Chronicles of the Applegates

Parker

2011-04-30T15:55:00.002-04:00

In an effort to update my blog at least once a month, I present some updated photos of Parker for you all. This boy is growing like crazy (well, sort of)... these are his latest stats: weight - 25th percentile; height - 50th percentile; and hide size 90+ percentile. So yes, his head is really large, just like his two older sisters. I wonder where this oversized head gene came from? Surely it is from the McHugh side... :) Okay, we all know it's from me.

He is a little over 9 months old and is just starting to think about crawling. That's right, he's thinking about it... and that is COOL with us! When he really starts to crawl, we'll really have to make sure all of those tiny little toys are put away... they seem to be everywhere.

Again, I digress... have a great Saturday everyone!

Ansley

2011-03-04T21:21:00.002-05:00

So, it's been another two months or so since my last blog entry, so please enjoy this video of Ansley!

Christmas 2010

2011-01-10T21:42:00.004-05:00

Again, I'm a little late on my blogging... why do I feel guilty being late on my own blog? Good question, I have a very guilty conscience.

This past Christmas was a blast, especially because the girls had so much fun together and we had a chance to spend some great family time with almost everybody in our current and extended families (except for Emily in Ecuador and Joe/Liz in Florida).

It's still a struggle with the craziness of the Xmas season to focus on the real reason for Christmas, the birth and gift of Jesus Christ to a needy world. Thank you Lord.... we need all of the help we can get.

God bless everyone,

Halloween Photos

2010-11-19T21:41:00.003-05:00

It's okay to be a little late on posting my Halloween photos, right? Heck, it's only a week away from Thanksgiving! Halloween was another fun night with our neighbors and friends, Belle, Snow White, and of course a Tiger.

Update!

2010-11-08T21:29:00.004-05:00

Okay, I admit this has been my longest break in updating our family blog. With the creation of my photography website (kellyapplegatephotography.com) and "busyness" of my business over the last several months, I admit that my family blogged has seriously lagged behind. My question: Are there still serious bloggers out there? I'm wondering how many people are spending more time on Facebook and less time updating their blogs.

If you still read blogs, please leave a reply on this blog!! :) I'm curious...

Below are a few photos of Kennedy, Ansley, and Parker after we got back from church the other day.

Wedding Photos

2010-09-09T21:48:00.004-04:00

Cassie (my only sister) and Rachel, best friends for most of their life, were married only a few weeks apart. Both have moved away from the Indy area and are living in new parts of the US with their respective husbands. Congrats to you both; we love you guys!

Anyway, enjoy the photos. Both weddings were amazing.

Cassie and Josh's Wedding

Rachel and Dillon's Wedding

Hello blogging world

2010-09-09T21:46:00.002-04:00

So yes, I've been away from the blog for a month, but "hey I have a great excuse! I have a 6-week old and two other kiddos 4 and under. Again, I have to say that I wouldn't trade anything about my life right now. Molly is an amazing mom and wife and seems to thrive in a sleep-deprived state of newborn "world." Seriously, I don't know how she does it!!

Stay tuned, I hope to update my blog soon with more photos.

Cheers,

Parker at Home

2010-08-14T07:10:00.005-04:00

So... yes, I have forgotten about our blog for the past 3 weeks + 1 day (of course I have a fairly good reason this time... a newborn).

Yup, Parker has really been a joy and great addition to our family. He is lucky to now have three moms but he is mostly excited for football season. In fact, he has asked me several times that since this is his first football season, he wants to watch as much football as possible to really learn the game better. Hey, we have to give him what he wants, right? ;)

Again, life is great, albeit more tiring. We're all adjusting, making changes, and learning how to function as a family of five... Ansley is also officially a middle child as well and will surely develop several issues because she is now child #2 AND a middle child (ask my mom, she can answer this question... just kidding mom).

Again, God bless everyone!! Thank you for your friendship and prayers.

Our boy has arrived!

2010-07-24T10:51:00.004-04:00

Yesterday was a fantastic day in meeting the new member of our family... is it Parke or Parker (we still haven't finalized his name yet)?

Molly's feeling as good as can be expected, we are enjoying the luxuries of a hospital room (i.e. hospital ice, endless warm cookies, a fold-out couch to sleep on, a nursery full of nurses to watch the baby all night... it's like a vacation! [okay, not quite]

Anyway, life is good... really good. We are really most happy that he is in good health right now. Now to figure out how to parent three children... that is our next step. We thank the Lord for the blessings that are too many to count!

The bad and good news: he is getting a circumcision as a I type this message... a necessary but painful process for him.

Hanging with the Shultz clan

2010-07-20T21:21:00.003-04:00

Another REALLY fun weekend hanging out with the Shultz and Landis (and for a minute, Ryan Palmer and his family) clans. For some strange reason, I barely picked up my camera for the weekend and only took a few photos, so enjoy. From playing Apples to Apples, learning that letting my kids ride to the neighborhood pool without seat belts is bad, and reading through baby books in an effort to pick our future son's middle name, we had a GREAT weekend.

Website

2010-07-13T07:56:00.003-04:00

Check out my new photography website if you get a chance at: kellyapplegatephotography.com.

I would appreciate any feedback on design, ease of use, etc.... I appreciate any help! I plan to take a break from photography for most of August when the baby comes and get back into it in September. Say prayers for Molly... she if feeling okay but is ready to have this baby (hopefully sooner than later!).

God bless,

Squirrels in in the Park

2010-07-10T11:20:00.004-04:00

Are squirrels are friends? Let's find out.

Bedtime Routines

2010-07-02T15:38:00.005-04:00

We have a VERY specific bedtime routine each night and certain words that need to be said by specific people (mainly Kennedy). I'm sure any parent of a little one can relate! Enjoy.....

Buckets of Fun

2010-06-22T16:39:00.007-04:00

In my goal to try to accomplish something (that's right, anything) on each of my days off, I decided to wash the car (those of you who know me are aware that this is QUITE a rare occurrence, happening maybe once per year).

Ansley decided to use this opportunity to take a bath in the soap bucket. That's kind of a bath, right? We can count that as a "bath" for the day? My vote is yes.

Another hot summer day...

New Videos from Applegate Olympics

2010-06-19T16:00:00.007-04:00

Enjoy more video from the Applegate Olympics. Good luck deciphering or understanding any of the individual games, rules, or teams. I guess this is top secret "Applegate" information.

Goodbye Cookout for the Hitchcocks

2010-06-18T10:44:00.002-04:00

Before the crazy Indiana weather took over, we hung out with several of our friends at a small cookout last Sunday to say adios to the Hitchcocks (well, not for good). Todd will be working as an assistant principal in a school system south of Bloomington and will be moving to their new locale in the next few weeks. Very bittersweet.

The highlights of the cookout included our crazy children looking for giants and rats in the storm grate, fun with the frog pool, and of course Liz's famous secret recipe for chocolate chip cookies.

Pelsue Cookout

2010-06-17T08:26:00.002-04:00

Again, we love our small group, who we get to hang out with every couple of weeks to have dinner, study the Bible, and have some great "hang out" time. Enjoy the photos from our recent cookout at Aaron and Emily's house. I especially love the photo of Aaron in the background of Tina and Carter's photo. Very photogenic.

2nd Annual Applegate Olympics

2010-06-08T08:46:00.009-04:00

Last Saturday, we experienced our 2nd annual Applegate Olympics at my parents' house. What does this day consist of you might ask? Lots of swimming (including pool basketball), lounging, and made up games like "feed the baby" (see photo of Craig eating baby food below), and inducting our soon-to-be new member of the family (Josh Jacobs). All in all, GREAT day... besides a few minor injuries (including Kyle pushing me into the side of the concrete wall in a questionable "block out" move, a minor hamstring pull [not sure what happened], and a slight sunburn.)

Great times, great family!! Enjoy the pics.

Watch Kyle participate in one of our relays. He's good.

Watch my feeble attempt to touch the basketball rim. My "ups" aren't improving with age!

