It seems the longer I wait between each blog entry, the less important things seem from a month ago. I guess that is what perspective is all about. Our lives have been super busy over the past weeks. We did end up going to the zoo around Halloween and Elli had a great time looking at the animals (and other kids) and riding the mini-train around the grounds. Shortly after that we went to Orlando for a family vacation. It rained a lot, but that didn't stop us from having fun. We went to Sea World and saw Shamu (Elli loved that!) We stopped by Downtown Disney and had lunch just outside of Universal Studios (at Emerli's!!). Elli came home with lots of memories, new words and lots of stuffed animals from each place we went. Overall, it was a wonderful vacation and I hope that someday we can go back with even more of our family.
A few weeks passed and we flew to Las Vegas for Thanksgiving. Ruston's sisters live there and we got to spend a lot of time with them. It was really warm for the first few days, but then cooled down to a seasonable temperature (for Vegas!) so everyone got a little bit of everything. We celebrated Elli's second birthday, along with Jason and Josh's too. We saw a couple movies and ate way more food than we should've! Other than a brief bout with the 24-hour flu we all had a wonderful vacation and can't wait to see all the Munk's again soon.
It's funny that even though the year is coming to a close, our family is left with so much unfinished business. It seems like usually the new year is a time to start fresh, but we'll have to wait until January to tie up our loose ends! Our new baby (gender still unknown) is due on the 8th. That gives us a month to wait and wonder! I just decided this morning that Ruston will pick the baby's name by himself. We know that we'll call it Reuben Jay if it is a boy, but have been unsure on the final girl's name. I gave him a list of 5-6 choices and asked him to choose one. He can tell me Christmas morning. I love all the options and will be happy with whichever he chooses. It will all be a big to-do for nothing if this is a boy, but at this point I just want the baby to have a name and not have to think about all the choices anymore. I hate indecision - just make a choice and move on! (Is that my mom or dad coming out in me?)
Then in late January (the 28th to be exact) Ruston will find out which program he has been accepted into for a dental residency. I think that we are almost more anxoius for that than the baby. Probably because we know that the baby will come with us wherever we go, but this program will decide where we are going to live for the next year after dental school and that's kind of scary not knowing something so huge. Ruston has offically applied to several places, but has interviewed in Salt Lake and Cleveland. We will just have to wait and see!
I'd say I'll be writing again soon, but let's be honest - it could be a while! I am so excited that my entire family will be coming to our house for Christmas. It's going to be a little cramped for a few days and I have a "to do" list a mile long, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I think we'll even do a real tree this year. It should be great!
Happy Holidays Everyone!
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Saturday, October 20, 2007
A Little Soap Box To Stand On
This has been a challenging week for my patience. Not bad, just challenging. Ruston found out that he wasn't accepted into the Dominican Republic externship through the dental school again this year (this was his third time applying). It's bittersweet because it would have been a few weeks after the baby is born. But I'm a little ticked because the students in charge actually had the nerve to tell the applicants that everyone would be chosen from a hat due to the high demand for this opportunity. Not surprisingly, the people who were chosen are the same people that have gone the past three years - and they are all close friends. I wouldn't be so mad if they would just tell people how it would be from the start, but to get people's hopes up and make them think there's a chance is just wrong. I'm half tempted to have a little chat with the people in charge, but I wouldn't want to embarrass Ruston. I just want people to be more honest. Is that too much to ask for?
My other complaint is that I have been looking forward, for weeks, to going to our local "Boo at the Zoo". I told Ruston to plan on going - no matter what. I got Elli all dressed up in her adorable ladybug costume and even taught her to say "zoo". We drove almost an hour to get there tonight and, after waiting in bumper to bumper traffic forever, turned into the zoo - only to see sign that said all tickets were sold out and no new people were being admitted. Now I realize this isn't a huge deal, but I was mad. I had checked the website AND called them earlier today to get details and not once did anything say I had to pre-purchase tickets. They should have been more considerate of their customers. We had no choice but to turn around and go home. It was too late in the evening to go anywhere else. Poor Elli, the whole way home, kept asking "zoo?" to know when we were going to get there. It broke my heart! I'm going to try to pre-purchase tickets for next weekend, but believe me they are going to get one ticked off mother telling them the hassle we just went through tonight.
Sorry this is such a negative post. Really life has been good (other than those two things). I had a doctor's appointment this week and my doctor was totally pleased with everything baby-oriented. I'm 28 weeks now (less than three months to go!) The baby should be around two and a half pounds and a foot long. It would be able to survive if born now - but that's not going to happen any time soon. My due date is still Jan. 8th and I don't expect to be more than a day early, if not later. But I'm okay with that!
Elli is still learning new things everyday. She got invited to her first Halloween party this week and, while she didn't actually play with anyone, she had a great time. (Kids don't usually start playing with other kids until closer to three). We've started going to more parks lately and she's had fun playing around other kids. It's funny to watch her in these early developmental stages. She is so sweet!
Well, we head to Orlando in a week for vacation. If I don't post anything before then, I'll be sure to put some great pictures on the blog when we get home. Keep checking back! I love you all!
My other complaint is that I have been looking forward, for weeks, to going to our local "Boo at the Zoo". I told Ruston to plan on going - no matter what. I got Elli all dressed up in her adorable ladybug costume and even taught her to say "zoo". We drove almost an hour to get there tonight and, after waiting in bumper to bumper traffic forever, turned into the zoo - only to see sign that said all tickets were sold out and no new people were being admitted. Now I realize this isn't a huge deal, but I was mad. I had checked the website AND called them earlier today to get details and not once did anything say I had to pre-purchase tickets. They should have been more considerate of their customers. We had no choice but to turn around and go home. It was too late in the evening to go anywhere else. Poor Elli, the whole way home, kept asking "zoo?" to know when we were going to get there. It broke my heart! I'm going to try to pre-purchase tickets for next weekend, but believe me they are going to get one ticked off mother telling them the hassle we just went through tonight.
Sorry this is such a negative post. Really life has been good (other than those two things). I had a doctor's appointment this week and my doctor was totally pleased with everything baby-oriented. I'm 28 weeks now (less than three months to go!) The baby should be around two and a half pounds and a foot long. It would be able to survive if born now - but that's not going to happen any time soon. My due date is still Jan. 8th and I don't expect to be more than a day early, if not later. But I'm okay with that!
Elli is still learning new things everyday. She got invited to her first Halloween party this week and, while she didn't actually play with anyone, she had a great time. (Kids don't usually start playing with other kids until closer to three). We've started going to more parks lately and she's had fun playing around other kids. It's funny to watch her in these early developmental stages. She is so sweet!
Well, we head to Orlando in a week for vacation. If I don't post anything before then, I'll be sure to put some great pictures on the blog when we get home. Keep checking back! I love you all!
