Hokie Hebdons!

So cute!

2010-07-07T16:09:00.005-04:00

I love my boy! He is so much fun! I am so lucky to be able to spend so much time with him as his mommy.

We got him his first baseball hat the other day and he rarely leaves home without it...he'll grab it and say "ha..." (doesn't quite put the "t" on the end yet!)...then he's ready to head out the door.

making funny faces...(oh, his eye is healing after a smack on the coffee table and trip to the ER to be glued shut)

hiding...

I shot this video the other day when he was in one of his "performing" moods...it's an instant classic!!

David "whistling" and talking

2010-06-27T15:11:00.003-04:00

This video was taken about a month ago...sorry. It's hard updating a blog without all the stresses of moving, etc!! I'm really trying to do better...because my kids are awesome and cute and I know their grandparents can't get enough!

softball season

2010-06-15T14:58:00.004-04:00

The girls just finished with their softball season. Although it looks like they are on the same team, they weren't. Alli did the coach pitch level and it was Kimmi's first year of kid pitch.

Alli did awesome in coach pitch...her swing got better and better over the season. She is able to really smack the ball! She also caught a pop fly while she was playing 3rd base...a REALLY rare thing to do at this level!! Her face was priceless!! I only wish we would have gotten it on video...

Kimmi did amazing with her first year of kid pitch! She had to learn a lot of patience this year as the kids aren't that consistent with pitching strikes! (Most of the games were "walk fests"!!) When she did get a decent pitch to hit...she would smack it! Kimmi had the ONLY catch in the outfield this year...it was such an amazing out! She even kept her head in the game by getting the ball right into the pitcher so the runners on base couldn't advance!!...then she pumped her arms and cheered that she caught the ball! It was adorable!

Great season, girls! It's getting more and more fun to watch you both grow as little softball players!

Recent happenings

2010-05-30T15:56:00.007-04:00

Ok...so I've gotten a little grief from my mom that I don't blog anymore and just do Facebook instead. So, Mom....these pictures are for you!!

Our new house awaiting us in Oxford!...August 4th, baby!

David brings this ball and glove with him wherever he goes...no joke...
(These next few shots I stole from Mom H...but they were too cute to just be on her blog!)

At Alli's softball game

When we say, "get down and ready" this is what he does!

LOVE my boys!!!

Wanting to be in the game...he hasn't quite figured out the glove. It's cute though...

Strawberry picking at a friend's house

The girls were loving it

David's bucket didn't get too full...

..most of them ended up in his mouth and running down his chin!

About a month after Easter, David found a plastic easter egg that the Easter Bunny had hidden. He came to us covered in blue robin egg...why did it have to be blue?? It sure doesn't come off easily!

Fishing with the kids at this great pond we discovered around the corner from our house.

There were mostly blue gill being caught...but Kimmi caught this awesome bass!! (pay no attention to that "thing" on Drew's upper lip...his classmates all grew mustaches when they got job offers, or in Drew's case his acceptance into Ole Miss)

Alli still isn't that keen on holding the fish...(I'm right with ya, Alli!)

Fun at a VT baseball game!! We're sure gonna miss this place!

It's official...Drew has an MBA!

2010-05-30T15:37:00.007-04:00

Here are a few pictures from graduation weekend:

Drew's sister, Michelle, made this great banner and I kept it a surprize until the morning of graduation.

My camera isn't the greatest...but he is shaking the President of VT's hand and getting his diploma

It was a miracle we made it through the 3 hr. long ceremony!...it was like a sauna in there!

Drew's best buddy, Jack Gerdeman

The girls were so proud of their daddy!

Mom, Dad, and Josh came down to attend and have dinner with us afterwards. Jess made the drive to attend the ceremony, but had to leave right after. I think it made Drew feel good to have a few of his family members there...the rest were there in spirit!! (and lucky that they didn't have to sit through that ceremony!!!...ugh!)

Proud parents!

I love this picture!

Congrats, Drew!! We love you!

M-I-S-S-I-S-S-I-P-P-I

2010-03-26T13:24:00.003-04:00

Drew got accepted into the Management PhD program at Ole Miss!! His offer included full funding for 4 years...which is a big deal because a lot of schools have been hit with budget cuts due to the economy. We are so excited!! Even though this is gonna be a hard, long road...it's going to help Drew obtain the job he's always wanted!! So, watch out Oxford...here come the Hebdons!!

We're alive...I promise!

2010-02-03T14:24:00.004-05:00

Wow...I am so sorry to all our friends and relatives who read this blog. Life has been nuts lately..(more so than usual!) I'll try to do better...

We've had an interesting winter...Blacksburg has gotten way more snow than normal. In turn, the kids have not had a normal, full week of school since before Christmas break. They are getting pretty stir crazy...thank goodness for the Wii! Kimmi had her first choir concert over the holidays and did such a good job. She has also started on a basketball team and is continuing to love piano. Alli is still loving her first year of piano lessons. She's also taking swimming lessons and is really getting good at a few different strokes. David (16mo) is walking (FINALLY!) and saying several words. He is so active, but also very lovable. He loves to give kisses and is obsessed with balls and doggies. We just started a mommy and me music class which he seems to like too.

Drew is finishing up his final semester in the MBA program and has decided to pursue his PhD afterwards. We have applications in to several schools and are hoping to find out soon where we'll be for the next 4 years of our lives! Although this will be a LONG process, we really feel like it's what we're supposed to do and that Drew will make an excellent professor!

Speaking of school...I have decided to go back to school and finish my Bachelors degree!! I have been wanting to figure out a way for some time now. Recently, BYU-Idaho launched an online degree completion program for former students like myself! So, I decided to go for it! What better time than now when we still qualify for Pell Grants, etc! I'm nervous though...motherhood has sucked most of the "smarts" from my brain!

Well. That's the update. Here are a few pictures and little videos for your viewing pleasure!

David "helping" with the dishes

This was the first of two huge snow storms (possibly 3 by this weekend!..ugh)

Alli and her gingerbread house...keeping busy on a snow day!

Kimmi and her gingerbread house...notice her "front yard"..she's loves to make a whole scene.

My messy, independent boy...no way mom is gonna feed me!!

Kimmi is 9!

2009-11-24T12:56:00.003-05:00

I can't believe our oldest kid is 9!! Wow! Time sure flies! Kimmi, you are such a joy in our lives! We love you so much!

Spongebob cupcakes at school...

She requested a dog cake for her birthday this year...but didn't give me any ideas as to what she wanted it to look like. So, I decided to make it look like her Build-a-Bear stuffed dog, Brooke!

She was so surprised...I think she liked it!

The cake was a hit...well...at least the "look" of it was. The coconut didn't go over well with the kids! But Kimmi said it was worth it because she loved the way it looked!

She also had a party at the bowling alley with some of her crazy friends! She had a blast! Here are a few moments from her party.

Pizza, pop, and cake...yum!

Alli bowling

Kimmi bowling

Kimmi's souvenir!

Halloween fun

2009-11-02T13:15:00.006-05:00

cute kiddos!

Rose Glittermist the Animal Fairy (aka..Alli...her "talent" is to put golden dots on the chrysalis)

Kimmi is a Halloween Fairy

David is dressed as Winnie the Pooh...who is disguised as a bumblebee so he can get honey!

Haunted House at the VT soccer game

This was Hokie Bird made out of metal and on stilts!! It was pretty cool.

