Fall Break Visitors: Part 1

We were incredibly lucky to have not one, but both sets of grandparents visit us in October. Jim had a conference in West Virginia so they took several weeks and drove to see us, drove to the conference and then down to see Granny and Papa Smith in Georgia.
Jim made a dollhouse for Ella (according to her color specifications, if you will notice) and they had a fun time setting it up. He even made little wooden furniture! So cute! Ella admitted to us in the morning that the first night she had woken up in the middle of the night to play with it. It has been a very fun source of entertainment for her. I am very grateful that she is learning to play by herself. It's really neat to hear all of the little voices that come out of her room when she is playing with her dollhouse.

Brenda helped me tremendously by preparing meals to eat after Aubrey is born. I think we made and froze 11 dishes! They smelled very yummy and I am excited to get to use them later! She also helped stock our pantry. We made three trips to Sam's while they were here.
Jim had a business meeting in Boston, so we took a day trip and had lunch with our good friends, Shelli and Josh. Then we ventured down the coast to Plymouth. We didn't realize how long it would take, so the plantation was almost closed. We did enjoy seeing the Mayflower and Plymouth Rock.

We had fun exploring Yale and took them to our favorite overlook.

We ate at some tasty restaurants. Jim was on the search for the perfect clam chowder, so one night we drove to a nearby town and had some incredible seafood. I saw the largest lobster I have ever seen in my life that night. A table of FOUR was sharing that beast!

Then Jim and Brenda did something I'm not brave enough to do. They took Ella to Chuck E Cheese (or Chucky Cheesers as Ella calls it). Bless them. Ella had a wonderful time and Jimmie and I got to go to my Drs appointment by ourselves. It was glorious to both have Jimmie with me, and to not have to corral a three year old. That appointment was only like five minutes long of course (the ones with Ella have sometimes been up to an hour and a half!) and so we even got to enjoy some quiet time before the Chucky Cheeser gang returned.

We also went apple picking while they were here. We picked about 25 pounds of apples. It was fun and Brenda had fun making pies. We really like apples and there is nothing like picking your own. So yummy!

Thank you for coming to see us! We had a great time!

New Ella-isms

As I keep being reminded by various friends and family, it has been about 6 months since I posted new Ella-isms. Just a warning that I have been a little scattered lately and this is going to seem like a hodge podge of information!

Vocabulary:
"lello" as in "Follow the lello brick road."
"aminals" as in "Mommy did you know that I like almost all of the aminals except maybe The Beast when he is grouchy, but he gets not grouchy at the end."
"curated" as in "In the beginning, God curated the Heavens and the Earth." (Her first memory verse!)
"frefer" as in "Hmmm...I frefer the veggie chips for lunch" (How many three year olds talk about the things they prefer?)
"Miss Donald's" as in "I would please like to go to Miss Donald's for dinner and get a Happy Meal."

"Mom I think we're carrot monsters!"
When going through the hospital for her sibling tour she was asked whether to use a soft voice or a loud voice. She replied "Loud voice, definitely loud voice!" (hmmm....try again)
We have friends that call their daughter "little nugget". Ella came home from their house and told her dad that he could call her "little fry" so that she and Pearl could be a Happy Meal.
When she didn't want to pick up her bath toys she looked at me (who was at least 7 months pregnant) and said "I just can't do it Mom, my tummy keeps hitting the bathtub." Nice try Sis!
She opened her little Toddler Bible one day and pointed and said "That's Rebecca and Sara, but not the ones we go visit" (my sister's names are Rebecca and Sara)
For the first month that we lived in New Haven and drove through campus she would say "Everything looks like a castle!"
She learned her first Bible verse "In the beginning God curated the Heavens and the Earth.-Genesis 1:1"
"That baby that's in my tummy is kicking me so hard it made me jump off the bed!"


New additions to "The Book" of things I never thought I would say until I was a mom:
"Please use your inside puppy voice"
"Can you please tell me when it is appropriate to scream and when it is not?"
"No you may not have any more milk today, you need to drink something else." (better than telling her not to drink so much soda, I guess)
"Puppy Ella, can you please get out of the kennel so that the other dogs can go to sleep?"

Along with the cute things that she has said or learned, there have definitely been some not so cute things. These things may or may not be accompanied by foot stomping, her hand on her hip or throwing herself on the floor wailing.
"You make me so frustrated!"
"You hurt my feeeeeeeliiiiiinggs!"
"You are so MEAN to me!!!!"
"I WILL NOT (insert whatever she doesn't want to do here)!"
"I don't want to hear a peep out of you!"
I think it's time to re-read my book about raising my "Spirited Child"!

