The Munk Family

Elli's loses a tooth!

2011-11-10T15:18:00.002-07:00

A few weeks back, Elli bit down on a plum pit and knocked her two bottom teeth loose. Luckily having a dentist for a daddy, Ruston took an x-ray and decided that one of the teeth would heal up because the next tooth wasn't ready for awhile, but the other one was on it's way! So Elli has been wiggling that one like crazy. Just the other day she showed us where the new tooth was coming up and she was ready for the baby tooth to be gone. Last night she gave up her bedtime story if Ruston would pull her tooth. So he did. He counted to three, but being tricky pulled it on two and the tooth was out. Elli wanted to take it to show and tell today so she said we couldn't let the tooth fairy take it yet. Luckily again, Daddy has the tooth fairy on speed dial and he said that he would call her and fill her in on the details! She was so happy! Hooray for Elli!

Cami's Birthday!

2011-11-10T15:14:00.002-07:00

Happy Birthday to Cami! We celebrated Cami's birthday with pizza and blueberry muffins with cream cheese. (Ruston and I don't like cake or frosting!) She opened one gift from Grandma and Papa and then the girls gave her some of their older toys from when they were one. Grandma and Papa also gave some money toward her charity birthday and we did too. It was a fun night. Just perfect for a one-year old!

Cami Turns One!

2011-11-01T21:37:00.006-06:00

As many of you know, Cami will turn one this weekend. She is happy, healthy and absolutely adorable. I have given a lot of thought into what exactly a one year old wants or needs - nothing comes to mind. With big sisters to give hand-me-downs in both toys and clothes, Cami doesn't need anything.

Finally tonight, I heard about a terrific idea: a charity birthday party. This year in lieu of gifts we will collect donations for a charity. We wanted it to be something special to our family so we selected the JDRF - Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Cami's cousin Janson was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes just months before his second birthday. His life and his family's was changed forever. We love Janson very much and hope that someday this terrible disease will be no more.

During November, if you choose to think of Cami, please consider sending a gift of charity instead of a gift to her. You can send donations to me by mail at:

Cami's 1st Birthday
3827 Tattletale Ln.
Ontario, OR 97914

All donations received by Nov. 14th that are submitted through diabetes.org (American Diabetes Association) will be DOUBLED by that organization. I'm checking to see if the JDRF will match donations too. They might not, so we will have to wait and see when they email me back. We would rather give to JDRF, although both are very good causes. Keep checking back to see if I've heard anything over the next few days.

Lots of love and gratitude,
Alesha

p.s. I just found out that November is American Diabetes Month. Just another reason to give to a great cause!

New Stuff Coming Soon!

2011-08-06T22:22:00.005-06:00

Wow! What a fun and crazy summer this has been. I have lots of pictures to post and fun days to write about. So check back soon. I'll get them all posted in the next few days.

Love,
Alesha

Girls, Girls, Girls!

2011-03-12T20:52:00.002-07:00

What a household we are! Poor Ruston and Tony living in a house of women. I know they love it, but I imagine they feel very out numbered at times. But life goes on and we are all having a great time. It's been awhile since I wrote, so trying to figure out where to pick up is hard to do. Let's see...

Ruston has recently found joy in acting. He signed up to act with the Illustrious Onion Skin Players in Weiser, ID. He meant to only have a small role, since he had never acted before, and ended up being cast as the Hero! Of course this was no shock to me since I knew what a ham he can be. He is Anderson O'Right, the dutiful first mate of the lovely Paddy Wheeler, aboard the Little Milly. It's a play made up by a patient of his who encouraged him to join the cast. I have seen him once and thought he was terrific. I'll also go see his last show on the 19th. If you are anywhere in the western Idaho area, you should get tickets to see him. It's great! Also, Ruston just got called to be the Gospel Doctrine teacher in our Nyssa 1st Ward. A little scary for him, but he's already done a great job and it will only get easier!

Elli just registered for kindergarten at Vale Elementary. We decided that she had more friends in Vale and even though most of them are boys, she will fit in best there. The teachers are wonderful and the school system seems great. I can hardly believe she's ready for school, but the more I think about it the easier it is. She is incredibly smart (and I'm not biased, everyone says it!) and I know she will do very well this coming year. She's also looking forward to soccer this summer and recently participated in the Miss Malheur County Scholarship Program - Little Princess Program. She wasn't named as a princess, her good friend Katelynn was, but she had a fantastic time. She got to meet Miss Oregon, Stephenie Steers, and get pictures taken with her. She also performed in a little dance number on stage with Miss Oregon. She was adorable!

Addison has been growing up a lot lately. She isn't really involved in any big things yet, but I do have her signed up for swimming lessons in April and will try to get her into a dance class this summer. Her favorite things are dressing up like a princess, having pretend picnics and coloring...especially if it involves pink stuff!

Cami is still as sweet as ever. She is four months now. I took her in for her well-check today and she is a "gigantic" 11 lbs. 12 oz. I know - tiny! But the doctor says she is on the right growth pattern and looks very healthy. She is strong and we've even started her on a little rice cereal at night. She has slept through the night once (10 p.m. - 6 a.m.), but I didn't hold my breath for long! She is still waking up once each night since then. I just give her a little bottle (2 oz) then tuck her back in to sleep. She's getting better at all the little things babies do and we couldn't love her more!

I figure I may as well write about Tony and Viola too since they are technically part of the household and a few of you out there might care! Viola has been called as the nursery leader in her ward as well as a teacher in Relief Society still. She balances both and is doing a great job. Her mom just got released from the Nursing Home in Vale yesterday and Viola has had her hands full taking care of her. For those who don't know, Grandma Merle fell and broke her hip a month or so back. She has been in rehabilitation until now, but has progressed far enough that she was allowed to go back home. Unfortuately, she still can't be left at home by herself at all in case she falls again. So Viola is spending most of her days there watching over her. She's a good daughter. It makes me appreciate all the care I will likely have to give to her and Tony as they age as well. I hope I can be as thoughtful as she has been to her mother.

