My friend Misty blog-tagged me into revealing my quirks. Now, usually people joke that they don't have any to write about. I had the opposite problem. I wonder how much truth I can write before I start losing friends. Did you see that Scrubs episode where Elliott is trying to hold back her craziness from her boyfriend, Nurse Roses, so that he won't dump her. I feel a little like that. Forgive me, here goes...
When the baby clothes come out of the laundry I have to snap or zip them closed. Even though I know I will have to unbotton/zip them to put them on Addison - it's just something that has to be done.
Ruston always took a lot of grief for his huge list of pet peeves in school. Little did our friends know, mine is just as long. I can just control my reactions better. I get seriously, seriously annoyed when people break rules, traffic laws (especially seatbelts and kids not in car seats), don't follow basic instructions, or are in any way dishonest. It also irritates me when LDS people don't wear their garments at ALL appropriate times - like excersizing. Don't get me started on this one, I swear some people are just looking for any excuse to be immodest. We made a sacred covenant people! There is nothing wrong with wearing a t-shirt and knee length shorts - you're going to sweat anyway. Cover up!
Okay sorry, I told you not to get me started.
I don't have "favorites". No favorite song, color, flower, writer, anything. It's just something I've never wanted to have. I think it keeps me open to try new things and not get into a rut of "the usual".
I know that our cats can't talk, but I am pretty sure that they understand us and have feeling like we do.
I know that balloons don't have feelings, but I can't bring myself to step on one to pop it. I have to carefully clip it with scissors to let the air out gently. Yes, I know I'm crazy.
I don't belive in saving things for special occasions. Buying something for a special occasion is fine, but holding onto things for "just in case the right moment comes" is silly. Some examples are candles that people don't burn, soaps that never get used, towels that you can't dry your hands on because they are just for looking at, or specialty food that sits in the cupboard for a meal that never happens. Life is short - live it up! Have an expensive porkloin on a Tuesday or icecream sundaes in the middle of the afternoon. Why wait till later? What if later never comes? Forewarning: If I come to your house and I see tiny little soaps in their original form, I will use them! And then I'll wipe my hands on your pretty towels.
I get nightmares very easily. I can't watch CSI or anything like it because I will have bad dreams. Sometimes I can't even watch the news. I am terribly afraid of mice and will have nightmares if I even see a dead one. I hate being scared and think that haunted houses ought to be eliminated from our Halloween culture.
I once passed out on a rollar coaster. (Blind date too, that was really smooth!)
I have a slight OCD problem in that I tap my toes on the car floor when passing a mile marker sign (really irriating compulsion when you are driving 75 down the freeway). I'm learning to control it, but I have to concentrate hard to not do it.
So needless to say I'm a little bit crazy, but hopefully you are too. Maybe just a little bit right? Who else out there has quirks just like me? Let's see...I blog-tag Carissa, Rebecca and Emily. Have fun with it. That is if you didn't stop reading five minutes ago and have decided I'm too wierd to be associated with.
Love, Alesha
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Three Weeks Until Christmas
Can you believe how fast time is going? Wow! Elli's birthday came and went. She had so much fun with her friends. The blue cupcakes were a (messy) hit and the girls loved being able to run free around the giant playland. There was a little issue of Elli's birthday candle though. Upon opening it from it's orginal packaging, Mickey's head fell off. Trying not to scar Elli for the rest of her life, from seeing her beloved hero headless, we scurried to find a lighter to melt his waxy head to his body. Well, I guess Grandma wasn't paying very close attention to what she was doing and...suffice it to say we were in the middle of singing happy birthday when I suddenly realized that Mickey's tail was not in the back where it should be - no, no it was coming out the front! His head had been put on backward! I could've died laughing, it was so funny. Elli didn't notice and so for now her innocent mind remains clean.
On her real birthday (the party was the day before), we had pancakes with blue frosting and Elli got to play in all the leaves in the back yard. She had so much fun. Later, she opened presents then we went bowling and to McDonalds for dinner. She was the happiest kid alive that day. Sorry details are a little short, but it would take forever to write about everything.
Then, comes Thanksgiving. My parents came out to Vale to be with us. We had a wonderful time. The food was fantastic and everyone got along! I can't remember the last Munk family function where that happened! Anyway, we had a moment to talk about what we were grateful for and had a few laughs and tears as we shared our feelings. It was a special time for me to have the two best moms ever in the same room with me. I am so grateful for my mom and Viola for all they have and continue to teach me. I never would have guessed six months ago that we would still be living here. But we are and we love it. And to live only a few hours from my parents makes life that much sweeter. I hope you all had a great holiday too.
So, next comes Christmas! Let me tell you - I love Christmas! Everything about it is terrific. We have started getting into Viola's Christmas decorations and we are going to have some fun putting them all up. Her house is like this magical Christmas wonderland when it's done up right. I can't wait! We have finally figured out plans for after Christmas. We'll be going to Vegas for New Year's and the days following to attend Marissa's baptism. It will be a long car ride, but it will be so worth it to spend a week with family. I can't think of a better way to spend the holidays. Merry Christmas everyone! I think I'm going to go bake some cookies!
Love, Alesha
On her real birthday (the party was the day before), we had pancakes with blue frosting and Elli got to play in all the leaves in the back yard. She had so much fun. Later, she opened presents then we went bowling and to McDonalds for dinner. She was the happiest kid alive that day. Sorry details are a little short, but it would take forever to write about everything.
Then, comes Thanksgiving. My parents came out to Vale to be with us. We had a wonderful time. The food was fantastic and everyone got along! I can't remember the last Munk family function where that happened! Anyway, we had a moment to talk about what we were grateful for and had a few laughs and tears as we shared our feelings. It was a special time for me to have the two best moms ever in the same room with me. I am so grateful for my mom and Viola for all they have and continue to teach me. I never would have guessed six months ago that we would still be living here. But we are and we love it. And to live only a few hours from my parents makes life that much sweeter. I hope you all had a great holiday too.