Thursday, October 4, 2007
No News Is Good News...I Guess
Okay, so this time I took forever to update the blog because our internet has not been working for several weeks. As you can see, we fixed it today. But to be honest not much has been going on anyway. Ruston is busy studying (yes, I said studying) for an upcoming exam. Elli is still learning new words and getting more adorable by the moment. And I just keep getting bigger, well, my tummy does anyway. I promise I will get a picture of my tummy's profile up on the blog soon. Ruston has just been too busy and obviously Elli can't hold the camera yet. So keep checking back.
I thought this school year would fly so fast, like last year. But actually it has dragged on so long. Here we are in the beginning of October...still! I suppose the second half will go faster, after the baby is born and we know if Ruston's getting into a residency program. But all this waiting is getting exhausting! It's like our lives are put on hold until January. That seems like an eternity from now.
Actually things should start picking up in a few weeks. We decided that now would be the best time to go on a family vacation to Florida. We probably won't come back this way after Ruston graduates (at least with only one kid!), so at the end of this month the three of us will fly to Orlando and spend some time seeing the sights and enjoying the great weather there! We figured it would be cheapest now since Elli isn't quite two yet we don't have to pay for her flight. And we got a great deal in a timeshare condo. They aren't even making us take a tour or listen to a sales pitch because they already know we are too poor. So we just get to have a relaxing weekend as a family. Don't worry, we'll take lots of pictures!
This weekend is general conference for church, so we probably won't be doing anything very exciting - or at least worth writing about. I'll shoot for next weekend to update the blog again and see how that goes! Thanks for reading! I love you all!
I thought this school year would fly so fast, like last year. But actually it has dragged on so long. Here we are in the beginning of October...still! I suppose the second half will go faster, after the baby is born and we know if Ruston's getting into a residency program. But all this waiting is getting exhausting! It's like our lives are put on hold until January. That seems like an eternity from now.
Actually things should start picking up in a few weeks. We decided that now would be the best time to go on a family vacation to Florida. We probably won't come back this way after Ruston graduates (at least with only one kid!), so at the end of this month the three of us will fly to Orlando and spend some time seeing the sights and enjoying the great weather there! We figured it would be cheapest now since Elli isn't quite two yet we don't have to pay for her flight. And we got a great deal in a timeshare condo. They aren't even making us take a tour or listen to a sales pitch because they already know we are too poor. So we just get to have a relaxing weekend as a family. Don't worry, we'll take lots of pictures!
This weekend is general conference for church, so we probably won't be doing anything very exciting - or at least worth writing about. I'll shoot for next weekend to update the blog again and see how that goes! Thanks for reading! I love you all!
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Fun In West Virginia
We all returned safe from our weekend adventure in West Virginia. You can see from the pictures that Ruston went on the rafting trip and loved it! This year was a little different than past years - no one fell out of the rafts and no one was badly injured. Overall it was a pretty typical ride - through Class 5 rapids that is!! Elli and I hung out at camp and spent time with some other moms and kids, things were really quiet. But that's how I like it. None of us slept very good at night (we stayed two nights) due to the exceptionally loud crickets and not having a single level spot of ground to set up our tent. Having an air mattress was essential for me being 6 months pregnant, but we kept sliding off it. By the second night, Ruston just decided to sleep in the car. I guess we wouldn't have made it as pioneers!
This past week has been really uneventful. I haven't been babysitting nearly as much anymore since the boys went back to school. Ruston is doing great at school and looking forward to all the fun events that come Senior Year. We did get to go on a real date last night - minus Elli! We paid a girl from church to come over while Elli slept and we went down to the campus to play pool with some friends. It was nice having a night off. We'll have to do that more often.
Otherwise, not much is going on. We hope everyone is having a great week. Enjoy these cooler days. It's becoming autumn here and the leaves are starting to turn. Enjoy it where ever you are! The fall never lasts long enough for me!
This past week has been really uneventful. I haven't been babysitting nearly as much anymore since the boys went back to school. Ruston is doing great at school and looking forward to all the fun events that come Senior Year. We did get to go on a real date last night - minus Elli! We paid a girl from church to come over while Elli slept and we went down to the campus to play pool with some friends. It was nice having a night off. We'll have to do that more often.
Otherwise, not much is going on. We hope everyone is having a great week. Enjoy these cooler days. It's becoming autumn here and the leaves are starting to turn. Enjoy it where ever you are! The fall never lasts long enough for me!
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Back To Life As Usual!
Well, after a month of not updating the blog, I think it's about time I write again. Our lives have been so busy over the past month and I hardly know where to start. We left in July for Oregon and spent a wonderful week first in Vale with Ruston's family. We rode 4-wheelers and Elli loved playing with the kittens. We celebrated Viola's birthday at the local Mexican restaurant. We spent lots of time with Lauren, Josh & their wonderful kids. And, of course, a huge part of the trip for Ruston was the time he could spend in the local dentist's office visiting and talking about potential business opportunities. We had a great week and can't wait to see all the Munk's at Thanksgiving in Las Vegas!
The next week was spent with my parents in Estacada. We left for the beach right away and spent two days visiting Cannon Beach and Haystack Rock, the Newport Aquarium, and let's not forget Ruston's favorite part of the ENTIRE vacation...the Tillamook Cheese Factory! Free cheese is not something easily turned down by my dear sweet husband! We stopped at another cheese factory for lunch and visited the little petting zoo outside. Elli thought the goats were funny and got to feel a few eat out of her hand. Back in Portland we visited with extended family; had pizza with Paul and Cyndi; games and feeding the ducks with Bev, Ben, Kelly and Ryan (and of course Murphy the bulldog); and had dinner with Althea. Thanks to everyone for Elli's gifts. She plays with them all the time and still asks everyday about when we will see our family again. I'll be too pregnant to fly to Portland for Christmas, but we are looking forward to seeing mom and dad (and maybe siblings too?) around Christmas time and when the baby comes.
Speaking of baby, the big question everyone has been asking is "what are we having?" Well, after a lot of thought, we decided not to find out again. I had the ultrasound and the baby is big and healthy. It moves around a ton, although I am just starting to feel anything at all. But when the technician performing the ultrasound moved downward to check out the baby's lower organs I closed my eyes so that I wouldn't see anything (or lack of anything!) Sorry to everyone who wanted to know before Christmas, but you'll just have to wait and see with the rest of us! Just FYI, I'm 22 weeks along now and the due date is still around January 8th.
