Two Big Shus and Two Little Shus

Memorial Day Weekend

2010-06-09T16:32:00.001-04:00

We did our yearly camping trip to Scott County Park in Iowa. Yes, this seems like a long way to drive (5 hours) to sleep in a tent for 3 nights…but it is well worth it. Thursday began our adventure with packing everything we needed for the trip into our Fusion. And I can tell you, that little car has some room…as exhibited in sample A (last year’s trip). Well there was going to be an sample A, but I can’t find it…hum…I wonder where I left it…Oh well moving on… While traveling the 5 hours, the boys enjoyed a couple of movies and thank you again Mamu and Papa Shu…they truly are a God sent. Though several times we heard the following conversation:

Bear: “we are camping” “I want to go in my tent and camp” “ I go in my tent and sleep on my bed”
Bubba: just staring and nodding, but not any nod…the one of I could care less and please be quite, the movie is on.
Bear: “Are we there yet? I want to go camping” “I want out” “Are we there yet?” “Bubba can’t sleep in my tent, or my bed” “is Bubba going to camp too?”

Friday afternoon, we spent setting up camp and grocery shopping for the weekend. We literally spent a week’s worth of grocery money for 4 partial days of food…but that is part of the fun. We took the boys swimming Saturday morning…which they just loved (though very expensive!!!) The Scott County Park has a pool with a splash pad for younger kids. I have now found a splash pad close to us that is free and plan to take the boys there. Bubba was like a fish to water in the big pool and I am sure will not take long to learn to swim (like his mommy). Bear slowly warmed up to the idea of not having a death grip on me and by the time we were done with the big pool, he was kicking his feet semi doggy paddling.

Saturday night was our every year campfire with family and friends. We always have a blast when everyone comes out to have dinner and spend time together. It never seems like we have enough time to see everyone and the campfire gives us a chance to see several at one time. Though this year we bought everything for s’mores and forgot to do them.  Sorry!

Sunday was spent visiting those family members that have gone before us and explaining to the boys who they were…and it did not take long before they were both asleep. The evening was spent with great friends celebrating a birthday.

Monday, we got to spend some time with the shu side of the family during a cookout. This side of the family always seems to get left out on our trips or we are rushed because it is last minute. But this time we got to spend several hours with them. The boys got to play with several young kids and though bear got picked on he had fun. We headed home after a long day and with two (actually 3) very sleepy boys.

This past Friday night, I broke a rule of mine…

2010-05-17T12:06:00.000-04:00

We went out to dinner on Friday night with my in-laws to StirCrazy, which is located on the outside of one of the malls here. StirCrazy is a mix of stir-fry options or traditional Chinese (well, American style Chinese). To which I wore my jeans and one of my newer tee-shirts, but I was barely able to keep my pants up even with the belt that I “borrowed” from Josh (though I don’t think he knows, but he will now). I told Josh that after dinner, we were going to walk around the mall with the boys, since I did not go to the gym. After dinner, we loaded the boys up in the double stroller, said good bye to the in-laws and headed into the mall. Please note that we have not been in a mall in close to a year, let alone on a Friday night…let’s just say that it was interesting. As well as, I don’t remember teenagers being so rude or impatient. But that is another rant for a different time. We walked through a couple stores, some were just not contusive to have the double stroller in. I decided while we were there, I was going to look at buying a pair of jeans and I did after 4 stores. Finally at Macy’s (where I have never shopped), I found a pair of Levi jeans (yes, plus size Levi jeans, not some store plus size brand) and the best part…they are 2, yes 2, sizes smaller than the jeans that I had on. Yippee!! So to say that I was excited, is an understatement. I had broken my rule of not buying brand-new clothes before I settled on a weight, but my “fat” jeans were…well just say too fat for me. As you can see today, by my ticker at the top of the page, I am officially 50 pounds smaller in 10 weeks. I actually am 2 pounds heavier than I was as a junior in high school…those two pounds will be gone soon.

2010-05-06T15:03:00.000-04:00

At the end of April, Auntie J came to visit for a week. The boys absolutely love it when she comes, especially bear. She arrived late Saturday night, but she did not get to see the boys until Monday. Since Auntie J and Mamu Shu went to Iowa for a wedding shower and we went to Louisville on Sunday. But they got to spend a lot of time with Auntie over the week. I actually think they were at Mamu’s every day she was. They even spent the night on Tuesday night, since Auntie was going to watch them on Wednesday. Thursday, the boys went with J and Auntie J to the zoo. For what I hear it was a blast for them. Bubba came home with a “The Gas We Pass: A Story of Farts” book

yes they did get it for him and yes there is a story behind this, but we are not going there. Bear received the tube of cars he has been drooling over for the past two years. Friday, Bear decided the evening activities. We had Spaghetti and Meatballs, then watched Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. Saturday, Auntie, Mamu, the boys and I went to the Children’s museum for the day to see Bob the Builder. Which it was Bob the Builder day at the museum, so there were other activities spread out around the museum to do. The boys got to meet Bob the Builder and have their picture taken with him, which I think Bear is still talking about. Then before we knew it, the week was over and Auntie was leaving on a jet plane…until next time.

Clothing Update

2010-04-26T16:01:00.002-04:00

I am finding that some of my clothes are getting a little too baggy and I think it is time to retire them (ie pass them along). I am able to wear a 1x shirt comfortably now. I don’t think it is going to take me long before I will need to buy some new shirts and jeans. Which brings me to my jeans…that are WAY too big now, I wore them two weekends ago and had to wear a belt that I notched a new hole in. Last week I wore a pair of pants to work and someone told me that they were too big and I should donate them in the clothing drive box on my way home. To which I wore them home, washed them, and brought them back to work and donated them :)

Over the weekend I tried on a shirt that J bought for me in high school and it actually fits, though I could loss about another 5 pounds and it would fit great! WHen I showed J that I could fit into it, he said I had to wait to wear it for a special occasion, like going on a date.

So I am going to be heading to Goodwill here soon to pick out some temporary clothes, unless someone has some to donate to me.

Six weeks and doing great!

2010-04-26T16:00:00.000-04:00

I am officially 6 weeks post op and I fell good beyond being tired. I have developed a milk intolerance and was not getting the protein from all the milk and whey based proteins that I was consuming, which is making me tired. Last week, I went and seen my dietician and surgeon. I am down 35 pounds, lost 7 inches from my waist, my blood sugar is normal, and so is my blood pressure. Yippee!

My surgeon opened a lot more food options to me, since I will not be getting my protein from milk. I am able to have any type of fish, shell fish, lean hamburger, turkey, chicken, lean pork, turkey bacon, peanut butter and that is just the proteins. She also is allowing me to have salads, any green veggie, apples, berries, pear, bananas, grapefruit (but light on this), and cream cheese (light). She just asked for me to stay away from starch veggies, pasta, cereal, and rice till I am six months out. I am still on 2 oz per meal, but will move to 3 oz over the next couple of weeks. I have enjoyed a salad for lunch the past two days (ie the same salad and have probably another day to eat on it). I had ground hamburger with tomatoes and green beans last night for dinner (my adapted version gulosh).

Knowing that I can have more food options has set off some cravings. One craving I have had is for chicken wings. I am not able to handle regularly cooked (baked or grilled) chicken, but I can handle wings. I am not sure if it is because of the sauce or what, but it is working for me. I have tried meatloaf and pork chops, but it did not work to well. So I am trying things and I will keep tally of what is working.

Traveling in cars with boys...

2010-04-26T14:47:00.000-04:00

The boys and I went to Louisville with my mom on Sunday to visit an aunt and cousins before they moved to Florida. It was great seeing them.
We left for Louisville with two semi-happy boys who got to watch Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (twice) on the way down.
We had a great time just talking with them and the kids paired up with my cousins 2 older kids, leaving poor little A out for just being too young… Once my aunt had arrived home from church and we went through some old family photos that my grandfather and uncle had.
Then we decided to head to Cracker Barrel (Bear’s favorite) for lunch. Bear was not happy about leaving his new found cousins, until he realized that they were in front of us. Once parked, he responded “Those are my cousins and we are eating cracker barrel.” It was so cute how attached he had become to my cousins oldest. The boys did great through lunch, both ate most of their food and Bubba tried helping mamu with her salad too.
After we had eaten, Bear went to get a tractor ( a tradition of his) and brought one back for big A to play with too. The kids sat and played for another 30 mins before the restless-ness started and it was time to go. We went outside and did a couple of photos before we loaded everyone in the cars. Bear became very upset when my cousin put him in the car and asked if we were going back to his house. I told him no that we were going home. So bear turned to my cousin and asked to go with him. Sad thing is, I think Bear would have no problems with leaving with him. So to say that he cried for a while was an understatement, well it stopped once we were crossing the bridge to Indiana.
Once we were settled in and on our way, the noise level lowered to a soft snore most of the way home.

Plain Paradise A Daughters of Promise Novel Review

2010-04-08T10:54:00.001-04:00

By Beth Wiseman

This was a very quick read for me (3 days actually). I love reading Amish fiction and always dream about what life would be like growing up and living in an Amish community. Plain Paradise is a story about a mother from the “Englisher” world who has a terminal tumor wanting to get to know the daughter that she was forced to give up at birth to an Amish couple. After returning, she finds her daughter happy and loved by the Amish parents who raised her. We watch as both families struggle with her return and her illness as God becomes present in the situation.

Throughout the book, you slowly get to know the characters though most are vague beyond the main characters. I never felt I really rooted for someone or that I leaned in a certain direction, as I usually do with other books. I had a hard time relating to any of the story line.

The start of the book was slow due to outlining everything that was happening and foundation for what would happen. The story line was very predictable and wrapped up to way quickly. Though this was a good book, it felt that you were entering a middle part of a series or a book that was thrown together quickly.

I would recommend it to someone who loves reading Amish fiction or who wanted a quick read. To pick up your copy, visit the Thomas Nelson Website: http://www.thomasnelson.com/consumer/product_detail.asp?sku=1595548238&title=A_Daughters_of_the_Promise_Novel:_Plain_Paradise

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Easter and a birthday

2010-04-05T07:43:00.003-04:00

Wow, what is more fun than hyping your kids up on Easter candy??? Adding a birthday cake to the mix!

Saturday, the boys and I met J after work at Toys-R-Us to let Bubba pick out his birthday presents. Bear had a little bit of a hard time, since he did not get anything. Bubba picked out a toy story trike and a tool belt. We got the boys the movie Cloudy with Meatballs and us Where the Wild Things Are. So I spent most of the evening putting together the trike while they watched the final four games. Yeah, Butler!

Easter was great! We woke up pretty early (by our clan’s standards) at 8 am to Bear banging on his bedroom door and yelling for us. To which Dad went to see what he wanted and when asked “What are you doing up?”…”I want to go downstairs and see the Easter bunny.” To which J replied “Well, I don’t think that mommy is ready to get up yet. Do you want to watch tv for a little while?” This was good for about 30 minutes. We got up and went down stairs for the boys to discover that the easter bunny did come. The boys each received a basket from the easter bunny and Mommy’s Ma-mu. They took most items out of them and of course candy was priority, along with a fishing pole. While the boys played with things and ate more candy, I made sunshine yellow pancakes and sausage for breakfast. Once breakfast was over, everyone headed upstairs to get ready for church. Then off we went.