And as for me, family and church have kept me busy. I was recently called as the YW camp director for our ward. I also am on the RS activity planning committee. We are less than a week away from the annual Relief Society Birthday Dinner. We are doing a program put together by Jenny Phillips (famous LDS singer who I've never heard of before now!). It should be great. Other than that, life is pretty typical. I haven't read any good books lately. I do want to see Gnomeo and Juliet one of these days. Oh and I'm getting excited for St. Patricks Day (this will be our first year that leprechauns plans to visit the house! We already have a trap made!) but I've decided that I really don't like eating Corned Beef and Cabbage. Honestly, corned beef tastes like salty hotdogs and don't get me started on slimy cabbage...gross! If anyone out there knows of an Irish meal that does NOT involve these two yucky items please make a comment. I'm willing to try almost anything! Thanks!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

Life is busy with three!

2011-02-04T09:29:00.002-07:00

I promise I will write more later - things have been so busy though. Suffice it to say everyone is healthy and doing very well. Cami will be three months tomorrow and is (finally) growing bigger. Yesterday was Chinese New Year which has always been a very big holiday for us. Tonight Tony and Viola are having a party and tomorrow night Ruston and I will have our party. It's kind of a big deal. So anyway, we are busy and I will write more when I get another minute.

Happy New Year!

Introducing...Camilla Joslyn Munk

2010-11-15T21:00:00.003-07:00

On Friday November 5th, Camilla Joslyn Munk was born at 1:41 p.m. in our local hospital. Not only was this the easiest pregnancy ever, it was also the easiest delivery ever. Thanks to modern medicine (which I love!) there was no pain and practically no effort required. Four pushes and she was in my arms. I had supposed she would be a girl, but still felt that wonderful heart swelling feeling when the doctor said "it's a girl!" So magical.

She was 7 lbs. 1 oz. and 19 inches long. She has dark hair like Elli and actually looks a lot like Elli as a baby. One funny thing is that she was born smiling. She fussed for a moment and then for the next hour as she was being cleaned, nursing for the first time, and being held in our arms - she smiled. She was alert and so peaceful.

Since then, recovery has been fantastic. I am in no pain. I didn't even need anything stronger than ibuprofen in the hospital after she was born. We came home after two days and the family was happy to see us. Elli and Addison were happy for a new baby and they love her very much.

Cami is still working on day vs. night, but I feel like each day gets a little better. The only problem we are having is nursing. For some reason she has not figured out a proper latch and even after nursing for 20 minutes is still hungry and I am no more relieved on my end of things. I have been pumping to help myself out and luckily she has taken to a bottle really well. So I know that she is getting enough to eat, but I am a little bummed that she won't nurse. I haven't got too emotional about it, but to be totally honest I feel really upset that we haven't come up with a solution. If anyone out there has a suggestion for helping a baby to latch on please feel free to comment. I'm desperate. I love nursing. I did it for a year on Elli and Addison and feel like a sub-par mother for not being able to do it like I did before.

Anyway, we are all healthy and adjusting to life with three kids. My parents are coming out for Thanksgiving and we will bless Cami this coming Sunday. Pictures coming soon. Keep watching!

Love,
Alesha

Counting down to the new baby and Elli's birthday!

2010-10-16T14:46:00.004-06:00

Well, we are in the final weeks before the baby comes. Many people have asked me about names and unfortunately we don't have it narrowed down quite yet. I actually think Ruston does know what he wants to name the baby (boy or girl) but won't tell me yet. I'm sure it won't be anything "wierd" but he hates it when people say "oh (name), I hated a kid named that in school." Really not helpful to new parents, but I guess as long as he tells me the name on the way to the hospital I'll be fine.

I've found all the old baby stuff and pulled it out of storage to get washed up. It's so fun looking at tiny little clothes. We even have some boy stuff that has been hanging around since I was pregnant with Elli - mostly pajamas which is great since that's what I dress them in for the first few months anyway. So I feel pretty prepared. I'm hoping for one of those portable swings for travelling around the holidays, but there's still plenty of time.

We plan to get family pictures taken just after Thanksgiving so that we have an updated photo for our Christmas card this year. If you think your address needs to be updated make a comment to this posting (I won't publish it) and that way I can be sure to send you a card.

So the other fun event in our life is Elli's upcoming birthday. She'll be five next month and has about a thousand ideas for her birthday party. I personally don't like "at home" parties - the house gets trashed, I have to come up with all the entertainment and our house just isn't very child-friendly. So I'd like to see her have a swimming party at the Ontario pool, or go to Chucky Cheese, etc. but she can't decide. I don't want to pick out her party for her, but it may come down to that if she drags her feet for too much longer.

I have to share her birthday wish list though. Some of the things she wants are too funny. Appearantly this is the year for things that go on your feet!

Rain boots
Garden boots
A laptop
Blue cowgirl boots
Games
Puzzles - especially one with lions
Roller skates
Ice skates
A scooter
A file cabinet for all her drawings
Lion sheets and blankets
Madagascar sheets and blankets
A dark blue towel with her name on it
A hula hoop
And more clothes

We'll have to see about some of those things. She sure is sweet though. I'll post a birthday profile for her after the baby is born so that you can see all the funny things she says about herself. For instance, she always wants to do/be anything that daddy will love. So this year for halloween she is trying to decide whether to be a lion (her top choice) or something that will make daddy happy...such as a bottle of hot sauce or a can of diet dr. pepper! Isn't that funny? We are still looking for a lion costume if you know anywhere that has one let me know!

