The Joe Taylor Family

Spring is here...

2010-03-28T21:30:00.022-05:00

March Madness is in full swing...Duke Blue Devils are in The Final Four. Daddy is very excited. Both girls are decorated in their Duke Blue...no brainwashing here!!

Ava showing her Blue Devil pride.

Emma is cheering on the Cameron Crazies...She is decked out in her Duke shirt.

Emma...Ava...Aunt T...and I enjoyed a fun day at the Shoppes while playing games...visiting with the Easter Bunny and playing on the CAT equipment. Emma loves to play on the tractors.

Ava's first visit with the Easter Bunny. :)

Emma enjoyed having her face painted...she had fun choosing a pink heart.

Ava has found her tongue...she is quite proud of herself...it is pretty cute. ha :)

Even more proud moments...Ava is completely exercising all muscles as she is on the move crawling fast following after her sister and especially pulling up on everything. It is very exciting as she isn't even ten months yet and already just about walking. It won't be long. So...as you can see Ava is pulling up in her bed...daily she thinks that when it is nap time and bed time she should be pulling up standing. I guess she isn't too young to teach her how to sleep standing up. LOL

We have really enjoyed the warm sunshine and being able to open a few windows during the day. Ava pulled up to the window in the door for the first time...had to catch a picture.

Over the weekend Daddy and Emma completed a project together...painting a birdhouse. Emma TOTALLY enjoyed picking out each color and painting the pieces for the birdhouse. It was pretty cool to watch her be so attentive to one project for such an extended amount of time.

Still painting...! :)

Daddy assembling the birdhouse.

Getting ready to hang the birdhouse in just the right spot.

Emma took a little break after completing her project.

Daddy says...is this spot OK??

Since we have had a few warm days with beautiful sunshine...it was time for Daddy to pull out the slide and rock wall from the shed after the long cold winter. Daddy and Emma had to use their tools to hook the rock wall up to the swingset.

Emma. :)

Ava. :)

A couple of weekends ago we traveled back to Joe's hometown for a fun birthday party at the bowling lanes. Emma had an absolute ball bowling her little heart out. She is a bowling pro. :)

Emma...after MANY games of bowling. :)

The family. Love these girlies. Daddy too. :)

Emma's Pre-K class went to the Zoo a couple of weeks ago. Emma had such a fun time. Africa is simply amazing.

On the walkway enjoying the view overlooking Africa.

Mr. Lion.

Emma posing with the Sea Lion.

Ava...simply amazing. :)

9 months...

2010-03-07T21:02:00.004-06:00

Happy New Year...2010 here we come...!

2010-01-02T11:32:00.013-06:00

Looking back on 2009...we have sure experienced many ups and downs as the year has passed. Joe and I have never been stronger for all that we have endured. We are extremely blessed as we have such an incredible support system in our family and close friends.
Looking back to the spring we were wading in water for two months until our de-watering system was installed in May. We never would have made it through this time without Joe's dad making countless trips back and forth from Alpha to Peoria during the day...Uncle John and Papa Spriggs tending to the vacs during the evening hours. Not to mention Joe's true spirit of taking care of our family. I have always known that he is built of strength...but, he displayed pure loyalty...perserverance...not quitting until he got the job done. During this time I started having problems with my gall-bladder while being 8 months pregnant.
Once June came we were so excited for Baby Ava to make her grand entrance. Little did we know our strength and perserverance would be tested once again. We marveled at the pure blessing of having the Children's Hospital of Illinois right in our backyard as Ava had an extended stay in the NICU after her birth for over a week. During this time we were very thankful for Grandma and Papa Berry to keep Emma in their care while we focused our attention to Ava. Bringing Ava home from the hospital was a true miracle.
Soon the summer months would zoom by and my gall-bladder would come out the middle of July. Whew...I was never so happy to have that taken care of. :) We won't ever forget calling Aunt T in the middle of the night to come be with the girls while Joe and I went to the ER after having multiple gall-bladder attacks. What a blessing the Myatt's are to our family.
Joe and I wondered if 2009 would seem normal again. Things did seem to slow down...although still never forgetting the blessing of having a job...a roof over our head...and two beautiful daughters. Emma started preschool the beginning of September...we were once again testing our strength as Emma was sick for nearly two weeks...then daddy and mommy and then Ava. We all got better then it all started again. You sometimes take insurance...medicine...good doctors for granted...until you completely rely on them...turning to them for their guidance, advice, care. Joe's Grandpa Johnson turned 90 years old this September...how amazing. November would bring 9 years of wedded bliss for Joe and I. We also said good-bye to my Cousin Andrew as he headed off overseas until this coming summer. Everyday we thank God for watching over him and protecting him from harm.
Spending time with family during Thanksgiving and Christmas was simply priceless. We tend to forget that the simple things in life like time with the ones you love...hugs...kisses are what makes us.
Once again we thank God for another year...a crazy year filled with wonder...testing our will...strength...feeling more blessed than ever before. Joe and I look forward to 2010...wondering what is in store...excited to watch our girls grow and develop...spend more time with family and friends. I am sure I have forgotten someone or something...know that all who touch our family is truly a blessing to us. We are who we are because of you. Here are a few pics from the past couple of weeks during Christmas. PS...today our miracle baby Ava is seven months. Where...just where does the time go??

Emma and Ava visiting with Santa before his big arrival.

Emma enjoyed making this gingerbread house given to her by Grandma and Grandpa Horstman.

Ava with her Santa hat...what a cutie. :)

Papa Taylor and Grandma Ruth & Papa Spriggs came to Emma's School Christmas program. Ava enjoyed spending time with her Grandparents too. :)

Grandma Ruth and Papa Spriggs with Emma after her Christmas program.

Papa Berry with Emma and Ava on Christmas Eve.

Ava enjoying some time in the saucer while everyone opened their gifts.

Emma and Mommy.

Good thing Emma was a good girl and on the nice list this year. :)

Daddy was very excited that Santa brought Emma her own set of "tools" for Christmas. Now the two of them can "fix" things together. :)

This is now become a tradition that Santa leaves Emma and now Ava...a bell under the Christmas tree at Papa and Grandma Spriggs house. Believe...

Emma and Aunt Emily...! :)

Grandma Berry with Ava.

These three girls had so much fun at Papa and Grandma Taylor's house for Christmas. Can't wait for next Christmas and the one after that...etc. Memories waiting to be created. :)

Four generations...

Papa Taylor and Ava. (I am sure you are struggling to see the resemblence...ha!). :)

So fun...first Christmas Baby Leah...Aunt Jennifer, Uncle Jimmy and Cousin Leah! :)

Emma and Daddy found some time to play in the snow before the bitter cold hit.

Ava has now found her feet...so fun. :)

Emma was given this cool book shelf from Papa and Berry for Christmas. We have created a reading corner in her room. She is in heaven. If you can't find Emma...she is usually reading her books and listening to her cd's.

Today we celebrate Ava being 7 months old. What a cutie! :)

Emma and Ava...beautiful girls.

Santa Baby...

2009-12-16T22:26:00.004-06:00

The past week has been quite a blur...but very festive and fun. The first weekend of December we celebrated the start of the Christmas season with our 4th Annual Progressive Dinner. My cousin caught this great photo of Ava...simply adorable! We are sure blessed with two beautiful presents for Christmas...who could ask for anything more...Emma and Ava! :)
Last week was filled with appointments for Ava as she has hit the six month mark...re-checking for developmental milestones and physical development. She is doing really well...growing perfectly...developing beautifully!
This past weekend we enjoyed a beautiful evening with my grandparents and family for a Christmas celebration. Emma and Ava really enjoyed being with Grandma and Grandpa Horstman and Lori and Nichele.
This week Ava has had two more appointments. Emma heads to the dentist for a re-check tomorrow in the AM. We are also very excited for her School Christmas program tomorrow. Papa Taylor and Grandma and Grandpa Spriggs will be coming. Hopefully the next few days will bring a few extra minutes so I can post more pics. :)
This weekend the girls and I will travel to Grandma Berry's house for our annual Christmas Cookie baking day. Trying to find the time to finish the ever growing mountain of laundry...keep up with the dishes...not to mention wrap the many Christmas presents that need attention. Hmmm?? OH yeah...Emma will have two weeks of school off...Yippee!! :)
Looking for

Holiday Happenings...!!

2009-12-05T22:56:00.011-06:00

December has been full of fun events even thought it is only the 5th day! Emma got to see Santa this past week...(Ava was asleep in the stroller). Emma was very excited to tell Santa that she loves Cinderella. :) This picture says to me..."Santa...I want it all!!" Oh to be three again.

Santa was very patient with Emma. Emma was able to find out that the little girl's name that Emma is sharing her pacifier with is Baby Jennifer. After Emma fell down a couple of steps early in November...she had to quit the paci cold turkey. We told her that Santa would take her paci and share it with a little baby who needed it more. :)

Tonight was our families 4th Annual Progressive Christmas Dinner. We always look forward to eating yummy food and enjoying each other's holiday decorations.

On Wednesday of this week...Emma's dance class performed for a Christmas party. Instead of having a dance lesson the group met for a performance at the American Legion. Grandma Ruth got to come along too. Emma had a lot of fun. She liked her new Christmas tutu with jingle bells. :)

A couple of Emma's dance teachers...Miss Mesia, Miss Debby and Emma! :)

After Thanksgiving we surprised Emma with tickets to see Playhouse Disney Live at the Civic Center for an afternoon show. Ava got to stay with Berry while we enjoyed the show. Emma really liked the performance.

Beautiful girlies...we love their smiles!! :)

Emma and Ava love to hang out in mommy and daddy's bed for morning cartoons on the weekends. :)

A picture of Emma's lip after she fell down a couple of steps at Aunt Sue's. Her top tooth went through her bottom lip causing to have a fat bottom lip. We soon discovered that her top tooth had been pushed back causing to have a fat top lip too. After two trips to the dentist...we learned that she would be ok. It is likely the tooth may need to come out before it actually falls out. She was such a big girl. We were very proud of her. She loves going to the dentist. Who would have thought! :)

Sisters...! :)

Over the Thanksgiving weekend we enjoyed a full day at the Taylor's. We spent all day Saturday in Alpha...hanging with cousin Leah and the gang. It was such a beautiful day we even took a walk outside. Here is daddy with all three cousins.

Cousin Leah...she has such a fun smile...laughing too!! :)

Joe...Ava...Leah!

Ava...what beautiful blue eyes! :) Just like her daddy's.

