becoming a mom

Unpacking Scentsy

2009-05-04T16:38:00.000-05:00

Being that Melissa was born after I started my Scentsy business she has grown up (in her long life of 11 months) with Scentsy stuff everywhere. She helped me unpack a Scentsy order even though I didn't quite ask her for her help, but she insisted on helping me anyways.
I think she really enjoyed this one! It's her favorite!

Dancing with Daddy

2009-05-03T16:33:00.000-05:00

Jon has recently found the melodious music of Frank Sinatra and being that we (me) like to dance Jon and Melissa have started the tradition of dancing together to his music. Melissa seems to love it especially since she loves her daddy so dearly.

First Tooth

2009-05-02T21:35:00.000-05:00

Melissa's first tooth has finally come in! She has done many first this month but this was by far the worst that we as parents had to experience. For most of this week she has been hopped up on meds and Orajel until it finally broke through. After a ton of twisting and turning Jon was finally able to keep her mouth open and her tongue out of the way just long enough to get a picture. Enjoy the view!

Faith is like a Little Seed

2009-04-29T12:16:00.005-05:00

So tonight for Family Home Evening, we decided that we wanted to try growing our own flowers. We originally received the idea from Jon's brother Steve and we thought that it was a great idea too. All of us went to the store and found the flower box kit and along with the seeds that we found in Texas and we got started as soon as we got home.
First, we started by reading the directions.

Melissa thought that they were quite interesting and kept wanting to play in the dirt.
She even tried to eat one of the dirt packs. She soon realized that it wasn't a good idea.
She even helped her daddy plant the seeds.
Then we poured the water into the container. Melissa loved this part! She was so fascinated. Melissa has recently started crawling and pulling up. She even attempts to stand by herself. We all new it was just at matter of time. She was very interested in what her daddy was doing she went on over and decided to see for herself.
She took the opportunity to grab one of the soaked dirt pods. She wasn't sure about since it was wet and yucky but she can say that she has played in the muddy dirt.
So hopefully in about 3 weeks will have some very beautiful Texas Bluebonnets!

Tales from the Crypt

2009-04-28T13:30:00.002-05:00

So, I know a few of you are wondering...hmm...where is Shellie and what is she doing? I know, you were just sitting around waiting for me to update my blog. Crying every night and asking 'Why? Why hasn't she written anything?' Thinking that I had fallen off the face of the earth, but cry no longer because I am back...I think.

I have been super busy lately with getting my business back on track that by the end of the day I am just too tired or burnt out to update the blogaroo. So I am making a pact with myself that I will update at least once a week. I have A LOT of posting to do so hopefully I won't let my dear friends down!

Pregos Everywhere!!!

2009-02-09T23:10:00.003-06:00

So it has come to my attention that there are A LOT of pregnant ladies out there. To celebrate this great and wonderful blessing in everyone's lives and to make complete fun at how many people I know that are pregnant - I am keeping a list on my blog for everyone to see. If you aren't on the list or you know someone that I know that is pregnant and they aren't on the list then please tell me. I just can't get over it. There are at least 10 ladies in my ward alone that are pregnant. I don't know 3 of them but that's still a lot and more and more keep getting pregnant every day!! Don't drink the water....

Orphan Face

2009-02-04T10:33:00.004-06:00

Whenever Melissa has a dirty face Jon calls her an orphan baby. It's inevitable that she will get messy while she is eating but it's the clean up that gets me every time! No matter how well I scrub her face I always seem to miss a part. Now whenever we see kids at church or at the store and they have a messy face we start to chuckle and say orphan face!

No matter clean or dirty, she is still the cutest baby ever!

A Day at the Office

2009-02-04T10:23:00.004-06:00

Recently Melissa has been a little fussy, especially when I walk away. To make her happy we have been allowing her to have a little more "fun" than usual.
She is actually really good at it. She presses so many buttons that she ends up changing the look of the screen. Needless to say, we now limit her time on the computer.

Give Me a Break

2009-02-03T18:30:00.002-06:00

It was so nice to leave and visit our families for Christmas but it was even better to come home. This was one of the most stressful, fun, and busy vacations we have ever had not to mention most expensive. On the way to our half way point in Omaha, our car started making a funny noise. Needless to say it wasn't a good noise at all. We made it to Omaha where my grandma lives. We took our car to a mechanic friend of hers and it turned out that after being stuck there for 2 days 3 valves needed to be replaced in cylinder one. This was all thanks to Pep Boys who replaced our timing belt in August (we did this as a preventative measure) and they didn't get the timing right which over time hurt the car. We ended up renting a van to get down to Texas so that we would still have enough time to spend with our families. $1600 poorer we did end up getting our car back when we drove back through. On a side note, we are currently trying to get our money back from Pep Boys for the crappy work that they did.

Here is an overview of our Christmas break. I think this just might be the longest post in history but if you can stick it out, I hope you enjoy!

This was at dinner with my grandparents when we were visiting them in Omaha. It was so fun to see them!
Finally we're on the road again! Melissa and Maggie did very well together. Maggie entertained Melissa many times and we appreciated that very much!
YEAH! We finally made it and Melissa spent most of her time in her Grandma's lap!
Grandma also bought her a jumper and I can't describe to you how much enjoyment she gets out this thing! She can spend at least an hour in it just bouncing and bouncing!
And how can you resist these little feet?
Here's my sister Jenny. She is a big freshman now! Woot! I'm so proud of her!
Here's my mom's tree. She changes the theme of it every year. This year it was silver and touches of gold. It was so elegant and wonderful to look at.
We took a quick trip out to Arlington on Monday and made a pit stop at Wal-Mart. Here is the new Cowboys stadium taken from the parking lot across the street. It's so freakin' huge!
As a Christmas present for my parents, we redid the hall bathroom. I redid it when I was a Senior in high school. The kiddos were much younger then and now the duckies on the wall are a bit outdated.
Jon had to re texture the side wall. He is so professional!
We even bought them new tile and laid the floor. Jon was the main guy behind this project but I did help paint and hand him tile. He did a great job and they loved the finished product!
My sister Annie loved having the opportunity to feed Melissa. She is such a little mommy and will make a great one some day!
Being that we are on vacation, we had to improvise when it came to bath time. That being said we often took to the kitchen sink to give Melissa a bath. I have never seen her so excited for bath time! She figured out that she could splash the water and she just fell in love!

How can you resist such a cute baby?
Christmas eve morning I spent with my girls from high school. We shared time at Ihop and I haven't eaten that great in so long! After we came back to my house to smell Scentsy and see Melissa. It was so great to spend time with them!

Christmas Eve finally rolled around and we traveled back out to Arlington to spend it with Jon's family. His parents bought a new tree which I absolutely love! It's pre-lit with berries and wood pieces on it. It hardly needs any decorations at all because of this reason but it looks so beautiful and simple. This picture doesn't do it justice at all.
All of our nieces and nephews put on the Nativity for all of us.
And we had a few musical numbers by Jon, his brother Jim, and Bob and his wife Mary.
Then we got down to business and opened the presents. Melissa had the right idea but went about it the wrong way. Boy, she loves paper!
Here is the cute dress and toy that her Granny and Grandpa got her. She loves this toy! Anything that makes music and lights up is a great toy in her book.
We also spent time playing Guitar Hero on the Wii we got ourselves for Christmas.

Later I went out to find Jon and his nephew Bobby playing with Bobby's new toy.
The toy was so popular that Owls living in the neighborhood starting chasing it. Here were the two that I was able to capture in the tree.
When then came in to talk to Steve, Melinda, and Lizzie via web cam. Needless to say that everyone had a good time playing around with it. It was good to "see" them and we can't wait to visit them in March!
Melissa ended the evening enjoying her favorite drink. Mmmm good.

Christmas day was a blast! Melissa really enjoyed her toys and it was fun spending it with my family.
She had such a great time that she fell asleep on her Grandpa.
During her nap, Jon and Corey spent time blasting his rocket into the air. I just love this kid!

Nap time came to an end. We opened all of our presents and even created a present of our very own!
Before we went to bed we gave Maggie her present and even let her open it.
After Christmas we made our way out to Arlington to spend a week with Jon's family. We had a blast seeing everyone again. Melissa was able to spend time with her cousins throughout the week. Clay and Jack came over to play. Clay is a great big brother and had fun with Melissa.
On New Years Eve I went to visit my old coworkers. It was so much fun to see them again. I think that is the one and only thing I miss about working.
That night we celebrated the New Year at Jon's parents. Everyone came over to rock out on Rock Band and eat lots of good food! Melissa even got in on the action.
There's cute little Jack. He spent half the night wondering around with this hat on his head. He was so cute!
Good ol' Bobby! He such a good kid!
Here's Melissa with her cousin Claira. Claira was born exactly one month and one day before Melissa.
A baby in one arm and a fire arm in the other. Nothing is could be better in Jon's eyes. (BTW, it's not loaded.)
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
By the end of the night, Melissa had come down with the bug that was going around. She had spewed all over her Auny Mary TWICE! Needless to say she was all tuckered out. I got the bug two days later and Jon somehow never got it.
Do to our illnesses we weren't able to do the rest of our activities that we had planned but we had a great time seeing everyone. We went back to Greenville on Saturday night to spend our last day with my family before we headed out. The primary needed a family picture and we were able to be there that day. Here is my family form left to right: Jenny, Dad, Mom, Annie, Melissa, Corey, Me, Ricky, and Jon.

Oh Baby, Baby Food

2009-02-03T11:54:00.004-06:00

During the blizzard, I had plenty of time on my hands and I made a huge batch of baby food. Since we were going out of town the next week I want to have plenty on hand. I made carrots, peas, green beans, and butternut squash. Melissa really enjoys carrots and squash but hate peas and beans.

Unfortunately, during the time we broke down in Omaha all of the food went bad. So the days of making my own baby food are over but I urge everyone to at least try to make there own. It's really easy and simple and probably healthier.

Happy Birthday Buttercup!

2009-02-02T13:45:00.004-06:00

Since we were stuck inside all weekend we took the opportunity to celebrate Jon's 25th birthday! He got exactly what he wanted...His Mr. Rogers look-like old man sweater! He was so excited!
I found a red velvet cake at Wal-Mart, it's his favorite. I want to learn how to make one myself.
His favorite sweater! Now he just needs leather loafers.
He also got these for his birthday and Christmas. He found the guns he wanted hear in Grand Forks so he was able to buy them before we went down to Texas. He even got to go shooting over the break to try them out.

-50 Degrees. 'Nough Said.

2009-02-01T12:57:00.002-06:00

It all started on Friday, December 13, 2008. We had received an email from our ward that there was a potential for a snowfall of 7-11 inches from Saturday to Sunday and they would be in touch with us to let us know if church would be canceled. I went to Wal-Mart Saturday morning to gather any last minute food items as well as water, batteries, and a rechargeable lantern. Then night came and the winds were blowing! You could sit in our living room and hear them howling outside. The temperature hovered around -10 degrees with a windchill factor of about -52 and wind gusts up to 40mph.

Here is a small clip of the build up of snow between the window and the screen. You will also see Jon putting on layers of clothes so that he can take Maggie outside.

Jon and Maggie are both ready to brave the storm. Maggie is rather hesitant considering how cold it is out there. I must apologize for my accent. These North Dakotans up here have such strong accents it's starting to take over! I'm so glad that we are going back home so I can get my accent back!

Melissa has really started babbling a TON lately. It's pretty much all she does while she is awake! It's really cute because she moves her jaw up and down as if she was really talking.

