Stephen and Katrina

6 months

2009-12-07T14:03:00.001-08:00

Okay, I realize that Abby turns 7 months in 6 days and I still haven't did the 6 month post. So sorry! I've been busy!

This has been a very eventful month for you, baby girl!

You can now sit up all by yourself! No help needed!

You can put your paci in your mouth, and you love playing with it.

You have both of your middle bottom teeth in. They are too cute when you smile :) I think the top middle ones are coming next!

You are now eating cereal, vegetables, and fruit. You LOVE to eat!

You weigh 18.4 pounds and are 26 inches long. (75 percentile in weight, 50th in height)

You are still sleeping through the night. You would rather sleep in your bed than in Mommy's arms. I'm so proud of your independence, but it makes me a smidge sad too :)

You give the sweetest hugs I've ever received!

When we are riding in the car, you like to sing along with the radio!

You now know how to wave hi and bye! A few times I promise it has sounded like you are saying hi!

You now refuse to breastfeed. You are much too interested in everything going on around you to be bothered with laying down to eat, haha. Mommy still pumps breastmilk for you, so you are still getting the nutrient you need. Formula is too expensive anyway!

We got your Christmas pictures taken, and you were such a HAM! I think we've got an entertainer on our hands :)

Your 1st Thanksgiving was really fun! Everyone was so excited to see you, and you were such a charmer, as always! :)

Some Piknik fun below :)

5 Months

2009-10-26T10:10:00.000-07:00

Wow, time is seriously flying!

You are doing so many new things this month!

You have started saying "mamamama." You do this when you are hungry, and when you want Mommy to hold you.

You have fun playing in your Exersaucer.

You reach for Mommy and prefer to have her holding you over anyone else :)

You now arch your back and throw yourself backwards when you are mad. We have to be very careful when holding you.

You have moved past rice cereal onto oatmeal and barley. You hate the rice cereal now. Vegetables are next!!

You take two naps during the day. Usually around 9:30 - 10:00 am and noon until 3pm. I can't tell you how happy this makes me!

You've started sleeping through the night. Anywhere between 7 and 10 hours a night! I'm trying not to get too excited about this, because I know it could change at any moment.

You are so intrigued by faces. You love to touch, slap, and grab them. You especially love to touch Daddy's beard.

You like to sit on the counter in your bumbo while Mommy does the dishes.
You love to pull/touch hair. Maybe one day you'll be a hairdresser? :)

You reach for things and will move your whole body to touch something.

You still haven't rolled over, but you can turn yourself in a complete circle. I'm starting to think you may just skip rolling over and start crawling instead.
You got your first tooth October 28th!

You love to "pet" Lily. Which really consists of grabbing a handful of her hair. She is very accomodating, though, and loves to give you kisses. I think you two will be good friends in the very near future :)

My sweetest memories of you this month are the nights when you wake up in middle of the night and just want to be held and rocked back to sleep. Everytime this happens, I focus on remembering just how small you are, how perfectly you fit in my arms, how you smell, and how you change from upset to peaceful the instant I pick you up. I will cherish these moments as long as I live. I pray that I can always be someone you can find comfort and calm in.

I love you soooo much, Baby Girl!!!

You've Got A Smile That Could Light Up This Whole Town

2009-09-24T14:18:00.000-07:00

Oh Baby Girl... You get sweeter and sweeter every day!

4. Months. Old.

How can it be??

What have you been up to this month?

You can now grab your feet and even stick them in your mouth.
You can sit up in the corner of the couch and not fall over.
You have started reaching for things.
Your hand/eye coordination is really improving!
You started rice cereal and you LOVE it.
You have started to suck your thumb. It may be the cutest thing ever!
You talk, talk, talk.
You said the word WOW twice! Daddy and I say this is your unofficial 1st word :)
You still hate tummy time.
You still don't sleep through the night, but we're working on it.
You now weigh 15 pounds and are 24.5 inches long. Big girl!!

I can't believe how big you are!

Let's see how you've grown.

2 months.3 months.