David won second place in the costume contest at the VT volleyball game!! He got a hokie bobblehead, in addition to some other stuff. He was lovin' on that bobblehead!

fun at the volleyball game

Check out the hot man I married!!!

He was a hit...everywhere he went!

It's a good thing he's cute....

2009-11-02T12:30:00.003-05:00

...because this kid is into EVERYTHING!!! Maybe I've forgotten, but I really think that David is harder to keep up with than my girls ever were! This boy is crazy! Everytime I turn around, he's getting into something else.

Look at this face...he knows he's getting something he shouldn't!

Kimmi was invited to go apple picking with some friends of hers and she brought home all these little apples...well, I hadn't put them away yet...and David got to them! Every apple had little teeth marks and tiny chunks out of them...

..he also opened cupboards and "put the apples away" for me! I found apples in weird places for several days!

Here's the latest mess...stuffing his face full of Reese's Puffs cereal. Do you think it's time I finished installing those baby latches on the cupboards?!

David's first birthday!!!...(a little late!)

2009-11-02T12:17:00.005-05:00

My baby boy is 1!!

opening his presents...

happy little guy

at Grandma Hebdon's waiting for cake

fun with Grandma...at least I think everyone's having fun!..(smile, Alli!)

cake time!...he wasn't very messy..he just kept sucking his hands clean

..that's a little better..

the end result...which caused Kimmi to say, "That wasn't as fun as I thought it was gonna be." I guess you never know how each kid is going to react to the cake eating...

We spent the night in DC to see Grandpa Rawlinson after his convention there! Even though it was a quick visit, it was well worth the trip!

Falling off the blogging wagon

2009-10-01T16:11:00.003-04:00

Just wanted to let everyone who follows this blog know that we are still alive and have lots to update you on! We've had a crazy month! Drew's semester is in full swing and slowly sucking all the fun out of him...(just kidding)...but he's working sooooo hard. On top of his class load, he has to grade homework for his assistantship (about 375 students!!) We are also in the thick of job hunting and submitting resumes. Even though graduation seems a while off still (May 2010) it is prime time for recruiting. The research and application process has admittedly taken over my life...thus my time to blog has been nonexistent!! Bear with me...I'll add pictures and an update as soon as I come up for air!

Alli is 7!!

2009-09-03T10:04:00.001-04:00

I can't believe my baby girl is 7! We had a great time celebrating her special day yesterday! Here are a few pictures from the day...and there will be more to come from her "friend party" on Saturday!

Alli's class singing "Happy Birthday" to her.

We brought cupcakes for the class that were specially made by Alli the night before!

Alli wanted a fairy cake this year...since her favorite color is green, we decided to go with Tinkerbell

Seeing her reaction makes the effort soooo worth it!

She LOVED her cake!

What a nice girl to let Kimmi help blow out the candles

Opening her presents...everything fairy related..(notice her fairy shirt too!)

Playing her new fairy game...(David wants in on that action!) Happy Birthday, Alli! You are such a joy to have in our family! We love you so much!

David's first haircut!!

2009-09-01T11:51:00.004-04:00

I wanted to wait until David turned 1 to give him a haircut...but his "wings" were driving me crazy!!! He would pull at them while eating and they'd end up as these sticky, stiff wings coming out of the sides of his head! So, we figured cutting it a month early is no big deal...

I have officially designated Drew to be David's stylist...I'm no good with a razor!! (I can't fade for the life of me!!!...just ask Drew..he gave up on me long ago!)

David wasn't quite sure what was going on..but he was really brave.

(No...Drew didn't get his cheek with the razor..that was David's doing earlier in the evening)

He finally held still (sort of)..I love the look on his face! "What the heck are you doing to me?!"

Almost done...

Yay!! What a couple of studs!!

Back to school

2009-08-20T11:07:00.003-04:00

The summer is over...time to go back to school! The girls seem to have great teachers and a lot of friends in their classes this year. They were excited, and nervous for another year.

First day of 3rd grade!

First day of 2nd grade!

It's always a bittersweet moment putting them on the bus for the first time of the year. It was nice to have some time with just my boys, though. We went out to lunch together and then got Drew ready for school which starts this coming monday. We got his books and supplies...$600 later, he's ready. Ugh!

My new "baby"

2009-08-20T10:52:00.003-04:00

When we packed up Drew's stuff at his apartment, he surprised me with this full size electric keyboard!! He and his roommate found it near the trash in their apartment complex...it looked like it had been on a porch for years...Drew said it took about 5 min per key to clean!! It works perfectly and looks great! (He had previously told me that it was his roommate's keyboard...sneaky man...) Needless to say, I was so surprised and excited! I've wanted one for a long time! What a great gift!!..and even better that it was free! Thanks, babe!

(oh...and David loves this thing...he screams whenever I take him away from it!)

"This has to be a dream!!"....

2009-08-20T10:37:00.006-04:00

...said Kimmi as she realized that they were getting to go to Build-a-Bear Workshop! (Drew promised them something awesome at the end of the summer if they had been good girls for me while he was away.) They had so much fun creating their own stuffed animals and have played with them non stop since! What a cool store!

decisions...decisions...

David watching the fun...he was so good.

can't decide...too many choices!

Alli getting her bunny "stuffed"

Kimmi brushing off her dog after the stuffing

dressing her bunny, Bouncy

dressing her dog, Brooke

All finished!! Dad is the best!

taking their animals home! yay!

Fun with Grandma Rawlinson and Kristi

2009-08-20T10:19:00.006-04:00

My mom and sister, Kristi, came to visit us last week. We had so much fun with them!...wish we could do it more often! (The small pictures are from Kristi's phone...I can't figure out how to get them bigger..sorry.)

Kimmi + a party horn = ....

2009-08-07T07:55:00.003-04:00

...hilarious!!

(thinks David)

Hiking adventures!

2009-08-02T22:42:00.005-04:00

So, there's this spectacular waterfall near us that we had never seen. Drew has been fly fishing there a couple times, but the kids and I hadn't done it. We decided to go hiking this weekend, all by ourselves, and thought we'd give this trail a try...

Cascades Trail...2 miles of fun ahead!!

David was happy and ready to go...riding in style!

Being goofy on one of our rest stops...

After about 10 pictures like this one we finally got David's head in the shot!

We made it!!! Cascade Waterfall!! Isn't it gorgeous?

David fell asleep about 1 mile in...and stayed that way for a long time!

Shoes off...clothes off...time for wading fun!

There is a great swimming hole...but it's cold water!!!

Kimmi walked all the way to the waterfall...she wanted to stand right by it, but I was a paranoid mom...maybe next time when Drew is with us.

Alli taking a break and eating some grapes

David woke up and was ready for some kisses..

(swallow my pride)...Yes...I know...HORRIBLE picture of me...just let your eyes wander to the 3 adorable kids in this picture....

Leaving the waterfall...they were sooo excited that I let them wear the water backpacks on this hike...

Back at the parking lot...we made it!!...and seriously..without any complaints!

Happy to be out of the baby backpack.

We had so much fun...we're gonna do it again soon!

Our weekend

2009-07-21T16:27:00.004-04:00

We went to Harrisonburg again this weekend to see Drew...only a couple more times of doing it and then we get to bring him home with us!!! We took a trip back to our favorite swimming spot, but decided to fish instead of swim.

We SAW a bunch of little fish and they nibbled on the worms, but we didn't hook any. We had fun anyway.

It was Dad Hebdon's birthday on Monday, so we celebrated it with him on Sunday. I surprised him with a golf ball birthday cake. I think he liked it!