So there is this saying up here that you can throw a cup of water into the air and it will freeze before it hits the ground. Several people have stated this is true so we decided to try it. Watch for yourself and see the results. I know you are just dying of anticipation!

We spent most of the day inside watching movies that we had recorded. I finally watched the movie Fargo. It's a bizarre movie and the northern accents match perfectly! Here are pictures of the snow piling up outside.
The snow was building up between the screen and glass. Our door was hard to open because it was frozen shut.

Here you can see the snow blowing into the space between the screen and window. It really started to pile up.
The snow was up to the bottom step.
The next day Jon went out to dig out the car. There was a huge a pile of snow in front of the garage.

Christmas Tag

2009-01-10T20:56:00.002-06:00

So I am super late on posting this but I just realized that I have been tagged. Better late than never I suppose.
All of you are tagged if you would like to be as late as me!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? I like both. Jon only likes wrapping paper, something about it being more personal. I like gift bags because they are easier to wrap and easy to open and you can reuse them.
2. Real or artificial trees? Fake. This comes from living in Texas and not trusting any tree down there to not be so dried out that it will just burst into flames. Plus, I can reuse it. I am starting to see a theme here...
3. When do you put up the tree? The weekend after Thanksgiving or whenever we get around to it.
4. When do you take down the tree? Usually after New Years.
5. Do you like eggnog? Eww Yuck! Totally disgusting! I only like egg nog when you use it to make French Toast on Christmas morning.
6. Favorite gift received as a child? My cardboard/plastic barbie house that had three floors with an elevator!
7. Hardest person to buy for? My mother! She always buys what she wants through out the year so it's hard to find something that she hasn't already bought.
8. Easiest person to buy for? My Grandma - anything angel or red hat and she will love it. Plus it comes from me, duh!
9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes, quite a few but I only like nativity's that are unique. Like ones that are made out of nails.
10. Mail or email christmas cards? Whatever is easiest. I have now decided that I will be sending out Christmas cards in July. This way they will actually get out! Yeah!
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Hmm...I don't think I have one.
12. Favorite Christmas movie? Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer cartoon movie.
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? The day after Christmas. I like to have all of my shopping done by the day after Thanksgiving.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? YES! Okay, so I am guilty! You know you do it!
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Everything! French Toast Eggnog, Candy, Ham and Potatoes, etc.
16. Lights on the tree? Most definitely and I am especially a fan of white lights. So classic.
17. Favorite Christmas song? Any classic Christmas song.
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Well I can officially say that staying home is my favorite. It's just too stressful trying to fit everything in. We will be staying home from now on.
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? On dasher, on donner, on...blah, blah, blah
20. Angel or star at the top of the tree? Definitely a star. There just isn't a pretty angel out there that I am willing to put on my tree. At least I haven't found one. Plus, I like how the star represents the star seen on Christmas day.
21. Open the presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning? We open one present that has new Christmas jammies in them and then we enjoy Santa presents in the morning and open the presents under the tree in the afternoon.
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? People who wait until the last minute to go shopping and then you can't go anywhere without fear of a long line. You all knew it was coming. Shop early and then you won't be broke or stuck in a long line.
23. Favorite ornament theme or color? Ones with meaning. Like the hallmark ornaments that I had as a kid.
24. Favorite Christmas dinner?The traditional ham and potatoes.
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? I got everything I wanted. Time with my family, fun with Melissa, camera and kitchen aide and we somehow made it home safely and we are all home alive and healthy.

The Soundtrack to My Life

2009-01-09T12:11:00.002-06:00

So in an effort to get back to my blogging life, I will start with this. Enjoy.

Disclaimer - Jon and I share iTunes. And I had to start over. Some freak accident happened and everything was erased.

WHAT WOULD THE SOUNDTRACK BE?

So, here's how it works:

1. Open your library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc)

2. Put it on shuffle

3. Press play4. For every question, type the song that's playing

5. When you go to a new question, press the next button

6. Don't lie and try to pretend you're cool...

Opening Credits: Something Like You - N'Sync (I know, I have reverted back to my pop days. But it was such great dance music!)
Waking Up: To Love You More - Celine Dion
Average Day: What a Girl Wants - Christina Aguilera (So perfect!)
First Date: Don't Think Of Me - Dido
Falling In Love: Hippy Hippy Shake - The Georgia Satellites Cocktail Soundtrack
Fight Scene: Ka-Ching - Shania Twain
Breaking Up: Shadow - Ashlee Simpson
Getting Back Together: Running Away - Toby Lightman (Great song - very perfect)
Secret Love: Gravity - Sarah Bareilles
Life's Okay: I'm Gonna Getcha Good - Shania Twain
Mental Breakdown: Kokomo - Beach Boys ( How Funny, If I really had a mental breakdown that's exactly where I would lobe to go.)
Driving: Everyday - Toby Lightman
Learning A Lesson: Home - Marc Broussard (GREAT SONG!)
Deep Thought: Follow Through - Gavin DeGraw
Flashback: Yellow - Coldplay
Partying: More Than Anyone - Gavin DeGraw
Happy Dance: When I Get Through With You - Patsy Cline (Not such a Happy dance although it is great to dance too.)
Regretting: Juanita - Shania Twain
Long Night Alone: See the World ... The Kooks
Death Scene: A New Day Has Come - Celine Dion (great way to look at it)
Funeral Song: The Greatest Reward - Celine Dion (Really fitting)
Ending Credits: So Wrong - Patsy Cline (So perfect!)

I tag Amy, Kristy, Heather, Shannon, and Sheri. Have fun!

No Wii!

2008-12-15T16:32:00.003-06:00

Yes Wii! Yes the rumors are true! We got our very own Wii! Wii have been wanting to get one for so long but I made us wait. Wii are in the process of getting out of debt and wii couldn't find any deals that would make it worth while. So wii let that dream go and decided that wii would get one next year. Props to Facebook because some friends from our ward sent a group of us a message trying to sell their Wii. I jumped on board and wii ended up being the lucky couple to buy it! It came with two wiimotes, Guitar Hero 3 and Guitar Hero Aerosmith, two wii games, Tiger Woods Golf and Boom Blox! I can't describe to you how happy wii are! Wii are taking it down to Texas with us to play with Jon's family. My parents already have a Wii and everything that goes with it so wii knew how wonderful it is! Yeah! Thanks again Bartlett's!

Playtime in the Snow!

2008-12-15T10:52:00.007-06:00

December 10, 2008

Today it was a little bit warmer than usual, around 20 degrees, and it had just snowed the night before. We thought it we be a good idea to go play in the snow! We invited the Hanson's to come play as well. It might not have been as good idea as we had thought because it became increasingly windy but we still had a great time.

We started out by making baby snow angels!

Here was the end result. She makes such cute little baby angels!

Thankfully we had a body suit that a lady in my homeward in Texas no longer needed. It kept her warm the entire time!

They have a place in the park where they put about three inches of water down and let it freeze. Add some ice skates and you have your very own ice rink! Jon took Maggie out for a spin. It back fired a bit but I thing she gad a good time!

Melissa's New Ride

2008-12-15T00:08:00.003-06:00

December 10, 2008

Our day started out pretty slow. I finally got out Melissa's new car seat. From what I have read it's a really great seat. She is so long that she has out grown her carrier and this seat will allow you to have it reclined and rear facing up to 35lbs or front facing starting at 22 lbs. She seams to really like it and I think she will travel better in this seat on our long road trip back to Texas.
She has really become aware of her toes and I just love it when she curls them up and has them play with each other! She is just getting too big!

Oops...I did it again!

2008-12-14T23:48:00.002-06:00

December 8, 2008

So shout out to my friend Anna! She graciously let us know that Britney is coming to Minneapolis April 3! I didn't really think of it until last Wednesday when I was talking to Anna and Jennifer and we were thinking how fun it would be to go see her! We are all closet Britney fans. Well seeing as how Anna is due 7 days after she comes to town she won't be able to go. So thanks to the great and wonderful Facebook I shot a few emails around and a few ladies and I will be going to see Britney in concert in Minneapolis on April 3! Now before you go and get all crazy on me let me explain myself! I grew up during the whole Nsync and Britney Spears days (which by the way they are totally better and hotter than BSB!). I really like the music and the dance moves, etc. There is just something about the hot body of hers. I think I might have a girl crush on her but can you blame me? She has had two babies really close to each other and I don't see one strech mark! Jealous much? Besides she can dance like none other and the tickets were really reasonably priced! She will put on a great show and it will be fun having a girls weekend!

A Live Nativity

2008-12-14T23:28:00.005-06:00

December 7, 2008

A few weeks ago we some how were skipping Sunday School when we were cornered and asked to take part in the live nativity that our ward puts on every year. We graciously obliged and signed up for the earliest slot (this was well planned so that it would be during day light). Being from Arlington where they have the Nativity going for weeks with the entire Stake Center decorated I was really skeptical at first but it's a really neat program that they do. It's on the same Sunday that the Christmas devotional takes place. They set up a manger scene with real animals and then members of the ward volunteer to dress up and sit outside the front of the church acting out the night of the Savior's birth. Off to the right they have some other volunteers dressed as carolers singing Christmas songs. Once inside they have a spot in the foyer for musical performances, a room full of nativities, and a beautifully decorated gym with cookies and hot chocolate. You can also wander your way down to the Family History Center to learn about genealogy. We wore a TON of clothes but we had a really fun time! It was even snowing that day so it made for an amazing night. At one point the news came and Jon got his 15 seconds of fame. Click here to see the news story. You will have to wait until the very end of the video to see him.

Did I forget to mention that they had real live animals! They had a few llamas, goats, donkeys, and a mini horse!

This was our turn. The festivities started at 4pm. Jon is the wiseman on the far left. Gary is the wiseman next to the manger. Dusty and Anna are Mary and Joseph. Then there is Eeyore the donkey. Next to him is ME, a shepherd next to Amy who is also a shepherd.

This Mary and Joseph couple took over for Anna & Dusty. They also happen to be our friends, Dan & Brittni Montgomery. She is featured on the news story with Jon.

It's Snowing!

2008-12-14T22:48:00.005-06:00

December 7, 2008

This morning we awoke to...you guessed it more SNOW!!! Before the day started and we began to get ready for church I caught some of the excitement on video. Have you noticed that we have used the video camera a lot lately? I guess it's paid off. Well if you can stomach one more video here it comes. They are HUGE flakes so they are easy to see and you get to see our lovely neighbor shovel is drive way again. I swear they shovel that thing all day long! They really don't even go anywhere but they still shovel and shovel and shovel. Although, we are talking about the neighbors who mow their lawn at least 3 times a week even though it hasn't rained and the grass hasn't grown for a month. I guess whatever makes you happy in life!

Maggie and the Boots

2008-12-14T21:48:00.003-06:00

December 6, 2008

So Maggie, like the rest of us, had to brave the cold and we snow. As humans we have a sense of compassion for our animals and so we spent an outrageous amount of money to purchase her some boots to keep her feet cold. Unfortunately for Maggie they didn't work so well so we had to take them back. Hopefully, we will be able to find some that work better and are a little bit cheaper. In the meantime, enjoy this hysterical video of our dog turned bunny!

Couch Potato

2008-12-14T21:05:00.003-06:00

December 6, 2008

We have found yet another way to entertain our baby girl. If you put two pillows side by side about 4 inches apart and insert the cutest baby girl ever you have the making of chair. She has gotten really good at sitting up all by herself except for the fact that she gets excited and leans over. Well problem solved. She sat in that position for an entire hour! She will never do anything for that long. I think she just enjoys being a part of the family.

