More Scary Pics

Halloween

Halloween was a spooky-good time this year! Emma was a Southern Bell. Jack was a pirate. And Sam went as a viscious lion. We trick-or-treated at Ed & Linda's house again, which is always fun. I love seeing everyone in their costumes and feeling all of the excitement. The kids had a fantastic time with their cousins, running from door to door, and made out like candy bandits. Maybe next year I'll dress up, too!

More Patch Pics

Vala's Pumpkin Patch

Five little pumpkins sitting on a gate. The first one said, "Oh my, it's getting late." The second one said, "But we don't care. " The third one said,"I see witches in the air." The fourth one said, "Let's run, and run, and run." The fifth one said, "Get ready for some fun." Then whoosh went the wind, and out went the lights, and five little pumpkins rolled out of sight!

Disney Pictures II

Disney Pictures

Disneyland with the Schafer Clan

In October, we took a trip to Disneyland with the Schafer family. Mike, Joel's brother, is doing an extended fellowship in California for the year, so we thought this would be a great way to visit him. We had a fantastic time with everyone, visiting Mickey and riding the rides. It was a great way to spend time with the family, especially the kids. I had so much fun going on the rides with Emma and Jack and all of my nieces and nephews. I even coaxed Joel into going on California Screamin' once, which is a rollercoaster that goes upside down. And he actually liked it! It was a great time and hopefully we can do it again some day. I was so impressed with Disney that Joel and I are planning to take the kids to Disneyworld in the next year or so.

And More Apple Pictures

Apple Picking

Every Fall, we head to Kimmel Orchard in Nebraska City, NE to pick apples with the kids. However, the last 3 years we've been visiting the orchard, there have been no apples to pick, due to late, Spring frosts. This year, though, we were actually able to venture out into the apple trees and pick a few bags of apples. The kids loved it! Jack wanted to eat every apple he picked and Sam was amazed that the apples came right off. Emma and Joel had a great time running between the trees, trying to find the "perfect" apple. It was a great day, complete with apple donuts and face painting!

More Chicago Pictures...

Chicago Half-Marathon

On September 14, I ran my 2nd half marathon in Chicago. It was rainy and cold the morning of the race, but I made it. Thank God I wore a hat! Joel and I had a wonderful time in the windy city, while my mom stayed in Omaha with the kids. It was a nice break and I'm glad we were able to get away.

On Memorial Day, we took a trip to the Air & Space Museum. It was a lot of fun...and I was thoroughly impressed! The planes were enormous. Jack and Emma loved climbing around them and Sam was in awe. It was a great way to spend the afternoon, complete with a trip to the drive-through zoo on our way home.

I'm Back!

I've been unable to access my blog for quite some time, but as of today, I'm back! Wow! A lot has happened since Emma's first day of school back in August. We've been busy! I'll post what I can and hopefully, it will get everything up-to-date!

Jack was so upset after Emma left that he threw a fit until I gave him his own photo shoot outside. He was happy to sit in the kitchen, eating his waffles, while we took pictures of Emma on the front step. But as soon as she was gone, he demanded his own time in front of the lens. He definitely has the pouty look down!

School Days

Emma started school last Monday, August 18th. She was so excited about her first day of second grade, especially because she got the teacher she wanted, Mrs. Winkler. We spent Sunday shopping for all kinds of fun, new hair accessories to jazz up her uniform and the wee hours of Monday morning curling every inch of her little head. I hope she has a great year and makes new friends. She seems so old to me now, but one day, I know I'll look back at these photos and remember how tiny she was!

Fall is in the Air!

Today we played outside in the beautiful weather. It's not quite September yet, but already I can feel that the humidity and temperature have dropped. Jack and Sam were very content playing outside in the sunshine. Since we don't have a sandbox (because MOM doesn't want to find sand all over the inside of her house) the boys like to use our flower beds full of mulch to build and fill their dump trucks. They had such fun playing...until the inevitable fighting began. I can't wait until Fall is here for good!

Proof Of A Night Out

Joel and I feel like we barely have any photos of just the 2 of us, so we are trying to make a point of taking more pictures together. The question is, unless we drag our giant camera out every time we have date-night, how do we accomplish this? Well, last night we found our answer. We let Emma stand on a chair in our kitchen and snap a few pictures of us. She had fun experimenting with the camera and we were happy to have documentation of a night out alone.