Happy Halloween! Keep checking the blog around November 5-6th to find out what we had for a baby!

Love,
Alesha

Whirlwind Summer!

2010-08-24T20:20:00.002-06:00

Wow! It has been forever since I wrote last. Luckily, I can at least say that I have been busy having fun all summer long. We are home, for now...with only a few camping trips planned over the coming months. But life is calming down and we are happy to be home.

The fun started in July when I took the girls to visit my parents in Estacada. I was able to leave them with Grandma and Papa for a week while I attended the Miss Oregon competition with our local title holder, Miss Malheur County - Brenda. She did very well in the pageant and won not only Most Improved but also Miss Congeniality. It was a lot of fun watching and I'm looking forward to next year's competition and the excitement that comes with that. After the competition was done, my parents brought the girls (including Mercedes, my niece) out to Seaside to see me. We had a wonderful time together and got to do lots of fun things. Elli got to ride bumper cars for the first time and everyone loved feeding the sea lions at the Seaside Aquarium.

We were only back in Estacada for a day when it was time for Mercedes to go home to Tennessee. She had been able to visit my parents for two months and was excited to go home and see her family. I asked to fly her back, since I hadn't seen my sweet new nephew Max yet. It was a long flight, but seeing Aaron's family was so worth it! Thanks Aaron and Becky for the fun times!

A flew back to Portland and spent a few more days there and then headed back home to Vale - with the kids and my mom in tow. The girls were excited to see Ruston, who had to stay home and work to pay for all our fun. We were only home for a few days when we left, with my mom, to go to the Wilkinson Family Reunion in Coalville, UT. I met a lot of family that I had never met before and had a wonderful time. It was a short trip though and we came back after just the weekend.

A few days after that Ruston finally joined us on a vacation to Yellowstone! We'd never been there before and we all loved it. Ruston made it a goal to fill up as many photo memory cards as possible and when we got home he had taken over 1800 photos. We saw buffalo, elk, moose, antelope, even a bear. We gave Elli a camera too and she loved being just like Daddy. She took several hundred photos over the week - many that actually look good too! I'll have to write more about Yellowstone later, but for now I just need to catch up on the summer time-line.

We got back from Yellowstone on Sunday and I left with the girls and Ruston's parents to got to the Munk Reunion in Bear Lake, UT that Thursday morning. Ruston would've liked to have come but it would have been a lot of driving for only a little family time. We stayed in Lava Hot Springs where they have an awesome water park. There wasn't a little baby pool, but the shallow area was still fun for the kids. Actually Elli decided that she was a big girl and since she was tall enough rode down several water slides all by herself. She was scared on the first time down and then she wouldn't stop riding. I lost count after while, but she must have gone down the slides over 30 times. I can't believe how big she is getting and I'm glad that she's so much braver than me. The trip ended with a stop in Salt Lake and a short visit to the Hogle Zoo (where Ruston took me the day he proposed) then a long car ride home.

It's sad that the only time I had a camera this whole summer was in Yellowstone because there were lots of great memories made. We had a wonderful summer and I'll have to make sure that I write down a few more details later, so that I don't forget.

Ruston's office is doing well. He stays busy and loves working in Nyssa. Elli will start preschool in Vale again after Labor Day, she's excited about that. Addison is working on potty training and has both good days and bad. M&M's have been a good motivator! As you can see by the baby tracker I'm due in about two and a half months. I'm feeling good. I've had a few funny moments of people mentioning (less than politely) how much my tummy has grown - Ruston's grandma being the most rude!! But luckily I don't get too offended. I'm actually not that big, but there's no where for the baby to go except out. So, it's funny when people haven't seen me in awhile. There are people who can mention my growing tummy with tact and some that still have a few lessons to learn. Oh by the way, we still don't know what we are having. It's a fun surprise and keeps us guessing everyday.

I'll write more soon. Hopefully you are having great summer too!

Love, Alesha

That silly house in Ohio...

2010-05-26T22:00:00.002-06:00

Before I begin about Ohio, let me reassure all readers that new pictures will be coming soon. We took some great shots on Elli's last day of school (hooray for summer!) and a recent trip to the zoo. So they are coming eventually!

People have been asking us what the deal is with our house in Ohio, so I thought I would recap all the details. Back in March the house got broken into again (previously broken into in Jan. 09) and the remaining pipes in the basement were stolen. With no pipes there is no water to the rest of the house - so it is unlivable at this point. We had just started proceedings with our mortgage company to work toward a short sale when this happened. After loads of paperwork, the company decided that they would officially let us do a short sale but we had to fix all the damages first. Luckily we do have home owners insurance, but since it is for "unoccupied dwellings" the deductible is super high and they paid us $800 to fix a job that will end up costing several thousand. My thought is fix the house and get it sold just to be done with it. But our fear is that if we replace all the pipes, the people who broke into it before will just come back and do it again. So we've discussed the details with our lawyer who said that we should put in a contract that the work will be completed only with a firm offer on the table to buy the house. In the mean time, we will fix the back door that was busted in and clean up the debris that was left. Luckily no damage was done to the rest of the house, which makes me suspicious about who the vandals were. I believe it was a local person who is looking to buy the home for cheap if they scare us enough to where we want to drop the house fast. Their only flaw was that we couldn't care less about the house now and if we simply walk away and foreclose they get nothing either. But I don't really know who did it, so I guess it doesn't matter.

The mortage company is hoping to get $65k out of the sale, way below our current mortgage, but some money. So I guess if you were looking for a home for cheap, this is the time to buy. If you don't mind living in Cleveland!