Whoops

2010-05-25T16:21:00.001-04:00

So in this week's blog I added several photos intended for our family blog to my photoblog (it's the first link on the right if you want to check it out). Am I getting early onset dementia?

Happenings

2010-05-14T22:07:00.003-04:00

In today's blog, I am not adding any photos (sorry). Instead, I'll write about a range of topics that are on the cusp of my mind. For starters, our soon-to-be 4-year-old daughter Kennedy is leaving tomorrow morning with my mom on a 10-day trip to Montana. As awesome as this will be, I'm realizing how much we're going to miss her. She'll have an amazing time meeting my extended family and getting the full experience.

Secondly, on a serious note, our prayers go out to many of you (some who might be reading this) for your difficult weeks, marriages, health issues, job stress, or any other items I have left off of this list. Isn't life difficult at times? We try to live each day to our fullest but we struggle with broken relationships, fatigue, or maybe even apathy. Seriously, we're praying that you can trust in God to meet all of your needs. From Proverbs, "Trust in the Lord with all of your heart. Acknowledge Him (God) in all your ways and he will set your path straight."

Third (and I hope like I don't sound like a broken record), but I'm continually grateful for the people in our lives. This past week I keep trying to remind myself that I need to "Love People, Use Things" and not "Love Things, Use People." This seems obvious, but wow we mess this up on a daily basis.

Fourth, photogrphaphy... it's been amazing starting this part-time business. Thanks to those of you who have taught me, allowed me to take your photos, and even bounce my ideas off of you. In fact, the best part of photography (portraits, weddings, etc...) has been the opportunity to spend time with people. Really fun for an extravert like myself. I tell Molly that I'm a closet intravert, but we all know this isn't true.

Fifth, if you made it through this entire blog, you have earned a pat on the back. Remind me about this next time I see you! Cheers and have a great weekend. God bless,

Holiday Park

2010-05-04T20:37:00.002-04:00

Again, I'm behind on my blog because of several reasons (i.e. photography blog, work, trying to get my super-slow Dell to function, etc...); my excuses are many. In late April, my brother Kyle (and Becky) introduced us to Holiday Park, which is located at College and 62nd(?). Have you been there? This was one of the first really warm days in a while and was a perfect Sunday to do relax, cook burgers, and run around. Also, I tested out the video feature on my camera for the first time so let's hope it works (see attached video)! Also, check out the special sweaters my mom made for the girls. Cheers everyone, KA

Sisters

2010-04-17T15:31:00.009-04:00

In a few short months, we will have a new baby boy (yay) and he will be blessed with two older sisters. They are excited to meet him and even more excited to have a brother (Kennedy claims she knew it the entire time!). It's hard to imagine the fact that God will give us the ability to love another child in the same way that we have loved our two daughters. In fact, I remember holding Ansley over the first couple of days and asking Molly, "Can I love her as much as I love Kennedy?" In remembering myself ask this question, it's hard to believe I ever asked this question... but it's the truth! Time and time again, the miracle of birth and parenthood continues to take place. In saying this, I'm excited to meet our new son and see how he fits into our growing family. The truth is... God is really good and he continues to bring joy in every kind of life situation, through trials, suffering, and anxiety, and he works all things for our good. Sorry to be so lenghty with my post today... but we have been reflecting on a few of these concepts recently and wanted to share our thoughts with you. Most of these points are everydays truths that are easily taken for granted. All in all, it's still a mystery to us. Enjoy these photos of the girls... it's hard to understand how a boy will be added into this mix!

Michigan City, Indiana

2010-04-04T22:03:00.003-04:00

Last weekend consisted of spending lots of time with GREAT friends in Michigan City, IN with great friends. Besides the cold weather, it was an amazing time and great to get away from Hamilton County for a few days. We really feel blessed with such amazing friends.

Cousins

2010-03-25T21:06:00.005-04:00

Kennedy and Ansley love their cousin Ella... AND their Uncle Pat.

Potty Training Ansley: Attempt #27

2010-03-21T15:20:00.004-04:00

In my efforts to: 1) pottytrain Ansley; and 2)emotionally "scar" my daughters when they are old enough to read this blog, I present today's blog post to you.

My new strategy for pottytraining Ansley actually involved bribing Kennedy. I brainstormed this strategy yesterday, and it actually worked! Kennedy pretended she was using the restroom and talked Ansley into using her little toilet. Brilliant. Sorry if this blog is a little too revealing into the Applegate household, but it is what it is. By tomorrow, I will need some new child psychology strategies after Ansley figures out this devious plan. We'll see, maybe it will work, maybe not. I guess it's our main goal to get Ansley out of diapers by the time the new baby arrives in early August.

Last Shameless Photography Plug

2010-03-16T21:15:00.004-04:00

Okay, I lied in my last post. THIS is my last plug for my new photography business, Kelly Applegate Photography. Help me people! Do you have any better ideas for Photography business names? To reiterate, I'm looking to do as many photoshoots this summer for every reason under the sun.

Please contact me to take your photos... if you choose to pay me or not, I really don't care! :) I look forward to practicing on my family and friends and sharing these photos with you (I'm also excited for the new camera we are about to purchase... although I'm wondering if maybe I should buy a 90-inch awesome-looking HD TV for the same price... manybe not.)

Again, my contact info: kapplegate44@hotmail.com or 317-773-5686. Check out my new photo blog at: kellyapplegatephotography.blogspot.com.

Cheers! Look forward to pics of my family in the next blog... I promise.

New Photography Business - Applegate Photography?

2010-03-14T14:34:00.010-04:00

Hello everyone... In today's blog, I'm sharing the fact that I am starting/building a photography business. Over the next year or so, I hope to continue improving my photography skills, improving my equipment, and do as many "shoots" as possible (portraits, newborn shots, weddings, senior pictures, and so on).

With that being said, my photography fees will be very discounted throughout the rest of this year. My main goal is to take as many photos as possible, especially this spring and summer. So... please feel free to let me take pictures for you and/or family (my contact info is as follows: kapplegate44@hotmail.com or 317-773-5686). I can provide more samples of my photos if anybody is interested in see more of my portfolio. Again, please let me take your photos... I look to forward to practing my photograpy on you all and giving you a DVD with the photos and "edits".

In summary, I hope this blog doesn't come across as a shameless plug! Ultimately, I'm hoping to stay as busy as possible this summer.

P.S.I also would like to thank Matt and Heather for giving me the opportunity to recently take their maternity photos (see below). Again, photography is really, really, really fun... I most love the challenge of capturing "true moments" in the lives of people.

P.S.S. I promise I will dedicate my next blog post to lots of updated pictures of the kiddos.

Ansley's Dalmation Birthday

2010-03-07T08:34:00.013-05:00

Only my lovely wife Molly can blend her love of coloring with planning a 2-year-old birthday party (and yes, she really likes to color... I'm little jealous of her coloring skills). Yes, Ansley loves dalmations; in fact, this theme edged out "Dinosaurs" by a very thin margin... both of these themes are a little different from Kennedy's "pink" themed 2-year-old party.

Our little "Ans" is getting bigger and with age it's really fun to watch her and Kennedy develop a close friendship... and rivalry. Ansley is the jokester of our family and is also known for her sweetness and dragging her massive blanket around. She's also well known for saying "I can do it" (of course, what 2-year-old doesn't say this?).

Happy birthday Ans! Start thinking about your theme for next year. I'm sure that Kennedy has her birthday theme planned for the next few years... maybe she can help you brainstorm.

Afternoon Photo Shoot

2010-02-20T15:33:00.002-05:00

What do you get when you cross two "cutie pies", a rare moment when the sun is shining in February, and time on your hands? An afternoon photo shoot put on by one Molly Applegate. In my humble opinion, these are GREAT pics... I have to give her tons of credit for taking great pictures; I love sunlit photos with lots of contrast... I can't wait for the sunshine to return on a more permanent basis. Yay Spring.

Happy Birthday Ansley!

