Schu News

Visitors and Victories

2012-01-17T14:04:00.000-08:00

I am finally able to blog again after having three rounds of visitors. Actually I can't really use that as an excuse because I did have some time between each of them. I was hoping to be able to blog after Christmas, but Jon bought me a Nook. I don't feel I need to explain any further other than to say that I have read more in the last few weeks than I have in the last whole year. I do love that thing!
Jon's parents were able to visit for Thanksgiving, so that is when our first round began. We immediately tried to do as much shopping before Thanksgiving as possible, so the first few days were spent rounding up Christmas gifts. It is much easier to buy the gifts here than to have to ship huge boxes full of presents. We also had to so a little grocery shopping to get ready for the big feasting day.
I had planned to cook a few things and Jon's mom was going to cook a few things, but I got sick with a stomach bug on Thanksgiving day and spent a majority of it in my room. Jon was able to come through on the turkey, and Jon's mom thankfully took over the rest of the meal. We also received the news that morning that Grandma Worley, my mom's mother, had passed away. Being so far away from family was really tough for me, but I was happy that Mom had Dad, Amanda, and all of Mom's siblings there for her. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the many others that gave Mom peace of mind during that time: thank you to Steve and Dreama Spiers and Pastor Scheffer, especially. Mom is doing well now, but I know she is still grieving her mother so prayers are still very much appreciated.
During the rest of the visit with Jon's parents, we were able to check out the ski resorts as well as spend an afternoon in Park City. At the end of the week, Grandma and Grandad stayed with Brighton and Will while Jon and I escaped to Park City for a night at the Waldorf. It was a very nice getaway, and we were able to do some shopping as well. We had very nice visit and I think the grandparents liked their first visit to Schutah ;)
My parents were able to visit at the beginning of December. They were also able to stay for a week. We did many of the same things with them. They did some shopping for the kids and also watched the kids while we did some shopping. We visited the ski resorts and took a nice, long hike in the snow since the weather was nice. While we didn't tour Park City like we did with Jon's parents, we did take Mom and Dad tubing up there. We all had a blast, but I think Will enjoyed it the most. Brighton was still a little scared because those runs were incredibly fast, so we all had to take turns entertaining her while we went for rides. I was surpised at how fearless Will was. It will be an activity we will need to do again soon! Mom and Dad also got to see some of Will's Christmas pageant at his school. I say "some" because Nana had to also deal with a horrendously behaved Brighton while there. The minute Brighton realized that it was not her turn to be on stage, she turned into crazy person. But for the most part, the kids behaved while being spoiled by their grandparents, and we had a wonderful visit.
We spent a quiet Christmas with just the four of us. We had a good time sitting by the fire and watching the family room be covered in wrapping paper. Thanks again to the grandparents for all the wonderful gifts and thank you to the Aunts and Uncles who also sent presents. (We are still waiting on Aunnie's gifts to arrive on the mule that she apparently strapped them to.) heehee.
Our last visitors just left this past weekend. Jon's cousin, Josh and his friend, Rob came to stay with us for a week. While I think they enjoyed hanging out with us, they came here to take advantage of the country's best ski resorts. Unfortunately, Utah has had the driest start to a winter in fifty years, so the conditions were not as good as what they were hoping for. They still had a good time, and we enjoyed visiting with them.
As for the victories, they are small but worth mentioning. Brighton has officially started Ballet class and loves it. She has needed an outlet for her constant singing and dancing and so far Ballet has been that for her. She still sings along with every song in the car and breaks out into a song and dance at random moments, but we are happy that she has found some way to channel her energy. Will is doing very well in school. I was able to do some voluteering in his class during the visits with grandparents and one more time last week. It makes me happy to see him participating and behaving so well. He is doing some reading now, and we love that he loves learning so much. He will be starting indoor soccer next month, so we are looking forward to him having an energy outlet as well. Until then, the kids use a lot of energy outside playing whether in the snow or just in backyard. I am surprised at how much outside time they are still able to have in the winter. Speaking of our backyard, Jon's victory before Christmas was getting a really dead pine tree out of our yard. He also installed a new chandelier in the foyer, which was no small feat since it was really really high up.
Our other small victory is that Jon and I can offically call ourselves runners. We decided to get into running for the obvious reasons of health, but it is also quite popular here. Perhaps are biggest motivation though is to be able to participate in a half marathon at the end of this year in Las Vegas. We have joined Team Challenge, which is a group that runs the half in order to raise money for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America. There are local Team Challenges in cities all over the country, so if you are a runner, I encourage you to get involved in this and maybe we can meet in Vegas! We will have to do quite a bit of fundraising, so be on the lookout for information in your mailbox or online. I hate asking people for money, but for this I have no problem with it. Each city's team picks two honored heroes as inspiration for the whole team. I am proud to say that one of the Salt Lake City's honored heroes for this racing season will be our very own little girl. Brigthon was asked to be an honoree, so we will be making some speeches and doing some appearances about our experience with her Ulcerative Colitis and how the CCFA has helped and will continue to help her and others with IBD. I am calling this a big victory. It always amazes me to see how God turns things that are at first, so overwhelmingly bad into good things. I feel as if this is just the beginning of how God is going to use Brighton's disease for good for our family and others. God is good--all the time! (And I totally had Miss Pam's voice in my head when I wrote that...we miss you, FPC!)

All set for a day of sight-seeing!

Downtown Park City, home of the Sundance Film Festival. We spotted these two celebrities on Main Street. You may remember them from previously on this blog ;) Although, Grandma did star as an extra on the movie Airport 77--true story.

We rode the Vernicular at the St. Regis Hotel at Deer Valley Ski Resort to take in the view. Will was a bit disappointed that it wasn't more like a roller coaster. I was relieved.

We drove up to the Olympic Park where the ski jump and bobsledding events were held in 2002. I love this sign with all of the other Olympic cities.

We drove up to Snowbird to hike in the snow. Jon's mom volunteered to take our picture. One of these pictures was used on our Christmas card--I'll let you guess which one. Thanks to Grandma for putting up with us while we tried to get a good shot!

Getting back from the photo shoot was no easy feat.

We decided against a hike that day because of the extremely cold temperatures! We did walk down the path for a few more pictures.

Thanks to Grandma and Grandad, Jon and I were able to go up to the Waldorf Astoria in Park City for one night away together.

While we have some cute video of Will's performance, these were the best pictures we were able to get. His class did very well, and they are certainly a cute group!

Brighton was quite proud of her new dress (thanks to Gma and Gdad) and her nail polish (thanks to Nana), but don't let the cuteness fool you. She was a terror at this pageant--she got very angry that she couldn't go to the stage and dance and sing!

Off for a hike in the snow...

A quick break for a picture. Brighton can't stop looking at Papa's hat. (I hope it didn't hurt her eyes!)

I had to wear my sunglasses even in the shade due to Dad's radioactive hat.

Silly silly.

The good thing about hiking with other people is that it's much easier to take family pictures!

After a day of tubing in Park City, we drove up to the 2002 Olympic Ski Jump. No one was up to giving it a try!
Nana was an excellent snowman builder. Papa shoveled the driveway while getting after Will about his attitude. It's hard to see Papa's expression, but it's one I remember well from childhood.

Thanks for visiting Nana and Papa, come back soon!!!!

One of Jon's victories was getting this dead tree out of our yard. He had some help from me, but our best help came from Will. He was a stick-breaking little machine! We are very pumped about the amount of firewood we now have!

On Christmas Eve, we spent the day outside going to the park and taking a long walk. Our goal was to tire the kids out, so that we could get take advantage of an early bedtime!

The Christmas Eve calm...

And their off! It only took them about 30 minutes with us telling them to slow down to open all of their presents!

Presents from Mommy and Daddy: a guitar for our artistic, determined little boy and a costume for our dramatic, sophisticated little girl.

Will got several new games from Nana and Papa--he clearly is very fond of the Tractor Tipping one! Brighton is very happy with her many books, especially the ones that play music--Thanks Nana and Papa!

Will loves his new Snoopy from Grandma! And SEVEN princesses for the Princess--Thanks Gma and Gdad!

Post-presents Christmas bliss.

We can still have lots of fun with our Christmas presents when the weather is dry!

Life Elevated

2011-11-08T14:20:00.000-08:00

Once again, I have stolen someone else's creativity for my blog post title. This time, I ripped off the state slogan. My Utah friends will recognize it from the Utah license plates, which by the way, we both actually have now on our cars! I used this blog title for many reasons. Obviously it alludes to the fact that we live at a much higher elevation now, but it also alludes to our lives here. Our last few weeks in Louisiana were extremely difficult. I think Jon and I can both say that that was one of the great trials of our lives. We are blessed in that it wasn't a trial like I know so many others are going through. But besides packing up and leaving our friends and moving even further from our family, we had to deal with Brighton's diagnosis, which seemed so huge and scary at the time. Dealing with it during a cross-country move definitely put our spirits at a new low. Sometimes, it's so difficult to think we will ever get out of the valley of sadness and despair, and even the hope of a new adventure can't bring us out of the funk. For this reason, I can confidently say that this particular time, right now, our lives have been elevated. We still miss our beautiful friends and long to see our families, but God has put us on top of a mountain now, pun intended. Will has a wonderful new school with so many new friends that Brighton has also enjoyed playing with, subsequently I have a great new group of Mommy friends, and Jon is getting along very well with his new coworkers. I cannot remember at time in my life when I have ever been so busy. I am blessed to be busy!!! We are out the door every morning for school, and Brighton and I go to the gym, MOPS, or she even has her own little class now-Music and Movement which of course she loves. Jon is working hard, but he secretly thrives on the daily stress. We have visited several churches, and I think we are nearing a decision. And what I am most thankful for is that Brighton just turned three and has had several weeks with not even a minor flare-up. This is a gift. To see our little girl happily being spoiled on her third birthday, playing in the snow, and scarfing down birthday cake made this blog title absolutely necessary. So enjoy the pictures of our many hikes (we try to go on at least one if not two each weekend), our birthday girl (and her equally entertaining brother), our Halloween, our spectacular views (God's creation at its most breathtaking), and our life, elevated.

And for our first hike...

There wasn't much snow at the beginning of the path, so we weren't expecting to see as much as we did at the top. You can barely see the ski lift in the background.

Daddy's turn to haul Miss Brighton.

Will really loves to hike. It seems to bring out the best in him, and I'm always so proud of his determination.

It was a little cold for "made it to the top" celebration.

Lake Mary.

A rare shot of the family photographer. And once again, there are always cool rocks to climb and perch on.

Don't eat these Moose Tracks.

I like this picture because right after he took this and put his camera down, I slipped. I was able to catch myself, and neither of us were hurt. It would've been an embarrassing shot though.

We stopped to pick up some Brighton junk before heading home.

Jon pulled over on the side of the road to take this picture. This is near our house, and I get to see this view everytime I drive home from Walmart too. It helps to calm me down after being there!

This hike the next week was not too difficult, so Brighton didn't have to ride in the backpack. Will was pretending to be an expert hiker showing his little sister the ropes.

Ilove Aspen trees! Their leaves have now turned the most beautiful shade of yellow.

Doughnut Falls-named for the hole in the rock that the water is pouring through. Nothing to do with real doughnuts...unfortunately.

Jon carved the pumpkins after our hike, and they barely lasted the rest of the week to Halloween.

Cave dwellers.

Silliness.

The roads are a bit treacherous through the canyon.

Jon is the daredevil who climbs higher while I hang out with the kids and make sure they don't kill themselves. This was a quick Sunday afternoon hike in Little Cottonwood Canyon.

You can see the canyon and through to the Salt Lake Valley. There are waterfalls everywhere hiding in the mountains.

Will, of course, had to be Lightning McQueen this year. Brighton's princess of choice was Snow White this year. Brighton has no shortage of princess costumes to choose from now thanks to our friends, the Slatons!