It was fun being there with them. We hope we made you feel special for your special day, Silly Grandpa! We love you!

Scooting and Signing

2009-07-12T09:47:00.006-04:00

This is the first video I captured of David scooting....it was a few weeks ago, so he has gotten better since then. He now scoots much faster and can pull himself back to a sitting position after scooting. He has yet to actually "crawl".

I haven't been super consistent when it comes to teaching David some signs...I was a few months ago, but then got discouraged because he never signed anything back. Well, he finally signed his first sign this week!!! It's the "all done" sign. It's so stinkin' cute...it's given me renewed motivation to continue teaching him the basics!!

Summer bobs...

2009-07-09T19:20:00.004-04:00

Ok, so the girls' hair has been driving me nuts all summer long. They won't brush it out and they hate when I want to put their hair in ponytails. I hate that it gets all sweaty, in their face, and full of tangles. So...we took an impromptu trip to Great Clips today. That is so NOT like me. I have always cut the girls' hair and hate the thought of paying for something that I could probably do (after hours of screaming "sit still", "stop crying", and "I'm almost done"...) They had never been to a salon before..I was nervous, they were excited. End result: everyone is happy!! I think they look adorable! What do you think?

Hotel fun

2009-07-09T18:54:00.003-04:00

Up in DC, we got a great deal on an extended stay hotel suite...it had a common area with a kitchen, two separate bedrooms with queen beds and bathrooms in each. Each bedroom had a tv as well...so the girls felt pretty special having their "own" space! David slept in his pack-n-play in the common area. I don't know if I ever wanna do the "regular" hotel room again!! The weather was actually a bit chilly, but the girls still wanted to swim in the outdoor pool. Why is it that cold water doesn't seem to bother kids?? You couldn't have paid me to go in past my knees!

The hotel had a grilling area, so we decided to grill hamburgers and hot dogs one night. (The grills had covers on them when we made our decision.) Drew uncovered them both, and this was the NICER grill...he had to borrow a lady's lighter and found a used match from around the garbage area to be able to light the grill. It was pretty sad. But he always makes magic on the grill..and that night was no exception!

The girls swam while Drew grilled. Then we had a nice, yummy picnic together. In retrospect, I should have had the girls wait to swim until after they ate because it was chilly outside. Alli made us all crack up when through chattering teeth she asked, "Mom, what season is it?" Ahh..happy summer!

Family Fun Day at Nationals Ballpark

2009-07-08T17:11:00.005-04:00

We went to DC over the 4th of July weekend to see Drew. I'll need to do separate posts for all the different things we did....Anyway, the Nationals were having a Family Fun Day, so we decided to go. For $1 more per ticket we were able to get a hot dog, chips, and a drink! The girls got Nationals lanyards with a plastic pocket to hold their tickets. We hadn't been to the new ballpark yet...it's a beautiful place to watch a game....too bad they stink so bad!! BUT, we were lucky to see them hold on to beat the Braves 5-3!!

In the top of the 9th there was a home run that hit the backs of the seats in our row about 6-7 seats over!!! The seats happened to be empty, and if Drew wasn't such a good dad (worried about bowling over his 6 year old)...we would have had a nice souvenir!!!

This was David's first MLB game!! He was sooo good, even though he was tired. He danced every time some music came on and only got scared when we cheered loudly at the end of the game.

There was a picnic table area right by our seats where we ate our food...so much nicer than trying to balance a bunch of stuff on your lap!

The view from our seats...it was such a perfect day. It was only about 75 degrees and a lot of cloud cover with a nice breeze...we couldn't have asked for better weather.

All kids ages 4-12 were invited to run the bases after the game!!! The girls were excited, but so were Drew and I! (I love the look on Drew's face in this picture!) It was so cool to be down on the field!!

And...they're off!

Kimmi running to home plate

Alli crossing the plate...afterwards Alli said it was the "best day of her life!"

Happy faces

2009-07-02T10:58:00.008-04:00

I am convinced I have the happiest baby on the planet! David is such a joy to have in our home. One of his favorite things to do is go out on our balcony and watch the cars go by and listen to the birds. I decided to snap a few pictures of his expressions....priceless!

I'm having problems posting a video of his latest progress with crawling...I'll try another day.

summer...summer..summertime!

2009-07-02T10:39:00.004-04:00

We went on a hike/picnic to Pandapas Pond. David was all smiles that day, which made it really nice to take our time. We saw geese, ducks, turtles, and even a couple deer.

The girls finally got up enough courage to go down the big waterslides at the Frog Pond...and they loved it! They didn't even mind waiting in line.

David swam for a while and then had to take a rest!

They made it...at You Made It

2009-06-25T10:07:00.006-04:00

So, I promised the girls we would go to the Children's Museum in Harrisonburg....unfortunately they aren't open on Mondays!!! Dumb. I also forgot swimming suits for me and David...so the pool wasn't an option either. We had done the free golf course the day before with Drew..so that was off the table too. I decided to spend a bit more money than I would have at the Museum and take them to You Made It Pottery. They hadn't been for about 3 years...and I think I've been dubbed the "coolest mom"...at least for the day anyway. They had TONS of fun...we were there for 2 1/2 hrs...they really put in a lot of thought and effort. Here are some pics of their projects. I'll post pictures of the finished products when we pick them up in 2 weeks!

Kimmi named her fairy Emily...just because.

Alli named her turtle Boxie...because she's a box turtle.

Poor David...he just couldn't take it anymore...what a trooper!

Father's Day '09

2009-06-25T08:26:00.003-04:00

We got to spend Father's Day with Drew in Harrisonburg! We surprised him with lots of homemade gifts from the kids...and the new Dave Matthews Band CD along with tickets to see them in concert in August! (a little treat for the hard work put in this summer..) It was so great being back together as a family...and a bonus that we got to spend the weekend with Grandma and Grandpa Hebdon too! We had so much fun just hanging out...can't wait to do it again!

Happy Father's Day, Grandpa!

Do you think these grandkids are loved??

Drew was making David laugh...it's so fun seeing the way David lights up around his Daddy!

Thanks, honey, for an awesome weekend! You're the best husband and father! I love watching you be a daddy...our kids are smitten!! They love you so much. I miss you more and more each day...and I can't wait for the end of the summer when we'll be reunited for good..and not just every other weekend! See you on the Forth of July, love!

I love baby laughs!

2009-06-17T08:40:00.003-04:00

It all started with Kimmi, a bottle of bubbles, a pencil, and a baby who thinks his sister is hilarious....

Kimmi's first piano recital

2009-06-16T15:38:00.005-04:00

Kimmi loved her first year of piano lessons! She is a natural...and I'm really proud of her. I missed the first song because I was trying to operate two devices and deal with a baby at the same time...sorry.

Bullfrog Jamboree

Autumn Sounds

Happy boy

2009-06-04T09:39:00.005-04:00

Despite being sick with suspected pneumonia and having to do nebulizer treatments every 4 hours, David has remained a happy little guy. I'm amazed at how little this sickness has changed him...he has a constant smile on his face and he's still sleeping well. He just sounds like he has emphysema or he's Darth Vader with a chest cold...poor guy. Anyway, here are some videos of some new things he's learned: rollie pollie, clapping, and saying "dada"!!!

Saying goodbye...