2010-02-18T17:21:00.000-05:00

Happy birthday Ansley Joanne Applegate. You are two years old today and it just seems like yesterday that you were a little skinny newborn. We love you for so many things... that huge smile, your love for dinosaurs, trucks, dalmations and animals (especially puppies), that "mischieviousness" that reminds me a little of a certain uncle you have named Kyle (or Joe), and all of the other fun and wonderful things you add to our family.

We love you, Mom, Dad, and Kennedy.

The Secret Hideout

2010-02-05T22:05:00.000-05:00

That space under the stairs is finally cleared out and my dream of a secret hideout / play area for the girls is a reality (yes, it's awesome). Of course Kennedy has taken the privilege of hanging up several pictures in her new room and adding lots of clutter, so now it's officially a new play area.

Princess Party

2010-01-30T21:05:00.000-05:00

Yes, it has been too long since our last blog post. Again, sorry... I'm a major slacker. I'll pick up the pace in February. I thought you all might enjoy these pictures of Molly, Kennedy, and Ansley who were preparing for a "princess" birthday party in our neighborhood. Don't they all look very "princessy"?

Christmas in Sanibel

2010-01-07T20:15:00.002-05:00

I know, it's been about a month since our last blog, so my apologies for taking a long blogging vacation. However, we're back! We have some big news that we'll be posting soon. Any guesses? :)

Pig Tails

2009-12-06T14:37:00.009-05:00

What do you get when you cross pigtails, a blankie, a quasi-professional mommy photographer, and lots of sillyness? Lots of Ansley. Check out the crazy "flash" photo... sometimes too much flash can be a bad thing... it's still an interesting pic.

Gobble Gobble

2009-11-27T19:54:00.005-05:00

Thanksgiving, what a wonderful day... family, food, football (albeit poor football), and naps. Actually, our Thanksgiving happened in the order described above. It's safe to say that 75% of the people in our house were napping at some point during the afternoon yesterday. Also, an interesting factoid I learned from my aunt Beth: the average American eats at least 5000+ calories per Thanksgiving meal. How many Big Macs is that? Happy Thanksgiving to you all... get some rest this weekend.

The girls enjoy some warm cider and cool whip before lunch.

Yum

A rare family photo op. Four smiles... very rare.

Cute. Enough said.

What you don't see in this picture is that fact that I just sliced two turkeys. Somehow I inherited the job of slicing turkeys a few years back and now I do it!

Cassie, Kennedy, Anna, and Aunt Beth

My dad, Aunt Beth, and Gi Gi

The feast. Notice my plate to the right/bottom of the picture? Double yum.

Aunt Cassie and Kennedy display their gingerbread house. If there are a few missing pieces, I guess this happens when Kennedy makes a house with candy.

Picking Pumpkins

2009-11-24T22:10:00.002-05:00

In lieu of uploading any recent pictures and blogging on a regular basis, please enjoy these pictures taken during our visit to the pumpkin patch in October! :) The girls are getting way too big....

More Halloween Pics

2009-11-16T21:31:00.002-05:00

On further request from Aunt Katie, please see Kennedy and Ansley's costumes below. If you cannot figure out what they are dressed up like for Halloween, the best possible description is a princess/tinkerbell/fairy dancer... dressed up for a a cold night.

Again, this was a really fun night... we're still working through their bags of Kennedy (tonight, Ansley had a mischevious smile after sneaking a piece of Kennedy's chocolate) and we should be through it my May.

Also, sorry that these pics are in reverse order... very strange.

Post trick-or-treating. Suckers are yum.

Almost home...

A little action shot. You can almost make out Kennedy's Tinkerbell outfit under sweatshirt.

I LOVE this picture. She just happend to walk through a 4-foot swath of light when I took this picture.

Just getting started...

Loot

2009-11-10T20:50:00.000-05:00

Guess who made out fairly well on Halloween?

Colts Party at Kyle and Becky's

2009-10-31T14:47:00.000-04:00

Last Sunday was the perfect mixture of entertaining football (i.e. Colts against the Rams), great food (ala Becky), great fall weather (thanks God), and friends and family. We also finally got to meet baby Charlie (which probably should have happened long ago).

The worst thing about a Sunday is when it ends... which sadly happens every week.

Thanks Kyle and Becky... especially for the wings.

Head Shaking

2009-10-20T20:41:00.000-04:00

Does any adult reading this like to violently shake your head for 30+ seconds at a time? I imagine this would be painful to do for a time span for more that 3 seconds... in fact, it makes me a little sick to think about it. However, Ansley enjoys head shaking, spinning in circles until she falls down, and any other movement that makes her extremely dizzy. Very interesting eh?

Autumn is here!

2009-10-15T20:57:00.000-04:00

Welcome to my first picture-less blog! It's officially my favorite time of year: the leaves are changing colors, hot chili should be cooking on the stove, football is on the 'ol television, and I don't have to cut the grass anymore... yay.

Happy 1st b-day Anna Landis!

2009-10-10T21:35:00.000-04:00

Hello blog world. To update you, dad (me) is Home Alone this weekend with the girls. Molly is being the great sister that she is and is supporting her sister Emily in watching her run the Chicago Marathon today.

What have I done with the girls this weekend? Lots of fun stuff... movie and pizza night on Friday, a special trip to Old Navy for Molly (today was Old Navy's 50th anniversary and Molly literally drew me a map to find a couple of vests that she wanted... they were on super sale), a birthday lunch for Lauren Landis, and finally I made vegetable soup and got to hang out with my brother-in-law Pat and his daughter Ella. Sorry for the long run-on sentence... yikes.

We've missed Molly, but it's been a really fun weekend in hanging out with the girls... however, it will be great to have her home. I can't imagine how exhausting it must be to be a single parent... my prayers and encouragement goes out to all of the single parents out there. It's hard work!

Enjoy the pics below... they are from Anna's party. Again, we are blessed to have such great friends like the Landis' crew. Goot times... and peace out,

Ansley is having very serious thoughts in this picture.

Mom and dad help Anna blow out the candles.

More swinging...

Anna banana cake.

More fun with Lightroom

2009-10-06T21:13:00.000-04:00

The pictures below are pictures our friend Sarah Awe took when Ansley was a little baby (gosh, she seems so big now). Kids grow up too fast don't they? The pictures below are more attempts to learn how to edit pictures... lots of fun, but I'm very inexperienced! :)

Fun with Adobe Lightshop

2009-10-03T22:32:00.000-04:00

We're Back...

2009-09-28T21:41:00.000-04:00

If you are still reading this blog, we are officially back!!!!!!!!!!!! Yay. Our computer has had many issues over the past month and I am finally back on the internet. Seriously, I was ready to get rid of our computer. Okay, thank you God. It's fixed now.

Today I'll update some pictures from our trip to Michigan City earlier this month. We rented a house with our awesome friends (the Shultz and Landis clans...). Again, this was a great trip like other trips in the past. We had a GREAT weekend and again feel blessed by the simplicity of friendship and watching our kids form the next generation of friendships.

Other highlights included us watching a beach wedding, late night chats, and early mornings wake ups (this wasn't so much a highlight). And life goes on...

The girls (Lauren, Lucy, and Kennedy) approach the beach for the first time. Very exciting.

Kennedy shows off her dad's handiwork and skill at building a network of sand castles (this picture was shortly taken before they were demolished).

Lucy and Ken... photogenic?

A nightly highlight included a chase around the coffee table. Is Ansley winning or getting lapped?

Computer is crashed

2009-09-08T21:20:00.001-04:00

If you are still checking my blog... my computer has been infected with a virus and now unable to connect to the Internet to the last week. So... please check back! I hope to have these issues fixed soon.

Nothing too exciting to report except that Kennedy starts her 1st day of preschool tomorrow. That's pretty exciting right? :)

Rotten? :)

2009-08-26T18:13:00.000-04:00

Mini Photo Shoot

2009-08-20T20:10:00.000-04:00

A few Sundays ago, we had the opportunity to get home early, throw on our bathing suits, and run through the frog pool/sprinkler before we ate lunch. (Maybe I should blog about our frog/pool sprinkler sometime? I'm sure our neighbors love seeing this everyday in our backyard. I digress....)

