zellerzone

Walking in His shoes

2011-09-13T16:59:00.000-07:00

This Livey girl is way beyond my understanding sometimes. I took one thing from this video and compared it to our daily living- The way we try to take things into our own hands...and walk in shoes too big for our feet and what happens? We fall. We fall. We can't do it on our own. We think we are in control and try to live our lives the way we want to live them without the patience of waiting for the Lord to tell us his plan and the trust in Him to be in control. And most times, we try our own way, and when we fall, we keep trying. I find it interesting in this video, that Livey, after the first time falling in "Papa's" shoes, she took them off and put them up. Yes, surprisinly she took them off and put them up on the fireplace. If only we were that wise. If only we as grown adults, could say "Lord, you know what is best. I'm not doing this without you. Please help me". We would be so much better off.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6

Jude Rides...with no training wheels!

2011-09-05T10:06:00.000-07:00

So, yes, Jude learned to ride a bike with no training wheels. It wasn't easy. He first received a bike for his birthday that was a little bigger than his last and when we recently tried taking the trainers off, he was a bit skeptical to try to ride it on his own. So, his Gree suggested we revert back to his shorter bike and take the training wheels off that one. Well....that did the trick. And now, poof! He can do it with no training wheels.

He was so, so proud.

Jude also had another first this week. He had his first day of pre-k. Excited, yes he was! I don't think I even got a "bye mom" out of him...he walked in the room, met his teachers and started chatting their ear off about where to go and what they got to do. Happy, yes...that he wasn't tugging on my pants or crying. Sad, yes..that my baby was now a boy. I love this boy and I cannot believe how fast he's grown up, right before my eyes.

After school, I could tell Jude was tired. He does naps about every other day, but today was a "nap day". I made him lay down and I lay next to him. He uttered the words, "mama, will you sing me a song".

"Yes, yes Jude, I will sing you a song. Or 2 or 3 or 4". Ok, so he is still my baby. And I love it. We lay under his brown blanket, with the windows open and the fresh breeze blowing over us as I ran my fingers threw his blonde lockes....love this boy... He's still my Jude boy, even if he's four and playing soccor, and going to pre-school, and riding his bike with no training wheels. He's still my babe.

Isaiah 40:31 says:

but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

It seems to me these days that Jude has spread his wings and is soaring...and it is a reminder to me that, through Christ, and my dependence on him, I too can run & not grow weary, walk and not be faint....soar on wings like eagles.

Negligence...Again

2011-08-25T16:14:00.001-07:00

So, we celebrated 2 birthdays this spring/early summer. Olivia turned 2 on May 1 and Jude turned 4 on June 1. We had a combination party--Super-hero-themed! This was my first attempt at a "fondant" cake. It did taste good...however, it's appearance says something else :) It is supposed to be a SuperMan "S".

Olivia received her first costume for her birthday and was thrilled to be wonderwoman.. Check out her toes. She curls them & clenches her fists when she's really excited. She was also posing with Grandma Schoppet for a picture :)

We went to a resort in Branson called Stillwaters in early June with the Zeller family and had a spectacular time. Okay, it was a bit hectic with 9 kids under 7 and 10 adults....who have strong opinions :) But we had a fun time overall! Jude swam on his own quite a bit without waterwings and Livs went down the waterslide!

Olivia has really been using her words... speaking very clearly in full sentences.. It's just nuts the things she comes up with! The girl does NOT sleep..wakes up at 5:00am almost every morning and sometimes takes a 2 hour nap, but most of the time it's 1 hour. And bedtime isn't until 8pm or after....She's a go-getter & full of energy!

We had our friend Josie over the other day and the kids just ADORE her!

These two are best of friends....MOST of the time! They play so well together and fight so well together :) It's quite amusing and sometimes exhausting.

Jude is starting "soccer" this fall. Not sure how this will all go. I think he will learn to run fast and kick the ball... you know, the basics. He was thrilled for his first practice tonight! Time goes by so quickly, especially when I get to spend it with these two!!!!

Purses, hats, and glasses..Oh my!

2011-01-13T07:55:00.000-08:00

This girl has a passion for her purses & bags!

Jude--being a goof and sporting his Rockets hat!

Livey with her new shades from & hat!

She's nuts, just nuts...and she knows it!

Christmas 2010

2011-01-13T07:36:00.000-08:00

Ty, Jude, & Fallon at the Zeller Christmas!

We celebrated the Schoppet Christmas on Christmas Eve.

Livey was more interested in the gift bags, than the actual gifts.

Jude played "Santa" and delivered all the gifts to everyone.

Worn out after a long day of playing!

Helping mommy stir! These two are becoming more like "buds" everyday. Livey is learning how to play with Jude's toys and "his" games. However, she does have a love for her babies, carrying purses around and pretending to go shopping.

Neglect...I know

2010-12-03T18:53:00.000-08:00

Not neglect from my kids, but from this poor blog.

Halloween was a lot of fun for the kids this year, especially Jude. He was a good helper to Livs too, although I think he took some of the candy as "pay" for helping her :)
Yes, I stay at home usually 3 days/week, however, it seems that I, somehow, have less time to mess with this silly blog. It takes time and effort. I admit, I fail :) Here are some latest pics of the kiddos and a video of Livs...it is funny, she was totally reading, or attempting to read this piece of paper until I got the camera out and then, all she wanted to do was say "cheese". What a stinker she has become! She began climbing out of her crib at age 18months...and therefore we have transferred her to a toddler bed, much to our dismay. She insists on sitting at the table with us. She feeds Charlie (our dog) her food. She tells me "No, no". She can clearly say the words "Juuude, maMA, dadddaaa, NO". She loves fruit snacks. She loves Jude's stuffed dog, named Jax (after Aunt Carrie & Uncle Brett's dog).

Summer is Over

2010-09-02T12:57:00.001-07:00

Here was a photo during our "Women's & Kid's night" while our husbands picked their fantasy football teams...They thoroughly enjoyed themselves~

Livey takes herself shopping in the shopping cart...She really cracks herself up!

This video totally caught me off guard while Jude was eating dinner and I was in the kitchen...he began by talking about how he liked God and Jesus and he was going to give them both a kiss and hug when he gets to heaven...I immediately but non-chalantly slid the camera over and started recording...Great idea of Heaven :)
And this video is from Moses and Livey on Wed. They are a week and a half apart and love to play with one another!

Change in Action

2010-07-31T08:45:00.000-07:00

Well..This week begins something new to me and to our family. I will begin working just 2 days/week at Methodist. I've been waiting patiently (I think) for quite some time for this to take place and now it's here.

I need share some other updates within the household. We did travel 17 hours to Tx for a week to spend time with the whole Zeller family. We had an amazing time staying in a 5 bedroom palace with a pool/hot tub in the back yard. We were far beyond blessed! We cooked in, layed out, swam, laughed, relaxed, worshipped....rarely faught :) It was all-in-all a great vacation!

Olivia is walking full speed ahead. She is saying a few little phrases and loves reading to herself in her rocking chair. Love to hear the babbling.

Jude is maturing each day with the new phrases he comes up with. The kid cracks us up. He's all about his cousins, especially after our trip to Tx. The other night we picked up kids for church and he said to them "Do you know my cousins?" They all just sort of looked at him, like "no?"....he prays for each of them at night and don't think we would ever leave one out! He's loving Livs and the fact that they can play together a little more each day. He tackles her and she loves it. He has a heart for singing...And I love it!

Jude turns 3!