This past weekend was a blast! Kevin & Emily came up from Dayton with their sweet new baby Paige. We went to Lake Erie and spent time in the water. We went out to eat (a lot!) and played lots of games. Ruston and Kevin had a great time golfing on Monday while Emily and I, with babies in tow, went shopping at the local outlet mall. Elli thought having a baby around was so great! She always needed to know where the baby was and what she was doing. She was a little sad this morning when she woke up and after searching the whole house realized that Paige had gone home. I think she is ready to be a big sister, even if she has no idea what is about to happen in a few months. Oh, and by the end of the weekend she even learned to call Emily "Emmy", which we all thought was adorable. Thanks guys for coming to see us, we love you and will hope to see you in a month or two.
Being sick must be the latest trend in parenting right now. It seems like Ruston and I have been sick with one thing or another for weeks. I'm down to just fall allergies - which are way better than last week's ear infection! But now Elli has a cough (the doctor called it croup, but it's caused by the same viruses as the common cold) so we're taking it easy this week while she gets better. I guess that's just part of having a toddler!
But she need to be better by this weekend. We are going to West Virginia for the annual dental school rafting trip. I will, of course, not be rafting for the safety of the baby (and we don't need to mention my terrible fear of rafting anyway) so Elli and I will be camping and hanging out with the other moms and babies, but Ruston is looking forward to going on the river. This will be our last year. We'll be sure to have lots of pictures posted when we get back Sunday night. So be sure to check the blog next week, I'm really going to try hard to keep up to date from now on! (We'll see!)
We hope everyone had a great Labor Day weekend and can't wait to talk to many of you soon! We love you all! Thanks for reading the blog.
Love, The Munks
The next week was spent with my parents in Estacada. We left for the beach right away and spent two days visiting Cannon Beach and Haystack Rock, the Newport Aquarium, and let's not forget Ruston's favorite part of the ENTIRE vacation...the Tillamook Cheese Factory! Free cheese is not something easily turned down by my dear sweet husband! We stopped at another cheese factory for lunch and visited the little petting zoo outside. Elli thought the goats were funny and got to feel a few eat out of her hand. Back in Portland we visited with extended family; had pizza with Paul and Cyndi; games and feeding the ducks with Bev, Ben, Kelly and Ryan (and of course Murphy the bulldog); and had dinner with Althea. Thanks to everyone for Elli's gifts. She plays with them all the time and still asks everyday about when we will see our family again. I'll be too pregnant to fly to Portland for Christmas, but we are looking forward to seeing mom and dad (and maybe siblings too?) around Christmas time and when the baby comes.
Speaking of baby, the big question everyone has been asking is "what are we having?" Well, after a lot of thought, we decided not to find out again. I had the ultrasound and the baby is big and healthy. It moves around a ton, although I am just starting to feel anything at all. But when the technician performing the ultrasound moved downward to check out the baby's lower organs I closed my eyes so that I wouldn't see anything (or lack of anything!) Sorry to everyone who wanted to know before Christmas, but you'll just have to wait and see with the rest of us! Just FYI, I'm 22 weeks along now and the due date is still around January 8th.
This past weekend was a blast! Kevin & Emily came up from Dayton with their sweet new baby Paige. We went to Lake Erie and spent time in the water. We went out to eat (a lot!) and played lots of games. Ruston and Kevin had a great time golfing on Monday while Emily and I, with babies in tow, went shopping at the local outlet mall. Elli thought having a baby around was so great! She always needed to know where the baby was and what she was doing. She was a little sad this morning when she woke up and after searching the whole house realized that Paige had gone home. I think she is ready to be a big sister, even if she has no idea what is about to happen in a few months. Oh, and by the end of the weekend she even learned to call Emily "Emmy", which we all thought was adorable. Thanks guys for coming to see us, we love you and will hope to see you in a month or two.
Being sick must be the latest trend in parenting right now. It seems like Ruston and I have been sick with one thing or another for weeks. I'm down to just fall allergies - which are way better than last week's ear infection! But now Elli has a cough (the doctor called it croup, but it's caused by the same viruses as the common cold) so we're taking it easy this week while she gets better. I guess that's just part of having a toddler!
But she need to be better by this weekend. We are going to West Virginia for the annual dental school rafting trip. I will, of course, not be rafting for the safety of the baby (and we don't need to mention my terrible fear of rafting anyway) so Elli and I will be camping and hanging out with the other moms and babies, but Ruston is looking forward to going on the river. This will be our last year. We'll be sure to have lots of pictures posted when we get back Sunday night. So be sure to check the blog next week, I'm really going to try hard to keep up to date from now on! (We'll see!)
We hope everyone had a great Labor Day weekend and can't wait to talk to many of you soon! We love you all! Thanks for reading the blog.
Love, The Munks
Friday, August 24, 2007
Update On Vacation Coming Soon!
Hello and thank you for checking our blog. Last week I had the flu and this week I have had a killer ear infection! Both of these things have left me practically on bedrest and miserable. I really have meant to update the blog before now, but I will try to do it this weekend. I just need one more day to rest! Thanks for your patience!
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Counting Down The Days Till Oregon!!!
One more week! I can hardly stand the wait! I can not wait to see all of our family and friends back home. We'll fly in late Tuesday night (July 24th) and spend the night at my parents. Then the next morning we'll drive to Vale to see Ruston's family. His sister Lauren and her two sweet little ones will be in town visiting family too, so we'll all be together. We will hang out there till the 31st and then drive back to Estacada to spend the rest of the time with my parents again!
The last time most of my extended family saw Elli she was only one month old. My goodness that has been too long! She is so grown up now. She just started saying "Elmo" and "please". I can't get enough of her! I hope that everyone gets a chance to see her during our trip because - okay, I know I'm biased - but she's the cutest thing ever! This next baby has a lot to live up to already!
Speaking of the next baby, things are going really great! I'm FINALLY done being morning sick and now life is fantastic. I got over that just in time for Ruston and I to get the flu, or food poisoning, I'm not really sure - but when we were all done being sick together I stopped being morning sick too. Thanks to all those who offered advice, anything I didn't try this time I'm sure I'll get around to for the next one. But I'm 15 weeks along now (that's almost 4 months for anyone who doesn't want to do the math!) and totally have a belly already! I've tried to suck it in for long enough now and lately haven't cared at all when people give me that "Is she pregnant or not?" look. It's that wierd in-between phase when none of my regular clothes fit and there's no way I'm fitting into maternity clothes yet! If you've had a baby, you'll know what I mean!
Anyway, Ruston is doing great. He will finish his summer semester this Friday and then start up for fall as soon as we get back from Oregon. It's a short break, but we already have a lot planned. Things are starting to look pretty serious for us living in eastern Oregon after dental school (and hopefully after a residency). No contracts yet, but I think it will happen. I guess I shouldn't count my chicken before they hatch, but I'm too excited not to! I can't wait to be back in Oregon again!