Good times. As I've said many times, Molly and I enjoy very simple pleasures as much as extravagent and exciting adventures (I think I am a closet home body and intravert, although most people reading this will probably disagree with me). It's really fun to watch Kennedy and Ansley become best friends. Awesome, really.

Applegate Olympics

2009-08-12T21:19:00.000-04:00

Wrestle Mania... Applegate style

2009-08-04T16:40:00.000-04:00

Is Molly overpowered by the likes of an 18-month- and a 3-year old? The answer is yes. Molly was down for the count as our little wrestlers Kennedy and Ansley show off their impressive wrestling moves.

Messy Messy Messy

2009-08-02T07:34:00.000-04:00

Guess who the messiest person in our house is? (and I'm taken myself out of the equation for this poll)

Just for Fun

2009-07-24T16:28:00.000-04:00

8 Years!

2009-07-15T22:00:00.000-04:00

This is a little belated, but on July 7th, we celebrated our 8-year anniversary. Very awesome. The following picturs were taken during out trip to Milwaukee last weekend (I'll blog about it soon), and it's crazy we actually got at least 3 pictures together. That stopped once we started having kids.

I have the best wife that I could ever imagine and she is truly a gift from God (I know, I'm cheesing it up). Truly, she's an amazing wife, best friend, mom, and personal wardrobe advisor, and all around expert in most things. :)

Sweet Adeline

2009-07-13T22:16:00.000-04:00

Last week I invited myself to a 1/2 day at the Hitchcocks house and took the girls with me. Adeline is really stinkin' cute (that's a compliment), and it made Kennedy's month when Trisha let her hold her for close to 25 minutes (thank Trish). I love the 3rd picture... you can see Kennedy saying "touch her feet, Ansley... not her hands." Can anybody say Mommy Junior?

Daddy Day Care

2009-07-08T21:57:00.000-04:00

Wow, this summer has gone by very quickly. In fact, this is really the first week where I am home with the girls for the full week (without a major injury, parent-in-law's 40th Anniversary celebration, or travels to England)... and it's been great. Not only have the last few days been very low key (which is a nice change of pace), Molly worked from home on Monday and Wednesday, so we got to spend some quality time bugging her. :)

As the girls get bigger and bigger, I find myself reverting back to the "kid of old," making play forts, running through sprinklers, eating Icy Pops at all times on a hot summer day, lots of tickle/wrestling matches, and other miscellaneous fun like sitting in my driveway and watching them push/ride assorted vehicles back and forth on the sidewalk (i.e. strollers, bikes, wagon, scooter, etc...). Now that was a long run-on sentence.

Basically, it's been a great week. Love my time with my girls - Molly, Ken, and Ans...

I've also been obsessed with reading through the James Patterson "Alex Cross" series this summer. I just finished book #11. I know... random.

Can you see the sprinkler in the background? What kid can resist running through a sprinkler?

Ride 'em cowboy.

Fun with playforts. It is their "pig" house and I am the wolf. Unfortunately the wolf doesn't get a fun house to live in.

Action shot.

Adventures in England

2009-07-02T10:36:00.006-04:00

This past week I spent the week in England on a sister city exchange trip between Fishers, IN and Billericay, England. It was an amazing week, experiencing the local sights, meeting many interesting people, and making new friends! These are only a few pictures and videos from the week that showed a few of the things we did. The week was incredible, but nothing beat coming home to Molly, Kennedy, Ansley, and my bed :).

Love this picture... it's very "heavenly." I captured this at dusk on our flight from Clevland to London.

This was our team getting ready to leave the airport. In the back is me and Cynthia Ziemba. In front are the students from both of our schools (L-R: Shelly, Zoe, Ali, and Marley). Very excited.

I pose with Alan before departing for Northey Island. This causeway is covered with water every so many hours as the water flows in and out of the estuary. Luckily, we weren't trapped on the island!

Two soliders guarding something... (not sure what exactly). We listened to local folks heckle them and try to get them to talk. Very nice huh?

I pose with a famous Saxon (Brythnoth), who defended Mauldon from Viking invaders in 991. Very interesting story...

In this picture, I'm walking along Northey Island with my host for the week, Alan Sims. It was incredibly remote, with nobody in the vicinity. This was only a 1 or 2 mile walk from town.

Every tour normally ends at a gift shop. This is a shop after we visited the Queen's jewels.

This is a picture standing below the Millenium Eye in downtown London. It is built like a huge bicycle spoke, we 30 cars (each holding 20 or so people) and was built in 2000 to celebrate the new millenium. It continually spins and takes 30 minutes to complete the entire cycle from top to bottom.

This view is towards the top, with parliment and Big Ben behind me.

Parliment and Big Ben along the River Thames.

Take off from Heathrow Airport.

Joe and Linda's 40th Anniversary Weekend

2009-06-22T14:16:00.000-04:00

This weekend, Molly and all of her siblings planned a 40th anniversary surprise for Linda, which included lots of fun things like a spa treatment, Saturday night party, night at the horse tracks, and flying in Joe and Liz. It was a great weekend... but we were EXHAUSTED by the end of Sunday. :)

Great time hanging out with everybody and props to the main party planners (you know who you are Katie). Enjoy the pics below. I'll post a few more in the near future.

Life Group Pool Party

2009-06-15T17:45:00.000-04:00

We are blessed to be part of our life group (i.e. friends from church who get together, study God's word, and "do life"). God has a way of always bringing the right people into our lives at the right times (both people we love and people who "challenge" us). Anyway, we are blessed.... truly.

Below are pictures of our recent cookout at Emily and Aaron's house.

Pool craziness.

Love this picture.

Kennedy is slowly warming up to pools.

Doesn't Emily look happy with Posey? :)

Welcome to America

2009-06-12T23:09:00.000-04:00

In catching this early morning snapshot, our little Ansley has all the essentials: food, her blanky, and her hat for shade. Does anybody else think she looks like she just crossed the border?

Hilarious...

Last Injury Update

2009-06-11T10:29:00.000-04:00

I promise, this is my last injury update (I know you really would rather see pictures of Ansley and Kennedy).

To recap, for everybody I will see at my 10-year reunion at DePauw, I injured myself in an ultimate fighting tournament cage match. You all know that I'm a triple black belt.... anyway, I went "Karate Kid" on my last opponent, both "painting the fence,"
"sweeping the leg," "waxing on and off," and ultimately putting my opponent in a body bag (if you've never seen Karate Kid, I'm sure your eyes are glossed over).

Okay, I'm a bad liar. I hurt myself shoveling. That's right, S-H-O-V-E-L-I-N-G. Really, no good stories besides hurting myself doing some "gardening."

It turns out I have a severe ankle sprain, so they put me in a cast and boot (by the way, this is the most expensive shoe I have ever owned) for the next week. Hopefully, it will improve. If not, he told me I might have Dwight Freeney's injury and asked me if I followed sports (he has no idea...). Anyway, let's hope it improves.

Again, I promise this will be the last blog about my ankle issues. Again, thank you to everyone who has helped watch the kids the week (and especially Molly who is doing "double time"): my parents, Cass, Em, and Linda.

Here is me in my full ensemble of boot, cast, crutches, and man bag (it's not a purse... it's actually a diaper bag) filled with various essentials like my favorite book, water, etc...

Had to squeeze Kennedy into this post. She's been a great helper. Don't ask about the hat. It embarrasses Molly to no ends (and for good reason).

Nice neon green cast.

My $250.00 shoe. (It actually comes with a "pump," similar to the Reebok pump of the '90's).

Injured

2009-06-09T12:18:00.000-04:00

Today's blog describes another self-inflicted injury that I can add to my growing life-long list (also included are hitting myself in the face with a hammer, punching a hole through a window while sleepwalking, hitting myself in the foot with an ax, getting several stitches in my forehead from a rock fight, and burning all of the skin off my nose in the quest to remove a pimple, etc...) Embarassingly enough, these items are only the beginning of this list... but they all have great stories behind them. If you know me well, you know I don't mind making fun of myself....