2010-06-07T13:26:00.000-07:00

Jude turned three this past week and along with turning three, he also had to give up the binky. He was well aware that this was going to take place, however talking about it and doing it were two totally different scenerios. He was completely confident in the idea of it all, but when it comes right down to it....it's probably the hardest thing this three-year-old has ever encountered. He doesn't know how to sooth himself now...when he's tired or hurt. It's really kind of sad. Tonight, he just cried uncontrollably for about 1 hour. Nothing I could do or say, would ease his pain. As sad as it sounds, I really, at the time, had no empathy for the kid, rather I wanted to set him in a room and shut the door. Pray for us, seriously! He's not asleep yet!!!

Change is a Good Thing

2010-05-18T17:16:00.001-07:00

Within about a six week time period, the Lord has brought about a lot of change within the Zeller household. It all started with Abe and I deciding that I am going to stay at home more with the two kiddos. I came to realize that I was feeling as if I were missing out on them, more than I had ever felt before and we decided just to go ahead and try it out and see how it goes. It may be for just a few years, who knows. I am hoping to continue working for 1-2 days a week if they can allow me to do so, if not, we'll see what other opportunities come my way. About a week after that decision, Abe was approached about being the pool manager for Roanoke's pool for the summer...and following that, he found out that he will be the Athletic Director starting in the fall. It's like, "Wow, God!"...it's so amazing to see how things fall into place when you just let Him be in control. I had struggled for over a year with the decision to stay home, because I knew financially it would be hard on us, but my heart kept telling me otherwise. Lots of prayer and discussion was put in this past time that it was brought up and I believe this is the right decision. And then, I feel with these opportunities for Abe (both of which, he is so excited for) were both confirmation that this was meant to be. He will be gone a ton with all the home games for athletics throughout the year, not to mention Basketball and golf and this will allow there to be a constant at home (and not on the road for an hour+ each day). Anyway, that is where we stand right now as we are awaiting my position to be filled at work. I have been at Methodist for 9 years this August and it will be really hard to leave my family there, but I know my family at home will be thankful. I will try to keep posted!

Livey = O-N-E!

2010-05-06T18:28:00.001-07:00

Where did the time go? This past Saturday my little Livey girl turned one year old! It was extremely hard to believe but so much fun to celebrate. She loved the cake, as you can see... She was not quite sure if she should dig in at first, but after a few minutes of swirling the icing around with her fingers and that first taste of pure sugar, she went for it with no hesitation! We had her check-up on Monday and her weight was 75% (21lb 14oz ) and height 55% (29 1/4 inches). She's following in her brother's footsteps :) Speaking of footsteps, she is not walking on her own yet. Is definately fond of pulling up on things and walking around them, but not so keen on taking off by herself. It will come, soon enough!

Abe's Birthday & Driving Miss Livey

2010-04-26T14:37:00.000-07:00

Abe finally joined me this past week, in turning 30! Very exciting (as you can see)! He decided to purchase a real mountain bike for his big birthday gift...taking up a new sport (yippee!!)

Livey is getting closer and closer to walking on her own. Occasionally she'll stand alone for 30 seconds or so. And she's making use of all her "push toys", including the car... She thinks it's fun to push Jude around...and tickle him every once in a while. This Saturday she turns 1! Crazy to believe!

Rainman?

2010-04-19T14:22:00.000-07:00

Ok...this kid just continues to crack us up, daily at the things he says/does. I apologize for the glare in this video...but he is very adimate about the number 2006....not sure why but he was...I just had to capture it on video.

And here's little Miss Olivia...2 weeks prior to her first birthday!!! She was celebrating cousin Moses' first birthday here below! (loved the balloons as you can see)

Spring is Here

2010-04-08T03:55:00.000-07:00

I came home from work on Tuesday to find my kids playing outside and Livey--in just a onesie (Love it!!!) She reminded me so much of Jude when I saw her, I had to snap a photo! And, not to mention, she thinks she can drive this 4-wheeler!!! Crack me up!

Jude did a nice job sharing with her while he rode on his own car! The Lord has blessed me with two darling children. Thank you God!

Livs speaks out

2010-02-26T21:01:00.001-08:00

Livey is definately on the move. She is crawling everywhere, as well as pulling up on anything and everything (including her brother). She's pretty proud of herself!She absolutely loves bath-time! She and Jude have a blast in there together splishin' and a splashin'. It's kind of a nice break to just put them in there and let them go at it...meanwhile I can catch up on my Real Simple (from January, and yes, I know it's March!) sitting on the floor in the bathroom!Recently, Roanoke had quite the snow...it was nice and dense--perfect for a snowman! Jude and I headed out and worked on the guy for 45 minutes. Jude was an awesome worker. I was so proud of him! Basketball season has come to an end and it was kind of bittersweet. I am thrilled to have my husband back, but I just adore watching him coach. He's so passionate and I love to see that in him. It makes me so proud of him!
These were his seniors from the season. He's gonna miss them!

The story of Eve...Jude's rendition

2010-01-13T18:09:00.000-08:00

I had quite a time trying to upload this video...so I ended up loading it on youtube.com and here is the link for it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcrqQUx4fcM

Seriously!?!

2010-01-12T11:31:00.000-08:00

Abe's cousin Scott, carried this one specific picture (I'm sure you can guess which one doesn't belong here) around to all the kids at the New Year's Eve party, asking them each, if they knew who the photo was and each response was..."Jude, of course!!"

My Babes

2010-01-11T17:19:00.001-08:00

It seems the older Livey gets, the more Jude likes her. Now, I know this could all change or just be a coincidence, but whatever the case may be...I'm goin' with it! Little Miss Livey started crawling full force this weekend. She started out with a few moves and by today it turned into a clear-across-the-room move! Pretty impressive...she's just trying to keep up with Jude--who am I kidding? Check out the rolls on this babe!!They have so much fun together in the bath...Jude kind of does what he wants and she just cracks up at him! It's a win-win situation :)

Christmas Time

2009-12-28T11:42:00.000-08:00

Just before Christmas, we were able to spend a day with Jude's BFF from far away, Ben. He was up visiting from FL. and Jude learned a lot about washers, dryers, and Tide (good & nasty).

To the left was one of Livey's favorite gifts...yes, ribbon! The girl could've cared less about toys with meaning and use...she'd rather be sucking on some ribbon!

And here we have Livey and Finn. They are best of buds already...I think they kinda look alike too--it's the "Zeller" gene...there's no getting away from it :)

Here we have Jude in his Police hat. He definately thinks he has authority to boss us around now!

We were all so blessed this Christmas, by gifts, yes, but also by being able to be with all our family throughout different days around Christmas! Here we have Zoe, Zoey, Fallon, and ...all hammin' it up for a picture. They all know how to say "cheese" when the camera aims their way.

And here is another one of Livey's favorite gifts...it's a shelf with hooks on it for her wall..she was cracking us up with her "bobble-head" movements!

Jude's Rough Night

2009-12-17T18:35:00.000-08:00

Tonight, Abe and Jude went to the girls' basketball game at RB and when they arrived back home prior to 8pm (both with frowns on their faces), I knew it wasn't good. Jude right away said to me, "I was a bad boy at the basketball game".

I took him in his room to get his pajamas on and I said, "Did you not obey Daddy?"

He right away started crying and said, "I still want presents???"

I said, "Well, we need to tell Daddy sorry and ask Jesus for forgiveness".

Jude says, "You call Jesus on your phone.?.?.?"

I couldn't help but laugh...and said, "Well, how bout' we pray?"

Jude said, "o....k...."

Usually when we lay down with him for bed, he'll try to prolong sleeping as much as possible by saying things like, "what you doin' mommy" or "I need a drink", but tonight it was "I wanna pray again" and I said, "What do you want to pray about?"