So I hope to see most of you over the coming weeks. If you aren't living in the Portland or Vale areas and have any reason to travel there I would LOVE to see you and catch up. Otherwise, have a great summer and try to keep cool! I love you all!
The last time most of my extended family saw Elli she was only one month old. My goodness that has been too long! She is so grown up now. She just started saying "Elmo" and "please". I can't get enough of her! I hope that everyone gets a chance to see her during our trip because - okay, I know I'm biased - but she's the cutest thing ever! This next baby has a lot to live up to already!
Speaking of the next baby, things are going really great! I'm FINALLY done being morning sick and now life is fantastic. I got over that just in time for Ruston and I to get the flu, or food poisoning, I'm not really sure - but when we were all done being sick together I stopped being morning sick too. Thanks to all those who offered advice, anything I didn't try this time I'm sure I'll get around to for the next one. But I'm 15 weeks along now (that's almost 4 months for anyone who doesn't want to do the math!) and totally have a belly already! I've tried to suck it in for long enough now and lately haven't cared at all when people give me that "Is she pregnant or not?" look. It's that wierd in-between phase when none of my regular clothes fit and there's no way I'm fitting into maternity clothes yet! If you've had a baby, you'll know what I mean!
Anyway, Ruston is doing great. He will finish his summer semester this Friday and then start up for fall as soon as we get back from Oregon. It's a short break, but we already have a lot planned. Things are starting to look pretty serious for us living in eastern Oregon after dental school (and hopefully after a residency). No contracts yet, but I think it will happen. I guess I shouldn't count my chicken before they hatch, but I'm too excited not to! I can't wait to be back in Oregon again!
So I hope to see most of you over the coming weeks. If you aren't living in the Portland or Vale areas and have any reason to travel there I would LOVE to see you and catch up. Otherwise, have a great summer and try to keep cool! I love you all!
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Back From Interviews!
Ruston returned from Salt Lake on Tuesday and reported that his interviews went very well. Time at the U of U was short and might not have enabled him as much time as he had hoped for, but he loved going back to the VA (he worked there for three years before dental school) and catching up with old friends. In fact, I think he felt a bit like a mini-celebrity with the amount of attention that was stirred up as he walked into the clinic. He said both programs were great and now we just have to wait (till January - gulp!) to find out if he gets accepted anywhere. When we go to Oregon next month Ruston plans to swing by the Portland VA and offer a quick interview or at least introduce himself. Portland doesn't even begin interviewing until December! Our other back-up plans include various hospitals around Cleveland. It wouldn't be our favorite choice, but continuing education is important and we'll go where the job offers are.
Elli and I kept busy while Ruston was gone. We went babysitting most days and ran errands on the other ones. Unfortunately, I'm not done being morning sick yet - with this last week being even worse than before. I really thought I'd be all done by now, but I guess this baby is really making me work for it. The debate is still open whether or not we will find out the gender of the baby. I totally understand the reasons for finding out: born two weeks after Christmas = gender-specific presents, helping Elli prepare for the change, and of course simply keeping all grandmas happy. But I really liked not knowing with Elli, it was exciting. So we'll have to see. I'm open to persuasion, but I'm not making any promises yet!
Elli has been her usual sweet self this week. She seems to pick up a new word every day. She now recognizes and can say the color blue - just blue, nothing else! She's discovered macaroni & cheese and loves it. She calls them "doodles". And she's starting to get a little more defiant when she isn't getting her way, nothing too bad though. Overall a pretty fantastic little girl!
Three and a half weeks till we go to Oregon! We love you all and hope you are having a great week!
Elli and I kept busy while Ruston was gone. We went babysitting most days and ran errands on the other ones. Unfortunately, I'm not done being morning sick yet - with this last week being even worse than before. I really thought I'd be all done by now, but I guess this baby is really making me work for it. The debate is still open whether or not we will find out the gender of the baby. I totally understand the reasons for finding out: born two weeks after Christmas = gender-specific presents, helping Elli prepare for the change, and of course simply keeping all grandmas happy. But I really liked not knowing with Elli, it was exciting. So we'll have to see. I'm open to persuasion, but I'm not making any promises yet!
Elli has been her usual sweet self this week. She seems to pick up a new word every day. She now recognizes and can say the color blue - just blue, nothing else! She's discovered macaroni & cheese and loves it. She calls them "doodles". And she's starting to get a little more defiant when she isn't getting her way, nothing too bad though. Overall a pretty fantastic little girl!
Three and a half weeks till we go to Oregon! We love you all and hope you are having a great week!
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Whoops I Missed A Week!
I can't believe how fast time is going. June is almost over and I just can't seem to find the time to get anything done. But Ruston is gone for the weekend and I'm hoping to get a few things accomplished while he's away. He flew to Salt Lake City today to interview (Monday) for a residency position at the VA and U of Utah hospitals. He'll be back Tuesday evening and back to school again on Wednesday. It's lonely without him home, but I can only wish him all the luck in the world because I know how much a residency program means to him and to our family. I'm sure he'll do great.
I can not wait for our vacation to Oregon next month! I miss both our parents SO much and am really starting to get homesick for extended family. It hardly seems to bring relief that by next Father's Day we will be back west. I just don't know if it can come soon enough. Chambray turned 10 and we weren't around to give her a big hug and kiss; a card hardly seems to do justice. I miss all of our neices and nephews and it hurts my heart that we can't be around them more. At least Elli is young enough that she will never remember a time in her life when family wasn't close by. I have always, always loved our family - but I believe you can not truly appreciate what you have until it's gone. And I am looking forward to next year with all my heart.
But speaking of extended family, we just found out that Lauren and Josh are getting sealed in the St. George Temple this next Saturday. We are so excited for them and wish we could be there. Congratulations you guys! We love you!!
I wish you all could see Elli these days. She cracks me up all the time. She is trying to say all sorts of new words and works so hard to speak clearly that you can just feel her effort. I gave her a kiwi this morning and she proudly replied "wiwi" after her first mouth-puckering bite. She can say "nose" and "sock" now too. It's so fun to watch her learn.
Keep Ruston's interviews in your prayers and feel free to call our house (he has the cell phone) and keep me company anytime this weekend. We love you all and hope you're having a great summer.
I can not wait for our vacation to Oregon next month! I miss both our parents SO much and am really starting to get homesick for extended family. It hardly seems to bring relief that by next Father's Day we will be back west. I just don't know if it can come soon enough. Chambray turned 10 and we weren't around to give her a big hug and kiss; a card hardly seems to do justice. I miss all of our neices and nephews and it hurts my heart that we can't be around them more. At least Elli is young enough that she will never remember a time in her life when family wasn't close by. I have always, always loved our family - but I believe you can not truly appreciate what you have until it's gone. And I am looking forward to next year with all my heart.