This month marks two years that Ruston has been out of dental school. That went fast!! His office is still open three days a week, some days are busy - some aren't. We are sad that we don't live closer to friends in Nyssa, but very happy living in Vale too. We really can't go anywhere with our home still in Ohio, but even if it did sell I think we might stick around for another year or so. Eventually, we'd like to be in Nyssa to be closer to Ruston's office - but while I am pregnant and when the baby is still young I think we'll be able to manage the crowded circumstances. I think next summer will be the breaking point, but maybe not? We've enjoyed ourselves this long, maybe it could work longer. That is if we are still welcome. Who knows?

By the way, for those keeping track - I am 16 weeks pregnant and feeling much better these days. Not really sick (most days) and not quite as tired, but certainly showing! I brought out my maternity clothes from storage and had fun looking at all the cute things I have left-over from Elli and Addison. I'll be due a few days before Elli's birthday so still a while to go, but getting very real and very excited. My ultrasound will be next month, but I'm still not planning to find out what we are having. Sorry Mom!

Have a great week! And if you have a blog listed at the right and haven't updated it in several months - do it! I miss reading new things about friends and family. I'll try to do better too!

Yes!! It's a baby!!

2010-04-17T19:40:00.003-06:00

Hello and thanks to my four faithful blog readers who commented on the previous post. It's nice to know I have a few friends! There are still some members of our family I haven't heard a congratulations from - but then they didn't remember my birthday either. Oh well, I guess that's life.

Anyway, we are proud to announce that after trying for almost a year and a half I am finally pregnant! I'm due November 11th (right before Elli's birthday) which puts me about 10 weeks right now. I'm feeling good, pretty nauseous (is that how it's spelled?) but not much throwing up - not that it makes it any less annoying to be sick. People like to throw around experiences of how many weeks they threw up every single day...it doesn't make me feel any better. Sick is sick!! But knowing how long we have wanted this baby makes every miserable moment worth it and I try not to complain too much.

We told Elli and she was excited. But then we mentioned that Grandma Tracie might be coming to visit too when the baby was born and she literally got up and started dancing and singing. She was so excited I almost wondered whether she even caught the part about the baby. But later she informed me that if it's a boy it will be named Max and if it's a girl it should be Ruby (Ruby & Max cartoons are her favorite right now). I told her Daddy would choose as always, but that she could give him as many ideas as she wanted.

This does bring up some interesting details about where we should be living in 7 months. Somehow three kids in one room seems awful tight. I know, I know, people have done it before and Joseph Smith shared a bedroom with his whole family - but that doesn't mean I want to! I'm still evaluating my feelings to see what will be best for our family - along with feelings I have to counteract all the raging hormones and then add in a pinch of praticality. So, needless to say this might be a hard decision to make.

So what else can I write about? The weather is getting nicer and my flowers are starting to look really nice. I'm anxiously awaiting the arrival of a new nephew - check out Aaron and Becky's blog to see if thier little baby Max (his real name - not named after a cartoon bunny!) has arrived. I'll post new pictures soon. I'm too tired for now and I think I want a little icecream...and maybe some pickles! Hooray!! I'm pregnant!!

New Family Photo

2010-04-06T20:36:00.001-06:00

I took this idea from my friend Rebecca's blog. I wanted to you all see our latest family photo. Leave me a comment when you figure it out!

Love,
Alesha

Pictures

2010-02-28T19:59:00.001-07:00

We finally downloaded a bunch of pictures from Ruston's camera tonight. So, I'll save the boring words and just show you what we've been up to for the past few weeks.

Happy New Year!!

2010-02-14T22:03:00.003-07:00

Today begins the Year of the Tiger! We just said goodbye to a bunch of friends for our annual New Year's party. We had so much food! I think most people waddled out to their cars. Our menu included: postickers (of course!), red roast pork, fresh fruit, hot & sour soup, white rice, fried mango chicken noodles, beef stirfry, sweet & sour chicken, drinks and fortune cookies. It was great! The kids played while the adults talked. We watched a little bit of the Olympics too. Ruston's camera was at the office, so we didn't get any pictures. But I'll work on getting a few up soon of the girls. Sorry!

Have a great New Year! We love you all.

Love,
Alesha & Ruston

Addison Turns Two!!

2010-01-24T19:57:00.002-07:00

Addison turned two this past week and she is growing up so fast! She still doesn't really get the idea of a birthday, so we just kept it low key. She got presents from both grandparents that she absolutely loves. And then we just gave her Elli's old stuff. No...she's not going to hate us later! She's two. She still has "new" toys and clothes. She has plenty of things. We did have a little party at our friends John and Susan's house. They have a little girl just younger than Addison so we let the kids all hang out until we decided they had enough, put them to bed. It was a fun night. I bought her an icecream cake from Walmart since I don't like regular cake. I figure if I'm paying money for a cake she won't remember anyway I may as well want to eat it after she blows out the candle! Of course, she didn't actually understand that part either. Oh well, she's still little. Next year she will have much more of an opinion.

Fun Facts About Addison:
Birthday Weight: 25 lbs. (with boots on)
Birthday Height: (Haven't checked yet!)
Favorite Color: Blue
Favorite Food: Peanut Butter (off a spoon right out of the tub like her Aunt Andrea!)
Favorite Song: 3 little monkeys swinging in a tree
Favorite Cartoon: Dora
Favorite Animal: Cats
Favorite Toys: Baby (White Bear) and Tiny (Brown Bear)
Favorite Person: It's a three way tie between Mommy, Papa and Grandma - most days she cries when Daddy comes home and hides behind me. Other days she runs straight to him! Depends on the day.
Favorite Clothes: Pajamas - most days she screams when we have to change her out of her pajamas; unless we can entice her with her 2nd favorite thing: socks!
Mommy's Bragging Points: While Addison doesn't talk near as much as Elli at this age, she still expresses herself well and is never shy about giving loves when asked. She loves to read books and sing songs all day long. She is still tiny but growing into a beautiful girl and we love her lots!