Jude says "wanna say sorry". The boy cracks me up, but at least he's starting to "get it".

Jude's Entourage

2009-12-14T11:42:00.000-08:00

I just had to post this, because for the past month, Jude has had these fab five following him around as if they were his entourage. The five include the following: Jax (his little dog and the one who started this whole thing), Little Jax (which is a bear, not a dog, but kinda looks like Jax--the dog), his "baby" (and no, I don't mean Olivia), his blankie, and binky (Yes, I know we need to get rid of the binky--thank-you very much!) Sometimes there happens to be a #6 and that is his "Just a little bit of chocolate milk", ie. his cup. He's quite attached!

Poor little Livey lost her headband...hopefully it's at church somewhere..

Here Comes Santa Claus

2009-12-13T18:36:00.001-08:00

Jude's school put in a "Mingle with Kris Kringle" this past Saturday and we thought this year, he would actually enjoy seeing a Santa and sitting on the lap and the whole bit. We thought, it could go either way--he could be totally freaked out or totally love it. I'd say he loved it! And little Livey wasn't scared one bit, she just wanted to take that fake beard right off the guy's face! Things are beginning to look a lot like Christmas at the Zeller house. Yes, looking like Christmas means, the house, on most days is kind of a disaster--ie. Basketball season is underway. We had our first win of the season this past Friday; very exciting! Livey is trying her hardest to crawl, but just doesn't have it down yet. She kind of does the "rocking" thing on all fours....until she gives up and puts herself in the superman position. Then she really gets ticked off! She'll get there sooner or later (especially if she's trying to keep up with, or get away from Jude:)

That's all for now, hopefully this isn't my last post before Christmas, but if it is,

"Merry Christmas!"

Liv's first big shopping experience

2009-11-24T12:46:00.000-08:00

Well, I took Livey to see her Aunt Carrie this past weekend to do some "Girl-power shopping". We met early at Starbucks, of course...and then headed out to the shops at Woodfield, Woodfield, and The Rack. Good times.. She totally enjoyed seeing all the people and loved the Bjorn more than anything! She's pretty mobile at the moment. Doesn't like to sit still. She hasn't quite mastered crawling yet but I would say she is pretty close.Meanwhile, Abe and Jude spent the day together, enjoying some male-bonding--AKA; Watching Football! Jude calls it basketball, but one of these days he'll get the difference :)

6 Months Already!

2009-11-02T09:57:00.001-08:00

Just returned from Livey's 6month appt...The girl is growing like a weed. She was 17.5lb (75%) and 25 3/4 inches long (50%) and her little head is only 30%. Shots went as well as could be expected. Big brother Jude was along to encourage her and give her her binky/blankie when they were all done. He kept saying, "Gonna be all better Livey!". It was pretty sweet.

Happy Halloween

2009-11-01T12:48:00.000-08:00

Jude's Halloween began on Friday with his Parade at "school". This photo is he, and his BFF, Ruth. Yes, she's the one who looks like a cupcake, in front of him! They are in L-O-V-E. It's so darling...they kiss/hug each other prior to leaving . Cracks me up!Livey enjoyed her 1st Halloween as a "PeaPod". It was kind of humerous...Humerous that we dress a 6-month-old up in a costume for fun! We know, she doesn't have a clue but it's still fun to see the little cutie

Lizzie was kind enough to open her home up to all of us "crazies" the night prior to Halloween so that our kids could enjoy one more night in their costumes...and make the cost worthwhile!

We only made 3 stops on Halloween night. Jude didn't even want to go trick-or-treating, but we forced him to get into the jogger and go! So, we made it to Pete & Jan's, Hoyt's, Grandma & Grandpas, (had a hard time leaving there)...and back to Gree & Grockey's for a delicious meal!

Livey did not know what was going on!

Buds

2009-10-27T17:46:00.000-07:00

These two are really beginning to form a bond..."love-hate relationship", you ask...well, maybe! But, regardless, they love one another. Jude just cracks little Livey up and Jude gets a kick out of getting to help with her (well, some of the time anyway). The kicker on this picture is...our pediatritian would say that Jude should not have his binky anymore and of the two, he is the one who wants it more! What are you going to do???

"Jesus Loves Me" --Jude's Rendition

2009-10-19T16:33:00.000-07:00

On-The-Go

2009-10-19T11:19:00.000-07:00

Jude couldn't sit still this morning as he was awaiting the arrival of Grandma & Papa, who were going to take him to the Pumpkin Patch! The excitement couldn't be contained! Check out these sweet shoes from Aunt Nancy! They are crocs but look like tennis shoes! He's in LOVE with them!
He just looks so much like Abe anymore, it's not even funny! Praying Livs will have some of me in her!

Jam-packed

2009-10-18T04:43:00.000-07:00

What is that, you ask? The mind of a 2-year-old. This morning, 6am, we hear Jude in his room saying "Daddy, where are you?"...well, this morning, it was my turn to get up with him, so I enter his room and from the moment he sees me, it's ramble, ramble, ramble. It's like he's got all this up in his cute little head and he just can't get it out fast enough. He started with "I'm a good boy mommy and you're a girl and Livey's a girl and Daddy's a good boy and Charlie's a good boy...I bumped my lip on Daddy's knee...Not runnin' anymore, I'm a tough boy...I wanna watch Caillou...Caillou's a good boy...I want some milk...My milk's all gone..." and on and on. It was hilarious to just listen to him, because he didn't expect a response from me, he just wanted to say what was on his mind.

Everytime I tell a friend at work a funny story about Jude she tells me that I should be jotting down little things he does, because I will want to reflect back on them at different points in time. For instance, Abe made a cake the other night and it was in a 9X13 pan with a lid on, and you really couldn't tell that it was a cake, especially when you aren't as tall as the counter. Well, I'm getting Jude a muffin for breakfast and he says "I want some of that cake in there". I say, "That's not cake". He says, "Yes that IS cake in there mommy!". Ok, so I lied! I had to distract him to forget about the cake. A day later we're driving in the car and he says,
"I want a piece of gum". I say "I don't have any". He says "Yes you DO have gum in here!" The kids is not dumb!
He's starting to sing more songs like "Twinkle Twinkle", "Itsy Bitsy Spider", "The alphabet", and he's counting all the time. He can count to 11...but once he gets to 11 he goes back to 8 for some reason. I can't get him to stop that! He pointed out a circle and a square to me on Friday. I feel like the kid is growing up so fast...
These pics were taken this week.. Mom and Dad came to the rescue and kept Liv one day while my poor babysitter was down with the flu..

Big Boy Pants

2009-10-12T11:27:00.000-07:00

Today marks day #5 of "big boy underwear" for Jude. As you can see below, he's pretty proud. Today, he also had 2 accidents...oh well, that comes with the territory. Daddy and I have to work on our patience, that's for sure! Little Miss Olivia is getting bigger by the day! She's really starting to talk and giggle a lot! She is NOT sleeping through the night though...Not sure about this girl! We even tried cereal and a little bit of baby food...not sure what her deal is!

She and Daddy both, were not quite crazy about this hat...but it sure looked good w/ her outfit ;)

Will try to continue with updates....basketball starts in just a few short weeks..YIKES!

The weekends fly by!