Service was GREAT! He has risen. The worship and the message were wonderful. Daddy’s Ma-mu, Papa Shu, and Uncle Rob came as well. The service was about Luke 24 and which person are you when it comes to God. A really fascinating look at Luke 24, if you are interested in listening to the message you can find it on their website http://www.indyvineyard.org/. The boys had a fun in Sunday school and when we asked Bear about what he learned, he told us that Jesus died on the cross and they took him by ambulance to the hospital and made him all better.

After service, we headed home to begin dinner. The boys watched Cloudy with Meatballs and showed off their new loot to Ma-mu before everyone else arrived. It did not take too long before dinner was ready and everyone was eating. After eating, Bubba opened his present from Ma-mu and Papa Shu, a trampoline that has music. While Ma-mu put it together, Bubba went down for a nap. Once he got up, it was an all go on the trampoline and it did not take him long to figure it out. Later he came to me and said “I jump, I jump”. What a smart little cookie.

We had a little easter egg hunt in the front yard with candy filled eggs and cute little tonka trucks. We played with sidewalk chalk, before sending the boys with Ma-mu and daddy to the park.

Once they were back it was time for everyone to go home. It was fun, loud, and tiring; but I would not trade it for the world.

Continue… Update on Surgery and first couple of days:

2010-03-19T05:00:00.001-04:00

Sunday was a very relaxing day and we even went to Wal-mart to do a little grocery shopping. I truly think that the boys were more tired when we got home than I was. Monday was even more of a relaxing day than Sunday and Tuesday was my first post-op follow-up appointment. We took the boys to my mom’s while we went to see the dietician and the surgeon. The dietician was not much help since I was still on a clear liquid diet and I seen her before the surgeon. But I outlined the plan that I had and she was ok with it. My surgeon appointment went good too. I had lost 9 pounds since Saturday and I was moved to a full liquid diet for the next four weeks. My surgeon is excited about my progress and I go back to see her in 5 weeks, hopefully being another 40 pounds lighter.  Wednesday and Thursday are my first official days being home with the boys alone, since J had to go back to work. I have been truly amazed at how I have jumped back into my routines with little hold back. Though I am not able to pick up the boys for the next MONTH, because I am not allowed to lift more than 10 pounds, I have been figuring out creative ways to get things done. Bubba is getting better at climbing up into his highchair and figuring out how to get down from our bed. Today with it being so nice out, I took the boys to the park and let them play for about an hour and half, we came home, had lunch, and now they are taking naps. Tomorrow, we have planned to take the boys to the children’s museum for the day. And this officially ends my updates for now…it is hard to believe that the week is almost over.

For some of those questions about how I am feeling:

I have times during the day, especially after a lot of bending, that I ache and I have changed to children’s Tylenol during the day and only take my pain med right before bedtime.

I have been able to sleep on my sides and my stomach for the past couple of nights (because those are my preferred sleeping positions) with no problems.

I am able to drive (though I have not yet) and plan to return to work on Monday.

I am no longer on any diabetic meds and I have not been testing. This is really nice.

I drink water constantly and meals feel more like chores, because I am not hungry and it just takes too long to eat. Protein is the hardest thing I am getting in, just because I would prefer water over drinking a protein drink. Plus the current powder I have is cookies and crème…and it is disgusting now! So I have to figure out another powder that either has no or low sugar last.

Update on Surgery and first couple of days:

2010-03-18T15:05:00.000-04:00

I am officially one week post-op and it is hard to believe that it has been a week. I was discharged from the hospital Saturday afternoon, which was a pretty quick stay. I have broken this post up into a couple, because they are so long…

But I want to start before the surgery…Friday morning was nerve-wrecking. We left our house at 4:30 am, picked up my mom, and arrived at the hospital at 5:20. I went to be registered and prepped for surgery a little after 6 am. My blood pressure was crazy because of my nervousness, so they gave me some medicine to help relax me and it worked well. After all my prep was done, J and my mom were brought back to where I was while I waited to be taken to surgery. It seems like they were only there for about 15 minutes before they came to get me. Since they had given me medicine to relax, I had to be wheeled to the OR. Once I got to the OR door, I got up and walked to the table, laid down, they told me to stretch out my arms and I have no clue what happened after that… The next thing I remember, was a nurse telling “Amanda, Amanda, It’s time for you to wake up.” And I opened my eyes, blinked a couple times, then went back to sleep to wake up later in my hospital room with J and my mom with me. They told me that the surgery lasted about 1 hour, but of course it never seemed that long.

Most of Friday day, I spent sleeping or walking. I was in pain; it was not my incisions that hurt, but my back and they gave me heating packs that worked great. About 4pm, J took my mom home and went to his parents for a while to visit with the boys (and to eat dinner). I spent a good amount of time reading, watching tv, and walking until J came back. Between Friday afternoon and early Saturday afternoon, I walked 3 miles.

By Saturday morning, I was finally able to have something besides ice chips and got my first breakfast…which was an ounce of apple juice and an ounce of green jello. And I enjoyed ever drop. The hard part was having to take 30 minutes to eat it…though I knew this was going to happen, my brain did not understand and I had to keep slowing myself down. Lunch included an ounce of chicken broth and an ounce of orange jello…which I did not finish all of it. By 3pm, J and I were headed to pick up the boys from J’s parents. We did spend a little too much time there and we did not make it to the pharmacy before they closed to get my pain meds. J got up bright and early on Sunday and went to get them for me, but he went to early and had to go back later.

So I will continue in the next post with what has been happening since Sunday…

The Flowering Cross By Beth Ryan

2010-03-09T16:23:00.000-05:00

This is probably one of the cutest children’s books I have read. The story is about a little girl and Papa Jack, her older next door neighbor, at Easter time. The story teaches us to love unconditionally and lead by example, which are two great traits to live by, for younger children to understand. I loved the Faith ImprintTM which helps gives us parents a way to share God to our children. The illustrations of this book were wonderful, bright, cheery and captured the spring feeling.

My three year old read through the book with me twice last night and when we were done, I asked him about the book to which he responded “Jesus is in there and Jesus loves me”. So I highly recommend the book and I am sure we will be reading it more through the Easter season and after.

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Please :)

2010-03-09T11:02:00.000-05:00

The nervousness of the surgery is beginning to creep in and I have found myself waking up at night running through the list of what I need to take to the hospital, what the boys will need while they are at the grandparents, did I get all the things I need for after the surgery, and what work items do I need to bring home for me to work on. Though these are not earth shattering things or uncommon things to that should be waking me at night and I know that God will be there with me, but my nature is to worry and over plan everything. So please be praying for me, my family, the surgeons and nurses.

This I have found to be one of the hardest posts I have written.

2010-03-09T10:58:00.002-05:00

Not because it is a hard topic, but that it is getting personal.

A year ago, I made the decision to have bariatric surgery. Over the past year, I have been completing the requirements for the insurance company to pay for the surgery. This by no means has been easy and this was not the shortcut to close the weight that has haunted me for the past 13-14 years. Yes, I began my journey with being overweight at the end of my six grade year and did not by any means adjust to middle school. By the beginning of eight grade, I was wearing a plus size 16 and it just kept going up. When I meet my husband in high school, I was a size 20 and 217 pounds. So time continued and I gained more weight (currently at 283 pounds), became a diabetic, and now have blood pressure issues. Which, I should not be dealing with this at my age.

So on Friday, I will enter the hospital at 6am and have surgery. There are a lot of changes coming and I am not sure if we are 100% ready for them, but I am up to the challenge. In the past year, I have made several changes in my lifestyle and diet with only result being gaining weight. The other night, a friend asked “Do you think that surgery is the right choice?” For me, yes it is. It seems that the only time I am able to lose weight is while pregnant, no matter how much I exercise or reduce my calories…I absorb everything. As well, I look like all my overweight family members and we carry it the same way. I want the change!

The Count of Monte Cristo

2010-02-24T07:30:00.000-05:00

What a great classic!!! This is another one of those books that must stay on your bookshelf. This is a riveting novel about revenge and the patience to wait for it. The novel begins with laying out the background for the revenge and introducing you to Edmond Dantes through the events that happen within a couple of days/weeks. Edmond Dantes is a very young, trusting and noble man who honors his father and adores Mercedes, who he plans to marry upon his return from sea. But while out to sea the captain becomes ill and asks Edmond to complete a task for him before he passes away. This tasks sets off a landslide of terrible events for Edmond. After returning home, Edmond prepares to marry Mercedes and is arrested during their betrothal breakfast. When he was arrested he met the deputy who made a verbal agreement with Edmond that he was free, but the deputy needed him to wait. Edmond soon found himself being taken to the island where the prison is located and not understanding what was happening. Edmond eventually ends up in a dungeon where he spends four years before meeting a priest who is in a cell near him and they become fast friends. While spending time with the priest, Edmond learns of a family treasure that is hidden and agrees when they get out they would find it. The priest eventually dies while in prison and Edmond uses this to his advantage to get out, dressing in the death clothes. Edmond soon finds himself being thrown over a cliff and into the sea. He survives and begins his long journey of revenge…

So with that I leave you to read the book…just watch out for all the twists that will happen, you will be hooked.

A book is only as good as the discussion that can rise from it.

2010-02-23T12:27:00.002-05:00

Well I have not been keeping to my promise of blogging more…Thank you GranolaMom for “reminding” me. For the last two weeks, we have had some colds that hit everyone and Bubba has a double ear infection. So to say it has been kind of miserable in our household is an understatement. So that is my excuse.

About two weeks ago, I was invited by a friend to join a book club with her and some other ladies that I know from church. This is really exciting to me, because I have always wanted to do one with all the reading I do but never have. So of course I was “yes, sign me up” and then she told me that they were reading the Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas. My thinking- “Oh, classic I have never read. I can do this within two weeks.” I did not realize that it was 618 pages and at first I was thinking “What have I gotten myself into?” But I rose to the challenge (with a little help of 2 sick days) and finished the book by this past Saturday morning. Yes, the house did not get clean nor did the laundry. But the kids did get fed and bathed, so it was not a complete distraction.

The book was great, but I will discuss that in the next post. Last night was my first meeting of the book club, which we meet at a coffee/bakery place pretty close to my house (which was really nice and convenient). At first I was a little worried, because I was not fully sure that I was at the right place because there is another one about 10 miles down the road and I was the only one there. But I figured if no one else was there by seven, then I would head to the other one. So I ordered my large chai tea and a glass of water, but it wasn’t long before another member showed up.

The group was great. There were 7 of us and all the different backgrounds of everyone. We had a very good discussion about the book through the use of questions on cards. I had never seen the cards before, but they were really good and did create some discussion. It was interesting to see all the different versions of the book everyone had.

Thank you for inviting me to join and I am looking forward to our next meeting.

Where is God? Book Review

2010-02-23T07:30:00.000-05:00

Where Is God?: Finding His Presence, Purpose and Power in Difficult Times by Dr. John Townsend

I found this book to be really hard to “get it”. Dr. Townsend wrote this book with the understanding that everyone’s belief in God using bad things to happen to help strength us is different. The book uses a very methodical way of answering the questions that arise when you feel like God has just abandoned you and you have nowhere to turn. With this question always being asked this book will have uses and he does do very well at relating everything back to scripture and God. But I never really found anything hit me deep in the heart.