2009-05-29T16:50:00.005-04:00

Drew got a job up in DC for the summer...so it meant we needed a second car to get him around up there. We just needed something that would last until school starts back up, so we paid $600 for this bad boy! It's an '83 BMW 320i. Drew loves it...I just hope it'll hang in there...

...so, he packed up the car and left on Thursday. He'll be living in DC for 11 weeks!!!..and we'll only be able to see him on weekends..or if we go for a visit. Hopefully the monitary rewards will equal the sacrifice...It ripped my heart out to see him say goodbye to the kids...I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. We miss you already, Daddy!

Teeth!

2009-05-19T13:46:00.003-04:00

We're all about teeth here in our family...someone seems to always be losing one or gaining one lately. I'm sure it'll be this way for a while....at least the girls don't stay awake at night screaming...

(I guess you can't really see David's little tooth very well...I swear it's there.)

chilin' at Kimmi's baseball game

naked time

all clean!

One year down...one to go!

2009-05-11T12:03:00.002-04:00

Drew just finished up his last final for the school year! I'm so proud of the things he's accomplished this first year of grad school! He's done an awesome job balancing school, studying, family, church, and a little bit of fun time!! He is pretty hard on himself sometimes when he doesn't do as well as he thought he should...but he's got a 3.5 for his first year...so I'd say he's doing alright! No one in his program has as much on their plate as he does! Awesome job, babe! Let's enjoy the summer...regardless of the bills looming over our heads... Here's looking forward to a great second year and a SWEET UP job contract to sign!! I love you so much!

Baseball...and a baby

2009-05-11T10:59:00.007-04:00

Yay! Spring is here...which means baseball in our family! Alli is in her second year of T-ball/coach pitch and is on the A's. Kimmi is in her second year of coach pitch and is on the Rockies. They both love it and are really learning and improving! And, so far, they still like it when mom and dad cheer loudly for them! Go A's and Rockies!

Here are a few pictures and cute videos of David. He's 7 1/2 months old and has been a trooper these last couple weeks as he is teething. He has been sort of fussy, which is a HUGE change because he's normally an extremely happy baby! But he's let us cart him all over the place for baseball games and practices without too much protest! He's the best little guy and we can't wait until those teeth are all the way through! (But I'm really going to miss his "gum smiles"!!)

What am I thinking?

2009-04-29T10:28:00.003-04:00

I may be a bit insane....

I decided to do something for myself...

With the support of my husband and kids, I've decided to join the community band! They rehearse tonight...and I am scared! It's WAY out of my comfort zone to do this because I don't know anybody in the band and I haven't played my flute regularly for 13 years. I'm hoping good things will come of this...we'll see!

Craziness...

2009-04-20T17:25:00.002-04:00

Ok, so I know life will get a lot more crazy as my kids get older...but right now I feel like it couldn't get any busier! I want to post pictures and update my blog so bad...but I just can't find the time! We just got back from a whirlwind trip out to Montana for my sister's wedding. I took the kids and drove for 3 days by myself to get there! It wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it was gonna be! Overall, the kids were really great. It was an adventure. I'm glad I did it because I got to spend a week with my family before the wedding. But, now I'm back and things are nuts! Drew came down with asthmatic bronchitis while he was home alone. He's on the mend (thanks to 6 medications) but also dealing with the end of the semester. David is starting to get fussy/needy because he's teething. (We're seeing a little white under his gums...should be soon!) Kimmi and Alli are getting over colds/coughs. Kimmi is having several dentist appointments for 6 cavities. (She's being very brave. Unfortunately, I think she inherited Drew's tolerance of anesthesia..they keep having to give her more so she won't feel it.) We have 3 baseball teams we're trying to juggle with only one car. And, to top it off...my house is suffering from serious neglect! I'm not sure it will ever recover! Oh, and we still don't have anything lined up for income this summer and it's breathing down our necks! Yikes. So, life is crazy...but I wouldn't change most of it. I just wish some "house cleaning fairies" would come at night and surprise me! Oh, and an "internship fairy" wouldn't be all that bad either!

6 months old!

2009-03-27T15:30:00.006-04:00

David is 6 months old!

With it has come lots of new things like sitting up well, playing with fun toys, sleeping like a big boy, and of course lots of new things to put in his mouth! This picture was taken after his first experience with a sippy cup! Yes, he did have a bib on...but as you can see, he didn't get much water in his mouth! He's learning, though.

Jess, after seeing your blog, I decided to get one of these food things for David...and man, does he love it! He was occupied for about a half hour! It was so cute watching him discover it!

Here is a video of his "sucking enjoyment"

Six months have sure gone by fast! I can't imagine what our family was without our little guy! He is such a blessing...one that was worth the wait! Although I get an ache in my heart to see it all go by so fast, it is so great watching him learn and grow. We all love you so much, David!

Tybee Time!

2009-03-14T15:33:00.002-04:00

Here are some highlights of our spring break trip to Tybee Island in Georgia! We had the time of our lives...and truthfully didn't want to come home! The kids were so great, including David! He just went with the flow...We took walks at sunrise, went swimming in the heated pool, saw some local sights, explored the beach, and took home soooo many shells!! (Anyone know of some good paying jobs opening up next year on Tybee?!)

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Naked time!

2009-02-27T15:29:00.004-05:00

Kimmi wanted to take a bath with David. So, they had naked time right before the bath.

Check out that tooshie!! ~Wow~

Fun at the park!

2009-02-27T15:16:00.004-05:00

While Drew studies for a final....we go play!! Fun times!

He's so tiny in that baby swing.

First time down a slide...not sure if he liked it..

My baby..

2009-02-27T15:01:00.004-05:00

...is 5 months old! I can't believe it! It's going WAY TOO FAST!

Here is a video of some "Daddy time"...I am soooo in love with David's laugh!

(sorry about the lighting on my camera again)

Swimming fun!

2009-02-27T14:47:00.003-05:00

Alli has loved every minute of her swimming lessons! This is the first time she has taken them and she's done so well! Looks like we'll have to sign her up for another session soon! (She wouldn't stand still for me to take a clear picture, sorry.)

I took this video on my phone and it has no zoom...I didn't know they'd be jumping off the diving board!

Happy 9th Anniversary!!

2009-02-12T10:55:00.005-05:00

Years married: 9
Homes lived in: 8
Homes owned: 1
Cars owned: 13

Driven across the country (each way): 14
Moves across the country: 3
Pregnancies: 6
Kids: 3
Surgeries: 4
Emergency room visits: 3
Broken Bones: 0!!
Teeth pulled: 10

Siblings married: 6 (in April)
Nieces/Nephews: 7
Wards lived in: 6
Callings held: 17
Temples visited: 5

Baptisms performed: 1

Colleges attended: 4
Degrees earned: working on #3!
Student loans: $$Thousands$$ (and counting!)
Pounds gained: lots! (but we're working on it...)
T-ball/softball teams: 7

Tents owned: 4

Weirder than normal camping stories/experiences: 6

Fly rods owned: 7 (truthfully...I've lost count!)
Trips taken without kids: 3
Movies owned: 155
Guitar Hero games owned: 4
Concerts attended: 10
Types of professional sports attended: 5
MLB fields visited: 6

Ski trips: 5
Sharing this crazy journey through life (and eternity) with my best friend: PRICELESS!!

Happy Anniversary, babe! I love our life we've created together!

No sweeter sound...

2009-01-21T19:43:00.005-05:00

...than the laughter of a baby!

(sorry about the lighting..it was taken on my camera.)

Here are a few more recent pictures of David...

I got a kick out of his little robe and slippers!