2009-09-28T12:17:00.000-07:00

It is just crazy how time flies anymore! This weekend seemed like it was gone in an instant. We spent Friday night with Grandma & Papa eating pizza and playing. Saturday was a gorgeous day--but Jude & I spent some time in the kitchen together making bran muffins...He's taken after his friend Ben; at becoming somewhat domestic. (Don't worry Ben, he has no interest in Tide..yet ) Sunday brought another gorgeous day--church and dinner with friends. Jude had a date with his little friend Kate! (Can't believe I didn't take any pics)

We got out the jump-a-roo that was Jude's for Livey to try out this weekend. And, surprise! She love it just as much as her brother did! Not sure if this will work or not but here's a link to Jude when he first tried the jump-a-roo...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YG--io8kDvc Cracks me up to look back at Jude...what a difference between then and now..
I feel so blessed that the Lord has provided a way for me to be home one day a week. What a blessing it has been to have that one extra day with these two little munchkins!

Pumpkin Fest

2009-09-19T12:07:00.000-07:00

Our Friday night consisted of attending the Pumpkin Festival in Morton..Eating lots of good food (including pumpkin ice cream; of course!), Seeing lots of people, Riding rides, and thanks to Nate--attempting for a goldfish!
"Who is this girl in the picture", you ask...well, we don't know for sure, but she told Abe she would hold onto Jude and keep him safe during this fast and furious ride. And that she did! Mid-way through the ride, Jude's face was buried in her chest. It was so darn cute!

And above here you see Jude attempting to win a goldfish; that he did NOT, but thanks for suggesting it Nate :) He was a mess after this...Really wanted that goldfish and really really tired!
Saturday we ventured back to Morton for the famous parade. I tried it solo--just the kids and me! Luckily we had a nice spot w/ Joy and their family on Jefferson! Jude was hilarious going after the candy.. He was kind of timid, surprisingly! But, thanks to Mom's help..he came home w/ a bag-full-of candy!

Livey 4Months!

2009-09-14T11:43:00.000-07:00

We made our trip to the Dr. today for Liv's 4-month check up. Jude traveled along with us and surprise, he got a shot too! He did so well though; didn't shed one tear. Livey weighed in at 15lb 10oz (75%). She was also 75% for height but her poor little head only rang in at 25%. She is still not sleeping through the night, but according to the Dr., that is completely normal. Ugghh! Anyway, she has started eating a tad bit of rice cereal here and there. She can roll front to back and vice versa.

She is just loving Jude! She could watch/listen to him for hours and she is just in awe! It's quite cute! Jude is becoming a great big brother. Still a little rough now and then, but for the most part he's gentle and loving.

Life at the Zeller house has returned to normal chaos. As most of you know, I developed shingles about two weeks ago... That had me down for about a week but I seem to be back to normal...just a little itchy at times. What caused it....stress, lack of sleep, nursing, not eating well, you name it! Not fun! Hopefully we will have some normality for a month when golf is finished, before basketball starts!

Back to School

2009-08-25T10:31:00.001-07:00

Abe went back to school last week and we are adapting to us both being away from home throughout the week. He is in the midst of "coaching" golf. Isn't really difficult coaching, just requires TIME, which I feel like we lack--as a family. We'll get through it, it just seems so fast-paced at times. Run, run, run! Here is little Miss Livey from this morning's coffee w/ Becky and Caleb. She is growing so rapidly. She's full of giggles and smiles and is doing an amazing job w/ holding her head up. We tried the Bumbo last night and she did really well.

This is Jude & Ben w/ their "Gree & Nana" out at the lake. They were preparing to head out into the sun and work w/ the water! Jude absolutely loved the boat ride that "Nana" took them on.

These pics were taken by Katie on Tuesday afternoon (after no nap from Jude). I thought he would be horrible, but turns out, fruit snacks do wonders! Great job Katie! Can't wait to see more :)

2 Kids + Work = Time Flies

2009-08-08T14:37:00.001-07:00

Well, going back to work has been as I thought it would be. Good to be around adults and socializing more, but missing the kids so much! Abe is still off for the summer for another week and he has been spending quality time with Olivia, which is great for them...makes me a LITtle jealous. I am happy they can do it though. Jude is adapting to going back to "school" 3 days a week. However, his sleep pattern is horrendous. I thought we had a routine down for both of them, but I thought wrong. The past few nights he has been waking in the middle of the night. We don't know if it is still the molars coming in, or what! Olivia has also been waking at least once a night. I know it will all get better as time goes by, but as time goes by, I also want it to stop...I feel like it just flies by anymore.

Jude enjoying his ice cream in Eureka at the Dairy Barn Tanner's Orchard...we didn't know what fun you could have prior to fall weather!

Olivia, as I said, has been waking at least once in the night it seems..but she has adapted to going down a little earlier in the night, so that mama can get some sleep too. It has worked out for me to wake her early in the a.m. to nurse her prior to me leaving and then she'll sleep in until 8 or 9 for Daddy! She has started rolling over, putting her hands in her mouth, cooing a lot, and even giggling at us. She's changing so fast!

Back to Work

2009-07-27T15:04:00.000-07:00

Well, my enjoyment of endless time w/ my three fav people is coming to an end tomorrow...

I will return to work for 4 days a week. I know the days will go by fast and soon I will adapt to the everyday activities of leaving the two little munchkins.. but right now it seems so frightening to me. I know it will all be fine, it's just getting past the first few days.

Livs and Caleb..I think she kind of looks like a boy without her bow in :)

Visit from the Cousins!

2009-07-18T06:34:00.000-07:00

This week, not one, not two, but all three of my (only) cousins came up to Roanoke to visit for the day and spend the night. Carrie drove down from Chicago and we had so much fun!My cousin's two kids, Kylie & Kaden came as well and Jude just adored them. He hasn't had so much attention paid to him in a long time. I think they kind of argued over him :)Baby Livs enjoyed all the cuddling/holding time that everyone gave her.

Jude's Second Date

2009-07-14T08:45:00.000-07:00

Jude had his second date w/ little Kate yesterday. They played on the slide together, fed each other goldfish (a Jude original), and played Ring-Around-The-Rosey. They are just darling together! You can tell by the picture above, the woman is already in charge!

Jude then got a surprise visit from his Aunt Carrie! Yeah! Today, we will be expecting our long lost cousins...Hopefully I'll have more pictures to post from their visit!

Our little Livey is doing well..still not sleeping through the night. I have two weeks to get her trained! Pray for us!!!

Summer Fun

2009-07-08T17:57:00.000-07:00

Ok, so another picture of Abe as a child was "released"...anyone see the resemblance?
Jude and Kate had an amazing "play" date together! Really, I think he likes her a lot Amanda!

And here's my Livey Girl...I think I call her "Liv, Livey, Livey Girl" way more than Olivia! She's a little sweetheart and Jude is loving her! I took her into daycare the other day to pick Jude up and I set her carrier on the table and all the kids flocked towards her. Jude immediately started yelling "My baaaaabbbbbyyyy!!!" I know he loves her! Now, if only he could understand why we don't want him to jump on her!

I am having way too much fun with these too...going back to work is going to be rough!

Happy 5th Anniversary!

2009-07-02T13:43:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe that it has been five years that I have been married to this awesome man! He is an amazing father and God-fearing leader to our family of four. I love you honey!

Peoria Zoo & More

2009-06-30T15:36:00.000-07:00

So, today we decided, since it was such a cool day, that we would take Jude to the Peoria zoo. Grandma & Grandpa have already done it twice and raved about how much he loved it! He didn't disappoint! He absolutely loved it, especially the sea lions and the horse!This was Olivia, the entire morning! She loved just kickin' it in the stroller!We are loving every minute we get with Daddy, in between basketball camps!

Jude sporting his "Big Brother" hat...compliments of Aunt Nancy.