For a non-believer or a new christian that is seeking God, this would be a great book to read while struggling with the question of “Where is God?”, but I would not recommend it for someone who has really established a relationship with God.

I review for Thomas Nelson books and received no payment beyond a complimentary copy of this book.

Streaming live…

2010-02-08T09:30:00.000-05:00

Into my head. Wow it has been a while since I have posted on my blog and that is not good. So my new February revolution is to blog more and I expect you to hold me to it. So some exciting things have been happening over the past month…and I am going spill the beans.

Big Shu has found himself a part time job working at a woodworking store (just up his alley) and no he has not come home with something every night, but it is close. With this the boys have been spending more time with the grandparents, which has been good for all of them. Bear and Papaw Shu have become buddies verses the antisocialism that was there before. Bear has been growing like a little weed and eats like a cow some days and a bird others. His favorite foods right now are spaghetti and pizza…plus a little McD cheeseburger. But I will never admit that I ate big macs everyday for several months while pregnant with him. Nope; never. Bear has been mastering the English language really well too…and is becoming a very polite young man with thank you and your welcome.

Bubba is growing like a weed and is losing all of his baby-ness. This is really sad for me, because I am not ready to give up my baby. I was thinking the other day, we are 2 months (yes 2) away from Bubba being…Wait for it…2! Can he really be getting that old??? And my mother in law and mom are saying…”yes and it’s time for another one”. Sorry moms, not yet. Bubba received braces for his feet at the beginning of the year and loves them. He has done extremely well with his walking skills since he started wearing them. He is learning to fight for his right on everything and has really found his scream…the terrible twos have already taken their hold.

So that is a very brief update on the boys…

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austin

2010-02-06T10:32:00.000-05:00

This is probably one of my favorite classics, I love the book, the movies, and play. This is one of those books that should always be on your bookshelf and is worn by the number of times you have read it.

This story is about three sisters and their struggles with love and heartbreak. The sisters find themselves (along with their mother) having to move to a new home and humble lifestyle after the death of their father. The story centers on the two older daughters Elinor and Marianne with completely different personalities. With nothing to offer for marriage, they find their dreams and love disappearing… But soon, they find themselves in love and planning to marry, Elinor with Edward and Marianne with Willoughby. However, things begin to slowly unravel and the hopes turn into heartache and illness when they find that Edward is engaged to another girl, Lucy Steele and Willoughby plans to marry Miss Grey, a rich debutante. Soon Marianne becomes well and begins to fall in love with Colonel Brandon. Elinor learns the truth from Edward and he in turn proposes. In the end, Marianne marries Colonel Brandon and Elinor marries Edward. Elinor with her good sense and judgment and Marianne with her beauty and passionate spirit life turns out exactly how it was planned.

A Big Shu Christmas

2009-12-18T11:30:00.003-05:00

So for several months, big shu has been planning and plotting this year’s Christmas light display. At the beginning of the month he officially turned it on and our house could be seen from the space station…well not really that far, but pretty darn close. Big Shu has setup his own website (http://www.shumakerchristmaslights.com/index.html) for them with a couple pictures and some video from last year and this year. So come on by and enjoy a little lights.

Here is a sample of our house in daylight:

The Language of Love & Respect by Cracking the Communication Code With Your Mate Book Review

2009-12-18T11:05:00.000-05:00

The Language of Love & Respect by Cracking the Communication Code With Your Mate was more a let-down, with the notion that it would help with communication with new improved techniques. I did not feel that there was no new information presented, just techniques re-worded or renamed. It was not hard to get caught up with what Dr. Eggerichs had written in his first book because he did a nice job of reviewing the material.

In the past I have read several of the male vs female communication books (ie men are from mars, women are from Venus and the five love languages) and found those more helpful with communication.
Though for those who are new to the idea of communicating with the opposite sex, this book is helpful is seeing where others are coming from in their communication and what drives them. This would be a great book for a couple to review in a pre-marriage counseling to see how their partner’s communication style is and how to overcome some of the typical challenges relationships face.

Closer: Devotions to Draw Couples Together By: Jim Burns, Cathy Burns

2009-12-16T15:00:00.000-05:00

I found this devotional amazing…I have never read a book by the Burns, but I want to read more after reading this one. The devotionals were laid out exceptionally well, they were short and very direct in where you need to go. As well the conversation starts were very helpful and really made you consider your answers. This is a devotional that was easy for us to get through with each devotional topic being for a week time-frame and with our hectic lives we never really have the daily time to devote, but are able to consider things through the week to bring back to our marriage.

The activity I enjoyed the most was actually writing out how we first met through today. We have been together for a little over 12 years and though we still talk about it, we never had never really written it down. This is something that I plan to pass down to my kids as the grow older. This is appropriate for dating through longtime married couples.

Next time read the fine print

2009-12-01T11:20:00.000-05:00

When you are inducted into parenthood, you never really think about the fine print that comes with being a parent. I swear that the day after thanksgiving shopping for toys was in the fine print, but I do not remember the clause that state you had to get up before the crack of dawn. This year, Santa is bringing the boys each a power wheel jeep. Santa knows that with two boys so close in age that you have to buy either two one-seaters or one two-seater. As well, Santa knows to shop for bargains. This year Wal-mart had a great deal on them, so Santa made the decision to head to wally world at 3:30 am to get one or two. OMG! The parking lot was almost full and the items could not be bought until 5 am.

The store was complete crazy-ness. The carts were parked down isles and they had roped off lines of where people were to be (and not be). Of course the jeeps, bikes, and big tvs would all be in the same line and of course that line would be in the toddler’s clothes. Why where else would it be??? So after 2 ½ hours of waiting, 1 fight, and three separate lines for getting the actual merchandise…we had two jeep power wheels, a tom tom, and a bike…then off to grandma’s to store all of it until Santa makes his arrival.

Thanksgiving

2009-11-30T11:13:00.000-05:00

Yes, I know this is late. But late is better than never.  Thanksgiving was great this year, almost. We had originally three thanksgiving dinners, but we only did two. The first one was at my cousin’s house. When I was younger, my mom’s family use to get together for every occasion (birthdays, holidays, just cause), but after my grandparents moved out of town it became less frequent and then when my grandmother died they became non-existent. So this year, my cousin decided to invite the entire family for Thanksgiving. It was great! I truly miss seeing them all. This was the first holiday the boys have spent time with my family, besides my mom and brother. I think they loved it. There was a group of young kids that included a 6 yr old, 4 yr old, 3 yr old, and 3- 1 ½ year olds. Yes! 3 kids who are 1 1/2 year olds. It was crazy, but so much fun.

Our second dinner was with my in-laws, it was a very traditional sit down family dinner. We had the traditional spread of turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, green bean casserole, pink salad, rolls, sweet potatoes and a relish tray. Which is very different from my family’s free-for-all buffet dinner. I always enjoy having family dinners because it was something that I never did as a child.

I am thankfully for both of my families, their drama and all.

Review of Living with Confidence in a Chaotic World by Dr. David Jeremiah

2009-11-04T20:01:00.002-05:00

Since I love to read, I decided that I would sign up to be a book review for Thomas Nelson Publishing. The first book I selected was Living with Confidence in a Chaotic World by Dr. David Jeremiah. This is not a book is not one that I would have gone to the bookstore and picked out on my own. As I usually lean towards Amish Fiction or family focused. This book however was a very good and easy read. I became engrossed in the every page with all details in facts, solid Bible referencing and humor. He was able to grasp the questions I have been having about where the world is and was able to give me ease in what I have been feeling. His focus on the “One and Another” ministry and the sacred need as Christians growing through the one on one and small group ministries, truly touched my heart. As Christians, we should be focused on God and preparing those around us for our journey home.

This book is great for those who feel that they have lost everything, those who have questions about where this world is going, and for those who are looking for reassurance in God’s plans. I will definitely be passing this book along.

To Bear,

2009-10-20T09:37:00.003-04:00

With your sudden and unexpected early entrance in to this world three years ago, you have melted our hearts and filled us with uncontrollable laughter and hugs. You entered our lives as our first born, though we never knew that we could love someone so much, we have.

Planes, trains and automobiles abound with enough dirty hands and faces to always make life interesting. The music of thomas the train, caillou, wonder pets, sesame street, and bob the builder stuck in our heads. The tremndous crashes and scrapped knees. You are the quintessential boy.

You are becoming a strong and polite big boy and no longer a baby bear. You will always be our baby bear. May you have a wonderful birthday and many more to come.

Happy Third Birthday!
Love Mommy and Daddy

Just because its Monday..

2009-10-12T09:59:00.002-04:00

We all need a little laugh...

Volunteering

2009-10-09T11:51:00.001-04:00

I commit to activities with the notion that they are jobs and obligations. I “stress” over these activities and plot them out in my day planner to the minute. Yes, my planner drives my life. I am a mother of 2 small kids, wife, full-time employee, friend, caretaker and volunteer. Really, can anyone do these without needing a planner without going nuts???

Volunteer is a hard word for me to say I am. Instead of thinking of being a Sunday school teacher, a member of the staff council and staff council executive committee as volunteering, but as responsibilities. About a week ago during one of my drives home (which I do a lot of my thinking then), I realized that I was stressed out about everything I was doing because I was thinking of them as needs to do no longer as fun things. I had not notice that my mindset had changed towards these activities to where I was resenting them. Truthfully, I just wanted ME time and need a vacation by myself. Well that is just not going to happen… Well maybe I can plan a day trip somewhere.

So when you think about your life, is your mind, heart, and soul in the right place? I can truthfully say now, yes mine is.

So anyone up for a day away?

Oh Boys! Cont.

2009-10-09T07:30:00.000-04:00

After spending close to 45 minutes playing on the John Deere, we headed off to the next farm. This time Bear was asked which one he wanted to go to, with an overwhelming response of COWS, we headed to the cattle farm.

The cattle farm was fun in different ways than the dairy farm. We walked through the barn to view the cows, which Bear was not really interested seeing. This was not what I expected from the reaction in the car. The barn cat however, was a highlight and not only for our clan. There was plenty of farm equipment to look at including a “mac” truck. But the tractor tires filled with corn, wheat and soybeans were by far the best. The boys (yes all of them) took their shoes off and hopped right in. They moved from one tire to the next and back again. I knew that Bear enjoyed playing in corn at Aunt Marla’s and Uncle Ron’s, but I did not realize it was not a one-time thing. Which I am sure Marla is still finding corn all over her house a year later. We finally got everyone’s shoes back on and headed off to look at other farm delicacies. When Bear would not leave his nose alone and began crying…of course I just assumed he was having a little allergy to corn dust (because he gets really stuffy when they begin to plow corn). Finally, I stopped him and looked up his nose….He had a soybean stuck up there!! Seriously how do you get a soybean stuck up your nose???? So with that we ended our farm tour and headed home to find a snot sucker. After a “I think we got it”, a nap and dinner on the table; did I realize “We did not get it”. I was able to cut the end of the snot sucker larger and got the soybean out, with several tears.

Oh boys!

2009-10-08T16:03:00.005-04:00

This is late...of course. A couple weeks ago, we took the boys to the Hancock County Farm Festival. It was a tour of 4 different working family farms and they open up their farms to allow us “city” folk to see how the farms work. The tour included a dairy farm, cattle farm, horse stable, and grain mill.