We were invited over to our neighbors' house for a pre-trick or treating party. Jon decided to dress up as Tom, the neighbor hosting the party. It was well received, and Tom has a good sense of humor. I went the easy route with the witch costume. And yes, it's the easy route because it's not much of a stretch--beat you to it!

Halloween candy...ugh. Of course, the kids had a late night that night. Sorry, baby girl, no peanut butter for you :(

I hosted a playdate the day before Brighton's birthday, so she could play with her new friends. She is particularly fond of Loralei, who is the sister of one of Will's friends. We have met a great group of people through Will's school, and I had a great time talking with my new friends while the kids played outside for hours.

One of the gifts Brighton received from a little girl in Will's class, Aveline, was a cupcake set. She decided when she woke up on her birthday that she wanted to make cupcakes and sing Happy Birthday to us. I actually caught her trying to put these in the real oven.

Brighton loves dogs, and she has really missed having a dog in the house. Instead of a real puppy, we started her out with one that walks and barks--just doesn't make the messes of a real puppy. We spaced out her presents throughout the day to keep the birthday madness at a manageable level.

This is a pretty cool birthday present too--a snowy paradise!

Let the snow fun begin!

Will had a blast sledding...

...Jon and I had a good time pretending to be kids.

Brighton got to pick out her own birthday outfit to go to Chuck E Cheese. She was a bit overdressed, but she didn't seem to care ;)

After opening her presents from Nana, Papa, Grandma and Grandad via skype, we moved the mess downstairs to continue the spoiling from Mommy, Daddy, and Will.

We bought her an inexpensive drumset, and she will no doubt need an upgrade eventually. For now, she loves it!

Princesses for our Princess.

We had our neighbors over to sing Happy Birthday to her since she has become very fond of her "friends."

We decided to take a hike in the snow on Sunday. Alta ski resort is not open yet, so it was eerily quiet that afternoon.

Looking back at the picture of the trail sign on my previous post, it's amazing how fast the weather has changed!

Slightly different experience, hiking in the snow.

Griswold family Christmas tree? If only we had a Ford Taurus to tie it too ;)

With all her sassiness, Brighton Rae has such a remarkably sweet demeanor. I have probably only witnessed that kind of constant genuine care in one other person, another special lady born on November 5-my mom.

SCHUTAH

2011-10-03T14:07:00.000-07:00

We've decided to take the liberty and rename our new state of residence since we're such big stuff around here. I'm sure everybody knows us by now, especially since we've been getting out so much and everything. Actually, this is the first opportunity I've had to blog since we moved because we've been so busy, well, moving! I think I can officially say we're moved in now. The house is unpacked and decorated, and we're establishing a schedule and a regular rhythm to our lives here in Utah. I must give credit to my oh-so-clever husband for coming up with the term "Schutah." I'm a sucker for made-up nominal terms.
We love our new house. It comes with tons of storage space, and the backyard is fantastic. We have a two-story barn, a two-story playhouse, a koi pond, a playground, and a gazebo with a view! The house has new carpet and flooring and plenty of rooms and bathrooms, so start planning your visit. And what a place to see! Someone told us that Utah is America's best kept secret, and I believe they were right. The weather is perfect, and the sights are breathtaking. I'm in awe looking out the window each morning, much less driving a few minutes up the road to one of the country's best ski resorts. We actually got to take advantage of our proximity to the resorts this past Saturday when we went for a family hike at Alta. We hiked in the Albion Basin to a place called Cecret Lake. It was beautiful and a fantastic way to get exercise as a family. The weekdays are very busy for us. Will has started a new school, Hilltop Christian School, where he is in a Pre-k class five days a week. Brighton and I get out in the mornings on walks, shopping, and we've joined a local MOPS group. I have plenty of housework, and I volunteer at Will's school too. We had a good time at the Fall Festival on Friday night. We are slowly getting to know people, and we have finally gotten to visit a church after several weekends of sinus infections for everyone but Jon (the dry air and altitude have been working on us!) Brighton also had a little flare-up with her UC when she had the infection, but we are all on the mend now and feeling incredibly blessed. Enjoy the pictures of our new home (or at least the backyard) and our new home state!

Good morning sunshine! Time to hit the trail!

Brighton rode some, but we did letter hit the trail. She and Will stopped to look at just about everything along the way and to throw rocks, of course.

So proud of my little man who kept on walking.

We made it to the lake--9750 ft above sea level. Time for a rest!

During the summer months, the basin is full of wildflowers. We got to see a little bit of that, but we also got to see some beautiful fall foliage.

Show-off.

Fearless.

And what do we do when we make it to the top? Why, a climbing dance, of course! Get down wich yo bad self!

My little rock climbers :)

Jon hiked a little further to get some better views. The kids and I are in this picture, but we're the teeny tiny specks next to the rock on the left side...that's how far up he hiked!

Time to head down the mountain with some tired kiddos.

Yep, that's snow. It must never melt. While it was a little chilly once we made it to the lake, it wasn't that cold!

And back down we go. Jon is always bringing up the rear, so he can stop and take pictures...

...like these.

That's what my back felt like after having Brighton on it--Oye. And Jon carried her for the steepest part of the hike!

Hmmm...perhaps we take the easy route next time!

We do stay inside every once in a while. I had two little helpers bake pumpkin cookies with me last week for the fall festival at Will's school. They made quite a mess, but they really loved helping --especially when it was time to put in the chocolate chips, which is what they were getting ready to do in the left picture, and we were getting ready to put them in the oven in the right picture.

And what do we do while we wait for the cookies to bake? Why, do a cookie dance, of course!!!

Brighton's favorite indoor activity is getting all dressed up in her costumes and having a tea party or just twirling around. Her room came with a large wall-mounted mirror and a chandalier. It was move-in ready for our little princess. But don't let the costume fool you, Brighton still loves to play drums and sing "rock and roll" into her microphone.

I caught Will and Brighton having a "picnic" next to the pond (the pond is behind that short wall). Will only has school until 11:30 each day, so he and Brighton spend the afternoon playing outside and in their playhouse together. We have actually finished furnishing the playhouse too. It houses Will's tool bench, Brighton's kitchen, a table and chairs as well as some comfy chairs upstairs and little adirondak chairs on the balcony. The view from that playhouse balcony is incredible--too bad it's designed for short people!

The kids are really enjoying the backyard. There never seems to be a shortage of things to do.

From our gazebo looking West. You can also see straight into our bedroom. Note to self: always close curtains at night.

Harvest moon over the mountains. Jon took this from the backyard looking East.

Goodnight Schutah...I mean, Utah ;)

Leaving Louisiana

2011-08-25T15:21:00.000-07:00

I am currently sitting in our house full of boxes worrying about things I cannot control. For instance, I am worried about Brighton's health, worried about getting all of our stuff on the big truck tomorrow and whether it will all make it to Salt Lake City unscathed, worried about flying again, worried about the hurricane threatning Eastern VA and the outerbanks, worried about being sad (yes, I worry about my own emotions sometimes). I hate worrying and I hate pity parties. I decided to blog our recent beach trip, but then I realized I loaded all of the pictures on the other computer and not on the notebook. So I will have to blog about our wonderful trip to the Outerbanks where we stayed at Wendy and Geoff's (Jon's sis and BIL) new beach house, which I hope and pray stays completely intact, after we get to Utah and get the computer set up. Brighton's health problems have definitely gotten me worked up. She did very well through her colonoscopy, but she was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis, which is an autoimmune disease that she will have to deal with for the rest of her life. We are very thankful that the biopsy did not show anything more serious, and I am currently gathering as much information on a daily basis that I can about managing her disease. She does not act sick and the new medication seems to be working. We already have an appointment with her new doctor on Monday. She will see her new pediatric gasterontologist before she even has a chance to get into our new house! So, for now, I know I need to stop worrying. I am going to try and turn my thoughts to happy thoughts. Instead of thinking about how sad I am to leave Louisiana, I'm going to think about how happy I am that I had the opportunity to live here. I will say it again--this place is unlike any other on earth and we have absolutely been more blessed than I could have ever imagined in the last three years. So because of this, I've decided to make a list--not of things we will miss most, but things we will take with us because we have been so blessed. And so, WE WILL TAKE...

...an appreciation for food prepared by people who yes love to eat, and yes love to cook, but also who cook for the purpose of bringing people together--for hours and hours and hours because the food is so good!
...along with the appreciation for good food comes a subsequent disdain for all chain restraunts, especially those serving what is falsely marketed as "seafood." I realize how haughty this sounds but it's unfortunately true.
...scars, both emotional and physical: the physical scars come from old mosquito bites received from mosquitos that are so evil and huge, they bite through jeans, and ant bites from the most vile creatures on the earth--fire ants. The emotional scars come from living in fear that the tickling sensation going down my back is most likely a cockroach of prehistoric proportion that has fallen off of the ceiling and down my shirt. Fear and dread for three years=scars.
...a surprising love of NFL football, or mainly just a love for the Saints. While Jon grew up a Redskins fan, I never paid attention to pro football until moving down here. Enthusiasm for Saints football is absolutely infectious! WHO DAT!
...mental pictures of green frog and green lizard bellies that stick to the doors and windows on steamy nights.
...an appreciation for excellent music, and sitting in a public park listening to excellent music, and drinking adult beverages while sitting in a public park listening to excellent music.
....the belief that the holidays do not end until the last parade stops rolling on Fat Tuesday. I don't think I will be able to live without king cake and Abita Mardi Gras bock--just can't do it. We might be the only ones celebrating but Salt Lake City will have Mardi Gras next year!
...memories of some fun-loving ladies that showed me how to loosen up a little now and then.
...a friendship with Nikki and James Slaton that I hope will continue for years to come. Will is definitely going to need to see his girlfriend from time to time :) We have loved spending time with you all--thanks for so so many good times!
...the love of a church family that was just what we needed with our family so far away. I will so miss the friendships we have made with you all. You are a blessed and very special church. I will be thinking about you, especially on Sunday and Wednesday mornings. I cannot think of a more fantastic group of ladies than my Bible study ladies. I will miss the study and the conversations!Thank you thank you thank you for welcoming us into your church family. Pam and May, thank you for loving my children and teaching them about Jesus. Thank you for making it that much harder for me to leave. ;)
...the desire to return to this place soon.
...the best thing we will leave with is our own little Louisianian, Brighton Rae. She has to come back to her swamp roots from time to time so please keep in touch because we'd love to see you again!

Goodbye Louisiana, we love you!

A Break at the Lake

2011-08-16T09:52:00.001-07:00

We have so much going on right now. I am currently calling utility companies to stop service in Louisiana and begin them for our new home in Utah. We got back this past Sunday from a house-hunting trip that was very stressful but successful. Now the move preparations have to be finalized and all of our goodbyes said. On top of that, I am also currently prepping Brighton for a colonoscopy on Thursday. She continues to have problems with her digestion, so we've decided to go through with the procedure to make sure that there are no serious problems. Please pray for her and us this week. With all that going on, I decided the best use of my time was to blog. Actually, I just thought blogging would take my mind off of things. So here is the first installment of our Virginia Vacation starting with our trip to Mom and Dad's house. We had a great time as usual, but while we were enjoying our break, Nana suffered a break of her own. Mom was walking down the outdoor deck steps, when she slipped and fell. She broke three bones in her ankle which required surgery to fix. She is doing well now and seems to be healing nicely. Although the injury took her out of commission to do many of the active things she typically enjoys, I think she enjoyed spending some extra special time with her grandkids that she may not have had if she wasn't forced to sit still. Amanda and I picked up the slack at their house along with Dad who has gotten pretty good with housework and even some cooking! It was actually nice to be able to wait on my mom for a change because she has always waited on me and the kids so much. We had a wonderful visit, and so today I am reliving it by taking this break from the stress! Stay tuned for the second half of vacation pictures that I will post when I can take another break :)

Nana and Papa's house...notice the little red wheelbarrow on the boat launch. It was full of fireworks!