So, next comes Christmas! Let me tell you - I love Christmas! Everything about it is terrific. We have started getting into Viola's Christmas decorations and we are going to have some fun putting them all up. Her house is like this magical Christmas wonderland when it's done up right. I can't wait! We have finally figured out plans for after Christmas. We'll be going to Vegas for New Year's and the days following to attend Marissa's baptism. It will be a long car ride, but it will be so worth it to spend a week with family. I can't think of a better way to spend the holidays. Merry Christmas everyone! I think I'm going to go bake some cookies!
Love, Alesha
Saturday, November 8, 2008
What Happened? My baby is almost three years old!
Can you believe how fast time has gone? Elli will be three in a week (Nov. 15th) and all I can think is "thank goodness for digital cameras!" I look back on her baby pictures and hardly recognize her. I have been looking on friend's blogs too and can't believe how much their kids have grown up. Time just goes by so fast!
Well, Elli has decided that she wants a Mickey Mouse party. Not Minnie, mind you, Mickey! She has invited a few little girls from church and since there is not a chuck-e-cheese around here, I've decided to take them all to the local Carl's Jr - it has an enormous indoor playland! Which means I don't have to cook or clean. We bought some decorations and will fill some balloons before hand. But this is going to be the easiest 3-year old birthday party ever. And really, who am I trying to impress? Some parents just go crazy over this sort of thing. Besides, Elli couldn't be happier, that's what is important. We will take lots of pictures and post them later.
Oh, and since her favorite color is dark blue (yes, she's that specific!), she has asked for blue plates, cups and silverware. As well as blue cupcakes with dark blue frosting. We've basically figured out if there are ever two choices of what she could want - she will always prefer the blue thing! It cracks me up.
I've been keeping track of her "I wants" for a few months now and have to say, she has a very cute wish list: a jump rope, a store that sells rainbows, a real rocket (like on Little Einsteins), anything to do with the movie Cars, and dress-up stuff. Now, the dress-up stuff is a little different than you might guess. She really couldn't care less about the princess scene (not that it's bad, it's just not what interests her right now). She wants a doctor kit, a police officer outfit - this is VERY big in her little world right now, a firefighter costume, and "mommy stuff" like food, dishes, baby accessories, etc. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure most of this is based on my biased opinion, but I'm proud of her for choosing to make believe positive, productive role models. As for the store that sells rainbows - it's going to take some work to wrap that one! She also says she wants just about any commercial item that has Dora or Diego on it - they are her heros.
I've been trying to keep track of the things that she does lately when she wants to copy Ruston. She will say, "I'm going to change my clothes in the dining room - just like daddy" or I'm not going to hold the railing when I go downstairs - just like daddy" (that was quickly corrected by both parties). Then there's my personal favorite, "I'm going to pee outside - just like daddy". Okay, so we live on 11 acres with no neighbors anywhere close, but I had to put my foot down on that one! She also informed me one day that she was going to eat breakfast standing up in the kitchen "just like grandma does". Here I was afraid to send her to nursery or preschool in case she picks up any bad habits/manners - I guess she's not any safer at home. Oh well, I try!
Life goes on! Ruston's work is still a little slow right now, but due to recent changes in the office, we think things should start picking up pretty soon. He has started an incentive program to get everyone to work harder and I think it's going to work great.
Addison is still tiny and cute. She is starting to undertand us now and that makes talking to her fun. She is a wonderful baby.
Have a great week! I'll post again after Elli's party.
Well, Elli has decided that she wants a Mickey Mouse party. Not Minnie, mind you, Mickey! She has invited a few little girls from church and since there is not a chuck-e-cheese around here, I've decided to take them all to the local Carl's Jr - it has an enormous indoor playland! Which means I don't have to cook or clean. We bought some decorations and will fill some balloons before hand. But this is going to be the easiest 3-year old birthday party ever. And really, who am I trying to impress? Some parents just go crazy over this sort of thing. Besides, Elli couldn't be happier, that's what is important. We will take lots of pictures and post them later.
Oh, and since her favorite color is dark blue (yes, she's that specific!), she has asked for blue plates, cups and silverware. As well as blue cupcakes with dark blue frosting. We've basically figured out if there are ever two choices of what she could want - she will always prefer the blue thing! It cracks me up.
I've been keeping track of her "I wants" for a few months now and have to say, she has a very cute wish list: a jump rope, a store that sells rainbows, a real rocket (like on Little Einsteins), anything to do with the movie Cars, and dress-up stuff. Now, the dress-up stuff is a little different than you might guess. She really couldn't care less about the princess scene (not that it's bad, it's just not what interests her right now). She wants a doctor kit, a police officer outfit - this is VERY big in her little world right now, a firefighter costume, and "mommy stuff" like food, dishes, baby accessories, etc. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure most of this is based on my biased opinion, but I'm proud of her for choosing to make believe positive, productive role models. As for the store that sells rainbows - it's going to take some work to wrap that one! She also says she wants just about any commercial item that has Dora or Diego on it - they are her heros.
I've been trying to keep track of the things that she does lately when she wants to copy Ruston. She will say, "I'm going to change my clothes in the dining room - just like daddy" or I'm not going to hold the railing when I go downstairs - just like daddy" (that was quickly corrected by both parties). Then there's my personal favorite, "I'm going to pee outside - just like daddy". Okay, so we live on 11 acres with no neighbors anywhere close, but I had to put my foot down on that one! She also informed me one day that she was going to eat breakfast standing up in the kitchen "just like grandma does". Here I was afraid to send her to nursery or preschool in case she picks up any bad habits/manners - I guess she's not any safer at home. Oh well, I try!