We decided to take the boys to the dairy farm first, just because we thought it would be cool. (Yes, we are big dorks!) It was a very interesting experience and the boys loved it. They had us put on plastic boot covers over our shoes before entering the grounds. This was such a great idea to protect both the cows and us. We walked through the barn and got to see a baby that had been born that morning, as well as several that had been at the state fair. In one area they had several “ladies” waiting to be milked and at the end of their line was a door with a rope across it, with a very either lonely or nosy cow sticking her head in. One of the owners, said that she had already been milked and probably had a friend in line. Who would have thought cows would break out into “cliques”.

After laughing a little and watching someone make ice cream by generator power churns…we headed over to play on the John Deere. All the boys enjoyed getting to play “farmer”.

A word to the wise...

2009-10-06T11:05:00.002-04:00

Why is it when you are down, frustrated, tired, and seemingly alone, that’s when God shakes you to say “Hey, did you forget something?” or “Now, you know I will take care of that.” This past year has been a struggle. I grew up being very self-reliant and accomplishing the goals I had set for myself. I have engrained in myself high work expectations and standards, and I hold others to those standards even if they do not know it. Over the past year God has been “shaking” me to get my attention and I have been fighting it. I know He is right and it is his plan, not mine. But those expectations are really hard to let go of.

I know that trials and tribulation are to make us stronger Christians, but my human-ness wants to throw a two year old tantrum about how it is not fair and ask why when things get really hard. Then I look at family and friends, to find them struggling with a lot of the same issues including those I believe to be strong Christians. I, then, begin to see what God is teaching me. It always amazes me at what God shows me and how my expectations/desires are usually so out of line with his plan.

With everything that has happened over the past year, He has provided and watched over us. His grace has never left our life.

I have come to rely heavily on the following two versus to help me not throw my two year old tantrum.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight.
Proverbs 3:5-6

Good News

2009-10-06T10:11:00.004-04:00

For those who know us and how hectic our life is; will be happy to know that my father in law was re-enlisted on the heart transplant list. This is fantastic news and has been a long process. We are so proud of the progress he has made in the last 6 months.

Yeah...Its has been a quick summer

2009-10-05T16:03:00.002-04:00

Oh my, how the summer has sped past us. If you asked me, I would tell you it was still June. So let’s play catch-up…

The boys are doing great and growing like weeds. Bubba has started to take over Bear’s clothes, the chucky little guy is now in 24 month/2T clothes and Bear is in 3T. It is so hard to believe that neither of them are babies any more. *Sigh*

Bubba has begun walking in the past two/three weeks and you would never guess that he had problems figuring it out. It was like he got over the fear of balancing himself on Monday and had practiced in his sleep to be a pro on Tuesday.

With as busy as our summer has been, we did not take any trips away. But then with two little ones who are always on the move, can you really travel far? We did get to take Jonah to a Brickyard 400 and several trips to the zoo. We moved Ma-moo closer to us, so now both grandparents are within 10 miles of us.

In June, we got a new puppy (June Bug). She is a labordoodle and is going to be huge. I don’t think we realized how big she was going to be. She is roughly about 6 months old and is already the size of our standard poodle. I have definitely discovered one thing about her…she is as stubborn as a mule.

This fall we will be even more busy than the summer. We do have a trip to the Quad cities planned for the end of October for FIL’s 60th birthday. There will be several more trips to the apple orchard (we have been twice already), we will travel the state for the covered bridge festival in a couple weekends for big shu’s birthday and our 6th wedding anniversary. YES, I did say 6 years! Then we are trying to decide what to do for Bear’s 3rd birthday.

Big shu has been dreaming and strategizing his Christmas light display for months now (yes months, since July actually). I am sure our time with him is going to be very limited over the next couple of weeks. But he has some good ideas and hopefully there will not be an electrocution possibly like last year (like 5000 extension cords running across the ground under snow).

Sorry this is a little quick and irrational, but it was a hurried post.

Memorial Day Weekend

2009-06-06T20:18:00.004-04:00

Boy, have I been slacking in the blogging department (again). Quite a bit has happened in the last month, I have gotten a promotion at work, Jonah is beginning to come out of the terrible two stage and Aiden is beginning the terrible two stage at 13 months.

Over Memorial Day weekend, we took the boys to Iowa to tent camp and we have determined that Jonah is definitely our outdoor kid and Aiden enjoys his air conditioning too much.

We left for Iowa Thursday afternoon earlier than we planned due to the reports that Scott County Park was filling up fast (which is was not). We had made plans prior to stay in a hotel Thursday night since we planned to arrive after the park was closed. So Thursday afternoon/evening we set up our campsite and still stayed in the hotel. Friday, we did the normal grocery shopping for the weekend and spent the afternoon at the campsite. This is when we determined that Aiden did not like camping, he was too warm too warm to nap. During the evening, we spent some time with T, M and G. It is shocking that she is already one, time has flown by. For the first night camping, the boys actually did really well for being off their schedules.

Saturday was a great day. We spent the entire day in the park, we took the boys swimming in the morning/most of the afternoon. Aiden LOVED the pool. He is such a water baby. Jonah on the other hand, was not so fond of the pool. He held a death grip on me, but I was able to dunk his a couple of times. :) He did like the sprinklers and sprayers that they had. To which Josh and he played in for a good amount of time. After the pool, we all went back to camp and crashed. That evening we invited all of the clan out to our campsite to have dinner by the campfire. We had a great turnout, we had 30 people out! It was a lot of fun and nice to see most of the family.

Sunday was the beginning of the busy days. We spent the day with the shus and for Aiden to meet his great great aunt Tillie (she's 93 and still lives on the farm by herself). It has been about 6 months since we last seen her. As well, we got to see some cousins that we hardly ever see.

Monday was just crazy. We started with visiting Aunt M and Uncle R, since we were not able to see them on Sat. night. But we did not get to spend enough time with them. :( After we had a shu cookout to attend and we got to spend some time with more cousins we don't get to see enough. Thanks T and B for inviting us over. Finally on Monday, we went to G 1st birthday party. Which was fun until Jonah cut his finger and ripped off half his finger nail, so we had to take him to the emergency room. Thankfully he did have anything broken and did not need stitches, just a little antibiotic cream and bandages.

Tuesday, we packed up and began our way home, with cheers from Aiden. But of course, we had to make a couple of stops before we left town. We had forgotten G gift, so we took it to her. Then we head over to the John Deere Pavilion for the two older boys to play on the tractors.

Oh what a wonderful weekend...I wish there was more long weekends like this.

2009-05-07T16:31:00.003-04:00

Today, Aiden went to the dr. for his 12 month check-up (I know it was a month late, and I am not taking claim to it's late-ness). He is a very chunky 23.6 lbs (50%) and he was 50% in height (Josh did not tell me what his height was). But the poor kid has an ear infection, which explains his grumpy-ness. But with all the teeth that have been popping up in his mouth it is no wonder he has an ear infection.

Earlier this week (Tuesday) it was beautiful outside and I was working from home that afternoon while Josh had a job interview. The boys really enjoyed being able to be outside since it has rained so much here lately. We went through 1 and 1/2 containers of bubbles between the bubble lawnmower and the bubble machine (aka mom).

On a side note: Josh interview went ok, but we have not heard anything back.

Sorry I have not taken any pictures lately. I am slacking again.

What things are important to you?

2009-04-29T20:02:00.003-04:00

This was a question that I was asked a couple of weeks ago by a doctor. It made me really think about those things that are important to me and I continue to think about it. I know that my faith, family and friends are important in my life. I began to think about my day dreams of staying home with the boys, eating healthy fresh foods, play groups, bible studies, traveling, quilting, gardening and spending time with family and friends.

But after thinking about this, I realize that I am so caught up in the rush and busy-ness of the day that there never seems to be time to even breath. The days seem to fly by and I sit here wondering what I did yesterday, because I can't remember. I seriously do good not wearing the same outfit to work in one week. With working fulltime, I am always wondering where I can steal time from to spend on something else? But I always seem to neglect something that either needs done, or the boys just need a little more mommy time, or I have one more errand...Ugh!

I am always amazed at how families can handle having one parent stay home with the kids and the other working and be able to have true influence in their children's lives while providing everything they need. How do you afford a house, a car, the utility bills, healthy food, family activities and clothes for the kids (since they seem to have out grown them even before you left the store)?

So I ask you, What things are important to you?

Papa Shu Is Coming Home

2009-04-24T09:54:00.004-04:00

Today is a big day in our family. Papa Shu is coming home after being in the hospital and rehab center for a year! Last April Papa Shu had a LVAD (heart device) put in as a bridge to transplant and it has taken him a while to get well enough to come home.

Last night, we did a "trial run" with and took him to dinner at Steak n Shake. Which went pretty well, though MawMaw apparently takes the corners a little to fast-per Papa Shu. John seemed to enjoy being out and really enjoyed having dinner that was not institutional grade (though I hear he likes that kind of food).

For those that know Papa Shu's humor- So last night when Mawmaw wheeled Papa Shu out to the van and opened the door- he remarks "Phew, it smells like our car in there."

So feel free to call him @ home!

Lions, Tigers, and Bears- Oh My!

2009-04-20T14:11:00.000-04:00

This past Saturday after the Race for the Cure downtown, we took the boys to the zoo for the first time this year (and Aiden's first time ever.) They both had a blast and we spent a good part of the day there before they (and I) had enough. It was really nice weather (74) and the zoo was PACKED.

We rode the train, because you can't get away from it with Jonah. He also was interested in the roller coaster, but he is a little too short (3 more inches).

(see I do exist)

This year the zoo has two new bears (our last one pasted away during the fall), so we went to visit them and Jonah growled at them for 10 mins. It was so cute, because I was probably 30-40 feet away (because of the crowds) and I could hear him.

They have also replaced the shark exhibit from the mishap with a maintenance mistake that killed almost all of the sharks. It is an exhibit that has dog sharks and you are able to pet them as they swim by. It is really cool.

I am looking forward to going later this summer. They are going to have an exhibit on the Komodo Dragons. I have always wanted to see one. Then next summer, they will be having some cheetahs and we seen some work happening in the forest area that has a 2011 date on it, but we do not know what is coming yet. Last year, the Koalas were in the forest area.

So, anyone want to join us? You are more than welcome to come along. :)

Saturday Mornings in the Shu house

2009-04-19T13:57:00.003-04:00

Saturday Mornings are a peaceful time in the Shu house. I am usually up (just because my body is programed for work wake up time, though it is actually harder to get up during the week.) and the boys are usually sleeping and I have my "me" time. Here are a few views of Saturdays...

(I got caught!) He always wakes up happy...

Walking kinda a fool

2009-04-13T07:25:00.001-04:00

Aiden has started to figure out the joys of walking and is trying to keep up with busy Jonah...

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T19:35:00.006-04:00

Today is truly a day to celebrate..for Jesus has risen and one day we will join him with our Holy Father.

But we also take part in the tradition of Easter and anticipate the arrival of the easter bunny (similar to the anticipation of Santa.) We began the weekend with coloring eggs.

So this year, the boys received one basket to share (to which Jonah does not believe that he is to share this.) from the Easter bunny at our house. The easter bunny left the boys a bible, 2 other story books, teddy grahams, nutter butters, M&Ms, 2 stuffed animals. Ma-Maw Cathy got the boys a stuffed bunny, skittles, and peeps (my favorite) and Ma-Maw Julie got the boys chocolate bunnies and other great selection of nandy (candy-jonah's words).

