teething for months. At her 6 month appointment she was almost 17 pounds and 26.5".

Nathan- Oh this child, words just can't describe him. He is all boy and so full of energy and the sweetest, cutest boy ever. He is so smart too. He sings songs and says nursery rhymes. He knows all his letters and their sounds, all his colors, several shapes, speaks in sentences, counts to 10 (although not always counting objects properly), and can usually recognize his name when written. He loves to play in water and swim. He loves to be read to and play the drums. Unfortunately Nathan does have some trouble with hitting and being disobedient, but we are working on it. Today at the mall he only hit once at the play area and that is a huge improvement (considering he's now been kicked out of nursery at church 3 weeks in a row for hitting).
Nathan had an interesting week last week after having a febrile seizure (seizure brought on by high fever). Nathan woke up and came to our bed in the morning like he always does. He and I were cuddling while I tried to get just a few more minutes of sleep. I heard him coughing and that woke me up a bit and I realized he felt hot and before I could even sit up to further examine him he was having the seizure. After two ambulance rides (one after calling 911 and one to transfer him to our Dr's hospital) and 2 days (one night) in the hospital he is just fine and now we know that he is prone to febrile seizures and can be even more vigilant in preventing them. For those unfamiliar with febrile seizures, they are fairly common in small children and a child who has one has about a 50% chance of having another at some point. By age 5 or 6 they typically don't happen anymore.

Michelle- I have been keeping busy doing the mom thing. Not too much to report about me. I am going to an oil painting class on Saturday and if I like it I may have a new hobby.

Jon- He has been doing some extra U of D stuff because of the Final Four. U of D is actually the host university so he is involved in several events. We even had the chance to buy great tickets pretty cheap but we still couldn't afford them so we offered them to family. Jon's brother took us up on the offer and he should be enjoying the games this weekend. Spring break is just a week away and we are all looking forward to having Jon home for a little over a week.

And some general family stuff- The kids are both enrolled in a swim class so Friday afternoons the whole family (since it's a parent/tot class) gets in the pool for swim class. We took family pictures yesterday and I will post them when I can. They turned out great. We are still waiting to finalize Emily's adoption (we are hoping that will happen in June). Once Emily is finalized we will decide what our next step is in regard to having more children, we think we have it figured out but we want to wait to be sure. Stay tuned to find out what our next plan is. Michelle's cousin is graduating from HS so we will be heading to NJ to visit family and celebrate the graduation in June as well.

So there is a basic update.

Adoption

2009-02-12T09:23:00.002-05:00

As many of you know adoption has been a wonderful blessing in our lives that has helped our little family grow twice. A friend of mine, Liz, and her hubby Rick are hoping to do the same with their family. On the ight side of my blog I have added a blinkie that links to their adoption blog. Please share this blog with anyone you may know that can help them find their little one.

Mom Knows

2009-02-02T21:46:00.003-05:00

I am so excited. I just received an email telling me that I have been selected as one of 100 people to be a product tester for sheknows.com's new feature I guess you would call it, Mom Knows. Basically they are going to send me a whole bunch of free stuff to sample (up to 15 things a month) and I get to write reviews for this website.
I don't know too much else yet, the email said more details to follow, but here is some info about it:

Busy moms don't have a lot of time -- or money -- to spend figuring out what products and services are the best for their families! That's why we created the MomKnows 100 Club, an exclusive consumer review panel.

About the MomKnows review panel

The program, in 10 words: Get free stuff. Review stuff. Get more stuff, other perks.

Each of 100 hand-selected members will get to preview free new products and services of interest to moms and families -- up to 15 freebies each month -- and have the opportunity to use them in their own homes!

These VIP reviewers will then post their thoughts on these goodies and services in a special MomKnows section of the SheKnows.com message board community. Posts will be accompanied by an icon signifying the VIP status as a person of influence, who is helping other women make well-informed decisions about how to exercise their purchasing power. (As a MomKnows club member, you will not be paid for your reviews -- we want your sincere and honest opinions on the products you are sent.)

When you accept a panel invitation, you will become part of an exclusive community of 100 moms.

35 cents!