Life goes on! Ruston's work is still a little slow right now, but due to recent changes in the office, we think things should start picking up pretty soon. He has started an incentive program to get everyone to work harder and I think it's going to work great.
Addison is still tiny and cute. She is starting to undertand us now and that makes talking to her fun. She is a wonderful baby.
Have a great week! I'll post again after Elli's party.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Looking To The Future
Okay, okay - enough reminiscing about the past! There is a whole lot of fun things going on in our near and distant future that I can't wait to talk about. This is my most favorite time of year because now we begin to feel the weather change, the leaves change color, the bugs start to die out, the garden harvest is coming to a close, and there is the ever present thought in the back of my mind that the holidays are coming!! I love the fall! It's a tangible turning of a page where life can begin again in new and exciting ways.
But here I am getting all sappy again...sorry! The first thing coming up is Halloween. Elli decided that she wants to be a butterfly this year. We looked around and found a fairy costume. We both decided that it's close enough. I'm sure we'll figure out someway to make her "buggy". But one of the best things is that I am going to visit my parents again for Halloween. Ruston will be hunting that week and so I'm taking the girls and heading to Estacada! I plan to make a point of visiting several friends and lots of family while we're there. We will leave 10/29 and come back 11/2. If you will be in the area, shoot me an email and we'll get together. Jandi, I will be calling you this time - I promise!
Next comes Thanksgiving. It's the Lougheed's year to get together, but since Aaron and Eric are so far away (and not likely to come West for one weekend) we've invited my parents to visit us in Vale. As long as the weather is nice enough to make it through the gorge, they'll be here! That makes Ruston's parents happy too - since, yes, we are still living at their place. We are still amazed at the fact that we continue to like each other after all this time. No fights at all. But whenever our house sells in Ohio, we may start looking for somewhere to live in Nyssa (closer to Ruston's practice). That could be awhile though in this economy. I'm not holding my breath. We're happy here.
Christmas is still up in the air, as most Munk family holidays go. My mom and I are crazy sometimes - we will start planning vacations and locking in dates, locations, etc. months or even a year in advance. I love it! The other side of the family is a little less tenacious. And as a result I have no idea what's going on. I think we are trying to go to Utah. But the only thing that is for sure is that we won't gather together until Dec. 26th. That way no one has to travel with presents in tow. So our little Munk Family Christmas will be here in Vale (or Nyssa) with Ruston's parents. Which I love that our kids get so much uninterrupted time with their grandparents. And this will be a very special holiday being close to them.
Another exciting part of our future is (no not a baby - Addison is only 8 months old - give me a break!) the ADA convention in Honolulu, October 2009. Yes, I understand that it is a whole year away! Didn't you read through the last paragraph? I'm obsessive about my vacations! Anyway, I've never been to Hawaii. And Ruston has been promising me a trip there ever since he convinced me to give up a full-ride scholarship to BYU-H and marry him. (I'll never let him live it down!) The dental convention is Oct. 1-4 (Thursday through Sunday). We will probably arrive earlier that week and have an early start to our vacation. So my question is...who else is planning to attend? Any friends from dental school going? If so, are you bringing your kids? (We hoped to leave E&A at home unless everyone else was taking kids) We might use our timeshare, unless people had plans to stay in a hotel so the whole Case group could be close together. Talk it over with your spouse and email us. We miss our old friends and can hardly wait a year to see everyone again.
So that's our future! Otherwise, life is going great. Ruston is doing fantastic in his business. I never could've imagined being this successful so soon after school. Business is a little slow right now with the beginning of school, but we anticipate things speeding back up closer to the end of the year. In the mean time, he's working 4 days a week at his office and has even managed to enjoy a few golf games before the weather got wet and cold. I tell you - education is the way to go. All that school and all those loans are worth it to have him home with the family so often. To our friends in school, keep it up! It will all be worth it. And to those thinking about starting or going back to school - do it! You will never have as much money AND time with your family as you could by finishing a degree. No matter what silly investment you think might make you rich over night. Hard work in school is the answer!
Okay, off the soap box Alesha! Well, I hope to hear from lots of you soon about Hawaii and maybe see some family and friends in the coming months. Enjoy this beautiful fall weather. We'll have snow before you know it!
Love, Alesha
But here I am getting all sappy again...sorry! The first thing coming up is Halloween. Elli decided that she wants to be a butterfly this year. We looked around and found a fairy costume. We both decided that it's close enough. I'm sure we'll figure out someway to make her "buggy". But one of the best things is that I am going to visit my parents again for Halloween. Ruston will be hunting that week and so I'm taking the girls and heading to Estacada! I plan to make a point of visiting several friends and lots of family while we're there. We will leave 10/29 and come back 11/2. If you will be in the area, shoot me an email and we'll get together. Jandi, I will be calling you this time - I promise!
Next comes Thanksgiving. It's the Lougheed's year to get together, but since Aaron and Eric are so far away (and not likely to come West for one weekend) we've invited my parents to visit us in Vale. As long as the weather is nice enough to make it through the gorge, they'll be here! That makes Ruston's parents happy too - since, yes, we are still living at their place. We are still amazed at the fact that we continue to like each other after all this time. No fights at all. But whenever our house sells in Ohio, we may start looking for somewhere to live in Nyssa (closer to Ruston's practice). That could be awhile though in this economy. I'm not holding my breath. We're happy here.
Christmas is still up in the air, as most Munk family holidays go. My mom and I are crazy sometimes - we will start planning vacations and locking in dates, locations, etc. months or even a year in advance. I love it! The other side of the family is a little less tenacious. And as a result I have no idea what's going on. I think we are trying to go to Utah. But the only thing that is for sure is that we won't gather together until Dec. 26th. That way no one has to travel with presents in tow. So our little Munk Family Christmas will be here in Vale (or Nyssa) with Ruston's parents. Which I love that our kids get so much uninterrupted time with their grandparents. And this will be a very special holiday being close to them.