His first tie!!

This picture reminds me of Drew when he watches tv or listens to a conversation out of the corner of his eye.

She got me...

2009-01-20T09:26:00.002-05:00

This is a look into the humor we get from Kimmi....

We were eating dinner last night and I had made a salad. Kimmi is a pretty picky eater, but she'll eat salad with no salad dressing on it. Anyway, just out of the blue, she said,"Mom, this lettuce is terrible!!!" In my mind, I was thinking, "Great, this is one of the few healthy things she'll eat...and now she's complaining about it!!!" I responded, "What's wrong with it?" Then, she got this cute smile on her face and said, "No, Mom, it's tear-able!! Get it?!"..and she ripped the lettuce in half! That's my girl....she got me good. Drew and I had a good laugh!!

Rock-a-bye baby....

2009-01-20T08:59:00.009-05:00

So, I have been using this big, noisy recliner to rock David to sleep ever since he was born. It took up the majority of David's small room...and every time I would stand up out of it...CREEEEEK...and then he'd be awake again! Needless to say, I have wanted a glider really bad! Finding the money for a new one was impossible, so I've been on the lookout for a used one. I found this one on Craigslist for $25, but the seat support needed to be fixed.

Drew wanted to fix it so it'd be comfortable still, but cheap to do. He went and bought a tow-rope and this is what he came up with....

Yay! It's awesome!! Now I can rock in peace!....Thanks, honey!

Just some highlights...

2009-01-03T22:33:00.001-05:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Here are some highlights of the last week. We had such a wonderful Christmas! Thanks to everyone who helped make it so great! We love you!

What a chunk!

2008-12-23T12:42:00.004-05:00

For those of you who love chunky babies....check out David's cheeks!

Aren't those cheeks so pinchable?!!

Dressing like his Daddy!

David loves his activity mat...sometimes it tires him out!

Pooped!

It's hard to get David to smile when I hold the camera in front of his face....he gets too interested in it. So, I enlisted Drew's help....he really got David going so I could get a good picture of his adorable smile!

Then he found the camera again...and stopped smiling to check it out.

I love my chunky boy!!...He's so fun to squeeze!

Family Pictures

2008-11-29T14:33:00.003-05:00

Here are some of the pictures from our recent photo shoot! I know my eyes look a little possessed in the family picture...but they're really not like that in a bigger size...I promise! Enjoy!

Kimmi's Baptism Day

2008-11-29T14:05:00.005-05:00

So, I'm a slacker for sure...Here it is almost two weeks since Kimmi got baptized and I haven't even blogged about it! I'm so sorry. We had such a wonderful time! My dad flew in from Montana on Thursday night and stayed with us until Monday! It was so great being able to spend time with just him! Drew performed David's blessing in church on Sunday the 16th and we had Mom and Dad H and Josh come from Harrisonburg and Jessie and Ammon with their two kids come from North Carolina. The blessing was wonderful and Drew was emotional after blessing his little son. We then had a big family lunch/birthday party for Kimmi before her baptism later that evening. It was fun to have everyone there to see her open her gifts and eat cake! The baptism was so great! We had a really nice turnout of ward members. Even a little neighbor girl and her mom came that we had invited. I gave the talk on baptism and Mom H did the talk on the Holy Ghost. Drew, Kimmi, Alli, and I also sang "If the Savior Stood Beside Me" together. Kimmi was really cute the whole time...you could really tell she was understanding the magnitude of the day. When I was helping her dry off, I gave her a big hug and she started crying. She said,"Mom, I just feel so good. I know I made the right choice!" I was so touched by her sensitivity to the Spirit. It was a special mother/daughter moment I'll never forget! She has loved reading all the family letters in the scrapbook I made for her....so thanks to all those who wrote them! We are all so proud of Kimmi and the wonderful girl she is becoming!

One of Kimmi's birthday gifts...

2008-11-10T19:49:00.004-05:00

Since Kimmi turned 8 today, we decided that she was old enough to get her ears pierced!! She has been so excited for this day to come. We went to Claire's after school and picked out her earrings. She was nervous but very brave. She held really still and closed her eyes as they pierced them. Afterwards she said it felt like a stapler. I was proud of her. She can't stop looking in the mirror and says she looks prettier with earrings...but we all know she's pretty without them too! When we were walking out of the mall she said, "I think this is one of the happiest days of my life!" What a cutie pie! There will be more to come on Kimmi and her big birthday...

Look at that face!!

2008-11-09T18:09:00.006-05:00

I just thought I'd share these pictures of David. I just love that cute little face!! And yes...we finally got an "on camera" smile!!! It's not the best quality picture because I was just focusing on timing it right. Oh well! It's still cute and I'm sure there will be many more to come! Enjoy!

Fall Fun!

2008-11-07T12:27:00.006-05:00

Here are a bunch of pictures of things that have happened over the last couple weeks. Sorry it has taken me so long to put these on the blog! Maybe someday I'll learn to blog right after the pictures are taken...oh well...

Drew got to go to the pumpkin patch with Kimmi's class at school. They had a really fun time.

Drew also got tickets to go to a NASCAR race and he took his good buddy, Corey from Harrisonburg with him. Drew said it was way louder than he thought it was going to be and so much more fun than watching it on tv.

Then there are the Halloween pictures...Kimmi was a sorcerer and Alli was a cheerleader. David was a cute little pumpkin! We did the church trunk or treat a few days before Halloween and then a downtown sponsered event on Halloween. The kids had fun and got lots of candy!

But by the end of the night...David was finished!!! Enough taking pictures, Mom!

Even with no sleep...life is good!

2008-10-19T12:45:00.003-04:00

We're slowly adjusting to life with an infant in the house again! David is such a good baby! He's very laid back. He doesn't mind when we go places or when the girls hover over him all the time. He still sleeps a lot during the day, which means night time is still "awake" time for him. He's slowly making the shift...we have good nights and not so good nights. I guess that's how things go, right?! The girls have really stepped it up, for the most part! They are such great helpers and little "mommies" to David! They play well with each other, most of the time, so I can do my own thing taking care of David. This coming week will be interesting...our ward is bringing in a couple more meals since my mom left...then I'm on my own! Ahh! Thank heaven for wonderful women who are willing to serve! Drew has been a great help too! I can really tell he loves his boy! And to top it all off...he says he's even got a surprise meal up his sleeve for me in the coming days! Wow! I can't wait!

Homecoming Weekend

2008-10-09T09:32:00.004-04:00

This past weekend was Homecoming at Virginia Tech. We decided to participate in a few of the festivities. Drew woke up early and took the girls to the Homecoming Parade with my mom. I decided to stay home because it was chilly that morning and I didn't want David out in it. The girls had a blast. Kimmi didn't want to go at first, but when she came home with a big bag of candy, she was pretty happy she went!

We got David dressed up in his VT onesie with pants that went up to his armpits! He's still so little...Drew got a picture before he went to his tailgate and the football game.
The other thing the girls wanted to do was run in their first race! Kimmi had been asking Drew if she could run with him...so we thought this would be a great chance for both the girls to run with Drew and Grandma. They got nice long sleeve shirts and lots of fun things in their race packets. They did the 1 mile fun run. It turns out it wasn't so "fun" for Kimmi. Drew said she kept saying it was torture throughout the whole race!! (I know what you're feeling, Kimmi!!!) Alli ended up really liking the race and said she had a lot of fun. They divided up the age groups into male/female times...so it turns out that everyone got a ribbon! It made Kimmi's torture a little more worth it! Kimmi and Drew got first place, Alli got second place, and Mom got 3rd place. (we all know that wasn't reflective of Mom's ability since she was running with the girls! She would have blown all the frail 51-60 year olds out of the water!!) Alli also won a nice VT t-shirt during a prize drawing that she has decided to share with Kimmi! We'll see how that goes...Anyway, overall it was a really fun experience for the girls to have. Thanks for paying the entry fees and running with the girls, Mom!