But speaking of extended family, we just found out that Lauren and Josh are getting sealed in the St. George Temple this next Saturday. We are so excited for them and wish we could be there. Congratulations you guys! We love you!!
I wish you all could see Elli these days. She cracks me up all the time. She is trying to say all sorts of new words and works so hard to speak clearly that you can just feel her effort. I gave her a kiwi this morning and she proudly replied "wiwi" after her first mouth-puckering bite. She can say "nose" and "sock" now too. It's so fun to watch her learn.
Keep Ruston's interviews in your prayers and feel free to call our house (he has the cell phone) and keep me company anytime this weekend. We love you all and hope you're having a great summer.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Ice Cream, Pickles and Front Row Tickets to the Porcelain Bowl!
What a week! I'm sure glad that we have wanted this baby for so long, because if I had to go through this much nausea for a baby I wasn't sure I wanted this would be so hard. Sleeping seems to be the only real relief; although I have found some suitable alternatives when snoozing isn't an option (accupressure wristbands, sugar-free jolly ranchers, smelling lemons, etc.) The nights are always the worst, but the daytime offers little breaks here and there. I'll survive! I'm guessing this will all be over in two more weeks. That's when I finally stopped feeling queasy with Elli. Here's to hoping! On a happy note, I did have a doctor's appointment yesterday (Monday) and got to hear the baby's little heartbeat for the first time! It was quiet (understandably, as it is only the size of an olive) but the beat was strong and the doctor seemed pleased. If you're keeping track, I'm 10 weeks along right now.
Ruston is getting closer to his residency interviews in Salt Lake later this month. There are so many decisions to make, but still so much that is out of our control. We can only choose to go where he is accepted, and that means we still have a lot of waiting to do. Until then he is enjoying his time back in school and clinic.
Elli has been a real trooper through my morning sickness. She has started playing alone more regularly (a good milestone of maturity for toddlers) and hardly ever whines. She and I eat a lot of saltine crackers together and I think naptime is both of our favorite time of day. She learned how to say "cookie" this past weekend and has discovered water bottles - way more cool to drink from than a sippy cup! Her word for bottle is very similar to bubble, so we have to pay closer attention to what she is asking for, but we're all figuring it out.
That's our news this week. We hope you are having a great summer!
Love, The Munks
Ruston is getting closer to his residency interviews in Salt Lake later this month. There are so many decisions to make, but still so much that is out of our control. We can only choose to go where he is accepted, and that means we still have a lot of waiting to do. Until then he is enjoying his time back in school and clinic.
Elli has been a real trooper through my morning sickness. She has started playing alone more regularly (a good milestone of maturity for toddlers) and hardly ever whines. She and I eat a lot of saltine crackers together and I think naptime is both of our favorite time of day. She learned how to say "cookie" this past weekend and has discovered water bottles - way more cool to drink from than a sippy cup! Her word for bottle is very similar to bubble, so we have to pay closer attention to what she is asking for, but we're all figuring it out.
That's our news this week. We hope you are having a great summer!
Love, The Munks
Saturday, June 2, 2007
Is It Already Saturday Again?
Boy, did this week fly by! I can't believe it's already the weekend again. Ruston has been applying for residency programs for after graduation. He has two interviews set up in Salt Lake City (the UofU and the VA) later this month. I think he can apply to four more places, but we haven't decided on anything yet. We are still tossing around the possibility of Boise, Portland, Cleveland (not likely) or Colorado. With Utah being our #1 choice, we aren't sure if he should apply to more places or not. We'll see! Aside from school and applications, Ruston has had several softball games this week that take up a lot of his evenings. They run pretty late, but sometimes Elli and I go to watch anyway. She loves watching him play and can't wait to give him a high-five when he comes back to the bench. They are so cute together.
I'm trying to think of anything cute Elli has done lately. It's just so nice to have her be healthy again (and happy finally) that everything is cute recently. She has started calling her binky a "be-bink" and is asking for it a lot more than she used to. I think that car ride to North Carolina and back got her used to having a binky during non-sleeping times. We'll have to work on that again. Oh, she also has been watching a lot of Dora on tv these days, with me feeling so sick all the time, and in one episode when they asked her to say "map" she did! And then they asked her to say "backpack" she said "packpack" - close enough for me!! It's fun watching her learn.
I'm finding it harder to keep my house clean these days. With Ruston back at school this week, I haven't had him around to help me with dishes and stuff during the day. Things are getting a little out of control, but I just don't have the energy to do anything. I'm sure it will only last a few more weeks (the morning sickness) but I feel bad for Ruston and Elli between now and then. I know they love me and they both help out when they can. Elli usually makes things worse, but I know she's trying to help when I ask her. I have a great family!
We love you all and hope to talk to you soon.
I'm trying to think of anything cute Elli has done lately. It's just so nice to have her be healthy again (and happy finally) that everything is cute recently. She has started calling her binky a "be-bink" and is asking for it a lot more than she used to. I think that car ride to North Carolina and back got her used to having a binky during non-sleeping times. We'll have to work on that again. Oh, she also has been watching a lot of Dora on tv these days, with me feeling so sick all the time, and in one episode when they asked her to say "map" she did! And then they asked her to say "backpack" she said "packpack" - close enough for me!! It's fun watching her learn.
I'm finding it harder to keep my house clean these days. With Ruston back at school this week, I haven't had him around to help me with dishes and stuff during the day. Things are getting a little out of control, but I just don't have the energy to do anything. I'm sure it will only last a few more weeks (the morning sickness) but I feel bad for Ruston and Elli between now and then. I know they love me and they both help out when they can. Elli usually makes things worse, but I know she's trying to help when I ask her. I have a great family!
We love you all and hope to talk to you soon.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Summer Is Here!
Well, this past week didn't end up being as busy as I thought. Due to Elli getting sick again with those painful mouth sores (highly contagious by the way) our friends decided to have their kids go to someone else's house for the week. We still got their dog, but he spent most of the time outside because my stomach rolled over every time he came near me. He's a good dog, he just smells bad. So we got off fairly easy.
Elli is better now. She still cries when we brush her teeth, but I think that is just because she got out of the habit. Ruston just taught her to give him a high-five. If she is sad about anything, he simply has to ask for a high-five and she smiles so big. Life is good when daddy is home, she loves him so much. She also just learned two new words - "wow" and "um". Ruston will tell you that she got them both from me. I must say them more than I realize because she actually uses them correctly. If she sees a shiny new thing she gazes at it admiringly and says "wow!" Or if we ask her where something is she thoughtfully looks around and says "ummm" as if to tell us to wait while she thinks about it. She cracks me up!