So last Friday I was creating a new landscaping bed and using a spade shovel to peel back sod. In one moment of bad judgement, I jammed my foot down on the shovel to dig deeper down (mind you, I was wearing crocs). In this moment, I "busted up" some capillaries in my foot and gave myself a severe bruise (I keep thinking I need a better word that bruise to elicit more sympathy). Anyway, by Sunday night, my foot had swollen to an unbearable degree and I could not put any pressure on it. I went to the doctor's office first thing Monday morning, go X-rays, and was relieved to hear it was not broken. However, because of the pain and type of injury, I was ordered to lay on the couch and keep my foot elevated and iced for a few days.

So.... thankfully my parents and sister Cassie have been watching the girls from Monday through tonight. THANK YOU. On the flip side, while recovering I have had the chance to catch up on several important things like: 1) signing up for goodreads.com (amazing web site if you like to read); 2) blogging; 3) editing many pictures I never find time to "play with," and 4) watch several movies that Molly would never watch if she was with me (i.e. Rise of the Lycans, Journey to the Center of the Earth, Rocker, etc... I admit, I'm bad at picking out movies but I like to watch them nonetheless.

The pictures below give you a "snapshot" of my day today....

Crutches are actually kind of a pain if you've never used them before. They have been my best friends since yesterday.

My foot wrapped in ice... I'm sure Molly is embarrassed that I put a picture of my foot on our blog.

Yours truly... on the computer and watching movies. Luckily my ears are cleaned out. :)

Happy Birthday Kennedy

2009-06-08T15:45:00.001-04:00

It's official (as of May 29th) that Kennedy is 3 years old. This weekend, we had a small (and mostly family) birthday party to celebrate this occasion. Kennedy is obsessed with birthday parties in general and not just her own. She loves the candles, cake, singing happy birthday, and did I say cake?

Of course we had to have a Hello Kitty theme and of course Kennedy wanted to wear her Cinderalla dress (who wouldn't?).

It was a great day and good start to the summer!

#2

2009-05-25T16:01:00.000-04:00

#2 is one of the nicknames we use when Kennedy (#1) is listening to Molly and I talk about the two of them. There are several other names, like "rotten," which is one of Molly's favorites, stinker, and so on.

As time moves on, it's fun to watch Ansley get older, cuter, and funnier. By "funnier," I could also insert the word "teaser," because at 15 months, Ansley has become an expert on the techniques of teasing Kennedy. She does this in fun (and it's very cute and hilarious), but Molly and I marvel at how young she has learned these techniques. I digress...

Ansley is really an easy going kid with a great sense of humor and independent spirit. However, when she makes a decision about something, she can definitely have a temper. I can't wait for the days ahead when Kennedy and Ansley are both arguing about clothes or some other random girl-related issue. This will be a good time to say "talk to your mom about it." :)

I'll finish this post by sending a "shout out" to our grandparents and other loved ones on this Memorial Day. Thank you for the sacrifices you made for your families and the emphasis you put on such things/ideas like hard work, strong family values, giving 100% effort, and the many more lessons you have passed down through our families.

God bless.

Post-bath / pre-bedtime moment. Chillin'.

Ansley makes an "art" of being messy (like her mom [ok, not really])

Ansley spends a moment with one of her favorite all-time dogs, Toby (who happens to be staying at our house this week). She loves dogs... alot.

I catch Ansley trying to uproot some ceramic mushrooms at a friend's cookout.

Mowing

2009-05-22T22:51:00.000-04:00

Who says Cinderella doesn't like to mow?

What a great morning... Kennedy found this dress at a garage sale for $1.00 (oh yeah, we bought it). When we returned home, she was kind enough to help me mow, princess dress and all. Molly told me I couldn't teach her to use the real mower until she turns 3 (on May 29th).

Olive and Bailey

2009-05-17T18:33:00.000-04:00

Bailey and Olive are my brother's (and his wife's) two new Boston Terriers. They have had Bailey and Olive for a couple of months and they have grown like crazy. They are sweet dogs that love to play.

(This still might be Kyle's plan to let Kennedy and Ansley bond with the dogs before leaving one at our house in a basket sometime... we'll see. I wouldn't put it past him.)

Enjoy the pictures. These were taken at a joint Meg/Craig/Becky birthday, which happened to also fall on Mother's Day. Lots of fun.

Picture-less blog

2009-05-05T22:15:00.002-04:00

Again, since taking several hundred pictures over Spring break, I haven't taken my camera out of the bag. However, I thought I would mix it up a little bit and journal some of my thoughts (let's see if you can see how quickly my brain jumps topics). This might be a long blog.

For the past few months, I've gotten into the habit of turning off the television on most nights and instead reading books. Although difficult at first, this has been an incredible experience. Turning on the television now almost seems noisy (unless it's football-related or The Office).

Like good Americans, we spend the majority of our days consumed with busyness, tasks, lists, and we often move at a dizzying speed. Why is this? Why do we have so much trouble enjoying the moment instead of filling our thoughts with regrets for the past or anxiety for the future? What a maddening cycle. When I am consumed with regret and anxiety, I miss so many incredible things that God puts before me. For example, as a high school guidance counselor, I've realized the power of a conversation or word of encouragement with one of my students. I could tell you stories that would blow you away regarding God putting me in the perfect place and using me to literally save my students. I know this description is very vague, but the timing and circumstances of the events are more than random coincidence... I believe that God is at work and sometimes He decides to use me. He doesn't need to use me, but He does anyway. Humbling.

In other news, the kids are doing great, but they grow up so fast. Ansley is now into playing with dolls and doing her best to add new words to her vocabulary (this is a very frustrating process for her), Kennedy continues to get way too old, and parenting continues to have its share of joys and challenges. I think that through parenting, God teaches us how little control we really have in our lives (especially for our kids). We can provide the safest and most nurturing environment, but we couldn't stop the febrile seizure that Kennedy had when she was 16 months old, which was one of the scariest experiences we could imagine. Although it can be scary to realize we have little control over our lives, it is very "freeing" when we put our faith in God to provide all of our needs. Parenting has also taught me how selfish I am... and trust me, God has a sense of humor. A few years ago, I had major issues sharing my food with anyone (I know, strange), but now my kids eat off my plate like birds. To them, food on my plate is an invitation to snack! I'm embarrassed to admit that this annoyed me at first, but now I love it. Parenting is a process of learning to put the needs of others before yourself. Wouldn't it be great if the whole of humanity lived each day with this concept? Love your neighbor as yourself? wow.

Finally, a shout to: 1) anybody who actually through this entire entry; 2) my friends and family who we are overwhelmingly blessed by; and 3) my wife Molly, who amazes me every day in her dedication and love for me, her family, our kids, our neighbors, the kids in the crawler's ministry at church, her coworkers, the list goes on. During our first 6-hour date at The Duck during our senior year at DePauw University, I knew 2 things: 1) "I will marry this girl", and 2) "She will be the best mom." And yup, they are both true. She will be embarrassed when she reads this, but it's okay.

I'm in a sentimental mood tonight and I'm sure you can sense this from this long and disjointed email. God is good... all the time. Goodnight.

More Spring Break (Still)

2009-04-28T21:30:00.000-04:00

I'm sure I've blogged some of these pictures, but I wanted to share a few pictures I edited on Picnik.com. I took so many stinking pictures in Sanibel that I am taking a personal break from taking pictures for a few weeks (plus it's my way of pretending that I'm living on the ocean).

God bless,

Sanibel Wildlife

2009-04-21T17:38:00.000-04:00

In our continuing series of Sanibel Spring Break posts, the following pictures depict some of the island wildlife.

This is an alligator swimming in the lake behind my parent's house. Creepy.

These gecko's were everywhere, especially inside my parent's back porch / pool area.

Can you see this alligator? On our 2nd to last day I took Kennedy on a bike ride down Alligator lane and took this picture from the top of the bridge. In stopping to look for alligators, I leaned over to see this 6-footer right below me!