Cousin Leah is a movin' and a groovin' these days. She was crawling and pulling up like crazy. It is so fun to see her growing so fast...!

Emma loves to use her "tools" at Papa Taylor's house. She has her own workbench and set of tools to play with.

Emma loves to hold Cousin Leah.

Happy Emma!

All three cousins...lovin' one another! :)

Emma, Uncle Jimmy, and Cousin Leah!

Halloween Fun...

2009-10-30T16:53:00.006-05:00

Fall Festival Fun

2009-10-22T07:01:00.010-05:00

What a fun day...!! Emma had a Fall Festival at school yesterday. Mommy and Daddy got to go to school with her too.

Four months of fun!

2009-10-08T12:51:00.007-05:00

3 months today!

2009-09-08T21:42:00.005-05:00

Today Ava is officially 3 months old. Wow...how time flies when you are having fun. :) It has been a joy to watch Ava lately as she is really holding her head up well...cooing at us all the time...smiling constantly...just seeming to love life. Today we attempted an at home photo session with mommy as the photographer and Emma as the photographers assistant...helping to get Ava to smile. :)
Ava was at the neurologist last week...she passed the exam with flying colors. Dr. Jennings is very pleased with her development so far. We will get to see Miss Nancy the next time...since she is doing so well. We continue to pray daily that Ava meets her developmental milestones.
This week has been a little crazy...Emma was in school two days last week and has already come down with something. Fever started Saturday and symptoms have progressively gotten worse...she will see the Dr. in the morning. Praying that she doesn't share her germs with Ava.

Ava loves bath time...it is fun to watch her smile and enjoy her bath! Check out that cute belly button! :)

Today while taking pictures of Ava...Emma felt that she needed to strike the same pose as Ava and have her picture taken. Well of course!! So...here she is...headband and all. :) Gotta love being three.

Couldn't resist sharing this cute pic...Daddy and Ava sacked out on the couch...catching a few zzzz's...!! :)

Day of Firsts...

2009-09-02T21:09:00.006-05:00

What a day...!! Emma started preschool this morning...she goes to school Monday thru Thursday from 9:00 - 11:30. She had a fun day with her new teacher and meeting new friends. It will be good to get into a routine...correlating Ava's morning feeding with getting off to school on time and then picking Emma back up again. Emma also started dance lessons for the first time today. She really seemed to like both the tap class and tumbling class. I am looking forward to the growth and development over the next few months. It is quite surreal taking Emma to dance as I was a student and then a teacher at the same studio for a combination of 17 years. In addition to a crazy day already...Ava had her 2 month shots this afternoon. She and Daddy have been sacked out on the couch since 8:30. :)

Emma eating a go-gurt, peach and canadian bacon for breakfast on her first day of school.

Emma standing at the gate...ready to go. All the while saying...enough pictures already mom! On Wednesdays we take our school bag and dance bag. Is Emma too young to call her "the bag lady?" My Grandpa once called me this when I would come home from teaching. LOL

Emma loves her new "Tink" book bag.

Emma in the van watching her movie before heading to school. Our drive is about 10 min. Wonder what would happen if we had to listen to the radio. haha

Miss Erney and Emma...her new teacher.

Ms. Debby and Emma...Emma's new dance teacher. This is Debby's 40th year of teaching. We are so excited to be a part of this exciting year.

Emma sitting on the tumbling mat waiting for her class to begin.

Emma outside standing in front of the "Debby's School of Dance" sign.

12 Weeks old...we have come very far...!!

2009-08-31T11:09:00.006-05:00

Today Ava is 12 weeks old...how incredible!! :) We are so blessed with two beautiful girls. Ava is sleeping through the night, eating very well, and so fun to watch these days. She is full of smiles...talking up a storm and enjoying her play mat, swing, and bouncy seat. Ava is so versatile...sleeps just about anywhere...sleeps through ALL kinds of noise (as you can imagine)...and still takes her medicine with a bottle and then nurses. We can't ask for anything more...we pray that her development continues right on track. We pray for positive doctor visits and positive PT evals too. Here are a few pics that we have taken over the last few days. It is hard to choose just a few...enjoy! :)

Lots of pics post...!!

2009-08-14T15:54:00.006-05:00

100th Post...!

2009-07-19T22:21:00.007-05:00

This past week has been a crazy but exciting week!! Early in the AM Wednesday Joe had to take me to the ER as I had another gallbladder attack. I was admitted on Wednesday morning and kept overnight as I was scheduled to have surgery on Thursday at 1:30pm. I ended up having surgery at 10:45 that morning and was back to the room by 1:30pm. Came home that evening. All is well. I am feeling great and getting stronger each day. I will continue with the lowfat diet and begin introducing foods slowly back into my diet. Papa and Berry had Emma come visit for a few days while I was recovering from surgery. It was wonderful to know that she was in such great care. We are so blessed with such great family and friends. As you can see from the pictures she just loves to be at Papa and Berry's house. :) She enjoyed picking berry's, taking walks with Carson and Papa, playing in the sand, looking for chipmunks and eating Berry's wonderful cooking. :)
Joe is headed back to work tomorrow. He is ready for a break from all the hard labor of working outside this week. In between hospital runs...he filled dirt in around the foundation in the front yard, dug a new trench and laid a new tile in the backyard along the foundation and raked dirt in many holes and low spots around the yard. Even though he didn't complete his long list of jobs...he worked very hard to get done what he could. I am very proud of all the manual labor and hard hours he has put in to make our home better.
Amidst me being in the hospital, Joe took Ava to the neurologist on Thursday for her first appointment. She is doing really well and growing like crazy. The Dr. was pleased with her progress and will see her the beginning of Sept. We will continue to keep a close eye on her medicine levels with periodic blood checks.

Emma and Carson looking down a chipmunk hole...where are you little chipmunk??

Tea party in the tent!

2009-07-13T20:18:00.004-05:00

Joe is on "vacation" this week courtesy of "CAT" shutdown week. He set the tent up in the backyard for Emma to play in while he is home. She has really enjoyed having tea parties in the tent with Daddy. It is great for snack time too. :)

Ava is so much fun to take pictures of. She is such a cutie. We love her so much.

This past Friday we were surprised to have our good friends stop by to see us. Here Cheridan and Emma are enjoying a ride on "Hoddy the horse!"

Science in the Summer...

2009-07-13T20:01:00.006-05:00

The past week has been filled with a few summer science discoveries. I spotted this Imperial Moth on our Sycamore tree in the front yard. From a distance I wasn't quite sure what type of "bug" it was. After doing some "close-up" investigation...I quickly discovered these "two" bugs were mating! :) The moths "stuck" around for a good part of the afternoon and evening and then they were on their way.

Joe discovered this cicada on the side of his sawhorse. It was pretty fascinating as it was just coming out of his outer skeleton. The wings were so irridescent in color. How cool...!!

Emma discovered this beautiful "butterfly" in the backyard. We are so proud of her because she says butterfly so clearly...with all three syllables. :)

Fishin' on the 4th...!

2009-07-13T19:38:00.008-05:00

Joe with his cousins, Mike and Dan! It rained for 6 hours but it was worth it. We actually caught 11 catfish. Thanks to Matt Anderson for letting us fish. It really brought back some really great memories for me. It was great to see Matt after many years too!

9 catfish...Notice the one with the lure in it's mouth...Long story short...It's the catfish that broke Mike's line and I later caught. I told Mike that I could catch fish anywhere in the pond!

The two Dan caught.

The one Mike caught.

We made it to four weeks already!! :)

2009-07-10T15:54:00.004-05:00

Life has been an absolute joy to have our two girls with us for the past four weeks. Aside from a couple of gallbladder attacks...life is sweet with our miracle babies. Here is Baby Ava at four weeks. She is starting to loose the newborn "look". :) Ava has already gained two pounds since being born. She had her blood levels tested earlier this week...Ava's med schedule needed to change due to her great weight gain. Otherwise Ava has been doing awesome. Sleeping well, eating well, staying awake, etc. Emma is starting to come off her meds. She will be completely off by the middle of August. We pray she does well and has no more seizures.

Baby Ava at four weeks.

How could anyone resist taking this shot. Emma has just pure joy for her baby sister Ava. She is in love with her. Here they were hangin' out on Emma's bed.

Emma LOVES to hold her baby sister Ava. More than mommy wants to probably deal with. LOL

A quick pic I took today of Ava in her bouncy seat. She is too cute!! :)

Three weeks of pure blessings...!

2009-06-29T14:58:00.009-05:00

Ava is three weeks today. We are so blessed to have her with us. We can't imagine life without her.

Emma is such a great Big Sister. She loves her baby sister Ava. Emma showers her with kisses and gentle touches all day long.

Uncle John surprised Emma with a new "tractor". It needed a little TLC...between Grandpa Bud, Uncle John, and Daddy...it is up and running like new. Emma is in love with her new ride. I knew she was growing like crazy...didn't know she was old enough to drive already. LOL

Daddy with his flower girl at Cousin Dan's wedding.

Emma has loved being outside this past week playing in her pool and running around her new whale.

Momma with her two girls. :)

Daddy and Uncle Jimmy with the Taylor girls. Emma, Baby Ava, and Cousin Leah.

Great Grandpa and Great Grandma visiting with Emma and Ava.

Birthday Surprise

2009-05-25T16:41:00.003-05:00

On Sunday, Daddy treated Emma and I to breakfast before shopping for Emma's birthday surprise. We thought it would be great fun to surprise Emma with a sandbox for her birthday. It fits perfectly under her swingset...slide. She was in seventh heaven once it was filled with sand and a few toys. An hour and a half later we finally got her to come inside for some lunch and a cold drink. :) We know for sure she will enjoy it so much this summer.

Kiss Goodnight

2009-05-25T16:38:00.003-05:00

Emma has made the transition to her big girl bed like a champion. She has been sleeping in it for an entire week now. We are very proud of her. Emma is ready for her baby sister to arrive and share her old room with her. :)

Happy Mother's Day 09

2009-05-10T05:54:00.005-05:00

Yesterday was the start to Mother's Day weekend for the Taylor family. Emma and mommy enjoyed the day with all the women at Race for the Cure while daddy drove to Alpha to be with the Taylor family for the annual car show and a cookout. It was a beautiful day...somewhat windy and a tad cool at times.

Emma loved seeing the clowns. Especially getting a sticker.

A couple of pics with Aunt Emily and mommy.