Another exciting part of our future is (no not a baby - Addison is only 8 months old - give me a break!) the ADA convention in Honolulu, October 2009. Yes, I understand that it is a whole year away! Didn't you read through the last paragraph? I'm obsessive about my vacations! Anyway, I've never been to Hawaii. And Ruston has been promising me a trip there ever since he convinced me to give up a full-ride scholarship to BYU-H and marry him. (I'll never let him live it down!) The dental convention is Oct. 1-4 (Thursday through Sunday). We will probably arrive earlier that week and have an early start to our vacation. So my question is...who else is planning to attend? Any friends from dental school going? If so, are you bringing your kids? (We hoped to leave E&A at home unless everyone else was taking kids) We might use our timeshare, unless people had plans to stay in a hotel so the whole Case group could be close together. Talk it over with your spouse and email us. We miss our old friends and can hardly wait a year to see everyone again.
So that's our future! Otherwise, life is going great. Ruston is doing fantastic in his business. I never could've imagined being this successful so soon after school. Business is a little slow right now with the beginning of school, but we anticipate things speeding back up closer to the end of the year. In the mean time, he's working 4 days a week at his office and has even managed to enjoy a few golf games before the weather got wet and cold. I tell you - education is the way to go. All that school and all those loans are worth it to have him home with the family so often. To our friends in school, keep it up! It will all be worth it. And to those thinking about starting or going back to school - do it! You will never have as much money AND time with your family as you could by finishing a degree. No matter what silly investment you think might make you rich over night. Hard work in school is the answer!
Okay, off the soap box Alesha! Well, I hope to hear from lots of you soon about Hawaii and maybe see some family and friends in the coming months. Enjoy this beautiful fall weather. We'll have snow before you know it!
Love, Alesha
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
My How Things Change
It's funny how things can change when you aren't paying attention. I have come back to visit my parents in Estacada, OR for the weekend and have found a lot of things are different than I remember ten years ago. I don't know how many of you have the opportunity to visit your hometowns. I know a lot of my friends and family don't get along with their family well enough to spend more than an afternoon with them. I feel sorry for them. In that matter, I am very blessed to have wonderful parents who I could spend forever with and never get bored/frustrated/annoyed. Take your pick!
It's fun to come back to church and see everyone. My young women's leaders seem shorter than I remember, but I know that they still love me and are so happy to see me and my kids. The deacons passing the sacrament are the babies that I remember being in Sunbeams all those years ago. There are lots of new families too. It's all very strange, but familiar at the same time.
I visited the junior high today to see my mom at work. That brought back a few memories! Things have changed a lot. Everything has been updated and looks wonderful. I had memory flashbacks of walking the halls, going to class, remembering people I knew - some good, some not so good. But I decided after this many years, nothing negative that happened back then really matters anymore.
I've actually ran into a few people I knew from school this weekend. Most have at least one kid. Like me, everyone has put on a few extra pounds. Some are just visiting their family, some have moved back to the area. But it's fun to see how we all ended up. I left Estacada three days after graduation without saying goodbye to the few friends I had. Sometimes I regret that, but mostly I wanted to get out and get as far away from this little town as possible. It's interesting now, coming back, that I can finally see the good that I left behind. So many wonderful people, terrific schools, and of course my family. I would recommend to each of you to go back to your old stomping grounds and have a good long look around. Maybe you will find, like I have, that a few of the less happy memories have faded and while you were waiting for the town to grow up - you grew up instead! Who knows, maybe next trip I'll get over to the high school?
A special thanks to my parents for giving me this opportunity to reflect. It's been great staying with you. I love you both very much! And thanks to Ruston for surviving a few days home alone while I get to visit my mom and dad. You are wonderful!
Love, Alesha
New pictures coming soon. And probably a new post, since this one is more sentimental than usual. Keep checking back!
It's fun to come back to church and see everyone. My young women's leaders seem shorter than I remember, but I know that they still love me and are so happy to see me and my kids. The deacons passing the sacrament are the babies that I remember being in Sunbeams all those years ago. There are lots of new families too. It's all very strange, but familiar at the same time.
I visited the junior high today to see my mom at work. That brought back a few memories! Things have changed a lot. Everything has been updated and looks wonderful. I had memory flashbacks of walking the halls, going to class, remembering people I knew - some good, some not so good. But I decided after this many years, nothing negative that happened back then really matters anymore.
I've actually ran into a few people I knew from school this weekend. Most have at least one kid. Like me, everyone has put on a few extra pounds. Some are just visiting their family, some have moved back to the area. But it's fun to see how we all ended up. I left Estacada three days after graduation without saying goodbye to the few friends I had. Sometimes I regret that, but mostly I wanted to get out and get as far away from this little town as possible. It's interesting now, coming back, that I can finally see the good that I left behind. So many wonderful people, terrific schools, and of course my family. I would recommend to each of you to go back to your old stomping grounds and have a good long look around. Maybe you will find, like I have, that a few of the less happy memories have faded and while you were waiting for the town to grow up - you grew up instead! Who knows, maybe next trip I'll get over to the high school?
A special thanks to my parents for giving me this opportunity to reflect. It's been great staying with you. I love you both very much! And thanks to Ruston for surviving a few days home alone while I get to visit my mom and dad. You are wonderful!
Love, Alesha
New pictures coming soon. And probably a new post, since this one is more sentimental than usual. Keep checking back!
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Life Goes On
I guess I have ignored the blog long enough. This has been a busy month, but not very note-worthy so I haven't really had much to write about. My mom came to visit us for a week with my niece and nephew. Then I took the girls to Estacada for another week and a half. It was so nice to see my parents and relax. Not that it isn't relaxing here, but there's nothing like going home for awhile. We played at parks with all the kids, my dad took me to the temple for a sealing session, I got the mirror on the car fixed (finally!) and then eventually I had to come back home. Oops! I mean "got" to come back home.