2009-01-19T14:46:00.002-05:00

Yes, that is essentially what I paid per jar of peanut butter and pasta sauce. After getting a little fired up about couponing again after an enrichment meeting I set off on a money saving adventure. 2 years ago, in my pre-mommy days I was really into couponing but since having two kids I have lost my desire until now. So I decided to focus on a world of couponing I had never entered before...the drug store. I've always considered drug stores to be very over priced, but apparently these places like to give away products for free, and sometimes even PAY YOU to take them.

My adventure began with purchasing 5 copies of the Sunday paper (bought one, liked the coupons it had available so bought 4 more). Since I was buying them on Monday they were 50 cents cheaper than if I had bought them on Sunday, so score #1.

I brought home my stack of newspapers and score #2...one had an extra coupon packet, woohoo for errors that favor me. Next I came to my handy-dandy computer and googled "walgreens deals" since I have been told they have the best "program." I start looking through all the frugal mom type blogs and honestly get disappointed because there is really only one really good deal this week but I can see all the great bargins had in the previous weeks. Then A-HA, there is the deal I need to take advantage of...$1.99 for Skippy Peanut Butter (my favorite and since we all know I'm the world's pickiest eater that is saying a lot, right?) and Ragu Sauce. Then if I buy 8 of these products (mix and match) I get a $10 off my next order coupon (can we say all set for next week). In addition the paper had coupons for these products (40 cents off the peanut butter and 75 cents off two jars of sauce) and I had six copies of each of the coupons (remember 5 papers plus my bonus pack of coupons).

So...here's the break down:
$26.72 full price for 2 jars of sauce (that was all they had, I'll hit them up for more later in the week and get another $10 off my next order) and 6 jars of PB
$12.77 price paid out of pocket after sale and coupons
$10 off my next order
So I essentially spent $2.77 which means 35 cents per item!

Ringing in the New Year, Argentina Style

2009-01-01T22:04:00.002-05:00

No pictures for this one because I'm lame and didn't think to take any but we decided to ring in the New Year with Nathan last night at 9pm, which happens to be midnight in Argentina. Jon and I did happen to make it to the real midnight but Nathan was a bit excited to drink his "hot juice" as he called it. Really it was sparkling grape juice and by hot he was thinking spicy not warmth, and really it wasn't spicy either but whatever.

Nathan has also enjoyed being a year older since today is also his second birthday. We spent the day at a U of D Mercy basketball game then then had cake, which much to our shock Nathan didn't even touch...he went for crackers and M&Ms instead...strange kid.

Wii Wish you a Merry Christmas!

2008-12-27T12:37:00.004-05:00

Well this year my parents win the most shocking and surprising gift award. I was talking with my mom and she told me that they had gotten my sister a Wii for Christmas. So in typical sibling rivalry fashion "I want a Wii, I'm putting in my request for next year." On Christmas we arrived at my parents house and were shocked (Jon more so than me...the look on his face was priceless) as we opened our Wii. My mom said they were planning to give us cash and decided that since we wanted a Wii also to just use that cash to get us the Wii. I've pulled just about every muscle in my back and can barely move but it's so fun.

This year Nathan was really into the whole present aspect of Christmas. After opening every gift he wanted to take it out and play with it. And Emily had no idea what was going on but next year she will.

Christmas Eve:

Making a "Graham Cracker" House

Opening the Christmas Eve gift (always jammies)

Wearing his new jammies

The loot

I will add more pictures (specifically from Christmas Day and Round 2, as I like to call it, the day after Christmas) at some other point, notice I don't give a time frame since I have no idea when it will happen. It could be tomorrow it could be July, lol!

My Yummy Cinnamon Rolls

2008-12-19T12:14:00.001-05:00

I have perfected the making of cinnamon rolls in our house. I found the recipe online and made it a bit easier to follow (the original version was all over the place). These are hands down the yummiest cinnamon rolls ever.

Ingredients

* 3/4 cup water
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 cup shortening
* 4 tablespoons sugar
* 1 egg
* 1 package yeast
* 1/4 cup water (if needed, I usually add about 1/2 of this)
* 3 1/2-4 cups flour

Directions

Melt shortening in microwave about 1 minutes or until shortening is melted. Stir in sugar and salt.

Heat 3/4 cup water to about 110 degrees and stir in yeast until dissolved. Set aside for use in a few minutes.

Slowly add about a cup of flour to shortening mixture.

When yeast starts to bubble add to flour and shortening mixture.