The reason for our fight against breast cancer...survivors Great-Grandma Spriggs and Grandma Berry. Here they are marching in the survivor parade.

Cathy and Ruth amongst the many survivors.

Emma and Great Grandma having a quiet moment during the survivor song.

Emma loved being at the race. She walked for a little bit then spotted mommy on the sidelines and made a bee-line to get to me. :)

While daddy was in Alpha he got to see Baby Leah. Here are a few pics of cute Baby Leah Kay. She is growing so much. She will be four weeks on the 11th.

Basement Dewatering System

2009-05-10T05:04:00.008-05:00

Not that we want to remember the countless hours Joe (and a few others) spent bailing water out of our basement for two months...but, many of you have asked how the basement is doing. The basement is dry...Yipee!! We still have a TON of work to do to get it back like we remember. Here are a few pics Joe captured during the two and a half day process. This is a pic of the remaining furniture and "stuff" in the basement...all covered in plastic and now "dust and dirt!"

Pic of bathroom wall trench. We will have to replace a few ceramic tiles and of course put the toilet back in.

This is the storage closet trench. Notice the water in each pic of the trench pics. As soon as the trench was dug water started pouring through the openings. It was truly amazing that once the pressure was released the water started searching for the sump pump. That was the goal. :)

Pic of sump pump in the laundry room. As you can see we have quite a mess to clean up as the floor is very dirty, dusty, muddy. Not to mention replace the carpet tiles and have the carpet cleaned.

This part of the job was quite a pain as the guys had to jackhammer under the stairs and burrow through the bottom step. Here you can see the trench going through to the other side. This was not one of their favorite parts.

A pic of the drainage tile running throughout the trench.

I included this pic of the drainage tile because you can see the many roots that they had to jackhammer through. We are sure these roots played a huge part in the current drainage tile around the house to be clogged.

In this pic the rolls of white corrugated plastic was inserted up against the walls to keep future rain water from damaging the walls...it is supposed to find its way down to the drainage tile.

A pic of the trench in the laundry room...again another area they had to burrow between rooms.

Two lines leading to the sump pump. Our newest love!!
Once the tile was put in place, gravel was poured over the top and new cement finished off the project.

Easter '09

2009-04-28T22:51:00.006-05:00

I am a little behind in posting current happenings. Other than I just haven't taken the time...I will blame it on our flooded basement. LOL
Easter was a few weeks ago...seems like a blur as we have been battling water since March 8. Emma received this bunny from our neighbors next door...she enjoyed waking up with him Easter morning.

It was pretty cold Easter morning...the Easter Bunny decided to have an egg hunt in her new room. She loved it! She found each egg one by one...opening them one by one and emptying them one by one. Mommy and Daddy were great encouragers to collect a few at a time. LOL

After searching her entire room for eggs...Emma finally found her Easter Basket hidden in the closet. It was pretty funny as she probably spotted it many times but waited till all the eggs were found. haha

At Grandma and Grandpa Berry's house...the Easter Bunny visited as well. Mommy's camera battery decided to stop just after only a couple of pictures. Here Aunt Emily surprised Emma with a Tinkerbell Lamb for Easter. Complete with pixie dust sound effects and all. Emma was quite excited to say the least.

Emma attended the church Easter Egg Hunt for the 2nd year in a row. She had so much fun. It was quite a stitch as she was more interested in running down the hill ever before she realized she should be picking up eggs.

Once she started picking up eggs...her basket filled up pretty quickly.

Welcome Cousin Leah Kay...!!

2009-04-12T13:01:00.002-05:00

Leah Kay came into the world at 4:24am Saturday, April 11, 2009. Aunt Jennifer and Uncle Jimmy are sooo excited that she is finally here.

Uncle Joe got to see her on Saturday afternoon. We are practing with Emma to say..."Leah." :)

Spring has arrived...well, kind of...!!

2009-04-07T14:50:00.009-05:00

Spring is here...!! The last month has been quite a whirlwind for our family. We started with water in our basement on March 8th...finally got it dried out over a week later. Then...we were blessed to have more water invade our basement March 25th. We are still battling the effects of that invasion. Amidst all the water issues we have been trying to get Emma's new room ready before the baby comes. As well as find new homes for all my scrapbooking, craft, stuff!!
Another exciting moment we have had to combat was a night for me in the hospital. After having suffered a gallbladder attack...we discovered I have multiple gallstones. Now I get to enjoy a bland/lowfat diet with a previcid twice a day. We couldn't have made it through that weekend without Grandma and Grandpa Berry, Grandma and Grandpa Taylor, Uncle John, Aunt Tina, Toni and Erin. My gallbladder will come out after the baby arrives.
OH...a little more craziness to report...our washer decided to die a few days ago. Joe was able to get that problem fixed quickly and wouldn't you know it we have a new one in place as I type. :)
We are happy to report that the water problem will be fixed soon. (not soon enough though!). April 30-May 1 we have a crew coming to put a de-watering system in along with a sump pump. Before that can happen we have to have the basement pretty much cleared out. We will be getting a POD storage box this Friday to begin filling it with the 55 tubs of "stuff" we have in the basement storage room. Anyone free Good Friday and want to help...come on over. :) Once the basement is clear we will then cover the rest of whatever with plastic and hope that things survive the jackhammer. We have been so blessed with such great family to help with the water. Grandpa Taylor has spent many days driving back and forth to help us keep up with the water while Joe has needed to be at work. Grandpa Spriggs has spent afternoons and evenings helping out also to relieve Grandpa Taylor and so Joe could sleep before his late night shift began. Uncle John has been a huge help as well to keep Joe company and offer a hand when needed. I of course feel helpless as I can't really do a whole lot right now. It has been a real challenge for me to just sit and watch Joe take this battle on. He has been such a trooper. I am so proud of him and how strong he has been through this whole ordeal. We have had but just a couple of disagreements over the past month. This has been a true test of our relationship.
We are extremely blessed to have Aunt Tina helping us with the painting of Emma's new room. She has spent two days of her Spring Break painting the room and getting it ready for Emma. Emma is thrilled...she tells us that Aunt T is "paint"...and expresses that it is for "me". Once the painting is done we will bring a twin bed from Grandma and Grandpa Berry's house for Emma to sleep in.
We are definitely looking forward to what the rest of April brings...a new baby for Uncle Jimmy and Aunt Jennifer...we will be waiting on the edge of our seats for Leah Kay to arrive what seems like any day now. We are also excited for Grandpa Bud and Grandma Shirley to be heading home from Florida. We expect them sometime next week. Emma's neurology appt. is next Wednesday...we are hoping for news that we can start taking Emma off her meds.
Here are a few pics taken over the last few weeks. We will say that seeing Emma's smiling face each day is what keeps us going. Even though her world has been turned upside down as well with very few toys to play with and many more moments of discipline she still loves life and everyone around her.

Emma was soooo excited to color "egg" today. She was such a big helper. :)

Emma loves wrapping up with her bunny towel after bathtime. Hippity Hoppity Easter is on it's way!! :)

Grandma and Grandpa Berry went to Florida to visit Aunt Kate and Uncle Phil. One of the fun souvenirs they brought were a new pair of pink shades.

Emma is getting so big so fast. She loves to swing now by herself.

Budding Picasso

2009-03-15T14:38:00.003-05:00

Thankfully last week has come and gone. I am not sure how much more of the humming vacuum...fan lullaby...or condensation filled windows I can take. Joe discovered water coming in the basement bathroom a week ago tonight...and it is still trickling in. Ugh!! He has worked so hard this week to keep our basement from being completely flooded. Thanks to the many wet-dry vacs...many borrowed fans...and helping hands of Uncle John, Grandpa Taylor, and Grandpa Spriggs we for sure wouldn't have made it through the week.
On a "normal" week night...Joe usually takes Emma downstairs after dinner to play games and watch their favorite show...Wheel of Fortune. As for me...I take the time to clean up the kitchen, etc. Since Daddy has been working in the basement after dinner, Emma and I have come up with other activities to pass the time. As you can see...we have a budding Picasso on our hands. Emma has discovered water color paints for the first time. She loved it!!

Not only is painting on paper a ton of fun...but body painting is just as exciting. Translation: Bath time to follow painting.

Couldn't resist...

2009-03-09T23:17:00.002-05:00

After a long day of basement de-watering...I couldn't resist sharing these funny but very cute pics of Emma eating chocolate pudding at Grandma Berry's. On Friday...when the weather was an absolute gorgeous 69 degree temp day Emma and I headed to Grandma and Grandpa Berry's for lunch and time outside.

Emma and Joe in the snow!

2009-02-21T12:37:00.007-06:00

Happy 20-20 Birthday Daddy!

2009-02-12T22:03:00.006-06:00

Tonight 15 crazy party goers(family and friends)stormed Flat Top Grill to celebrate Joe's 40th Birthday!! Joe had a great time...enjoyed a yummy stir fry and delicious chocolate cake...not to mention the many fun cards and great gifts. Thanks to everyone for such a fun Birthday celebration.

Emma totally enjoyed the birthday cake.

Emma wiping her face off after a delicious piece of cake.

Isn't my hubby a handsome forty year old?! I think so. :)

Emma and Cousin Cate enjoying Joe's birthday party.

Fun Times in February

2009-02-08T12:12:00.007-06:00

After two long weeks of Emma being sick at the end of January, we are glad that she is back to her happy self. Not much has been happening here. Emma still LOVES going to school with her friends and seeing Miss Stacy once a week for speech. Emma has really started to add to her vocabulary...adding new words all the time. You might not necessarily understand...but, she is at least attempting new words. It is coming...we can just feel it. :)

Daddy is so crazy about Duke that Emma gets all "Duked" out when he comes home on game day. They watch the game together and cheer on the Blue Devils.

Last week Daddy had a business meeting after work so Emma and Mommy met Grandma and Grandpa Berry for dinner.

Lovin' Sunday morning...hanging out watching cartoons and drinking my juice. Of course...baby has to be in on all the action too. :)

There is no doubt that Emma is going to be a GREAT big sister.

Being silly...sitting on the kitchen floor.

We love short tail the squirrel. She comes right to the door to ask for corn.

