2 months old!

Heath had a great 2 month check up! He's 12.9# now and 23.75" long! He's in the 75th percentile for height and weight up from the 25th so we were very happy!

I started back to work on the 29th (my birthday). As I was hauling him and his stuff into Daycare I twinged my back. I've pretty much been out of commission since. I missed two days of work and also only worked 2 half days. Nick is having to go to and from the babysitter's with me so he can carry him in and out. It's too much weight for me at the moment.

I think my chiro treatment yesterday (the 5th one!) may have finally turned the tide. I'm feeling lots better and was able to work a full day today.

Now to get the Christmas decorations up!

There isn't a Catch! Free Cards!

My favorite Christmas cards are simple. A simple, elegant image with a simple message is what I like best. I love getting photo cards from far flung family and friends and seeing how their kids have changed and grown, the trips they’ve taken, or the pets that have joined their family. I really like the look of this card:

http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/cards-stationery/starlight-joy-christmas-5x7-folded-card?sortType=1&storeNode=93491

The joy at having a baby this holiday season is something we want to share with all!
With Heath’s adoption I have had a chance to create some wonderful cards. I wasn’t able to make his birth announcements with Shutterfly because a professional photographer friend went created and printed announcements for us as a surprise gift. However, if he hadn’t done so I would have used Shutterfly for sure!

I’ve had many, many compliments on the Baptism announcements I created. It was simple and elegant. I used the Jolie Bebe Blue http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/5x7-flat-stationery-cards/jolie-bebe-blue-baptism-invitation-4x5-flat?sortType=1&storeNode=93370 with a picture of Heath when he was 12 days old.

I have to say though that my very favorite product from Shutterfly is the photo book. I find myself creating the 8x8 size time and again. http://www.shutterfly.com/photo-books/everyday-8x8-photo-book

I’ve created a photo book of our trip to Venice. I also created one and then ordered two more copies for the kids of our Westward Ho Trip to Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks. I may create another of our A to Z trip from last summer when we visited Arizona and Zion National Park.

I encourage you to check out Shutterfly and this awesome promotion for 50 free cards http://bit.ly/sfly2010!

1st Official Photo Shoot

Uncle Brian came over for our first "official" photo shoot when Heath was 12 days old.


This Bibs outfit is a gift from his birthparents. It's got the cutest little high top sneakers to go with it.


He's really mild mannered and easy going. He's not a big fan of opening his eyes, though.

Loves to sleep with his hands up by his face.

Now at 3 weeks old he's awake from longer periods of time each day. He's pretty hungry and has been eating 6 oz instead of the usual 4 oz.

This is the outfit he wore for finalization. He is truly and finally and irrevocably legally ours forever!!

Welcome!

We've added to the Chaos! Welcome to Heath Arnold! He arrived September 29, 2010 at 9:54 am. He weighed 6#13 oz and was 20" long.

Now it's 2 weeks later. He's a pound heavier and a half inch longer.

***LOVE***

summer is almost over

The kids are back from summer visitation.

Christy returned with a turtle. Joy. We went and bought $93 worth of turtle supplies, learned he'll live for 25 -30 years...and she said she didn't think it would be that complicated and she wasn't planning on a lifetime commitment. Thank you Jesus! He's been released in the wilds and I'm planning a return trip to the pet store.

Nick is thinner and taller.

We school shopped and hair cutted today. (I know that's not a real word). We finally told them where we're going on family vacation. We're flying to AZ tomorrow to see the Grand Caynon, Northern AZ and Zion Nat'l Park. We'll be gone a week.

I got promoted at work. I know sit at the front desk. I am an Administrative Assistant how works M-Th 8 to 3, refuses to work on Fridays and gets to go on vacation whenever I want! I love my job!!

BIG NEWS!! We've been picked by an expectant mom to parent her child. He's due in October! We're having a baby!!

So needless to say...things are a little more chaotic than usual around here!

CA Trip I

Mom and I drove to California in the beginning of June for a family reunion. We went out through, Missouri, Kansas, Southern Colorado, S Utah and S Nevada entering California around Mono Lake and Yosemite. We came home on I-80This pictures are in random blogger-ific order.

This is Amelia Earhart's birthplace on the Missouri River is Kansas.

The Modesto, CA Farmer's market was a riot of sweet cherries and rainier cherries. Cheap and Delicious!