The Dog Days Of Summer

School starts in less than a month and summer is quickly slipping away from us. The kids and I are trying to squeeze in as many fun activities as we can...swimming, trips to the zoo, visiting the Omaha Children's Museum, and play-dates with friends. Our mornings are busy, visiting place after place, and by the afternoon, everyone is exhausted! Last week, we visited the big park at Lake Zorinski for a picnic lunch and some play time. It was hot, but we had a great time! Sam loved the swings, Jack couldn't get enough of filling his dump-truck with sand, dumping it and then refilling it, and Emma was busy making new friends, left and right. It was so much fun that I am still finding sand in my carpet, always a good sign of a fruitful day at the park.

It's Tough Being A Grown-Up

Sam is in day 5 of the chicken pox and so far, so good. It's a very mild case, and even though the spots are everywhere, some of them are already starting to vanish.

Last night Emma went outside to play. We live on a cul-de-sac and every night after dinner it's filled with tons of kids. Before Emma could get into the street to see her friends, one of our neighbors approached her. He asked her if it was true that Sam has chicken pox and when she told him it was,

our neighbor told her that he didn't want Emma playing with his kids.

Chicken Pox is spread in the air. It's highly contagious, if you have it. However, Emma does not have chicken pox. In fact, she has been vaccinated against the virus twice. The chances that she is ever going to get it, in her entire life, are only 25%. My neighbor's children are 3 and 5, which means that they have also been vaccinated against chicken pox, making the chances of them contracting it even lower!

Emma came inside crying. She was sad because she wanted to play outside and was told she couldn't. I felt so badly for her, especially because not only is she perfectly healthy, but she is not contagious. Joel tried to go outside and talk to our neighbor, but as soon as he saw Joel, he went into his garage and closed the door. Apparently, our entire house is under quarantine!

As a mom, I was angry at our neighbor for being so ignorant and rude. But what do you tell your 6 year old? It is against my better judgement to set up our brand new, giant bounce-house in the front yard tonight and see if our neighbor lets his kids come over then. It's tough being a grown up... I can't be nearly as immature as I'd like to be sometimes!

The Laundry Queen

I've never really liked laundry. But now that I have 4 other people to do it for besides myself, I dislike it even more. I think it's because it makes me feel inadequate. No matter how often I do it, how quickly I put it away, or how few times a day my kids change their clothes, it still piles up. I can't keep up with it! The second I start to feel like I am making progress, the day ends, everyone takes off their clothes, puts on their pajamas, and voila, a whole new load to wash. It's insane. I often wonder how my mom did it because I always felt like my drawers were stocked and my laundry basket was empty. I can't even imagine how my grandmother or great-grandmother did it. If I had to scrub each stain, my kids would live in the nude!

I found this quote online and I think it sums up how I feel about the current state of my laundry room:

"I believe you should live each day as if it is your last, which is why I don't have any clean
laundry, because, come on, who wants to wash clothes on the last day of their life?"

-Anonymous

Bloggin' Mamma

It just dawned on me that my first blog entry should have been about starting a blog, but I wasn't really thinking of it at the time. So the question is: why did I decide to create this blog? I guess the reason was because I saw a blog that belongs to a friend of mine who lives in DC. It was such a sweet documentary of their life and their children. Then I began thinking that having a blog would be a great way to keep people updated on our life here in Omaha. After moving here 4 years ago, it's become more and more difficult to keep all of my friends and family in the loop. With 3 kids, life moves pretty quickly. What better way to post pictures of our ever changing and growing family and to cover the important events of our life, like Emma's dance recital or Christmas morning? Anyway, I hope you enjoy it. Check back often, as I am committed to posting frequently and adding new pictures when I can!

Attack of the Chicken Pox!

On Thursday Joel and I noticed some little spots on Sam's legs. I chalked it up to heat rash or bug bites...anything but chicken pox. However, by Friday, they were everywhere! These days, kids get vaccinated for chicken pox, but since Sam is only 1, he hasn't received his vaccinations, yet. We always thought that chicken pox was something our children wouldn't experience, but it turns out we were mistaken! The poor little guy is miserable and I am just trying to keep him comfy with extra snuggles, lots of Teletubbies and cold milk. Wish us luck...the next few weeks could be tough!

Fourth of July

Yesterday we celebrated the Fourth of July at Joel's parent's house. Each year, Joel's mom throws a huge party, in celebration of the 4th and her annual Garlic Festival. There is a contest for best garlic recipe, best costume, and awards for the Garlic King & Queen. The kids had a great time swimming with their cousins, sampling all of the delicious garlic dishes, and of course, watching the fireworks display after dark. Joel even won an award for the best dessert recipe: garlic sweet potato pie!