Just Keep on Shovelin'

2008-12-14T19:00:00.000-06:00

December 6, 2008

Along with snow comes the never ending task of shoveling. It really never ends until winter is over. By the time you shovel the walk, the wind blows and then it snows again and then you start all over. Jon has really enjoyed shoveling our side walk. He always feels bad when our neighbors get to it before he does. I think it gives him a sense of ownership, not that we own our property but that he has the ability to take care of the "yard."

We have found a new game to play with Maggie. It's called "Pick up as much snow with the shovel as you can and then throw it on Maggie!" It's really dry snow up here so it just falls apart. Maggie seems to have fun playing the game.

Every time you come in from outside you must hit your shoes on the step to knock all of the snow off before coming in. We know when our neighbors are home because you can hear the "knock knock" of their shoes. I had to take the reindeer Welcome sign off of the door for the simple reason that it gets so cold that the nose of the daddy reindeer freezes to the glass door and then his nose gets ripped off every time you open the door. Poor guy!

Driving in the Snow

2008-12-14T18:18:00.005-06:00

December 5, 2008

Today was our first real snow day. We are slowly learning the joys of snow specifically learning how to drive in it. Since I lost my wallet, the day before Thanksgiving, Jon has been doing most of the driving. I haven't driven much on the snow yet but I can say that being the passenger and not having any control over whether the car is going to keep moving or slide on ice can be very nerve racking. Here is some video I took when we first went out. As you can see everything moves so much slower! It really does take twice as long to get everywhere!

Video was mess up. Will post it later.

Driving Fun

2008-12-14T17:51:00.004-06:00

December 5, 2008
While I was taking video from the camera and putting it on our computer I came across this small video. Just wait until the end. It's priceless.

Melissa's New Best Friend

2008-12-14T15:38:00.004-06:00

December 3, 2008

Melissa was in her walker blocking the path to the couch. Maggie was just dying to get to me because I kept saying her name, however, being a dog she just couldn't grasp the concept of walking around the coffee table to get to me. Usually she walks away but this time she sat next to Melissa and accepted her torcher. It's so stinkin' funny!

The Doghouse

2008-12-04T22:14:00.002-06:00

Ladies - Share this with your lady friends and your husbands! It's hilarious! And listen to the voices in the background. Enjoy!

Mommy's Pajamas

2008-11-28T14:59:00.003-06:00

My mom has this habit of saving her favorite items from when I was a baby, so of course we have used some of them.

I wore these pajamas for my first Christmas. I was a month older than she is now and she probably won't be able to wear these by the time Christmas roles around. She is just getting too long!

She was getting a little cranky, but I LOVE this picture. "Geez mom! Quit taking my picture!"

Our Thanksgiving

2008-11-28T14:41:00.005-06:00

What a fun and stress filled day we had! We started out the day by making crepes for a few close friends. Jon went shooting that morning and on his way home tried to find some paper plates and napkins. Can you believe that he could only find a convenience store that was open and had what we needed? You would think that it was a holiday or something. Anyways, after many issues with the crepes he finally mastered the heat vs. the batter and they finally turned. We also made pancakes and bacon as back ups. Everything turned out wonderful and our friends went home full.

After breakfast we began to prepare for supper (the meal between lunch and dinner). I was in charge of making the pies, veggie platter, gravy, and yams. Here are a few pics of how everything turned out.
We started out the day with our beautiful decorations. So it's thanksgiving and everyone needs a cornucopia! I was so excited that WalMart had there fall clearance early so I made my very own. I think it turned out well next to my pumpkin salt and pepper shakers!
Here is our lovely table. I forgot to take a picture of all of the food but the table was packed and we even had a side table! It was so wonderful sharing the responsibility of making all of the food between the Hanson's and Montgomery's besides there wonderful friendship of course!
My beautiful pie. I took this before I baked it so it looked even better later but oh it was so yummy!
Here is the best turkey I have ever had in my entire life! Props to Gary and Amy for doing such a wonderful job! It just fell apart and melted in your mouth! Oh yum!
Thanks to Brittni for bringing her turkey salt and pepper shakers. It just added to the table beautifully!
My wonderful yams! Could they have looked any better? And they were so good! My first attempt and they turned out great.
So while the adults were chatting and eating, Hannah had great time with the veggies we left on the coffee table. She was so nice to share them with Maggie.
I think Maggie actually ate them which made for some stinky gas later on.
And then we ended the night with some fun. We played a little bit of Nintendo and a cute picture. She is wearing mommy's hat and couldn't look cuter!

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-26T18:48:00.001-06:00

A game warden was driving down the road when he came upon a young boy
carrying a wild turkey under his arm.

He stopped and asked the boy, 'Where did you get that turkey?'

The boy replied, 'What turkey?'

The game warden said, 'That turkey you're carrying under your arm.'

The boy looks down and said, 'Well, lookee here, a turkey done roosted
under my arm!'

The game warden said, 'Now look, you know turkey season is closed, so
whatever you do to that turkey, I'm going to do to you.

If you break his leg, I'm gonna break your leg.
If you break his wing, I'll break your arm.
Whatever you do to him, I'll do to you.
So, what are you gonna do with him?'

The little boy said, 'I guess I'll just kiss his butt and let him go!'

May your stuffing be tasty
May your turkey be plump,
May your potatoes and gravy
Have never a lump.
May your yams be delicious
And your pies take the prize,
And may your Thanksgiving dinner
Stay off your thighs!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Hands and Feet

2008-11-23T14:50:00.001-06:00

Monday, November 17, 2008

Melissa made a huge mess in her diaper as well as on her clothes. Jon had just walked out the door when I had discovered her wonderful surprise. I did what all love mothers do. I striped her down to her diaper and let her play on the floor while I cleaned up.

Do Raggin' It

2008-11-22T20:48:00.000-06:00

Sunday, November 16, 2008

We went to the Hanson's for a very scrumptious dinner! They sure know how to cook! So after dinner we sat around chatting and needless to say Jon got a little creative with the napkins.

Who knew that a napkin could make a baby look so cute!

She Finally Got Them

2008-11-21T14:35:00.003-06:00

Thursday, November 13, 2008

She found her toes about a week ago and then I showed her that they can reach her toes and she has never let them go since. I was finally able to capture the magnificent toe eater!

She is really starting to become very aware of the camera so it is hard to get pictures of her now because she will stop what she is doing and focus on the shiny thing in mommy's hands.

She's starting to think about it.
Viola! Success! I love this picture because it looks like her toes are not only in her mouth but up her nose.
Mmmmmm. Yummy! You gotta love toe jam in the morning!

Our Newest Invention

2008-11-21T14:24:00.004-06:00

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

We are trying to encourage Melissa to gain stronger upper body muscles so that she can someday sit on her own. I think tummy time is the best at helping this goal but occasionally so does the bumbo. However, when she is in the bumbo it can be kind of boring for a baby her age, so what better way to entertain her than to sit her right up next to the toys she usually sees from her back.

She sits up so much better than she did a month ago. Usually, she would slump right over and cut the blood flow to her leg.

I think she is trying to decide which toy to eat first.
She is such a happy baby! I couldn't have asked for a better little girl!
Peek-a-boo! I see you!

"We Don't Need No Stinkin' Cookies!"

2008-11-20T22:47:00.004-06:00

November 11, 2009
So the time finally came when Melissa had her first taste of the great and powerful Chips Ahoy.
It was a great idea until, well all of it. When drool meets cookie it makes for a messy situation.

In the end, she didn't get a whole lot of cookie because it became so soggy that it completely crumbled and made a huge nasty mess. Next time I won't be holding her...if there will ever be a next time.

Can You Say Cold?

2008-11-14T14:19:00.005-06:00

Sunday, November 8, 2008

This is what Melissa wears where ever we go now. A huge hat on her head and a car seat cover up. It makes her all nice and snuggly.

UND 14, SUU 15

2008-11-14T14:01:00.004-06:00

Saturday, November 7, 2008

So on Saturday, the Hanson's invited us to go to the last UND home game. Gary works in the press box recording the game and so him and Amy devised a plan to get us all in for free. The plan was ingenious and it worked! Can you believe that the tickets for 1 person is $25?! It's outrageous! Anywho, we had a blast! Too bad UND lost, but it was a good game to watch!

So, the UND Sioux play at the Alerus Center. It is super crazy because it is an indoor football field! I have never in my life seen and indoor footbale stadium! I think the place will hold about 13,000 for a game and 20,000 for a concert. I believe this weekend Neil Diamond is playing. Anyway, since it is indoor it seems a lot smaller but it sure is warm!

This was all of us until Gary had to leave to work the camera! We even got free green UND footballs, as seen in Hannah's hands.

This was during half time. Notice the spelling of UND. It is upside down due to the fact that we were sitting on the other side. The band was pretty good but the flag corp good really use some help!

Here is my drunk self and Melissa! I think I need to work on taking pictures better! She is sporting her UND hat! She had a really fun time!

She had an even better time when she got to play with her daddy's Dr Pepper bottle. She is one smart cookie! She could tell the difference between it being open and closed. I think she finally got a swig of it later on.

Roll Over, Roll Over

2008-11-12T11:53:00.005-06:00

Thursday, November 6, 2008
So, She did it! She finally did it! I wasn't expecting it all given the fact that she HATES tummy time! And I completely missed the first time she did it. It happened like this:

Jon: Hey honey, where are the Oreos?
Shellie (turning her head): Um, I believe you ate them all yesterday.
Melissa: bonk, clunk
Shellie: Oh my cow! She just rolled over! And I missed it! Ok, do it again for mommy!

And here is what she did to make her mother so very happy! I made it her do it two more times and then she decided she was done. I can't believe it!

And the winner is....

2008-11-11T16:32:00.003-06:00

Yeah Julie!! Congrats to you! Thank you to all who participated! Here's to another 100 posties!

P.S. I used this website to randomly select the winner!
P.P.S. Julie shoot me an email and I will get you some free product!!

Tummy Time

2008-11-11T16:08:00.002-06:00

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

We have really started pushing tummy time more often. She really has begun to hold up her head and grab for toys all at the same time. It's amazing to me how much she grows every day!
I think it might be time to get some bigger clothes for her. We don't want any more immodest shots. So scandalous!

"Dancin' On The Ceilin"

2008-11-11T16:02:00.003-06:00

Monday, November 3, 2008

Melissa is getting so big and loves to interact with people. She is grown a huge love for her daddy and they love spending time together. Jon had a little time on Monday and they had some fun dancing on the ceiling.

She is so cute. She is looking more and more grown up everyday. Her personality has really started to shine through!

Saturday Night Bowling

2008-11-06T17:18:00.009-06:00

So after the park Amy & Gary treated us to bowling. Seeing as I have my own bowling ball and all (props to Grandma!) you think I would be super awesome. However, that's wishful thinking. I did get one strike and I had a few spares but as the games go on I just get worse. But we had a blast! It's nice to get out and prove to yourself that even though you have a baby you can still be a fun and happy couple!

The pink one on the right is my ball. It's so pretty!

This bowling alley is so family friendly. They have these little stands that you can put the bowling ball on and then your little one can just push it off! It's super nice so that you don't have to have two lanes - one with bumpers and one with out.

Here is Jon using his super awesome bowling moves.
I am so super awesome and fast that you can only get blurry shots of me bowling!
Here is Amy. Look at that awesome follow through!
Hannah had such a great time bowling! And she was really patient, especially since we bowled two games. Here she is waiting for her turn.
Jon got some great picks of my bowling. This is how you get a strike!