Ruston started summer term today. I think he only has one class during the entire semester and then the rest of the time is clinic. The class is a business planning class. I'm excited for it because it means we are that much closer to graduation and the rest of our lives. Don't get me wrong I have enjoyed our three years here. We've made great memories, but my two best friends are moving away this month and I am going to miss them so much. I wish them the best in life and hope that we will keep in contact.
Everything else has been pretty normal for us this past week. I'm still sick all the time, but it's worth every bit of it to be pregnant. Only one more month and it should go away. We are anxiously counting down the days until our vacation to Oregon this summer! We can't wait to see everyone and give you all hugs and kisses. We love you all and hope you are all well.
Happy Summer!
Elli is better now. She still cries when we brush her teeth, but I think that is just because she got out of the habit. Ruston just taught her to give him a high-five. If she is sad about anything, he simply has to ask for a high-five and she smiles so big. Life is good when daddy is home, she loves him so much. She also just learned two new words - "wow" and "um". Ruston will tell you that she got them both from me. I must say them more than I realize because she actually uses them correctly. If she sees a shiny new thing she gazes at it admiringly and says "wow!" Or if we ask her where something is she thoughtfully looks around and says "ummm" as if to tell us to wait while she thinks about it. She cracks me up!
Ruston started summer term today. I think he only has one class during the entire semester and then the rest of the time is clinic. The class is a business planning class. I'm excited for it because it means we are that much closer to graduation and the rest of our lives. Don't get me wrong I have enjoyed our three years here. We've made great memories, but my two best friends are moving away this month and I am going to miss them so much. I wish them the best in life and hope that we will keep in contact.
Everything else has been pretty normal for us this past week. I'm still sick all the time, but it's worth every bit of it to be pregnant. Only one more month and it should go away. We are anxiously counting down the days until our vacation to Oregon this summer! We can't wait to see everyone and give you all hugs and kisses. We love you all and hope you are all well.
Happy Summer!
Saturday, May 19, 2007
The Calm Before The Storm!
This has been a nice week. We had some time to relax, do some yard work, and plan for the coming week. Our friends Larry & Misty are leaving town this week to check out prospective schools and dental practice locations for after graduation. As a favor, we are watching their two older kids, Kaleb (7) and Mayson (4)...oh, and their dog Ziggy. I'm sure things will be fine. We love their kids and I have some fun ideas planned for the week they will be with us. The only drawback is that this is also the week that the people I babysit for are going on vacation to Paris (an anniversary present I think) and they are not taking their boys! So I will be putting in some long hours until their step-mom can come pick them up after work. Ruston is going to be helping out a lot and I think that we will both be exhausted after the week is done. But what are friends for?
Elli has been sick again this week. She's had a temperature over 101 for 4 days now. It looks like those mouth sores are back and they are really causing her pain. We aren't sure what to do. She is so miserable and walks around whining all day. I am going to have Ruston stay home from church tomorrow and be with her. This would ber her first week in Nursery, but I'm not going to let her infect any other kids. She'll just have to wait until she's healthy.
Other than that, this has been a really quite week. I'm finally starting to feel a little sick. I haven't thrown up yet, but it's irritating anyway. I'll be fine, that's just part of being pregnant!
We hope you all have a great week. We love you!
Elli has been sick again this week. She's had a temperature over 101 for 4 days now. It looks like those mouth sores are back and they are really causing her pain. We aren't sure what to do. She is so miserable and walks around whining all day. I am going to have Ruston stay home from church tomorrow and be with her. This would ber her first week in Nursery, but I'm not going to let her infect any other kids. She'll just have to wait until she's healthy.
Other than that, this has been a really quite week. I'm finally starting to feel a little sick. I haven't thrown up yet, but it's irritating anyway. I'll be fine, that's just part of being pregnant!
We hope you all have a great week. We love you!
Monday, May 14, 2007
Back From Vacation!
Sorry this posting is late. We just got in last night from our vacation in North Carolina. The wedding was beautiful and we all had a great time at the reception - even Elli. She was such a trooper for us the whole trip. It's hard enough to sit in the car for hours at a time as an adult, but being strapped into a car seat is probably worse. She napped and ate snacks, we sang songs and played car games. It was a great trip overall!
Elli has learned a new word from the vacation too...buckle. Because she had to get buckled in all the time she started saying it when we got into the car. She tries so hard to say it right, you can really see her determination, but despite all efforts it always comes out "bubble-ck". That "ck" sound just won't go in the middle of the word like it should and it's so cute to listen to her trying to get it right. We love her so much and thank Heavenly Father everyday for such a wonderful little girl.
I went to my first doctors appointment this morning! I'm officially six weeks pregnant! I'm not sure when I started feeling sick last time, but I'm sure it will happen soon. Oh well, just part of being pregnant I guess. The doctor (Dr. Shawi) said that my due date will be January 8, 2008 - not the 11th like we had thought. That's good for me as long as the baby is ready then. I'll probably not expect it to come till later and then be pleasently surprised if it happens sooner. That's the safe route!
Ruston is enjoying his time off from school (sometimes I think he's enjoying it a little too much!) but has some plans for projects around the house. It's summer vacation, so I'm not expecting very much to actually happen, but here's to hoping! Happy summer everyone!
Elli has learned a new word from the vacation too...buckle. Because she had to get buckled in all the time she started saying it when we got into the car. She tries so hard to say it right, you can really see her determination, but despite all efforts it always comes out "bubble-ck". That "ck" sound just won't go in the middle of the word like it should and it's so cute to listen to her trying to get it right. We love her so much and thank Heavenly Father everyday for such a wonderful little girl.
I went to my first doctors appointment this morning! I'm officially six weeks pregnant! I'm not sure when I started feeling sick last time, but I'm sure it will happen soon. Oh well, just part of being pregnant I guess. The doctor (Dr. Shawi) said that my due date will be January 8, 2008 - not the 11th like we had thought. That's good for me as long as the baby is ready then. I'll probably not expect it to come till later and then be pleasently surprised if it happens sooner. That's the safe route!
Ruston is enjoying his time off from school (sometimes I think he's enjoying it a little too much!) but has some plans for projects around the house. It's summer vacation, so I'm not expecting very much to actually happen, but here's to hoping! Happy summer everyone!
Monday, May 7, 2007
SUCCESS AT LAST!!
Hello Family and Friends!
We are so pleased to tell everyone that we are expecting another baby! We just found out yesterday (Sunday) and couldn't wait to get the news out. We'll have eight months of waiting now - one of the downsides to telling so soon - but news this exciting just has to be shared. I'm due January 11, 2008, but that could change a little since my doctor doesn't even know yet. We will keep everyone posted on changes. We love you all and thank you for your prayers. We knew it had to happen eventually!