Dad is known throughout the cove for his excellent fireworks show! Happy Independence Day!

We also had an early birthday celebration at Nana and Papa's for Will.

There was plenty of cousin bonding time. Callie and Brighton play very well together and seem to really like to do many of the same things...

...like being completely mischevious!

Will, Brighton, and Callie had many good hours playing inside...

...and OUTSIDE!

While Amanda and I have been requesting a slide since we were kids, Papa decides that he should build one for the next generation. Believe me, it did not stop us from trying it out too--even if it was too narrow for our butts!

Once again, we enjoyed floating and swimming...

during the day and night!

We got in a few good boat rides too. Papa even gave up the Captain's chair a few times ;)

While I enjoy sharing the Captain's seat...I also enjoy not sharing it :)

God bless America...and Nillas...and old wire colanders that Nana uses to get grass out of the baby pool...YAY!

Will caught a few fish and he particularly loved the addition of Papa's slide.

Brighton and Will rode in Daddy's lap for their first turn in the new tube.

We all got a turn on the viper tube. Will was the only one who didn't seem to enjoy it the first time, but he did like it once he tried it again. Nana opted to stay on the boat, having had a little too much fun on Papa's slide the day before. Unfortunately, she will have to wait to try out the new tube until her ankle heals now.

A worn-out baby girl and a very patient Nana.

And now...The Number 1 ankle-breaker! Nana still managed to enjoy our visit, but she was downgraded to spectator status for the more adventerous fun.

Noseholding is an important skill that every Taylor heir must learn.

Will loved sliding into the lake once he overcame his fear.

We love the lake!!

Some roller-coasters aren't that fun...

2011-06-30T09:54:00.000-07:00

June has been quite the emotional roller-coaster for us! In May, Jon was approached about a possible promotion opportunity in Salt Lake City. He interviewed during the first week of June and received an offer. We wrestled with the decision for quite some time. Jon and I discussed, prayed, asked advice, and finally came to the decision that he should take the position. So I am happy to announce that Jon will be the next Operations Manager for Ferguson Salt Lake City, which is a HUGE branch out west. It is a great honor, and I, along with our extended family, am very proud of him. We will be moving during the last week in August, so that he can begin work the day after Labor day. Ferguson will do all of the moving and packing for us, which is wonderful!
Speaking of packing, I am actually taking a break from that right now. We are heading up for our annual summer visit. All four of us are driving up to Smith Mountain Lake. Jon gets to stay for a whole week before flying home to work some more. The kids and I will stay on at Nana and Papa's for two more weeks before Jon flies back into Richmond. We will be heading to Williamsburg to Grandma and Grandad's before proceeding to the outerbanks for a Schumacher family beach week. This year, we will be staying at the new home of Jon's sister Wendy and brother-in-law Geoff, who recently purchased a vacation home in Duck. We are very excited about our vacation!!! We were almost afraid it wasn't going to happen.
Brighton has been sick for a couple of weeks. Without getting into too many details, her little stomach was very messed up. We took her to the doctor after a few days of not getting better. Her pediatrician sent her to a Pediatric Gastorentolgist on the southshore for more tests. He at once, suspected C-diff (a superbug that people get following a course of antibiotics). However, she tested negative for the C-diff toxin. After many many phone calls to the doctor, many sleepless nights, and hours of prayer, I am happy to say that our little girl seems to be getting better. She has been taking a probiotic, and the doctors seem to think that her body was lacking good bacteria causing inflammation in the colon. Thank you so much for all of the prayers. She has truly been wrapped in prayer, and it's so amazing to know that so many people have been praying for her--even people we've never met!
I have posted the only pictures that we really took in June. During the middle of the month, the kids and I participated in Vacation Bible School at our church. It was sad to think of this as our last one in Louisiana and with our church family. We have truly been blessed at Faith Presbyterian Church, and VBS was another huge blessing for the kids and me. I was given the opportunity to do some acting. I played Mary, and each day I was able to teach the children the lesson for the day by telling stories about Jesus and interacting with my neighbor in Nazareth, Eugene (aka Charles). It was a lot of work, but it was very rewarding. Brighton spend the mornings with her best friend, and favorite 84 year old, May May. She was able to participate in a few of the activities, but May May kept her and a couple other two-year-olds plenty busy. Will loved VBS! He learned so much, and he never gave away that Mary was actually his Mommy except once ;) On Thursday during the week, Ms. Pam had a reptile expert come to the church to show the kids turtles and snakes. Will and Brighton both got to join in on that fun. Will had some mixed emotions and seemed more scared of the turtles than the huge snake! This month has been full of ups and downs for sure, and we are sooooo ready to take a vacation!!!

Brighton LOVES her May May!

Brighton walked right up to the turtles to try and feed them. Will was more hesitant, so my friend, Nikki helped him find some courage.

But when the big ones came out, he was back in Nikki's arms!

The kids got to see how long an anaconda is by lying next to a real anaconda skin...gross!

Ms. Pam (children's ministry director) helped Will pet the python--I couldn't go near it!

Mary and Eugene (me and Charles) stayed very busy rehearsing and teaching the kids. In the next picture are some of my favorite church people, Flora Neff, and Frank and Lynn Fury. Charles Macgowan is in the background too.

There was a program for parents on the final day of VBS. I didn't get the best pictures since I was hiding in my Mary costume at the back of the church.

It was a very rewarding week, and we had a great time with our church family!

The Schus hit the beach!

2011-06-07T15:40:00.000-07:00

For Memorial Day weekend, I convinced Jon that we needed to take a vacation with just the four of us to one of the gulf coast beaches. Other than a day trip to Biloxi, we had never been to a beach nearby. Last year, we didn't try to go because of the oil spill, and the previous year, it just seemed too difficult with our little ones. But this year we packed up and headed to Orange Beach, Alabama. Orange beach is very close to the Florida border, so it took about three hours to get there. It was an absolutely beautiful beach. The first day we just found public beach access, and settled in for the day, but the second day we found the State Park where there is miles of untouched beautiful sand and surf. It was such a relaxing time, and the kids have been asking to go to the beach every day since. :)

Brighton and Will played in the sand quite a bit. Brighton played in the water a little while we had to force Will out of the ocean for a break. Brighton had fun pouring water on herself as evidenced in the next series of photos I like to call "Brighton Rae: Beach Beauty and sandy bologna sandwich eater."

Splashface and Buckethead had a great time at the beach...and so did their parents!

Goals and Gators

2011-06-07T14:32:00.000-07:00

This month, we have kept busy with a flury of activities, and now that June has begun, we are getting even busier. So I decided to take this afternoon and blog our goings on from May. Will finished his soccer season at the beginning of the month. He seemed to improve from the first of the season, and I think he learned some things about teamwork and not being a sore loser, although we have to remind him of these lessons occasionally ;). Both Brighton and Will took swimming lessons this month, and they did very well. They are both swimming like little fish, but I still keep their life jackets on in the pool because I inherited my Dad's David Hasslehoff-water-safety gene. I had a wonderful Mother's Day where I was waited on by my husband and sung to by my kiddos. Jon bought me a watch and the kids bought me flowers and made cards. We also got outside as much as possible this month. Besides going to the pool, we took a few hikes through the swamp to encounter as much of Louisiana's wildlife as possible (at a safe distance, of course.)

He may not have been the best player on the field, but at times, he was certainly the happiest!

Will was so happy to get another medal!

We are so proud of you, Will!!!

After soccer ended, the kids took swimming lessons together. Jon took this picture after their first lesson. You can imagine how tired the teacher must've been! They actually did very with the last few lessons. They are crazy about the water, so we go to the pool at least twice a week now.

This was our Mother's Day celebration at church. The kids sang "Joshua Fought the Battle of Jericho" and "When the Saints Go Marching In." Brighton was old enough to participate this year, and both she and Will did a very good job singing. I was a proud Mommy!

One Saturday afternoon, we headed to one of our favorite spots...Fontainebleu State Park.

It takes a little while to get to the wetlands because we move at Brighton's pace.

Will spots something!!!

Look closely, and you can see a little alligator. It was probably about three feet long and while we were there it slowly swam closer and closer to us and then CHOMPED down on an unsuspecting blue crab. Very cool!

This is Will's reenactment of the alligator eating the crab. (He's also wearing his alligator shirt, which he chose in the hopes that it would lure a a gator to us.)

On a different Sunday afternoon, we went to a swamp we had never been to before. This one had hiking paths that were much more narrow. We had heard that to hike the entire trail would be about five miles, so we decided to break out the double jogging stroller that we haven't used in quite a while. At one point, as Jon was trying to maneuver over a fallen tree, he fell and took the stoller with him. Other than some scratches on Jon, no one was hurt, but we were left carrying two shaken up little ones AND pushing an empty stroller for the rest of the hike! We still managed to get a few good pictures.

Cute baby gator--this one was not much bigger than a hatchling.
There's always something interesting to be seen in the swamp!

Been to Louisiana lately?

2011-05-05T09:21:00.000-07:00

Jon's parents came for a visit over the Easter holiday, and we used this visit to do some sight-seeing around our neck of the woods. Jon was armed with his new camera and so after weeding through about 600 photos, I posted the ones I thought best showed off our area. We love having visits from our family. Both sets of grandparents make it a point to visit a few times a year. We would LOVE to host people more often, so I am using this blog post to officially invite anyone who has ever wanted to visit New Orleans to start planning your trip! If you have never wanted to visit this area of the country--you have no idea what you're missing! We live on the Northshore of Lake Ponchartrain, which is about an hour outside of the city of New Orleans. Our area is worth the trip even if you never make it to the French Quarter (but I would suggest you make it to the French Quarter). The Northshore offers beautifully, quaint small-town sights, and fantastic eating. It is extremely family friendly, and the natural beauty is like nothing you will see in any other part of the country. In the Spring and Fall, the weather is fabulous, and there are free festivals with art, music, and food almost every weekend. It would take days to explore all that the Northshore has to offer, but at some point, you would have to make it to the city. New Orleans is the most unique city in the country. Jon and I often tell people that visiting is like visiting Europe without ever leaving the US. And don't believe the hype--you can bring your children to the city of New Orleans! It's not all about naked women and drunks. If you visited during one of Tech's trips to the Sugar Bowl, you missed out on what this city is really all about. So I'm declaring an open invitation to come to Southeast Louisiana, see the sights, enjoy the food and music, and experience a place like no other!!!

Just don't visit in the summer unless you really enjoy the most intense heat and humidity you've ever felt. Take a gander at Grandma and Grandad's exciting time:

After a fabulous breakfast at Louie and the Redhead Lady Too (the Mandeville Location can be seen on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives), we set out for a walk around Covington.

We stopped for a few pictures at the Columbia Street Landing where the city holds free concerts by the river once a month.

Grandma and Grandad posed for this unknowingly with some of Covington's "colorful" graffiti. Bad Jon.
Then, we headed to Lee Lane for some shopping.

and some posing with Grandad...

For dinner, we went to an outdoor restaurant in Mandeville to enjoy crawfish and bbq before taking a sunset stroll along the lakefront.

The sunset over Lake Ponchartrain. The causeway is in the distance.

Sunset kisses ;)

A rare shot of Jon since he always has the camera.

Saturday, we headed to the Covington Farmer's Market and then did a little shopping before enjoying a nice dinner at home.

Can anyone tell me why there is a statue of Ronald Regan at the Covington Trailhead?

Apparently, working the farmer's market is hard work and sometimes requires a farmer nap. It is also an occasion to dress up...you never know where the paparazzi will be, right Brighton or should I say Suri Cruise?