Happy Birthday Addison!

Happy Birthday Elli

2009-11-11T12:20:00.004-07:00

This weekend Elli will turn four! I figured it was taking me long enough to write about Hawaii (sorry for those who were hoping to read about it) that I decided to get a head start on Elli's Birthday. Elli will have a party on Saturday afternoon with some friends. She decided to have a Safari Birthday. We'll set up our giant tent in the back yard and have the party there. The "explorers" will get to hunt around the back yard for hidden animals. It should be great! Yes, pictures will be posted - I promise! And then we'll have a little family party on Sunday. Elli says for her special birthday dinner she wants macaroni & cheese and cupcakes. I love little kids - dinner doesn't get much easier than that! Then she'll actually celebrate her birthday again at preschool on Monday with her friends there. So I suppose after three days of cupcakes she'll be sick of them right? I doubt it.

Some fun facts about Elli:
Weight: 43 lbs.
Height: To be measured on her actual birthday
Favorite color: dark blue (second year running!)
Favorite thing to do at school: painting
Favorite thing to do at home: play chase with Daddy
Favorite Book: Mater and the Ghostlight
Favorite Movie: Cars and Madagascar 2
Favorite TV Show: Dora
Favorite Food: Macaroni and Cheese
Favorite Animal: Lions
Favorite Song: Yankee Doodle (second year running)
What she wants to be when she grows up: a cheerleader (this was not at my prompting either!)
Mom's Bragging Points: Elli is very smart! She can count to 100 and has learned how to negotiate very well. She knows her address and phone number by heart. She loves reading scriptures at night and remembers them later at church or when she plays. She loves to give hugs and help out with Addison. She is a great friend and has a very active imagination.

Elli's Birthday Wish List:
Pretend kitchen stuff - food and dishes
A mini-4 wheeler (or power wheels) - Lauren, are you still using yours for your kids?
Games (board games and card games)
Matchbox Cars
4-5T or XS (4/5) Clothes
Little Pet Shop toys
My Little Ponies (really big right now!)
Puzzles

Check back after this weekend for pictures from Elli's parties!

Hawaii Details Coming Soon

2009-10-18T23:37:00.003-06:00

Hello Everyone,

Boy it's been a long time since I wrote on the blog. We just got back from Hawaii a week ago and had a wonderful time. I'll post some pictures and tell you all about it soon. It's too late tonight. So check back later!

Thanks,
Alesha

Happy Anniversary Baby!

2009-08-12T19:53:00.005-06:00

This past Saturday, Ruston and I celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary. Most people say they can't believe how time flies, but I am constantly surprised by how much we've done in the past six years! I feel like we've been together for so long now and I have loved every moment. Major highlights include: both of us graduating from the U of Utah, getting sealed in the Bountiful Temple, buying a home, moving to Ohio, starting dental school, having Elli and Addison, graduating dental school, moving to Vale, opening Munk Family Dental and (while we still haven't sold our Ohio home or have a third kid in the works - bummer) we have learned and loved so much that there are no regrets at all.

To celebrate our special day, Ruston took me shopping in Boise for a well needed closet update! That was awesome. Then we went to dinner at Outback - hey, don't laugh...that's my kind of food! Who wants to eat some teeny tiny blob of food that you can hardly pronounce from a fancy shmancy place when you can have cheese fries smothered in fry sauce? Who are you trying to kid anyway? Then after dinner, we went to a local water/fun park. The water park was closed because it was too cold outside. But in the Fun Park there were two mini-golf courses, bumper boats, laser tag, arcade games, and two go-kart racing tracks. We stayed until they closed at midnight and had a great time there. I would highly recommend it! That will be an anniversary to remember for a long time.

The kids are doing great. Elli is really getting into our Book of Mormon stories at night. Lately she and Addison will charge through the house in full attack mode. When I ask her what they're doing she says, "Mommy, we're fighting for our freedom!" (Captain Moroni). And the other day she walked into the room without her shirt on and said, "Look I'm a Lamanite Warrior!" I asked her to explain and she reminded me that in the pictures none of the Lamanites ever wear shirts. Fair enough. Almost anything that resembles a flag has been deemed the Title of Liberty too. She cracks me up.

Addison is getting so smart and cute. Yesterday, Papa taught her how to hold up one finger when someone asks how old she is. She can also point out parts of her face. She likes to point at our eyes and I am suddenly reminded of Elli at this age - lovingly trying to gouge our eyes out with her new found ability to recognize eyes. She loves to have us pray and is always the first to fold her arms at the table. She's also picking up new words every day. She's such a sweet baby.

Ruston is starting to work five days a week now. I know, I know, real dentists don't work five days a week, but he's still new at this remember. Actually he just recently got an invitation from a local clinic to work one day a week for them. In addition to that his office is open MWF and he works on prisoners at the prison on Tuesday's. So now he's really busy during the week, but we don't mind. He never complains and works so hard. We are so blessed to have him taking care of us.

Things are still the same with our home in Ohio. It's still ours! It drives me crazy! We have it listed for $89,500 and not one offer has come in. That is so far BELOW our actual mortgage I can hardly stand it. I guess we might auction it if nothing happens soon. Viola and I were talking the other day and frankly the only good thing that has happened with not selling the house is that if we had sold it within the first few months of being here, we probably would have moved out of their house. And then we all, but especially the kids, would have missed out on all the together time as a family. Sure it's a little crowded at times and we all drive each other a little crazy - but now we can't imagine living anywhere else. This is home and we're most likely here to stay. But who knows, we have to sell that house first.