Kennedy meets the Easter Bunny for the 1st time. Can't you feel the love?

Sanibel (continued)

2009-04-17T21:50:00.000-04:00

Tonight, Molly, her brother Pat and his wife Brandy went out to meet family and friends for a little fun tonight, and I'm home babysitting three kids, watching the movie Prince Caspian, and blogging!

This past week we attempted to readjust to the real world again (i.e. normal schedules and routines, early bedtimes, no more sleeping in, exercise), and I must say it's great to be back on schedule.

Below are more pictures from our week in Sanibel... enjoy!

Ansley loved her little white chair at my parents' house in Sanibel... and lots of Icees. Yum.

Kennedy's own creation

Just another nightly picnic dinner.

Photo Op. :)

More Sanibel

2009-04-11T08:38:00.001-04:00

Overall, it's been a great week, but we are soon coming to a close. Although it's a bummer to go back to the real world, there is something familiar and nice about getting back into our normal schedules and routines (i.e. exercise, trying to eat healthy, but NOT waking up at 5:30 in the morning.)

There have been many fun things that have happened this week: we discovered the awesomeness of the bike "trailer" with plans to find one at garage sales, Kennedy overcame her fear of the ocean when her newfound friend Kate taught her to scoop water in a bucket, and we met 80-year-old Merle from down the street (she was a delight). Besides that, we've enjoyed family time, having little or no agenda, and doing our best to prevent sunburns.

Molly and I pose with Ansley at a picnic in town.

Mom and Ansley watch the ocean.

Guess who likes the ocean?

Sharing a bucket... sort of

Hello Spring Break

2009-04-07T18:22:00.000-04:00

In the tradition of a lifetime of spring breaks, we are now in Sanibel, Florida, enjoying a little peace and relaxation with my parents. If you have ever been to Sanibel, it's amazing how peaceful this island can be, especially after you cross the causeway in getting to the island.

After a day or so, we've unwinded and are having a great time. Today was a little breezy and cool, but it let Kennedy nurse her mild sunburn on her back. No biggie. Highlights include sleeping in until 8:30, having no agendas, and not worrying about calories. My parents are great hosts in really letting us relax... it's been awesome.

Minutes before departure from Indy, Kennedy watches our luggage load the plane.

Crossing the causeway from the airport. Very scenic.

Kennedy loved the ocean... even though the wind was pretty crazy.

Ansley and Kennedy prepare for Ansley's first trip to the beach. Guess who gets to pull the wagon? :)

Good Friends

2009-04-03T21:13:00.001-04:00

Last Saturday was a good day... and not just because I experienced my first trip to Red Robin. If you don't know what Red Robin happens to be, I can tell you that this restaraunt has delicious burgers (trust me, they are good) with bottomless fries (not good for dieting). In addition, free balloons are had for all and the televisions showboth the Cartoon Channel and ESPN.

Even better, we got to spend time with some our closest friends, the Shultz and Landis clans. Awesome times. It was only too bad the weather wasn't a bit warmer.

Kennedy, Lauren Landis, and Lucy Shultz

Finn Shultz and his mama (Jenny).

Ansley and Molly

Anna Landis... very cute

Random... sort of

2009-03-31T20:26:00.000-04:00

Today's blog is a random assortment... (shockingly). See the captions below. If you read this, I promise I'll blog a bunch next week when we are on vacation in Sanibel, Florida (yay).

Guess who is ready for vacation?

I love this picture. I shot this picture on a very slow shutter speed with Ansley bouncing in and out of the picture. Cool huh? At least I think so.

What's in her hand?? Any guesses? :)

Hi dad.

Sunday Picnic

2009-03-24T21:35:00.000-04:00

On Sunday, our family took a 2-minute trip to enjoy an adjoining neighborhood's playset, a picnic, and work on our tans. It was good times and great fun. I love the last picture... Molly asked me to catch Ansley, but I decided to take her picture instead. It was a good thing she didn't fall off the slide... very close call.

Dinner Time with Ansley

2009-03-20T19:58:00.003-04:00

So tonight, Ansley decided that she was either a tiger or bear and growled each time she shoved her "paw" into the applesauce and then into her mouth. This was very amusing... and the video below only captures her doing this after the 25th time or so. As you can imagine, the video is great until the last 2 seconds, so I apologize for the graphic nature of this content.

Warning - The below video is very entertaining until the last 2 seconds. You will either think this is hilarious, call Child Protective Services, or be grossed out. I'll let you decide! But no worries, no 2 year olds were harmed in the filming of this video.

A cute video... we had to add a 2nd one!

Ansley

2009-03-18T20:53:00.000-04:00

Molly took some great pictures of Ansley the other day in the late afternoon. Our dining room is a great place for afternoon pictures, because of the lighting and shadows.

Ansley definitely walks to the beat of her own drum and is her own person. As a parent, it's fun to get to know this little girl full of quirks, talents, and interesting surprises that we continue to learn. God is good, and it's amazes us every day to not only watch our kids grow up, but the children of our friends, neighbors, and family members. It's awesome.

Anyway, I love these pictures. I think they really capture her personality.

Big smile

Yup, she's a thumb sucker like her sister.

We would love to know what goes through her little mind.

I added some text to the picture... it's actually not as "cool looking" as I hoped! Oh well...

Windy Day

2009-03-08T20:34:00.000-04:00

We LOVE this warm (and windy) Spring weather. Ansley is finally big enough to ride in the stroller and apparently she also loves to stand in a moving object (see 3rd picture below).

Pray that the weather stays warm! 4 weeks until Spring Break.....................

Ansley's Birthday

2009-03-03T19:54:00.014-05:00

[First, the pictures in this blog post are in backwards order... see pictures from down to up.]

Happy Birthday Ansley! We had a great time at your small family birthday party this Sunday... filled with great soup, sandwiches, and cake by Gigi. It's hard to believe you are 1 years old already. Wow.

There is nothing like loading a 1-year old up on as much cake as she can eat at 6:30 at night and then trying to put her to bed an hour later... somebody was really, really, really tired (including mom and dad).

Post party...

Tired, tired, tired...

"Yeah, cake is pretty awesome."

I think this picture is pretty wild. They (Kennedy and Ansley) are BOTH watching the camera and nobody else in this picture is doing so.... what are the chances of that happening?!?

Ready to party

Pre-party

A little pre-party video. Notice how clean the house is?

Craziness

Stuck Indoors

2009-02-26T09:53:00.002-05:00

I'm home with the girls on a sick day, so I thought I would post MORE videos. Three days in a row of blogging? I know, you must think I'm bored, but I'm not (trust me).

I'm going to be lazy and not add any video descriptions. I'll give you a hint that it includes one of my daughters wearing her winter hat and the other daughter displaying some of her many dance moves.

Happy Birthday Ansley!

2009-02-24T17:38:00.003-05:00

Your 1st birthday was 2/18, so this blog update is only 6 days late (this "late thing" is becoming a habit).

You've added so much joy to our lives over this past year.... your sweet personality, your huge smile, your first words (hi da [that's right... I'm awesome]), your love of Kennedy, and your head that is literally in the 100+ percentile (this is a blog for another day).

We love you and can't wait to spend another year with you. Enjoy the videos. It's been a while since we've uploaded videos, so I broke out our other camera with the video mode.

Ansley says hello.

Ansley displays her walking prowess. You want to hit the "mute" button unless you want to hear me talk "baby talk."

Supper time. Welcome to our nightly routine. We typically start eating before 5:00, so yes, I'm old.

Happy (Belated) Valentine's Day!

2009-02-21T10:03:00.000-05:00

Okay, we're only 1 week late on this... that's actually faster than we normally operate.

Yes, I took these pictures and added the cheesy hearts, text, and candy hearts. Am I girly? I've been accused of this before... (okay, not really).

Hope you all are having a great week so far. Enjoy the weekend and pray that we are almost done with snow!

REALLY Strange Weather

2009-02-11T18:00:00.002-05:00

This is the time of year where you aren't sure weather to wear your raincoat and bring your umbrella, keep your snow shovel handy, or prepare for the occasional sunny day in the upper 50's.