She has also been learning all of her numbers and letters and read her first word "if" the week of Halloween. The next day we went to the library for a costume parade and story hour (which I will write about soon I promise). The librarian asked the kids to raise their hands if they could read and our little "reader" shot her chubby little hand up in the air! It was pretty cute. I guess one word counts for something right?

"You know those sirens that you hear?"

It really has been my worst fear, every time that Jimmie is gone and I hear sirens. Especially since Matt's accident a few years ago. I can't help it. I worry each time that he gets on his bike (or when we were in Lawrence, his motorcycle) that something is going to happen to him.

Wednesday night started a little crazy anyway. Ella and I took a late nap and when we woke up I realized I had half an hour to get her bathed, clothed, fed and out the door before her class at church. I also had to get dinner ready for me and Jimmie to eat during her class.  I felt bad, but realized that I didn't have time to take the dogs on a walk before we left. I thought we would be home in an hour and a half anyway, so they could wait just a little longer. I had offered to pick Jimmie up, but he decided that he was going to ride out to the church to make it easier on me and so that he could get a little more work done.

We talked to Jimmie who said he was getting ready to leave the school. She ate quickly and then we headed out the door making it to her class just in time. I went outside and took a deep breath, trying to calm down from the flurry of activity. I sat down on the bench outside to wait for Jimmie so we could eat dinner. I got a little distracted checking email and playing on Facebook on my phone. I did start to worry a little at about 6:30, but thought that maybe Jimmie just had some more things to finish before he could leave. He is a chemist and this happens quite frequently! Then I heard a siren and for a minute wondered where he was, but again thought he just got hung up. Then at 6:45 my phone rang and I heard this sheepish voice on the other end say "Hey, you know those sirens that you hear? They are for me." And I immediately wanted to vomit. I didn't, but I did run all the way around the church and almost started to run on the road and decided that was a very bad plan. Jimmie assured me that he was fine, and I even talked to the paramedic who said that he was ok, but they were going to take him in to the Yale ER just to make sure. However, I did hear him say before they hung up the phone, "Let's go, we're going to run him as a full trauma." As a former trauma nurse that did not reassure me!

I ran to the church office and found a friend that could watch Ella while I went to the hospital and got down to the intersection just in time to follow the ambulance. I did notice Jimmie's bike on the side of the road, but kept driving. I had a horrible time figuring out how to park when I got to the hospital, but figured it out and went in to check on him. I had to wait a while, but when I got in there they had already done several scans and checked him out pretty thoroughly. He was sitting up when I got back to him.

Really only by the grace of God was he Ok. He had quite a few scrapes and one of his hips and the opposite ankle were very sore. They kept him in the ER for a couple of hours because they could not believe that someone that just got hit by a car was not more injured.

We went to get Ella and came home. I walked both dogs(who were incredibly excited to go out) and it took Jimmie nearly an hour to get across our apartment, into the shower and then into bed. For the next couple of days I did a whole lot of moving of his legs for him because he was very sore.

Now, unless you looked at his back and arms where he still has some large scrapes healing, you would not be able to tell that he had ever had an accident. We have had some frustrations about insurance and some other things, but for the most part we are just so grateful that he is ok and that he was wearing his helmet. His helmet cracked, either when he hit the windshield or the ground. His bike is bent. We decided to get a clunker car so he doesn't have to ride on the streets any more in this crazy place!

Thank you all for your prayers, concerns and help during that scary time! I truly believe that God was watching out for our family!

Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled

Why should I feel discouraged, why should the shadows come,
Why should my heart be lonely, and long for heav’n and home,
When Jesus is my portion? My constant Friend is He:
 His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;

Tonight I am at a loss for words. When that happens I tend to think of songs. This morning the world lost one of the most beautiful voices that I have ever heard. I met Leslie Bond when I was in middle school. We sang together on our church district's Impact Team and then again when we were in college.

Leslie had such a sweet spirit. She would do anything to help others and she always had a smile on her face. As with many of my other friends, I lost contact with her over the years since college. I caught up with her a few weeks ago and shortly after learned that she was in the hospital pregnant with twins. To learn more about her story you can go here: http://lesliejoyevans.blogspot.com/

My heart is breaking for her family this evening. They have gone through so much. I can't wrap my brain around this. I don't understand. I don't know why bad things happen to good people. I don't understand why someone so young and vibrant can be taken away so quickly. I don't understand why these family members are never going to be able to hold, hug or laugh with their daughter, sister, wife, mother, or cousin again.

I am sad that there are people in this world that will never have the pleasure of knowing Leslie. I am sad that I won't be able to hear her sing again. I am sad that someone so kind and good was taken too soon. I am sad for Leslie that she had to experience the loss of her children before she lost her own life.