Love,
Alesha, Ruston & Elli
We are so pleased to tell everyone that we are expecting another baby! We just found out yesterday (Sunday) and couldn't wait to get the news out. We'll have eight months of waiting now - one of the downsides to telling so soon - but news this exciting just has to be shared. I'm due January 11, 2008, but that could change a little since my doctor doesn't even know yet. We will keep everyone posted on changes. We love you all and thank you for your prayers. We knew it had to happen eventually!
Love,
Alesha, Ruston & Elli
Saturday, May 5, 2007
Welcome Summer Time!!
We made it! Summer is here and Ruston is done with school...for three weeks. He's already seen the new Spider Man 3 (said it wasn't as cool as the last two) and been golfing several times. No tests, studying or clinic problems. Man, what would life be like with a vacation from your everyday duties? I guess all you moms out there can relate, huh?
We are sprucing up our yard with some new grass seed and flowers. The vegetable garden will come soon too. We were excited to see that a couple cardinals have built a nest in one of our trees and they have chicks. It's only 6-7 feet off the ground so it's pretty easy to spot. It's funny because after we spent all day looking at them (from a distance of course), as we were getting Elli ready for bed they came and perched by our bay window as if they were watching us! It's pretty cool.
Elli is doing great. She is learning how to walk up and down stairs. She is still very hesitant, but with a helping hand from mom or dad she can do it pretty well. Her animal noise knowledge has expanded to include owls now! The "hoo hoo" sounds a little bit like her version of a monkey, but we understand. She has really been enjoying her time with Shadow (the dog of the boys I babysit). This week she has decided that hugging and bodyslamming Shadow is a good thing. It's the funniest thing to watch this little tiny girl walk up nonchalantly to a black lab and then just tackle her from the side. Shadow rolls over and licks Elli who gets up giggling and smiling...ready for more everytime! They have a great time together.
I had a fun weekend (last weekend). One of Ruston's classmates in getting married soon, as I've mentioned before. Her bachelorette party was this past Saturday and we went to a country-western club/bar. Inside they had a mechanical bull! I've always been too chicken to do it, but since most everyone else was either pregnant, drunk or having a migraine I did it and it was FUN! I stayed on for 1 minute 52 seconds. The operator was taking it easy though. He said that full-blast the longest anyone has stayed on is 55 seconds, so I think I was on the easy setting. This will be a place where we take any family who comes out here though, it was a great time.
Only 12 weeks till we go to Oregon!! We hope to see you all then. We love you all!
We are sprucing up our yard with some new grass seed and flowers. The vegetable garden will come soon too. We were excited to see that a couple cardinals have built a nest in one of our trees and they have chicks. It's only 6-7 feet off the ground so it's pretty easy to spot. It's funny because after we spent all day looking at them (from a distance of course), as we were getting Elli ready for bed they came and perched by our bay window as if they were watching us! It's pretty cool.
Elli is doing great. She is learning how to walk up and down stairs. She is still very hesitant, but with a helping hand from mom or dad she can do it pretty well. Her animal noise knowledge has expanded to include owls now! The "hoo hoo" sounds a little bit like her version of a monkey, but we understand. She has really been enjoying her time with Shadow (the dog of the boys I babysit). This week she has decided that hugging and bodyslamming Shadow is a good thing. It's the funniest thing to watch this little tiny girl walk up nonchalantly to a black lab and then just tackle her from the side. Shadow rolls over and licks Elli who gets up giggling and smiling...ready for more everytime! They have a great time together.
I had a fun weekend (last weekend). One of Ruston's classmates in getting married soon, as I've mentioned before. Her bachelorette party was this past Saturday and we went to a country-western club/bar. Inside they had a mechanical bull! I've always been too chicken to do it, but since most everyone else was either pregnant, drunk or having a migraine I did it and it was FUN! I stayed on for 1 minute 52 seconds. The operator was taking it easy though. He said that full-blast the longest anyone has stayed on is 55 seconds, so I think I was on the easy setting. This will be a place where we take any family who comes out here though, it was a great time.
Only 12 weeks till we go to Oregon!! We hope to see you all then. We love you all!
Friday, April 27, 2007
Warning: Finals Week Ahead!
Well, this is it! Ruston has finals this coming week and then he's officially in his last year of school! We are so excited for the future. Ruston has been doing very well in his clinical duties. His patients respect him and he has been fortunate enough to receive some challenging cases that will give him an extra boost of experience for his senior year. So far, his course exams are going smoothly and I think he is ready to have a little break from school for awhile. Don't worry, I'll keep him busy around the house!
Elli has learned "thank you" this week. She first used it without any prompting when her little friend, Logan, handed her a sippy cup. We were shocked. She says "tink oou" and it's so cute! I think she's coming into her terrible two's a little early though. This past week she has been prone to melt down when she doesn't get something her way. I'm not really sure what to do about it except to change the topic somehow and distract her. She's discovered the laundry shoot that goes from the upstairs hall all the way to the basement. She loves throwing dirty clothes down (which there is never a shortage of around here!), but she gets a little upset when we run out of clothes and she screams to do it some more. I guess it could be worse, at least she likes to help clean up! Maybe I can get her to help put the clean clothes away? Hmmm...
I'm really excited because we just booked our first two family vacations for the summer. In May we are going to attend a wedding for one of Ruston's classmates in North Carolina. We'll stay with friends for a couple nights. It should be a great big party and we can't wait! Then, in July we are going to fly to Oregon to be with family for two weeks. The plan (for now) is that we'll fly into Portland (July 24th) and spend some time with my parents and extended family; then after awhile we will all drive together (yes, mom & dad too!) to stay with Ruston's parents in Vale for awhile longer. We'll have to drive back to Portland by August 7th to fly home again, but two weeks with family is what my homesick heart needs! I can not wait!!
Oh, by the way Eric (my big-little bro) just moved and in case you don't have his new address it is: Eric Lougheed 322 Wild Wing Blvd. #E Conway, SC 29526. Just FYI. When we talked he said he was taking finals this coming week in school too and that he was looking forward to a fun summer (with no classes), a possible basketball tournament and maybe a trip to the Northwest sometime?! Sounds like a plan. Have fun Eric! We love you!
Have a great week everyone. Thanks for reading our blog!
Elli has learned "thank you" this week. She first used it without any prompting when her little friend, Logan, handed her a sippy cup. We were shocked. She says "tink oou" and it's so cute! I think she's coming into her terrible two's a little early though. This past week she has been prone to melt down when she doesn't get something her way. I'm not really sure what to do about it except to change the topic somehow and distract her. She's discovered the laundry shoot that goes from the upstairs hall all the way to the basement. She loves throwing dirty clothes down (which there is never a shortage of around here!), but she gets a little upset when we run out of clothes and she screams to do it some more. I guess it could be worse, at least she likes to help clean up! Maybe I can get her to help put the clean clothes away? Hmmm...