'09 Update

2009-01-21T13:41:00.005-06:00

It has almost been a month since I last posted. We rang in the new year with a bang...nothing too exciting. Played Candyland with Emma and Wii with Daddy.
A week ago Monday we had an 18 week appt. with Dana and got to see another sonogram. We were thrilled to find out we are having another girl in June. All is well in baby land. I am finally starting to feel normal again...still a little problem with certain foods. We treated both of our parents to dinner Monday night to share the great news.
That same night Emma woke us both up at midnight with what would be the start of a very trying week and a half. After an eventful night (I will spare you with all the details) I took her to the Dr. on Tuesday being diagnosed with croup. Whew...I don't wish that on any child. After a few days of coughing, and many sleepless nights, she started different symptoms and running a fever again over the weekend. Back to the Dr. on Monday and now leaving with a diagnosis of an ear infection and the beginnings of pneumonia. Oh, I forgot to mention that they were sending Emma to the hospital to be admitted for the night. Ugh!! What a start to the week. I am thrilled to report that Emma does seem to be back to herself with a cough still. She was up only once last night. She is taking meds and starting to eat a little more. We will go the Dr. next week for a follow up appt.
Over the weekend Grandma Berry celebrated her birthday...of course I forgot to take pics. Grandpa Bud will have knee surgery tomorrow. We pray that he will have a quick recovery. Not much else to report.
Here are a couple of Christmas pics that I didn't get posted.

Emma opening her stocking from Santa.

A new stroller for Emma's baby.

Daddy and Emma drawing on her new easel.

Holiday Happenings

2008-12-22T14:09:00.001-06:00

Ho Ho Ho...Says Santa!

2008-12-18T19:56:00.004-06:00

Today we were excited to have Daddy home now until the end of the year. He is on vacation until Jan. 5th. After going to Emma's school conference we made our way to the mall to visit Santa. Emma loved waiting in line to see Santa. She was so excited to see him. Emma was even more excited to ride the train. Mommy rode the train too. This I can say was a first for me. Even mommy's can ride the train. LOL

Tis' the Season

2008-12-14T12:26:00.002-06:00

December is about half over...can't believe how fast it has gone. This past week I had something each night from Tuesday thru Friday. It was nice to have nothing going on this weekend. We are just about done shopping...a few more presents to wrap. Joe will work two days this week and be off till the end of the year. He had a few vacation days to spend. :) Emma is enjoying the sights and sounds of the season. She loves the lights and decorations. She has added a few new words to her vocabulary...lights, toys, ho ho ho, just a few to mention. Emma LOVES the movie The Polar Express. I have been feeling much better...still having a few issues with high blood pressure and frequent headaches. The baby has been checked many times and seems to be doing very well. We will be visiting Santa some time this week...will post pics soon. We are excited to continue the countdown till Santa arrives.

Catch up

2008-11-20T11:47:00.006-06:00

The last few weeks have been pretty uneventful other than the fact I have not felt great. The all day sickness does seem to be getting better although I just want it to go away! This past weekend Joe and I were able to get out of town for a few days and enjoy some much needed together time. Emma had a wonderful time at Grandma and Grandpa Berry's with Carson. As you can see from the pictures we enjoyed a day at Lambeau Field watching the Bears - Packers Game. We won't talk about who won...but, we did have a great time tailgaiting before the game and of course sitting inside to watch the game. I had never been to a pro football game...this was Joe's 2nd game. It was definitely an experience we will never forget. So amazing!! :)

At the game each ticket holder received a foam stick...perfect for Emma! :) Unfortunately it advertises the wrong team. LOL

Here we are tailgating...it seemed like only a block away from the stadium. Such a treat.

Great friends Spike and Kecia.

Before the start of the game these three helicopters did a fly...over!

At halftime this flag was displayed. Such a beautiful spectacle.

Emma has discovered a new game (sorry for the diaper shot)...Emma has figured out that the pillows on the couch lift up. She has found it to be a fun game to hide under the pillows and have her baby and whoever else hide as well. Oh to be a 2 1/2 year old again.

Joe and I celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary on November 4...Joe surprised me with these beautiful flowers.

Grandma Spriggs birthday was November 3.

Have you heard...??

2008-11-02T21:30:00.003-06:00

October 8th changed our lives...we found out we are expecting again!! :) I arranged for Aunt Tina to watch Emma so I could share the good news with Joe over dinner. We treated ourselves to Basta for the evening. Joe was thoroughly excited and was already planning. (Imagine that!). LOL Everything is going smoothly...with the exception of me experiencing morning sickness pretty much all day. Ugghh!! :) All good things come to those who wait...no pain, no gain. haha I didn't have morning sickness with Emma...so this has been a shock to the system. :) We are officially 8 1/2 weeks as of this post. The due date is June 12, 2009. (The same day Emma was due) CRAZY!! :) Joe refers to the baby as BOY...everyday! haha
We are excited for Emma to be a big sister...she will be such a great helper and share her kisses.

Happy Halloween 2008

2008-11-01T10:24:00.003-05:00

Halloween was such a fun night. Emma had a blast trick-or-treating with her cousins & Daddy at Grandma and Grandpa's house. She was such a trooper carrying her pumpkin, lantern, and walking the whole way. We love spending Halloween at Grandma and Grandpa's house.

Emma was a tomato for Halloween. I made her costume from an idea out of a magazine...I was happy with how it turned out. :)

We have the joy of looking forward to watching the tree across the street change colors every fall. It is just beautiful.

Randomness

2008-10-28T13:47:00.006-05:00

Last week Joe traveled to Charlotte, NC for a business trip. he was gone for a week. He gave a presentation at a conference.

While Joe was in NC, he took some time on Sunday afternoon to find the Lowe's Race Track.

Here is a neat picture showing the many row of seats.

After driving around the track he made his way to Hendrick Motorsports race shop and museum.

On one of the days we was able to enjoy a day of golf with other guys attending the conference. Here is a neat shot of the course very early in the morning. That specific morning they had experienced a hard frost and were unable to golf for about an hour.

Besides Joe traveling there really hasn't been too much going on. Not too many photo ops. LOL A couple of weeks ago Emma and I went to Grandma and Grandpa's for lunch. Here is Emma sitting on a little pumpkin stool. She is growing sooo fast.

Here is Grandpa and Grandma at our house outside with the pumpkins.

On a Friday that we didn't have MOPS, we met with my small group at Rainbow Play Systems. We were there for about an hour. Emma had an absolute ball. She LOVED running from slide to slide...swing to swing...climbing every ladder possible.

A couple of weeks ago Emma had her friend Cheridan over to play. The girls had a little breakfast and then it was play time. Of course we had to fit in snack time and a little TV time. LOL

Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-08T16:31:00.004-05:00

This afternoon we took a ride with Grandma Berry and Grandma & Grandpa Spriggs to Ackerman Farms. Emma had a great time picking out the perfect pumpkin. She loved pulling the wagon...visiting the goats and chickens...and enjoying the warm sun. In her mind I am sure she thinks..."I can't get there fast enough mom!" :)

Emma pulling the wagon to pick out a pumpkin.

I think this one is the most perfect one mom.

Emma loved pulling hay from the bale and throwing it in her wagon.

Grandpa and Emma walking to see the animals.

Grandma Berry and Emma going up to pay for the pumpkins.

Emma says...this pumpkin picking business is hard work mom...let's go! :) LOL

Mr. & Mrs. Terry...Happily Married! :)

2008-10-08T15:34:00.008-05:00

This past weekend was my sister's wedding...Aunt Kate got married to Uncle Phil at Grant Park in Galena. It was a magical setting...my sister was just stunning...all went off without a hitch. As you can see from the pictures Katy's gown was amazing...I know I have never seen a more beautiful bride than my sister. Phil and Katy (and my mom) worked very hard in planning such a wonderful weekend in Galena. The ceremony and reception were in Grant Park. We had a yummy dinner at Benjamin's on Main Street Friday night. Sunday wrapped up with a breakfast buffet and gifts. Emma was very good. We were blessed to have our good friends join us for the weekend with joining rooms at the hotel. Emma loved being able to spend time with Aunt Tina, Uncle John and Toni & Erin while mommy and daddy enjoyed the parties later in the evenings. :) Again...we are so thankful for such a wonderful weekend with many family and friends.

Mr. & Mrs. Terry being introduced at the reception.

The beautiful bride.

The back of Katy's gown.

Aunt Kate, Aunt Emily, and Emma. (Pre-dress picture!). LOL

Mom, Katy, & Dad

Sistas...Emily, Katy, & Alivia

Aunt Kate and the flower girl...Emma. :)

Emma making her way to the gazebo. Walking. (Yeah!).

Emma telling Uncle Phil it is ok to marry Aunt Kate. :)

Aunt Kate and Grandpa Berry walking down the aisle.

Aunt Kate, Grandpa Berry, Uncle Phil before heading up to the gazebo.

A view of the gazebo during the ceremony.

Uncle Phil and Emma gettin' down on the dance floor at the reception.

Emma shakin' it out on the dance floor.

At the rehearsal dinner Aunt Kate and Uncle Phil gave Emma a beautiful life like doll for being their flower girl. Emma has become quite the little mommy in caring for her new baby. As soon as we got home she put "Baby Emma" in the stroller and took her for a walk. Before I knew it...I saw Emma sitting on the kitchen floor reading books to her new baby. Sunday night we then set out a couple of blankets and tucked baby in for the night. As soon as Emma woke up Monday morning she had 15 books out on the floor and read each one to her new baby. Thank you Aunt Kate & Uncle Phil. :)

Announcing...It's Whats for Dinner Tonight

2008-09-19T22:14:00.002-05:00

The last couple of weeks have been somewhat uneventful. Other than the normal craziness of our lives with a 2yr. old running around our house. Joe is working like a crazy man at work. Emma is keeping me busy with her Play Group, Speech and MOPS. Grandpa got news today that he will head back to the hospital on Monday for two more stents. In three weeks or so he will have the last three stents put in place. We are thankful he doesn't have to have by-pass surgery. We do still ask for continued prayers as Grandpa gets his healthy heart back in order. :) We are anxiously waiting for Oct. 4...Aunt Kate's wedding.
I did want to introduce you to a new blog I have started. I have titled it...
"It's Whats for Dinner Tonight!" I hope you can find use out of it. I look forward to your comments and you sharing your recipes as well. We go into the weekend with plans to help Grandpa Bud close the pool for the summer. We will also head to the Taylor's on Sunday for Grandpa Johnson's birthday. An easy weekend is much needed in this neck of the woods.

Welcome Home Andrew...United States Marine

2008-08-30T18:01:00.005-05:00

Today was an exciting day for our family as we welcomed home our Cousin Andrew from Marine Boot Camp. He is an official United States Marine. He graduated in San Diego yesterday. He is home for 9 days. We are so proud of him and glad to see him after three long months.