And here is a picture of Abe, his mom, and Luke from way back when. Many think Jude is a spitting image of Abe!

Summer Fun

2009-06-18T17:22:00.000-07:00

So, today was such a warm day, we decided to go to the pool when Jude woke up from his nap... We got him all excited about getting in the water...Got all our gear on, bags packed, sunscreen on, baby ready, in the car, up to the pool...and there is NO ONE there! What in the world? We have no idea why, but we had prepared this little two-year-old for some fun in the sun, so we gave it to him. Daddy blew up the frog pool and the "sprinkler ball" and Jude had a blast! Wasn't what Abe or I had in mind, but Jude didn't know the difference.

Tonight before bed, Jude was reading his bunny book to me and I asked him how old he was, and then some random quizzing questions and then I asked him if we could count together...It was kind of weird, but I started w/ one...two...and then he finished 3-10. Yes, I got that on video too! Sorry for all the video...but I couldn't resist

Abe was gone for 4 days at a basketball camp in IN and Aunt Carrie was gracious enough to come stay and be a huge help to me. Jude just adores her! They had so much fun reading together, getting ready in the bathroom together, watching Elmo, singing in the car..you name it, they did it! He misses you Aunt Carrie! Wish you lived closer!Little Miss Olivia went in for her 6-week check-up and weighed in at 11lb 10oz. She is in the 90th percentile. Abe and I both did not think Jude was ever in the 90th percentile for weight, but we looked back in his baby book and oddly enough, at his 6-week check-up, he weighed exactly what she does and was in the 90th percentile! Crazy! Oh, and the best news--she's been sleeping an average of 5-6 hours at night and two nights even went 7 hours! We are so thankful and hope it continues!

Texas Time

2009-06-10T12:19:00.001-07:00

Ok, so we just returned from a trip to TX to visit Benji, Ashley Paige, Zoey, Fallon, and Tyke (their dog--whom Jude adored). I got so many cute pictures of the cousins together that it is hard to decide what to post! They had so much fun together playing, swimming, reading books, taking baths together, oh and of course--doing hair! Yes, that's right, Jude has a hair clip in! I think if he they would have tried, they could have gotten him to wear a dress! Jude followed these two girls around like he was a lost puppy. It was pretty darn cute! Can't wait to see them again in July when they come to IL! We had a lot of fun with them!

My Boy Turns 2!

2009-06-01T18:02:00.000-07:00

Last week, Jude had some one-on-one time w/ Aunt Nancy! She and Jude played w/ his "Big trucks", colored w/ sidewalk chalk, and read plenty of Elmo books (over and over again). He loved his time w/ Aunt Nancy!This past weekend we traveled to Indianapolis for a wedding and Jude had a fun time w/ his cousin Chase! They swam, ran around like maniacs, and ate lots of garlic dip w/ pretzels! Jude is really adapting to Olivia well! He is now sleeping through the night (most nights) and going to bed even better than before she was born. He kisses her, and wants to "pat" and "hold" her quite often! Here, he is reading her his Bus Book! Jude turned TWO today! It's just nuts to think that two years have passed!

Memorable Weekend

2009-05-25T15:59:00.000-07:00

This weekend was jam-packed with things to do. Friday night we visited the Roanoke Festival for the first time. Jude rode on a carousel for the first time and we enjoyed some good ol' fattening fair food!

Saturday I enjoyed pedicures for Mother's Day w/ my Aunt, Mom, and Sister...oh and of course, Olivia! She thoroughly enjoyed the massage chair.

Sunday we celebrated Jude's 2nd Birthday (a tad early). Bubbles, Big Trucks, and Elmo --that pretty much says it all!

Memorial Day was spent w/ the Meiss family. Jude loved these head-phones! Below is Olivia and Moses--1 1/2 week apart! Moses was totally bored w/ Olivia!

Dr. Knows Best

2009-05-21T14:23:00.000-07:00

So, I took Olivia for her almost 3-week check-up yesterday and she weighed in at a whopping 9lb 80z! Seriously, the girl is a great eater! She's in the 75th percentile for weight and height! She's a growing girl!

photo by Joy Ruggard

I also mentioned to the Dr. about Jude not sleeping through the night. She advised that we NOT lay next to him at all, especially not in the middle of the night, because if he does wake up, he expects that he'll see us there and then when we're not, he freaks out. So, last night we left him in there, didn't lay with him. He cried for about 10 minutes and then it was silent and he slept through the night! Praise the Lord! I peeked in on him in the am to make sure he did make it into his bed...and he had! I told Abe, "what if he like hit his head and knocked himself out and that's why he's not crying anymore?", but thankfully that was not the case.

Olivia had her best night too! Slept 4 hours straight! Now, we'll see what tonight brings!

Spoke too soon!

2009-05-19T10:35:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I previously reported that Jude appeared to be sleeping through the night...no such luck. Since that night, he's been up once, if not twice a night! Luckily, Abe's been able to get him back to sleep fairly easily..but still, it's interrupted sleep for both of us! Continue to pray for us!

Here is Jude w/ his Gree!! We visited she and Grockey this weekend!

Olivia is growing...we go tomorrow for her (almost three-week) check up. I'm guessing she's gained at least a pound. Her little cheeks are so full! I love it! She's a great eater...now if we could just get the "sleep thing" down!

Sleeping Beauties

2009-05-11T11:00:00.000-07:00

So, you can see...the two have become quite close. That is, Jude wants to be close to her a majority of the time! He's learning gentleness.

And Praise the Lord! Jude slept through the night last night for the first time in a week!! Olivia was up every 2 hours, but that's ok...at least we got one of the two back on schedule. This is Jude passed out on the living room floor this morning. Stayed there for 2 hours. The cable guy came to switch out one of our receivers and didn't see him laying there. All of a sudden he kind of jumped and was like "oh my goodness". He said, "Your son scared me, all of a sudden I heard snoring!" Yep, snores like his dad!!

Update on the Fam of 4

2009-05-09T13:50:00.001-07:00

So, here's baby Olivia at one-week old... She's quite the eater. We took her in for a 4-day check-up...When we left the hospital on Sunday, she was 7lb 3oz and on Tuesday she was 8lb! "No need for a one-week weight check-up" they told us...She's gaining just fine.

Big brother Jude is adjusting as expected.. He wants to "hold baby" quite often and give her kisses and touch her eyes. After a few minutes he realizes she's pretty boring and he goes back to whatever he was doing. The only real issue so far, is, he's decided to wake up in the middle of the night and not want to go back to sleep. I took him in to have his ears checked for infection but turns out, no infection...could be the big adjustment to life with a sibling. Other than that, we're managing!

Baby Olivia Has Arrived

2009-05-03T17:13:00.000-07:00

Baby Olivia was born Friday evening at 6:51pm. She weighed in at 7lb 9.5 oz and 20.5 inches long. She is a little doll an exact look-a-like of Jude when he was first born. We are all doing well...and Jude is SLOWLY adjusting to life with a baby... It looks as though it may take a while!

This picture is Jude when he was first born...They look just alike!

May Day Baby?

2009-04-30T09:53:00.000-07:00

Well it appears Olivia is quite comfy inside and does not want to come out. Dr. says everything is looking fine, but she'd rather not make it to the 42 week point, so with that said, we are going in tomorrow morning at 9am to begin induction. Please pray for us! I hate the thought of drugs telling my body what to do, but if it's what she thinks is best, then I guess we trust that the Lord will take care of the rest!

No News

2009-04-29T06:43:00.000-07:00

For those of you wondering...no I have not had a baby yet and yes my due date was last Friday. I go to the Dr. tomorrow and hope to find out some type of news... Or, maybe she'll decide to join us sometime today! Pray for my patience!!!

