Grandparents Day 2009

Today was Grandparents/Special Guest Day at our school. This year Grandma Marsh came all the way from Fort Wayne to be Reese's guest. We started the day with an all-school Mass that involved my cute little 2nd graders. :) Afterwards we headed to a reception with all of the special guests where they were treated to coffee, juice, and sweet treats.

I stole Reese away for a quick picture. :)
Reese with her special guest, Grandma Marsh. :)

Following the reception, all of the guests were invited back to the classrooms to participate in some sort of craft or activity. Reese and Grandma Marsh worked on making a flower pot with colorful flowers made out of construction paper. They wrote various things they were thankful for on the petals. Reese was going to give it to Grandma Marsh but said she first wanted to show her mom and dad and that she would bring it to Thanksgiving. She loved having her grandma at her school and enjoyed showing her around her classroom.

Afterwards, Marsha, Joel, Ryan, and I met for lunch at McAlister's Deli. It was so nice to spend a little more time with her before she headed back to Fort Wayne to get ready for Thanksgiving dinner.

Grandma Marsh and Ryan

We really appreciated you making the trip to Indy to spend the morning with us, Marsha! We look forward to seeing you tomorrow!

Ultrasound!

Today we had our 21-week ultrasound...and he/she is healthy little baby! We decided--with your help--to take Reese and Ryan with us. I'm really glad we did...even if they don't really "get it" right now. They both loved hearing the heartbeat and seeing parts of the baby. The hands and feet were very easy for them to identify.

And here is a picture of the baby's face (at the right of the image if it's hard for you to tell). It was hard to get a good picture of the face--the baby was all over the place! At the start of the ultrasound, the baby was lying sideways. By the end, he/she was head down and curled into a little ball.

The technician did have us turn away at one point when she had to take a measurement and she said she was glad she did as she was able to tell what we're having. Reese was not happy that we weren't going to find out. She said, "Well, I want to know..." I said, "Sorry, kid--you don't have a vote! You get to wait and be surprised like the rest of us."

Thank you all for the advice about taking the kids with us as well as the prayers that were offered up. Now we just have to wait about 19 more weeks to meet the little guy or girl!

5 Months!!

Somehow I blinked and hit the 5 month mark of pregnancy. It sure does fly by with your third. For example, with my first two pregnancies, I went to Hallmark early on and bought these cute little journals to record each little moment of my pregnancy. (This was way before the world of blogging. I've always been the type of person who loves to write in journals...it's like cheap therapy to me!) Okay, back to the pregnancy journals--they were just a great way to stop and enjoy the moment. As for this pregnancy? I thought about getting one but figured the blog would suffice. Yet I barely feel like I've posted about it. The poor third child is already getting the shaft! (Sorry, kiddo--you can commiserate with your Aunt Holly later in life.)

I'm not very good at having belly pics taken. I have great intentions, then just end up forgetting. However, I had Joel snap this one last week when I was officially 20 weeks:

It was also my first week of wearing maternity shirts. This week I pulled out one pair of black pants, only because I'm worried about stretching my favorite ones out. (I'm hoping that someday I'll fit back into them!) I'm still in that awkward in-between stage where my clothes might be looking a bit too tight, but maternity clothes are way too roomy. I'm sure in a few weeks I'll wonder where all of that room went...

I go on Friday afternoon for my big ultrasound. I would appreciate any prayers you could send our way! I'm just praying that everything goes well and that the baby is healthy. We've also officially agreed not to find out if it's a boy or a girl. It's going to be a long wait, but I think I'm up for it. :)

I'm trying to decide whether or not to take the kids--mainly Reese--with us to the ultrasound. I don't want her to feel left out if Joel, Ryan, and I all get to see the baby. Yet I would have to pull her out of school a little early, and it's not like we're going to find out the gender. Any opinions?
On another note, Joel and I were able to have a kid-free night last Saturday to attend the wedding of our good friend, Shaun. We had a great time reconnecting with a group of friends from our old Sunday school class. We started going to that class a few months after we were married in 2001, but had trouble keeping up with everyone after the kids came along. It was just too much to go to Mass at one church and then to another church right afterwards. We both noticed that these are the types of friends who you can just see every once in awhile and just pick up right where you left off. Congrats to Shaun and Amanda! And thank you, Mom and Dad, for keeping the kids overnight. It was so nice to wake up on my own and not because a little kid was trying to crawl into my bed. :) Let's do this again, soon! (Ha, ha!)