Today was a strange day... it rained buckets for the entire day (literally I'm sure). By the time, I got home, the temperature was 56 degrees and the sun was shining. Molly had to make a couple of important calls so what did I decide to do? I took the girls to the back porch to play in the princess house, make mud "soup" in their kitchen, and try to not be blown off the porch by Level 1 Hurricane winds. Luckily nobody got TOO hurt from falling down or eating mud.

I'm not sure who has cabin fever more... me, Molly, or the kids. We are all counting down to the days until we leave for Sanibel in April (but not flying with 2 kids under 3).

As I speak, it is now raining like crazy again, our shoes our soaked after being left outside for 15 minutes, and the princess house was blown across the back porch. Fun.

Kennedy turns on the cheese.

The girls make dinner.

Ansley

2009-02-05T20:13:00.000-05:00

It's been almost 2 weeks since my last blog update... don't worry, we haven't moved and our computer has not been been broken. Basically, I've been a slacker.

Ansley is getting bigger and is very close to walking. Molly told me she took 4 steps yesterday, but she hasn't ... She's saying more words and seems less like a baby everyday.

Enjoy the pics... they're from the last week or so.

Accessories?

2009-01-18T21:51:00.000-05:00

If you don't know this by now, Kennedy is a fashion diva (although I'm not really sure what that word means). I've never met a 2 and 1/2 year old who spends more time planning her outfits to include everything from necklaces, bracelets, sunglasses, dance skirts, shoes of all types, lip gloss, purses, and almost any other item that she can wear.

She loves organizing her clothes and packing them in her Dora suitcase in the closet. I think it's hilarious (her mom doesn't) that she takes all of her clothes out of her dresser and goes through this routine of packing her bag at least one time each week. This is the beginning of many mother / daughter "battles" that will continue to shape up in the future.

What can we say? She is a girly girl and these various combos provide great entertainment (and photos). Tonight, when Molly asked Kennedy if she wanted anything special at the store (i.e. jello because she is sick, Kennedy asked for a new shirt). Kennedy is definitely Molly junior and I love every minute of it. Kennedy also reminds me a little of Punky Brewster (if anybody else is old enough to remember Punky.

Enjoy the pictures!

Caught Red Handed

2009-01-10T21:12:00.000-05:00

Kennedy has a tendency towards "hording." Okay, we aren't entirely sure what this term means, but she likes to put all of her stuff in a a big pile, typically somewhere on the first floor of the house. What is her "stuff" you might ask? Good question because only she really knows. It is typically a combination of purses, babies, an assortment of accessories, and a big 3-foot shark (don't ask).

The pictures below capture a moment when Kennedy went down for her nap and Ansley got to play with Kennedy's stuff (without Kennedy complaining about it). Kennedy is okay at sharing sometimes, but it is definitely something we need to keep working on.

Happy New Year

2009-01-02T11:02:00.002-05:00

2008 was a busy and wild year with many ups and downs. Some of the "ups" are things that we take for granted, such as: blessings of friends, family, and other people in our lives; the continued health of most of our loved ones; and Tom Brady getting hurt (j-k... sort of).

The "downs" are numerous: very uncertain American economy (hurting stock market, housing market collapse, corporation bailouts); new presidential election and uncertainty; and IU basketball having the worst year in it's illustrious history.

Overall, it "is what it is." Through tumultuous times and job uncertainties, God gives us peace that whatever happens, he will give us the strength and endurance to handle it. Sorry if this sounds corny, but it's an awesome certainty that we have. With all of our stresses, it could be much worse. I have a friend who communicates with the leader of a tribal village. Their main concerns are: famine, AIDS, and their main water sources continuing to dry up. Do we really have it so bad?

2009 will be a great year, with many ups and downs. If we didn't have "downs," I really don't think the "ups" would be as sweet.

Have a great year everybody!

Kennedy breaks in the new year by enjoying some sunshine and 40-degree weather.

Ansley stays warm, very warm.

Two cuties

Ansley LOVES to kiss... this could spell trouble.

Christmas Day

2008-12-30T08:34:00.000-05:00

Oh Christmas Day... what a fun and exhausting day it was. This was the first year the Kennedy truly understood the the "Santa Claus" factor. I wonder if we can still use the "Santa class is watching so you better be a nice girl" routine for the next 360+ days?

Also, this year was the first time that we stayed at our own house on Christmas morning (it was great by the way). My brothers were out of the state with their wives, so my parents and Cassie came over with my grandmother in the morning to open presents, eat breakfast casserole, and polish off my grandmother's coffee cake (sadly we came VERY close to eating the entire thing).

We went to Molly's parents around noon, opened presents and continued the festivities. We knew that Kennedy needed a nap when she wanted some "alone" time while everybody else opened presents. She was EXHAUSTED... and was soon napping with her sister and cousin (in separate rooms... but we timed the naps perfectly for a few minutes of adult time).

After some good times and GOOD steaks at the McHughs, we headed home to crash in our bed. At 8:30 it felt like 11:00 at night.

Kennedy takes a picture with Amy (left) and Abby (right). Abby is the new addition to the family thanks to my mom. She happens to be an exact twin, except that she has brown hair.

Cassie displays her gift to Ansley. She made her a special "reversible" sign at a pottery store (?). Cassie is very thoughtful, crafty, and Martha Stewart-ish. Thanks Cas.

I figured out how to use the timer and we took a family picture at the McHughs (minus Joe and Liz).

Kennedy lounges with 2 of her aunts, Katie and Emily, after a long Christmas Day.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-25T10:43:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas. May you have a blessed day with family and friends today. Remember the reason for the season... Jesus was God's gift to us.

Cookies

2008-12-18T18:36:00.000-05:00

Uncle Kyle and Aunt Becky scored some mega brownie points a couple of weeks ago when they decided to host the 1st annual cookie-making party (we haven't told you guys, but you are doing this next year... but we are LEAVING the kids with you [j-k]). Thanks guys... we had a blast.

It was a fun time filled with sugary dough, sprinkles, gum drops, and an assortment of other cookie-related items.

Sugar rush aside, Kennedy actually took a decent nap after we got home. She must have been reaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaly tired.

Uncle Kyle, Chef Kennedy, and Aunt Becky take a break from "cookie making" to take a quick picture.

Kennedy "samples" one of her cookies.

Guess who made this cookie? Can you say "sugar rush?"

Ansley is on the move.

First Snow Day

2008-12-09T18:15:00.000-05:00

A couple of Sundays ago, we woke up to a blanket of snow, perfect for snowball fights and snowmen. So what did we do? I played outside with Kennedy and we ended up missing church (whoops). As much as Kennedy hated the snow last year, she loved it this time. We had a mini snowball fight (I think she packed rocks into her snowballs), made a snowman, and she let me drag her down the sidewalk for a wagon ride. The best part about playing in the snow is drinking hot chocolate after you get inside. Why is this?

Anyway, it was an awesome time and I look forward to more fun in the cold. Next time, I plan on weighing Kennedy with her snow gear on (and without it) to see how much weight she adds with all of her gear.

Fun times.

Another picture to humor me. Sadly, Frosty melted today in the warmer temperatures. I mention this because I was looking out my bathroom window and was wondering why we had a carrot, 2 sticks, and several pieces of mulch sitting on our rain-soaked deck. Duh.

Ansley isn't a big fan of the cold weather.

... and still doesn't

Furnace Issues

2008-12-06T21:24:00.002-05:00

After considering a variety of topics to be the focus of tonight's blog, I have decided to write about our furnace issues. Exciting eh? For the last year-and-a-half or so, our furnace has made loud and painful grinding sounds throughout the day and night. At times, the furnace has decided to randomly shut off in the middle of the night, waking me up at 2 am in the morning with Molly asking me if she thinks the house is cold. As much as I love waking up in the middle of the night to my own self-imposed night terrors (I have severe sleep walking issues), Kennedy jumping in our bed, or my increasing number of bathroom breaks (yeah, I'm old), I have not enjoyed waking up to a freezing house.