Grandma and Grandpa with Andrew.

Andrew's Dad (Uncle Steve)...Uncle Steve Hutton...Andrew...three jarheads.

A new roof in one day

2008-08-30T17:52:00.007-05:00

Friday morning I was giving Emma a bath midmorning...looked outside around 11:00am and there was a whole crew of guys in our front yard ready to replace our roof. Joe took the day off to be here to supervise. :) As you can see our roof needed to be replaced...a new look. :)

The guys taking the old shingles off.

Daddy and Emma checking out the progress.

How cool...this arm sent the shingles right up to the guys.

After a long day of craziness...we are thrilled with our new roof...the color goes great with our sandstone siding.

Happy Birthday Aunt Emily & Aunt Sue!

2008-08-26T20:52:00.004-05:00

Today is Aunt Emily and Aunt Sue's birthday. We were delighted to have Aunt Emily home for the weekend to help celebrate her birthday. (We celebrated Aunt Sue's last weekend!). :) Aunt Emily is a few hours away...we hope she had a great day today.

Surprise Aunt Sue

2008-08-16T22:27:00.011-05:00

Today we celebrated Aunt Sue's 50th Birthday...a few days early...SURPRISE!! Aunt Sue, Mom, and Grandma shopped all day...shopping for wedding dresses. Little did Aunt Sue know she would return home tonight to a house full of family and friends to celebrate her 50th Birthday. We celebrated early since Aunt Sue and Uncle Steve will be in CA on the 26th...for Andrew's Marine Boot Camp Graduation.

Aunt Sue and Uncle Steve

Keeley (Andrew's friend), Aunt Sue, Laurie

Laurie worked very hard to pull off a "surprise" party. After playing three softball games today she prepared for Sue's party tonight. A great time was had by all. Great chicken from Gill's and wings from Hammer's.

Sistas

Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Sue, Mom

Aunt Sue with USMC fleece blanket.

Finger painting fun...Happy Birthday Grandpa Bud!

2008-08-02T15:52:00.009-05:00

Today we awoke to beautiful sunshine and low 70 degree weather. The last couple of days have been very HOT and humid. After having breakfast on the grill...mommy and Emma quickly made our way outside to enjoy the beautiful morning. After playing for awhile, I decided it was time to bring out the finger paints. What a better way to try this new adventure...outside. As you can see from the pictures...Emma loved finger painting. Once she was done painting...Emma needed a snack and a drink. :) A quick outside bath included the sprinkler and blue pool. What fun!! While mommy and Emma were playing...daddy worked hard by power washing the house. It looks so sparkly. :)

Today is Grandpa Bud's birthday...Happy Birthday Grandpa Bud!! We love you. :)

On Wednesday of this week Emma and mommy took lunch to daddy at his work. He actually got to eat in the van with us and chat for a few minutes. We enjoyed his break and seeing him in the middle of the day.

Birthday girls!

2008-07-29T07:47:00.002-05:00

Happy Birthday Grandma Taylor! Happy 80th Birthday Grandma Shirley!
On Sunday we celebrated both birthdays with yummy ribs and banana cream pie & lemon, key-lime bars. Today, July 29 is the official day.

Fun Times!

2008-07-24T22:18:00.007-05:00

This week has been a busy but very fun week. Today we met with Gyorgy's family at Hooters to celebrate Gyorgy's son's birthday. Emma had such a great time...loving every minute. We always enjoy seeing Marilia, Isabela, and Gyorgy as they live in Brazil.

After spending the morning on Monday with Great Grandma and Great Grandpa we met our friends Staci and Cheridan for lunch. Emma loves to see Cheridan. :)

On Monday Great-Grandpa turned 83...Happy Birthday Grandpa. :) Emma greeted him at his door with this little redbird outfit...he was tickled with joy. Grandpa's little redbird.

Sunday our family celebrated Grandpa's 83rd birthday...here we set the timer on the camera to take a picture of the gang to send to Recruit Andrew at Marine Boot Camp.

Sprinkler fun!

2008-07-15T14:34:00.007-05:00

As the weather begins to warm up to the 90's the water seems to cool us down the best. Emma tried out the sprinkler for the first time today. She ABSOLUTELY loved it. Once she realized what was happening it was love at first sight. Emma got closer and closer to the water then she discovered she could drink the water and back right up to it for the water to go up her shirt. How fun. Totally brings back memories of me running outside in the sprinkler. :)

Daddy and Emma put the finishing touches on the swingset last night. Over the weekend Daddy attached two braces on each side of the platform. Last night they hung the steering wheel and telescope. Emma is so lucky to have such a hard working daddy.

Three Cheers for Aunt Kate!!

2008-07-14T13:28:00.005-05:00

Hip Hip Hooray...Hip Hip Hooray...Hip Hip Hooray for Aunt Kate!
This morning's phone call was extremely exciting...Aunt Kate took the National Boards Test for Physical Therapy on Saturday...a grueling test over five hours long...the best news...she PASSED!!!! We are so proud of you Aunt Kate.

The Celebration Continues

2008-07-06T12:00:00.006-05:00

For the last few years Joe's Aunt Rhonda and Uncle Gary have graciously taken on the challenge of hosting the Taylor Family Reunion. From the moment one reunion is over we begin to look forward to next years reunion. We absolutely love getting together with the Taylor extended family...tons of fun, great stories to tell, delicious food, and most of all love shared between all who attend. We look forward to the Saturday night race watched by many, the annual reunion scavenger hunt searched out by all the kids, and of course the family pictures. Emma had a ball this year playing with all the cousins and being able to run free. Here she is in the middle of bubbles...trying to eat each and every one. :)

Emma hopped into the next door neighbors cozy coupe.

Anna wanted to be able to sit with Emma...my suggestions to keep Emma still for more than two seconds...read a book or sing a song. She did both and Emma loved every minute. I sure wished we lived closer to Anna...she absolutely loves Emma.

We finished the 4th of July off by attending the big fireworks show in our town. About 25 of us headed to Main Street to stake out a place in perfect sight of seeing the fireworks show. Emma did stay up for the show but was ready to drop at any moment.

Happy Independence Day!

2008-07-04T15:41:00.009-05:00

Happy 4th of July! What an absolutely beautiful day to be celebrating our independence. This morning we watched a local parade with Grandma and Grandpa, Grandma Berry, Aunt Sue and the Myatt Family. What a ball. Emma had a great time. Tonight we will celebrate with good friends by having a yummy cookout and then off to enjoy the fireworks.

Daddy has been very busy the last couple of days working on this stretch of brick work. Before it was a big bed of dirt three inches down from the driveway. Every time I stepped out of the van on the passenger side I had to either step in mud, snow, or rain water. Uck!! So...I am so so so excited that Joe has worked his booty off to complete this project over the long weekend plus a few vacation days. :) Doesn't it look nice??!! This picture is looking from the end of the carport.

This picture is looking at the beginning of the carport.

This picture is standing by the back door of the house at the beginning of the carport.

This picture is at the end of the carport.

Vote #8

2008-06-26T10:33:00.003-05:00

After 5 hours of no electricity late last night...Joe was surprised to find out on the local news channel this morning that our backyard was one of 10 finalists for a backyard makeover. Please help us by voting for #8. Click on the link...CIProud...click #8...click Vote. We aren't looking for a pool or hot tub...we are in desperate need of new tile for the drainage system. We have had water in our basement before and we want to fix it for good. Voting continues till July 2nd with the winner being announced on July 3rd.

On Tuesday I made I road trip to Aurora to fill our van with items I had won from ebay. This family was moving and they were getting rid of their Little Tikes items. We are shipping off a couple items to Grandma and Grandpa Berry's and a couple items to Grandma and Grandpa Taylor's. We will keep the lawnmower and wheelbarrow. Mommy was very excited to get them at such great prices and in such good condition. Go ebay!!

Daddy thought Emma would be able to climb to the slide easier with this new rock wall. Emma loves it and has already mastered it. Mommy isn't too sure that she likes how fast Emma is growing. LOL

Lovin' Summer

2008-06-22T14:38:00.005-05:00

Beautiful summer nights bring fun times for family and friends. We attended my cousin's wedding reception last night at the EP Boat Club. Emma had such a fun time. She loved walking outside checking out the boats. Emma was very cute in her navy dress. Mommy would have taken more pictures but her battery was dead. LOL

Aunt Sue and Emma before dinner.

Summer has officially arrived!

2008-06-21T10:03:00.005-05:00

How fun to be outside swimming on the first day of summer. Emma and I enjoyed a fun afternoon of sun and swim yesterday. It was absolutely beautiful. Emma had such a great time. Afterward we used the water on the flower garden. Emma was such a big helper with her little pail. Note to self: don't change Emma into dry clothes until inside and the pool is dumped out. LOL

Emma getting ready to go outside to swim for the first time this summer.

Emma enjoying a snack after swimming. I can't believe how big she is getting...my how fast they grow!!

Happy Day Daddy!

2008-06-16T23:08:00.010-05:00

Daddy has had a few days of golfing...he has such a fun time.

Emma enjoyed a yummy breakfast with her daddy on Father's Day. We then headed to Grandma and Grandpa Berry's for the afternoon and evening.

Today we spent the day enjoying the absoulutely beautiful temps at Wildlife Prairie Park. Emma had a great time...she loved walking the paths and seeing the animals. The train ride was a huge hit.

On Saturday we spent the evening with Joe's family celebrating Father's Day. Emma loved riding her bike at Grandma and Grandpa Taylor's.

Emma had such a great time checking out Grandpa Taylor's fish pond. She even took a few second swim. :)

After dinner mommy and daddy took a quick trip to Great Grandpa Johnson's house to pick out a rocking horse for Emma. Emma was super surprised and she loves her horse. She has named him..."Hoddy!"

Here is a fun pic of Grandma Berry and Emma smelling the homemade pies. Grandma Berry always knows how to make magic in the kitchen.

Emma turns TWO!!

2008-06-09T23:11:00.009-05:00

Emma had a wonderful 2nd Birthday. After being sick with a bad cold since Thursday...mommy and daddy were glad to see she was feeling better for her big party. She greeted each and every grandma and grandpa and aunt and uncle and cousin with shreeks and smiles. Emma was so excited to see everyone not really knowing it was all for her. LOL The weather was beautiful with warm temperatures. We enjoyed delicious food along with birthday cake and ice cream. Emma had such a ball opening her presents. She really knew what to do. Daddy even got in on the action. Today Emma and mommy went to Toys R Us to receive a birthday crown and balloon from Geoffrey. Emma picked out a baby stroller and baby with her birthday coupon. She is in love with the new stroller.