Sunday was Easter Sunday.We attempted a photo shoot after church. This is the best we could do:

Let the Easter egg hunt begin...

The kiddos changed out of their church clothes, so they could play with the bunny bubble blowers Grandma brought for their Easter baskets.

Brighton fell on the patio and scraped both knees. She was given bandaids and kisses, but she insisted that she could no longer walk. So we let her snuggle with Grandad and watch The Weather Channel, which soon became one of Will's favorite things to watch.

We headed out to the spouts in Abita Springs. Will had a blast, but Brighton decided she did not want to be wet (perhaps the trauma of having booboos was too much for her). We took her down to the park to play instead.

We celebrated Jon's birthday while his parents were here by getting his favorite: a carrot cake from Zoe's bakery. I scrounged around and found three candles--I figured 30 might be a fire hazard.

On Monday, we spent the afternoon in the quarter. We ate lunch at one of our favorite spots, Oceana grill, where we all (including the kids) pigged out on alligator sausage and eggplant sticks. Of course we had chargrilled oysters and various other Louisiana specialties. After all of that eating, we needed to walk off that super-full feeling. We ended the afternoon with a trip to the airport where we dropped off Grandma and Grandad. It was a great visit! Who's next?

Things, they are a-changin'...

2011-04-15T08:10:00.000-07:00

We've had some major changes around here lately. The weather has changed from warm to hot, so for that reason, I decided to change the blog background to the summertime theme. Our pool opens tomorrow, and we are already dealing with the heat and humidity. April is really the last month before summer where it is still somewhat pleasent outside, so Louisiana packs all of its festivals in one month. We have already been to a couple, but we are headed to quite a few more festivals and outdoor concerts this weekend. Our kiddos are changing so much! They are growing so big. Brighton is now potty trained and sleeping in a big girl bed. Will is playing soccer and riding his bike like a big boy, and I can't believe my little babies aren't babies anymore! We've had some changes around the house with some new items thanks to a nice tax refund. We bought the kids some new bikes, Brighton a new bed, Will some new goldfish, and Jon got a new camera. We are not the only ones celebrating new "things." Our church has finally found a new pastor. We have not had a head pastor since we started attending Faith Presbyterian, so we are very excited that God has brought us a new man for the job. We are thanking God for all of these changes and blessings even if it means are little ones are not so little anymore.

Brighton Rae

William Craig

A new camera for Jon...

Jon seems to have an eye for photography, and he's always wanted a really nice camera. We were finally able to get him one thanks to generous donations from family for his 30th birthday that is coming up at the end of this month. I'm not sure how to upload them in high resolution, so some of the quality is taken away by blogger :(

New Bikes...

New goldfish...

As you can see, he is quite proud of the fact that he can feed his little pets on his own. We have already warned him that goldfish do not last too long, so consequently, everytime we go out he asked if I think his goldfish will be dead when we return...I blame myself.

A new bed...

Since Brighton is now potty trained, I really wanted her to be able to get out of her bed to go potty. Her crib converts to a full bed, but we decided to just use the headboard and put her new mattress and box springs right on the floor, so she doesn't have too far to climb. She LOVES it! And no I do not leave the window open while she's asleep. She was just getting some fresh air while she looked at books.

At the Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival, the kids got to ride the little rides and play some games (which is where the goldfish came from). While Brigthon enjoyed the little slow rides, Will was not so sure...

He was clearly unimpressed with these until Daddy took him on this...

his very first "roller coaster." They are three people back (Jon's wearing pink).

Will is terrified of dogs and cats, but he will touch anything scaly or slimy. At the strawberry festival, we all get to sample some delicious strawberry daiquiris. (The kids' obviously had no alcohol in them.)

He is actually starting to get it. At first, he just ran around the field (sometimes pretending to be an airplane). But now, he is trying to go after the ball and kick it in the goal although sometimes it's the wrong goal.

I love to put Brighton's hair in pigtails...she's just so darn cute!

We all love to go to free outdoor concerts. Will claims it's his favorite thing to do (when asked by our new Pastor, he responded that his favorite song was, "Cheeseburger in Paradise." These pics were taken at Sunset At The Landing which is a free monthly concert on the banks of one of the rivers in our neighborhood. Our house is one block from the Little Tchefuncte River and two blocks from the Bogue Falaya River.

Will knows how to get the camera aka Daddy's attention.

Princess Brighton. She LOVES playing dress-up! She is also VERY dramatic. I sometimes cannot believe the faces and emotions she can "put on" at the drop of a hat. Brighton has a very zany imagination.

The Lost Archive

2011-04-01T13:31:00.000-07:00

I realized I never actually posted any pictures taken while my parents were here staying with the kids. We really didn't have a chance to take many pics since we were on our trip. When we got home, we did get out for a short outing to the Louisiana Children's Discovery Center in Hammond. Then we went to Middendorf's which is a fantastic seafood restaurant nearby. The kids were having a blast, and we were getting worn out following them from one exhibit to the next. Papa was there to keep a close eye out for possible safety violations while Nana was a bit more hands-on with some of the exhibits. I will be posting more pics of what we've been up to lately, but here are the missing pictures of early March. Brighton started feeling bad around the time my parents were about to leave, and she has just now gotten back to her old self. She has had croup, a cold or allergies, and pneumonia. I am happy to say she is back to her happy self and has made major strides in potty training. Will has been well for the most part, and I will be posting soccer pics ASAP.

Bubbles are a hit with Brightons and Nanas alike.

Will really liked playing in the ambulance and operating on the animals. He told the employee there that it didn't hurt the stuffed animals because "they didn't actually have brains."

Brighton got tired very quickly...it was soon very clear she was not feeling well :(

Here are two pictures that prove that Papa was in Louisiana...lurking.

Our trip to Punta Cana that almost wasn't...through the lens of a camera phone.

2011-03-11T12:40:00.000-08:00

We have returned from our trip to the Dominican Republic slightly worse for wear but a bit more relaxed. On the Sunday before we left, Mom and Dad arrived to begin their week as babysitters for Will and Brighton. Unfortunately they got more than they bargained for when I started coming down with a stomach bug a few hours after they walked in the door. I managed to rest and get some medication, so that I could still make the trip which we left for early Wednesday morning. As we were checking in at the airport, we were unpleasantly surprised again when we realized that Jon had picked up my old passport instead of HIS passport by mistake. We were pretty convinced that things were not looking so good to make it to Punta Cana that day, but Dad did the impossible and drove Jon's passport to him all the way from Covington. This is about an hour drive over the causeway and through some very tricky road construction. Dad had never driven that way before and had to rely on his Garmin and nerves of steel (if you know my Dad, you will detect the sarcasm) :) He pulled it off, and we checked in for our 6:15 flight at 5:55. We cut to the front of the security line, and made it to our gate with seconds to spare. Once we got on the plane we realized another important item had been forgotton--the camera! Jon was very disappointed since he had been looking forward to taking some great pics. (We ended up using his cell phone camera, which explains the poor picture quality.) Great start to a relaxing trip, huh? We were VERY VERY grateful to my dad for making that awful trek and thankful that we at least had some sort of camera. I was still not feeling well on the flights, so I was very relieved to get to the resort by about 2pm. I continued to have some stomach trouble, but Jon was thankfully healthy for the duration of the trip. We stayed at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. The resort was very nice, and we had a fabulous room. We had two dinners with the other Ferguson guests, but we were able to do whatever we wanted other than that. We met some other couples our age and had a great time visiting with fellow Ferguson employees and their wives. We spent a lot of time on the beach because it was so beautiful and the breeze was so pleasant. The breeze was a little too pleasant because I did not realize just how sunburned I was getting until I left the beach. We spent some time by the pool too enjoying fruity drinks at the swim-up bars. There were several restaurants and shops in the main building and along the beach, so we weren't in the sun for the entire trip. We also spent some time just relaxing in our room, especially since I still needed some recovery from the flu. We were able to Skype with the kids, and we called them quite a bit. They did very well, and Nana and Papa seemed to really have a special time with them. I have to admit, I was very very excited to get home and squeeze my babies. I was thankful for the time to relax and glad that Jon was able to reap the benefits of his hard work over the past three years, but there's just no place like home.

This was the view from our room. One, two, three pools and then beach. The breezes were incredible!

Our room was so nice. We had a huge jacuzzi tub and a table set for two overlooking the balcony.

Some unflattering pics of me and Jon pre-sunburn.

The Hard Rock touches-instruments painted on the buildings and various rock paraphernalia. This limo was in the "Music" video by Madonna.

The beach was the best part!

We stayed in a room with the thatching on the roof like this one on the third floor.

Here you can see my horrendous sunburn, the evidence of stomach flu (by my exhausted look and the unfinished drink) as well as the beginnings of some eye trouble that I am still dealing with. The second pic is one of Jon's favorite things in life: the swim-up bar.

The pools were absolutely beautiful. I think we counted 12 or 13 different pools on the resort, but there may have been more!

I loved that the chairs were set on a ledge in the water. It was very nice to cool your feet or the third degree sunburn.

We had a great time despite our troubles. And we were both able to relax for a change. Congratulations, Operations Manager of the Year! Nice bathrobe ;)

Mardi Gras 2011

2011-03-11T12:20:00.000-08:00

Our trip fell right during the last weekend of Carnival, but we made it back in time for Mardi Gras. We went to two parades before we left and then one more on Fat Tuesday. Of course, our plane into New Orleans was packed with people coming into town to celebrate. I know I have said this before, but I always feel the need to emphasize that Mardi Gras is not the crazy drunkfest where women go around flashing their chests that most people think of. On the Northshore, Mardi Gras is very family oriented. While we didn't make it to any Southshore parades, most of them are family-friendly as well. The kids have a great time, and I love that they are getting to experience such a unique cultural phenomenon. We didn't take any pictures on Fat Tuesday, but here are some pictures from the Krewe of Eve and Krewe of Olympia. I want to thank our friends the Slatons for including us in some VIP spots for the parades this year! It was fun to be with friends and be close to a bathroom!!!!!

This is a Mardi Gras ladder. These are a traditional way for kids to watch the parades over the crowds of people. Will and Brighton ate their dinner and watched the floats go by...what a life!

King and Queen of Eve.

"Throw me something Mister!" Brighton has already mastered the proper call, which is not surprising since this is Mardi Gras number three for her. Her first one she spent in the Baby Bjorn asleep...our little bayou baby is getting so big!

Will was happy with his loot. I dread trying to find places for all of the "junk" every year!

Happy Mardi Gras!!!!!