So Melissa is has recently started reaching for our food and drinks. She is so curious to find out what we have in our hands.
So Jon gave in and gave her a tiny taste of the good ol' Dr.
From the look on her face, I don't think she liked it. Maybe it's an acquired taste.
How can you resist this cute baby?
By the end of the night both girls were getting a but tired and so we broke all of the rules and they played on the table. As long as everyone has a good time, who cares?

Playin' at the Park

2008-11-06T14:24:00.009-06:00

Saturday, November 1, 2008

Amazingly enough, the weather here in Grand Forks is very bearable. Usually, we are already covered in snow so we took advantage of the last weekend of nice weather and we went to the park! We take Maggie to the dog park often and this park is right next to it, so we thought we would check it out and give Maggie some time out of the house. We also called up our friends Amy & Gary and we met at the park. Melissa, Hannah, and of course Maggie had a great time!

We started out by swinging. It was Melissa's first time to swing on a swing set and she did pretty well.
Until she tried to eat the swing. Poor girl kept smacking her face into it, but she seemed to like it
anyways.

I am trying to get my creative side to come out in my pictures and to figure out my camera. So I took a billion pictures at the park. I got a few that were super cute, besides the fact that the subjects are just too cute.

I love this picture!
How can you resist this cute little baby? Just so content sitting with her daddy!

Jon tried so hard to get Maggie to come into the tunnel but she would have nothing to do with it!

But he did get her to go down the slide.

I figured if Maggie could do it, then Melissa could do it. She may not be able to talk yet but I think she had a great time.

100 Posties!

2008-11-05T10:28:00.002-06:00

So, I used my 100th post on the election and now that it's over, and I am moving on, I would like to introduce to you a wonderful prize that you can win! I love this trend of a drawing for a prize since I know all of you religiously read my blog everyday! haha! Ok so I have given this much thought and shamefully I am going to promote myself. That's right! I am giving away FREE Scentsy product! That being said, I am giving away a $25 Scentsy Gift Certificate away to be spent on anything that your little heart desires. You can go to my website and view the catalog to start dreaming. All YOU need to do is post a comment by Friday, November 7, 2008 at 12pm Midnight to have a chance to win! Good luck to all of you fellow bloggers!

P.S. I want to give props to my fellow blogger Shannon. I love the word Posties and I shamelessly stole it!

"The Sky is Falling, The Sky is Falling!"

2008-11-05T09:30:00.003-06:00

Ok, so I just don't have the heart to put President and Obama together. I know some of you think it's all great and dandy but I just don't. I have really gotten wrapped up in this election, just like the last election but I feel this one had more at stake. It's not that I am racist in any way, I love my fellow black people, but it's everything that he stands for. I have allowed myself just one day to rant and rave about this and then you shall not hear any more from me, so that being said YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

His VP is for voting against Prop 8 in California. Obama himself is for live abortion (which if you don't know what that means it is actually starting premature labor and giving birth to a 22 or so week old baby and then leaving it in a room to die a horrible slow death). Why can't we have access to his personal records like his birth certificate? I mean come on there is a lawsuit out there by a democrat that is trying to gain access to it. Then there is just to much coincidence when it comes to him being friends with terrorists. I could go on and show you videos and put in quotes that he has said or plans on doing that point towards a socialist view but I won't.

I think we are at that time that the scriptures warn about. Now is the time to make your homes even stronger. Now is the time to get out of debt, save money, and build up your food storage. Get your lives in order and quit procrastinating! We can no longer sit on the fence of doing or not doing. Choose the Right and move on without looking back. Be an example and you will have nothing to fear.

I Rocked the Vote!!!

2008-11-04T16:36:00.003-06:00

Yes, it's true, I totally did. Like many of you I did not get my sticker either but there is something about getting up on election day and going to vote.

Today was a busy day for us. We finally got our back window replaced, which I can just tell you how stinkin' exciting that was! Anyways, we went two blocks west and one block south and found our lovely elementary school. It was kind of weird because school was still going on and so you had these little elementary school kids walking around. Being from a big city it just made me nervous thinking that all of these strangers were walking in and out of this school and at any moment one of them could be taken, but I am sure since they are actually coming to vote that stuff like that wouldn't happen, right?

Ok, so we voted. We didn't go until about 11am and there was no line or anything. I voted in 2004 but this time I feel like my vote counts even more. I know this post is a little rambly but in North Dakota you don't have to register to vote. You just walk into your voting place and show a bill with your name and address on it and they write your name onto a piece of paper and viola you can vote! Kind of weird but hey at least I got to vote.

Anywho, happy election watching to all and we'll see what tomorrow brings!
By the way...if you haven't voted yet....GO VOTE!

"What other shenanigans can I get into?"

2008-11-02T16:15:00.005-06:00

**FYI: I did a huge blog post today. If you are super excited or really bored be sure to scroll to the bottom to start from the beginning.**

Well I can tell you! We woke up Saturday morning to find this...

If you look closely you can see the bb gun mark at the tip of the picture. We have now joined the "my back window has been shot out" club. I can't say that I am super excited about being a member but I guess I don't have much of a choice. We weren't the only people to join the club that day. Apparently, it happened city wide or at least that is what the police officer told us.

I am also a member of "my back window is now a black trash bag" club. Apparently, auto glass business' are not open on Saturdays. No need to fear, we will have a new window on Tuesday but we will have to wait longer for a new Scentsy decal. I know, don't cry, it's going to be OK.

Happy Halloween!

2008-11-02T16:04:00.005-06:00

Saturday, November 1, 2008

We had a blast on Halloween! We didn't intend for it to be so much fun but our last minute thinking turned it into a great night! We were going to go to a party that we had been invited to but Melissa had been cranky ALL day long and with the added stress of getting ready in a short amount of time along with the long drive out we decided to stay home and have a small gathering of our own. We have really enjoyed getting to know the Hanson's and Montgomery's in our ward and since they didn't have any plans we invited them over to carve pumpkins and play some games.

Here is Jon & Gary digging into the pumpkins. They didn't waste anytime getting started!
Here is Amy and Melissa. They just adore Melissa and we just adore...
...their little girl Hannah. She is so much fun.
Here are our finished pumpkins. It was a ton of fun to carve them and then light them up on our porch.
Each family took turns taking pictures next to the pumpkins.
The perfect end to the perfect day. Happy 1st Halloween Melissa!

Trunk Or Treat

2008-11-02T15:53:00.003-06:00

Thursday, October 20, 2008

So last night was our ward Halloween party and trunk or treat. We had a pie and chili cook off. I entered my apple pie but sadly didn't win, although it was the best(of course). We had a fun time seeing everyone from the ward and passing out candy at our trunk.

Here is Mommy and her little sweet pea. For whatever reason, I keep looking drunk in all of our pictures. I guess I just need to cut back or something.
Daddy and his little pea pod!
Our lovely car. It looked really great when it was dark and lit up by the glowing pumpkins. You couldn't even see the stroller.

Our family of farmers. At the last minute I was able to talk Jon into dressing up as a cowboy, only if I would too. So, instead we went as farmers and Melissa was our crop! I was really excited because I had been trying to figure out how to incorporate all of our costumes and we did it! It's the little things.

4 Months Old!

2008-11-02T15:45:00.005-06:00

Wednesday, October 29, 2008
So I have no recollection of these pictures. Apparently I was busy somewhere else in the house while Jon took these pictures. I couldn't resist posting them because she is so dang cute!

We also went to the doctor today for her 4 month check up. She is growing well and apparently I am doing well as a parent. She weighed in at 14.5 lbs and is now 25 inches long. I don't mind our pediatrician and I don't hate her so I think we will keep her, especially since there isn't much of a selection up here.

Our Very First Snow!

2008-11-02T15:38:00.004-06:00

Sunday, October 25, 2008

So it's a really good thing that we winterized on Saturday because this morning it began to snow! I was beyond excited! However, I was also really nervous because we had to talk at church this morning and make it on time, etc. It was still snowing when we left for church and there was news that it would continue to snow tomorrow. However, after we got out of church the snow was all melted. In some ways it was really disappointing but in others it felt just like home.

If you look closely you can see the snow on the cars and leaves. The pictures aren't very good, mainly because they are taken through our plastic/glass/screen window.

**As an update, Mr. Winter is very late this year. We have not seen any snow or rain since that day. Which for now is fine by me.

Winterizing the Windows

2008-11-02T15:31:00.004-06:00

For those of you who have never been in a super, super cold wintry place like North Dakota you will be pleasantry surprised to find that they have thought of everything to help get your home ready for the winter. We knew that they existed because we visited in April and noticed them but we had no idea how brillantly fun and amazing this invention was. So without further ado....I bring you shrink wrap for WINDOWS!!

First you put double sided tape around all of the windows. Then you carefully unfold the plastic and stick it to the tape and then you....

...Yes ladies and gentlemen! You take a blow dryer to it and it smooths out ALL of the wrinkles making it almost virtually impossible to even notice that you have plastic on your windows!

It's ingenious!

Finally, A Bed Of Her Very Own

2008-11-02T15:26:00.003-06:00

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

So we finally found the time and used Jon's amazing skills and we put her bed together! She now sleeps in her very own bed in her very own room! Most nights she does very well and she is getting better at sleeping through the night. It is so hard being a parent! Now we have to figure out what works and what doesn't and sometimes that can be really trying but I suppose it is all worth it in the end!

Three Columns!!!

2008-10-20T20:49:00.003-05:00

Ok so I found this blog that tells you how to add a third column to your blog as well as to size your columns so they look evenly spaced. I love knowing how to size them because I always hated how you would add a new tool to your sidebars and they would look like they were falling off of the page. So go there and learn and have fun! Now I just need to learn how to make a header and I am golden!

Pumpkin Patch Mania!

2008-10-20T13:29:00.007-05:00

So I am so excited to say that we went to our very first pumpkin patch! I have ALWAYS wanted to go to a pumpkin patch! It wasn't at all what I expected and in some ways it was a small let down but we still had a great time! We asked our new friends Amy and Gary Hanson to come along. They have an adorable little girl named Hannah. She just learned the word Pumpkin and every time she saw one she would say "Pumpkin!" Since, this was a momentous occasion we had to dress up our little baby girl! She has a very cute pumpkin outfit my mom bought her, so I couldn't think of a better occasion for her to wear it. You can't see a whole lot of what she is wearing because she was wrapped up tight in Jon's jacket but you can she how cute she was!
If you look closely, you can see her orange and black striped socks!
I love going to places that have been there for generations! There is just something so amazing about that to me.

The pumpkin patch did have a lot to do. They had a corn maze, straw maze (for the little ones), little games for the kids to play, as well as a haunted "road", and a hay ride.
Here we are in the corn maze. It wasn't your typical corn maze, mainly because the entrance was also the exit and the paths weren't clearly marked but we had a good time stomping around.
Time out from the maze for a cute picture!

It really got interesting when the corn got really tall! It's huge!
After the corn maze we took a ride on the wild side and took a spin around the field of pumpkins!
It was actually really nice because by the time we got there it was really slow and we were the only ones on the hay ride.
What a cute family! Thanks Gary for taking pictures!
I was going for one of those professional, amazing shots but a blurry one will have to do until I get a better camera. If you look closely, you can see the albino pumpkin!

After the hayride, Hannah got to ride on the tractor and Gary played a few games.