Actually, when we got back Kevin, Emily and Paige were waiting for us. They came to visit on their way to Portland to visit Em's sister. We had so much fun seeing them. We went to the county fair, climbed the Malheur Butte (see the pictures!) and played lots of games. It's hard to not be around our good friends. But we are looking forward to when Kevin is finally done with school and moves west with his family. We miss you guys!
Ruston's sister, Lauren, and family were here for that week as well. It was her 10th high school reunion so she had lots of activities going on. But we did get to spend a little time together and are really looking forward to spending even MORE time after Christmas (like the week before New Year's) in St. George, Utah.
Other than that, life has been pretty typical. Elli has play group each week. Addison is eating lots of baby food (along with other contraband if I don't keep a close enough eye on the grandparents!) and has learned to scoot along the floor. She's not quite crawling yet, but that will happen pretty soon. As you guessed we are still living the dream - taking up space in Ruston's parent's house. Not exactly where I had planned to be at this point in my life, but oh well. We are paying them rent and half of utilities though, so it's not like we are just mooching off their generosity. Part of me would like to stay with them through the holidays (Viola always makes the house so beautiful at Christmas), but it is hard on everyone to have so many of us in one house where nothing is ours and everything we need is still in a box in the storage unit. It gets old after awhile. So who knows? But we still haven't sold our house in Cleveland yet either, so the decision isn't really ours to make. In the mean time, we are all making the best of it and suprisingly we are all getting along really well. I'll let you know where we stand in a month from now!
Actually, when we got back Kevin, Emily and Paige were waiting for us. They came to visit on their way to Portland to visit Em's sister. We had so much fun seeing them. We went to the county fair, climbed the Malheur Butte (see the pictures!) and played lots of games. It's hard to not be around our good friends. But we are looking forward to when Kevin is finally done with school and moves west with his family. We miss you guys!
Ruston's sister, Lauren, and family were here for that week as well. It was her 10th high school reunion so she had lots of activities going on. But we did get to spend a little time together and are really looking forward to spending even MORE time after Christmas (like the week before New Year's) in St. George, Utah.
Other than that, life has been pretty typical. Elli has play group each week. Addison is eating lots of baby food (along with other contraband if I don't keep a close enough eye on the grandparents!) and has learned to scoot along the floor. She's not quite crawling yet, but that will happen pretty soon. As you guessed we are still living the dream - taking up space in Ruston's parent's house. Not exactly where I had planned to be at this point in my life, but oh well. We are paying them rent and half of utilities though, so it's not like we are just mooching off their generosity. Part of me would like to stay with them through the holidays (Viola always makes the house so beautiful at Christmas), but it is hard on everyone to have so many of us in one house where nothing is ours and everything we need is still in a box in the storage unit. It gets old after awhile. So who knows? But we still haven't sold our house in Cleveland yet either, so the decision isn't really ours to make. In the mean time, we are all making the best of it and suprisingly we are all getting along really well. I'll let you know where we stand in a month from now!
Monday, July 7, 2008
Change of Plans!
Well, we aren't in Utah! For those who haven't heard, we are now living in Eastern Oregon. I didn't want to write about it too soon, because we were still waiting for the official paperwork to go through (financing and whatever) and we didn't want to burn any bridges with the U of Utah just in case things didn't work out. But due to an unfortunate death of the dentist in the town next to where Ruston grew up, we found out about a practice for sale. We had already planned to go back there anyway, but this moved our plans forward one year. Contracts were signed and Munk Family Dental opened for business June 16th. Ruston has two assistants, two hygienists and a receptionist. His days are full of patients and the community has really supported him in this endeavor. Our only regret was that dental school did not even come close to preparing Ruston for the business aspect of dentistry. But together we are figuring it out and his practice is growing.
For anyone who wants to know, our new contact info is:
3827 Tattletale Lane
Ontario, OR 97914
(541) 889-2355
We just returned from the Munk Family Reunion in Park City, UT this past week. We had a great time and can't wait to see our family again soon. We went fishing, played at parks, jumped on bouncy castles, rode the Alpine Slide, played mini-golf, ate TONS of food and played lots of games. Elli loved seeing her cousins and Addison enjoyed getting passed around and getting smothered in kisses! We are adjusting back to life as normal today. Lots of laundry to do and sleep to catch up on.
Addison will be 6 months on July 14th (can you believe it?) and she has learned how to do so much. This is such a fun age. Elli is the best big sister and loves Addison a lot. We might have a little 1/2 birthday party for Addison, but we are also looking forward to seeing my parents and Mercedes and Benjamin next week.
Keep watching for new pictures! And have a great summer!
Love, The Munks
For anyone who wants to know, our new contact info is:
3827 Tattletale Lane
Ontario, OR 97914
(541) 889-2355
We just returned from the Munk Family Reunion in Park City, UT this past week. We had a great time and can't wait to see our family again soon. We went fishing, played at parks, jumped on bouncy castles, rode the Alpine Slide, played mini-golf, ate TONS of food and played lots of games. Elli loved seeing her cousins and Addison enjoyed getting passed around and getting smothered in kisses! We are adjusting back to life as normal today. Lots of laundry to do and sleep to catch up on.
Addison will be 6 months on July 14th (can you believe it?) and she has learned how to do so much. This is such a fun age. Elli is the best big sister and loves Addison a lot. We might have a little 1/2 birthday party for Addison, but we are also looking forward to seeing my parents and Mercedes and Benjamin next week.
Keep watching for new pictures! And have a great summer!
Love, The Munks
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
The Final Countdown!
I can hardly believe that we've come this far. Ruston is done with school! Our moving truck has been reserved. Our house is half-way packed. Oh, but there is one little tiny problem...we haven't sold our house yet.