4 months.

I get weepy thinking about how fast you're growing, but I'm so excited for all of the fun, new things that are coming. I love you Abigail Rose :)

Three Months Already??

2009-08-13T09:34:00.001-07:00

Dear Abby Rose,

I can't believe it that today you are 3 months old! It feels like just yesterday that we were bringing you home from the hospital. You are so different than you were back then!

You have started to develop a sweet little personality. You charm basically everyone you meet! You are happy most of the time and laugh alot. You "talk" to us constantly. You are a morning person, and you are slowly turning Mommy into one too.

Your favorite thing to do right now is suck/bite on your hands and fingers. Really, you will put anything you can in your mouth. Other people's fingers, blankets, toys...Doesn't matter. You drool so much we might have to start keeping a bib on you. Your favorite toy is your giraffe lovie. You also love to put him in your mouth :) You love to sit your Bumbo. You have just started discovering your feet.

You have already had an ear infection and been on an airplane. You have already stayed the night with Grandma and Papa Iles. They kept you so Mommy and Daddy could go out for their wedding anniversary.

You are growing and changing so much every single day.

You bring me more joy than they I've ever imagined! I can't imagine my life without you now and have a hard time remembering what it was like before you came.

Introducing Abigail Rose Smith....

2009-05-15T08:00:00.000-07:00

She's here!!!! Abigail Rose arrived Wednesday night at 7:04. She weighed 8 pounds and 3.5 ounces. She is 20 3/4 inches long. She's a big girl!

I was undecided about getting an epidural, but after a few really intense contractions, I decided I needed one :) I'm so glad I got one! It made the delivery an actually enjoyable experience. Here are a few pics of our precious new one:

She's Coming!!!!!

2009-05-13T07:42:00.000-07:00

So my water broke this morning at 4:30! We are now at the hospital and things are progressing nicely. I was at 3 cm when i got here at around 6, and now, at 10:45 I'm almost at a 5. They just started me on a low dose of pitocin, so we'll see how it goes! I've been walking around and enjoying my time here so far! Please pray for baby because there is some meconium coming out with the water, which means that she has already had a bowel movement in there. Probably nothing to worry about, but is potentially a problem. We'll update again when she gets here!!!

D Day

2009-05-12T12:10:00.000-07:00

Welp, today is my due date, and the baby still isn't here... I go to a midwife, and she said they won't even consider inducing me until 42 weeks. I hope Little Miss Smith decides to come before then! I'm already going crazy :) We'll keep you updated! Here is a pic of me at 39.5 weeks.

Less than 3 weeks left!

2009-04-23T07:45:00.000-07:00

Can you believe it??? I can't. In less than 3 weeks I will be holding a precious baby that belongs to ME! It seems so weird to think about.

I've been freaking out this entire pregnancy about actually giving birth, but now I just want to get it over with! I want to stop being uncomfortable and HUGE, and I just want to meet this little girl. I want to see this tiny baby that has already stolen my heart. And I want to know if her personality really is as I suspect. Fiesty and independent, but so sweet and loving at the same time. How I can predict that while she is still in the womb can only be a mother's intuition :)

I've also been freaking out about being a mom at all. Questioning whether God was really sure that I am capable of being a good mom. The kind of mom that I want to be and that I know He wants me to be. But in the past few weeks I've began to feel a peace about it. God's timing is perfect, and he knows what I can handle and what I can't. Even though I'm still a little nervous (baby's aren't exactly my forte), I know that I can do it! Especially with God's help! (And help from family and friends :))

Anyways, I know some of you are wondering, but, no, we have not picked out a name yet. And we aren't going to until we see her little face. We have it narrowed down to 3 names, but they are a secret! We don't want to name her something, and then think we should've named her something different. It will all be clear when we see her! :)

I will leave you with a picture of me at 35 weeks. Yes, that really is my stomach. I'm not hiding a basketball in there.

11 Weeks To Go!

2009-02-25T12:50:00.000-08:00

I'm at 29 weeks and counting!