Add egg and remaining flour. Knead on counter until no longer tacky, this is when I add a little extra water.

Grease bowl with oil and place dough in bowl and add more oil to coat top.

Place a towel over bowl and let rise until double in bulk (about an hour).

In small bowl, mix 1 cup or so of sugar and add cinnamon to taste.

After dough rises, roll out on counter to about 1/4" thick.

Melt 1/2 stick of butter and spread over dough.

Sprinkle cinnamon sugar over entire rolled out dough.

Roll up dough into jelly roll style and take knife and cut into about 1" to 1 1/2" slices.

Put in pan (I use a stone but you can also use glass or aluminum but it needs to be greased).

Cover with towel and let rise until double (another hour, but I usually make my dough at night and let it rise over night so I have nice hot cinnamon rolls in the morning).

Bake at 375 for about 20 minutes or so.

After they cool you can frost them with your favorite frosting recipe, but I have found they are sweet and yummy enough without any frosting.

My Clean Kitchen

2008-12-04T20:12:00.004-05:00

Ok so it took a few days and I only have one "after"picture...but here it is:

Seriously I'm trying so hard to keep my kitchen clean because it was down right NASTY just a few days ago. So nasty that I didn't want to eat anything that was cooked in it.

Who's up for a little game?

2008-12-02T13:29:00.004-05:00

A while ago I posted about how sometimes it's easier for me to clean when I am accountable to someone. I do this by taking before and after pics and posting them online for the world to see. It takes courage to post those before pics, but you feel so much better after posting the afters that it's totally worth it. So here it is...my kitchen (granted 3 days ago this would have passed for clean...it was that messy...but I'm hoping to avoid that again).

My goals today while the kids are napping are to shower (haven't done that yet), tend to my shaving accident (see "Ouch" post...it's still bleeding off and on too), and then get my kitchen in order (empty and reload dishwasher, declutter table, clean stove surface). We shall see how much gets done and I will post my afters when I am finished.

If you are brave enough to join me go ahead and post a before picture of any room in your house that could use some attention, clean it, then post the after pics. Leave a comment so I know to come check it out!

He ate it! And asked for more.

2008-12-02T13:09:00.003-05:00

Ok so technically this is a Nathan related post but I felt it fit on this blog better than on his because it's kinda a recipe...sorta. Nathan has been quite the picky eater (surprise, surprise...what do I expect). There are literally days when all he wants is milk. Last night we were playing and he said he was hungry and wanted an egg (an odd request since he typically doesn't like eggs). So I made him an egg and added a splash of vanilla and a bit of milk while scrambling it and he gobbled it up and asked for more.

So this morning for breakfast I asked him if he wanted an egg and he said no. So I asked if he wanted french toast, and he said French toast (when he repeats he means yes, when he says no he means no). He used to love French toast, but recently has been in a phase where he hates it. SO hesitantly I made him one piece of French toast (same protocol for making the egg as last nigh...splash of vanilla, bit of milk). Dipped the bread in and cooked it up. I did add some cinnamon and sugar to the back side of it. Once it was done I really got creative. I cut out two eyes and a mouth and filled them in with fruit (peaches for the eyes and strawberry for the mouth) and added some cheese for hair. Nathan LOVED it! In fact I left the kitchen to change Emily and when I returned he had eaten it all (I was gone maybe 2 minutes at the most, really how long does it take to change a baby?). So I made him another (sans smiley face this time). Afterward I was thinking next time I could use sausage or bacon for the eyes to make them stand out more.

Lessons learned: Let Nathan pick what he wants to eat more often and whenever possible serve it with a smile!

Ouch! (Not for the weak stomached)

2008-12-01T19:50:00.003-05:00

Please tell me that you have never heard of anyone dying from (or losing a limb from) cutting themselves shaving. I was shaving my legs on Saturday for Jon's dad's wedding and got myself good. It's not even a cut, it's more of a huge scrap (I even found the piece of skin that was scrapped off floating in the water...ewww). This stupid cut STILL hurts. Every step I take, every time I try to sit on my legs (which I do a lot) I'm in so much pain. I hope I survive my shaving incident.

Walls of Zion (Mockingbird)

2008-11-12T14:05:00.004-05:00

I actually stole this from a friend's facebook because it looked fun! You will get to see just how eclectic my iTunes library is thanks to Jon and all his band cd's that get loaded into iTunes. I did it twice, once with the entire library and then once with just my personal play list The answers for just my play list are in ().