January Journies and February Frustrations

2011-02-22T13:14:00.000-08:00

I can't believe I haven't blogged in almost two months! I do have, what I believe, are good reasons or excuses depending on which way you perceive them. Right after Christmas, the four of us took our first journey to Eastern Virginia to be with the Schumacher clan for New Year's. Jon's Uncle Glen and Aunt Cecile flew in from Minnesota, and Jon's parents graciously offered to fly us up so that we wouldn't miss the New Year's family fun. And we did have fun! Williamsburg had just been hit with a large snow storm, so there was still snow on the ground for the kids to play in. The kids LOVED playing in the snow. We spent time at Grandma and Grandad's, Uncle Geoff and Aunt Wendy's, and Uncle Eric and Aunt Victoria's homes, and we enjoyed several delicious meals at each ;) Jon's Aunt Vicky and cousin Joanna joined us for New Year's too, so it was quite a Schumacher family event. After the weekend, Jon flew back home, and the kids and I stayed on for some more time in Virginia. We spent a week doing some sight-seeing(The VA Living Museum was excellent) with Grandma, visiting with Jake and Sophia, and going to Brady and Zach's basketball games. The kids and I drove up to Fredericksburg one morning to visit my friend Gray, who was spending her birthday in the hospital on bedrest. She ended up having baby Matthew a few days later. While I was sad to miss out on seeing the new baby, it was nice to see Gray again! I also stopped by my old school, Ni River Middle, to see some of my teacher buddies for the first time in years! It was very nice to see them again as well. On Saturday, Grandma and Grandad drove us to Virginia Beach where we met up with Amanda, Matt, and Callie and made a visit to the aquarium. The kids had a great time, especially at the Komodo Dragon exhibit and submarine. We ended our week in Williamsburg with a stop at the Great Wolf Lodge where Grandma and Grandad treated me to a haircut for my upcoming birthday. My sister picked the kids and me up later that morning, and Aunnie, Callie, Mommy, Will, and Brighton journied across the state to the lake to spend a week with Nana and Papa. It snowed a little the day after we arrived at my parents', so once again, we spend a couple hours sledding and playing in the snow. The rest of the week, we mainly stayed around the house since the roads were a little slick. Papa took the kids on tractor rides, Nana had craft time with Will and music time with the girls, and we played games and worked more word puzzles out of the newspaper than I care to admit. Amanda and I did go see a movie together while Nana and Papa contained all three beasts, I mean grandchildren. We took the kids to visit Grandma Worley as well as had dinner with one of our cousins and his new baby. We made one trip to the mall together, where we had a pleasent meal but then a not-so-pleasent shopping experience trying to keep all three sleepy kiddos happy. We had a fun time, and it was very nice being together for the first time in years during the winter in Virginia. Amanda drove us back to Williamsburg on Monday, and the kids and I flew out of Richmond on a Tuesday. The journey back to New Orleans took a turn for the worse due to some storms. Our plane had to make an emergency landing in Mobile, where we waited to get more gas before trying to make into New Orleans again. The kids did remarkably well on the flight, but I have never been so happy to be on the ground as I was that night. We were all happy to be safe and back with Jon. We all missed being together, and while we loved our time in Virginia, it was difficult having our little family apart for three weeks. The last journey I made by myself at the end of January. This was the journey into my thirties :( I have dreaded turning thirty for a long time, but now that it has come...well, I still feel old. I had a very quiet and pleasent birthday with my kids and Jon, and I am thankful for making it to this ripe old age.

As for the February Frustrations, we lost our second laptop at the beginning of the month which explains the lack of blogging. We are very very grateful to now have a beautiful second-hand desktop donated to the Schumacher family from Uncle Glen and Aunt Cecile. We really really appreciate having this computer as it is proving to be much more Will-friendly. The other frustration we encountered this month was in preparing for next year. We had to make some quick long-term decisions regarding Will's school for next year, but we are all set and very happy that he will be attending a pre-K program at a private school in Covington, that is of course, unless we are no longer Louisiana residents. But as for now, we are still happily enjoying our life in Louisiana, and there has been no news to the contrary. My next post will hopefully come sooner than the last. My parents will be coming for a visit on Sunday the purpose of which will be to watch Will and Brighton as Jon and I head to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic for a few days. Jon won Operations Manager of the Year for Ferguson, so he is being rewarded for his hard work (and I am being awarded for tolerating his hard work) :) I am, of course, anxious about leaving the kids. Please pray for our safety and my nerves as we head out on March 2 and return to our little nest March 5 just in time for Mardi Gras!!!

Playing in the snow consisted of snowball fights, putting snow down Daddy's pants,

eating snow,family pics,

and playing in Uncle Eric's igloo.

The kids would not stay out of the snow even when they weren't dressed for it!

Grandma and Uncle Glen spending some quality time with Grandma's princesses.

New Year's Eve at Wendy and Geoff's house was a great time. We did some Wii dancing, ate fabulous food, and spent some time at Hokie House II (aka Wendy and Geoff's downstairs bar).

I took this pic of a fox at the Virginia Living Museum. Will asked me what the fox was chewing on, and because I can't resist teasing him sometimes, I told him the fox was chewing on little boy bones...

He spent the rest of the outside walk riding in Brighton's stroller. I'm such a mean Mommy!

The Museum was great. The otters were especially playful, and the kids were facinated by the foxes and wolves.

We also had a great time at the aquarium in VA beach.

Watch out for the giant shark!

More snow at Nana and Papa's house. Brighton tried to show Callie just how yummy snow could be.

Let the sledding begin...

We also visited my Grandma. She is our only surving Grandmother and my kids only great-grandmother. Will was little frightened this time, but the girls were happy to oblige for a picture.

Grandchildren trio.

Tractor fun. Obviously, my parents don't get much winter-time traffic at the lake.

Happy 30th Mommy!! I had a great day with my birthday buddies!

Our Christmas

2010-12-28T12:00:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas from the Schumachers! After a very nice, quiet, Christmas, we are heading North to Virginia, but before we head out, I wanted to share our Christmas pics. We really enjoyed spending time with each other, and of course, the kids loved their presents. Jon was almost completely headache-free! Although we missed not seeing our extended families, I really cherish the times we get to do things with just the four of us. This is our third Christmas with just us, and each year, I have loved Christmas more and more. We do get to spend New Year's with extended family for a change. We are flying tomorrow to Richmond, where Jon's parents will pick us up. We are excited about seeing grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, nephews, and neices. Jon will be heading home after the weekend, and the kids and I will be spending about ten days with the Grandma and Grandad. My sister is going to pick me up, along with my two little travel buddies, and we are all going to spend a week together with my parents before flying home mid-January. We are looking forward to the trip, and we are really hoping for some snow while we're there! Brighton has never experienced the white stuff and I'm pretty sure Will doesn't remember it very well. It has been three years since we were in VA during the winter. I must cease blogging now and get back to packing...now where did I put our snow clothes? :)

Brighton was really unsure about the break from her usual morning routine.

Thanks Nana and Papa!

Thanks Grandma and Grandad!

Merry Christmas!!!

Christmas Pageants and PS prayer requests

2010-12-23T07:58:00.000-08:00

We have two aspiring actors in the family. Will has been participating in two different Christmas programs this year, and Brighton made her debut in one program too. Will has been in the annual live nativity at our church, but this year he got to be Joseph. Brighton was old enough to be an angel in the program as well. Will also was a shepherd in his preschool's Christmas program. He did very well in both programs! We were pleasantly surprised how well he knew what to do because if we ask him what he is going to be doing, he usually has no idea. Brighton was quite the little ham. She did not want to do what she was supposed to do, but she LOVED the attention. I think we may have a problem with that one! The best part of the church program was the kids' costumes. My mom made both kids' outfits, and they turned out beautifully! They were the subjects of many many compliments. Thank you, Nana, for making them the cutest angel and Joseph ever!! Enjoy the pics below, and please read my comments at the bottom of the page about Jon.

They made an awfully cute angel and Joseph!

Getting them dressed was no easy feat...I was afraid Will was going to give us a repeat performance of Mother's day where he just laid on the floor during the program. Eventually he settled down.

Brighton was not so thrilled about getting her costume on over her Christmas dress, but she got used to it.

Cornering them behind the door made it easy for me to finish getting them dressed for the "show."

Don't let the wings fool you, she was a little stinker before it was time to go on. I stayed very busy keeping her away from the church Christmas tree.

The live nativity for our church is for all the little kids (with big-kid helpers). They walk down the aisle, sing a few songs, play hand bells, and then are dismissed to go have a birthday party for Jesus (which was Will's motivation for being so good).

Brighton and Ava were the little angels. They walked down the aisle and were then supposed to stand near the stage with the other kids. However, Brighton proceeded to run around the sanctuary, find a hymnal to start beating like a drum, and have her own private dance party to "Joy to the World." It's a good thing that it was a very informal little program.

Will and Laurel (aka Mary and Joseph) came down the aisle last. I'm pretty sure baby Jesus should not be carried like that, but that's a boy for you! Will did very well playing the bells this year. He has had some onstage fiascoes in the past, but he might have finally figured out what to do now.

Will was the youngest little one on stage, but he seems to be able to hold his own.

Will was a shepherd for his preschool program. He goes to preschool at a large Baptist church in Covington.

Will knew all of his hand motions, and he sang every word.

A thumbs-up and a wave for Mommy and Daddy. We're so proud of you, Will!

I'm including in this post a request for prayer. Jon has been diagnosed with cluster headaches. These are headaches that are extremely painful, and come in "clusters" of time, usually weeks but sometimes months. Jon has been having headaches for over three weeks now. At first, we thought he had a very bad sinus infection, but after two rounds of antibiotics, he went to the ER for a cat scan. The emergency room doctor diagnosed him and our regular doctor confirmed it. He is trying various drugs to help prevent and treat the headaches. So far, he has had one day without a headache, but last night he had another very bad one. There is no real cure for the headaches, and treatments usually vary from person to person. It is also not know what exactly causes the headaches. They will go away for months or years at a time before he has another attack, but during the cluster headache, life is miserable. Please pray for Jon. These headaches have affected his work and his life. We've had some difficult times this month, and we appreciate those who are praying consistently for us. With that, I would like to add one more request: Jon's dad, Ed, had been diagnosed with prostate cancer. Please pray for guidance for him and his doctors on how to best treat it as well as prayer for both Caren and Ed as they deal with this news.

A tribute to Boo

2010-12-16T06:09:00.000-08:00

I was going to wait to write anything until after Saturday, but I think it would be therapeutic for me to write something now. On Saturday, I will have to do undoubtedly the hardest thing I've ever had to do. I have to say goodbye to our sweet dog, Boo. She has not been a healthy dog for some time now, but in the last five weeks, her health has really deteriorated. She has been plagued by several tumors for a while that sometimes make it difficult for her to drink water and go "potty," but recently her legs seem to be the biggest problem. Since 2008, she has had what the vet described as a torn doggie ACL. The surgery was extremely expensive and not guaranteed to help her. So we gave her pain meds and anti-inflammatory pills for a long time, and it seemed to actually stop bothering her. However, at this point, she is almost unable to walk, and compounded with being mostly blind and deaf, she is not leading a happy life. I feel it is my responsibility to give Boo what she needs most now, relief.

I adopted Boo from the Roanoke SPCA ten years ago when she was around three years old. I was a sophomore at Virginia Tech, and I was living by myself in a studio apartment. Boo was a great roommate. She slept on the bed, curled up on the couch, acted as a little barking burglar alarm, and loved to go on walks. I bought hair bows, dresses, outfits, and costumes for her. She put up with it all! Because I was always driving somewhere, I bought her a seat belt, so that she would be safe in the car. Boo loved going to the lake. I think she was happiest there. Even as recently as this summer, she seemed to rehabilitate at the lake. After I got married, Boo had some adjustments. She was no longer allowed to get up on the bed or the other furniture once we bought "real" furniture. I still took her on walks, and she enjoyed the big backyard at our house in Fredericksburg. The biggest adjustment for her came when Will was born in 2006. She was unsure what to think about him or about the fact that she was no longer our only baby. But Will loved Boo. "Boo Boo" was his first word (as well as Brighton's two years later!) Boo provided the motivation for my kids to start moving. She put up with them pulling her tail and tackling her because she has always had the absolute sweetest temperament. She has gotten fatter from sitting underneath their chairs at dinner and following them as closely as possible when they are walking around with a snack. Boo hasn't gotten as much attention in the last years as she did when she was my little princess dog, Boogenvillia the Exquisite Beast (yes, that is her full name). But she has always remained my loyal companion. I could not have asked for a better dog for me or our family. I am so thankful that I got to share the last ten years with one of God's most special creatures. Booboo, you are loved, and I will never forget you.

Please, please pray for me on Saturday and our family as we adjust to life without her.

Some of my favorite pictures of Boo taken in the last few years.