Here is a pic of me at 28 weeks:

The baby continues to move around alot! Yesterday I was laying on the couch and Stephen and I could see my stomach move where she was kicking/hitting it! It was so weird and so cool at the same time!

This weekend is the baby shower my mom, sister, and Aunt Tiff are throwing for me! Steve's parents are en route to Cincy right now, so they could be here for it. There will be LOTS people, and it will for sure be a good time! I just hope I don't cry like I did at my wedding shower, haha :)

2 Down, 1 To Go

2009-02-13T14:13:00.000-08:00

I'm now offically in the 3rd trimester! Steadily growing bigger every day :)

Here is a pic of me at 24 weeks.

This is how we know she's a girl!

Cute little profile view.

This baby is a wiggle worm :) She moves so much! I've now started my 2 week appointments! That means we're getting close! I'm measuring exactly where I'm supposed to be. And my due date is still May 12th. We'll see if that's when I really go into labor :)

Hope everyone has a FABULOUS Valentine's Day!

IT'S A GIRL!!!

2009-01-07T12:28:00.000-08:00

Baby Smith is a girl! :) We are both very excited!!! She's an active little thing, and all of the ultrasound pictures came out blurry...I will post them once I have a chance to scan them to the computer. I'm finally starting to look pregnant and not just like I went on a Burger King binge. Although I do get people every single day telling me I don't look pregnant...I'm not really sure what they're looking at? Maybe they just think I look fat ;)

We haven't figured out what her name will be just yet. We know her middle name will definitely be Rose in honor of the favorite flowers of Steve's grandma who recently passed away. We can't pick just one name we like right now, so it's going to be a while. She'll probably be Baby Rose Smith until she is born :)

We went to Pennsylvania to be with Steve's family for Christmas. It was busy and lots of fun! But it's not a trip that we will be making again any time soon. A 9 hour drive didn't work so well with my achy, pregnant body. Two sick dogs didn't help the situation either, haha.

We hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Baby Smith

2008-12-23T07:15:00.001-08:00

Today we find out whether we're having a girl or a boy!!!!!

The baby will look much different than this! Hopefully a little more human and a little less alien. :)

After all of the parents and siblings have been notified, I will post on here for all to see!!!

Girls Weekend 2008

2008-12-10T08:13:00.001-08:00

So my 3 best friends from college (Tucky, Cheryl and Rhino) and I get together once a year for a girls weekend. None of us live in the same city, so it's hard to get together on a regular basis. Rhino is in the process of moving from Louisiana back up North, so we met in Danville, IN while she and her family were stopping at her parents house. Good times were had by all! We ate at a pretty little Italian restaurant, went shopping, ate pizza and watched movies in our sweatpants, braved the cold to soak in the hot tub, told secrets, took silly pictures, and laughed until we cried. It was just like we were in college again. I'm so thankful for good friends that are constant even though our lives are ever changing! We'll be having girls weekends until we are old ladies :)

Rhino and I are both pregnant right now. She is only a week ahead of me! She is due on May 6th and I'm due on the 12th. I hope we have our babies on the same day! It's so nice having a friend who is going through the same things I am at the same time. Here are some pictures from the weekend:

The 2 pregos.

Showing off our sexy stomaches.
Flashing our gang signs. Tucky looks like she's I Dream of Jeannie, haha.

Hot tub!

This is our "I'm freezing" face.
A recreation of one of our favorite pictures from college.

Hairspray and Halloween

2008-11-17T14:08:00.000-08:00

My good friend, Lisa Vitucci, scored tickets to Hairspray on Broadway and so very kindly took me with her. This was my view of the stage. We were in the 2nd row!!! It was a really good show! (Check out the guy in the background, haha)

We had a costume party at work on Halloween. This is everyone that dressed up. I won the Most Creative Costume prize :)

Thanksgiving is just about a week away, and I'm soooo excited! I love seeing both sides of my family in one day! And then shopping the day after Thanksgiving is always so much fun.