As an added suprise for Jonah, we went on an easter egg hunt (in the front year)...

Happy 1st Brithday, Aiden!

2009-04-07T10:08:00.002-04:00

Wow it is hard to believe that you are already a year old and no longer a little baby. We wish you the happiest birthday and look forward to many more... Love mommy and daddy.

More updates to the house

2009-03-30T08:39:00.000-04:00

We have done some more painting and bought new currtains for the livingroom and dining room. I ahve been asked to provide some more pictures and here they are:

Please excuse the mess...we are not finshed painting the room. We are painting the same khaki that is in the livingroom.

I think the curtains go great. Don't you?

2009-03-29T20:28:00.000-04:00

For Easter and Aiden's Birthday, my mom bought the boys bikes. Well, Jonah a bike and Aiden a ride on choo-choo. Jonah would not stay still longer than one picture on the bike. But Aiden was all happy about having his picture taken (plus, his poor legs are not long enough to touch the floor). He is extremely happy. Thank you, Grandma.

It was not planned that he would be in a Thomas outfit when Grandma bought the ride-on. I think it adds to his excitment. Maybe I will have a railroader in the future.

Play-dough

2009-03-28T20:15:00.003-04:00

Who would have thought that 2 cups of flour, 2 cups of water, 1 cup of salt, 2 tablespoons of cream of tarter, 2 tablespoons of water, and food coloring would trulybe a magic potion to tame a toddler.

Last weeknd, I decided that I would make some to see how Jonah would like playing with play-dough. We have tried the silly putty and it just turned his hands, clothes, sadly his mouth green. Which by the way is hard to make not green or some shade of green. I was a little afraid that the bold colors made by the food coloring would bleed and turn my house to multi-colored mess, but guess what; They didn't. Yeah, happy momma dance!

I asked Jonah what colors he would like and he choose orange, blue, James red, Pepe (Percy)green, and Ma-mow (Grandma) purple.

Flying high

2009-03-18T18:39:00.003-04:00

So for Easter, we got Jonah a kite and the past couple of days have been great to fly a kite. So we brought it out a little early for Jonah to play with...HE HAD A BLAST. Here are some pictures we took:

And of course...it is a Thomas kite.

Say Cheese!

2009-03-18T18:34:00.002-04:00

Long time, no blog.

2009-03-17T13:04:00.008-04:00

Sorry, I have been kinda slacking in the blogging department lately. (again.) The past couple of weeks have been busy. We are officially 3 weeks away from Aiden's first birthday. (Yikes!) I still have no clue what we are going to do for him or what we are getting him.

We went this past weekend with Grandma Shu to the outlet mall about an hour south of here to buy him and Jonah some new clothes. It was a really nice, relaxing trip. I was actually able to find some footed pjs at Carters. I have been trying to find footed pjs for weeks now. I swear clothes makers think that once a child is out of 9 mth clothes that they will actually keep socks on thier feet and not in their mouths.

Monday, Aiden went to the dr. and he is growing nicely. He is 21.6 lbs and 29" long (50% in both areas). He no longer needs any of his reflux meds and in couple of weeks we can move to whole milk. Also, we will be moving away from the baby food and start giving him actually full tablefood meals. (Yeah! Do you see me doing the no formula and all tablefood happy dance?) He now has 5 teeth and one more working it's way through (4 in the last 2 weeks). He is starting to cruise and is working on the stairs. It will not be long before we have to gate the world again.

We have officially been in our house for a year now (wow!, it has gone by so quickly). And we finally put paint on the walls. I have not taken any pictures yet, but I will. We have painted our living room a very deep red and khaki. We have bought paint for our bedroom (a dark blue) and game room (a misty aqua blue). Hopefully, before the summer is over, we will have the boys' rooms painted. So if you ask Jonah- "What color do you want your room?" he will respond "Orange and Blue" and he means Home Depot Orange. I guess he is like his parents and likes color.

We are ready for spring and summer... plus the fruit and veggies that go with it.

Call me anytime...just not late for dinner!

2009-02-19T20:00:00.001-05:00

About two weeks ago, I made spaghetti for dinner and I did as any mother that wants great pictures does…I undressed Aiden down to his diaper and dumped a cup of spaghetti onto his tray and let him at it…
These are the pictures I got…

(this is my favorite picture.)

I have to say that he actually was a little neater than I expected…I really did expect it to be all over, the floor, walls, him, the dog-NOPE! I don’t think a bite missed his mouth. He had some sauce on his arms, around his mouth, and down the front of him, but it mostly went straight into his mouth.

Sorry for the not blogging…

2009-02-19T15:22:00.002-05:00

The past week or so has been hectic and stressful. We had someone get a hold of our debit card number and they did a little online shopping, Jen cam in town for the weekend, we bought a new fridge, mattress topper and paid off our truck with our tax refund, celebrated Valentine ’s Day and got started on the top for Jonah’s quilt.

The boys are constantly on the move and Aiden is pulling himself up on things. The other night he climbed two steps, before falling off backwards. He is ok, I think he was more scared than actually hurt. Jonah has become a master of the removing his clothes and climbing into the bath (even if he is not getting a bath), he is getting so good that I can’t get Aiden undressed and back to the bathroom without Jonah already being in the tub. I have never seen someone so excited about taking a bath. Jonah has begun to climb…the other day Josh left Aiden in his crib, so he could do something and when he came back into Aiden’s room, Jonah was in the crib with Aiden.
Over the weekend, I had someone ask me what the age difference between the boys was and I told her, to which she replied “When do you have any free time?” Ha!, free time does not exist when you have two young kids. I am lucky to get the bathroom door closed before someone is in there with me.

Choo-Choo

2009-02-07T10:00:00.004-05:00

Jonah is one very lucky little man. Josh has spent the last couple of weeks building Jonah a train table and I think it has turned out great. Plus, I think I did a good job matching paint to thomas blue and james red. It did turn out a little bigger than I thought, but it looks nice in the game/playroom. Now Josh is working on bins that will roll under the table to hold all the track.

I wonder what is next on Jonah's wish list....I have been hearing talk of Cranky the Crane.

Aiden says Hi!

2009-02-05T08:00:00.001-05:00

Reminiscing

2009-02-04T20:00:00.000-05:00

Can you believe that it has already been a month since Christmas?? It sure does not seem like it. So I decided that I would just most a picture or two.

First Snow Day!

2009-02-03T20:43:00.005-05:00

We have finally had a real snow day. Over the course of 24 hours, we got about 12.5 inches and pretty much shutdown the state. It took Josh most of the day to shovel and snowblow ours and his mother's driveway. Jonah got to go out a couple times that day and I finally took some pictures in the afternoon.

update

2009-01-28T12:38:00.000-05:00

With everything that has been going on in the last week, things are finally beginning to settle down. John is doing ok for now, my mom is out of the hospital and staying with us a couple of days, and Will is home.

I am one very tired woman and in need of a vacation. I am suprised that I have not gotten sick, since I usually do when several stressful things happen at once.

I will try and most some pictures of the boys, it just maybe a couple of days.

I need some advice…

2009-01-27T12:31:00.002-05:00

So after all of the stress and craziness in the last couple of weeks, I have decided to treat myself with a haircut :). I would rather have a massage, but that is kinda of out of my price range right now.

So here is my question for all of you:

What kind of haircut/style should I get? I am really terrible about what looks good on me and probably the reason I continuously just pull it back in a ponytail. But I really need to do something for myself. So please help.

Really what else can go wrong

2009-01-24T23:31:00.003-05:00

So the past week has been a living (well you know what). We lost a cousin at the end of last week and went back to Iowa for her funeral. It was a beautiful service and the church was magnificant. It was nice to see the Shumaker side of the family again, though I wish we could get together under better circumstances. While we were in Iowa, my mother was admitted to the hospital for heart failure and now has phemonia. John, my father in law, is getting worse (he is a heart patient too.) You can check out his blog if you follow the link on the side bar, but I do not think my mother in law is keeping up on it. As well, my nephew (Will, 3mths old) is in the hospital and my step-grandfather is deteriating.

When I think of every thing going on, I think of the Jermey Camp song I will walk in Faith, because that is all I can do. God will be the one that will get us through these difficult times and this tribulations will make us stronger. And his name, through faith in his name, has made this man strong, whom you see and have knowledge of: yes, the faith which is through him has made him well, before you all. Acts 3:16
I just wish there was not so many all at once, but I am thankful for all that the Lord has given us.

So please pray for my family that they may be comforted in the Lord and for those that do not believe that they will open their hearts.

A very stressed and exhausted,
Amanda

Ok, now that I am feeling better…

2009-01-13T14:05:00.000-05:00

I can get back to my hectic life. This past week/weekend my office and I have been spreading around a little left over holiday cheer in the form of the flu. Ugh! and we are not back to full strength yet. But this was actually a good thing for me, I was able to relax and catch up on my sewing. I was able to complete the quilt using my charm pack and jellyroll, and then I found some fabric that was just Christmas light bulbs…It turned out so cute. I will post a picture I soon I as take one. Which you can let is not that often. 
The weekend before last, we did a major move of furniture in the house. We moved our large tv and reclining couch downstairs and moved the tv and couch that were in the living room upstairs to the game room. I was amazed at how much extra space there was upstairs and we are slowly moving all the boys toys into that room. Josh is building the train table and hopefully it will be done in the next two weeks. It is nice to sit up there and let the boys play without feeling like they are on top of you.
This past weekend, Aiden figured out lala, dada, mama; but they are not really words to us just more jibber-jabber and it especially comes out when he is mad. It was pretty funny, because when Josh left Thursday, he was not doing any talking and by Sat. you could tell what he was saying. Lately, he has been working on his climbing up to stand using the furniture. He really likes the leapfrog table that plays music, he will stand at it and shake his leg or bounce up and down. Also, in the past couple of weeks, Aiden has mastered the sippy cup and NO MORE BOTTLES (happy dance). He is eating solids like a champ (even with only two teeth) with 3 meals and an after nap snack. He is definitely a food lover, anything that looks like food or could possibly be food goes straight to his mouth and he gets ticked if you are eating and he is not. So far, I don’t think there is a food he does not like. When Jonah was this age, I had a hard time getting him to eat anything with meat in it, not Aiden.

More Pics

2009-01-05T19:50:00.003-05:00

Merry Christmas

2008-12-23T11:15:00.002-05:00

We would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a wonderfully Happy New Year.

Good to the last drop

2008-12-16T07:00:00.001-05:00

I have decided that I am going to ask Maxwell house if Aiden can be there new spokesperson...

Hi Mommy!

2008-12-15T07:00:00.001-05:00

Sunday morning, I went to get Aiden out of his crib and this was what I walked in on (with the light off)...

So can you guess what I did Sunday afternoon......moved the mattress down.

Christmas at the Shus

2008-12-14T09:47:00.004-05:00

We are about 95% done decorating, the tree is decorated, the stockings are hung by the fire with care, and the front yard looks like an airport landing strip. So I don't think Santa will have any problems leaving choo-choos by the thousands for Jonah or the deluxe super duper wagon for Aiden (Santa, please put the wagon together before you leave it and don't forget the batteries).