While I am so sad for the people left here, I am glad that she is not hurting and that she is with her babies now. I am glad that she was able to bring so many people together to glorify the Lord.

I would like to think that Leslie is singing with my grandpa tonight in Heaven. The words to this song are not for Leslie. They are for the rest of us who are left behind. While I am definitely not happy about the situation, I do know who is watching me and guiding me through this time of grief.

I sing because I’m happy, I sing because I’m free,
For His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

“Let not your heart be troubled,” His tender word I hear,
And resting on His goodness, I lose my doubts and fears;
Though by the path He leadeth, but one step I may see;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.


Whenever I am tempted, whenever clouds arise,
When songs give place to sighing, when hope within me dies,
I draw the closer to Him, from care He sets me free;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

Things I am Thankful For

I think this should be at least a monthly exercise for me. I forgot how blessed I truly am in the midst of this crazy life going on around me. Lately I have known so many people that are experiencing pain deeper than I can imagine. Mothers that will never be able to take thier babies home and hold them in thier arms, young people battling serious health issues, people that have sick parents and grandparents, just to name a few.
I have the tendency to isolate myself and think "I am so tired, I don't feel good, my back hurts, I'm lonely..." the list could go on and on. I realize that this is just spiritual warfare and that I am purposefully being distracted from those around me, so that I won't recognize thier needs and hopes and wants and desires, so that I won't want to help or to understand.

So today here are the things that I am thankful for:
1. My beautiful, loving, crazy, creative and energetic daughter
2. My wonderful, supportive and helpful husband
3. A house with a roof to cover my head and keep me safe
4. Renters for our house in Kansas
5. The money, even though it is tight, for me to stay home with my daughter right now if I can't find a job
6. The healthy, very wiggly baby growing inside of me
7. A fabulous supportive family that takes care of each other even living miles apart
8. Friends all over the country that I can pick up a conversation with after months or even years and it feels
    like we never had time apart
9. Friends that are more like family that go above and beyond to help us out
10. Two lovable dogs
11. Cool weather
12. Brilliantly changing leaves
13. Apple picking
14. New friends
15. Free things for Ella and me to do during the day
16. A much more flexible schedule for Jimmie and because of that, more time spent together as a family
17. My daughter's ability to fit in most situations easily
18. Ella's joy and excitement about almost everything
19. A healthy husband who can ride his bike to work
20. A surprise of VERY good insurance

I know that this is a very short list that is part of so many things that I have to be thankful for. I just need to remember these things sometimes. I need to pull myself away from myself long enough to notice the needs around me. I need to turn to the One who gave me all of these things, especially when I am feeling down.

Coming this Winter...

This is Aubrey at 24 weeks. She is due December 8th! Ella could not be more excited for her to make her grand appearance!

Bulldog, Bulldog, Bow wow wow!

Today we went to our first Yale home football game. It was an experience that's for sure!

I come from the South and spent my last five years in the Midwest, where football is kind of a big deal. I now live on the East Coast in an Ivy League town, where aparently football is not that big of a deal. That worked out worked out well for us today. Jimmie is on staff and so he gets to go for free and bring a guest. Children under 14 get in the games for free as well. We are all for anything that is free and fun and we have been missing live football, so we decided to go today.

We pretty much had our pick of seats in the stadium. Yes, we were sitting right on the end zone behind the wall! I doubt if the stadium was even at 65% percent capacity! Quite a few more fans and lots of little league football teams showed up during the game, but there was PLENTY of room to move about the stadium. Ella enjoyed it because she was able to run up and down the rows without bothering anyone.  

This is Handsome Dan, the Yale mascot. We were going to go down and take pictures with him, but there was a pretty grouchy security gaurd that was running all the kids off. We were still really close and Ella loved seeing him!

While most of the game was not terribly exciting, the fourth quarter didn't dissapoint! The Bulldogs were down 34-35 and intercepted the ball right before Georgetown was about to score. They made it quickly down to the other end zone and thought a score was inevitable, when they fumbled! They ended up getting the ball back and scoring a winning touchdown with 13 seconds left in the game!

After the game they invited all of the kids down to the field to play and meet the players. Ella LOVED that part. It's not too often that one gets to roll around in the grass on a college football field!

All in all it was a pretty fun day, even if it was very different from what we are used to.

Ella was asking tons of questions about the game. I love that she is starting to understand little parts of it! By the way, notice the super fashionable outfit that she chose to wear? Yup, that would be a polka dotted shirt and snowflake leggings with bejewelled flip flops. I figure as long as she is dressed weather appropriately she should get to choose her clothes. Makes for some interesting outfits!