I. Put your iTunes/Ruckus/Napster/etc on shuffle.
II. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
III. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS!
IV. Tag 11 friends who might enjoy doing this.
I tag anyone who feels so inclined since I don't even know if 11 people are reading this.

1. IF SOMEONE SAYS "IS THIS OKAY" YOU SAY?
When I am Baptized -LDS Children's Songs (I Like to Move it- Madagascar Soundtrack)

2. WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY?
Les Mis Overture: Working Song- Les Mis Soundtrack (Only Time -Enya)

3. WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
"C" is for Cookie- Sesame Street (Beverly Hills -Weezer)

4. HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
Same Old Story- Garth Brooks (I Will...But -SHeDAISY)

5. WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?
As Long As Your Mine- Wicked Soundtrack (Only Hope -originally performed by Mandy Moore but this version is ME singing)

6. WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
Picture a Christmas- LDS Children's Songs (Temperature -Sean Paul)

8. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR PARENTS?
Maybe we Should Just Sleep on it- Tim McGraw (Thy Word -Amy Grant)

9. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
Symphonic Metamorphosis on Themes by Carl Maria von Weber: Moderato-Turandot Scherzo -North Texas Wind Symphony (Pon De Replay- Rhianna)

10. WHAT IS 2+2?
The Red Balloon- Anne McGinty (Girlfriend -Avril Lavigne)

11. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
Red and Black- Les Mis Soundtrack (The Best Da*n Thing -Avril Lavigne)

12. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Processional and Maria- The Sound of Music Soundtrack (Just Another Day in Paradise -Phil Vassar)

13. WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
Mysterian Landscapes: 1. Point Reyes - North Texas Wind Symphony (This One's For the Girls -Martina McBride)

14. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO WHEN YOU GROW UP?
Two English Dances: Shephard's Hey -University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Wind Ensemble (One Thing -Finger Eleven)

15. WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Victim of the Game- Garth Brooks (1985- Bowling For Soup)

16. WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
Castle on a Cloud- Les Mis Soundtrack (Little Goodbyes -SHeDAISY)

17. WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
Sheep May Graze Safely- Bach (I Like It, I Love It -Tim McGraw)

18. WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
Plymouth Trilogy: Carrousel Rag- Iannaccone (Hey There Delilah -Plain White T's)

19. WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
Behind These Hazel Eyes- Kelly Clarkson (Boys and Girls -Good Charlotte)

20. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
American Pie- Madonna (now that is freaky but I'm not willing to say why on a public website or else it wouldn't be my biggest secret) (Because of You -Kelly Clarkson)

21. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
Distant Bells- LDS Children's Songs (Hollaback Girls -Gwen Stefani)

22. WHAT'S THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN?
My Favorite Mistake- Sheryl Crow (Only God Knows Why - Kid Rock)

23. HOW WILL YOU DIE?
Blessed Are They- Brahms (Earl Had to Die -Dixie Chicks)

24. DOES ANYONE LIKE YOU?
A Whole New World- Aladdin (All the Small Things -Blink 182)

25. IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE?
Because of You- Kelly Clarkson (Keep Holding On -Avril Lavigne)

26. WHAT HURTS RIGHT NOW?
If Your Happy (and you know it) (In My Daughter's Eyes -Martina McBride)

27. WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?
Walls of Zion- North Texas Wind Symphony (Mockingbird -Eminem)

Celeb Mom!

2008-11-06T14:23:00.002-05:00

I saw this on Natalie's bog and thought it was cute...

You're Reese Witherspoon: Plucky, positive, and fiercely protective, you are, above all else, a survivor. If your husband were to leave you for an attractive younger girl, you'd grab the nearest attractive younger guy and become instantly thinner, sexier, and more fashionable than ever before. Belying your broad comic talents, you're a remarkably private person, a defiant and devoted mom dedicated to raising your kids with the simple, down-home values your folks instilled in you.

Want to see which celeb mom you are most like? Take the quiz:
http://family.go.com/community/quizzes/which-celebrity-mom-are-you-qz/

I LOVE playing tag!