In baby news, I've lost 10 pounds since I found out I'm pregnant, because I've been so sick. Everyone says it gets easier in the 2nd trimester, but I'm in week 15 and the sickness still shows no signs of stopping. Oh well, c'est la vie...

We find out what sex the baby is on December 23rd!!!! As long as the baby is healthy, I don't care what sex it is. I'm dying to find out though!!

Let's Go Phillies!!!

2008-10-21T12:28:00.001-07:00

The Phillies are in the World Series which starts tomorrow!!! Steve and I are both rooting for them. To show our support for the team, we even carved our pumpkin in the shape of a Phillies "P." We got 1st place in the pumpkin carving contest we were competing in!

Let The Countdown Begin!

2008-10-21T12:14:00.000-07:00

I think all of you know this already, but I wanted to formally announce that I'M PREGNANT! I am currently at 11 weeks, and the baby is due on May 12th. I've had "pregnancy" sickness for about a month now, and I can't wait to get to the 2nd Trimester. I hear I'll feel much better then! I'm not showing at all yet, so if you see me, please don't touch my stomach. There's nothing to feel! :) Here is a picture of the ultrasound I had taken at 8 weeks. You can also track the size of the baby by the tracker on the side of the page.My parents are over-the-moon excited about having a grandchild! I know they are going to make awesome grandparents!! :)

I thought summer was supposed to be relaxing...

2008-08-07T08:26:00.000-07:00

So I really thought this summer I would have more time to keep up with this thing. Alas, life keeps getting in the way. Here's what we've been up to:

Stephen resigned as youth pastor at Amelia Nazarene. His last day was June 1st. We were very sad to go, but it was time to move on. We prayed about it a ton, and felt God leading us away from there. We are trying to wait very patiently to see what is the next chapter in our lives. We miss the kids there a lot. It seems weird not seeing them at least twice a week.

I think we're going to send Lexi to Hogwarts in a couple of years. Who knew there was a witch in our family?! We're all so proud! (Isn't it cool what you can do with sparklers and a camera on the 4th of July?)

Holly got married! Isn't she gorgeous? I got in a fight with Betsy. Weddings are so dramatic! We eventually made up and took this adorable picture. Can you believe that on Tuesday it will be 2 years since this happened? Time flies when you're having fun!

Kitty the Cripple

2008-07-11T12:47:00.000-07:00

So the long and short of it is: I have a sever stress fracture in my fibula on my right leg. I've had this boot on for 6 weeks, and hopefully only have one more to go. I don't know the specific incident that the fracture happened. But I do know that I was still running/rolling blading/playing kickball on it about a month after it started hurting. That didn't help at all...I have to wear a walking boot and it is hot, smelly, and an absolute murderer of fashion. BUT I do get ride around on the motorized carts at the grocery store :)
I'm in a wedding tomorrow, and I refuse to wear the boot!

Happy Birthday!

2008-05-23T11:11:00.001-07:00

Happy 27th Birthday to my Guitar Hero!!!

Long Time, No Talk

2008-05-02T14:14:00.000-07:00

I have some pics to show everyone, but I can't find the cord thingy that plugs into my camera and the computer. Until then, please be patient with me.

Things have been rough around here lately. The short of it is: Lily hurt her OTHER leg, and will probably have to have surgery, and we have having some financial issues and church issues. We could really use your prayers right now!

My sister, my cousin Nic, and I are headed to Louisiana tonight. We are going to see my mom's side of the family and I get to see Rhino Roles!!! This is the first time I've been in Louisiana in about 15 years. The last time was when my Grandpa Johnson passed away. We will be there for a week!

I'm sad to be leaving Stephen for a whole week...A week seems like a year to me right now ;)

I love you all, and I promise to post pictures when I find that cord thingy!

March 2008

2008-03-18T14:31:00.000-07:00

We had a blizzard here at the beginning of March! I don't think I've ever seen that much snow in Cincinnati before. It was nice! Cleo loved playing in the snow!

I was trying out some different functions on my camera. One is that you can take 3 continuous pictures by pushing the button once! Of course, the dogs were my subjects :)

Going...