IU Girls Reunion 2009

Last fall I was fortunate enough to reconnect with some of my IU girlfriends for a little getaway to Michigan. We had such a wonderful time that we thought we should do it again, but this time include our families. We planned our trip around the time when Michelle would be here since she lives in Germany. After spending a month in Hawaii (yes, that's right--it's okay to not like her a little...just kidding!), she and her beautiful baby boy, Blaise, joined us at Pokagon State Park. Other friends joining us were Kelly, Tara, and Jen.

We could not have lucked out any more with the weather we had. It was in the upper 60's and just gorgeous! We first met for a little picnic while everyone got acquainted with one another.

The kids ran off and started making a giant leaf pile to jump in.

We all went on a hike to the Nature Center, where we were able to see snakes, frogs, and turtles.

The kids from left to right: Carter, Ally, Peyton, Leah, Elliott, Eleanor, Reese, Blaise, Carolyn, and Ryan. They are such a cute bunch of kids!

Not only are they cute, but they are all so delightful to be around. Each one of them has their own personality, and they all played so well together. I wish we lived closer to everyone because our kids really loved playing with their new friends.

I'm so bummed I didn't get a group picture of the adults. Reese took this of me with Jen and Kelly.

Right after taking this, Reese told Kelly, "I think you might be my new adult best friend." She was thrilled that Miss Kelly brought peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the kids. And we all know the way to Reese's heart...

Reese with Ally and Peyton

We later went back to the inn to rest...

...by doing a little yoga. :)
The beds provided such fun entertainment...

...like leaping from one bed to another. I'm sure the people below just loved us. :)

Later that night we ordered pizzas and ate in the huge gathering space by the fire.

Joel kept the kids entertained by telling stories. :)

Unfortunately the only downside to staying at an inn is that we didn't have a place to all gather once our little kiddos were tucked in bed. So the guys were sweet enough to stay in the rooms while the girls went back to the hearth room for a little girl talk. I loved catching up with everyone!

The next morning we all gathered for breakfast and worked on a puzzle that I'm sure was missing a few pieces. (That's my excuse for not finishing it anyway!) We then went outside to enjoy the beautiful sunshine and warm temperatures.

The view of the inn from Lake James.

The kids found another leaf pile to jump in. Here is Carter, Eleanor, and Reese.

Family picture time!

Jen and Jeremy with Carter, Leah, and Elliott

Jen (who's expecting #4 in January) with her youngest, Elliott

Finally it was time to say goodbye. Our kids kept talking about their new friends on the way home and are already wanting to see them again. Next year I vote for making shirts for the kids that say "IU Class of 2026," or whatever year they will be graduating from college. How cute would that be??

We stopped by my grandma's house on the way home and took her out for lunch with Uncle Doug. Afterwards we got to see Jenny and her kids, Libby, William, and Anna. (I think these are Reese's 2nd cousins, but I am not very good with the whole family tree thing.) We had such a nice visit with everyone!

See you on Thanksgiving!

Reese and Mommy Day

Last Friday, Reese and I both had the day off. The teachers had an in-service at another school, but my teaching partner went for me since I went last year. (Thanks, Shannon!) I decided that I should do something special with Reese since we don't have a lot of one-on-one time together.

At first I thought we would go out to lunch, but since we had to pick up Ryan at noon, I thought it would be better to go out for breakfast. I'm normally not a go-out-for-breakfast kind of gal, but I figured the special time with Reese would be worth it. She wanted to go to Sunrise Cafe where you can get "a pancake as big as your head, Mom!" Seriously. Her pancake was about the size of my head...maybe even a little bigger. At first our waitress seated us across from one another, but she moved her placemat next to mine because she wanted to sit right by me. We had a great time coloring and playing tic-tac-toe while we were waiting for our food.