2008-10-30T07:51:00.002-04:00

1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet & current car) Velvet Town and Country
2. YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (favorite ice cream and favorite cookie) Cookies and Cream Chocolate Chip
3. YOUR “FLY Guy/Girl” NAME: (first initial of first name, first three letters of your last name) Mbjo
4. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal)Pink Monkey
5. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born) Lynn Long-Branch (added the hyphen to make it seem more "name like")
6. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first) - Bjomi
7. SUPERHERO NAME: (2nd favorite color, favorite drink put “The”) The Purple Milk
8. NASCAR NAME: (the first names of your grandfathers)- Merrill John
9. STRIPPER NAME: ( the name of your favorite perfume/cologne, favorite candy) Journey Reese's
10.WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother’s & father’s middle names ) Ann Alan (although technically my mother doesn't have a middle name, long story, but if she did it would be Ann)

Photo Tag

2008-10-29T19:27:00.004-04:00

Ok so I wasn't specifically tagged but when someone says "I tag everyone" I guess I'm included. Being that I have a Mac I had to pick the 4th photo, in the 4th folder, in the 4th folder, in the 4th folder...it's just the way these things work. Of course this totally turns out to be a LAME picture. One of the best ways to motivate myself to clean is to hold myself accountable to other people. I will sometimes have a little fun with my "online friends" and pick a room to clean. We all take before pictures and post them online. Then the goal is to clean that room and take after pictures to post for everyone to see how nicely your room cleaned up. I guess I should be glad the 4th picture was an after picture and not a before :)!

I tag: Anyone who wants to play along. Just post the 4th picture in your 4th folder of photo files!

The Pumpkin Tradition

2008-10-27T18:24:00.003-04:00

You may be asking yourself, why did they take a picture of a pumpkin on their toilet? Well it has become a bit of a tradition around here. Way back when Jon and I had our first apartment we got a couple pumpkins to carve for Halloween. We carved one and then found those pegs that you push in that light up. I really wanted a picture of the pumpkin with the pegs all lit up, so I had the brilliant idea to take the pumpkin into the bathroom where there were no windows so it would be completely dark and we'd be able to get a picture. This was before we had a digital camera so we had to use good old fashioned film. I snapped a few pictures and couldn't wait to get them developed. When the pictures came back I was shocked to see that you couldn't see the lights at all, just the pumpkin sitting on the toilet. Silly me (in all my 18 year old glory) just didn't think this through at all and duh, we used the flash, so that totally defeated the purpose of using a dark room.

Well we got some laughs from the experience and have decided that from now on whenever we carve a pumpkin we need to take a toilet picture.

Of course being older and wiser now, and learning from experience...not to mention the benefits of a digital camera, we remembered this year to take one without the flash too.

Welcome Baby Tyler!

2008-10-22T10:14:00.003-04:00

As of around 3am this morning (I was not really awake when Jon told me the exact time this morning) we have a little nephew! All I know is that he was a big boy (over 10 lbs, quite possibly bigger than Emily currently is and she's 6.5 weeks older, lol) delivered via c-section. I'm assuming it will be a few days before we can go see them (since we have the kids and can't bring them to the hospital) but we can't wait to meet little Tyler. Congrats Dave and Julie!

I'm Going There

2008-10-16T16:55:00.002-04:00

I just have to vent about this election season. I think that it really is bringing out the very worst in people. The things I see in the media, comments written on message boards, and emails that fill my inbox daily, it's making me sick. We are a country very divided. It's getting to the point where if we state our own opinion we know someone is going to jump down our throat. Thankfully I have NOT had to experience this for myself in real life, but that is because I keep my political thoughts to myself. I really hope that we as a country can reunite, put the politics behind us, and support those who win office in November.

I'm NOT Superwoman!

2008-10-10T16:37:00.003-04:00

I am having a very rough moment right now so feel free to ignore my vent. Nathan won't take a nap for the second day in a row, Emily is constantly wanting to be held, Jon is working 16 hour days. I just can't do it all anymore. I am not Superwoman. I have so much on my plate between two kids, maintaining the house, being primary president (and trying to prepare for a program that is just 3 Sundays away and sill not completely written), being membership vice president of the MOMS Club, and being in the Michigan Concert Choir that it has finally taken it's toll on me and I can't do it anymore.

Even just typing that little bit has seemed to just taken the weight of the world off my shoulders.