Yosemite is still magnificant and awe-inspiring! This is from Olmstead Point:

The Garden of the Gods is pretty spectacular too!

With the snow melt Yosemite had very full waterfalls and water flowing everywhere.

This is Upper and lower Yosemite Falls from the valley floor.

Sun Sum Summer time!

It's finally officially summer Here. I can't believe I haven't posted since March. I'm a working woman now (26 hours a week!). Which I love but it has seriously cut into my blogging time!

So here's an update since march:

• New York City ROCKED!~! I can't wait to go back! We were there Fri afternoon until Monday afternoon. We ate Cuban, visited the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, Times Square (we really were a half a block away!), Hells Kitchen, Ground Zero, the Intrepid Sea Air and Space Museum, The UN, Grand Central Station, Broadway (we saw Mary Poppins and A little night music). I would spend ALL my extra money on shows if I lived there. We went to Amy's breads, I had a delish cupcake from a famous cupcake place whose name I can't remember. We saw Bryant Park and the NYC Library! Catherine Zeta Jones almost stepped on me! We went to Rockefeller Center and ST Patrick's cathedral. We had a great time and stayed at the Paramount Hotel.
• The kids left for the summer. Both of them managed to move on to the next grade though it was in doubt because of nick's laziness and procrastination. So one kid is on the honor roll with a 4.0 and the other could have been but instead barely passed sophomore English. They're back Aug 6th.
• Mom and I drove to CA for a family reunion. We were gone 12 days. We drove Hwy 50 through CO, UT, and NV. We visited Manitou Springs, Yosemite, Mono Lake, the San Joaquin valley and Oroville. We purchased pottery thus propping up the CA economy. We brought the Aunt home with us.
• We had the dining room painted a lovely shade of light grey. The trim is bright white. The outlets have been switched and the carpet has been cleaned.
• Kurt and I planted a lot of new perennials. We attempted to liberate my hostas from the timber weeds at the farm.
• I got "promoted" at work. I'm now an administrative assistant working M-Th from 8a-3p rather than working 8-10 hours whenever I feel like it.
• We still don't have baby although we talked to a potential expectant mom (it fell through, but it was exciting). We're starting Year 2 of waiting.
• Kurt goes to Tucson Sun-Wed.
• Tomorrow I'm trying acupuncture for the first time.

I think that pretty much sums up what's been happening around here. I'd post some pictures if I was on the other computer.

New York II

We're going to see A Little Night Music with Catherine Zeta-Jones and Angela Lansbury for the matinee on Sunday.

We may try to get standby tickets to either SNL or their dress rehearsal. The host that weekend is Tina Fey so it might be kind of difficult (as if getting there by 7 am won't be difficult enough!).

I'm worried about being poorly dressed for the restaurants and such. I bet they're used to shlubby tourists though. However, I think Kurt and I are better behaved, dressed etc than the usual clueless tourist.

It's only 3 weeks away! WOW!

Quilting

In February, I saw in the paper that there was T shirt quilting class being taught nearby. I've always wanted to make one out of my high school and concert tshirts! I thought it would be perfect for Rikki and me to do!

It was to held for 4 consecutive monday nights. We'll we had shitty weather so by the 4th and final Monday we'd only had two classes! Rikki and I ended up going for two entire saturdays as well and we still aren't done.

Turns out I didn't have as many tshirts as I thought either. I had to buy and create additional shirts to get to the 15 that I needed.

Here's a layout of my shirts once I got them cut and fused.


Here's a shot of me working on my "fatties" which is a tshirt attached to a piece of sashing and repeat!


Et Voila! It's my quilt top assembled with the fatties, skinnies, cornerstones and one of the borders.


I've now added a second wider border and it's ready to be backed and quilted! I'm having the quilting done (or I will). Once it's quilted I'll have to take another class to learn how to do the binding.

Poor Kid

Nick had his 4 impacted wisdom teeth out on Friday. The poor guy. He kept throwing up and had the misfortune of finding out the meaning of suppository. Kurt got back from Vegas a couple of hours after we got home from the surgeon. Nick was still pretty out of it.

He's been doing really well. They were off school yesterday and then had a late start today so he had a decent recovery time.

It's nice that we could pay for it with our HSA. I'm glad Kurt deals with getting us signed up for all that stuff!