Weekend w/ a 2-year-old (almost)

2009-04-23T02:24:00.000-07:00

So, our weekend started out like this: As you can see, Jude was not pleased with the $9 Belgium waffle that One World had so nicely whipped up for he and I to share... He would prefer the $2 pancake meal from our own Doc's Diner in Roanoke! He did, however, enjoy the whip cream and chocolate topping on my mocha (see above lip :)

We made a trip to Starbucks to meet Becky and Caleb to re-invent the days when we lived ONE block from Starbucks....boy do I miss those days! However, I failed to get a picture of the two of them w/ a. both their eyes open or b. both of them looking at the camera. But, that's ok. Jude does frequent this Starbucks (from the drive-thru) on a weekly basis. He insists on me opening the back window so he can say "Hi" to the workers...even when it's 10 degrees below zero. (The woman at the window taught him how to blow a kiss the other day!)

HAPPY EASTER

2009-04-14T08:44:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry to say, I did not get any pictures of Jude w/ his nice little Easter outfit on....but my aunt captured a few from the night before Easter that I thought I would share... I've gotten really bad lately at posting!! Jude had an experience at Tobin's pizza Sat. night--Arcade games! We had to take his shirt off because he was sweating so much from the excitement. And the beauty of it all, we didn't have to put any money in, because he doesn't know the difference!

This is the plasma car, which he received EARLY from his Gree and Grockey, as a birthday gift... It will be much easier on hardwood or in the basement on the concrete floors, but he didn't seem to mind having to work a little harder on the carpet either.

The End is Near

2009-03-30T13:56:00.000-07:00

I've had a few requests from those who don't see me often, to post a pic of my pregnant belly...for those of you who do see me often, sorry you have to see it once again :) 3 1/2 weeks left to go and yes I'm counting!

Walking in Daddy's Shoes

2009-03-16T10:59:00.000-07:00

Sunday morning while getting ready for church, Jude decided to try to put on Abe's size 13 dress shoes on...had to get a shot of that! He really wasn't too bad in them!

You know winter has been here too long when...

2009-03-10T16:10:00.000-07:00

Jude was begging this afternoon to "go bye"...and we kept trying to tell him that it was raining out. So, finally Abe showed him it was raining by going outside, but he didn't seem to change his mind. He actually enjoyed the wind & rain. Who'd have thought? So, poor Abe endured the weather just so that Jude could enjoy the outdoors. What a dad!

It's the Little Things

2009-03-08T13:43:00.000-07:00

So, we all know how domestic Jude is (with doing dishes and cooking) however, Ben is much more of a homemaker than Jude. Ben showed Jude the ropes when it comes to doing laundry. As soon as Ben got to the house he noticed the coffee maker and asked where the "Wash" was. Jude, however, was more interested in banging on the dryer than playing w/ the Tide bottle and opening and closing the washer. They were quite amused w/ themselves, to say the least!

Season Over

2009-03-02T11:10:00.000-08:00

Well, the rockets ended their season this past Friday night with a loss to Putnam County by 3 points. It was quite a bummer to say the least. Their overall record was 21 and 8 (I think). No more "ee-ee-ball" games for Jude...although Daddy still has plenty left he would like to go and watch :) Jude turned 21months yesterday. The kid seems to be talking like crazy; especially to his good friend Charlie (Karlie) whom he bosses around constantly. And, if Jude has food to share, Charlie usually listens to what the "boss" has to say.

Botty?

2009-02-26T05:25:00.000-08:00

At times last week Jude would come up to me and say "botty"...and I would just look at him and say "ok, yah" and smile...not knowing what he really meant.. So, over the weekend, he saw me going to the bathroom and said "botty"..."OH, I get it, you mean Potty". So, all along, he was trying to tell me he had to go potty.. Silly me! Well, last Thursday he went once at daycare and then again yesterday. I haven't yet seen proof, but hopefully it's just around the corner (like before April 24th :) We'll see.

PS: RB won last night by 2points. We play Putnam for Regional Champs on Friday on their home court. Be praying!!!

Go Rockets!

2009-02-23T06:32:00.001-08:00

Well, the rockets had their last home game on Friday night and Jude was rarin' to go in his Black & White! They won and now have a 19W & 7L record for their season. Tuesday night starts the regionals. If we are blessed w/ a win Tuesday, we play Wed. and again if we win, then there's championship game Friday. Hopefully this isn't our last Friday night game. Jude has thoroughly loved going to the "e-e-ball" games this year. Everytime we leave to go somewhere he says "e-e-ball??"...hoping we'll say "Yes!"

Things You Might Find Under a Bed

2009-02-15T12:15:00.000-08:00

1. Kleenex
2. Sock
3. Dust
4. Underwear
5. Shoes
6. A 20-month-old
That's right! I awoke early this morning to a crying little boy...I run into his dark room, trying to squint and see where he is in his bed, only he's not IN his bed.. I look to the corners of his room, which he now resorts to when waking up, but he's not there either.. The tears are still coming and I kneel down beside his (low-to-the-ground) toddler bed, only to find him CLEAR under...I mean, against the wall! I have no idea how long he had been down there or how he got under there, but I had to drag him out by his feet...poor thing! Luckily, he did fall back asleep in our bed within minutes...Anyway, if you're missing a kid; might want to check under the bed first!

Trials of "The Big Bed"

2009-02-11T16:52:00.001-08:00

So, we (I) decided we could not be procrastinators when it came to switching Jude from Crib to "Big Bed" since we have a baby coming in April and that would be an adjustment in itself... Me, being the planner I am, thought we should try w/ plenty of time to spare for issues. Abe, on the other hand, saw no need to start early. I let it go for a few weeks and then brought it up again. This time he didn't fight me. So, Friday night...woke up twice--not bad for the first night. Saturday night; slept all the way until 5:30am. Sunday night; again 5:00am. Monday night; woke up at midnight; and then when I went in to wake him at 6:30, he was sound asleep on the floor. I think he decided "forget this bed"...he had his blanket wrapped around him and everything. I wish I would've gotten a picture of it! Anyway; pray for our patience in dealing w/ this big adjustment and for Jude to become adjusted to this new way of sleeping! We need it!

Blast from the Past

2009-01-28T08:35:00.000-08:00

That's right, the ol' FisherPrice toys! Mom and Dad brought a few boxes full of F.P. toys over a few weeks ago and slowly we are revealing to Jude what toys were like in 1980! This here, is the Sesame Street Clubhouse; that's right...Bert and Ernie chillin' at the club! Jude thinks it's pretty sweet. As you can see Ernie has lost his hair :(

And then we have the old Stove/Sink and Fridge circa 1980 as well! I had envisioned it (before it came down from the attic) being real wood...no, that was my childhood imagination. It's particle board, but Jude loves it just the same.

Haircut Gone Bad & a Few Words from Jude

2009-01-25T14:24:00.000-08:00

So, I decided to try my hand at haircutting again this weekend. It started off pretty good and then I kind of, couldn't stop...I kept thinking it needed a little more here and a little more there...The pictures really don't show how bad it actually is. The back is really pretty choppy. At least he doesn't look like a girl, I guess. He also wanted to share a few words with you all. For some reason; he doesn't want "Carrie" to come out! I feel your pain Car; took him 19 months to say "mama"! Unfortunately, the word "NO" has entered his vocabulary too..Nice!

We have ourselves a dishwasher!

2009-01-14T18:13:00.001-08:00

Jude now has an interest in doing the dishes with us at night...Problem is, he doesn't want to stop!! He gets pretty intense and takes pride in his clean dishes! Oh, and by the way, he can now say "mama"!