More David Pictures

2008-10-09T09:25:00.003-04:00

Here are some more pictures of our little guy...I can't believe how much he's changed already!

David's Story

2008-09-30T21:08:00.007-04:00

So, those of you that have read this blog have known that we decided to have a scheduled c-section with David. We had to be at the hospital at 5:30AM to start all the pre-op work. Drew said he felt like a jerk because he just "dropped" me off at the hospital and then took the girls to a friend's house for the morning. He came back just as they were hooking me up to the IV. It was a really strange feeling knowing that in just a little while I would be holding our long awaited son! They took me to a holding room where we waited for the spinal block to be done. I think the spinal was the worst part of the whole experience for me...he poked my nerves like 8-10 times until he felt like he got a good block! Ouch! The actual c-section went very smooth and I was really comfortable during the whole thing. Then I heard the most beautiful sound....my little boy crying!! (And, I guess peeing! Drew said he "went" all over the place when they pulled him out of my tummy!) Drew went to take pics of David while I was getting put back together. These are our first moments together.

Drew went with David as I headed to the recovery room. That was when I finally got sick and threw up several times. I expected it to happen during the c-section and when it didn't, I thought I'd made it through. Guess not. Anyway, we got to spend the next few hours together as a little threesome because the girls were in school. Drew went and picked them up to meet their little brother. They were so excited and so sweet with him. Kimmi kept saying how little he was and how much she loved him already. Alli just sat and stared at him and kissed him. They both cried at the end of the visit because they wanted to sleep at the hospital with him.

The rest of our hospital stay pretty much stunk!! Drew came down with a fever (which we later discovered was strep throat) so they wouldn't let him spend the night. They also moved us into a tiny, hot room. I was sweating like crazy and when people came to visit it was pretty cozy! Grandma and Grandpa Hebdon came to help with the girls so they got some cute pictures with David.

We stayed at the hospital until Sunday evening when they said I could go if I wanted to. I didn't want to spend another night in the hospital, so we elected to come home. Mom H had a wonderful chicken spaghetti dinner ready for us!! She also helped the girls make signs and plant a couple pretty flowers outside of our front door. The girls had a blast with her. She left that night after putting the girls to bed. Drew was still sick and had major tests for school to study for. So, David and I tried our hardest to keep to ourselves...it was a rough night. My milk decided to come in super strong, so I was hurting bad!! Well, it actually has been a really rough few days with everything going on. I still am very sore but trying to do a lot just to keep afloat. Mom R is coming tonight to stay for a couple weeks! I can't wait for the help. I know it'll get better soon! It's all worth it though!! David has already brought such a great feeling into our home! The girls are great with him and love being big sisters. Also seeing the look in Drew's eyes is priceless when he looks at his son! We all have waited so long for David. We love him so much!

David Andrew Hebdon

2008-09-30T00:01:00.003-04:00

Born: September 26, 2008

Weight: 7lbs. 12oz.

Length: 19 3/4 inches

I will post more pictures and stories tomorrow....

I think I'm gonna make it!

2008-09-17T11:33:00.003-04:00

Well, I had another appointment this morning. It seems like I'm always there...now that I'm going every week! (It's bad when you've read all the magazines in the waiting room already!!) I am 37 weeks 3 days along. This was the first time he checked my cervix. I am 1cm and 50% effaced, so things are starting to happen. I don't think I have to worry about going into labor naturally. I think I'm gonna make it to my c-section date, which is a week from Friday. Although, I was at this same point with Alli and my water broke about 3-4 days later. So, we'll see. From our ultrasound last week, he was only measuring about 3 days big. They estimated 6lbs. 11oz. at 36 weeks. (I'm guessing he'll be a little over 8lbs. when he's born.) I'm feeling much better than I did a couple weeks ago because he's dropped and taken pressure off my upper abs and ribs. I'm trying to get last minute things done while I feel okay. I just can't believe he's almost here! We've wanted this for so long and now it's just about a week away! Wow! We'll keep you posted!

Happy Birthday, Alli!!!

2008-09-03T13:54:00.009-04:00

Wow! I can't believe my baby is 6 years old!!! Alli's birthday was officially yesterday, but we had a family celebration on Labor Day because the kids didn't have school. Alli wanted a Polly Pocket birthday cake, and because of my late stage in pregnancy I opted to buy a "sticker" for the cake rather than creating one with Drew this year. We stuck a "real" Polly Pocket in the cake to add to it.
We started out her birthday by watching Enchanted and having frozen pizzas for dinner. (her choice!) Then because it was a school night we just went right into opening presents and eating cake. It was a simple celebration...no games, friends, or other family members this year but I think she had a great time! Kimmi got her a couple things from the Dollar Store that she loved.

She bought a few toys with the money Grandma Rawlinson sent her...I tried to talk her into something practical...but what's more practical than toys to a 6 year old??!! Grandma Hebdon called and said Alli's present was in the mail...so she'll have something to look forward to in the next couple days!
I found a lot of Polly Pockets on ebay that someone was getting rid of, so she got WAY more Polly Pockets than she thought she was going to get. She was excited because she happened to get 6 Polly Pockets on her 6th birthday! Now guess what her sister wants for her 8th birthday....??!!!

The highlight of the night had to be the digital camera and case that we gave Alli. Kimmi got one last year for her birthday, and ever since Alli has been wanting one too. I found one on ebay that was exactly like Kimmi's...so Alli already knew how to work it! She was so excited and I think she feels really "big" now that she has her own camera!

We all love you, Alli! You add such a sweet spirit to our family! Happy Birthday!!

Baby Update

2008-08-28T10:13:00.003-04:00

Nothing too exciting....but I went to the Dr. yesterday for a checkup. I am measuring huge (of course)! I'm measuring at 39-40 weeks even though I'm only 34 weeks. The baby's heartbeat is still pretty high up on my tummy, so they're suspecting that he's still breech. We're scheduling a c-section for Sept. 26th. If I go into labor naturally before then, I think I'm opting to still have a c-section. I'm just really freaked out this time around with all the risks of trying to have a VBAC. I'm afraid of needing the emergency c-section. This is a much smaller hospital and they're reaction time in an emergency (the Dr. has admitted..) isn't as fast as bigger hospitals. But, if he remains breech, I won't have a say in the matter. I have an ultrasound scheduled for Sept. 10th to check on the size and position of the baby. Then it's just a waiting game! Either way, we'll have a baby in our arms no later than Sept. 26th! I can't wait! I just hope it goes smoothly! He'll be here before we know it!

First Day of School

2008-08-20T11:57:00.004-04:00

Well, today is the first day back to school for the girls! They were both nervous and excited to be starting at Margaret Beeks Elementary. We met their teachers on Monday and they are both wonderful! Kimmi has Mrs. Holbrook for 2nd grade and Alli has Ms. Scherer for 1st grade. We've heard so many great things about the school that we feel very fortunate to have moved to this part of Blacksburg! I hope they're doing okay!! (It's hard to not go with them and make sure everything is fine for them this first day!!!)