Thanksgiving in the Swamp

2010-12-06T09:54:00.000-08:00

This Thanksgiving, my parents decided to make the trek down to Louisiana for a Cajun-themed feast. I was very excited to have my parents this year. It has actually been five years since I spent Thanksgiving with them. We decided to make the most of our current state of residence, so I ordered several seafood dishes from a local seafood deli as well as a Cajun deep-fried turkey. We ate crabmeat au gratin, shrimp and mirliton casserole, oyster dressing, and a couple of the more traditional sides. While Mom and Dad were here, we also did some Christmas shopping, went to the park a few times, took some walks, and got to experience our first afternoon on the swamp. Dad treated everyone to a swamp tour at Honey Island Swamp in Slidell (about a 25 min drive from Covington.) It was one of the first chilly days we've had down here, so we were afraid that we wouldn't get to see any alligators. However, one lonesome alligator stayed out just for us--I think he knew Will was coming ;) The tour was fantastic, and it was really cool to see local wildlife in the WILD like that. We learned so much and the scenes were spectacular. It was the highlight of a great visit with Nana and Papa, and we were sad to see them go.

Calm before the storm...food storm.

Will was so happy to have his favorite playmate in his little tree house.

Will and Brighton's early Christmas present from Nana and Papa. THANK YOU!!!!

Brighton has all the body guards she needs.

Stop! That crazy woman has my kids!!!! (Mom and I trying to work off the extra Thanksgiving calories.)

Nana wants YOU to have a Happy Thanksgiving! (Sorry, Mom, I just couldn't resist!)

It's too warm to be Thanksgiving day!!!

A much happier Will waiting for the swamp tour to begin on a much cooler day!

Be patient Will! The tour will start soon!

Brighton couldn't understand why she had to sit down. I got pretty worn out trying to keep her from becoming gator bait.

We saw a huge owl. We were supposed to be quiet, but Brighton kept shoutig "Hoo, Hoo!"

We found an alligator much to the delight of Will and Brighton!

Shrimp boat

The tub says "Cajun Hot Tub." The stacked red baskets are for catching blue crabs.

The caution sign says "Don't drink the water...fish crap in it!" Lovely.

Brighton decided to sport a new do on the way back--actually the boat was moving pretty fast.

The ride back to the dock was a little chilly since the sun has started going down.

We had a great visit with Nana and Papa! Thanks for a very special Thanksgiving!!!

What a Big Girl!!!

2010-11-21T11:11:00.000-08:00

Brighton Rae turned two on November 5. I still can't believe she is already two years old! Where does the time go? She is growing up so fast. I don't have her physical measurements since our two year check-up got postponed due to the doctor being sick, but I believe she is taller than average (and probably heavier than average too!) She is speaking quite well now. Although at first she did not put sentences together as quickly as Will, she seems to be putting new ones together everyday now. Brighton is definitely a unique little girl. She does the most bizarre things sometimes like grabbing Daddy's Tech hat, shoving Ming Ming Duckling inside the hat, and running around with it on her head (duck feet protruding out the front.) She also takes all of her clothes off (and her diaper), gets out her xylophone with mallets, and proceeds to count out a beat before banging with all of her might on the poor wooden instrument. Brighton loves to color, loves to dance, and loves music. She also loves to say, "I love you." She is also a very sweet little girl, who is takes care of her babies and Boo like she is a tiny little mommy. We are constantly giggling and wondering at what a beautiful little girl she is turning out to be. Here are some pictures from her special day.

Brighton definitely knew it was her birthday, and she loved all of the special attention!

We took the birthday girl to The Pizza Man restraunt. She LOVES to eat pizza (I have no idea where she got that from ;) ) The restraunt is great for kids because you get to watch your pizza being made, and the chefs hand toss the dough very high into the air.

Time to eat! Stop looking at my "bubby!" (Brighton's word for belly)

The waitress put a candle in the pizza. Brighton was not happy about this, but Daddy helped her out by blowing it out for her.

Mmmmm pizza!

Big Birthday Hug from Will!

Brighton thinks hugs are so fun, especially from Will. Will loves to hug her as long as she isn't messy. He hates getting food on his clothes, hands, or face!

Yep, pizza's good, now let me eat in peace.

Once we got home, Brighton got to get the mail where she found cards from both sets of granparents!!! Here's a fun fact about our kids' birthdays that you may not know: Brighton shares a birthday with my mom (Nov 5), and Jon's mom's birthday is two days after that (Nov 7). Will's birthday (Aug 23) is a day before Jon's dad's birthday (Aug 24), and five days after my dad's birthday (Aug 18). This makes it almost impossible for them to forget Will and Brighton's birthdays...not that they ever would!

One of her presents from Nana and Papa was a Hello Kitty ride-on that goes on its own!

She was happy to ride on it until she hit the button and realized it could go on its own...I think she's going to have to warm up to it!

I loved getting balloons for my birthday when I was a kid, so I tend to go a little overboard with the balloons on the kids' birthdays.

One of us was having a hard time with all the attention that Brighton was getting.

He did straighten up enough to give her his present.

Nana sent Brighton her very own Vera Bradley bag full of Hello Kitty nail polish and new hair bows. Brighton also thought it was a great place to put her new markers.

Daddy and Will brought out the final gift of the night--a baby bed and changing table for all of Brighton's babies.

She knew exactly what to do. Brighton has the mommy thing down. She loves dolls, and she loves to copy me. I'm amazed how quickly she picks up things that I didn't even realize I was teaching her.

Night night Baby, I need to go eat some birthday cake!

We got her a Belle cake since she got the "Beauty and the Beast" movie from Will and a Belle costume dress from the Raniellas. ;)

Forks are completely overrated.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmm!

We're very proud of our sweet little lady!

Can you guess what Will and Brighton were for Halloween?

2010-11-02T15:09:00.000-07:00

Were we firemen?

An inappropriately dressed baby-pop star?

A speedbump?

A crazy spaghettio monster?

NO!!! Although we did do all of those things over Halloween weekend, but
We were A ROBOT......

AND A BUMBLEBEE!!!
We had a fun Halloween, hope you did too!!! And stay tuned because this little bumble bee is turning two on Friday!!!!

Wild Weekend

2010-11-02T13:10:00.000-07:00

Grandma and Grandad came for a visit the weekend before Halloween. We had a very full weekend. The first day out we headed to Folsom to the Global Wildlife Center. We had a great time! We got to take a safari through several miles of open fields where animals can walk right up to you to be fed. I think it's safe to say that this was the highlight of the weekend for the kids and even the adults! What a fantastic place to visit and get up close with wild animlas :) The second day out we went to the annual Monster Mash festival in the park in our neighborhood. This is a huge festival with food, drinks, games, crafts, moonbounces, music, vendors, and a trick or treat village. The kids got to debut their costumes and sample some candy. On Sunday, we went to church and then headed to the Madisonville Wooden Boat festival. This is also a fun festival, and Grandma, Brighton, and I enjoyed doing some shopping while the boys waited with Will to get his face painted. We got to see some really neat boats before the skies let loose with a thunderstorm. Grandma and Grandad stayed one more day, so they could see Will's preschool and do a little shopping for Christmas and Brighton's upcoming birthday. It was a fun visit, and we are very blessed to have family that enjoys visiting as often as they can!

This is what we rode on to see the animals up close.

You get a bucket of feed and several cups, and you can feed some animals from your cup and some by hand, but every once in a while...

...the animals might give you a little love bite!

Grandma got to break in her new camera.

Our little wild thing got pretty worn out.

Will found that walking could be difficult in his costume. Fortunately he had Grandad aka Ed-O-Lantern to help him navigate the tricky Covington sidewalks.

Super Bee!

Brighton decided we had stayed too long, and it was time to eat her candy!

We made it to the Boat Festival on Sunday after church for just a little while before it started to rain...

Will loves to get his face painted! Daddy and Grandad were good sports waiting in line in the rain, so he could have it done.

Thanks for the "Wild" weekend Grandma and Grandad!

Pumpkin Hunting!

2010-10-19T19:54:00.000-07:00

Pumpkins, Pumpkins, Pumpkins!

Brighton exploring her roots.

Brighton loved the cows, but Will said they were too stinky.

Much more fun to just stomp on the pumpkins :)

Whew, farmin is tough work!

There is a little girl under there somewhere...

Will loved piling hay on Brighton, and Brighton loved every minute of it! Who knew a trailer full of hay would be such a hit!

Will ran up and down the hay bales several times.

Little Miss Independent

Time to wash up--farm style.

All tuckered out...time to hit the hay!

Short hair and Gators!

2010-10-05T12:04:00.000-07:00

September was not really the busiest of months for us despite Will starting preschool. We have adjusted to our schedule now, and Will continues to do really well in school. It has finally started to cool down a little here, but September was very hot and muggy. Here are some pictures of a Gator festival we went to a few weeks ago. The kids had a good time getting to touch some of Louisiana's wildlife. There were some pictures I left out on purpose because they involved my children touching snakes, and I decided I did not want snakes on my blog because I am terrified of them. One snake that Brighton and Will were playing with (a large one) wrapped around Brighton's little arm, and Will immediately tried to yank it off. The whole incident made me want to puke as I watched it from a safe distance. Jon was with them, but I couldn't get within 20 feet of the snakes! So only the alligator pictures are on this post. I also included pictures from this past Saturday. The kids (and Jon) went to get some badly-needed haircuts. It was Brighton's first actual haircut, so we took some pictures, and I snagged a small curl or two to save. She looks much better even though it wasn't a great haircut, and I can still put her hair up in pigtails. Brighton still has a little bit of a mullet, but I think she is just taking after me at that age--or maybe she's just proud to be a Louisianian, born and bred. :)

Not his first time holding a baby gator...he's a pro!

Not sure about this...

I think the smile says it all...she's a little gator gal, true to her birthplace!

Will got to pet the little (but not a baby) alligator too. I'm not sure about that tape around the mouth though.

Will got to ride some little rides.

Mommy and Brighton stayed off of the rides since I can't handle going around and around in circles. Daddy rode with Will on a one ride, but Will rode most of them by himself!

Brighton did have the important job of holding Lightning McQueen while Will got to ride.

Happy Haircut Day! We both need one!!!

Clearly, a BEFORE picture...

She did not stay very still, and the hairdresser wasn't exactly the best, but she lost the rat-tail/mullet combo with a little help from a lollipop.

Will is always very good for haircuts. He never stops talking to the hairdresser.

I think she's happy with the haircut despite some tears.

Our Growing Boy

2010-09-09T19:56:00.000-07:00

Our William Craig is getting so big! We celebrated Will's fourth birthday on August 23rd. His birthday fell on a Monday this year, so on the Saturday before his birthday we took the kids to the aquarium. Will has wanted to go for a very long time, and he is still talking about the neat fish he saw and the cool stuff from the gift shop that he picked out (with quite a bit of thought I might add). On Monday, we kept things fairly quiet, Jon was able to take the afternoon off, so the four of us shared in all the birthday fun at the house. I did have a little birthday playdate with the MOMS group that I'm a part of. On Labor Day weekend, we did some shopping to get Will ready for preschool which he started on Wednesday. He was so excited about preschool that he stayed up past 11:00 PM talking about how fun it was going to be and the friends he was going to make and the conversations he was going to have. I stayed up much later worrying that I wouldn't be able to hold back my tears in front of him. On Wednesday morning, he popped out of bed requesting eggs and wanting to get his doggy shirt (the shirt he decided to wear two days before) and school bag and head out the door. Jon stayed home that morning to go with me to drop him off. Will walked right into the building saying hello to everyone, and barely pausing to take a breath from speaking. Upon entering his classroom, the teacher held out his nametag and asked if he knew what it says. His response was "Yep, says William" then he took it right out of her hand and slapped it on his chest. He made his way over to the toys and waved goodbye to us. The teacher commented that she doubted she would have any trouble remembering his name. Brighton was not so sure about leaving her brother behind, but I had planned a full day for the two of us. I was able to not cry until I got into the car, but I couldn't help but be sooooo proud of Will. I can't believe how grown up he is now. He has been my constant companion for four years, but I know he is ready for a little away time from Mommy (and I think Brighton needs a little alone time with Mommy). I know I'm biased, but Will is a very smart boy, and I think preschool will prove to be a very positive experience for him. God has blessed us with the most precious children, and it makes us so happy to experience these milestones even if it means they are growing up!