Then as worried first time parents go, we pulled out the UND hat. I wanted to keep her bow on but Jon wouldn't have any of it!
I failed to take pictures of the haunted road but it was mainly a stroll through some trees where they had skeleton's lying around. I'm sure it's really scary when it's dark. We finally made it over to the Pumpkin "Patch." This is the only part where I was really disappointed. I thought we would run out to a field with our wagons in town and pick out our pumpkins and bring them back to be purchased. However, they have barn that you walk into where the pumpkins are all lying on the floor and you pick out the ones you want. Well, we got there a little late and there wasn't much of a selection left. Amy, being the smart thinker, went to ask if there were any others to choose from. They directed us to three shack buildings and said that we could take a look. It was getting dark so it was hard to see but I think we all picked out some great looking pumpkins.
It was really kind of creepy. All I could think of were spiders. Although, we don't have the creepy, nasty kind of spiders like they do in Texas.
These were all of the pumpkins they had left. The last shack of pumpkins.

Her Very Own Walker

2008-10-20T13:00:00.004-05:00

I have been looking on-line for the "best" walker. Actually the best walker for our price range. There isn't much of a selection here in Grand Forks but with a little bit of luck, I found one! Some would call me picky, but I just hate getting toys (or clothes) with characters all over them. For example, Winnie the Pooh, Sesame Street, etc. especially for toys that I will keep for many years to come. That being said, it was really hard to find a walker that was inexpensive but that didn't contain any characters on it. Wal-Mart and Target only carry Pooh or Sesame Street walkers, however, we in a last ditch effort I stopped by Kmart to see if I could find one to my liking and I did! The box had been opened but nothing was missing so it was discounted. Plus, I had a coupon where if you spent $50 or more you got $5 off, add a pack of diapers to the mix and I was golden! I got the walker, a huge pack of diapers and 2 packs of gum for less than $50! Just in case you aren't up to date on the latest walker trends, most of them are between $40 and $50. I was so excited! We had to wait a few hours before we got home to put it together. We stopped by the mall and saved even more money and JCPenney's! Gotta love their sales!

Anywho, here is Melissa in her very own walker! I just love this little girl!
In this walker, she sits more forward so she pushes it forward even on the rug. She really loves the spinny thing on the left. It has a mirror on it, which I found she really loves those. I came around the corner and she was actually spinning it! She is just getting too big!

I really love this picture! She just looks so excited that she can spin it herself!

Back & Tummy Time

2008-10-20T12:47:00.003-05:00

Since Melissa was 2 months old she LOVES being able to see EVERYTHING! She is one of the most alert babies I have ever been around. She loves to sit up and see the world. That being said, I have been horrible about giving her back and tummy time. I am just so worried that she will miss that vital step of learning to roll over and then go straight to walking, instead of crawling first. Who knew that those steps were so important. Anywho, since we got home she has found a new love of being on her back. It also helps to turn on Noggin (thanks Mom for those dvds!) while she lays there, but she has also become more interactive with her toys. She loves to grab on to them and make them make nows. She also scootches around so that she is almost completely turned around.
She was straight on with the butterfly but she just can't stop wriggling around.
I just can't believe how much she is really smiling, with a real smile! She is so dang cute! I just love her so much!
I LOVE this picture. Melissa and Maggie are having a staring contest. She loves to watch Maggie. Maggie is really good with her too. She sniffs her but keeps her distance.
Tummy time is here! She is doing so well with keeping her head up and she even kicks her legs while doing it. She doesn't last too long, mainly because she starts to spit up but little by little she will get better.

Mmmm...Toys

2008-10-20T12:38:00.003-05:00

Well we finally made it home. I never thought I would say that but HOME is where my heart is and that would be in North Dakota. It was wonderful being back in Texas and seeing our friends and family, not to mention eating yummy food! Oh how I miss Braums! But it was even better to walk off the plane and see my amazing husband standing there in the terminal. Oh, I missed him so much. It was even better when we got home, our home. North Dakota's not so bad, it's growing on me.

So, we started getting back in the groove of things and Melissa absolutely loves her new toys. As you can clearly see in these pictures I took on Tuesday.
And can you believe the cheese I was able to get from this little girl? She is just getting too big!

Moments Between a Baby Girl and Her Grandpa

2008-10-20T12:33:00.005-05:00

While I was in Texas, I had the wonderful opportunity to spend some time out with my in-laws. They were able to get a few pics of Melissa and I was able to capture a few moments between her and her Grandpa. She had nothing but smiles for her Grandpa Eldredge. It was so fun to see them together!

Blog Lift

2008-10-10T21:34:00.002-05:00

Ok so I found this really cute background that was super easy to install, however, I am not sure how to put in a third column or make a really cool blog title. Maybe someday I will figure all of that out, but until then this is what you all get to look at. I have been really jealous lately since everyone has been giving their blogs a cute lift so I finally followed in your foot steps.

I will post more pics of our trip to Texas as soon as I get them loaded onto the computer. As weird as it sounds I am super excited to get back to North Dakota! I miss being a family with my hubby and I miss him terribly! Monday I go home and I just can't wait!

Happy Anniversary My Love

2008-10-08T17:21:00.002-05:00

I can not believe it has been three years! How time flies! I remember when we were first married and how I couldn't even imagine what it would be like to be married a year and now it's been three. I have loved every minute being married to you. I have loved getting to know you. You are an amazing person and I had no idea how lucky I was when I said yes. I can now say that I am truly the most blessed woman on the earth to be married to you. I love knowing that I get to spend eternity with you! I look forward to growing old with you and raising our babies together. Words can't describe how much I love you and how my love grows for you everyday. Thank you for the last three years and here's to an eternity of pure happiness with you. I love you babe!

Sunday Sleeper

2008-10-05T11:28:00.002-05:00

Ok, so last post and I think I will finally be up to date. The fair went well. I think that had the world not been in such an upheaval about the economy and other such nonsense that it would have been better but all in all it has gone well so far. We still have 20 days left but I only had to supervise 3. I honestly don't know how people do that for a living! I am just so exhausted! But we sold product and got our info out to the people, so hopefully in the long run my exhaustion will pay off! Since it's General Conference weekend I had the ability to sleep in that is at least until Melissa woke up. My mom gave her a bath and got her dressed. She was in desperate need of tummy time, which she hates, but we made her do it anyways and she fell asleep. She is just the cutest baby ever, not that I am biased in anyway.

Talk, Talk, Talkin'

2008-10-05T11:22:00.003-05:00

I was gone all day Thursday and I was truly exhausted when I came home, especially knowing that the next two days would be even longer and more exhausting, but my reward when I came home that night was so great! So great in fact that I couldn't even stay awake to enjoy it! Melissa did very well for my mom while I was gone but she was fairly quiet, that is until I got home. We were on the couch and I and she just started chattering away, telling me how her day went. It was so hard to stay awake but she went on for over 10 minutes. My mom said that she hadn't talked all day until then. It was such a great feeling knowing that she still wanted to talk to me.

Time with Grandpa

2008-10-05T11:14:00.002-05:00

My dad usually isn't the baby type but recently he has had a great interest in his grandbaby. I think that it as to do with the fact that she doesn't really cry so it's easy to make her happy. Wednesday night I was busy trying to get ready for the fair on Thursday and my mom was trying to get my brothers and sisters in bed which put Grandpa on baby duty. She was all ready for bed and they just hung out together until she fell asleep.

It was so precious! She would just stare at him while he talked to her. They did this for about 30 minutes until he came out and they sat in the rocker.

Then she just dozed off. At one point, both her and Grandpa were asleep.
I just love the the position she fell asleep in. My hand tucked under her chin and we arm swingin' out. How cute is she?!

My Big Girl!

2008-10-05T11:05:00.004-05:00

On Monday, my mom was going to get out her old bouncy chair but instead she found the walker first. Since Melissa love's to sit up and look around we figured she would love this, however, we didn't realize how much she would love it! She stands up in it and if we put her in the kitchen she will push herself around! She is getting too big too fast! What happened to my little baby? But she is just too dang cute!

It's a Dance Party!

2008-10-05T10:59:00.003-05:00

Sunday, I went to church with my family. It was so wonderful to see everyone again! It's amazing how the ward has changed since I left for college. So many new faces to meet but it's so wonderful to see everyone that I have known since we have moved here. There was a girl who bore her testimony during Sacrament meeting and she sat by my and my mom during Relief Society. She was a recent convert who had just moved out to Commerce to go to A&M. We invited her over for lunch and we ended up getting the Wii DDR out! WOW is that fun or what!? It took some getting used to but I LOVE IT!! Hey Santa...a Wii for Christmas...pretty, pretty, please?

Back In the Saddle Again...

2008-10-05T10:39:00.004-05:00

Well I haven't posted since we got to Texas because I have been so super busy with the state fair but my time is over and I have a little extra time this morning...so get ready for update blog mania!!

So we landed in Texas at about 1:30pm on Saturday. After a few mishaps and embarrassing moments between Fargo to Denver and Denver to DFW we made it safe and sound. It was so great to walk out that scary rotating door and see my mom's smiling face! We didn't make it home to Greenville until 10pm. I had a few Scentsy errands to run and we did a little bit of shopping while we were out and about in Dallas. However, when we finally made it home we drove up to see this wonderful sign my sister Jenny made.

Two Very Special Ladies

2008-09-25T08:40:00.003-05:00

Sprint had changed how to send picture mail but I finally conquered it and figured out how to get a very special picture off of my phone.
These two beautiful ladies are very dear to my heart. Melissa is being held by the mother of my dear friend Melissa Brown who passed away 5 years ago. And her daughter Natalie is standing next to her grandmother Kathy. Melissa was such a wonderful example to me of the person I wanted to become. I didn't realize what a wonderful influence she had been in my life until she passed away and I am so grateful that she left behind a beautiful daughter, who is the spitting image of her. Kathy herself is a wonderful lady too! She was diagnosed with breast cancer earlier this year and at the time was going through a round of kemo. She is such a beautiful lady! I love them so much and I am so grateful that I was able to have a daughter of my own.

I'm Coming Home!!!

2008-09-25T08:33:00.002-05:00

I am so excited! I will try and limit the use of the word excited but I am!! Melissa and I leave the Fargo airport and 6:30 am! So early I know but they only have 2 flights in and out of Fargo and we either got in at 1:30pm or 10pm and I have stuff to do while out in town that day. Anyways, SOOO EXCITED! I will be in town for the Texas State fair but I will be in Texas for 2 weeks! So I will have lots of time to see friends and family. I am staying out in Greenville so that my mom can watch Melissa for the few days I have to work the fair and other such related things. And as I have stated, I am very excited, but I will miss my hubby. I always get so..excited(couldn't think of a better word) to leave and see family but then I always realize at the last minute that I will miss him! Plus, this time it's even harder because he leaves Friday morning for an ROTC camp thingy and I won't be able to talk to him until Sunday afternoon. In this regard, I am happy I only have to spend one night alone by myself but sad I can't talk to him for 3 days! Well Texas get ready cuz here we come!

Dinner Party

2008-09-25T08:23:00.002-05:00

Ok, so it didn't start out as a dinner party but it kind of ended up that way. We invited over a couple from church Amy and Gary Hansen and their cute little girl Hannah. We are trying to expand our group of friends and Jon and Gary happen to have a class together. Anywho, we then invited the Butler's over because well I owe'm one. Jon and I were all excited because we were going to cook our first roast. Jon got up early that morning and put it in added seasoning, etc. and it cooked all day. We left church early because Melissa decided to spit up on me, not once or twice but three times and I was wearing dark brown. 'nough said. So, we came home cleaned, cleaned, and cleaned (we were such slackers on Saturday). The apartment looked so amazing! So, I had a little extra time and I set the table so beautifully! I wish I had taken a picture! I had the dinner plates along with the salad plates AND dinner and salad forks on the table all neatly arranged in order as if you would be eating with royalty! Although, it would have been better had we had nice glass cups but the plastic ones will do for now. It was beautiful! And can I just say what an amazing cook my husband is! He made the roast, mashed potatoes, corn, green beans, remembered dessert, and the salad (although I did help with the salad). He is sooo wonderful! After dinner we played a few games before everyone left, but we had such a wonderful time! So, we will definitely have more dinners to come! We had such a great time having them over and it was so nice to have the space because we didn't have that before! I have already been thinking of a Halloween themed dinner! Oh I am sooo excited!