San Diego or Bust!

2008-06-02T07:16:00.004-05:00

Andrew left for Marine Boot Camp yesterday morning. The program will run until the end of August. We are very excited for him yet very nervous. We are very proud of him and know he will do well.

And then there were four...

2008-05-31T16:02:00.010-05:00

Each day this week we have been checking on the baby robins in our backyard. Joe found the nest with four eggs. We were surprised to walk out on Wednesday and see two birds had hatched. On Friday the third one and today the fourth. We are one proud happy family. I bet mama robin is glad too. :)

On Memorial Day we had a backyard barbecue with our neighbors. We enjoyed burgers and brats as well as corn on the cob and ice cream.

Emma in Green!! This pic is for a friend of ours who thinks Emma doesn't dress in anything else besides PINK!! LOL See...she does own other colors of clothing. :)

Back to Reality

2008-05-24T14:32:00.003-05:00

It is hard to choose between 90 degree humid weather and 56 degree overcast weather...hmmmm???? As soon as we stepped off the plane in town we quickly realized we were back to reality and living in the real world again. Joe and I are extremely glad to be home...we had a wonderful time at Disney...liked the break away but, ready to be with Emma and enjoy the simple pleasures of home. :) Last night we were greeted with huge smiles from Emma, Grandma & Grandpa Berry and Aunt Emily. Along with a nice meal for two hungry travelers. It wasn't too long before we all hit our pillows for a good night sleep. After a quick trip to the grocery store this morning...the dishwasher loaded and a few loads of laundry...it is back to reality.

Magical Moments

2008-05-20T07:10:00.011-05:00

Today I am officially on my own. Joe is attending his business conference while I am in the room enjoying a few minutes of quiet time before deciding what to do today. On Monday Joe gave his presentation flawlessly as usual. :) In the afternoon we hopped the bus to Magic Kingdom. Wow...what a crowd...all the little kiddos searching around every corner for even one glimpse of the mouse himself..."Mickey!" We were unlucky in finding the infamous mouse...but we did find a few rain drops while there...the amazing castle...a quick show at the country bears jamboree...and a ton of laughs at the Monsters Inc laugh factory show. We love Magic Kingdom...we will love it even more when we bring Emma. I have really enjoyed the beautiful flowers on every path...here is a pink blossom and a yellow and orange blossom that have caught my eye.

Last night we were treated to a fabulous dinner at Jiko by some great friends of ours. Great food and fun conversation was enjoyed by all.

This is such a great place to take pictures of the amazing castle at Magic Kingdom.

How fun to be at a resort with a pyramid right in the middle of the pool. Coronado Springs has a spanish theme...hence the pyramid figure in the pool.

Dizzy for Disney

2008-05-18T23:11:00.006-05:00

WOW...what a weekend!! Joe and I arrived at Disney late, late Friday night. We enjoyed Animal Kingdom on Saturday and a Luau Saturday evening. Today we had breakfast with Minnie, Goofy and Chip and then headed to Epcot for the day. We are having a blast. Aside from the temps being in the low 90s and having high humidity...we are enjoying every minute. Tomorrow Joe begins his business conference. He is ready and prepared for his presentation. :) We will head to Magic Kingdom in the afternoon and evening. We have called home at least 2-3 times a day...Emma is doing great. She is having so much fun at Grandma and Grandpa's. We miss her incredibly...but, we know she is having just as much fun as we are.

A New Endeavor

2008-05-14T22:29:00.006-05:00

For those of you that know me...you know that I tend to shy away from any type of flower/plant/garden anything in my presence. Well, this last week I decided that I would give gardening a bit of a go around. LOL I dug up a semi-small bed in the back yard that had over grown grass, weeds, random flowers and such. I actually had a plan (go figure)...dug up some plants we had elsewhere that really needed a new home...added some new dirt and whala...a new flower garden has been born. Little did Joe know that my project would quickly turn to be his project as well. LOL He was very helpful in laying the weed barrier and dumping the bags of new dirt in the flower bed. Aside from the hail we got yesterday...all seems to be going well. I do hope that the flowers survive while Joe and I are gone next week. haha After my digging experience...I did realize that there are some muscles in my body that I never knew existed. I think I was in bed by 8:30 that first night. LOL

Graduation Weekend

2008-05-11T18:39:00.009-05:00

What a great weekend! Both Katy and Emily Graduated this weekend. Katy completed her Doctor of Physical Therapy from Clarke College and Emily completed her Paralegal program from Illinois Central College. Both are very excited to be done with school for a while. Katy is on her way (already there) to Florida to live with her fiance Phil. Emily is currently job searching for a paralegal position. Katy will begin to study for her boards to become an official Physical Therapist. We are all VERY proud of Katy and Emily. They have both worked very hard to complete each program. As you can see from the pictures we had a great time in Dubuque. Spending time with family is always enjoyable. On our way home Sunday we stopped at Joe's folks to visit for a while. Emma had great fun playing with toys and hanging with Grandpa and Grandma Taylor.
We are also excited for our cousin Andrew as he graduated from high school on Saturday...Congrats Andrew!! He will soon be heading to California as he will begin boot camp for the Marines.

Slip Slidin'

2008-05-06T14:34:00.005-05:00

When daddy got home yesterday Emma took a ride on the slide for the first time. She of course loved it. Big smiles was the only way to respond!! Emma got a good review from the Neuro Dr. today. She is growing like a weed. :)

Swingin' on a Star!

2008-05-05T13:35:00.007-05:00

This weekend daddy worked so hard to get the swingset moved from Aunt Tina and Uncle John's yard to ours. Grandpa Bud helped a ton too!! They made the move seem effortless...but, I know it was hard work. Emma loves looking out the sliding glass window and seeing her swing. We are so thankful for Toni and Erin to share their swingset with us. Uncle John made the swingset when the girls were very young. It is in great shape with many more hours of play left. :)

I'm No Martha Stewart...

2008-05-02T21:39:00.011-05:00

Today was our last MOPS meeting for the year. What a great group of women to build relationships with and create memories that will not be forgotten. :) For our meeting today it was our responsibility to decorate our table for the year-end brunch. I ran across this centerpiece idea on the Martha Stewart Show a couple of weeks ago. Here is my version. It was really fun to create as I used two pizza pans and one cake pan along with two plastic plant pots. Grandpa Bud spray painted it black and glued it together for me. Our group loved the bright cheery colors. It was a huge hit. :) We were blessed to have Jill Savage as our main speaker. What a fun morning!

After MOPS...Aunt Emily, Emma and mommy went to CUB to eat brats, chips, and pop grilled on the biggest traveling grill. This event was to support the Komen for the Cure. After lunch we went to Lowe's to get a few plants. Mommy spent the afternoon filling planters with pretty flowers. (Will post pictures later!). :)

Since our old mailbox began to rust at the hinges we decided to replace it with a new one. Emma had such a great time playing with the box. Go figure!

Here is Emma enjoying her new picnic table. It is just the perfect size. She loves to hike her leg one at a time over the bench to sit and just sit. hehe Hopefully we will be able to have lunch outside someday soon.

Emma loves to have Grandpa Bud and Grandma Shirley home from Florida. Here Grandpa Bud and Emma are reading a few books.

This week we were able to spend a lot of time with Great-Grandma and Grandpa. Here Emma is loving the Rocking Horse that Grandma Berry used as a young girl. Emma loves to sit on Great-Grandma's lap. That same day Great-Grandpa took Emma for a walk in her stroller. She thought she was miss queen bee!! :)

Bubblelicious!

2008-04-21T19:45:00.003-05:00

Over the weekend we had tons of fun blowing bubbles with Emma in the backyard. Emma thought she could take the wand and blow them herself. :) Here's to independence!! LOL

Outside All Day!!

2008-04-17T08:32:00.001-05:00

Sunshine Days

2008-04-07T20:09:00.005-05:00

What a beautiful weekend with such warm spring temps. We just hope they are here to stay. On Saturday Emma and I went to Toni's soccer game. When Daddy got home from work we went outside to pick up sticks and left over leaves from the fall. The yard looks so nice and ready for the green grass to sprout. :) Here are a couple of pics we have taken over the last few days.

Absolutely Amazing!

2008-04-03T08:54:00.003-05:00

Yesterday was absolutely amazing!! I had the exciting opportunity to attend the Oprah Show with my dear friend Staci. I got the call Friday afternoon...I will never forget it. Staci to Alivia..."do you like Oprah...who doesn't!" LOL Anyway...the rest is history. It was about this time last night that I arrived home from a very long day. I started on the road about 6:30am to meet Staci to head to Harpo Studios. We arrived about 10:00am for the afternoon taping. Once in line we made our way through coat check, ID check, and then the security check. We walked up the stairs to the holding room. This holding room was just that...we waited, and we waited, and we waited some more. LOL About 12:45pm we made our way to the studio. I was thinking...OH MY GOSH...I am about to enter the place where Oprah is!! It was so surreal for me. I didn't really have much to say...I was in disbelief still that I was there in the first place. LOL As the studio filled up with guests there were workers completing the stage set-up, cameras doing checks and such as well as people prepping the audience for what was to come. Our show was about talented and amazing young kids. It was very cool. Such a treat to see!! We do not know when the show will air we have to keep checking the website to see when it will be on TV. Be sure to check out these talented amazing kids...Geography Genius Lilly...Quincy from the McDonald's commercial...andSwordbird by Nancy Yi Fan. These were just a few of the kids we saw...! Enjoy. :)

In my Easter Bonnet!

2008-03-23T22:14:00.004-05:00

Today was such a fantastic day. Starting off with church in the morning, a visit from Grandpa and Grandma Taylor, hellos from Aunt Tina, Erin and Toni...and a fun, fun trip to Grandma and Grandpa Berry's Farm. :) Along with a great phone call to Grandpa Bud and Grandma Shirley.

Emma had such a great time hunting for Easter eggs at home and at Emberry Farm.

Happy Easter!