Little Ham

2009-01-11T05:36:00.000-08:00

Well, he wouldn't do the whole thing while on camera...but the other day, Jude started this "thing" where he laughs and then does a straight face and continues this repetitious cycle for about 5-10 minutes. I don't know whether daycare worked on Happy vs. Sad this week or what...but the kid is cracking me up!

Cousin Christmas Fun

2009-01-04T14:06:00.000-08:00

Fallon and Jude at the tea party

All the cousins (minus Ty) waiting to open up gifts!!

Jude bonding with Aunt Ashley & Uncle Luke

Christmas Fun!

2008-12-26T11:16:00.000-08:00

Well, more proof that Jude has Schoppet in him--he loves his mama's garlic dip--"Great-Grandma Schoppet-Style"....Nobody did it better than her...

Jude was thoroughly spoiled this Christmas...it was sort of a barn-yard, rockstar, cleaning Christmas for him. I think the guittar might have been his favorite gift and possibly mommy & daddy's least favorite!

worn out from all the opening

PJ's from Grandma!

Aunt Carrie's Here!

2008-12-23T17:20:00.001-08:00

Aunt Carrie, Uncle Brett, and Jax arrived last night for a 3-night stay with us...Jude's already got her reading to him. He knows how to work his magic!

You know it's cold out when...

2008-12-23T17:18:00.000-08:00

Jude will put his hat on himself and actually keep it on! Brrr...stay warm!

It's A...

2008-12-03T18:15:00.000-08:00

Went to the Dr. today our little girl is looking mighty healthy. In fact, she's appearing to be a little ahead of schedule...but let's not hold our breath. Oh, yes, it's a girl! Very exciting...baby Jude is going to have a rude awakening :)

Christmas Deco--Check!

2008-11-30T09:00:00.000-08:00

Not sure where the motivation came from, but the day after Thanksgiving....it arrived! That feeling you get and you're like, if I don't do it now, I may never do it, so just go for it! So, I lugged all the boxes up from the basement and the decorating began! Aunt Carrie made it over just in time to help with the outdoor lights (which I am no good at). Thanks Car! Now, we'll see how long this tree thing lasts with little Jude's hands into everything, but we're going to give it a whirl!

Coloring: A new experience

2008-11-25T17:14:00.001-08:00

So, we enlightened Jude with crayons and a coloring book for the first time at chilli's the other day and I think it was the best meal; eaten out; WITH Jude, we've ever had! So, I thought, "why not buy him some?" He went nuts last night with it! He really gets into it...concentrates and everything!

Little Stud

2008-11-16T15:02:00.000-08:00

So, not only did Jude not look like a girl today at church...he looked quite manly if you ask

me..Although, he slept through most of church so I really don't think anyone got to see him!

My baby gets a haircut

2008-11-14T17:36:00.000-08:00

Well, after 3 Sundays in a row of Jude being called a "girl" because of his cute little golden locks...I decided I should maybe trim it up a bit. This is really hard to do, because you see, it makes him look older or something.. I like the "hippy-look" he had going, but Abe really didn't care for the "oh, isn't SHE adorable" comments anymore. Tonight, he was enthralled w/ the water coming out of the faucet, so I thought, "What better time than now to get out the scissors."
He's still got a few fly-aways, so it doesn't look totally clean-cut..for those of you "hippy-look" fans! (Katie & Joy)

Happy Halloween

2008-10-31T08:56:00.000-07:00

Ok, first of all, so sorry for not posting in like 2 weeks! I think I'm starting to get some energy back now, but for a while there I was just dragging! Anyway, Jude was a rooster today for the big daycare parade.

He was so funny! All parading around until he saw his old buds from the infant room in their buggy; he had to go greet them and then help push their buggy around the playground. He thinks he is such big stuff now!

Cousin Fun

2008-10-13T15:28:00.000-07:00

Jude thoroughly enjoyed his weekend with the Zeller cousins...Chase drove Jude all around in his little Jeep and Jude just thought he was somethin'!

Couples in Common?

2008-10-09T07:24:00.000-07:00

What do these two couples have in common...Um, well they are now both expecting little ones---4 DAYS APART! Congratulations Lena & Aaron!

Tanner's Trip

2008-10-05T13:40:00.000-07:00

Jude thoroughly enjoyed himself on Saturday when Grandma, Aunt Nancy, Aunt Carrie, and Mommy escorted him to Tanner's to hand-pick some apples.

Loved touching all the pumpkins..there were hundreds!
And of course, had to get a picture on the school bus..(with mom being a teacher and all :)
So, here's one of Jude's hand-picked apples that he was so proud of. Watch in the sideways video below...it's really funny, well until the end..those apples on the ground can be dangerous!

Jude knows what's up!

2008-10-02T16:06:00.000-07:00

So, Mom bought me this book when I was pregnant with Jude. The title is Baby Owner's Manual. It gives all sorts of instructions for how to deal with a new baby-toddler age child. This book has been sitting on a shelf collecting dust for, oh, about 6 months or more and all of a sudden, this weekend Jude picks it up off the shelf...scoots on into his room, up into his rocking chair, and pretends to be reading this book. It's like, does he know something's up or what? I was just cracking up. Each day since, he's been faithfully reading it (or thumbing through the pages:)

Coming This April

2008-09-30T03:50:00.000-07:00

Who does this boy look like?

2008-09-27T08:37:00.000-07:00

Since the day Jude was born, he has been a "Daddy Look-A-Like" according to everyone, including myself; however, I think the tables are starting to turn. People think I'm crazy, but I can definately start to see more of me in him each day. Here's a pic of me way back when..

Leavin' on a Jet Plane

2008-09-18T08:04:00.000-07:00

I do know when I'll be be back again...Sunday night hopefully! I leave today to travel to the big city of Boston...without my little Jude and hubby Abe :( I'll miss them to death, but am excited to travel around the big city for a few days. A little nervous, but excited! I'm staying at the Westin Waterfront, which appears to be a pretty neat hotel in the center of downtown. Meetings will consume my Saturday and Sunday a the Wang Theater and Boston Convention Center, but hopefully I can squeeze in some sight-seeing :)

Rainy Weekend

2008-09-15T04:43:00.000-07:00

I think I still feel dirty today from wearing my silly flip flops through rain and mud all weekend long. We did brave the Morton Pumpkin Festival Friday night with Ruggard's and Millers..Jude thoroughly enjoyed the pumpkin ice cream; so much so that we had to take some from Joy's cup when his was finished! The downfall was, the rain and nasty, muddy ground! Saturday we traveled to Gridley to catch up with Aunt Carrie and Grandma/Grandpa and in the evening I attended my 10-year class reunion! That's right--10 years! Fun to catch up with old classmates. I did attend solo, as Abe was in Des Moines for a bach party. Sunday we spent the majority of the day INSIDE! Sorry no pictures from the weekend, however tonight Jude was out in full force.. It was like a dog let out of his pen after days. He was running around the yard like a Ya Who (mom would say something like that, right Car). Anyway, we were all happy for a break from the rain.

Baby Massage

2008-09-04T03:35:00.001-07:00

When Jude was a few months old, we attended a few Baby Massage classes. We never thought it would turn into this. He now uses a battery-operated, hand-held, massage devices to soothe his head! Actually, Abe taught him. Abe has always loved to have his head rubbed; or for someone to do it for him. It's rubbing off on Jude.