Drew has been doing orientation this week and classes start for him on Monday. He's been hearing how tough it's going to be and how much they expect from him in this MBA program all week long. He's nervous too, but once he gets into a routine I think he'll be fine. So, I have a month before the baby comes to have my days all to myself! Wow! What am I going to do?! Just kidding...I have more to do than I care to think about before our little guy joins us soon. And..it's not getting any easier with my gigantic belly...

Fun at the Science Museum

2008-08-10T17:21:00.004-04:00

We took a trip to Roanoke, about a 30 minute drive from Blacksburg, to visit a Science Museum that was having a free admission day. We had a great time! The exhibits were all very hands-on and kid friendly. The girls had lots of fun! Who am I kidding?...I think Drew had fun exploring, too! The highlight of the day was the "Living River" exhibit. It was a little tide pool that the kids could reach in and touch horseshoe crabs, hermit crabs, sea urchins, starfish, etc. They could have stayed there all day! They're having another free event this coming weekend....hummmm..should we go?!!

The Frog Pond!!

2008-08-10T17:10:00.004-04:00

We've been having fun exploring some of the things this area has to offer over the past month. We haven't been able to do a lot of things that cost money, but we were told by a woman in the MBA office at VT that we HAD to go check out the Frog Pond. We were so glad we did! What an awesome place for young kids!!! The girls were in heaven! The majority of the pool is only about 3 feet deep and they have the deeper part roped off really well. The girls could play and jump off the sides so independent of us! It was wonderful! They played "pirate" the whole time because of the island in the middle of the pool with palm trees on it. We're totally going back again! The only down side is they don't offer memberships. Oh well. It's still only about $15 for our family. Not bad for a day of fun!

Home, Sweet Home

2008-08-10T16:47:00.004-04:00

Here are pictures of our new place in Blacksburg! It's very different than the house we came from, but we really love it! We are on an end unit, so we only have one neighbor...and as of right now, it's vacant! It's 2 miles from campus and about that far to all of the shopping as well.

The side view of the townhouse....we have a designated parking spot right in front.

Two views of our kitchen. It's not bad for a kitchen in a townhouse, and I'm loving the fact that I have a disposal!!! Yeah!

This is our living room/dining room. I miss having a separate seating area with no tv, but the way we've got it set up is awesome! I'll have to post pictures with some furniture in them soon.

Last, is our humble backyard. This is taking the longest to get used to. The girls feel a little "trapped" since they came from having almost 2 acres of lawn to play on. There is a field across from the side of our place that is a play area, but I feel I need to be out there with them when they play. Oh well. They haven't complained much. Their favorite thing has to be that they have a huge playroom in our walkout basement! More pictures with our stuff in them to come!

Heading down South

2008-07-16T15:16:00.002-04:00

Well, it's finally here! In a couple days we'll be heading down to Hokie Nation (Virginia Tech) to start our life in graduate school! We are all really excited for this new experience! Actually, I think Drew is mostly excited and I am mostly scared! There will be a lot of changes, unknowns, and hard times to come but I just have to keep telling myself how worth it it's going to be! The girls seem to be ready for new friends in church and school. I hope they adjust well. We've loved our time in Harrisonburg, especially the time we've been able to spend with Drew's side of the family. They've opened their home to us and helped us out a lot, especially in the last few months! It's been a huge blessing to have lived so close to them for a few years! We won't be too far down the road, so we'll be back to visit a lot! Stay tuned for pictures of our new place and updates of all the interesting changes coming our way!!.... Wish us luck!

We're "jumping" in the rain....

2008-07-16T15:04:00.002-04:00

The other day the heavens opened up and the rain was coming down hard. Alli has had a little bit of a fear of the rain lately, so I thought if they played in a summer rain storm maybe it would help her get over her fear. So, they put on their swimming suits and had a great time in the rain! The simple pleasures in life....I love having kids that help me remember them!

4th of July

2008-07-16T14:47:00.006-04:00

We had a nice 4th of July this year. We went to a picnic in the morning with Mom and Dad Hebdon's ward. Then we went downtown for some fun at the Children's Museum (thus the painted faces in the pictures!!), listened to some great music and proceeded to get absolutely soaked during the course of the concert!! We went home and changed into dry stuff and then met Mom, Dad, Meg, and Josh to light our own little fireworks and watch Harrisonburg's display too. Despite the weather, we had a really fun time!

Trip to Montana

2008-07-16T14:01:00.008-04:00

We went out to Montana to visit my family for a while this summer! We had a blast! We got to see my brother Lewis play Symphony in the Park! (he's one of only two high school students that play in a professional symphony!!) My sister Kristi also got to play a song as part of the Billings Youth Orchestra!

We went to my parents new cabin for a whole week! It was so awesome! We hiked, fished, played in the teepee, played games, went to the Nature Center, watched movies, and relaxed! I think the girls had the best time when Grandma had the idea to turn the hot tub temperature down so they could "swim"! They did it for hours a day!

It was one of the best vacations we've had in a while! Thanks Mom and Dad for such a great time! We wish we could live closer!

I haven't done this forever!!

2008-06-11T10:49:00.002-04:00

Wow! I can't believe how long it has been since we've updated this! We've had some life changing things happen in our family...all which have kept us very busy, thus blogging has taken a backseat. Let's see...first of all Drew has been given a full tuition scholarship and an assistanceship to attend Virginia Tech in the fall! He'll be in the MBA program and then continue on to get his PhD! He wants to be able to teach business at a university. It'll be a long, hard road but the reward will be totally worth it! It'll be exciting to eventually be on a salary (rather than commission) and have the schedule that he'll have as a teacher! So..with that said we'll be moving to Blacksburg in a month! We've been living with Mom and Dad Hebdon since the end of April because our lease was up on our house. They've been so generous to let us come and destroy their peaceful house!

The other news is that I'm 23 weeks pregnant! After my 3rd miscarriage I gave up all fertility medicine and had come to terms that this wasn't going to happen for us. That month I got pregnant! It has been a roller coaster ride of emotions...lots of fear that we'd have another miscarriage...but things are looking great! And, I can feel the baby moving all the time now which is very comforting! And...we found out that we're having a BOY!!! We're so excited to welcome him to our family! I'm due Oct.7th, but I'll probably have a c-section earlier than that. The timing is not what we had planned, but we'll have two wonderful little "mothers" to help us out! It'll be interesting with Drew being in school...but we'll make it work. So that's our update! Hopefully I'll do this blogging thing more often...

College Bowl Season

2008-01-04T14:27:00.000-05:00

So, Drew and I totally love this time of year! You've got Christmas, the New Year, family, food, vacation days...and to top it all off...college football every day! We do this friendly competition every year where we pick the bowl game winners and assign a confidence level to each game. I've won in the past, but this was totally Drew's year! He killed me! (Congrats, babe, on wiping the floor with me!) Anyway, we were hunkered down watching the beginning of the Boston College vs. Michigan State game and this shot came up on tv. Thanks to our DVR, we were able to rewind and pause it so Drew could get a picture. We thought it was so hilarious! He looked so upset...we photo shopped what we thought he must have been thinking at that moment. Funny stuff! Hope everyone tunes in on Monday, Jan. 7th to see the Buckeyes win another national championship! GO BUCKS!

Kimmi jumping

2007-12-28T12:21:00.003-05:00

Alli airbrushing!

2007-12-28T12:21:00.001-05:00

Christmas continued....