This year I am really looking forward to seeing Jonah's reaction to Santa's deliveries. We are not putting any presents under the tree until Christmas eve after the boys go to bed. Last Christmas, I think Jonah was still to young to understand what presents actually were and that he needed to unwrap them. He sis really well with his birthday presents and hopefully he remebers that Christmas morning.

This year. mom will be staying with us Christmas eve and will be here in the morning to see the boys open their gifts. I am so happy and excited about this. I am kinda hoping that she does not have to work Christmas eve and then she will get to spend more time with the boys.

This past Monday we went to dinner with Julie and then to Joann fabrics to pick out material for the boys stockings. It did not take me that long to make them but I found four fabrics for Aidens and two (including Thomas) for Jonah. Here they are:

So the boys have had their first official fight...

2008-12-08T12:00:00.000-05:00

On Sat., Jonah received his first realization that Aiden was able to get around and this is exactly what it looked like.

I think Aiden won.

Ok, please hold the applause

2008-12-07T19:15:00.004-05:00

I have officially finished Aiden's quilt. Yeah!!! This is officially my first complete quilt and I think it turned out pretty good. There are a couple oops and toe-catchers, but I think it gives it a more home-made look. :)

The Front (top)

The Back

I am washing it now, then to the dryer it will go and then it will be wrapped up for Christmas.

I have some Christmas fabric and I am not sure yet what I am going to do with it, but I wanted to show it off to you...

PIctures, Pictures, Get Your Pictures Here!

2008-12-06T10:27:00.007-05:00

I decided that I needed to add some more pictures of the boys, since it has been a while since I last posted some.

Aiden's Idea of Thanksgiving

Finally a good quite bath

A pro at the popcorn bowl.

Dirty

He is such a boy.

You caught me.

Yeah they finally scored.

Thanksgiving was great and no trips to the hospital.

2008-12-01T08:39:00.001-05:00

Making dinner and having everyone at our house was not a stressful as I thought it would be. I did a lot of prep work on Wednesday night, like cutting the veggies, making the relish, and laying out pans. Thursday morning, I washed, dressed and cooked the bird; prepared the green bean casserole and cooked the mac & cheese (so when the bird was done, they could go in) and did the dishes. Then headed to pick up my mom from the other side of town (it takes about 1 ½ round trip to get to her house and back). I had Josh put the casserole and mac & cheese in the oven; they were done when we got back. Julie brought the cornbread stuffing, deviled eggs, pumpkin pie and relish tray. Everything was ready to eat at 1:30 and we had a lot of food for only 5 people. Jonah was only into the rolls and strawberry jam and Aiden wanted whatever would get close to his or your mouth. He thinks he can just eat anything these days.

Giving Thanks

2008-11-27T08:00:00.000-05:00

Since today is Thanksgiving, I decided that I should follow in tradition and state what we are thankful for:
Each other
Jonah and Aiden
Our parents, siblings, nephews, cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents (yes, all of them)
Our friends
Our home
God and church
Thomas the train (this is for Jonah and me too)
Work and Josh being able to be with the boys
So what are you thankful for?

Josh will you say grace…”Grace, she died 30 years ago…”

2008-11-26T10:37:00.001-05:00

Well turkeys, dressing, and extra pounds are upon us and this year Thanksgiving is at our house. Which is great, we want to start holiday traditions in our new home with the boys. I have been searching and planning a meal that Jen can have everything that is offered. So here is our menu:
1- 16 lb turkey (Did you know that Butterball turkeys are not gluten free?? Who would have thunked it.)
Mashed potatoes
Gluten-free cornbread stuffing (dressing if you get that technical)
Green bean casserole without the Frenchs onions, but with Funyuns
Deviled eggs
Gravy made with cornstarch
Grandma Whitmore’s cranberry and orange relish
Crust-free pumpkin pie (for Jen and John)
So, what are you having and can I come over??? I might have a drumstick or two bring over…

What hectic lives you have...

2008-11-24T13:57:00.000-05:00

The past couple of weeks have been extremely hectic with Josh being gone so much. He left for San Diego on Thurs. the 6th, then got home LATE Tues. the 10th, then left for the QCs on Sat. the 15th, came home at 3am on Mon. the 17th, then left Mon. afternoon to go back to the QCs, and we finally got home last night. Seriously, no wonder the boys were missing him. The boys were staying with my mom while she was on vacation and I think she greatly enjoyed that. I was leaving in the mornings around 6:15 and then would get back home between 7:30-8 pm (or just in time to go back to bed). What a tiring week.

Since he has been gone and I have barely had enough time to even think once I get home, the house looks like a bomb has gone off and there are no survivors. So I will be cleaning every night this week to get ready for company on Thursday. I kinda wish I could take a day or two off to get everything ready, but that’s not going to happen.

We were in the QCs for Uncle Larry’s funeral, which was just beautiful and he looked really good. I know everyone says that, but he actually did look really good. This was only my third catholic funeral and I really enjoy all the traditions and rituals that are apart of them, though I can live without the smell of the incenses (I have to double my allergy meds). I would like to thank Terry, Kurt, Thad, and Rick for including everyone in the funeral. I never expected to or anticipated in actually get to participate in the funeral, but I am so grateful that I was asked to.
It was very nice to spend time with the family, even though it was under those circumstances. After the service, the church provided a meal for us and it was great. The boys behaved really well for the most part, Jonah was having some problems sharing. Josh’s cousin has a little boy (Isaac) the same age as Jonah. Isaac really wanted to play with Jonah and his trains, well Jonah wanted nothing to do with Isaac touching his trains. No matter how hard we tried to get him to share, he was not going for it. And I swear not more than 10 mins after giving up on them playing together, about 5 girls came over to play with Jonah and he was like “the big man on campus” and they all played with the trains. Then it turned into them chasing him around the room to make him giggle. Only two and already a ladies’ man, I am not sure what I am going to do when he becomes a teen.

While we were there, we got to spend some time with Tim, Meghan and Gabby (aka the future Mrs. Shumaker). Josh actually spent the entire week with them (again thank you for taking in my homeless husband) and he managed to become second daddy to Gabby and she was a replacement for Aiden. We had scheduled a night of Wii and drinking, but since the Iowa game was on (YEAH! Iowa won 55-0) it turned out a little different than we planned. And for the first time since before Jonah was born I was actually drunk, but not a bad drunk just more on the fuzzy fun side (I laugh a lot when I am drunk and then get really sleepy). But we pretty much sat at the kitchen counter or table and talked. I was kinda sad to go back to the hotel, but Jonah was going into super meltdown and Gabby was almost beyond the point of no return. We need to plan a vacation together and actually spend some time together.

So that is a very brief catch up of our lives.

Baking Marathon

2008-11-11T08:22:00.000-05:00

Over the weekend I actually got my baking done. YEAH!! I was not really sure if I was going to be able to get everything done, since Jonah was feeling pretty puny and running a fever. So here is the list of stuff I made and yes, I did get a cookie for it

2 batches of sugar cookie dough
1 batch peanut butter cookies with peanut butter chips
1 batch peanut butter cookies with chocolate chips
1 batch oatmeal cookies with cinnamon and white chocolate chips
1 batch oatmeal raisin cookies
I officially ran out of brown sugar at this point…. I guess that is a good excuse to bake next weekend too.

I also made banana bread with walnuts,
pumpkin bread with pecans,
homemade applesauce to which my mother was like why?? (I was talking to her on the phone while it was cooking),
and with the homemade applesauce- 4 mini applesauce cake loaves.

I bought the supplies to make pumpkin fudge, but I can’t find my candy thermometer. I know I have seen it since we moved, but I am not sure where. I will find it sometime in the spring, when I actually don’t need it.

I still have to make chocolate chip cookies, snickerdoodles, cheesecake and peppermint bark.

I am on the hunt for an easy peanut butter ball / rum ball recipe, Grandma Annie use to make the best. So if you have one send it my way…please.

So after looking at all of this. Do you see anything I am missing?

Another new family member

2008-11-10T16:29:00.001-05:00

This past Thurs. the Shu's welcomed another member to the clan, Adilyn Elizabeth. She is just adorable and looks quite a lot like her mom (sorry Thad). Congrats! and welcome to the family.

Are you sure it was that long ago.....

2008-11-10T15:50:00.001-05:00

Last week, I decided to actually check me myspace account and check in on all my friends and family’s pages. A huge surprise to me on my cousin’s page was one of his sisters. I had not talked or seen them in 17 years (the sisters). It is a really long story why and I skip it, but I decided to send a friend request to Dani and she accepted. We talked through myspace email for a couple of days and then we exchanged phone numbers. So I called her on Thursday night and we talked for about 2 hours, just catching up on everything that has happen in the lifetime apart.

I did not realize how much I really missed her; we were really close as kids and were always around each other. I wish our family was still that close. I mean I really felt like we were kids again and staying up past our bedtime at a slumber party. It was great!

While I was talking to her, she gave me Nicky’s phone number and I called her. We talked for 2 ½ hours, before I was too tired and both cordless phones died. Yes, we have two cordless phones and both were fully charged before we started talking…I actually had to find a corded phone…who would have thought that those might actually still exist? J jk So we caught up on everything that has been going on with her.

Then last night, Dani and I talked through myspace IM about memories we had of Uncle Buddy and the silly things we use to do when we were young. We talked about Ka-sha (the dog), the house on Addison, the rabbits in the garage, Uncle Buddy’s recipes (like cabbage and rice; spam, mac and cheese, and tomato sauce combined), and the white and orangish-red truck.

I really miss my cousins. We are going to have to figure out a way to see each other before next summer.

Forget it...I am moving on

2008-11-05T09:56:00.001-05:00

Ok, I have officially given up on trying to machine quilt the John Deere quilt. My machine is definitely not capable of it, so I will need to buy a new loop and work on it by hand. With this realization (at 9:30pm last night) I decided to cut out Aiden’s quilt top and begin laying it out. I have some blue plaids from a couple of years that I won from a quilt store in Pendleton, IN and I never could think of anything to do with it. Then, Grandma Annie gave me A LOT of fabric and craft supplies before she passed away (which she had a love of blue fabric. J). So I think I have enough material to create a baby quilt for him. I will post pictures of it once it is completed, which should not take long since it will be totally machine quilted.

Tis the season....to BAKE!

2008-11-05T09:40:00.000-05:00

This coming weekend, Josh is flying to San Diego to help his sister. So it is just me and the boys. I have decided that I think we are going to prepare and bake cookies and other holiday treats. Since it is already November and my weekends seem to fly by, I figured that since this weekend was going to be quite, that it is a good time to begin the season. Hey, the commercials have already started and stores are decorated- in Josh’s eyes, I am already late.

I figured that I can take the boys shopping with me on Thursday night to pick up all the supplies that I need and have Jonah help me. Well more like he has his own supplies and just plays. I really need to make an apron for him. This should last about twenty mins. with Thomas and Friends on the TV. J So what are your favorite cookies and when are you going to start baking?