It's about time...

2008-09-25T08:16:00.002-05:00

...I actually wrote on here again. For whatever reason I go through spurts of blogging excitement and then life happens (or doesn't happen) and I don't blog. SO to catch up here is what happened last week.
Bees - So we finally took care of those rotten things. We bought at trap at Lowe's that actually worked. We did put Scentsy in it to help attract them and we caught about 20. We probably need to put more wax in it because we still have them buzzing around outside but there are fewer. Although, we did have one come in the house while I was sitting on the couch and I did NOT freak out. You would be so proud! I calmly pointed it out and Jon went and killed it. I am giving myself a pat on the back for that one, however, I still won't take Maggie out because there are bees outside and Jon got stung by one, on the neck, while he was out there. But progress is progress.

Melissa is still so dang cute! She "talks" even more these days. My favorite is when she is a bit tired and she wants her pacifier in her mouth but wants to talk at the same time. I need to catch it on video! I love her so much! I will posting video of her later when I get a chance to put it on the computer. Now that we are pretty much caught, I will put a slew of posts up to add to the mania! Woohoo!

The Amazing Bee Killer Returns

2008-09-15T08:20:00.002-05:00

We have noticed that since we have moved here no matter what time we go to bed we seem to have a really hard time waking up on time for church. This was the case yesterday, however, instead of waking up late we didn't wake up at all. Church starts at 10 and we rolled out of bed at 9:30. So, instead we spent a lazy, wonderful day as a family. Well all of it was wonderful until we had visitors. We killed 12 yellow jacket bees in our home yesterday! This does not count the previous ones we have killed days before. And it does not count the 5 Jon killed between the door and the screen door, or the ones he sprayed that were buzzing around the windows or the ones that continued to buzz our windows throughout the day. I am usually a calm person, however, when a bee comes in my house I lose all sense of the ward and run around like a crazy person. Luckily my super husband uses his bare hands to swat the little nasty pests to the ground and then steps on them. Although, he was starting to become on edge after awhile when every time you turned around there was another one. It felt like a scene from the killer bees movie where you can hear them buzzing and you have plugged up every hole but somehow they make it inside and begin to eat you! We figured out that they were coming from the windows so we duct taped up all the seams and holes, we thought this solved the problem. We were wrong. Once they figured this out they started flying in through the large crack above the screen door and then they would squeeze their way through the small crack above the main door. It's just so unnerving! In realizing that I would be alone today, without my super bee killer around to protect me, we made the decision to break the sabbath and go purchase a bee trap. I sure hope it works because if I have to fight off 12 bees by myself today, I might just go insane and you will have to come visit me in the mental hospital. So the moral of this story is go to church or face the wrath of lots of bees.
For your viewing pleasure, here is two that Jon killed. Sorry for the shot of our toilet, but at least it's clean!

A Night with The Women

2008-09-14T15:23:00.002-05:00

So last night my wonderful husband agreed to watch Melissa so I could go out with some of the ladies I have become friends with in our ward. I had such a great time! We went to this nice little restaurant call Rhombus. It mainly serves specialty pizzas but you can also get a sandwich or pita. We got the T Rex and the Chicken Bacon Ranch pizza. Both were very good and we had plenty of leftovers. It was fun to eat and chat without worrying about keeping your baby happy. We then went to see The Women. I absolutely loved this movie! I do like most movies I see but I actually want to buy this movie! I wanted to see it but I wasn't overly excited to like some movies, but I am so glad we went to see it. There are several hilarious parts throughout the movie which really made for a great show. But when all was said and done I left the theater feeling empowered. I felt good about myself and I wanted to go out and conquer the world. This moving is a great movie to watch, especially when you're feeling low and need a pick me up.

We Finally Got Our Bumbo!

2008-09-14T15:09:00.004-05:00

So, almost 2 weeks ago I ordered Melissa a dresser, baby monitor and a bumbo. I had it shipped using Site to Store not realizing how long it would take. It did save me like $50 but it took FOREVER to get here. Anyways, it finally came in and we picked it up on Saturday. We are still waiting on dresser but we did get the monitor and boppy. Can I just say how wonderful it is to finally have a baby monitor!?! It's nice to get up in the morning and not worry about listening for her because I can here her through the monitor! Wonderful! Anywho, Melissa absolutely loves sitting up. She will spend some time on the floor kicking around but only for short periods of time. As soon as I pick her up and stick her in her chair she is happy again. She just loves being able to see what's going on, this is why I was so excited to get the bumbo. She doesn't sit in it quite perfectly yet but she is just shy of 3 months which is the youngest age it says it's for. But for being her age she does very well in it. Here is a few pictures of her being a big girl. I can't believe how big she is already!

Then this afternoon, I laid her on the boppy while I got myself something to eat and she was at an angle trying to hold her head up when I just sat her up she held her head and body up without falling over. I am so proud of her. She is getting so big and so dang cute!

Friday Night Enrichment

2008-09-14T15:01:00.003-05:00

Ok, so this post is one of many that I will be doing today, but I need to catch up on what we did this weekend. Friday night we had our quarterly enrichment and I must say that I had a good time. I have never heard of it being on a Friday but we had a great turnout. We sat on the lawn behind the church and ate tin foil dinners and peach cobbler or chocolate cake with ice cream for dessert. We also had a few short lessons that were taught and a sing along at the end. For whatever reason, Melissa was not having a good time and cried for about half of it. It was really odd because that is the most I have ever heard her cry. I got her to go back to sleep and then she woke up crying but wouldn't eat. I finally went inside and calmed her down by stroking her cheek and she finally ate. I don't know what was going on but I felt really bad for her. Then, I took Anna home where my husband ended up at her house. Dusty and he went to Lowe's. I don't know what it is about men and their tools but I think they should make a club for toolholics anonymous. It is nice though to have such great friends that we already know up here. It makes missing home not so bad.

World's Largest French Fry Feed

2008-09-12T09:33:00.004-05:00

Last night Melissa and I went to the world's largest french fry feed at University Park near UND. It's part of a week long celebration in honor of the Potato Bowl which is in it's 43rd year. It's like the Cotton Bowl in Texas. Jon was unable to go due to school but we had a good time non the less. We are only a 20 minute walk from the park and seeing as I didn't have a car we walked. I had to carry Melissa in one of those jumper thingys because the stroller was in the car, although it turned out better that way because there were so many people! I met up with some of our friends from church and we had a great time. The best part was that all of the french fries were free!
They pour them by the bag through this long cooking machine...
And they come out the end where they put them into a bucket and start scooping them out into the bowls.
Here is the tent where you go to pick up your free french fries. They also have free ketchup on tables surrounding the tent.
Here is the end result. They are actually super yummy! Not to greasy. Not to hard. Not to soft. Just right.

They also had visitors like a huge Mr Potato Head, French Fry guy, and Ronald McDonald. He was kind of a weirdo but a nice guy. He was handing out "I met Ronald" stickers and...
And taking pictures. I hadn't planned on it but he suggested it so here's one for the memory book. How many people can say that they had their picture taken with Ronald McDonald? Of course some would be glad by that.
They also had free bounce houses. I thought it was awesome that it was all free and they had about 5 or 6 bounce houses there! That's unheard of where we are from. They also had a few concession stands open where you could purchase snacks, drinks, or hot dogs. The prices were pretty inexpensive as well.
And here is Melissa and me just hangin' out. She did so well! I was a little nervous at how well she would do in the jumper (I honestly don't know the real name to it). She slept most of the time. On our way there she just passed out and then she was awake for a little bit while I had her out and then I put her back in it to walk around and she passed back out again. I kept squeezing her hands to make sure she was still alive. She is just so dang cute!
P.S. After tonight I realized that I want one of those really nice cameras so I can learn how to take amazingly beautiful pictures like Stacie and Missy. I could see it in my mind but my camera just doesn't have the ability. Someday...

The Amazing Bee Killer

2008-09-11T15:59:00.004-05:00

So we were minding our own business, just sitting around and enjoying the day when all of a sudden I see a bee flying around my couch. Thankfully I had just gotten up from the couch before it came my way and my wonderful bee killing husband was home. I went downstairs, while he goes to kill it...however, he lost it in the process of hitting it down to the ground with his BARE hands (he does this quite often). I come back upstairs to watch the air while he looks on the ground. After several intense minutes go by he finds the bee hiding under the t.v. stand and finishes off the job. In remembrance of this wonderful bee killing adventure I took a picture. As you can see, Jon doesn't think too highly of this occasion, of course he's not afraid of bees either.

The evil bee. Muahaha. Now he's an evil dead bee!

In Remembrance...

2008-09-11T13:06:00.002-05:00

Since I have never really kept a journal I wanted to post where I was seven years ago so as not to forget what happened. I was a junior in high school. We had just switched classes which put in Mrs Jennifer Martin's English class. I think we had just finished a worksheet when our principal came over the intercom to let us know what had happened. Thanks to our wonderful tech program we had tvs in all of our classrooms to see weekly performances put on or channel 1(does anyone remember that show?) so the tech dept got the live feed going onto all of our tvs and we watched in horror as the second plane crashed into the 2nd tower and then we watched as they fell. Everyone around me was crying, panicking, talking, etc. and I just sat there. For some reason I had a feeling of calm, peace about me. All I could think about was the second coming of our Savior and how this was just the beginning but it would only bring us closer to Him. For the next few days we heard about those who were affected. Thankfully, we didn't know anyone who was affected at all, either first hand or because they were stranded somewhere. I can't express enough how deeply sadden I am for those that lost loved ones. I haven't yet had that anguish in my life and can not imagine what it is like. I hope everyone remembers this day and remembers the reason we are at war. Pray for our soldiers everyday. It was only the beginning and someday we will have an end and freedom for those who could not do it alone.

Facebook

2008-09-11T13:01:00.003-05:00

Ok, so I have new found addiction...Facebook. I have prolonged my journey to this new and wonderful place and I finally gave in. My poor house, husband, dog, and daughter! I'm addicted. It is so stinkin awesome that I kick my self in the head for not joining sooner! I stayed up late on Tuesday adding to my flair and all I did yesterday was Facebook. I didn't get anything done including taking a shower. It's so terribly awful but wonderful! I finally put the computer down at 6 to give my daughter some much needed attention. I am going to limit my Facebook time but did I say how much I love it? Ok, so for the rest of you facebookers out there look me up and if you haven't joined...you totally should!

Happy Anniversary Mom & Dad!

2008-09-10T13:07:00.003-05:00

I just want to send a shout out to my wonderful parents! They have been married for 16 yrs and sealed for all eternity for 3! I love you both so much! Unfortunately, my mom will most likely be passed out for most of it today. She has had a migraine for the past 9 days and non of the meds that her doctor gave her would work so she got a wonderful narcotic shot right in her arm today. Get better soon mom!