2007-12-28T10:03:00.001-05:00

Because the girls were so good this year, they got two presents from Santa! They hadn't asked Santa for these, but he knew they'd love them. Alli got a Puppy in my Pocket purse. They are tiny little fuzzy dogs that you can keep in a cute purse. Kimmi got some for her birthday in November and Alli was wanting some so badly! She couldn't believe Santa knew about that! Kimmi got some Moon Shoes from Santa! You strap them on your feet and you've got a trampoline wherever you go! Kimmi had wanted these for a long time. On the box it said "for ages 7 and up". We're convinced that Santa knew that and was waiting for Kimmi to turn 7 so she could have them!

The highlight of our Christmas was by far the "coupons" we had everyone make for each other. We started the Christmas season by telling the girls that we didn't have a lot of money to spend this year, but that a lot of times the best presents don't cost a thing. We asked them if they'd like to make coupons as gifts. They were so excited to do it! We put construction paper and envelopes out and let them have total control over how many they'd like to make, etc. Drew and I made a few for the girls, but it really was the girls that made this so successful! They mostly did coupons to each other. They were so sweet! Alli gave Kimmi some that said she'd make Kimmi's bed for her and to help her with something. Kimmi gave Alli ones that said she'd share her toys with her, help her read a book, and help her get something out of the cupboard that she couldn't reach herself. They also made ones for me that said they'd help with the dishes, rub my back, and play with my hair! Drew got ones that said he could have foot rubs, back rubs, and cuddles from them! Drew gave the girls coupons to come eat lunch at their school with them and to take them on dates to look at the pet store and get ice cream! I gave the girls coupons for curlers in their hair and bubble baths. Overall, it was a huge hit! I think we might make this a tradition!

Some Christmas moments

2007-12-28T09:32:00.000-05:00

We had a wonderful Christmas this year! We didn't have a lot...but we were really blessed with the generosity of our families. The girls were great at not asking for a ton of things this year. They really thought hard about what they wanted and narrowed it down to only a couple things. They were able to get all they wanted and a little more. After waiting for Mom and Dad to wake up, the girls were dying to go downstairs! Dad went and put his homemade cinnamon rolls in the oven (YUM!) and then told the girls to come down.
I'm not sure why this happened...but instead of diving into their stockings right away, they went straight to the notes Santa had left them! I was so surprised! I'm sure I never did that as a kid!
Finally they dug through their stockings to see what Santa brought them. Usually we take a break after stockings and eat the cinnamon rolls, but they were still cooking. So, we let them open their Santa gifts.
Alli had asked for an Airbrush Doodle Bear from Santa. Instead of just the markers to draw on the bear, you can use the airbrush and stencils as well. It makes it look really cool. Then you can pop it in the washer and start all over again! She was so excited to get it.
Kimmi had asked Santa for a Littlest Pet Shop Journal. It's really cute. You can select a password and when spoken correctly the dog will bark happily and the journal will open. If you don't say the right password the dog will growl at you and the journal won't open. She's been having fun changing the password and having us try and get into her journal.

Pachelbel Rant

2007-12-24T11:51:00.001-05:00

Check this out! Hilarious!

This is soooo cute!

2007-12-19T17:09:00.001-05:00

This baby brought a smile to our faces during this crazy time of the year!! Don't we all just want to say "whatever" to some things in life?? I know I do! Enjoy!

One year older and wiser too...

2007-12-15T19:32:00.000-05:00

Well, it was my birthday on Thursday. I'm officially "in my 30's" as Drew would say. Oh well. I guess it's not that bad. I had an eventful day at work to start out. After doing kindergarten until noon, I had to sub in a second grade class. You'd think they'd be better than a kindergarten class...but think again!! They were horrible! I'm really seeing, now that I am a sub, how mistreated they are! I should be making more money to deal with other people's crazy kids!! Anyway, I was wiped out by the time I got home! When Drew got home we started making a gingerbread house...didn't quite finish it until the next day. Mom H said she would make dinner for us that night...which was awesome in and of itself! When we got there she was the only one there. (she said Dad had to go into the office and Josh was somewhere too) After a couple presents were opened, they sang happy birthday to me. Mom brought out a cherry cheesecake with candles in it. I thought it was a little weird that we did that before we ate dinner...until I saw that the table was only set for two people!! Mom had cooked dinner for me and Drew and then took the girls to McDonalds and put them to bed for us! She had also given me a movie (The Holiday...love it!!!) so she let us stay in her empty house and watch it after we ate!! What an awesome surprise!! It was just what I needed after an exhausting day at work! It turned out to be a great day! Thanks for all the well wishes from everyone!! It's always so nice to hear from you all. Oh, and a happy birthday to my dad as well...I miss getting to be together on our special day so much! I love you!

Raising our girl right!!

2007-12-01T19:30:00.001-05:00

A couple weeks ago the craziness of the Ohio State vs. Michigan football game invaded our house. The week leading up to the big day is full of trash talking and anticipation. It's one of the best weeks of the year! Over the years we've really tried to help the girls understand the importance of this game. Well, this year it finally seemed that we might be getting through to them. Saturday morning came and we had music from The Ohio State University Marching Band (TBDBITL!!) playing loudly throughout the house as we cooked and watched College Game Day. Kimmi disappeared for a little while and we didn't really think much of it. Well, a bit later Kimmi comes into the room carrying this poster she made all by herself. It was totally her idea to make it for the game. So, we hung it up right above the tv for some good luck...in fact, it's still there today!

We really think the poster "helped" our team because they did "beat stinkey Mishigin!" We're going to laminate it and have it be part of our decorations every year when Michigan week comes to our house! Thanks, Kimmi, for the totally awesome poster! "Ohio State rulles!!" Here's to hoping either West Virginia or Missouri lose tonight so we can play for the National Championship! GO BUCKEYES!!

Fun with a new camera. By Kimmi

2007-11-28T16:40:00.000-05:00

This is my first picher I ever took.
This is my 7th birthday cake.These are my puppies. Ech purs has four puppies.
This is my sister slideing down the sters. It is a funny picher.
This is my graet gramdpa Keller's dog, Shery.

After all these years...

2007-11-28T14:49:00.000-05:00

he still surprises me! Drew calls me up and asks me to go to this web address...WHAT??! He, of all people, created a blog! Wow! I really thought that I was going to be the one to take the dive for our family! I've hesitated doing this for a while mostly because we're not that interesting, but people seem to want us to do it...so we'll give it a try! I've loved reading other blogs in our family so much. I hope someone will enjoy this! We don't have a "family" digital camera...ours broke quite a while ago. But, Kimmi got one for her birthday so we can kind of share until we get another one. The quality of the pictures won't be the greatest...but it will get the job done. Anyway, I hope through this blog that we'll be able to feel more connected to those we love! It should be fun! Thanks, Drew, for taking the plunge for us! I love you!

We have a BLOG now!

2007-11-27T13:25:00.000-05:00

Five years ago I was working for a cable company in Montana and one of our "tech geeks" told me about his web logging, or "blogging". I remember thinking to myself, "DORK" or "That will NEVER catch on". Here I am creating a blog. It should be known that the only reason I set this up was because I have enjoyed the blogs set up by Mom, Michelle, Jessie, and Megan. I suppose it's also a nice way to keep people updated on the ongoings of our little family. We'll try to keep most of it about the two princesses so as to not bore you too much.

Much love,
Drew (Steph, Kimmi, and Alli too!)