After a nice breakfast, we headed to The Creative Escape in Carmel to paint pottery, as this is what she wanted to do. Sometimes the hardest part is picking out what you're going to paint and what colors to use, etc. But we quickly settled on two items and got started.

I know you're shocked that Reese's involved something dessert related. :)
She did a wonderful job painting the cupcake and adding the sprinkles. I had to help at this point as it was hard to squeeze the paint out of those bottles.

While I was adding the sprinkles, she worked on the heart ornament. I gave her the idea of doing the polka dots, but she did them on her own with a sponge.

Here we are with our finished products! It's funny how Reese's cupcake blends into her dress. :)

We had to pick up Ryan at this point and headed home for lunch. After lunch I took both of my kiddos to the Children's Museum. It was just nice to have both of them home on a weekday and not have to worry about picking Reese up at carpool. The kids enjoyed riding several times on the carousel, playing in the ice cream shop and treehouse, and exploring the science/construction zone. I was pleasantly surprised when Joel unexpectedly showed up and joined us--it made my already wonderful day even better!! We concluded our museum trip with seeing the dinosaurs and digging for fossils, then we headed off to Fazoli's for dinner. What a perfect ending to a perfect day!!

Halloween 2009

Better late than never, right? I think this Halloween was my favorite one yet. It helped that it was on a Saturday. Our friends, Jason and Leslie, threw a fun Halloween party where everyone--yes, even the adults--donned a costume. I was really impressed that everyone dressed up and am already trying to think of what I can be next year...

I love Jen's 80's theme. She was rockin' that dress with matching pumps!

Reese as Velma from Scooby Doo
Ryan was Scooby Doo

Fr. Joel and Sister Kristin (or Sister Mary Kristin)

Leslie as the Octomom--love it!

Grandpa Stan and Grandma Linda dropped by to see everyone in their costumes.

Jason as the bullrider
Jason, Leslie, Ella, Laney, and Matthew

I loved this family's costume theme. Steve and Erin were Mario and Luigi, Madda was Princess Toadstool, and Jackson was a turtle from Super Mario Brothers.

Check out the loot!

Care to share? Not so much? Don't worry--we go through it when you and your sister go to bed. (Thank goodness neither kid can read yet. I have a feeling I'll have a lot of explaining to do in a few years...)

Kalahari Fall 2009

For Fall Break, we went with Joel's family to the Kalahari Waterpark and Resort in Sandusky, Ohio. We have gone every summer since 2006, but decided not to go this year after going to Disney World this past spring. However, we just couldn't stay away from the water slides and the lazy river...or "lazy liver" as Ryan calls it. :) Doug and Marsha generously rented the rooms so that our family as well as Brad and Amy's family could get away with them for a few days. Thanks, Doug and Marsha!


I was really impressed that Reese overcame her fear of waterslides and went down several--even one that was as high as the roof! I was so proud of her! Unfortunately I didn't take many pictures, but here are some of the highlights:

The lazy river is always a big hit!
We really took advantage of the free kids' activities they offered. The kids participated in a coloring contest (which Riley won!), and made a lot of cute crafts. Here they are making "crash witches."

The finished product...the witches look like they have crashed into a wall. Too cute!

The arcade was a big hit. The package Doug and Marsha bought came with 200 tokens. The kids (okay--adults, too) enjoyed playing many of the games. Riley was amazing on Deal or No Deal. She won over 100 tickets in one game alone!

Reese and Ryan loved playing air hockey.

On our last day we had two separate people come and give us their tickets they had earned. One was a teenager who gave us about 170 tickets. Another was a little boy who gave us about 90 because he didn't see anything in the prize area that he wanted. I just thought that was really sweet that two separate people offered up their tickets.

My favorite part was putting the kids to bed each night and then playing cards for several hours. We always have such a great time hanging out together! Thanks again, Doug and Marsha!