Anyway, I'll try to do better about keeping up on the blog. Elli starts preschool in a few weeks and I'll try to post about that. We'll see! Have a great week.

p.s. Only two months till ADA in Hawaii! Any other dentists/students going?

Fun In Utah

2009-07-29T19:52:00.005-06:00

Wow! After these past weeks, there is so much to write about. Anything I missed, you can read about it on Andrea's blog. She has a lot of great pics too, so check her out. Anyway, these first pictures are in Utah for our Munk Family Reunion. Andrea and her kids were vacationing with us in Oregon so we all drove together to Utah where we met up with Lauren and her kids. First stop was the Dinosaur Park and Museum in Ogden Canyon. That was great. I was a little unsure at first when Andrea's kids told me how scary it was (I can't hardly watch Jurassic Park, what were my poor little babies going to be like with those big monsters?!) But to my complete surprise - the kids loved it. Neither one got scared. Go figure! We did have a little issue with Elli getting sleepy in the middle of the walking trail, but after some coersive persuasion and a few threats we went on our way. This was a great place for all kids and adults. Even Ruston got to find a statue of his favorite dino...the ankliosaurus (big spikey ball on the tail!) Unfortunately his camera ran out of batteries within the first 20 minutes of being there. So, again, see Andrea's blog for more pics.

The next day we were in Salt Lake City. Ruston's and my old stomping grounds. Go Utes! It was great to be back to visit. Lots had changed, but there was still plenty that we remembered. We decided we'll have to go back another time when we can go do activities without our kids holding us back. The restaurants, parks, stores, and church sites - all brought back a wave of memories from when we were dating. What a fun time. We all went to Gateway Mall to let the kids play in the splash park. It was so stinking hot! I don't think anyone actually played in the water except Andrea's kids - but we all enjoyed watching the fountains. Ruston only got to stay for a day and a half because of work (ya I know - those silly people with jobs...always spoiling the fun!) but we did try to pack as much time as we could while he was there. I was sad we couldn't see Jason or Josh - but I guess they had to work too? Maybe next year guys. We missed you.

I had more stuff written here, but a glitch in my computer just erased it. I will retype it tomorrow. Too tired for now.

Okay, Okay A New Entry Is Coming...

2009-07-25T22:30:00.003-06:00

I just have to get all the pictures downloaded onto our computer. This has been an awesome summer so far and we've had so much fun that there hasn't been anytime to blog. But I promise I'll do it soon, so check back in a day or two!

I Have A New Sister!

2009-04-17T13:36:00.002-06:00

Hooray! Eric and Bruna were married in Estacada, OR on Saturday March 21st. The wedding and reception were beautiful and I've never seen Eric so happy. I got to spend the week with Eric, Bruna and her mother - who flew all the way from Brazil to be at the wedding! Bruna is the sweetest girl ever. It's no wonder that Eric loves her. So they are back happily in Myrtle Beach and looking forward to their honeymoon to Brazil in July. There are lots of pictures from the wedding, so take some time to look around the blog!

Life in Vale is going well. We have started the garden for this year and it is even bigger than last year. But now that Addison can walk around outside I hope to be able to work a little more than last year. I have to keep reminding myself that this is a hobby garden, because sometimes it feels like more work than I would like, but I know I will be happy with the harvest this fall.

Our home in Ohio still hasn't sold. We are getting so frustrated. Spring Break came and went with a few people through, but no offers. The repairs are done from where the house was broken into in January and the yard looks great thanks to Larry and Misty. I don't know what the hold up is. So we just continue to wait! At least we have wonderful family to wait with. We are still happily living with Ruston's parents - going on 11 months now! Not many people could do that. But Heavenly Father has blessed us all with a little more patience and a lot of love. Things are really great here. I'm so thankful for wonderful in-laws who are quickly becoming very dear friends.

Elli is currently suffering from croup - lots of fun! It's a virus so there's not much to do but, again, sit and wait. That seems to be an ongoing theme in our lives! We read lots of books and she gets to watch a little more tv than usual. But she's still an active three year old who doesn't really want to sit still unless she has to. But thank goodness for Cars and Lightning McQueen. We've watched it every day this week and that keeps her happy for the rest of the day.

Ruston's office is doing well. He's cut down to seeing patients three days a week for now. The business seems to go in cycles - 6 months ago it was slow too. But then it picked back up. He still keeps busy on the off days though. Sometimes he works at the local prison and sometimes he just works in the office catching up on paperwork or business meetings with associates. He hasn't found time to go golfing yet this year, but I'm sure it won't be much longer now. It's hard to believe he hasn't been working for even a full year. This sure has been a wonderful year!

We hope you are all having a great year too. Enjoy the sunshine and don't forget to tell your spouse that you love them every single day.

p.s. I am reading a wonderful book about strengthening marriages - not that there is any problem with mine, but with the marriages of our friends and family falling apart all around us we figured it's better to not have a problems to begin with! The author says these three points:

1. Treat your spouse as if you loved them with your last breath - no matter how contrary to that you might feel at any one moment.
2. Think hard every day about how you can make their life worth living.
3. Be the kind of person you would want to love, hug, come home to, and sarcrifice for.

So I say, if your life/marriage isn't happy - you have to change yourself. You change it with an outpouring of love and affection - not demands and ultimatums. What have you done to strengthen your marriage today? Comment on the blog and share positive things you've done lately to help build your marriage. I know a few people out there who might benefit from your experiences.

Love, Alesha

Pay It Forward!

2009-03-06T10:41:00.002-07:00

Pay It Forward...My sister-in-law Becky is playing a game on her blog and I decided to do it too. So this is how it works - The first 3 people to leave a comment on this (my) post will receive a hand made gift from me during this year. When and what will be a surprise. There's a small catch...You knew there would be didn't you? Post this on your blog then come back and leave a comment, telling me you're in. Fun, huh? Remember, only the first 3 comments receive the gift. Come on! You know you want something from me!!