Here is my current list of goodies:
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Peanut Butter Cookies
Sugar Cookies
Fudge- maybe pumpkin, chocolate, or peanut butter
Banana nut bread
Pie crust

God's Will

2008-11-04T16:07:00.004-05:00

Ok, I am going to stop talking about sewing and talk about my fourth favorite man in my life (after Josh, Jonah, and Aiden), my nephew Will. I went to the hospital today at lunch and spent about 40 mins with him and my sister-in-law. Overall his is doing well, but will have surgery on Wed. 11/12, so pray for him and the rest of us. They are hoping that he will not have to have a liver transplant or liver failure before they can get his bowels repaired and functioning. This has been really hard on them and they need a lot of support.

I am amazed at how much he resembles my brother; it is almost like a mini me. He is still small, but he has some fight in him. So I stole a couple pics off of their web pages.

The Giant Elephant In My Sewing Room

2008-11-03T17:04:00.001-05:00

This weekend was wonderful. It was relaxing and no rushing around. Friday night, I decided that since I had nothing planned for the weekend it was a good time to breakout the sewing machine and the quilt I have been “working” on for the past 6, yes I said 6, years. I started working on a John Deere themed quilt for Josh, before we ever got married, and I finally have decided that I really need to get it done, so I can justifiably move on to other projects. It really is my giant elephant in my sewing room. I mean the boys need stockings made, we need a tree skirt, I need to make floor quilts for the boys. There is so much to do and not enough time.

So be careful, you just might be getting something “home-made” this year for Christmas.

This poor quilt is a true sign of my beginner status and my over-ambitious goal of starting with a full size quilt. Somehow I have got to figure out how I am going to machine quilt it on my machine.

When I unfolded (more like un-wadded) the quilt, Jonah’s eyes just light up like he just hit the lottery. He looked at it, then at me and said “OH momma, John Deere!”, of course this was in his speak. I asked him if he wanted it on his bed and he smiled and nodded his head, to which Josh quickly replied “That’s mine, I saw it first.” Jonah just gave him a chester cat grin and pulled the quilt up over him. So we will see who will win this battle.

I worked on it a little bit Saturday, before the boys needed my undivided attention and Sunday, I did not touch it. What a great start, uh? Can someone please fill me in on how you can work on sewing projects, work full-time, be a mom to 2 boys 2 and 7 mths, be a wife, try to organize the house and still have sanity??? But then if you knew the answer to this, you would be rich…

Bapples, Pumpkins, and Car Seats

2008-10-29T10:49:00.001-04:00

This past weekend we went on a whirlwind tour of Iowa…so for the boys, this was a long weekend in the car seats. We got to the QCs around 11pm (Indiana time) and made a “quick” pit stop at Frank’s Pizza for Italian beef sandwiches and sausage and mushroom pizza. (yummy, my mouth is starting to water just thinking about it). After that snack J, we decided it was time to get the boys to bed….just Jonah did not want to go to bed and he got a little too noisy at the hotel and we………GOT A CALL from the front desks about the noise. Oooppps! Sorry to whoever was below us. But do you blame the kid, 6 hours in a car seat and a powernap to boot…

Saturday, we went to surprise Aunt Peggy (she did not know we were coming for her birthday) and go to the apple orchard with her and Casey. It was pretty cold and windy, but we had fun. We first went to Thompson, IL to a road side stand (1hr in car seats), then we went to a General Store in Clinton, IA…it was like to largest junk store full of old crap, but it was neat. Jen- It still smelled the same J We then headed back to Hampton, IL to have a chicken and dumplings dinner at Grandma’s old church, but when we got there they had a hour and half wait….Thought going through my head at this point….ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME!....Since Josh, the boys and I had to be at Tim and Meghan’s by 6:30, we decided to skip eating there and would stop at Wendy’s on the way. It was really nice to see everyone and get to spend a little time with them…Congrats, Nicole (hope everything is going well).

Saturday night, we met with Tim, Meghan and Crabby Gabby (those she was not really that bad) for the Bettendorf Halloween parade. Which we all had a great time and to watch three grownups chase after candy in the street was pretty funny. Though we have decided that we will always be in that spot, Jonah left with a grocery sack full of candy. We had to dump the pumpkin out twice before the parade was over. The funny thing was Jonah made all assumptions that the bag was his, so every time someone touched it in the van, he would start screaming “MINE!, MINE!, MINE!”. After the parade, we went back to their house and played a little Wii, which Josh and I decided that we want one. Once Jonah started having several meltdowns, we decided it was time to go back to the hotel.

Sunday, was a long day… Aiden decided 4:45am was the perfect time to get Mom up, but we had to leave by 7am to get home. I was able to get everything packed up, the kids changed, and Jonah feed, before Josh even got out of bed. It was a successful morning, we left the hotel at 7, went to Sonic to grab breakfast, and off we went. We made a couple stops on the way home, but we made it back to Indy at 1pm. We went and picked up my mom, then headed to Noblesville to catch the Pumpkin Train which was a part of Jonah’s birthday. The Pumpkin train is a passenger train that goes to a pumpkin patch about 30 mins away. It was really great, though cold and windy. Jonah got to go into the engine and look around, they had a petting zoo, a hay bale maze, and of course…pumpkins. Jonah was so proud to pick out his own pumpkin and carry it around. We spent about an hour at the patch and then got back on the train and head to the station.

Oh…..what a weekend.

A new cousin

2008-10-06T14:17:00.003-04:00

Well, this past Wednesday, William Matthew was born at 4:12am weighing in at 5 lbs, 5 oz and 18” long. He will be in the NICU for about 4-6 weeks and then home, so it will be a little while before the boys can see him. But after surgery he is doing very well.

Pics, Pics, and more Pics

2008-10-05T20:00:00.002-04:00

Since I have been bad about not posting any new pictures of the boys, I have decided to overwhelm you. :) Happy Looking!

Bubby, you did not tell me that trains were scratch and taste....ummmm, bananas.

More test to go…

2008-09-18T16:55:00.001-04:00

Today Josh took Aiden to see the Gastro-intronologist. Tomorrow at noon, they will do a test in conjunction with the pulmonologist, where they put Aiden under anesthesia and watch his digestion and breathing. I am a little nervous, just because they say it takes longer for infants to come out of anesthesia and I am not sure exactly how long it will take. I am really hoping that I can be in the room with him while they do this. So be praying for us…

The dr. increased (doubled) Aiden’s reflux meds to see if that would help him. Well I better be getting ready to go home.

Tripping to the Children's Museum

2008-09-16T14:35:00.000-04:00

So at the end of August, Gabby got a new baby sister (Emmalyne). So as a welcome home gift to mom, Josh took Gabby, Ed and Jonah to the Children's museum for the day. I think they all really enjoyed it, especially my future construction worker...well, maybe he can still be a doctor.

The tests are in...

2008-09-12T10:00:00.003-04:00

And nothing... Everything was negative and is immune system is fine, so back to step two. The first steps program is going to work with Aiden on his sucking strength and breathing techniques, which may end up being a waste of time since he will start using a cup in the next two months.

Aiden is starting to get his mobility figured out. He is now able to roll both ways from back to front and front to back. He has been starting to scoot back when he is on his tummy, as well he is figuring out to putting his knees under him. So it may not be to long before his is crawling. I really hate that I am missing most of these milestones, it seems that I had more time in the evenings to spend with Jonah while he was an infant.

Well just a little update… This weekend we will be going to the RedBull GP Motorcycle races at the track, so I will let you all know how cool that is next week.

Spur of the moment trip

2008-09-08T11:29:00.002-04:00

This past weekend we decided to take a trip to Iowa. It was really fun, though there never seems to be enough time to get everything we want to get done, done. We were able to get together with several of the family members for Frank’s pizza on Saturday night and we spent about 3-3.5 hours laughing, eating, and chasing kids around (typical Bos reunion J). Then we took the boys to get Whitey’s ice cream- which Jonah did not care for the cotton candy, but instead wanted mom’s strawberry cheesecake in a waffle cone- at one point he handed me his spoon and grabbed the cone out of my hand, like here mom I think this is a fair trade.

Sunday, we woke up, had breakfast in the hotel, and then went to church. After church we made a stop at Reifies for lunch, which is always good. For some reason Pepsi always tastes a thousand times better there, than here and I filled up for the road. Jonah ate most of his salad and was ok with the bishops bread ( I am not sure what is wrong with him, that stuff is the best) and then he barely touched his actual lunch. After lunch, we went to visit with Tim and Meghan while they were waiting for Tim’s softball game to start. (Note… Gabby was not at the ballgame, but we seen her Sat. night while Jenny was babysitting) We compared our two and Miss Gabby is the same weight as Aiden and like a thousand times longer.

I guess I still have a butterball turkey.

See I told ya I would write more...

2008-09-04T10:55:00.002-04:00

Well Aiden went to the pulmnologist yesterday and he is pretty much the same. They decided to do the blood work for food allergies (to test for a milk allergy and wheat) and a full immunology panel. We should have the results in a week. They also decided to send us to a gastro-internologist, since Aiden is spitting up an hour and half after eating, so there may be an stomach emptying problem. Then after we meet with the gastro, the pulmonologist and gastro drs will do a procedure where they put him under and then watch his digestive system and his lungs after eating. Even with all this going on, he is still a happy go lucky guy and weights 15 lbs 4oz.

Well, hello everyone…

2008-09-02T16:00:00.001-04:00

Sorry I have not posted anything in a couple of weeks. Things have been super busy and stressful… Where should I start…

About mid August, Josh lost his job and is having trouble finding a new one. God has definitely providing for us. He currently is sick and not feeling very well. But he was notified last week that he will start getting unemployment pay. So just keep us in your prayers.

Aiden is still having respiratory problems, we have been to a pulmonologist and have had several test done. He is a GERDling (refluxer) like Jonah was, then he has a cystic fibrosis test done (which was negative), he has been some breathing medicines (albuterol and pulmicort). We had our first First Steps visit today (First steps is a state funded OT and PT in-home services) which they think he might actually have a milk allergy and they are bring in a nutritionist for him. Tomorrow we go back to the pulmonologist for a recheck.

Jonah is doing good. He has recently learned uh-uh with attitude from daycare, but he is not liking the results of saying it. So I don’t believe that it will last long. He has also started the throwing himself on the floor and screaming. When I spoke to my mom, she just said “Welcome to the terrible twos”….my response “Oh joy” .

Beyond the stress of work and everything going on, I am doing ok. Just more tired than normal, but then who would not be tired with two boys under two…. :)

I will try to post some pictures of the boys tonight when I get home, because they both are growing up to fast… I mean Jonah will be 2 in a month and half.

I promise to write more often….
Amanda

So this past weekend has been long and packed.

2008-07-28T09:07:00.001-04:00

Thursday night we went an Indians game with Josh’s work. It was fun and we made it to the 7th inning before Jonah started to crash. Jonah had almost all of the ballpark necessities; hot dog, cotton candy, soda, french fries, sour gummy worms, and a cheeseburger. Aiden slept through the beginning of the game, woke up around the 5th inning and played before falling back asleep by the 7th inning. I guess that is one way to spend your first baseball game.

Friday, we went to the Marion County fair with some of our friends. Aiden was amazed by all the lights (when he was actually awake) and poor Jonah was not able to ride anything (everything was 36” or taller). It was a very nice night to be out and about. And I have officially decided that we need a double stroller.