Our birthday boy at the Audobon Aquarium in New Orleans.

Checking out the stingrays (which he refused to pet).

Studying the sharks.

Brighton liked the penguins most of all.

Looking at the tiny seahorses.

THE LIONFISH! THE LIONFISH! Will has anticipated this moment since March when he learned about Lionfish from a story that my mom read to him from the Reader's Digest.

Will's favorite thing was the sharks.

We had a birthday water-balloon fight in the backyard on the day of his birthday, followed by presents and cake.

The birthday boy waiting for his presents :)

Will wanted a doctor's kit most of all for his birthday. He gave check-ups to everyone in the house including Boo.

He loved his blocks from his buddy, Jack. He and Daddy built a house, boat, and helicopter all in one night.

Penguins of Madagascar cake.

Will approved of the cake!

Someone else enjoyed the cake too :)

I put together a little birthday playdate the day after his birthday. Here he is opening a present from his friend, Claire. We went to the spouts and shared snacks and bday cake with our Moms Group friends.

Labor Day weekend started out with a little shopping spree. Jon and I have recently lost some weight and were in desperate need of some better-fitting clothes. The kids are obviously growing like weeds, and they needed some new fall clothes. After all that shopping we had to take the kids to the park around the corner to "get some energy out" as Will likes to say.

Jon worked with Will for a while attempting him to pump his legs, so he could swing on his own. I think Will was too distracted by his new shoes to really get it.

Little Spinning Hokies: On Labor Day, we all dressed in our Hokie gear (because of the game later that day) and went for a long bike ride to a nearby park. We had a little picnic and let the kids (and us) run wild.

Our big boy's first day. He was so excited, and he did so well. We're so proud of him!!!!

Endless Summer Part II

2010-08-24T13:15:00.000-07:00

I am finally getting to the beach pictures! I was hoping to have this post done much earlier, but I got behind when a lightning strike took out not only our modem and wireless router, but also our oven, microwave, and worst of all, our air conditioner. It took a week to get everything back up and running. We did have our AC back fairly quickly, but not before we had to stay one night in a hotel because of the heat. Once everything was back to normal, we had to start getting ready for Will's birthday. He turned four yesterday, so my next blog post will be new four-year-old Will photos. In the meantime, here are some pictures from our beach vacation. I picked Jon up on our sixth anniversary, July 31st. He flew in to the huge Fayetville, NC airport, and we proceeded to join his family at the beach. We shared a house at Cherry Grove with Jon's parents (Ed and Caren aka Grandma and Granddad), his sister Wendy, her husband Geoff, and their two boys, Brady and Zach. They each invited friends, one of which was Jon's cousin, Joanna. We also got to spend the week with Wendy's lifelong friend, Lora, Lora's husband Gary, and their daughter, Ashleigh. SO it was a full house, but Will and Brighton had all kinds of playmates, which they loved! Will was completely enamored with Ashleigh, and he followed Zach around like a puppy dog. It was a very fun week and a fantastic vacation spot! Thanks Grandma and Granddad (Popes and Kites too)!

We had a great time doing all sorts of beach activities.

Daddy got to "relax" (relax=playing with Will constantly and sometimes both Will and Brighton)

Will, Daddy, and Brighton had help from Brady, Zach, and Ashleigh digging holes that were quickly washed away by the tide.

Will tried a little boogey boarding.

Will collecting shells with Grandma and Granddad.

Time-out for a belly bump.

Brighton and Mommy smile for the camera. We spent lots of quality time together.

Brighton and Mommy waiting on "The Big One"

Brighton and Mommy swimming in the shallow water.

Brighton giving Mommy a shower.

I did get a little time to myself. The surf reminded me of childhood vacations to Ocean Isle Beach where my dad taught me to ride the waves like a pro (a pro canvas-float rider, of course)

Wendy, Geoff, and Joanna need to learn that no one is safe when Jon gets his camera out.

Will and Zach racing--cue theme from "Chariots of Fire"

Ashleigh joined in the race to the tide pool.

Will needed a short rest and then...

...let the fun resume.

Will gets airborne :)

I've seen that look before...watch out!

Here she comes!!!!

Will even got Uncle Geoff in on the fun.

Will and Brighton's audience. We walked to the inlet in the evening. It was fun relaxing in the huge tide pools. And the beach was so wide! The kids had a ball.

The only inside picture I have! This one came from Grandma's camera, and Grandma was very happy to be with four out of six of her grandkids. The week was full of activity, and by the time we got all cleaned up, we forgot to take pictures!

So much activity made for very sleepy kids...beach naps are the best!

Endless Summer Part I

2010-08-11T09:45:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday, we returned to Louisiana after being gone for five weeks. On July 1, we left for my parents' house at Smith Mt Lake. Jon was able to take off for a whole week, so for the first time since working at Ferguson, he was able to spend a week at the lake. For the July 4th weekend, my parents hosted Jon's parents as well as his brother's family (which was a total surprise for us). Amanda, Matt, and Callie joined us as well as Amanda's inlaws, Steve and Dreama, and sister-in-law Michelle. We had a great time with everyone, and it was especially sweet to see Will and Jake playing together and Brighton, Sophia, and Callie all together. The girls are all very close in age. There was plenty of spoiling going around! Grandma and Granddad stuck around for a few days following the holiday, and Amanda and Callie were around for a couple days after that. We then had a couple more days of vacation before taking Daddy to the airport to fly home to NOLA. He joined us for the last week of vacation spent with his family in Myrtle Beach, but here are the highlights from just our lake vacation. There were only 1000 pictures to choose from, so I had to post as many as possible!

Will checking out a baby bird...he helped Nana and Matt take care of the bird until it finally flew on its own.

Brighton immediately set to pruning Nana's flowers, a task she kept up during the entire vacation.

Ahhh...it's been a long time, SML.

While we were taking it easy on the boat, Nana and Papa were monitoring our little sailors.

Will got a promotion to Captain. He and Brighton took turns driving the boat this year, but Papa actually let Will steer by himself some.

Brighton and Sophia bonding on the fourth of July. They haven't seen each other in a long time.

The Schumacher boat ride.

Will and Jake have the best time together! They got to see Will's Papa's fireworks display, fish, and...

whatever it is they are doing here.

Papa calls Brighton a Louisiana Mugwump

Callie and Brighton in their pigtails.

C and B in their matching July 4th dresses taking a wagon ride in Callie's suped-up Radio Flyer.

Mugwump enjoying the mud.

Bonding over a love of gravel.

Will rescuing Granddad in the lake.

Brighton and Grandma enjoying a beautiful day at SML.

Brighton Rae

Callie Mae

Not everyone was so happy to have their picture taken.

A Taylor family pic before Aunnie and Callie headed home. They came back before the kids and I left, but we had a few days with just Nana and Papa.
We took lots of walks...

and some boat rides too.

Showing off/Embarassing myself!

I love to ski!

Daddy is more of a novice skier, but he did finally get up!

But Daddy is an expert tube-rider. We finally convinced Will to try it, but the tube broke! He was done with all things tube-related after that...maybe next year.

This is a rare moment. Brighton really just liked to swim on her own...Miss Independent!

Will loved jumping off of the dock by himself, but it was even more fun once he recruited a partner...

Will loves his Daddy!

2010-08-11T08:45:00.000-07:00

The kids and I dropped Jon off at the Roanoke airport on July 10. We were all dreading that moment. It was quite the emotional goodbye, but the kids and I were excited to be able to spend some more time at the lake since we only get to visit once a year. I really wanted the kids to be able to enjoy the lake as much as I did (and still do) growing up. It's so fun to watch them doing the same things I got to do and have just as much fun doing them! We also got to visit with some old friends during our three week stint without Daddy. My best friend from Fredericksburg, Gray and her two boys met us at the water park in Roanoke for an afternoon of fun. It was so good to catch up with her and watch the kids play. It was so nice of her to meet us there, especially since she is pregnant with her third! I had a chance to catch up with an old high school friend too. We met Dan in Roanoke for some grilled cheese and ice cream one afternoon. (Will was really impressed with all of the tatatoos on Dan's arm...yes, he calls them tatatoos).The best part of the visit was spending time with my parents and sister...just like old times. I don't have too many pics because Jon is usually the one taking pictures, but my sister was able to get lots of cute shots of Callie and the kids. Visit her blog mandamumbojumbo.blogspot.com to see all of the Brighton/Will/Callie interactions! I will be posting pictures of our second family vacation to Myrtle Beach soon, but that's a whole other blog posting!

The reason I get so homesick sometimes.

Jack and Will picked up where they left off--as if they hadn't been apart for two years. Thanks, Gray for hauling the boys (all 3 of them) all the way to Roanoke! We miss you!!!!

Brighton and Luke...sneaky snackers.

Papa teaching his little buddy the correct method for neighborhood watch aka spying.

Nana and Papa gave Will a new Mcqueen fishing pole and tackle box. He did quite a bit of fishing with Papa, and he had no trouble touching the fish, worms, and casting. He needs a little work hooking the fish though.

Nana gives the best wheelbarrow rides--she even gave Brighton's wheelbarrow a ride too!

Thanks Daddy for letting us stay at Nana and Papa's for a whole month!

One more week...

2010-06-23T08:04:00.000-07:00

I was hoping to have some Vacation Bible School pics and video to post, but the video was too long, and I wasn't able to take any pictures because I was working the whole time! We stayed very busy with VBS last week. But it was a wonderful week. I had a great time leading my group, and I was very happy with how well Will did. He was so excited to learn about Joseph and ancient Egypt. He participated in the games and crafts, but his favorite thing was singing. He actually participated in the hand motions and sang his little heart out. It made me so happy to see him interacting so well during the week, and several times I got teary thinking about how much he has grown up. He will be going to preschool in the fall, and I think he is going to love it! I just don't know how well I will do without my little boy around those two days a week, but it will be nice to spend some much-needed alone time with my little girl. Brighton stayed in the church nursery with "Mae Mae" (she's the lady that watches the babies during church). She got to get out though and walk around, and she could not be kept away from the singing and dancing. She dances constantly. One lady commented to me that Brighton had "music in her soul." It's so fun to watch her dance when any music comes on. She is drawn to music. She'll dance to anything, but I think her favorite music is zydeco, which is appropriate since she's a little Louisiana gal. She's so tan right now she could be mistaken for a Creole. We went to the beach again for Father's Day and had a nice time playing and relaxing. Brighton and Will play so well together, and it makes me so happy to sit and watch them laughing and rolling around. I can't wait for their grandparents to see them. This week, we are making lists, cleaning, and packing for what will be a very long trip to Virginia. I'm so excited to go, but I'm a little daunted by the task of so much packing. So I must stop blogging and get to work!!!

Happy Father's Day, Daddy!

Taking a break with Daddy! Both kids played very well on their own in the water that day, which made for a relaxing Father's Day.

Brighton happily wears a life vest now, which cuts down on her getting so much water in her mouth. This should make things easier at the lake and the beach this year.

The water is very shallow, so it's a great place for the kids to swim. It's also surprisingly clear and ridiculously warm! I miss the nice cool waters of SML!

Will loves to float on his back in the water now. He says that he's "taking a nap in the water."

We watched our friends' little boy, Mason, one night. Brighton refused to share anything with him including all of the salad dressings.

We're heading to VA in a week?!?!