2008-03-22T22:30:00.005-05:00

Emma had such a great time at the Easter Egg Hunt held at church this morning. During the story time Emma thought she should tell the story right along with the speaker. :) She loved the singing and being with all the kids. Once outside to hunt for eggs...Emma didn't quite know which egg to hunt first. She would pick up one egg then run off to another patch of eggs and pick a couple more. It was a very cute site to see all the egg hungry kids running after colored specks in the grass. LOL After all the eggs were found we enjoyed a special treat inside and emptied all the goodies out of her eggs. She sure came home with quite the loot. A great time was had by all. :)

This weekend has been a busy weekend with Aunt Katy home from her internship. We have enjoyed spending time with her. On Friday, Aunt Emily and Aunt Katy had Emma giggling forever...she loves her Aunts. :)

Special Visitors

2008-03-19T11:07:00.002-05:00

On Tuesday, Emma and I were surprised to see Grandpa Rod and Uncle Gary pull up in the driveway. They were in town visiting Uncle Dick at the hospital. We hope Uncle Dick is back to good health soon. We are praying for a smooth surgery and a very quick recovery.

Over the weekend, Emma stayed at Grandma and Grandpa Berry's for the very first time without mommy and daddy. Emma had a super great time...playing outside on Friday, exploring all that there was to see. Emma did think though that she needed to wake Grandma Berry up at 4:30 in the am on Saturday. Hmmm?? She did take a three hour nap though. LOL Emma and Carson became best buds. I am sure there will be more opportunities for Emma to stay on Emberry Farm. Joe and I were grateful to spend an evening out to dinner Friday and enjoy a cup of coffee before it turned cold. :) On Saturday I went to a moms conference at ISU with a great friend. Daddy slept till 10:00 in the morning. LOL

Spoontastic eating!

2008-03-11T14:20:00.004-05:00

It was a spoontastic lunch!! Emma has mostly mastered the use of the spoon and fork. It is too cool. :) She of course gets anxious and forgets to use her utensils and eats by the fist full as well. LOL Joe and I are amazed at each new task she completes almost daily. We can't believe that in just three short months our little baby will be 2 years old.

In case you have never met a picture like this before...let me introduce you. Blog reader...this is empty laundry basket...empty laundry basket...this is blog reader. Now that the formalities are over...can you believe this!! I have every imaginable piece of laundry washed, folded AND put away. Let me here a BIG WOOHOO...!! You know one would think that...me, a stay-at-home mom, would be able to at least follow the June Cleaver role...well, WRONG. Not this stay-at-home mom. LOL I can't tell you how many weeks it has been since I have seen an empty laundry basket. I am sooo excited! :) Joe even commented last night that he could tell that ALL the laundry was done because he couldn't open his sock drawer...it was completely full. LOL

Get your Blue Devil on!

2008-03-08T13:53:00.008-06:00

Today is a big day for daddy as the Blue Devil's take on the Tarheels at Cameron!! Daddy picked out our Blue Devil apparel for today...funny I tell ya! :) Check it out...ESPN's college Gameday will be at Duke tonight. Grab your popcorn and favorite beverage...get settled in for a great basketball game. Go DUKE!!

After playing outside in the warm temps on Sunday, Emma thinks that everyday should be a play day outside. LOL I can't tell you how many times a day she takes her coat to the door and stands there yelling at her slide. Wednesday I decided that rather than listen to her begging and pleading to go outside we would face the cold temps, bundle up, and head outside. Emma was on cloud nine. She couldn't run across the yard fast enough. We brought her car to the patio and she loved riding across the cement. Her daddy's dream of Emma becoming a Nascar driver may come true someday. LOL She does look pretty tough in her pink coat! haha

It's a "Squirrely" kind of day!

2008-03-02T21:33:00.008-06:00

Who would have thought that after receiving 2" of snow on Friday we would be at a high of 70 on Sunday!! Today was an absolutely gorgeous day. How incredible.
Daddy, Emma and I took total advantage of the very nice temps and beautiful sunshine and rushed outside to have a little fun. Emma had such a ball on this fun slide we are sharing from our neighbors. Emma and mommy enjoyed two walks today in the neighborhood. It was so neat to hear the birds chirping in the trees...the sound of the running water from the melting snow running down the streets and the sights of kids playing with their friends. I don't know about you all but I am suffering from spring fever!! :) We are ready...bring it on.

Joe has made friends with a new neighbor...a squirrel kind of neighbor. He was so excited to be able to feed the corn to the squirrel this afternoon. Look closely...you can see that the squirrel actually took kernel by kernel from the cob. I do have to admit...it was kind of cool in a silly kind of way.

Snow much fun!

2008-02-27T07:37:00.008-06:00

Can you believe we had another day with snow this winter?? This winter is now the second wettest in history. Crazy times. :) Anyway...Emma and I took advantage of the somewhat warm temps (for a snow day) and headed out to the snowflakes and blowing flurries. Emma had such a great time...her gloves stayed on, she was able to walk all over the yard and driveway, and of course she enjoyed the occasional snowflake on her tongue. We did build an Emma sized snowman with all the fixin's. Thanks to her Aunt Sue and Uncle Bruce for getting her the snowman kit for Christmas. :)

Going out in the snow...
20 minutes of preparation
35 minutes of playing in the snow
2 1/2 hours of nap time. LOL

Emma loves playing with her big fluffy white dog that Grandma and Grandpa Berry got for her during her big test. I couldn't resist posting these pics as they are too cute.

Had to get pics of Emma with her cutie pigtails.

It's your birthday...It's your birthday!! :)

2008-02-24T17:39:00.009-06:00

Who better to celebrate your birthday with than cutie patootie Erin!! :) What a fun day. We celebrated by heading to Jalapeno's for a mexican fiesta. And of course Aunt Tina's scrumptious yellow cake and chocolate frosting. (YUM!)

For those of you who have never tasted Aunt Tina's chocolate frosting...you have missed out!! Let me just tell you...it melts in your mouth. It is of course homemade...thank you Tina...love it!!

What a cutie in pigtails!! :)

It's a Party!

2008-02-16T21:06:00.010-06:00

It's been a while since I have last posted. (For some reason I can't get my camera to transfer pictures to my computer...so, I am using Joe's computer!). :) Anyway...this has been a busy week with Joe's Birthday and Valentine's Day. We celebrated Joe's birthday Tuesday with the Myatt's at Alexander's. Yum!! Wed. mommy and Emma spent the day baking treats for our Valentines. Thursday mommy and Emma delivered Valentine treats and had lunch with Great-Grandma and Great-Grandpa. Tonight was a party for mommy and daddy's February birthdays. We enjoyed a yummy dinner at Flat Top Grill. Thanks to everyone for such a fun time. :)
Here is Aunt Emily and Emma having a fun time at dinner.

Mommy and Emma take a break for a photo op on Valentine's Day.

Emma helping Daddy with his Birthday presents on Tuesday. :)

The title of this pic..."All in a days work!". Emma loves to help whenever she thinks her help is needed...which is all the time. One day this week I opened the cabinet that keeps all the plastic containers...Emma worked her way in there before I could stop her and half my cabinet was empty. So...I decided...there is no better time than now to clean this cabinet and toss and organize. After 20 minutes of pure entertainment Emma was ready to move on to the next thing.

It is not so easy to catch photos of Emma these days...she is ALWAYS on the move. She wasn't too happy with me since I had her sitting to take this pic. haha

Happy Birthday Daddy!

2008-02-12T08:35:00.000-06:00

It's Joe's Birthday today! We won't mention how old he is...just a little hint...next year he will no longer be in his 30s. LOL He was packed with 2 dozen Krispy Kreme donuts and headed out to a warm car. :) We hope he has a great day. Mommy is looking forward to his surprise birthday dinner tonight.

Emma in Mardi Gras Fashion!

2008-02-05T14:51:00.000-06:00

Happy Fat Tuesday everyone! :) Over the weekend we celebrated with Grandma and Grandpa Berry as well as Ben and Emily. We enjoyed Crawfish, Muffuletta sandwiches and red velvet cake. Here is a great slideshow of last years NOLA Mardi Gras parades.

Welcome February!

2008-02-04T20:42:00.000-06:00

February was welcomed with a flurry of different weather forecasts. This is the 4th day of the month and we have had 6 inches of snow one day, extreme fog the next day, lightning & thundersnow adding up to 3 more inches of snow, and then today fog visibility to zero with temps in the upper 40s. Crazy I tell ya! LOL

On Saturday morning Emma and I picked up and cleaned the house in preparation for our Super Bowl party. As you can see Emma was in love with the Swiffer. I took out one of the links to make it the perfect height for her. I just may have to buy another one as I couldn't get if from her without big crocodile tears. WooHoo...I shouldn't complain as I have a great cleaning partner in training. LOL :)

On Saturday night we went to Emberry Farm for an early Fat Tuesday celebration. We enjoyed New Orleans inspired recipes. Joe especially LOVED the Crawfish. Here Emma is truly loving the ice cream Grandma Berry had for her.

Sunday's Superbowl Party was a huge hit. We had a full house with delicious food, great guests, and super fun games. Thanks again to all those that brought bears for the Children's Hospital. We collected about 15 bears.

Valentine Teddy Bears

2008-01-30T13:49:00.001-06:00

Please help us return a favor by collecting brand new Teddy Bears for a local radio staion. The bears will be delivered to children in the hospital on Valentine's Day. Last year Emma received one of the bears...and boy was it an uplifting moment. Neither Daddy or Mommy had had any time to shop for Valentine's Day.
If you have the opportunity to purchase a bear...we would love to take it to the radio station for you. The bears need to be new with tags...any price, any size. :) Help us to bring smiles to many faces. Click here to see Emma taking a bear earlier this week. Click on the picture of all the bears then click next. :)

Mission Accomplished

2008-01-25T20:20:00.000-06:00

Emma was a real trooper today. It was a long night...with such little sleep...but, Emma did such a good job. We started last night by staying up till midnight...well, she lasted till 11:30pm. Then we woke her at 4:00am and left for the hospital at 6:15am this morning. The test started at 7:00am and we were back in the van by 8:38am. She was very cooperative in having all the probes glued to her head and even sleeping during the test...(that was the goal!). :) We are so proud of her. We won't have any results back until we see the Dr.(the neurologist) on February 6th. Thanks for all your prayers and kind wishes of patience for mom and dad.
Once we returned home she hopped in the bath, cuddled in with some warm jammies and headed back to bed. She slept from 9:00am - 1:00pm. Then it was time for some lunch. :) She was greeted by Grandma Berry and her big white cuddly new doggy for Emma. Emma had so much fun entertaining her new doggy...(stuffed doggy!). :)

Precious Sleep

2008-01-24T13:49:00.000-06:00

Tonight is the big night...we will stay up with Emma till Midnight and wake her back up at 4:00am. Her sleep deprived EEG is at 7:00am tomorrow morning. Looking forward to tomorrow when it is all over. :) Off to take a quick nap while little e is sleeping.