Gone!

How can you not love that face?

February 2008

2008-03-18T14:22:00.000-07:00

I went to Columbus to stay a weekend with my sister. I also got to see Tucky, my best friend from college. It was the first time we saw each other since July. We had soo much fun!

Also got to see this handsome boy for the first time. He kept smiling at me, and it totally made my day!

We went to Lexi's gymnastics competition too! She's the tiny one in green and black.

She got 1st All-Around! Soooo proud of her!

January 2008

2008-03-18T13:53:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the long absence... I have wanted to blog, but when I've actually had a spare second blogging has been the furthest thing from my mind. Here is what you missed in January:

This is possibly my favorite picture EVER! This is how we rang in the New Year...By banging on pots at midnight! :)New Year, New 'Do. I got 10 inches cut off my hair to give to Locks of Love. Here is the finished product. What do you think?

My mom and I took a little road trip down to Cumberland, KY to see my cousin Debra cheer. As you can see, she's pretty dang talented!

I tried to get a picture with me and the pups, but Lily was way more interested in licking my arm. Cleo looks cute anyway.

Our current favorite restaurant is O'Charley's. Delicious! Here, Steve enjoying some of the scrumptious Overloaded Potato Soup.

Hello 2008!

2008-01-12T19:56:00.000-08:00

We hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and New Year! We had lots of fun with family (we missed you, Michael & Mary, Amy & Jake, and Stacey & Randy!). Steve's parents came in for a few days! It was so awesome that they were able to make it out, but it was too short of a visit. We wish Cincinnati and Reading, PA were closer together...

Here are some favorite pictures from 2007:

January:

Reunion with some friends from college. Yes, that is the back of my head as I was running to get back in the picture!

February:

A new addition to the family! Meet Cleopatra Quesadilla Kisses Smith (aka Cleo).

March:Kristen Votapek got married! Also in this picture: Cheryl Durst & Karen Stasiowski.

April:The Three Amigos at a Fiesta Fundraiser at church.

May:

Our precious girls.

My sister made this awesome cake for Steve's birthday. I threw a surprise birthday party for him, and he was completely surprised!

June:

Lily dislocated her knee and had to have emergency surgery. She was in a cast for a very long 6 weeks! She still has a pin holding her knee cap in place.

Happy Birthday to me!

We got a new church van!

July:

My three best friends from college (Rhino, Cheryl, & Tucky) and I meet up once a year in a different city and have a ball. I don't have a picture of all of us together, but I really love this one of Rhino and Tucky walking.

August:

At Craig & Amy's wedding. Stephen was the best man.

September:

Super models on the beach.

October:

Larry the Cable Guy and a pirate wench.

November:

Family picture.

December:Steve's vest matched his stocking on Christmas Eve!

Merry Christmas!

2007 was a great year that was filled with surpises, challenges, and happiness. Here's to making 2008 even better!

Ho, Ho, Ho!

2007-12-21T08:31:00.000-08:00

Last Friday was the annual Lovelies Gift Exchange! I do this with my three best friends Betsy, Holly & Carmen. We are only allowed to spend $5 dollars on each person. This is always very challenging and exciting. This year, I made them these purses:I'm sorry, these pictures don't do them justice. My camera is crap. I spent quite a bit of time on these, and I'm pretty pleased with how they turned out. The Lovelies seemed pretty happy too :) I received a pretty, sparkly shoe ornament, some bling for my phone (in the shape of a skull & cross-bones!), a pretty bag, some great smelling potpouri, a pair of socks also with the skull and cross-bones (my friends really know me!), and some sweet Hello Kitty treasures! It's truly amazing how much good stuff you can find for under $5.

Carmen & Holly's house is so cutely decorated for Christmas. These may be my favorite Christmas decorations ever:Stephen and I have had a fun time wrapping presents for everyone. I promise that is soda in that green bottle :)

This is such a cute picture! I have a precious family! Look at Steve's awesome mohawk!