We have finally decided to get an agent and I feel SO much better now. She held a broker's open for agents to come preview our home. Then Saturday we will have a traditional open house. Typical turnout for a broker's open is 10 people - we had 29! I'm sure that's because we have the best agent ever and also due to the fact that I offered her an extra percentage point on commission if she sold the house by May 20th. Money talks! She is passing that commission to the buying agent that finds someone to buy our home and, as a result, everyone is clammering to get our house sold right now! I figure, the few thousand dollars we will spend to motivate all the realtors will equal out to the money we could be spending on mortgage if it doesn't sell for a few month. Cross your fingers!
Ruston is in Oregon right now checking on his future practice. This wasn't exactly the best time for him to go (seeing how I now have to prepare alone for each house showing) but I'll be fine. He just needed to check on a few things in person before we head out to Utah in a few weeks. He will fly back next Wednesday with his parents to help finish packing and celebrate Ruston's graduation (May 18th). We are so excited for the future and hope to have even more details to share in the coming weeks.
Elli and Addison are still doing great. I bribed Elli that if she wouldn't make a mess the morning of the broker's open I would take her to Chuck E Cheese until it was done (three hours later). She kept her part of the deal, so I kept mine and we had so much fun. Next time we'll take a digital camera, but I didn't want to carry it around with me! Addison got to watch all the kids running around, so she was happy too.
Well, my "to do" list is two pages long and growing, so I'll go. But needless to say we are so excited to be leaving Cleveland and return home to the West. The waiting is exhausting, but it will be done and over with soon enough I guess! Two more weeks and we are HOME!
We have finally decided to get an agent and I feel SO much better now. She held a broker's open for agents to come preview our home. Then Saturday we will have a traditional open house. Typical turnout for a broker's open is 10 people - we had 29! I'm sure that's because we have the best agent ever and also due to the fact that I offered her an extra percentage point on commission if she sold the house by May 20th. Money talks! She is passing that commission to the buying agent that finds someone to buy our home and, as a result, everyone is clammering to get our house sold right now! I figure, the few thousand dollars we will spend to motivate all the realtors will equal out to the money we could be spending on mortgage if it doesn't sell for a few month. Cross your fingers!
Ruston is in Oregon right now checking on his future practice. This wasn't exactly the best time for him to go (seeing how I now have to prepare alone for each house showing) but I'll be fine. He just needed to check on a few things in person before we head out to Utah in a few weeks. He will fly back next Wednesday with his parents to help finish packing and celebrate Ruston's graduation (May 18th). We are so excited for the future and hope to have even more details to share in the coming weeks.
Elli and Addison are still doing great. I bribed Elli that if she wouldn't make a mess the morning of the broker's open I would take her to Chuck E Cheese until it was done (three hours later). She kept her part of the deal, so I kept mine and we had so much fun. Next time we'll take a digital camera, but I didn't want to carry it around with me! Addison got to watch all the kids running around, so she was happy too.
Well, my "to do" list is two pages long and growing, so I'll go. But needless to say we are so excited to be leaving Cleveland and return home to the West. The waiting is exhausting, but it will be done and over with soon enough I guess! Two more weeks and we are HOME!
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
We Are Almost There...
Oh...how frustrating! I just spent 30 minutes typing up a new blog message and when I went to post it my server went out. So I lost the entire thing! Oh well, here's the abbreviated version of what I meant to say.
Things are a million times better than the were a few weeks ago. Addison is sleeping in her cradle, in our room, all night long. She goes back to sleep after each night time feeding and still takes great naps during the day. Her colic is gone and so even on the nights where she doesn't go to sleep right away, she's not screaming - a huge improvement! She will be three months next week and is as sweet as can be.
We blessed her at church on my birthday and it was a great day. Ruston's parents came out for the occasion and Tony said that Addison smiled up at him through the whole blessing. She also got to wear Elli's blessing dress, which was very special. On the other hand, she also blew out her diaper shortly after the blessing was finished. Viola helped me hand wash the dress when we got home. It's okay now.
Elli has successfully been potty trained. She really wanted to do it, especially when we showed her some candy and Dora the Explorer panties. It's a huge hassle for me when we are out doing things, but she's pretty good about telling me before it's too late.
Ruston has two and a half weeks of school left! He'll take his clinical exams April 24-27 and then he's done! Graduation isn't until May 18th though, so we'll be here for a few more weeks getting ready to move. We haven't sold our house yet, but are hopeful that things should start picking up soon. Then we have to find a place in SLC to live for a year. If anyone knows of a home to rent within half an hour to the U of U hospital, drop me an email and I'll check it out (aleshajoy@hotmail.com).
Thanks to everyone for your emails of support and prayers over these past weeks. You'll never know how much they were needed and appreciated. A huge chapter in our lives is about to close and I can't wait to see what happens next!
Things are a million times better than the were a few weeks ago. Addison is sleeping in her cradle, in our room, all night long. She goes back to sleep after each night time feeding and still takes great naps during the day. Her colic is gone and so even on the nights where she doesn't go to sleep right away, she's not screaming - a huge improvement! She will be three months next week and is as sweet as can be.
We blessed her at church on my birthday and it was a great day. Ruston's parents came out for the occasion and Tony said that Addison smiled up at him through the whole blessing. She also got to wear Elli's blessing dress, which was very special. On the other hand, she also blew out her diaper shortly after the blessing was finished. Viola helped me hand wash the dress when we got home. It's okay now.
Elli has successfully been potty trained. She really wanted to do it, especially when we showed her some candy and Dora the Explorer panties. It's a huge hassle for me when we are out doing things, but she's pretty good about telling me before it's too late.
Ruston has two and a half weeks of school left! He'll take his clinical exams April 24-27 and then he's done! Graduation isn't until May 18th though, so we'll be here for a few more weeks getting ready to move. We haven't sold our house yet, but are hopeful that things should start picking up soon. Then we have to find a place in SLC to live for a year. If anyone knows of a home to rent within half an hour to the U of U hospital, drop me an email and I'll check it out (aleshajoy@hotmail.com).