Beating the Heat

2010-06-14T18:32:00.000-07:00

We have been finding ways to stay cool since the heat has been so brutal lately. Our temps are usually in the 90s, but with the humidity, the heat index is usually around 105 daily. That means we end up having late afternoon thunderstorms, which do NOT cool things down. However, we have found ways to beat the heat. We visit the pool often (Will just finished 10 days of swimming lessons, which is why we went to celebrate with Menchies), and we have spent more time at the waterspouts. Over Memorial Day weekend, we went to Fountainebleu State Park and enjoyed some time in the sun. The oil spill has not crept into Lake Ponchartrain yet, so it was nice to enjoy the outdoors without the threat of tarballs. If we weren't neck-deep in water, we were inside enjoying family time. Jon and I have been working out together, and sometimes we have two little helpers who like to play with weights and tackle Daddy. In other news...Jon had the #1 spot for BPR scoring this month (the scoring for Operations Managers at Ferguson). We are very proud of Daddy! This week, we are busy at church for Vacation Bible School. I am one of the group leaders, Will is in my group, and Brighton spends her time in the church nursery, which she loves :) We have already had a very busy summer, and it's barely begun...soon enough we'll be planning our trip to VA!!!!!

When the weather gets stormy, Brighton finds a nice box...

Will and Daddy race cars down the hall.

Brighton's ready for the beach!

Brighton will not stay out of the water...she has no fear!

One messy kid!

Make that two messy kids!

Brighton got a fresh-fruit treat from the Farmer's Market!

Indoor fun on the Daddy jungle gym.

Nothing like water up the keester.

Brighton's angry face after I told her she couldn't run off by herself...

It didn't keep her from running.

Anything to keep cool!

Eric and Jake go South

2010-05-29T13:26:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago, Uncle Eric (Jon's brother) and Cousin Jake flew down for their first visit. We all had a great time, but I'm pretty sure that it was Will and Jake who had the best time. They are very close in age, so they did not stop playing and talking the entire visit. They spent a lot of time at the park around the corner, the park a few blocks away, and the park with the waterspouts. We also made it to the city for a few hours for lunch and a sticky walk. We ate so much seafood! Crawfish, Redfish, Oysters, Shrimp and Alligator! (I think gator counts as seafood?!) It was a jam-packed visit, and we were sad to see them go (especially Will). Here are just a sampling of the many pics Jon took over the weekend.

Upon arriving, Jake was shown where he would be sleeping...and Will decided he needed to sleep with him. Brighton was not going to be left out of the fun!

Jake was very sweet to his other cousin too. He called her "Baby Bwighton" :)

Jake and Will have quite a bit in common...neither one likes to wear pants!

Everyone had a great time at the waterspouts

Getting tired after a long, humid ride through the quarter.

Uncle Eric and Cousin Jake

Will teaching Jake how to feed the alligators at the park (I'm pretty sure that gators don't eat sweet gum balls)

The sun setting on a great visit...all good things must come to an end

Mother's Day

2010-05-18T12:17:00.000-07:00

I had a very wonderful Mother's Day this year. We didn't do too much, which made it very nice! On Saturday, the kids helped Daddy clean both cars inside and out while I had some quiet time. After bathtime, we all sat down for movie night. On Sunday, our church had a special Mother's Day program. Will and Brighton both got to participate, however, Will's participation was a bit spotty. It was a great day complete with a vase full of beautiful flowers courtesy of Ed and Caren.

That is Will lying on the floor!

Movie night=Popcorn!

Will made sure that the cars were not the only things that got a good rinsing!

Brighton hits 18 months and Daddy hits...

2010-05-05T19:35:00.000-07:00

...348 months (you might need to double check the English major's math!) Last Wednesday we celebrated Jon's birthday with a homemade banner, balloons, wine, and a delicious Italian meal. The kids had a good time waiting for Daddy to get home from work, so he could see all of the surprises we had prepared for him. I spent quite a bit of outside time with them that day, so they wouldn't mess up the clean house! Although our back yard is very small, we have a good-sized side yard and a nice, shaded front yard. There was an old playhouse in the side yard, and Jon spent hours fixing it up, so that both kids can climb safely. He even added a little climbing wall for Will and extra steps for Brighton. They both love it, and it is a true testament to how much Jon loves his kids. He is a great Daddy, and we are happy to celebrate him!!!

We are also celebrating our little girl turning 18 months today. Brighton is the most hilarious little girl I have ever met. She is talking very well and never utters a word without a big helping of attitude. She bosses her brother, the dog, Daddy and even Mommy! She also gets into her fair share of trouble now too. I realize sometimes that I am not as hard on her as I was with Will because I still think of her as such a baby. She's such a big girl now though, and I can tell she understands so much more than I giver her credit for. Brighton is already exhibiting a Mommy's little helper personality. She wants to clean, feed her baby, cook, wipe herself, feed herself (I have given up trying to hold the spoon), and even put herself down for a nap. I think if she could climb into her bed by herself she would. She loves to grab the phone and have conversations with her Grandma and Nana. And she has become quite the computer hog while Skyping. Brighton is very affectionate and loves to hug, kiss, and snuggle with all of us. She is especially sweet with "Woool" (her word for Will). We are happy to have such a beautiful 18-month-old girl!

What grown man wouldn't want a tractor and Spanish Elmo balloon?

2010-05-05T19:34:00.000-07:00

A Kiss from the Birthday Boy :)

2010-05-05T19:30:00.000-07:00

Will has run over every corner of the yard.

2010-05-05T19:28:00.000-07:00

Brighton has taken over the kozy koupe

2010-05-05T19:25:00.000-07:00

Searching for Will (he hid so he wouldn't have to share) Boo is giving him away...

2010-05-05T19:21:00.000-07:00

Found Him!

2010-05-05T19:18:00.000-07:00

Playhouse that Daddy rebuilt

2010-05-05T19:16:00.000-07:00

Settling In

2010-04-26T21:04:00.001-07:00

We are finally able to say that we are completely moved in. Although we only moved two blocks, it was a tough move with two little ones and no movers. Jon did get help from a work friend, and he was able to use a work truck as well. Since our last move happened so quickly (complete with packers, movers, and an 18-wheeler), this moved seemed to go very slowly. We did the major moving over one weekend, but it has been hard putting everything in a place. Our new home is smaller than our old one, but functionally, it works much better. It is a one-story home, so I no longer have to worry about the kids falling on or down the stairs. I also enjoy not having to clean such a large home! We are also one block closer to the park, so we've been spending our evenings playing, walking, and bike-riding. The weather has been beautiful, and we are also taking advantage of all of the festivals in the area. The first few pics of Brighton and Will were taken at a free concert in the park in our neighborhood by the Louisianna Philharmonic Orchestra. The music was beautiful, and it was a great evening to be out. The next pictures of Brighton were taken while Jon was trying to get a new picture to hang in the wall grouping in our family room. We have been teased about the number of pictures of our kids, but Jon loves taking pictures, and I love looking at their faces decorating the walls. The last pictures are from Will's soccer game. So far he's had two games. I took him to his first one (Jon had to work) and Jon took him to his second one (I decided to have a yard sale after moving in...crazy!) He loves soccer, and I think we may have found a sport that keeps his attention. And it only took getting through Tball and Basketball first! Enjoy the pictures :)

It's important to stay hydrated!

2010-04-26T21:04:00.000-07:00

He knows he's not supposed to play in the drinking fountain...he's just testing the water.

2010-04-26T21:03:00.000-07:00

She just realized her brother has a snack and she doesn't

2010-04-26T21:02:00.000-07:00

The chubbster

2010-04-26T21:01:00.000-07:00

Mischeif Maker!!!

2010-04-26T20:58:00.001-07:00

I guess I'd say she's trying to be coy...her shy face involves ducking her head into my shoulder.

2010-04-26T20:58:00.000-07:00

This is Brighton angry. She either says "Mad!" or "Mean!" and proceeds to throw herself on the floor, which only gets her in BIG trouble.

2010-04-26T20:56:00.000-07:00

All better...two seconds later!

2010-04-26T20:55:00.000-07:00

Will LOVES soccer! He is happy to run,

2010-04-26T20:53:00.000-07:00

Happy to wait his turn (or that could be his plotting face)

2010-04-26T20:51:00.000-07:00

Happy to wave at Daddy :)

2010-04-26T20:50:00.001-07:00

He shoots...

2010-04-26T20:50:00.000-07:00

He scores!!!!

2010-04-26T20:49:00.000-07:00

Timeout for a water break

2010-04-26T20:46:00.000-07:00

Just look at those leadership skills!

2010-04-26T20:45:00.001-07:00

Sitting on the sidelines searching for a snack

2010-04-26T20:45:00.000-07:00

Will just kept smiling and kept going...

2010-04-26T20:44:00.000-07:00

...and going...

2010-04-26T20:42:00.000-07:00

...and going (even when others fall)...

2010-04-26T20:40:00.000-07:00

and going

2010-04-26T20:39:00.000-07:00

"But I don't want the game to be over!"

2010-04-26T20:34:00.000-07:00

March Madness

2010-03-23T13:01:00.001-07:00

We've been very busy the last two weeks! Grandma and Grandad came down for a long weekend, and we packed the weekend with activities. We spent a day in the city walking around the quarter and market, followed by a day in Abita Springs at the park, museum and brewery pub, and finally headed to the St. Patty's day parade in Metaire. We had a wonderful visit with them, and the weather was perfect for all of our activities. They flew out on a Monday, and Nana and Papa drove in on Wednesday. I scheduled quite a few appointments while they were visiting since they were staying during the week. That gave them some alone time with the kids, but I didn't get to visit with them as much as I would have liked. It was nice to have the free babysitting though and Jon and I were able to enjoy a date night in the quarter for the first time ever! I didn't make them work the whole time though. We did take a carriage ride through the quarter on Friday and we also went to Abita Springs one afternoon to play at the park and visit the museum again. We were also able to introduce Mom and Dad to the Louisiana tradition of the Crawfish Boil. Although we didn't boil it ourselves, we did get about four pounds of crawfish to split on Saturday night. Mom was a little scared at first, but I think she enjoyed it. Brighton tried eating them whole, and Will loved playing with them. The crawfish must've put us in the cajun mood because we put on some Zydeco music and had a great time watching Brighton and Will cut a rug. (Don't be fooled, Nana and Papa were dancing too.) Brighton was expecially hilarious, and I will hopefully be posting a video soon. We ended the visit with a trip to the bookstore and a dinner at Buster's. Mom and Dad left this morning, and we were sad to see them go.
But now we must turn our attention to the huge task of moving. Yes, we will be packing up and moving again and this time we will be headed...two blocks away. The house we are currently renting has been put on the market, and rather than live in a "show" house with two little mess-makers, we've decided to rent a home very close by for the remainder of our time in LA. Hopefully this will not change things too much for us, but I am not looking forward to packing, moving, and unpacking while still maintaing control of my children. Right now, I am feeling pretty overwhelmed, but I am going to really try and get through the madness little by little. The next time I post may be from our new residence :)

Nana and Papa visit

2010-03-23T12:32:00.000-07:00

Grandma and Grandad visit

2010-03-23T11:43:00.000-07:00

Trouble in Twos

2010-03-15T07:41:00.000-07:00

My little stinkers have been making mischeif of one kind and another very much together these days. They will get into the refridgerator and the pantry when they are hungry. Will climbs on his stool and pulls out food for the two of them. They make HUGE messes with their toys together, and as you can see in the video, create small floods when they take a bath. The interesting part is that Brighton is the more mischevious one. Will actually knows when he is being bad, but he will watch his sister do something and then copy her. When we get after them, he gets to blame his sister. We're on to them though...well, maybe not. Check out these pics and the video. I will be posting pictures of Gma and Gdad's visit in the next day or so.

How I know my children are hungry

2010-03-15T07:37:00.000-07:00

Brighton starting trouble

2010-03-15T07:36:00.000-07:00

Bath time

2010-03-15T07:33:00.000-07:00