Wedding Bells!!!

2009-02-28T19:52:00.002-07:00

Hooray! I am so excited to announce that my brother Eric is getting married! Eric met Bruna, a beautiful Brazillian gal, in Myrtle Beach, SC. They are in love and so happy to be getting married Saturday March 21st at Noon. They'll tie the knot at my parent's ward building, in Estacada, OR. I haven't met Bruna yet (although neither of my brothers met Ruston before we got married due to their being overseas in the Army), but I have heard so many great things about her. My parents think she is wonderful and they love how sweet Eric is to her too.

After going back to SC when the wedding is through, they will hang out for a few months and then take their Honeymoon to Brazil to visit her family in July. How fun is that! Ruston and I thought about going too, but it's just a little too much money in the long run. But at least getting them a gift will be easy - I'll give you two hints: it's green and spends well!

I will drive over to Portland on the Monday before the wedding (the 16th) to spend most of the week helping get everything ready. Elli and Addison will come too of course. Ruston will fly out after he's done with work Friday. I can't wait - this is so exciting! The last Lougheed wedding.

Congratulations Eric and Bruna!

A Week of Firsts

2009-02-06T22:15:00.003-07:00

This has been a fun week for us. Elli just started taking a dance class. It's a very elementary ballet class for 3-4 year old girls. She knows a few of the girls and it's in Vale, so she's making lots of new friends. I'm going to have to take the video camera on of these weeks - the girls are hilarious. It's kind of like watching little kids play soccer - all swarmed around the ball. These little ones are always bumping into each other or dancing in the wrong direction. I love it! She's only been doing it for two classes though, so I'm sure they'll all improve over the coming months.

Another exciting thing is that today Addison took her first steps! We were playing in living room and she took a few steps toward some toys. After a lot of coaching, we got her to take four more steps. But that was all - she had had enough by the time I got out the video camera. It may not be too much longer before she's walking!

Elli went to visit the dentist for the first time today. She has the most amazing dentist, but I'm pretty sure he was hitting on me during her exam. No, just kidding - it was Ruston of course! She held really still for her cleaning and does not have any cavities. She got to come home with all sorts of goodies (toothbrushes, floss, etc.) that she promptly opened as soon as we got home. Do other kids of dentists get that excited about floss? Really, you'd think it was magical. She's silly!

Also, Elli has discovered her first imaginary friend. I don't suppose she really thinks he's real like some kids do with their "friends", but Goofy has a son named Max and she talks about him all day long. Sometimes he's napping, or eating. She has a key to his house and sometimes she says he's her husband. The only thing that kills me is when she has to go to the bathroom and stops outside the bathroom door. I ask her what she's doing and she tells me (as she's dancing frantically) that Max is going potty and she has to wait until he's out. At least she has the manners to wait patiently, but he's not real and so I yell for her to get in there before she has an accident. She does as she's told at that point.

Ruston had a fantastic month at the office. He's been working hard and loving being a dentist. Since we live 20 minutes from the office, he's often a few minutes late for dinner but I know he tries. Besides, I have him home for weekends and evenings. Some people don't have it that good, so I can't complain. The office is a fun place to visit. He has great employees that keep him busy and are fun to work with. It's hard to believe that he's only been working for eight months. It all feels so comfortable that it seems like we've been doing this forever. Everything is working out great. Now if only we could sell that stupid house in Ohio!

Our Funny Girls!

2009-01-17T23:44:00.003-07:00

Addison had her birthday this week (1/14) and is now one year old! That went by really fast. The strange thing is she still seems very much like a baby to me. I look at pictures of Elli at this age and think that she was so much more mature at one. But either way, she is wonderful and we love her. I don't know if I mentioned before but she said her first word after Christmas. She said "Mickey" when she saw Elli's stuffed Mickey toy. Also, just the other day, she said "uh oh" when she dropped her sippy cup. And we have determined that there is a particular tone of "baba" that means grandma. She says it when she sees Viola and there is no question that that is exactly what she is trying to say.

I usually like asking Elli questions on her birthday about favorite color and songs, etc. But obviously it's a little hard to ask a baby. So from what I can tell she loves Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on tv, she thinks water is the greatest thing ever (unless it's for a bath), she loves bananas and doesn't like ground beef. She is 27 inches tall and weighs a "hefty" 17 pounds. Little, I know! She's great at giving hugs and kisses and is a joy to be around.

Elli is also very sweet and very funny too. Over New Years we were in Vegas with Andrea's family. As most of you know Janson (Elli's cousin) has type 1 diabeties (sorry on the spelling!) and it has just become a way of life for them. Elli thought that all the new words and poking of fingers was really interesting. She got a little stuffed dog for Christmas that she named "Jaq" (think Lady and the Tramp). Anyway, one say she held Jaq very carefully and told me that she needed to check Jaq because he was getting low. I looked at her and asked, "is that because he has diabeties?" Without missing a beat she replied, "no mommy, he has doggy-beties!) Well, that's rather observant! I should've figured that out on my own!

Then the other day, she came up to me and put her little hand on my face. She softly touched my cheek and neck then said, "mommy, your face looks like a toe-let". (For some reason Elli has decided that toilet should be pronounced with a southern drawl and has become toe-let!) Well, I couldn't figure out how I looked like a toilet so I asked her to explain. This she had a little bit harder time saying, "you know it's round and then goes down to the floor." When adults look at a toilet we look at it from above. She sees it almost straight on. So the bowl and stem area sort of look like a face, jaw and neck of a person - in a three year old sort of way. I decided to take that as a compliment toward the smoothness of my skin, but I still have to laugh at being compared to the toe-let!