Spoiled Rotten

2008-09-09T11:06:00.002-05:00

So, I made a post a few days ago about how Melissa was not sleeping, well I guess I should take it back because I put her to bed about 11:30pm and she is still sleeping! She woke up at about 8:00am to eat and she went back to sleep and pretty soon here I will go wake her up! It's crazy! I put her in pajamas that have feet attached and I think that helped because her feet didn't get cold like the night before last. I just love watching her sleep. She gets into this dreaming mode where her eyes move about and open and close and then her mouth smiles, then frowns, then smiles. Oh I just love her!
I took a picture of her feetsies and her beautiful sleeping position. She is sooo long! We were at Target the other day and they have a size chart to help figure out what size your baby is. Well Melissa is 24 in long (or she was a month ago) and the size chart says she would be a size 6months! Which I have no doubt . Her pajamas I put on her last night we 3/6 months and she doesn't have much growing room left. She has plenty of growing room width wise but length...nope! But she's so dang cute that I don't even care!

I'm Going to Pump You Up!

2008-09-08T12:22:00.002-05:00

So I've officially decided to lose the rest of my baby weight. I have been stagnant at my current weight, which is disheartening considering that since Melissa was born I have only lost 15 lbs. and she was 10lbs. I gained 50 lbs (give or take do to the water gain at the very end) so the goal is to lose 10lbs so I can at least fit into my pants. I had a huge wardrobe before getting pregnant. One that I had proudly built since I was a freshman in high school...this being said I have A LOT of clothes and I simply can't afford to go out and buy a whole new set of clothes, especially with winter coming and we will have to buy a ton of new winter items to keep from freezing. So, I started working out yesterday. Thankfully we have stairs that I can utilize to run up and down as well as doing other various exercises to build my abs. I don't have much hope for the abs considering my overwhelming amount of stretch marks but there is hope for my butt. Who knew that it would grow? ;-) I guess in the huge belly growth at the end of my pregnancy I just didn't realize that my backside grew as well. Oh well, I'll do what I can and hope for the best.

Although, it would probably help if I gave up some of the sweets! I have had such a sweet tooth since Melissa was born. I was so desperate once that I ended up eating baking chocolate chips because it was all that we had to choose from. I have been on an Oreo kick lately. Did you know that 2 Oreo cookies is 120 calories! Oh dear! And I ate like 10 of them! I won't go cold Turkey, just lessen how many I eat a day. Who am I kidding?! This is going to be hard!

Recipes for Your Enjoyment

2008-09-06T13:32:00.002-05:00

A few have asked for these recipes so here they are! Enjoy!

Chicken & Noodles
Prep Time- 15 Min
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
1/2 C Milk
1/3 C Grated Parmesan Cheese
1/8 tsp Pepper (if desired)
3 C Cooked Medium Egg Noodles (1 1/2 -2 Bags)
2 C Cubed Cooked Chicken (or however much chicken you want) Can also be substituted for hamburger if that's all you have.

In saucepan, combine soup, milk, cheese, and pepper; add noodles and chicken. Over lowheat, heat through, stir often. You can also make the wet mixture and then keep the noodles separate and allow your family to pour on as much as they desire.

Creamy Rice & Meat
Prep Time 15 min
Use 1 can for 2 people in an 8x8 in pan and 2 cans for a family of at least 4.

2 can Cream of Chicken Soup or 1 large family size can
2 cans of water (use can from soup)
2 cans of rice (use can from soup)
Pork Chops or Chicken Breast (however that will fit in your pan, we get the center cut pork chops and 6 of them will fit in the 9x13.

In 9x13 pan put soup and slowly add water, then rice. Mix well. Put pork chops on top of mixture. Cover & seal with foil. Bake for 1 hr at 350 degrees.

Tater Tot Casserole
1 can Green Beans, drained
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
1 C sour cream
Hamburger Cooked - however much is desired.
Tater Tots (to fill the top of the casserole)
Cheese - however much is desired

In 9x9 baking dish, put green beans in bottom. Mix soup, sour cream, & hamburger then put on top of green beans. Next top with tater tots & then cheeses. Bake at 425 degrees for 20 min.

Lasagna
Prep time 45 - 60 min (can premake the night before)

1 lb hamburger
chopped onion (it's with the spices)
minced garlice (with the spices too)
1 16 oz can tomatoes
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
1 6 oz can tomato paste
2 tsp Dried basil, crushed (spices - I only point this out because I didn't know where to find it)
8 oz Lasagna Noodles
2 eggs
2 1/2 C Cottage Cheese
3/4 C Parmesan Cheese
2 tsp Dried Parsley Flakes (spices)
1 lb Mozzarella Cheese, shredded

Cook meat, onion, and garlic until meat is browned. Drain. Stir in tomatoes, sauce, paste, basil, and salt (if desired). Cover; simmer 15 minutes stirring often.
Cook noodles in salted water. 1 tbsp cooking oil (i.e. vegetable oil - it helps the noodles to NOT stick together when cooking).
Beat eggs; add cottage cheese, 1/2 C Parmesan, parsley, salt & pepper (if desired)
Layer half noodles, half cheese mixture, half mozzarella, & half meat sauce. Repeat.
Sprinkle remaining Parmesan on top. Bake at 375 degrees fir 30-35 min. Let Stand for 10 min

Enchiladas

Ground Beef
1 can Enchilada Sauce (or you can use the packet where you add the sauce, I think it tastes better that way, but the premade can is faster)
Shredded Cheese
6 Flour Tortillas

Heat over to 375 degrees
Brown hamburger, drain. Stir in 1/3 can of enchilada sauce & 1/2 c cheese
Spoon filling into tortillas, roll up and place seam side down in greased baking dish.
Pour remaining sauce over top; sprinkle with cheese (We have found that the more sauce and cheese you have the better it tastes).
Bake for 15-20 min.

Roast A La King
3/4 C Milk
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
Cut of Cooked Meat
3/4 C Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 pkg of Medium Egg Noodles

Put soup and milk in sauce pan. Blend well. Stir in meat & cheese. Cook until heated through. Cook noodles according to package. Serve sauce over noodles.

ENJOY!

Farmers Market

2008-09-06T12:40:00.005-05:00

So this morning we went to the Grand Forks Farmers Market which runs from June - September. We had a little bit of fun. We saw our friends, Anna & Dusty, which was fun to hang with them. Other than that, it's not too exciting but I love living in a small town and going to things of this nature. Anywho, they only allow those with homemade products so the majority of it is homemade crafts rather than food, however, Jon did buy a German pastry which he says they did a great job making it because it was like the real thing. I found this little booth that had the most amazingly cute embroidered outfits so of course I had to get something! But the best part was that they were really inexpensive! For $10 I got this cute little hat and a pair of socks for Melissa.

The socks won't fit her until next year but I didn't want to get socks that she would grow out of right away. The lady was really nice and I even gave her one of my Scentsy catalogs. I am getting braver! The only downside to the market is the amount of awful bees swarming around. They are EVERYWHERE! I feel like I was in the movie about killer bees because everywhere you turn there they are!! This lead to the stinging of my poor husband. He's not a woosy man by any means when it comes to the pesky things. He swats at them with his bare hands and then kills them! He's a maniac. However, one got him today and my super man realized that he isn't as invincible as he thought he was. Although, he is still braver than anyone I know.

After the market we went to a little store called Pamida in East Grand Forks, MN. My mom and I used to shop there as a kid when I lived in Nebraska. Jon thought it would be a little more exciting than it actually was but it was still fun exploring. Next week we will go back to the market and actually buy some food than walk around downtown to see what little shops we can find. All in all, we are enjoying are life here in Grand Forks.

No Sleep

2008-09-04T22:12:00.003-05:00

Well it's almost 10:30pm which I know isn't late, however, my baby girl is WIDE AWAKE! Which means that maybe in an about an hour she will go to bed. I have tried putting her down twice, both times she was completely sound asleep, and each time some weird thing has happened and she has woken up. It's not that I mind staying up but it's the fact that I had already resolved myself to the fact that I was about to go to bed. I was so ready to put my head down on that pillow and snuggle up in my covers. But for now my sweet pillow will have to wait for my head. Oh how I miss my pillow and the time I used to spend with it.

To add a quick update...She fell asleep around 11pm. Then after I had fallen into a sound sleep, she woke back up at 11:30. I almost had her asleep until the pitter patter of Maggie's paws officially woke her up. I will spare you the part where I had a nervous break down. Finally, after waking Jon up and saying a few more prayers she was back in bed around 12:30am. She then woke up at 4:30am to eat (like normal) but then she pooped her pants (which isn't that early in the morning) which made for her not sleeping very well until I finally woke up enough to realize that I needed to change them and here we are. Here's hoping for a nap this afternoon.

Jon is My Hero!

2008-09-03T19:50:00.002-05:00

He is so amazing! He is doing exactly what he wants, and in some ways it is scary, but I am so proud of him! He is working hard and doing well for our family! He passed his PT test for the ROTC and today he went up in an airplane and did a wonderful job! You can read about it here. He teaches me something everyday and what can I say...I love him and all that he has done, is doing, and will continue to do! Your my hero babe and I love you!

Closet 2, Jon 1

2008-09-03T18:24:00.003-05:00

So I won't even big to list the items that are wrong with our home. Now don't get me wrong I am so grateful to have a roof over my head and to have the space that we do but the work that they do up here is less than what it should be. I only have a knowledge of home repair due to the many jobs that my wonderful husband has helped with during his families home remodels. That being said the first day we moved in (and the re-modelers were still in the house) the closet shelf/bar holding all of our clothes, that I so neatly had just finished hanging up came crashing down to the ground. Thankfully no one was in the room at the time to get pierced by the wooden rod that broke into 3 pieces. So my wonderfully smart husband went to Lowe's and bought lead anchors to put in the walls because the other smart repair men put in plastic anchors into a cement wall that would only hold a 30lb picture. That being said we thought it's been two weeks...hey it's still up and all of our clothes are still there....we won the war! Last night before I went to bed I had a feeling to close the closet doors and boy am I glad that I did! At 7am this morning I had just fallen back asleep from feeding Melissa when BOOM!! CRASH!! BANG!! AHH! WHAT THE....UGH! My side of the closet had fallen down and now the doors are bursting at the seems from a stockpile of clothing. We haven't looked at what may have caused the fall this time but we will figure it out or switch to all dressers. It may have one the battle...again, but it has not won the war!

Armadillidiidae

2008-09-02T11:24:00.005-05:00

Armadillidiidae is a family of woodlice, a terrestrial crustacean group in the order Isopoda. Unlike members of the family Porcellionidae, members of this family can roll into a ball, giving them their common name of "pill bug", "potato bug", "doodlebug", or the more recent and increasingly popularized term, "roly-poly", which has been used regionally as early as 1968. Uncited references also date use of the term in Texas as early as 1925. ^[1]

The best known species in the family is Armadillidium vulgare, the common pill bug. These arthropods commonly feed on decaying vegetation and are found under logs, garbage pails or any other place where moisture can be found. Moisture is essential to pill bugs due to their breathing organs, which are like gills. Pill bugs, although often thriving in damp areas, have often been known to live in dry beds. These pill bugs have no specialized predators, though they play host to specialized parasitoids in the fly family Rhinophoridae.

Well now that you know about our special friends you will be happy to know that we coexist with them. They are everywhere downstairs. I looked up this definition on Wikipedia to try and understand why it is that we have sooo many. We believe that somewhere in time the laundry room or bathroom flooded and now some of the wood is rotting (which you can see at the bottom of the door frames). It could definitely be worse, like they could be roaches, but it's still gross knowing that when you go down there in bare feet it's a good possibility that you could step on one. For whatever reason it really creeps me out.