Thanks to everyone for your emails of support and prayers over these past weeks. You'll never know how much they were needed and appreciated. A huge chapter in our lives is about to close and I can't wait to see what happens next!
Monday, February 25, 2008
Confessions of a Tired Mommy!
I was talking to a friend the other day about how much we love reading our friends' blogs. But we both agreed that the pictures and cute stories are so perfect that it a little intimidating when you compare them to your own situation. Now, I know that no one wants to gripe ALL the time - but a little reality now and then can be reassuring to the rest of us. So in this blog entry I offer a little reality to others who wonder if they are alone in their struggles. And for those of you who DO have perfect lives, here is an opportunity to laugh at the rest of us!
The theme of these past six weeks (yes, Addison is six weeks today!) is "when was the last time I...(fill in the blank)?" I wonder when was the last time I put on make-up or brushed my teeth before noon? For that matter, when was the last time I washed my hair? When was the last time Elli or Addison had a bath? When was the last time I went one day without getting spit-up/peed/pooped on? When was the last time I got to go to the bathroom without having Elli standing there watching me? When was the last time I wasn't tired? When was the last time I got to sleep in my own bed? When was the last time all the laundry was washed? And when was the last time I wrote in the blog?
Don't get me wrong, I love my life! And I love my family. I love being a mom, but I sure am tired. I have had a cold this past week and for two days I couldn't talk at all. My immune system is worn down due to my severe lack of sleep over the past weeks. I'm still not better, but at least I can talk again. Ruston says I need to have some family or friends come help me out, but I feel like I need to get used to doing this on my own. If people help me then I will just have to figure it out alone after they leave.
Addison is so cute. But don't ask me at 2 a.m. if we're ever going to have more kids? At this point my answer would be NO! But I know that in a few weeks (months?) those feeling of contempt will go away and I will forget about the sleepless nights. We laughed at all the signs in the hospital that said "never never, never shake a baby." What kind of demented person would think about shaking a baby? Oh...now I understand. It's those thoughts that creep into your mind when Addison has been crying for 5 hours and will not eat, sleep, or shut up! Don't worry, I would never hurt my kids. But I can understand how someone with a less healthy mind, or disfunctional upbringing could act on those thoughts.
My only peace has come from sleeping with Addison beside me on the couch. Yes, I KNOW that sleeping with a baby is incredibly unsafe and I feel guilty about it every day. But I can either get some guilt-ridden sleep or go crazy and (call me selfish) I'm taking the guilt...I mean the sleep! I think that I will try tonight, since she's six weeks, to have Addison sleep in her cradle. This will obviously mean no sleep for me, but I've got to try sometime right? Besides, my back is really starting to hurt from sleeping on the couch. So if you don't hear from me for awhile that's because I'm taking a nap with every spare moment I can scrape up.
Elli has been a wonderful big sister. She is kind to Addison and has even learned to say "I love you." But she does make a LOT of messes? When was the last time my living room was clean? I couldn't tell you! Every day she dumps out all the diapers, all the toys, all the books, and both my purse and the diaper bag. I could probably get her to stop with a quick swat to the bum, but do I really want to be spanking and yelling at her all day long? Speaking of bums, Elli has decided that she wants to be potty trained. I'll be the first to admit that I do not have the time or patience to sit and wait for her to "go", but I feel guilty discouraging her from trying when she is clearly ready. She tells me before she goes in her diaper and has had one successful potty in her little Dora toilet, but she's also peed on the floor once too. So we're one for one. I'm not going to push anything, but if she wants to train herslf - she's welcome to try.
Good news in our house is that Ruston has been accepted into the residency program at the University of Utah hospital after graduation. We'll move to Salt Lake City in May and live there until the program ends in late June 2009. We're really excited for the opportunity and especially about getting back west. Now we just have to sell our house - with this market we're going to need all the help we can get. Cross your fingers.
Well, duty calls and it's lunch time around here. Hopefully, I have helped some other moms feel better about themselves and given the rest of you a better perspective of the day to day life of a new mom. Life is great and I am happy, but when both girls are asleep - heaven help the person who calls our house in the middle of my nap time!
The theme of these past six weeks (yes, Addison is six weeks today!) is "when was the last time I...(fill in the blank)?" I wonder when was the last time I put on make-up or brushed my teeth before noon? For that matter, when was the last time I washed my hair? When was the last time Elli or Addison had a bath? When was the last time I went one day without getting spit-up/peed/pooped on? When was the last time I got to go to the bathroom without having Elli standing there watching me? When was the last time I wasn't tired? When was the last time I got to sleep in my own bed? When was the last time all the laundry was washed? And when was the last time I wrote in the blog?
Don't get me wrong, I love my life! And I love my family. I love being a mom, but I sure am tired. I have had a cold this past week and for two days I couldn't talk at all. My immune system is worn down due to my severe lack of sleep over the past weeks. I'm still not better, but at least I can talk again. Ruston says I need to have some family or friends come help me out, but I feel like I need to get used to doing this on my own. If people help me then I will just have to figure it out alone after they leave.
Addison is so cute. But don't ask me at 2 a.m. if we're ever going to have more kids? At this point my answer would be NO! But I know that in a few weeks (months?) those feeling of contempt will go away and I will forget about the sleepless nights. We laughed at all the signs in the hospital that said "never never, never shake a baby." What kind of demented person would think about shaking a baby? Oh...now I understand. It's those thoughts that creep into your mind when Addison has been crying for 5 hours and will not eat, sleep, or shut up! Don't worry, I would never hurt my kids. But I can understand how someone with a less healthy mind, or disfunctional upbringing could act on those thoughts.