I had to add this picture, because it's so weird. Doesn't Cleo's arm look deformed? Or broken even? Gross.

I made a couple of tutus for Lexi and Nessa. I think they will love them, and I can't wait to see them dancing around like little fairies in them!

Stephen volunteered to model them for me.

I think he makes a lovely bride.

We hope everyone has a VERY Merry Christmas! We love you all!!!

P.S. Congratulations to this Lovely Lady on getting engaged last night!!!

Ahh, that's better!

2007-12-12T13:09:00.000-08:00

So I got a little crazy with the camera and took over 40 pictures last night of our tree and decorations! I will just pick the best ones!

Our house finally looks more Winter Wonderland-ish! Same view, more stuff:

Lily just HAD to be in this picture. I am totally obsessed with placemats! I have differents ones for every season and for every holiday! :)

Ooh, shimmery!

We don't have a fire to hang our stockings by, so this'll have to do...

Yep, I even have Christmas potholders!

Nussknackers...

A pretty cool ornament.

A few different pics of our tree. I personally like the last three best :)

In an unusual feat of greatness, I was somehow able to get the girls to sit for this picture. THAT WILL NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN!!!

Perfectly Pink Rice Krispy Treats

2007-12-11T11:03:00.000-08:00

When Robert Louis Stevenson, author of Treasure Island, died on December 4th, 1894, he willed his November 13th birthday to a friend who disliked her own Christmas birthday. I have a friend whose birthday is on Christmas Day. I wonder if she'd like to have my June 24th birthday?

I know I said there would be pictures of decorations, but last night I just didn't feel like taking any. Here are a couple of the nativity we have set up, though.

On Sunday we had our Christmas party with the youth group. We played silly games like Charades and Mad Gab and ate lots of sweet treats like these:

What a fine looking group!

Bah Humbug!

2007-12-10T08:23:00.000-08:00

Last year I felt very indifferent about the whole holiday season, but this year I'm so pumped for Christmas that I wanted to decorate WAY before Thanksgiving. Here's a pic of how the decorations have progressed so far. I should be done tonight, so hopefully tomorrow I'll have some more detailed pics up. Can you see that "Elf" is on the TV? I can't get enough of that movie this year! "Buddy the elf, what's your favorite color?" :)

We found a nice little Christmas tree that isn't nearly as big as the one last year, but it was about $50 cheaper! Stephen got to help them put the netting on the tree, and he looked so cute doing it!
We had a birthday party for my sister on the 1st. Here's a pic of her opening her SWEET boots, and one of Lexi and Nessa laughing and being adorable.
Somehow Cleo got a dry erase marker in her cage and ate it! We caught her red pawed! ;)
Stephen and I played Checkers the other night. Here is the checker board and pieces. Pretty cool, huh?
While we were playing, the girls were sleeping on the couch like this:
Sooo comfy! I love these two little pups so much! More to come of Christmas decorations and gifts that are being made!

Adieu Part 2

2007-11-28T12:27:00.000-08:00

6. The dogs got some much needed hair cuts. Here are some before and after pictures.

Before:

The red and blue jerseys were their Halloween costumes. Lily was a soccer player and Cleo was a football player.

After:

7. Steve's parents came out for a visit right before Thanksgiving. It was great to see them!!! We were sad to see them go....

Helping Grandpa read the directions.

But I want to play too!

Lily pretty much hates that hood!

But she LOVES her Grammy!

8. The brakes were going bad on my car, so my dad fixed them. Thank God for a dad like him! He always takes care of me!

9. Thanksgiving was great! Went bowling with my mom's side of the family like always. Sadly, Stephen was unable to go, because he had to work the next day...That sermon he had to preach on Sunday was also just over the horizon (he did amazing, by the way!)

Hallelujah!

My cousin Brittany and I. Also a good shot of my argyles and killer bowling shoes that Stephen got me last year for Christmas.

The 112 is me. I think it's the best score I've ever gotten!