I'm really excited because we just booked our first two family vacations for the summer. In May we are going to attend a wedding for one of Ruston's classmates in North Carolina. We'll stay with friends for a couple nights. It should be a great big party and we can't wait! Then, in July we are going to fly to Oregon to be with family for two weeks. The plan (for now) is that we'll fly into Portland (July 24th) and spend some time with my parents and extended family; then after awhile we will all drive together (yes, mom & dad too!) to stay with Ruston's parents in Vale for awhile longer. We'll have to drive back to Portland by August 7th to fly home again, but two weeks with family is what my homesick heart needs! I can not wait!!
Oh, by the way Eric (my big-little bro) just moved and in case you don't have his new address it is: Eric Lougheed 322 Wild Wing Blvd. #E Conway, SC 29526. Just FYI. When we talked he said he was taking finals this coming week in school too and that he was looking forward to a fun summer (with no classes), a possible basketball tournament and maybe a trip to the Northwest sometime?! Sounds like a plan. Have fun Eric! We love you!
Have a great week everyone. Thanks for reading our blog!
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Here Comes The Sun!
At last! We have sunshine! What a nice treat. It's about 68 degrees today and I can't wait to get outside. The summer is coming and we are looking forward to making a couple trips to see family. No exact plans have been made yet, but we're getting closer.
Aaron is graduating from BYU next week (April 27th) and I wish that we could be there to support him. Good job Aaron! I love you and am so proud of all the hard work you have done to support your family and also our country. You are a wonderful brother and words can't express how much I look up to you for the choices you have made in your life. I hope that you are happy and can't wait for you to move East so that we can spend more time together. Congratulations!
Ruston is starting his last week of classes and clinic for the semester. After finals (the 1st week of May) he's looking forward to a lot of golf and getting some things done around the house. Then when school starts up again later in May, he will officially be a Senior. One more year! Wow, I can't believe how fast time has gone. It's really exciting for us.
Elli has been sick this week. She had a really high fever (like 102-103) for a few days and when I took her to the doctor, they said she had a virus that was causing really painful sores in her mouth. Since you can't do anything about viruses, we just have to wait it out and keep giving her baby-motrin to keep the fever down. She seems to be feeling much better yesterday and today, but you can tell the sores still hurt her sometimes. Also, the sores are contagious so she can't play with any of her friends in case anyone shares/chews on toys. I won't take her to church this Sunday, but after that she should be fine. Thanks for your prayers!
My life has been pretty typical this week. I am babysitting two boys in the afternoons (sons of one of Ruston's teachers) and that has kept me busy. The boys are older (9 and 12) so I don't have to do much. But they have a good mom and she wants someone to be home with them when they are done with school. It's fun and gets us out of the house for a few hours each day. Plus, they have a black lab who loves Elli. It's so cute to see them play together.
So, that's our life this week. Thanks for reading. We love you all!
Aaron is graduating from BYU next week (April 27th) and I wish that we could be there to support him. Good job Aaron! I love you and am so proud of all the hard work you have done to support your family and also our country. You are a wonderful brother and words can't express how much I look up to you for the choices you have made in your life. I hope that you are happy and can't wait for you to move East so that we can spend more time together. Congratulations!
Ruston is starting his last week of classes and clinic for the semester. After finals (the 1st week of May) he's looking forward to a lot of golf and getting some things done around the house. Then when school starts up again later in May, he will officially be a Senior. One more year! Wow, I can't believe how fast time has gone. It's really exciting for us.
Elli has been sick this week. She had a really high fever (like 102-103) for a few days and when I took her to the doctor, they said she had a virus that was causing really painful sores in her mouth. Since you can't do anything about viruses, we just have to wait it out and keep giving her baby-motrin to keep the fever down. She seems to be feeling much better yesterday and today, but you can tell the sores still hurt her sometimes. Also, the sores are contagious so she can't play with any of her friends in case anyone shares/chews on toys. I won't take her to church this Sunday, but after that she should be fine. Thanks for your prayers!
My life has been pretty typical this week. I am babysitting two boys in the afternoons (sons of one of Ruston's teachers) and that has kept me busy. The boys are older (9 and 12) so I don't have to do much. But they have a good mom and she wants someone to be home with them when they are done with school. It's fun and gets us out of the house for a few hours each day. Plus, they have a black lab who loves Elli. It's so cute to see them play together.
So, that's our life this week. Thanks for reading. We love you all!
Saturday, April 14, 2007
All this fancy technology!
It's no secret that we aren't very good at keeping in touch even with our closest friends or family. So, I thought a blog might give us a way to talk to everyone at once - thereby allowing us to be lazy and everyone else to be happy! Blogging is new to me so please hang in there as I try to post as often as possible, but will very likely take longer than I plan.
Life has been pretty slow around here lately. Ruston's coming to the end of his 3rd year in school and is still waiting for the snow to melt so that he can go golfing. Yes, we still have snow! It snowed almost two feet over Easter weekend. Most of it has been rained away, but there are still patches around. And the ground is really wet. That's Cleveland for you!
Elli is getting smarter and cuter every day. She has just learned what a bee looks like (in picture books - not real life!) and loves to say "bee". She also is facinated by parts of her face, especially eyes. If given the chance she will point to our eyes too, so we always have to be on the lookout for incoming finger pokes. She will be 17 months tomorrow!
I am working on Service Saturday's for the upcoming months in Relief Society. We have 16 families moving out/graduating from our ward in May and it would be nice to help as many as possible during this busy and stressful time. People in our ward have a hard time accepting service and it's frustrating to try and help people who won't take it. But I have high hopes for this project and I think that a lot of good will come of it.
So that's what's happening in our lives. We love you all and hope to talk to you soon. (p.s. no baby yet - we'll keep you posted!)
Life has been pretty slow around here lately. Ruston's coming to the end of his 3rd year in school and is still waiting for the snow to melt so that he can go golfing. Yes, we still have snow! It snowed almost two feet over Easter weekend. Most of it has been rained away, but there are still patches around. And the ground is really wet. That's Cleveland for you!
Elli is getting smarter and cuter every day. She has just learned what a bee looks like (in picture books - not real life!) and loves to say "bee". She also is facinated by parts of her face, especially eyes. If given the chance she will point to our eyes too, so we always have to be on the lookout for incoming finger pokes. She will be 17 months tomorrow!
I am working on Service Saturday's for the upcoming months in Relief Society. We have 16 families moving out/graduating from our ward in May and it would be nice to help as many as possible during this busy and stressful time. People in our ward have a hard time accepting service and it's frustrating to try and help people who won't take it. But I have high hopes for this project and I think that a lot of good will come of it.
So that's what's happening in our lives. We love you all and hope to talk to you soon. (p.s. no baby yet - we'll keep you posted!)
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