Maybe another day I will talk about the "marching band". Definitely not the Priiiiiiiide of OOOOklahoma!

New York

Riding in on the train. We told Ella she is one lucky girl. She has had more life experiences in her short little life than many adults!

She really enjoyed the carousel in Central Park. If you ask her about it she gets very animated, using her hands, saying "and the horses went up and down, and up and down, and UP AND DOWN!"

She also enjoyed the toddler playground area. They had a rolling slide that she thought was particularly fantastic. I failed to snap a shot of that one, much to her dismay.

She is pretty lucky to have such a great daddy!



No one on the East Coast understands OU football

This past weekend we were so lucky to be able to travel to New York City to visit some of our friends from college. It was fun because we were watching the OU game together. Our friend Mitch thought it would be fun to have a "No one on the east coast understands...OU watch party" and our friend Mindy was gracious enough to host it at her apartment. It was special because we hadn't seen each other in probably six years! I feel very old saying that I have good friends that I haven't seen in six years.
It was so wonderful to catch up where we left off and to see how different and at the same time very much the same we all were. We obviously have very different views of the world since we left our small private liberal arts bubble to see the world. And yet, deep down we are still the same people. That is comforting to me. It was nice to have a taste of home when we are so far away! I hope to get to cultivate these relationships more while we are here!

Water Dog

Max, our Yellow Lab, loves the water. He is also the kind of dog that will do aything to please his owners. We feel pretty sorry for our dogs right now because we moved from a single family house in Kansas with a big backyard to the first floor of a multi family home with a sliver of a backyard that is not fenced. We are pretty lucky because we have this awesome park that is not far away with a lake that you can hike around. We did learn that hiking with a three year old, a large Lab and a fairly naughty little Cavalier is quite a lot of work. We were all ready for a break at one point so we stopped and let Max practice his retrieving. He is acutally very good and loves to do it!

After every good dip in the water it is really fun to shake and get everyone within a ten foot radius wet. I think he does it on purpose.

This is Max on the top of the huge hill that looks out over New Haven. If you notice, there is a small strip of blue in between the sky and the trees behind him. That would be the ocean. Yup, we are that close!

And here is Stanley walking Ella in the trees.

He likes to run away, so he rarely gets to be off leash, even when there aren't other dogs around. Ella is getting to the point where she really loves "helping" to walk Stanley. She is pretty good at it most of the time, except when she has a three year old moment and gets distracted, drops the leash and Stanley runs away anyways. She has also started calling him Stan which is really funny to me for some reason.

All the Pretty Little Horses

The fabulous thing about living in Connecticut is that there are so many fun things for kids to do. There is this little farm close by that has pony rides on Wednesday afternoons for kids. Ella and I went with one of the playgroups that we met. She LOVED it. She has always loved animals and she really enjoyed being able to ride and feed the horses. Sorry that the pictures aren't great. It's kind of hard to get good pictures when you are trying to make sure your three year old isn't falling off of a horse!

As always, Ella demonstrated her impeccable fashion sense. Everyone loved her pink boots! It's crazy to think that last Wednesday she was wearing a sleeveless dress and this week we are wearing sweatshirts.

This girl was pretty upset when we had to leave the horses. Maybe someday we can have a horse that she can take care of and ride!

The Long and Winding Road

I promise, we really did move to Connecticut. Here's a little pictorial diary of our journey from the Midwest to New England.

This is what you do when you have packed most of your belongings and sent them ahead of you. You pack your car with everything left that will fit inside and on the top! It was so sticky and humid outside that my camera lens kept fogging up.

Poor boys! I was so concerned that they were going to die because they didn't have enough air and because they had to stay in their kennel for so long. Turns out they were getting plenty of air and were probably more comfortable than we were. They love their kennel!

So I missed the real Welcome to Missouri sign because I was talking to Matt on the phone. This is from the Welcome Center outside of St. Louis.

This sign was particularly cool. It was on the top of an arch covering the road. It was dark and we were both at the point of delirium by this time, so I didn't get a great picture. I promise it was cool though.

Here's a shout out to all my friends that are fans of The Office. We thought about going to Scranton, and then we thought, hey that's a ways away and there's nothing really IN Scranton, so we just kept driving.

There is New York, across the bridge. It is so close! I LOVE NYC!! It is one of my favorite places! I am hoping to take a day trip or two before I can't travel anymore.

We're almost there!!

We made it!

Here's Matt and me at Pepe's Pizza. I forgive him for making me miss the Missouri sign because I like him so much and he drove all the way up from Maryland to welcome us to the East Coast!