Our New Apartment

2008-09-01T21:44:00.003-05:00

So our apartment is finally clean enough where we aren't embarrassed to actually show it. We are guessing that it is around 1000 sq ft or so. Up here in ND they aren't too keen on the specifics. We are in a four plex which means no real yard bit it's only four steps from the door to the side walk so it's fine with me. We do have a garage but we are just waiting on the door. When I finally get all of the pics up and the garage is fixed then we will post new pics. Until then enjoy this video.

Melissa's 3rd Laugh

2008-09-01T21:34:00.003-05:00

So this past Thursday we got her ti laugh but since then we haven't been able to catch it on camera because she will only do it once. So last night while I was getting her ready for bed she seemed in a somewhat playful mood and we finally captured it. So for you viewing pleasure...here she is!

I'm coming to town!!!

2008-09-01T21:28:00.002-05:00

Well it's official! I am now a Star Director! And with such title comes perks like a pay raise! Which allows me to come to Texas for a visit! The main reason for the visit is business. My team and I are working the Texas State Fair but I get to spend time with my family! Woohoo! I am so excited! It will just be Melissa and me but it will be great to spent time with everyone. My tentative stay will be from Sept 23 - Oct. 13. May be less time but I haven't bought plane tickets yet so it is bound to change. See everyone very soon!

The Day I Had

2008-08-30T13:53:00.003-05:00

My day started out pretty normal. Melissa and Jon were still sleeping downstairs so I enjoyed a quiet bowl of cereal. Then I decided to call the insurance company who then directed me to the hospital. Not much got done there in regards to our medical bills...maybe another day. Jon left for school and would be back at 12. I needed the car for a meeting that I had for our food stamps(yes we joined the band wagon). He came home and I was actually ready on time to take him back to school and Melissa was so cute looking! I actually found time to get her all cute and everything!

We had a little extra time so we enjoyed the latest episode of Stargate Atlantis(I know, we are complete nerds!). We then piled into the car and it was off to take Jon back to school. While in the car he was suppose to leave me his key to the house. Well naturally we both forgot and as I dropped him off, and went to leave, I realized that I didn't have it. Well most people would have turned around and called him, however, we had put a pizza in the oven so that it would be ready by the time I got back home. SO, I raced home trying to figure out how I would get into my own house. Being from Arlington, we always keep the windows and doors locked. I realized that we have one open in the basement that holds our fan. I had to leave Melissa in the car, run to the side of the house, rip a hole in the screen. Rip the screen out, knock the fan onto the floor (all while Maggie sits next to the bed and does nothing, not even bark...so much for a guard dog) run upstairs take my burnt pizza out of the oven and then run outside to take my poor crying baby out of the car. But wait...that's not all! I come in and realize that there is an odor that I just can't quite put my finger on...oh wait! Because we forgot to take her out she used the bathroom on our new, beautiful, and expensive rug downstairs(now I need to figure out how to fix that!). So I take care of Melissa and then clean up Maggie's poo. Meanwhile, Melissa is upstairs in her highchair having the time of her life. I run upstairs and finish my pizza and realize that it's time to get going so I am not late for my meeting. I go to take Melissa out of her highchair and realize that there is poo EVERYWHERE!!! She had a few blowouts last week while my mom and I were out shopping but nothing compared to this mess! It was halfway up her chest! I take her out and lay her on the floor and tried to be as "neat" as I possibly could but it was everywhere! As I pulled off her outfit it got all over her arm, hand, chest, armpit...ugh. So disgusting. And it was smeared all over her belly and thighs. So it took me over 25 minutes and 20 wipes and a few paper towels and we were ready to go. There went her really cute outfit! We were finally out of the house and on our way 10 minutes late. Needless to say we had to reschedule. What a day. I will be so happy if I never have to see poop again!

I may be a little behind...

2008-08-28T11:36:00.002-05:00

but I was watching Martha Stewart today and it was an episode from the winter time so some of you might have seen it and the owner of Black Apple was on! She showed how to make her little dolls. I am so excited and now I want to make Melissa her very own Black Apple doll. She said how she ships all over the world to places like Australia and Singapore and her business is in the 6 figures! She joined Etsy after it was 2 months old! I just thought it was awesome to see her on Martha! Due to the crazy channels up here (we only get three fuzzy channels up here with the rabbit ears) everything comes on at different times than down in Texas so I was stuck watching Martha, however, now I am so glad that I was! Ok, just wanted to share my excitement!

She is so big!

2008-08-27T14:07:00.004-05:00

It is amazing to me how much Melissa has grown in the past two months. She loves sitting up and holding her head up. She no longer likes to lay down in your lap but be up facing the world. She has found her hands and loves to eat them! Although, there has been a downside to this because she clenches them shut to the point that her hand begins to stink, even though I wash it often. Anywho, here is some video of our big girl!

It's Official...We live in North Dakota!

2008-08-27T13:16:00.002-05:00

So after a year of excitement, filling out forms, having a baby, and living with the in-laws we have finally made it to the flat lands of North Dakota! So far so good. We had a bit of trouble moving in to our home but with all of that aside we love it here. We still have some unpacking to do but we have about 90% of our stuff unpacked. It's all of the little stuff that's left. I will post pictures as soon as it looks somewhat decent. The only downside to ND is no central air or dishwashers! I am the dishwasher and box fans have replaced our nice cold air. Oh well.

Jon started school yesterday. So far he really likes it. He got to sit in an airplane and I think next week he might actually go up in it. We went to the ROTC barbecue on Monday. We look old compared to all of the 18 and 19 year olds that are there with their girlfriends. I remember those days. There are a total of three members in the ROTC including Jon so it's nice he already has friends. Melissa has grown so much in the past month. At her 2 month check up she weighed in at 11lbs 13 oz and 24 in long. Needless to say she is off of the growth charts. I will get some pictures and video posted soon. I am now getting on somewhat of a schedule so I can remember to actually blog!

Back at Home...for Now

2008-07-15T11:41:00.002-05:00

Well, I am back from Nebraska. It was a short trip but we had a great time and my grandma was able to meet her great granddaughter! We had so much fun but it's great to be home. However, Thursday will be our last day here. We will be moving in with the in-laws on Thursday until we move to North Dakota in August. I packed most of the apartment before I left last week but I have to finish up now that I have more boxes. It's hard moving into a storage shed but making sure we will have everything we need. Oh well, we all must do it at some point or another.

I will post pics of our trip later...when I can take a break from packing. Melissa did so well on the trip! She hardly cries as it is but I was a little nervous but she was great. It was such an action packed weekend that I was so exhausted by the time we came home but can I just say how wonderful my baby girl is! She slept 7 hours straight last night! I couldn't believe it when I woke up to her grunts and realized that she had slept through the night! Wow! And it was much needed rest for me. I don't expect her to do it again but I greatly appreciated it last night! She is just so amazing and wonderful! I think she's a keeper.

Got to love a bargain!

2008-07-08T13:56:00.002-05:00

So, ever since I found out I was having a girl I can't help but pick up outfits that are on the clearance rack when I am at the store. So far I am shopping for 12months to 18months because she has enough clothes to last until then. Once, I found all of these long sleeve shirts at Old Navy for $1. So I bought for 6months and 18months of age. That being said, Old Navy is having an amazing sale on their clearance. You can receive an extra 20% off their clearance with the code EXTRA20. So of course I couldn't resist. I found some cute capris, shorts, dresses, and shirts for next year.

Also, there is a store next to Babies R Us called Fallas. They always have some kind of sidewalk sale. Well I suggest everyone go there to shop. It's like a Ross but a little cleaner. It's not crazy messy or really busy but they have some great buys! Sometimes they will have onesies and pants for $1. I found a really cute 18month size jean jacket, pant, and longsleeve shirt set by sketchers for $10. They do have name brand and brands I haven't heard of but they seem like good clothes. I love finding stuff on sale!

My Sweetheart!

2008-07-07T15:19:00.001-05:00

Here's another one! Thanks Mary!

What’s his name? Jonny
How long have you been together? 3 yrs
How long did you date? We dated for 1 month
How old is he? 24
Who eats more? Well currently probably me but usually it's him
Who said I love you first? I did but he wanted to I just beat him to it.
Who is taller? Him.
Who sings better? Definitely him. I LOVE to sing but you will never catch me singing by myself.
Who is smarter? It depends. He is smart and knows almost everything. If he doesn't know it he will learn about it. It's amazing to me how much he knows and can actually remember. I am smart when it comes to the books - spelling, grammar, math, etc. Although he can do math in his head faster than I can.
Who does the laundry? We both do, although I usually end up folding and putting it away.
Who pays the bills? I do. He helps remind me but I keep track of the finances.
Who sleeps on the right side? Currently it's me but we trade often.
Who mows the lawn? If we had a lawn Jon would. He likes mowing the lawn. I've never been a big fan.
Who cooks dinner? It depends on what you call dinner. I cook out of boxes (I can cook other stuff but that takes time). Usually though, we fend for ourselves.
Who drives? If we are both going in the same car he will, unless he doesn't feel good or is too tired. I enjoy him driving. It's less time I have to spend thinking.
Who is more stubborn? Oh definitely me. There's no argument there but I am getting better. Kind of.
Who kissed who first? He did.
Who proposed? It was kind of an agreement between us both. I am not even sure how we came to the decision but we just both knew that we were it for each other. He later proposed to me in his parents back yard with candle light and roses. And thankfully we got it all on tape!
Who has more friends? I do. I can talk to anyone but Jon has those kind of friends that you have had since you were a kid and can always count on.
Who is more sensitive? Most of the time it's def. me.
Who has more siblings? Well it depends on how you look at it. Jon has 5 full blood related siblings. I have 5 half siblings and 4 step siblings. You decide.
Who wears the pants? We share the pants. He gets one leg and I get the other.

Thanks Mary!

2008-07-07T13:47:00.002-05:00

So I stole this from Mary but it looked like fun!

Maybe I should keep packing. Or clean.
I love Jon and my beautiful baby girl Melissa!
People would say that I love to talk but don't always know when to be quiet.
I don’t understand why I have to be the nice one on the road.
When I wake up in the morning I wish I'd gotten just a bit more sleep.
I lost my favorite backpack for almost 2 years and then found it one day when I opened some luggage. What a relief!
Life is full of unanswered questions that turn into blessings.
My past is full of crazy memories and lessons learned
I get annoyed when people are just rude. Why can't we all just get along and share the aisles!
Parties are things that usually make me anxious for really no apparent reason.
I wish I had enough money for a mover.
Dogs are protective and smelly - but you gotta love'em. Wouldn't trade Maggie for anything!
Cats are gross.
Tomorrow I'm packing and cleaning.
I have low tolerance for rude people.
I’m totally terrified of large cockroaches and knives.
I wonder why I got so lucky to have the people I have in my life.
Never in my life have I gotten attacked by a bird. But I have been bit by a zebra.
High school was great. Definitely a great experience!
When I’m nervous I get really warm and I want to throw up.
One time at a family gathering I ran over my grandma with a truck. Long story but I was in an old truck where you can take it out of gear when the keys aren't in the ignition. I was 5 yrs old and she had just opened the door and we were parked on a hill. In to neutral it went and smack. I took grandma and the mailbox out in one swoop. She was only bruised up but the mailbox didn't make it.
Take my advice: Enjoy life, Enjoy every moment.
Don’t take my advice – Eating 3 scoops of ice cream every night is good for you health.
Making my bed never happens. We like it messy.
I'm almost always in a good mood.
I’m addicted to tv and ice cream.
I want someone to a million dollars!

Monkey Face

2008-07-03T11:03:00.004-05:00

So, Melissa has this face that she does if you hold her up by her arm pits. It is soo cute! Enjoy!