And WHY on earth do baby swings have 6 speeds when all my kids seem to like is the fastest setting????? I just put Emily in the swing to type this knowing that she hates the swing when I remembered that Nathan hated it too unless it was on the fastest setting so I just turned up the speed and Emily is so calm and almost asleep.

UPDATE- Right after typing this I made the decision that I could no longer do choir. I think that really was my breaking point. I wasn't enjoying it anymore because it was more of a hassle than it was worth. I also have come down with a nasty cold (all stuffed up, sore throat, headaches [achy all over really], cold and hot spells, but no fever [thank goodness]) so I am sure that has aided my feelings of inadequacy. Thanks for all your words on encouragement. Nathan is now napping again, and in a couple weeks I will be shipping him off to preschool 2 mornings a week . It will be good for him to have time to be active with other little toddlers and it will give me time to focus on Emily and get the things done that I need to do.

A New Tradition

2008-10-04T21:23:00.002-04:00

We decided to start a new tradition today. It all started with the East Detroit High School Homecoming Parade. Because of the parade we couldn't get the the Warren Harvest Hay Day until it was almost over. We had planned on getting a free pumpkin but when we got there the line had a 2 hour wait and they couldn't guarantee that we would even get a pumpkin. So we came home and ate lunch when and then I had a brilliant idea, lets go to a real pumpkin patch and pick a pumpkin. We had so much fun at the pumpkin patch that we decided to make this an annual event. Next year we will pick apples too.

Adding to the fun of family traditions we also decided that we will go to a cut your own tree place to get a Christmas tree. We have to do these things now, make all these great family memories, because before we know it we will blink and our kids will have kids of their own.

If you want to see pictures from the pumpkin patch check out Nathan's blog (there are a few on Emily's blog too).

If you have a few minutes...

2008-09-30T12:53:00.003-04:00

A friend of mine has entered a photo contest and it's the last 2 days vote (voting ends 11:59 EST on Oct. 1). If you wouldn't mind voting for her photo I would appreciate it. The link may not takle you directly to her photo, so look for the black and white pic of a little girl laying on her daddy. It's titled Autumn's Family.
http://www.parents.com/app/voting/index.jsp;jsessionid=UOFP4SYDELFPNQFIBQ4SCZQ?id=/templatedata/parents/voting/data/1221842129126.xml&sid=5

Two kids is exhausting

2008-09-15T23:52:00.003-04:00

but worth every minute! Really though, considering I'm here alone most days, all day due to Jon's hectic schedule it isn't too bad. I'd say it's hardest when both kids are awake and needing my attention at the same time, which isn't very often yet since Emily still sleeps a lot.

In other news, yesterday we played hookie from church (shame on us) to go to Dave and Julie's baby shower. Nathan and Emily will soon have a little cousin (within the month) and we can't wait to meet him.

Oh yeah, I've been tagged again. Jen, I promise I will do it soon but it's a lot longer than the other one and I don't get much time to do computer stuff anymore.

All Future Emily Posts

2008-09-10T08:06:00.001-04:00

Will now be on Emily's blog: www.growingupemilymichelle.blogspot.com or click the link to the right.

Introducing Emily Michelle

2008-09-09T21:24:00.004-04:00

Around 2:00pm the agency called and asked us to come in to sign some more paperwork. We were less than thrilled with having to drive out there and come home without a baby. We even asked if they could email us the papers and said they couldn't because they were court documents. While on the way our caseworker called and said Emily was being released and they were going to get her. Around 6:00pm we saw and held our little girl for the first time. It was well worth the wait, she is perfect. We have a few pictures as things are still busy around here (Jon had pep band rehearsal at 7:35).

Here's the latest...

2008-09-09T13:08:00.002-04:00

The hospital has kindly asked our agency to stop calling for updates, they will call when she can be released. I have found out they are waiting for bilirubin lab results. I'm assuming the results came in yesterday and they didn't like them so they had to do it again today. Can't they just send us home with a lamp or something??? I WANT MY BABY!!!!! This is exactly why if I ever get pregnant I am doing a home birth.

So that is all we know and all we will know until the hospital calls. This is just killing us. Jon has now taken off two days of work, right at the beginning of the school year and we still don't have our baby. 3 hours till the social worker goes home, and we have to wait another day. I really thought hospitals want babies released quickly (especially ones that aren't paying to be there), this is already day 4!