10. The women of the family went shopping the day after Thanksgiving. Amber, Kayla and I stayed up all night. The stores opened at 4 am! It was crazy! No sleep makes for some pretty loopy pictures..

That's KINDA better! Amber looks a little high!

11. Amber and I went to the Dave Barnes/Matt Wertz concert for a sister's night. Too much fun! Dave Barnes rocks my socks!

Sisters.

I hope that helps you all feel sufficiently updated on our lives! :) Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! For the ones we didn't get to see, we miss you terribly!

A fun family pic for the road...

And Without Further Adieu...

2007-11-28T11:12:00.000-08:00

I know this post comes much much overdue, but we have been busy bees. I'll try to give you the condensed version of everything we've been doing without leaving TOO much out.

1. We took the youth group up to Mount Vernon for Sonfest. It was lots-o-fun! An added bonus: my sister was also in attendance!

2. Stephen traded in his truck for a BRAND NEW Jeep Patriot! He was very sad to see his old friend go... The Jeep is very pretty though!

3. My sister, my mom and I went to the pumpkin farm with my Aunt Tiff and her two precious little girls, Lexi and Vanessa.

Hayride!

That pumpkin was sooo heavy! Tiff wanted it, because it had the perfect stem.

Amber volunteered to help carry the massive pumpkin and promptly broke the perfect handle.

Tiff was obviously very unhappy about that!

Pumpkin Outhouse.Two sets of sisters.

4. We went to a Halloween party. Larry the Cable Guy and a pirate!

5. My sister moved into a new condo! There are so many good pics from this, but I'll just give you my three favorite:

It's a Bryt Lamp!

I don't even have words for this one! HAHA

TADA! The proud new renter!

I'm going to do this in two posts, because I have too many pictures to add and this is becoming the longest post ever.... Stay tuned for a few minutes...

Ocean City, NJ

2007-10-09T16:08:00.000-07:00

Hello family and friends! Our vacation was fabulous! Ocean City is such a cool little place. There is a big boardwalk with fun beach shops, cute ice cream places, pizza-by-the-slice on every corner, and enough mini-golf that you could play every day and still not play them all! It's definitely like no place I've ever been! It was so great to see Steve's family, because we don't see them NEAR enough! Here are some pics of our adventures!

The boardwalk early in the morning while taking a bike ride with Steve's mom.

Ferris Wheel!

Sorry, I accidentally added this picture twice, and I can't figure out how to erase it! It's a good one though :)

Check out his henna tattoo!

At the top of the ferris wheel! I was so scared! Mini-golfing with Fred and Barney.A fun tradition :)

Steve was very much against taking this picture, but how can you not want to get your picture in a flip flop?

Love the beach!

Our "designer" sand castle.

Can you believe it? I was enjoying the ocean so much I got a boogie board. AND it's a pirate! Arrgg!

Steve's dad put on a fireworks display for us! It was the perfect ending to a great week! :)

2007-08-31T07:25:00.000-07:00

We are leaving for vacation right now!!! We'll update when we get back with stories and pictures! Love!

New Jobs for All!

2007-08-15T07:54:00.000-07:00

Greetings to our dear family and friends! We decided to make a blog so we can keep you all updated on our lives! We know how hard it can be to keep up with emails and calls, so this way it might be easier to know what is going on with us!

Stephen and I just celebrated our one year anniversary this past Sunday!!! It's hard to believe it's already been a year, but at the same time, it feels like it's been so much longer. We spent our anniversary at the Reds game with the kids in the youth group. It was super hot (99 degrees!), but lots of fun too!

I (Kitty) just started a new job a week and 1/2 ago. It is MUCH different from my previous job, but it's a nice change. They make an educational internet search engine for kids that filters out all the bad stuff. And if you know me well, you know that I'm a HUGE advocate for things like that! So I think I'm really going to like it. :)

Stephen also just got a new job. He had an interview yesterday, and they loved him so much, they hired him on the spot! He starts on August 20th. More updates on how he likes it later!

I'll leave you all with a cute pic of our pups, Lily & Cleo!

We love you all!!!