The Case of the Missing Sock!

2008-01-23T13:12:00.000-06:00

Would you believe that socks mysteriosly go missing without any warning?? You betcha...it happens quite often at our house. Emma is forever taking off her socks...ditching them and taking off again. Quite frequently we have to pull her bed away from the wall to find a missing pacifier...and lo and behold...this morning I found a pile of missing socks. I am here to tell you...you as my witness...the socks don't get eaten by her stuffed animals or blankets...Emma tosses them out the side of the bed. How clever of her. LOL :) So...if you come up empty handed in the sock department...try looking on the side of your bed.

Hangin' with Great Grandpa and Great Grandma is a lot of fun in Emma's book. :) We were at their house the other night and Emma found this rocking horse that used to be my mom's. :) Get this...it still rocks...even after 55 years!! LOL :) Emma had a great time rocking back and forth ringing the bell.

Sweet Sixteen!

2008-01-16T07:45:00.000-06:00

Happy 16th Birthday Toni!! Yesterday we celebrated Toni's birthday by going out to eat and then going back to her house for some yummy cake and ice cream. And of course presents. Toni's day started off with a beautiful bouquet of flowers being delivered before school. She then arrived home after school to find fun balloons. Her family gave her an AWESOME digital camera for her sweet 16th birthday. How cool!! Thanks so much for including us at your celebration. Emma had a ball! :)

Big Girl Now!

2008-01-13T15:07:00.000-06:00

Over the last few days we have been hanging out at home having fun. :) Last Wednesday Emma had her hair trimmed...looking like a big girl more and more each day. :) She sat real still for a few seconds...long enough to get a crooked bang line. So...with a little more persistence we were able to get straight hair...of course a little shorter than we hoped for. Oh well. :)

It seems that each day Emma surprises us with something new that she has accomplished or mastered. She can now stand on the step stool in the kitchen and pull off items from counter. (Oh joy!). Today I walked into the kitchen to find Emma had grabbed an apple off the counter and had begun to eat little chunks...chew by chew! This was quite a moment because Emma has only been eating pieces of apple at mealtime. So...I pealed the apple...threw her in the chair and away she went. She was in apple heaven. These pics explain it all.

While I waited to the last possible moment...I finally broke down and started playing the Baby Einstein DVD's in the van. Oh wow...has Emma been loving that. Although each time we are in the van now she points and talks to the movie screen. It is kind of funny...although a little annoying. haha...LOL :)
Watching Emma play with her toys has been nothing but amazing. It is too fun to watch her stir and stir with her pots and bowls in her kitchen...although we aren't sure exactly what she is making. Often we will ask her to "fetch"...the orange, the pizza, etc. and she comes running back with the specific toy to see our faces light up with excitement of a job well done. We are so blessed to have such a beautiful smart little girl. We can't wait for what lies ahead. :)

Happy 2008!

2008-01-01T12:47:00.000-06:00

Emma was up bright and early to usher in the New Year...only she missed it by a couple of hours. For whatever reason she was up at 2:00am. I guess I should have just stayed up. LOL Fortunately she went back to sleep after a little while.
When we all woke up this morning we were surprised to see snow covered lawns. It has been snowing ever since. How beautiful to bring in the new year with a gentle blowing snow fall. Must not forget the sights and sounds of the Rose Parade.
Here is a picture of Emma and Daddy just "hanging" around! Happy New Year!!

Merry and Bright!

2007-12-31T19:11:00.000-06:00

This holiday has been an absolute blessing filled with many wonderful memories. Emma has truly been a joy to watch over the past few days. She has had so much fun being with many family and friends...enjoying new toys and spending lots of time with her mommy and daddy. As we are waiting for the new year to come we are hopeful for continued good health...many fun memories to fill our lives...and many more moments to share with our family and friends. We love each one of you near and far...hope your '08 is Merry and Bright! :)

As you can see...this year was the first time Emma has really figured out present unwrapping. She was a pro by the third day of Christmas. If you look real close...she definitely concentrated by sticking out her tongue just a bit to help her really focus on the task at hand. :)

You know the saying...something old is new again. Grandpa Rod helped transform this worn down old table to a brand new life. This brown table and chairs used to be mine as a young girl. I had many a tea party in its day. We thought it was time for a new face lift. Can you believe how beautiful it is?? Grandpa Rod painted it...wrapped it with new seat covers...replaced the table top and put new feet on the legs. He is so talented. Thank you Grandpa Rod for all your hard work and many hours you spent to bring it back to life. Emma will enjoy it for years to come. In fact, she and daddy have already had a couple of tea parties. :)

On Sunday, December 23, Emma met her Great Grandma and Great Grandpa Horstman and Great Aunt Lori. She had a great time running around showing off all her tricks.

Fun Times

2007-12-18T07:54:00.000-06:00

Emma and I are so excited that Aunt Kate is in town today. We will spend the day with her and shop a little bit. Grandma Berry and Aunt Emily will be here too.

Last night we spent the evening with the Myatt's celebrating Christmas with them before they hit the road this weekend. Emma couldn't stay out of the gifts...she thought she should get to open them early. haha Once it was gift opening time...Emma had a ball. She thought she should open each one...not just hers. LOL We had a great time enjoying tortelini and all the fixin's. A chocolate truffle pie and lattes finished the evening off. Thanks for such a good time...your friendship is priceless.

On Sunday afternoon, I was talking on the phone to Tina while Emma was under the table taking out every item from her diaper bag. I made the comment to Tina..."Oh isn't she cute...Emma is under the table taking everything out of her bag." haha Little did I know......Emma had discovered the clementine orange that had been mistakenly left in her bag. Can I just tell you how GROSS that was. A couple washings of her diaper bag and a few items tossed in the garbage...we are back in business. LOL

Snow Fun

2007-12-16T10:01:00.000-06:00

Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it snow!! Over the weekend we received about 6-8inches of snow. Today Joe, Emma, and I bundled up in our snow suits and rushed outside to play in the freshly fallen snow. Emma had an absolute ball. She loved crawling in the snow, eating the snow and rolling in the snow. If her gloves had stayed on better we probably would have been out there a lot longer. Looking forward to more snow days. :)

Holiday Happenings

2007-12-09T21:18:00.000-06:00

This weekend was a busy weekend full of Holiday excitement. On Saturday we had our third annual progressive dinner. We had a wonderful time...enjoying each other's company, visiting each other's homes, and of course eating way too much delicious food. We ended the evening by having dessert at our house. The chocolate fountain was such a hit. Everyone enjoyed dipping their favorite dessert in the flowing chocolate.

20 days to go...Ho Ho Ho!

2007-12-05T13:29:00.000-06:00

Today we spent the day with Grandma Berry shopping. At the mall Grandma wanted Emma to see Santa...Ho Ho Ho. Emma "performed" very well...LOL. She hopped up on Santa's lap and looked right at the camera. Whew...one more year with a good photo op. haha

Weekend Happenings

2007-12-04T14:57:00.000-06:00

This past Friday Joe had the dogs put down. It was a difficult decision and challenging week. Both Copper and Sable were getting old. Copper was deaf and blind and Sable was deaf.
We had so much fun with them in their younger days. After all Copper was the one who told Joe that it was "OK" to have me around. :) Sable was always full of energy and kisses. She was the mother to two litters of puppies. Emma loved helping to feed them and trying to catch their tails. They will both be missed very much.

Over the weekend Emma and I traveled to Grandma & Grandpa Berry's house for the two days. While we were there we baked many holiday cookies. We had a great time...even the electricity went out late Saturday afternoon due to the ice storm. We were very glad it came back on before dinner. :) Both Emma and mommy missed daddy very much...we came back late Sunday afternoon. Whew...we were tired! :)

As you can imagine...Emma has been having a wonderful time trying to dismantle the Christmas tree. She is rather intrigued by pulling off each ornament. Here in this picture she is trying to be sneaky about getting an ornament while laying on the couch. LOL

Love at first sight!

2007-11-28T14:08:00.000-06:00

Yesterday Emma and I spent the morning at Great Grandma and Great Grandpa Spriggs. We visited for a while...checked out all of Grandma's decorations and brought Santa up from the basement. Mommy was curious how Emma would react to Santa...in real life (or nearly). It was love at first sight. Emma loved dancing with Santa and trying to love on him. She figured out very quickly how to push the button to change the songs. I know we will have to go back another time to play with Santa. :)

Today mommy got her haircut. On the way back home we stopped and visited mommy's dance friends. Emma loved running back and forth in the studio. Needless to say she is wiped out...taking a snooze. (Yeah for mommy!).

Over the River and Through the...

2007-11-26T13:33:00.000-06:00

woods...to Grandma's house we go...etc. etc.! :) We had a wonderful Thanksgiving at the Taylor's house on Sunday. And literally...it totally felt like the song...as we were carving the turkey the snow was falling. :) We of course stuffed ourselves with great food and yummy pies. Emma took another great "super nap" in her pack and play allowing mommy and daddy a little break for the afternoon. A great time was had by all...sharing stories...checking out the Sunday adds and sharing Christmas lists. Here are a few pics from the day.
PS...Emma discovered Great Grandpa Johnson's walking cane...she had a ball. We decided she would make the perfect sheperd...or maybe she was practicing to be a flag girl in the marching band????

So much to be Thankful for...

2007-11-22T21:00:00.000-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Today is a day to eat too much food...enjoy many pieces of pumpkin pie...and remember the many things we are thankful for. Joe and I are so thankful for family & friends...love...good health...and of course our little Emma. Everyday is a delight and a joy to have her in our lives. We are sooo blessed to have many people present in our lives to brighten each moment. Even though we can't be with everyone we think of you often and you are never out of our thoughts.
Today we spent the day at Grandpa and Grandma Berry's house. We gobbled up three turkeys...all the sides and yummy desserts. Emma took an awesome 2 1/2 hour nap while the rest of us watched the movie Hairspray.
Is anyone shopping on Black Friday?? I usually awake early to catch as many deals as possible. Much to your amazement...I value sleep a little more these days...I will shop when I shop...if I run into a good deal...great...if not, oh well!! LOL
Have a fun weekend with family and friends. Here are a couple of photos caught from today. :)