My only peace has come from sleeping with Addison beside me on the couch. Yes, I KNOW that sleeping with a baby is incredibly unsafe and I feel guilty about it every day. But I can either get some guilt-ridden sleep or go crazy and (call me selfish) I'm taking the guilt...I mean the sleep! I think that I will try tonight, since she's six weeks, to have Addison sleep in her cradle. This will obviously mean no sleep for me, but I've got to try sometime right? Besides, my back is really starting to hurt from sleeping on the couch. So if you don't hear from me for awhile that's because I'm taking a nap with every spare moment I can scrape up.
Elli has been a wonderful big sister. She is kind to Addison and has even learned to say "I love you." But she does make a LOT of messes? When was the last time my living room was clean? I couldn't tell you! Every day she dumps out all the diapers, all the toys, all the books, and both my purse and the diaper bag. I could probably get her to stop with a quick swat to the bum, but do I really want to be spanking and yelling at her all day long? Speaking of bums, Elli has decided that she wants to be potty trained. I'll be the first to admit that I do not have the time or patience to sit and wait for her to "go", but I feel guilty discouraging her from trying when she is clearly ready. She tells me before she goes in her diaper and has had one successful potty in her little Dora toilet, but she's also peed on the floor once too. So we're one for one. I'm not going to push anything, but if she wants to train herslf - she's welcome to try.
Good news in our house is that Ruston has been accepted into the residency program at the University of Utah hospital after graduation. We'll move to Salt Lake City in May and live there until the program ends in late June 2009. We're really excited for the opportunity and especially about getting back west. Now we just have to sell our house - with this market we're going to need all the help we can get. Cross your fingers.
Well, duty calls and it's lunch time around here. Hopefully, I have helped some other moms feel better about themselves and given the rest of you a better perspective of the day to day life of a new mom. Life is great and I am happy, but when both girls are asleep - heaven help the person who calls our house in the middle of my nap time!
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Welcome Addison Jayli Munk
The happy moment has arrived! On Monday, January 14th, Addison Jayli Munk was born at 12:20 p.m. She was 7 pounds 4 ounces and 18 inches long. I have to say that we were all suprised that she was a girl. After all the waiting, we thought for sure she was going to be a boy. But even being six days late, we are happy she is with us now. The delivery went great (much easier than Elli) and she is healthy. I'm feeling great too! I thought that I would need all sorts of extra help after coming home, but I really haven't needed much so far. I could use a little more sleep, but that's normal and I'm getting by.
My mom left on Saturday and, more than needing her help, I will really miss her company. Elli misses her too. Elli developed a very special relationship with grandma over the past month and made the transition to being a big sister very well with the help of a loving grandma by her side. Thanks mom for everything you did while you were here.
Ruston will hear about his residency program in just over a week. We'll keep you updated on the news when we hear anything. Other than that, school has been going well and he is enjoying his time in the clinic.
That's all for now, watch for more photos soon. Thanks for all your prayers, calls and cards. We love you all!
My mom left on Saturday and, more than needing her help, I will really miss her company. Elli misses her too. Elli developed a very special relationship with grandma over the past month and made the transition to being a big sister very well with the help of a loving grandma by her side. Thanks mom for everything you did while you were here.
Ruston will hear about his residency program in just over a week. We'll keep you updated on the news when we hear anything. Other than that, school has been going well and he is enjoying his time in the clinic.
That's all for now, watch for more photos soon. Thanks for all your prayers, calls and cards. We love you all!
Monday, January 7, 2008
Putting Murphy's Law To The Test!
The way I see it, if I write in the blog and say that the baby hasn't come yet (which it hasn't) then Murphy's Law will step in and make the baby come sooner, just so that I have to update the blog all over again. It seems to make sense!
But, for all those waiting impatiently, we have not had our baby yet. I'm technically due tomorrow (Tuesday 1/8) but haven't had any "real" contractions so far. By now I have certainly heard every possible way to self-induce labor and, while funny, I think that we'll just let nature take it's course. Besides, this has been such an easy pregnancy that having to carry around a newborn (and worry about feedings, blow-outs, sibling jealousy, etc.) seems to be the more difficult option. I'm fine being pregnant and in no hurry!
Christmas was wonderful. We had my whole family in town and celebrated together. Everyone had a great time and I know, personally, this was one of my favorite Holidays ever! The weather was (and still is) unseasonably warm. We had one day of snow just before Christmas, then nothing until after New Years when it snowed just over a foot in one day. But today we'll be setting a Cleveland weather record of 63 degrees and there is no snow left anywhere. Go figure! It will probably dump snow for a week just as we're leaving to go to the hospital!
Well, I will be sure to update the blog and send out emails when the baby comes home. It could be a little while, so don't hold your breath! We love you all and thank you for all your prayers!
Love,
The Munks
But, for all those waiting impatiently, we have not had our baby yet. I'm technically due tomorrow (Tuesday 1/8) but haven't had any "real" contractions so far. By now I have certainly heard every possible way to self-induce labor and, while funny, I think that we'll just let nature take it's course. Besides, this has been such an easy pregnancy that having to carry around a newborn (and worry about feedings, blow-outs, sibling jealousy, etc.) seems to be the more difficult option. I'm fine being pregnant and in no hurry!
Christmas was wonderful. We had my whole family in town and celebrated together. Everyone had a great time and I know, personally, this was one of my favorite Holidays ever! The weather was (and still is) unseasonably warm. We had one day of snow just before Christmas, then nothing until after New Years when it snowed just over a foot in one day. But today we'll be setting a Cleveland weather record of 63 degrees and there is no snow left anywhere. Go figure! It will probably dump snow for a week just as we're leaving to go to the hospital!
Well, I will be sure to update the blog and send out emails when the baby comes home. It could be a little while, so don't hold your breath! We love you all and thank you for all your prayers!
Love,
The Munks
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