Saturday, we went to the 20th anniversary celebration at our church. There were a lot more people there than I expected. Josh volunteered to help out with the bounce house and I spent the evening with Adrea and Alexa (who is a week younger than Aiden). Aiden was just enthralled by Alexa and just wanted to smile at her. Jonah managed to flip himself over in the stroller and had a good mouthful of grass. (note to Jonah: I would not try that again.) At the end of the evening, they had a great firework display. Aiden slept completely through it and Jonah just keep saying ooohhh. So I think he liked it.

Sunday, Grandma Julie watched Aiden while we spent the day with Jonah at the Brickyard 400. I was so impressed with how well Jonah did. When we got there we went to visit Grandma Cathy at work and Josh could get a hat. Then the boys played in the fountain outside of the museum to cool off. Our seats were in the stands left of the pagoda and about half way down. We were directly above Jeff Burton’s pit, so when they would go to green they would start to accelerate right in front of us. It was extremely LOUD and you could feel the stands rumble. Jonah was to funny, he would watch the cars go past us, follow them down the front stretch and then look at me like ok, where did they go. So I would point at the 4th turn and tell him watch (it takes about 1 ½ mins to get around) and he would wait for them, then follow them again. I really think he enjoyed it. He lasted until about lap 50 before he got too hot, so I took him for a little walk and got him a strawberry chill. Then we went back up and he lasted about another 25-30 laps before he was ready for a nap. He keep trying to lay down on the concrete underneath Josh to fall asleep, so I took him back to his stroller and walked to Gasoline Alley (which is just o n the other side of the pagoda) and he was asleep. So I went and sat behind the pagoda and watched the big screens while he slept. I was surprised with all the noise from the cars that he could sleep. But he woke up with about 10 laps to go, so we walked back down to meet Josh and watched the end of the race from the pits. Once Jonah got in the car and cooled off, he would not shut up about the cars. It was too funny.

The Sick Boy

2008-07-23T20:40:00.002-04:00

Well for the past month, Aiden has had the persistent snotty nose, cough, and wheezing. He ped thinks that he might have asthma which is hard to diagnosis at this young of age and reflux (but not as bad as Jonah's). So we have been doing breathing treatments and an oral steroid with him for three weeks with a dr. appointment every week. Then on Tuesday this week, we went to a Pediatric Pulmonologist (lung dr.), she was extremely nice and informative. We have to continue his breathing treatments and she changed his reflux meds from Zantac to Prilosac (which is what Jonah was on). We also have to go get several tests done and of course they can not be done at the same hospital. On Mon., we go to Riley Children's hospital to have a sodium chloride sweat test to rule out Cystic Fibrosis, then on Thurs. we go to St. Vincent Children's hospital to have a Barium Espohogogram and a 3-phase espohogram, then Mon. the 11th we go for his 4 mth checkup and then back to the pulmonologist on Sept. 3rd. Then hopefully I will get a little break in dr. appointments until Oct.

So please keep us in your prays and that everything will come out ok.

Also, pray for my brother, him and his wife are having a boy in Oct but they think he might have downs syndrome or another genetic disorder.

A Boppy Tail

2008-07-15T13:15:00.001-04:00

Aiden has been holding his head up so well lately that I decided to try him in the boppy. It was a success! He sat in it for about 10 mins and I think he enjoyed seeing the world from a different angle. And of course, I did have my camera ready for this. I seem to be slacking on the picture taking.

What's wrong with this ball, mom?

2008-07-11T08:00:00.001-04:00

So on Thursday, I bought Jonah a Little Tikes Ultimate Beach Ball Sprinkler. (On Sale at Meijer) I have been waiting for it to go on sale, since it really is a beach ball and could pop, I did not want to spend $20 for it.

I really thought he would enjoy it, since he is enthralled with balls. NOPE! Absolutely hates it when it sprays. He loves it when it is off and will roll it everywhere, but as soon as the water is on he’s done.

Where's Grumpa?

2008-07-10T11:25:00.000-04:00

Last night we decided to take the boys up to see John for the first time in 2 ½ months. John has finally been moved out of the ICU and into a “normal” room. He is still in quarantine (which I did not know until we got there), so we gowned-up and disinfected every part of us. Then I got scolded by the head nurse for bring the kids, but they all needed to see each other and there is nothing that cannot be washed or disinfected.

When we first got there, John was getting a pint of blood and was extremely tired. At first Jonah had a hard time with Grandpa not being himself, but after John smiled and waved Jonah began to warm up. I think it really helped Jonah to be able to see John. So we spent about an hour there and then went with Julie to dinner. I think we will not be taking the kids back to see him until he is out of quarantine, which hopefully is soon.

After dinner; we took the kids home and gave them baths, then Aiden his breathing treatments.

The new car

2008-07-09T08:00:00.001-04:00

Well, we have finally gotten rid of our gas hogging Jeep and got a family car. It is a 2006 Ford Fusion. So far I have fallen in love with this car. We have been looking for a couple of months for a used one, but were having finding one. Then last Wednesday, we decided to look at getting a new one. On thursday, we went through all the financing and they wanted a lot for monthly payments. So we decided to go back to looking at used ones and found a dealer that had 10 used Fusions in stock. So we went to visit them and found almost the exact same car (same color inside and out with no moon roof and 26,500 miles) for $7000 less. So on Thursday, we did a test drive and did the paperwork. On Friday, we finalized everything and drove the car away. Since we were not able to check the pay-off value of the jeep, we are just going to sell it to the dealership tonight and we are getting more then the payoff for it.

I really believe that God had his hand in this. It was such an easy process and not stressful.

Oh, What A Gloriuos Fourth!

2008-07-08T08:00:00.001-04:00

The 4th of July was great. We had a very peaceful day and then went to Conner Prairie for the Symphony on the Prairie and fireworks. It was a great evening to be outside, it was in the lower 70s and overcast. The last couple of years have been extremely hot.

We decided to stop at Culver’s for fried chicken and hamburgers. We packed soda, water, beer, and wine coolers in the cooler. We got everything situated and ate dinner. Jonah, of course, had no interest in eating and wanted to run around. Which was fine until he fell on some guy’s head laying on a blanket in front of us. He did was able to entertain himself until it the symphony started. He would open the cooler, take out an ice cube, lick it or drop it on the ground, then put the ice cube back in the cooler and closed the lids. This went on for about 10-15 mins. He then decided everyone needed a drink refill and passed out drinks to everyone. I think he gave Josh the same sprite like 10 times, he was sure that Josh needed that sprite (even though it was Julie’s).

Josh took Jonah down to see the canons which he just loved. I was surprised that he was not scared by them. His grandpa would be so proud of him. They spent a good 30 mins visiting with the guardsmen and came back to tell me all about it.

During intermission, a lady behind us came over to tell me how adorable the boys were and that you definitely knew Jonah was Josh’s. She loved that Aiden was wide awake and taking everything in.

The fireworks were great and last about 15 mins. There were some new fireworks that I have never seen before. They cascaded down and looked like waterfalls, it was just beautiful.

There once was a pork chop

2008-07-07T13:19:00.004-04:00

Last week daycare was closed, so my mother in law, sister in law, and aunt in law watched the kids. Yes, it did take all three of them to watch two kids, but we won’t tell daycare that. :)

Jonah was definitely testing his boundaries for the first couple of days and had a hard time taking a nap. Overall they had a good week and Jonah mastered calling Jen- Aunt Jen and she absolutely loved it. He became her little shadow for the week and I became chop liver. But that is ok, truthfully I needed a little break.

Aiden gained his nickname from Aunt Peggy—her little pork chop. I am not sure how the name started but by the middle of the week I was calling him pork chop and he would smile from ear to ear. I truly think she just watched him this week and let the other two take care of Jonah. She has definitely mastered giving him a bottle. She needed a grandma fix and she spoiled both of them.

Daycare is probably loving them today, Aiden wanting to be held continually and Jonah running around like a mad man. Though I did tell them that my mother in law sends her condolences. We’ll see what the report is tonight when we pick them up.

A Crib Story

2008-06-24T09:45:00.002-04:00

On Saturday, I got Aiden's crib put together and it was actually pretty easy to assemble. He slept in his own room for the first time and made it to 4:30am before I got tired of getting up to put his paci back in his mouth.

On Sunday, I put the fish bowl crib toy on the crib (it lights up, plays music, and the fish move) for him to watch and he was mesmerized by it. We turned it on twice and he sleep through the night.

Our little man is finally getting some independence.

What a weekend...

2008-06-23T09:25:00.003-04:00

This past weekend was great and horrible at the same time.

Friday, we spent some time with a couple of friends and Jonah had his first pool experience of the summer. He absolutely hated it; but the water was freezing cold, so I could understand him not wanting to be in there. I think we need to by one for him to play with on the driveway.

Saturday, Josh was sick all day and stayed in bed most of the day. I was not feeling the greatest, but I had energy. We did manage to get some errands done.

Sunday was not so great. Whatever Josh had, I had. But we went to church and to the in-laws for a little bit. But we all were not feeling the greatest, so we went home and took naps. Oh, how I love Sunday naps.

Aiden is 2 months old

2008-06-19T22:28:00.001-04:00

On Monday, Aiden went to the dr. for his 2 month wellness appointment. He is now 10 weeks old and weights 9lbs, 50z and is 22" long. He is definitly a little peanut, but he is keeping his own growth curve at 10%. He is beginning to smile when you talk to him and it is just precious, but I have not been able to get a picture of him yet. My little man is just growing up so fast.

Iowa

2008-06-17T12:53:00.013-04:00

Well this past weekend we made our first trip to Iowa with Aiden, it was great. John and Sara (Josh's cousin and his wife) were home from Japan for a couple of weeks, so we had a picnic with the Bos clan on Sat. The park was muddy so the kids really couldn't play, but everyone had a great time.

Jim decided that it was to far of a walk to the shelter and decided to drive up. He got about half way before he got stuck in the mud, so Frank came to the resuce in his Hummer and pulled Jim back to solid ground.

After the picnic, we went to visit the newest Gabby. She is 3 weeks old, adorable and a chunker compared to Aiden. She was peacefully sleeping until I could not resist picking her up. She was in the cutest strawberry outfit.

On Sunday, we went to visit Uncle Larry. While there, we spent some time with Thad and Beth, Uncle Ron, Terry, Mike, and Emily. It had been a couple of months since we seen everyone and I can't wait to meet the next Shumaker in the fall. Our families are just growing by leaps and bounds.

Grass- Oh, How I Love Thee

2008-06-12T15:21:00.004-04:00

So we finally got grass in our yard on Wednesday (3 months after closing). We are ecstatic about not having a rock quarry for a front yard. We pulled into the drive way and I got Jonah out of the Jeep. He started to head for the house when he noticed that there was green stuff in the yard.

He looked at me like “What is wrong with this picture?” I could not help be laugh. Which he took as it was ok and started to walk through the grass. Then he just stopped and I noticed that he spreading his toes like “ohhh, this feels nice”. Who knew that grass could make people so happy.

Welcome

2008-06-12T10:46:00.002-04:00

Well, this will be my first experience at blogging and I am excited about testing the waters. I figured with all of us spread out around the country and even some overseas, that this would be the best way to keep everyone in touch with us.

So there is the four of us and a poodle named Sterlin. We have become the typical American family- married, 2 kids, house, 2 cars, and a pet. We have been married for about 5 years (yes! I did say 5 years) and have been together 11 years. Jonah will be 2 in the fall already and Aiden is beginning to lose his newborn-ness. It's amazing how time flies.