The Nursery

2008-09-08T17:06:00.003-04:00

Well since I still don't have any baby pictures to share I will share pictures of what kept us up until 4am last night and kept us busy for most of the morning after we woke up.

Another Baby Update

2008-09-08T15:13:00.002-04:00

I know lots of people are checking for pictures and updates so I thought I'd fill you in on the latest. The baby still has not been released from the hospital. They are waiting on a lab result and the doctor won't release without it. As every minute that ticks by our chances of bringing little Emily home today decrease as well, since the hospital social worker has to be present for release and he leaves around 4 or 4:30. We are very frustrated to say the least.

Tag, I'm IT!

2008-09-07T15:22:00.002-04:00

Tagged...by Stephanie

THE FIVE

10 years ago I:
1. starting my sophomore year of high school
2. a varsity cheerleader
3. broke my arm on my birthday and had surgery
4. met and started dating my husband
5. was in the school musical, "The Wizard of Oz"

5 things on today's "to do" list:

1. Clean Emily's room
2. Paint Emily's room
3. Put the crib together
4. Go to Babies R Us (I know it's Sunday but I think these are special circumstances)
5. Get my last good night of sleep before being very sleep deprived for a few months

5 snacks I enjoy:

1. Chocolate
2. French Fries
3. Fruit snacks
4. Ice cream
5. Homemade bread

5 things I would do if I were a millionaire:

1. Pay off all of our debt, save for retirement, and college funds
2. Offer to do the same for family and buy my dad boat
3. Build a house on lots of land, not a huge house, but a house large enough to fit our future family
4. Adopt lots of babies
5. Maybe try my luck with IVF

5 places I have lived:

1. Keasbey, NJ
2. Somewhere in PA (poconos area)
3. Farmington Hills, MI
4. Kalamazoo, MI
5. Warren, MI

Five jobs I have had:

1. Tubby's Subs
2. Mervyn's in the Children's Department
3. Colorguard instructor at Farmington and Avondale High Schools
4. Cheerleading coach at Boulan Park Middle School
5. Teacher/Substitute Teacher in Eastpointe, Farmington, Detroit

I tag...
Whomever was inspired by this and
1. Christine B.
2. Natalie H.
3. Jen B.
4. Tia M.
5. Robyn B.

Rules:
Each player answers the question themselves. At the end of the post the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blog and leaves them a comment letting them know that they've been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person that tagged you know when you've answered the questions on your blog.

Ask and Ye Shall Receive...

2008-09-05T14:52:00.003-04:00

Did I really just say I was bored and that baby #2 might help get rid of the boredom? Is Heavenly Father reading my blog? While I am still trying to be cautious, I am just too excited to not say anything. LDSFS called today and we may have a little girl in our very near future (like she was born today!). We don't know much other than she's African American and was born today. I'm waiting for LDSFS to call me back. We are asking people to please pray that if she is meant to be ours that we will have another smooth and easy adoption. I will keep you updated. And Melissa, if this works out I am totally taking you up on your clothing offer.

UPDATE: Our caseworker just called me back. He met the birthmom and was able to find out lots of information. Unfortunately his phone battery died in the middle of our conversation so I don't know everything yet. She is a tiny little thing, only 5lbs 11 oz and 18.9 inches long (Nathan was 6lbs 6 oz and we thought he was small, 19.25 inches). Her birthmom has 10 other children, but does not have custody of any of them. The birth father died in March, so while that is sad, it does make things a little easier as far as the adoption is concerned. The earliest the baby will be released is Sunday. I'm hoping our caseworker will call back soon because I want to know when we can see her and meet the birthmom.

ANOTHER UPDATE: The birthmom doesn't want to meet us and most likely doesn't want any contact. The baby will most likely be released Monday but it's possible she can be released on Sunday. For all intents and purposes we have a daughter. We are hoping to see her tomorrow, but our caseworker can no longer be our caseworker since he's working with the birthmom so until they know who will be working with us we may not get to see the baby until discharge. They are going to see if we can get put on a visitors list or something so we can go see her.