New York State of Mind

Yep, that's right! I'm finally going to see the bright lights of New York City! Kurt and I have booked tickets for the second weekend in April! It'll be a whirlwind. I'm already over planning but we've got the hotel, Statue of Liberty tix, and theater tickets!

Anyone have any suggestions of things to do? We're going Fri-Mon and seeing the show Sunday afternoon.

I'm soooooo excited!!

Typical

Well in our typical chaotic way we've got way to much happening at once.

The plumber is coming. Kurt and I need to shower. The dog needs to go to the kennel/pound for the weekend. I need to start laundry but probably shouldn't since the plumber might need to turn off the water.

Oh and the dishes need done and the dishwasher run. Did I mention all of this is at 7 am? I DETEST morning!

Plus it's payday Friday so I need to pay bills and run errands. I should probably look at Minnesota weather, too. We're headed there this weekend to see Young Frankenstein on stage. Mom and Dad are going, too. Which means I also need to pack.

Serenity NOW!!

Whatever Works

Kurt and I watched Woody Allen's Whatever Works today with Larry David. I loved it! It has my two new favorite movie quotes. Kurt says Larry makes him nervous (he said that when we watched Curb, too). I smiled through the whole thing. It reminded me that we need to get the next season of Curb that we need to watch.

Yesterday we when bowling for someting different to do. It wasn't as fun as I would have hoped. I whacked the ball into my knee on one of the releases, my underwire was poking me in the upper arm (now i have a bruise), and our lane didn't work well so I ended up getting screwed out of a frame.

I've made some kick butt chicken and noodles for supper. I used no yolks to keep it healthy (ha!).

We're doing Lighten up Iowa again. One week is down and I'm down 2#. Yesterday it seems like all we did was eat.

The Blind Side

Kurt and I went to The Blind Side tonight. It is a TERRIFIC movie! I can't believe how good it was! As a side note...the real life guy has got to be impressed that Tim McGraw was playing him.

Today is Day 2 of the lifestyle change/shift. I'm kinda hungry but feeling good! We only got water at the movies tonight.

I did the dreaded grocery shopping today. I came in under budget at WM but went over budget (since there wasn't one) at Targucci. I think tomorrow is going to include some house cleaning. I got a sewing machine for Christmas. I need to get it out of the box and attempt to fix my swishy pants pocket.

So another exciting weekend around here.

Long Time No Blog

Wow I can't believe it's been so long.

Happy New Year!~

Kurt and I stayed in last night. We played with the Pooper dog and watched 6 or so episodes of Big Bang Theory. Love that show! We were supposed to go to a wedding reception but we were tired and felt a little under the weather. Then -10 degree weather wasn't much of an incentive to go back outside either.

Today we went to OG and had soup, salad and bread sticks (with $2 off thanks to my coupon!) and then we went and saw It's Complicated. It was great! I found myself smiling thorough out and having some deep belly laughs. I just love Meryl Streep. She seems like a nice lady. I'm not a huge fan of Alec Baldwin but he was good too. Plus how can you not like Steve Martin? We really enjoyed it. The theater was packed (with middle aged people). We quickly walked over to the mall and bought some 50% off calendars and then went and looked at diamonds. Now it's 5:30 pm and we're in for the night and we're perfectly happy!

We had a lovely Christmas. We had Eve Eve at Mom and Dad's with the Steins. We had a special visit from Santa in miniature. The 24th I made shrimp cocktail, shrimp scampi, and lobster tails for the four of us. I have some leftover lobster so I'm going to attempt lobster pot pie. The 25th Mom and Dad and all the kids came here. We had a lovely ham lunch, then presents and a movie in the afternoon. That evening Kurt and I went and saw Sherlock Holmes. It was fun. RD Jr is HOT. I didn't follow all of it and thought it was a little long but it was worth the $5.

A Christmas bonus was seeing/lunching/hanging with an old friend (who is new again). We reconnected on FB and have picked up where we left off. Tara was home from San Francisco so we had lunch. Then she and the fam were at the movies and then I ran into her the next day at Walmart (the center of the smalltown universe doncha know!)

The 26th we left for 3 days in South Dakota with Kurt's side of the family. South Dakota was in the middle of blizzard of a century. We made it out there just fine. We had 4/6 meals the were frozen pizzas, $2.99 lunch of 15 at Long John Silvers, another ham dinner and much snacking, laughing, and game playing. All in All it was a great holiday. As was 2009 a great year!