Longing for Labor Day

2008-09-02T11:42:00.000-07:00

Doesn't it seem like when you work; you long for the upcoming holiday, simply because it means a day off! This Labor Day, we spent in Gridley at Gree and Grockey's. Here are two of the chefs, preparing what would be a splendid breakfast!All the family & friends gathered around enjoying the food!
Jude had a great time with cousins, Chase and Ty.

It started out that Chase was pulling Jude around in this tractor. I knew eventually that Jude would become too heavy for him, even though he insisted on doing it.

As you can see, Aunt Katie had to take over!

Teeth in Tub--A New Concept?

2008-08-28T18:06:00.000-07:00

Tonight Jude was watching me brushing my teeth, while he was in the tub with his boring ol' toys...pretty soon he starts pointing at me and making his normal "Uh, Uh, Uh" noise, which means, "I want that!". So, I decided, "What the heck?". If he wants to brush his teeth, that's a good thing--right? Well, not sure how good it is when in the tub. He started out just fine; keeping it IN his mouth. After about 4 minutes, he started dipping it IN the bath water and returning it to his mouth. Not so sure that Brushing Teeth in the Tub is the way to go!

4:45 Wake-Up Call

2008-08-25T04:47:00.000-07:00

Ok, so, since Friday morning, Jude has been waking up at 4:45 everyday! What is up with this! And it's not because he is going to bed too early...in fact Saturday night he stayed up and partied pretty late with the Dohner's. I have no idea what is going on, but Abe and I aren't too crazy about it. Any suggestions?

New Experience--Brushing Teeth!

2008-08-23T11:01:00.000-07:00

So, this morning, after a 4:45 wake-up scream from early-to-bed-goer Jude...we had a bath and Jude's first teeth-brushing experience. He only has 4, but man did we get them clean! He didn't want to give up the brush; walked around the house for probably half hour with it!
Finally, we had to do the trade-off--the Spatula!
And you can see, the spatula wasn't easy to give up either. He had it through morning nap, lunch, and pool-time! I think he may suffer from detachment issues!

Sleepy Boy!

2008-08-22T18:33:00.000-07:00

Jude has had a really "off" week this week--taking abnormally long naps; being abnormally fussy and the past two nights, has fallen asleep on the way home from Peoria (5:00ish) and slept until the morning and yes--Missing his dinners! The girls at work are giving me a hard time for not feeding poor little Jude. I think you can see he's perfectly content here in his crib...with meat on his bones.. None-the-less..I don't know what's wrong with the poor kid!

Cooking Skills

2008-08-20T03:30:00.000-07:00

Here is Jude displaying his cooking skills! He picked this spatula up at Gree's on Sunday and has not put it down since then. It even followed him with him to the crib for naptime! I don't know Abbey, we may have a girly-boy on our hands too! (and even without any girls in the house!)

He Shoots He Scores!

2008-08-13T17:53:00.000-07:00

So, Jude learned, the other night, the purpose of the BALL! It's not only to throw to someone or to NO ONE (in Jude's case), but it is to SLAM DUNK! Jude, after some "positive reinforcement", or so Coach Zeller says, Jude got the hang of takin' it to the hoop (awh Kristen, do I hear a little GHS Cheer there?) Anyway, watch the video, if you wish!

Where-Are-We-Weekend

2008-08-10T16:27:00.000-07:00

Where were we? Well, a little bit of everywhere...Friday night we spent at the Waibel's for dinner...excellent food, I might add! Sat. morning Jude and I traveled up to the north suburbs of Chicago for a little Sister/Aunt bonding and SHOPPING while Daddy attended PromiseKeepers conference in Peoria...But of course, this included a trip (or three) to Starbucks!
I thought he was reaching for my Double-Shot on ice; turns out, he just wanted the straws...who'd have thunk?

He thoroughly enjoyed the water fountain located outside Starbucks...for a moment, I thought he was Ben here...

Who could resist this smile...

So, we headed back to R-town on Sunday...and headed right to Peoria for more shopping and swimming at Aunt Joyce and Uncle Bill's pool! Jude passed out on my shoulder WHILE in the pool.. Too much shopping! Great weather. Great weekend!

South Haven Get-A-Way

2008-08-03T11:31:00.000-07:00

We just returned yesterday from a week-long Zeller-Meiss trip to South Haven Michigan! What an awesome time we experienced...And we only had to travel 4 hours...(I think that was the best part!)
One of the houses we rented was just 1 block from the beach..so yes, we spend um...EVERYDAY at the beach! Looks like these basketball coaches (and future bb player) are discussing some serious plays in the water above.

Gree spent quality time with all the grandkids! (Her favorite part of the vaca)
Jude liked the beach, but not so much the water...He liked me holding him in the water, but really didn't want to do too much else with it. He really got into the sand aspect however!

The last night, the Zeller family spent downtown Chicago--a trip to Ovengrinders was a must! Followed by a trip to Morton's for Chocolate Souffle. Gree and Grockey kept all the kids, so it was an enjoyable night away for all of us! Thank-you for an awesome vacation! We love you!

Weekend Re-Cap

2008-07-20T18:21:00.000-07:00

Jude met up with his long lost friend Kaitlyn (spelling??) this weekend...what a sweetie...such a quiet, peaceful demeanor about her. Jude, on the other hand, is a little crazy! They sat nice together
They schemed together..
They played Peek-A-Boo together
This is Jude's new favorite thing: opening & closing drawers/cabinets. Over and over again!
And apparently he enjoys dog cages and bones! He put this bone of Sophie's in his mouth several times....I think he kind of liked it!

Walk the Line

2008-07-15T17:04:00.000-07:00

Here is Jude strutting his stuff tonight...He gets so darn excited; that when he gets to what he was going for, he just dives right into it or the camera in this case! He's sure lovin' it. This isn't to say that he doesn't mix it up with a little crawling here and there, but I think it's safe to say that scooting is out of the picture...(No more calling him "scooter" DAD!) Oh, and notice the tongue coming out of the mouth towards the end...TOTALLY ABE!

"Walkin' Weekend"

2008-07-13T18:12:00.000-07:00

Jude decided he would show us what he capable of doing this weekend by taking 9 steps; that's right 9!!
I'm not sure if it was the time spent with cousin Chase...(hence the name) that prompted Jude to show us his stuff or what the ultimate reason was, but he was pretty excited to show us what he was made of! Here he is sporting his "Hawaiian" best; ready for church. Reminds me a little of my dad here! (Great pick on the shirt Aunt Carrie)
Following a nice lunch, nap, and trip to the pool, the cousins enjoyed bathtime together! Chase got a little annoyed at Jude because he kept trying to let the water out..

Jude Climbs the Chair

2008-07-10T17:47:00.000-07:00

Jude discovered that he could climb up into the chair today~ YIKES! It took him a few tries but he was pretty darn proud once he made it up there. From then on it was Up and Down and Up and Down in and out of the chair over and over again! Sorry the video is sideways!!!

Happy 4th & Go Cards!

2008-07-06T07:10:00.001-07:00

We spent the Fourth out at Lake Bloomington and thoroughly enjoyed the beautiful weather and the nice, crisp temperature of the lake water! Jude is sporting his red, white & blue here! And making some crazy faces...
Saturday we spent the day in St. Louis, watching the Cardinals kick the Cubs' butts! Yes, that's right Cardinals had a sweet win of 5-4!! David was nice enough to share two tickets with us and we took a bus down with 20 other people and enjoyed the game in a "Party box" or something along those lines. You will notice two women missing out the photo below. One, was home recovering from an appendectomy...or so she told us she would rest! And the other wasn't feeling good...and is 5 months pregnant! Congratulations Jesse and Suzanne!