UPDATE: Ok, here's the latest. We tried to go see her with one of our social workers today, but the hospital said their policy is to have THEIR social worker present, how doesn't work on weekends :(. So we will not get to see our little girl until Monday. However unless the doctor doesn't discharge her (which is the only hang up at this point) she will be home with us on Monday. The agency will pick her up and bring her to the office where we will go to pick her up. This actually makes life a lot easier since the agency is in the same city that my parents and Jon's dad live in so we won't have to double back after dropping off Nathan somewhere for the afternoon.

I am so bored!

2008-09-04T21:50:00.000-04:00

You would think that having the house essentially to myself would be a good thing. Jon's at band rehearsal, Nathan is asleep...but I am BORED out of my mind. Maybe if this was a once in a while occurrence I would really enjoy it, but this is what my entire fall and most of the winter is going to be like. Just me all by my lonesome, trying to keep myself busy. Can't go anywhere because the munchkin is sleeping. Well maybe we will get another baby here sometime soon and that will definitely keep me busy and I will not be bored anymore. And now I feel like I am rambling so that is it, I'm done.

The TOYS are HERE!

2008-08-29T13:23:00.000-04:00

I think I am worse than a kid a Christmas time. About a month ago I applied to host a Fisher-Price house party. Well a few weeks ago I was notified that I was chosen and that I would be getting close to $300 worth of Fisher-Price toys shipped to me FOR FREE!!!!! They have arrived today and I am so excited. If you live in the area and for some reason I didn't invite you to the party shoot me an email. The toys are geared for kids 6-36 months. My party is on September 6 at 11am.

If you are interested in learning how to host FREE house parties check out www.houseparty.com There are a variety of parties coming up soon (although I must say none as cool as this one).

Homestudy

2008-08-28T12:12:00.000-04:00

I thought people would like to know that we are on our way to baby #2. We had our homestudy visit last week and we should hopefully be approved for baby #2 within the next month or so. We are hoping for another quick, easy adoption, but you never know with adoption.

Our new car

2008-08-27T07:54:00.000-04:00

We were not planning on getting a new car. At least not yet. We were going to wait until next summer, but then we saw a great deal and we couldn't pass it up. We are now the proud owners of a Mommy Mobile (aka a minivan). We got a base model 08 town and country. It doesn't have any of the cool features that you see in the commercials but it has all the space we could possibly need (or at least we hope it's all the space we could possibly need since it has to last for 10 years). I already love driving it!

OUCH!

2008-08-21T12:36:00.000-04:00

I can be such a klutz sometimes. I was at a friend's house for a play date carnival and tripped on the cement patio. I fell and scrapped up my entire left leg. My knee, my leg, my ankle, and my big toe. At least if there was a place to fall and get hurt it was at a play date with lots of other moms on hand. They all jumped into action and got me cleaned up in no time, lol!

Memories

2008-08-11T12:26:00.001-04:00

Alright, this seems to be the "trend" going around the blogs I stalk. So now of course I have to do it too. However since I haven't given this blog addy to anyone I will have to do some foot work and write my memories to everyone else first so they know where to find me.

1. Leave a comment on my blog, one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you.

So neglecting this blog

2008-07-24T11:16:00.000-04:00

I am totally neglecting this blog. I feel like everything I want to blog about belongs on Nathan's blog, since it's usually about him. So if you are one of the few people that read this blog, I apologize, but if you really want to read about what's going on check Nathan's blog, www.growingupnathanmichael.blogspot.com.

We've become addicted

2008-07-06T00:46:00.000-04:00

to facebook! So just randomly Jon and I (separately I might add) decided to join facebook and there is just so much to it we are fighting (well not really, we've been pretty civil about it) over who gets to use the computer. It's been fun so far. Michelle has talked with a few friends that she hasn't seen or spoken to in over 7 years.

It's done!!!!!

2008-07-05T00:01:00.001-04:00

Well for all intents and purposes it is done. What could I possibly be getting so excited about? Our deck. We started building it in 2006 and it is now essentially done. We have to do a few things to it, like the skirt (lattice) and water seal it, but the railing is done and we can now let Nathan on the deck without being in an arms reach. I'll take some pics and post them soon!

And another blog added to my list

2008-07-02T18:11:00.001-04:00

OK so Nathan has his own blog but I decided sometimes I want to write about the whole family. So here it is another blog that I have to maintain. I must be crazy. For now I am just adding some blogs of friends, family, and a few others I blog stalk, it's nice to have all the links in one place.