As the husband of a lovely wife and father of 2 lovely daughters, I probably should have just paid the overpriced charge to have my furnace fixed by a reputable Heating and Air service. I even had the furnace checked out when the furnace was under warranty... but they said that "nothing was wrong." Okay, not true.

So, in fastforwarding to last week, my dad happened to be at our house and had the opportunity to hear the horrible sound that comes out of our furnace room. He said: "You really need to get that fixed." And for once, he was right (j-k dad). Over the next couple of days our furnace shut off about 2 times per day and I would fix it by repeatedly hitting the on/off switch until the furnace magically stayed on. Luckily, my new best friend Joe (see previous post about my car), who has helped fix many car issues, told me he could fix the furnace by ordering a new part. After finding this part for $225 at a local store, he found it on E-bay for $115 and gave me the following choice: 1) Pay more for the part and ensure that your family won't freeze if the furnace breaks down; or 2) Save $100, order the part off of Ebay, and roll the dice about my furnace not dying while we waited for the part to arrive.

So of course I told him to order the part off of Ebay. For the past two days, God has kept our furnace running as noisily as ever, even though the temperature is below 17 degrees.

For fun, I took some video of our furnace today so you could get the "experience." Also, pray that our furnace lives another couple of days.

Anybody want a new Vue?

2008-12-04T21:15:00.000-05:00

Okay, maybe it's not a new Vue, but it could be new to you. Withouth making this story too long, our Vue died about 6 weeks ago, a week after we had finished 5 years of payments. Nice timing huh? Anyway, after we received the estimate to fix the transmission ($6300), we decided to buy a new car (a Saab... I'll blog about this another day... we got a good deal).

I skipped lots of details but that's okay... after lots of drama and the process of finding a new car, we entered the world of Ebay. After I posted our car for sale, I later realized I had posted it as an advertisement instead of a bid item. So... after paying an additional fee to place the car on Ebay again, we were officially in business. We started the bidding at $500 and are now up to $1350. If anybody would like to place a bid of $10,000 or so, please be our guest! :)

If you get bored, you can track the sale at Ebay / Item number: 190271471006.

Good times, stay warm everybody. And pray that our furnace doesn't shut down tonight (another story for another day).

Finally, I posted some of the pictures from our Ebay ad for your entertainment.

Thanksgiving

2008-11-29T10:23:00.000-05:00

Is there a better holiday than Thanksgiving? No presents, mulitiple football games, an excuse to eat a 4000+ calorie meal, and an excuse to take a nap? I don't think so...

We had another awesome Thanksgiving this year, spending the morning at my parents and then going to Molly's parents for our 2nd meal of the day. It was a great day, but exhausting.

Yes, I am the guy who cuts the turkey in the house each year. And no, I couldn't find another apron in the house.

Ansley and Toby.

Kennedy helps Gigi dry the dishes.

Emily and Kennedy enjoy playing the piano together. Don't you love the look on Kennedy's face? "Come on dad... enough already."

Post-Game Nap

2008-11-23T22:30:00.000-05:00

This picture was captured after I got back from the Colts game last weekend. Coincidentally, I am watching the Colts play the Chargers right now.

It was my first game at Lucas Oil stadium, and because I'm old, I needed a napafter the game. Lucky for me (yet unlucky for Molly), Kennedy had not taken a nap for the entire afternoon and couldn't resist curling up next to me for a short nap. Not only did we both take a great nap, but I got to watch more football before falling asleep.

(editor's note: this picture was posted mainly to prove that I don't mind posting embarassing pictures of myself.)

Remember the warm weather?

2008-11-18T22:12:00.000-05:00

Remember the days of 75-degree weather? What feels like several months was actually only a few weeks ago (see below).

Secondly, I apologize for the lack of blogs in the recent few weeks. We've been pretty busy and I have basically been a slacker. However, look forward to a future blog where I talk about us paying our car off and then how the transmission blew up a few days later, leaving us with a bill for $6300. Of course we didn't fix it, we are still looking for a new car. Good times huh?

Anyway, God is good and it's encouraging to know that although I have VERY little control of the events in my life, I know that God will give us the strength to deal with any situation that happens. I fully believe that something good can (and will) come out of every situation. So although we have to buy a new car, can you imagine a better time to haggle with shady car salesman?

Stay tuned.

Little Mommy (or Molly)

2008-11-12T20:52:00.000-05:00

This is probably not a shock to most of you, but Kennedy is a tiny version of her mother (except that she has blue eyes and blonde hair). Kennedy sponges Molly's mannerisms, phrases, and everything else she does. In fact, they share many unique qualities, such as being obsessive compulsive, having Type A personalities, and having a love for clothes. Tonight I got a glimpse into my future as Molly and Kennedy had a spirited debate about some of the clothes in Kennedy's closet. Like mother like daughter. And I love it.

Like her mom, she loves her babies and loves to take care of them. In the picture below, she is talking to her baby Jane.

Boys and girls are so different. At this age, I was smashing matchbox cars, crafting swords and guns out of sticks, and throwing rocks at everthing.

Pinheads

2008-11-07T21:56:00.000-05:00

Tonight was a great night for several reasons (and yes, I love lists for some reason). Also, if you don't know, Pinheads is a bowling/pizza/arcade type of place:

1) We spent time with good friends that we do not get to see very often.
2) I had appetizer food for dinner. Yum. And sorry Ansley for eating your potato skin that apparently your mom planned on giving you for dinner (yes, we have a very rigorous and healthy meal plan for our children).
3) I witnessed Ryan win 200 tickets at the "Deal or No Deal" game. And what can you win with 200 tickets? A gigantic teddy bear? Large quantities of candy? Anything worth more than a dollar? No.... in fact I am sure that every prize item can be found at your local dollar store.
4) We had a "blog" reunion (yes, we are all blogger dorks). And yes, I am one of the few male bloggers Don't question my manhood.
5) Ryan and I took the "high road" and chose to overlook a broken machine, where a door swung open to reveal hundreds (that's right, HUNDREDS) of tickets. I wonder if we would have made the same choice if our kids weren't with us? Hmmmmmm..............
6) We got home safe and sound.

Ansley loved hanging out with Luke. He is a sweet kid and made her belly laugh.

Can we have some more tokens dad?

Finn's hair did not let us down. And no, he does not use gel.

Courtney and the boys.

Surprise, it's a "bunny" halloween

2008-11-02T20:27:00.000-05:00

As far as Halloween goes, this year was a very good for a few reasons:

1) It was the first year that Kennedy understood the important things about Halloween, such as face paint, staying up late, eating candy for dinner, and being scared by dad's wig.
2) The weather was seasonably warm (high 60's?).
3) I wore my $2.00 garage sale, blue feux leather shoes that Molly swore I would never wear (see below).
4) We found out that Noni scares Ansley with her frog hat (just kidding... at least at first).

We also learned more about the arduous process of picking the right costume. While I was at work, Kennedy's costume went from a princess, to a "kitty princess", and she finally ended up as a bunny (I know, no surprises).

Who likes wearing face paint? I DO!

Our professional make-up artist works her magic.

My daughter has years of embarassment ahead of her.

The girls: Noni, Kennedy, and of course, our professional make-up artist, mommy.

Fall is here

2008-10-28T20:53:00.000-04:00

Last Saturday I loaded up the family car and headed to the IHSAA semi-state cross country meet at Northview Christian Church to cheer on Fishers H.S. It turned out that the weather is no longer the 75-degree weather we experienced a few weeks ago... the weather was in the mid to upper 40's. Anyway, it was cold. Coooooooooooooooooold.

The pictures below show some of the pictures taken at the meet (and our house after we got back). The day was great until we were driving back from dinner at Molly's parents and our transmission stopped working. It is now sitting at the Saturn dealership in Fishers... anyway, I digress. It was a great day.

I love this picture of Molly and Ansley... especially the reds in the tree to the left.

I got a workout at the cross country meet with both girls on my back.

Two cuties... Kennedy and mom

A good view of the finish line