Pride Comes Before the Fall

I was feeling pretty proud of myself at dinner tonight. I had prepared some healthy food for the kids and they were scarfing it down...the house was pretty clean...and all of this with my husband still at school.

Enjoying her food:

As I sat there basking in my awesome mothering I suddenly saw Natalie chuck her plate on the floor:

She looks like she feels real sorry doesn't she?
So I got her down and cleaned her up a little...and in no time at all she had found a crayon and scribbled on the wall. Here she is leaving the scene of the crime:
I just needed her out of my hair for a minute so I could get to the messes so what awesome mothering skill did I pull out? I said, "Natalie there are some beans under there," and pointed under her highchair so she could go scavenging for food on the dirty floor. Who cares, certainly not me, it kept her busy for a minute.

We've Made the Decision

We have been discussing, researching, praying, pondering, comparing, and stressing for months about what kind of doctor Nate should be. It has been an extremely hard decision for us to make, but we've finally arrived at a decision: Family Medicine (so he is going to be a family doctor.) We're both happy and excited about it. I think it will be a really good fit for him. Some of the factors that played a big part in his decision to be a family doctor:

-the predictable schedule

-they are in high demand

-it fits his easygoing, friendly personality

-he wanted to do something that would allow him to work with all the organ systems

-it's less demanding than other specialties

We have another year and a half here in Ohio and then we will be headed to Omaha, St. Louis, San Francisco, or Pensecola...these are the places that the Air Force has residency programs for Family Medicine.

I knew Nate wouldn't want me to post or take a picture of just him so I took this one of him and Jansen together at dinner tonight:

My sweet Jansen that seems so easy and almost angelic compared to his little sister these days:

Blah Blah Blah

I can't find our battery charger and the batteries in the camera are dead. This equals frustration, missed moments that I wanted pictures of (nothing TOO special though), and lack of interesting blogging. I am going to tear the house apart today and try to find it. We're having a significant snowstorm today so all the schools are shut down (including OSU---so Nate is home---studying currently, but soon to join us in our boredom) and we're pretty much staying home all day. I bet my basketball game tonight will be cancelled as well...the second time that has happened this year! I told you this post would be blah, blah, blah. But at least it was a short blah, blah, blah.

Rice Question

Nate and I have always eaten the white, most inexpensive rice and it's never very impressive to put on the dinner table. We want something new. What kind of rice do you buy or recommend? I am not really looking for rice cooking methods, I think that is something I will just have to play around with, but I would like to know brands and where you get it. Any suggestions?

But Wait...There's More!

I just had a few more pictures from my trip home to Utah that I wanted to post. I got to go to dinner with my girlies one night and then we dashed to the theatres and caught a movie just in time. That night I had to drive back to Salt Lake in a bad snowstorm...I think it was the worst driving conditions I've ever experienced...scary, scary, scary.

Natalie all bundled up in my mom's yard

This was a fun afternoon with Nate's family at the Dinosaur Museum

The Nye boys...they're a handsome brood

I don't think anything could make Jansen happier than watching trains go round and round with Grandpa

The sweetest little tea party with Natalie's cousins Allie and Evie

Meeting my mom for lunch at her work

Natalie Gettin' Pretty

I told Nate the other night that I love Natalie's tousled/messy/ post-nap look. It's just "her" to me. Add a little food around the edges of her mouth...it doesn't get any cuter!

But sometimes she likes to spend a little time on herself before daddy gets home.

Working on her pouty look...

It's easier to put mascara on when you are standing on one leg. Try it.
Checking out her work...

When I do my makeup in the morning I usually sit on the floor in front of our full length mirror and Natalie likes to sit between my legs and help me. Yeah, it's nothing but trouble and messes but it's our girl time. She can even say "makeup."

What's Not to Love

While we were in Utah, Jansen and Natalie had a ball playing with their cousins Kyle and Brooklyn. Jansen is just a few weeks older than Kyle and Natalie just a few weeks older than Brookie. They loved spending time with them.

Brooklyn is trying to plant a kiss on a wary Natalie

It's all about not having your clothes on

The Chipmunk Adventure

Anyone else love this movie when you were a kid? My new brother-in-law got it for me for Christmas and I could not have been more thrilled. It even came with the soundtrack...which has such wonderful songs like The Girls of Rock n Roll, My Mother, and Wooly Bully. Some of the songs even make me get kinda teary eyed. Man I loved this show.

Truer Words Were Never Spoken

I love the things that come out of this kid's mouth:

4/9/2006

I overheard this today:

"Natalie, you never play on the railroad tracks. It's not only extremely dangerous, it's extremely illegal."

And later at dinner after taking his first bite:

"It's actually pretty good."

RRRRRReception!

Here are some pictures from the reception:

Spectacular food

My wonderful (and beautiful) friends Kami and Ali

My partner in crime for many years...Scotty just makes everyone so happy

My little Jans-man

Natalie adored this fountain

Daddies and their girls

I love this one

My mom's parents...they are such loving and giving grandparents

Lexi Ties the Knot

I think a blog about my sister's wedding should start with a gorgeous picture of her in her wedding dress...but does blogger feel that way? No. It uploads pictures in whatever crack-crazy way it wants to. But these two men ARE very handsome.

Isn't the veil blowing in the bone chilling wind a nice touch? I love these girls.

I thought this one was hilarious. Look at me. Can you tell I am cold? I am not mad though. I look mad. I look like I am scheming something...and my mom is scheming with me. We are going to hurt the photographer.

Happy married guy

Happy married girl

Aren't they so cute? It was such a wonderful wedding that I wouldn't have missed for the world.

Where Oh Where Has My Little Blog Gone

I'm home. My friend Kami has sealed her status as greatest friend ever and flew back with me and the kids (to help me) on Saturday. As much as I dislike traveling, I love the memories I create when I do it, I love seeing my family and friends, and I love how much it makes me appreciate "home" which is currently Columbus . Most of my pictures are on Nate's laptop but I wanted to start with something! Lexi, her new hubby Brennon, Moose (my mom's huge scaredy cat dog), the kids and I went sledding one afternoon and had a blast. Jansen and Natalie didn't last too long, but it really was fun...even though Moose peed on one of our sleds.