So in other news, I got called to teach Sunbeams. I'm not too excited about it, but I know that there are far worse callings and I did grow to love the Nursery while I was there. So, I guess I have to learn to love it if the Lord ever plans to release me from this calling. There are eight little girls in the class (3-4 years old) and they are still adjusting to not being in Nursery (I guess I graduated with them). I take snacks, we sing songs, it's okay - but I have a feeling I will start to understand patience more fully after this is over. Wish me luck!

Gotta run - it's getting late for me. I'll post photos of Addison's birthday soon; keep checking back.

Love, Alesha

A few reflective thoughts for the New Year

2009-01-11T13:27:00.004-07:00

I've been doing a lot of thinking as we've rolled into 2009. It started with a quote Lauren and Josh gave along with a gift this Christmas (Lauren you'll have to email it to me) and while I don't remember the words exactly, I remember the message behind it that there is a need in this world for perspective and simplicity. Christmas wasn't about the gifts that glitter or price tags that added up. Christmas, and life, is about finding happiness and getting our priorities in order. I have made many resolutions for myself over the years and the thing I find consistent is my desire to be happy. Not that I'm unhappy, but that there is always room for something more to bring us higher and make us better.

Maybe this is your year to be bold and try new things. New career, new home, new hobbies - whatever. Henry David Thoreau once said, "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you've imagined. As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler." I think everyone should have a dream and should live it. But always keep in mind the welfare of those we love and the commitments we have made.

Or maybe this is your year to unwind and reflect. Sometimes when life gets too crazy it can feel overwhelming. I know I get like that a lot. We look for happiness and peace. We crave the loving care of someone who doesn't judge, but will just listen as we tell our story. In those moments I turn to a favorite quote from Anne Frank, possibly one of the most incredible girls who has ever lived. She had a terrible life and still found hope, faith and the ability to look for the good in everything. She said, "The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet, alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple beauty of nature."

God does want us to be happy. That's why we are here! We have a loving Heavenly father who has made a plan of happiness for each of us. Maybe this is your year to find a renewal in your faith. We have friends of many religions and I hope that each of you take time to find God again this year. He loves you. He wants you to be happy. Our church has taught us that "happiness...is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ".

So, as you take time this year to expand or simplify your world, make yourself better, and search for happiness. Don't forget to spend some time talking to the One who really matters. One who loves you and will never leave you alone. Keep wishing people a "Happy New Year" and then think about what it really means to be happy.

Elder L. Tom Perry said recently, "In our search to obtain relief from the stresses of life, may we earnestly seek ways to simplify our lives. May we comply with the inspired counsel and direction the Lord has given us in the great plan of happiness. May we be worthy to have the companionship of the Holy Ghost and follow the guidance of the Spirit as we navigate this mortal journey. May we prepare ourselves to accomplish the ultimate purpose of this mortal test—to return and live with our Heavenly Father."

I believe that is true and I wish you all happiness and peace in this New Year.

Love, Alesha

p.s. Check out www.mormon.com or www.lds.org for answers to life's big questions and more instruction on how to be happy.

My Quirks

2008-12-03T21:33:00.004-07:00

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

Three Weeks Until Christmas

2008-12-03T20:41:00.002-07:00

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

What Happened? My baby is almost three years old!

2008-11-08T20:35:00.002-07:00

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.

Looking To The Future

2008-10-08T21:09:00.003-06:00

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

My How Things Change

2008-09-23T13:30:00.002-06:00

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!

Life Goes On

2008-08-20T22:24:00.002-06:00

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!

Change of Plans!

2008-07-07T12:47:00.002-06:00

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

The Final Countdown!

2008-05-07T18:51:00.002-06:00

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 Are Almost There...

2008-04-08T20:09:00.004-06:00

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!

Confessions of a Tired Mommy!

2008-02-25T07:58:00.003-07:00

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!

Welcome Addison Jayli Munk

2008-01-20T18:56:00.000-07:00

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!

Putting Murphy's Law To The Test!

2008-01-07T11:22:00.001-07:00

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

Is It Christmas Yet?

2007-12-05T10:07:00.000-07:00

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!

A Little Soap Box To Stand On

2007-10-20T18:49:00.000-06:00

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!

No News Is Good News...I Guess

2007-10-04T20:20:00.000-06:00

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!

Fun In West Virginia

2007-09-15T10:39:00.000-06:00

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!

Back To Life As Usual!

2007-09-04T10:06:00.000-06:00

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

Update On Vacation Coming Soon!

2007-08-24T17:45:00.000-06:00

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!

Counting Down The Days Till Oregon!!!

2007-07-17T19:09:00.000-06:00

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!

Back From Interviews!

2007-06-30T19:05:00.000-06:00

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!

Whoops I Missed A Week!

2007-06-23T20:22:00.000-06:00

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.

Ice Cream, Pickles and Front Row Tickets to the Porcelain Bowl!

2007-06-12T09:19:00.000-06:00

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

Is It Already Saturday Again?

2007-06-02T08:58:00.001-06:00

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.

Summer Is Here!

2007-05-29T20:03:00.000-06:00

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!

The Calm Before The Storm!

2007-05-19T17:04:00.000-06:00

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!

Back From Vacation!

2007-05-14T09:42:00.000-06:00

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!

SUCCESS AT LAST!!

2007-05-07T06:39:00.000-06:00

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

Welcome Summer Time!!

2007-05-05T21:52:00.000-06:00

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!

Warning: Finals Week Ahead!

2007-04-27T21:16:00.000-06:00

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!

Here Comes The Sun!

2007-04-21T09:35:00.000-06:00

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!

All this fancy technology!

2007-04-14T10:08:00.000-06:00

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!)