A picture is worth a thousand laughs!!

Yesterday was just a normal day...running around like crazy, lunch, then naps. I had to get both boys up early to leave for a pediatrician appointment and I knew Blake had not fallen asleep. The pictures above show what I found when I walked into his room. Obviously he had been very busy redesigning his outfit instead of sleeping. I have no idea how he got the left sleeve onto his left leg so perfectly! I laughed so hard that Blake started to cry because he thought something was wrong with me! I can't even imagine how he got the shirt on his body like this, plus he could move around easily. I even discovered he had no pull-ups on when I got him out of the crib. He had pulled those off while creating his masterpiece. Luckily he waited while I ran downstairs to find the camera. This contraption Blake had put himself in could not be missed on film! Hey, at least he is working on his dressing skills!

Happy Birthday, Dane!

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One year ago today a "little" 8 lb., 12 oz. bundle of joy was born! I must admit bundle of joy may not be a fair description. Dane's nickname as an infant was "angry little man," which has evolved into "caveman." That probably gives you some idea of his personality. Dane is ALL boy! He isn't moody and high maintenance all the time...he can be very sweet, loving and is extremely funny and entertaining. It has been a thrill to watch him and Blake become buddies, and everyday our choice to have a child close in age to Blake is validated. It is so fun to watch them wrestle and sometimes they just look at each other and laugh. We are so blessed to have such a funny, loving and strong-willed Dane Joseph.

...birthday pictures to follow after celebrating tonight!

"Robin" makes an appearance...

Every Tuesday while Blake is at school Dane and I go to "Bouncing Babies" at the library in downtown Greenville. We meet friends there and spend about an hour singing, listening to books, watching puppets and playing...the moms chat and get some adult conversation :) We usually stay and eat lunch in the library cafe. Being a part of this library program is such a great treat during a hectic week and it is free! This week was Boo Bash, so A LOT of kids and Moms (some Dads) came all decked out in Halloween costumes! I sort of compared it to going to church on Easter or at Christmas. Typically it is smaller group of moms and their children each week who are sort of regulars. Either way we had so much fun and enjoyed our friends and all of the spooky activities!

As you can see, Dane is Robin this year. Therefore, Blake is Batman! I will have more pictures later this week of them both dressed up in their costumes. Hopefully it will be more of a treat than a trick to get them in their Halloween garb...

6 years ago...

It was six years ago today that we walked down the aisle at Guardian Angels Catholic Church in Kansas City, Missouri. These past six years have been an adventure to say the least, but it has kept life exciting and has always opened doors that have lead to new places, new friends and new memories...and two beautiful boys. What a memorable night it was on October 26, 2002!

Pumpkin Carving Extravaganza!

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We had a great time hosting the Pumpkin Carving Party for the orthopaedic residents and their families! Everyone came donned in orange and black...the kids in costumes or pumpkin attire! They were too cute! After noshing on chili and soups with the fixin's, we carved pumpkins. With the majority of us having children, pumpkin carving was too difficult to accomplish. The two who carved pumpkins were the residents and their wives who do NOT have children at the moment! The Barden's and Miller's did a FANTASTIC job carving 2 huge pumpkins and a small one. Blake joined in to carve a small one, too! Check out the last picture of the montage to see the results. Both left with a prize for their hard work. We are blessed to be here in Greenville among so many great people...what a fun night!

Heat is out AGAIN

cuss word. profanity. cuss word.

What an Accomplishment!

"On Saturday, October 18th, approximately 7,000 people joined us at Arrowhead Stadium to celebrate life with Down syndrome. The Kansas City Buddy Walk is part of 275 Buddy Walks held worldwide to promote awareness and raise funds to help individuals with Down syndrome, their families and the professionals who serve and support them. With your generous support we were the LARGEST walk in the world raising over $450,000!"

The information above was taken from the Kansas City Buddy Walk website and I just had to share it. They deserve a big pat on the back! We missed being a part of this year's walk and being among all of the great friends we have met through experiences with Blake. He and all individuals with Down Syndrome are truly a blessing and I hope each of you who read this will educate those in your communities about Down Syndrome...and maybe even raise as much money and awareness as the wonderful city of Kansas City. Way to go guys!!! We miss you all and Kansas City!

THE HEAT IS ON! And no I am not reminiscing the 80's, with all do respect to Glenn Frey.

The Heat is NOT On...

Well, our heat isn't working. No surprise in this house. It was 40 degrees last night, so it was quite chilly when we woke up this morning. We wondered why since we had turned the heat on prior to going to bed in anticipation for the cold night. Oh, silly me, was I so naive to think it would WORK! I have to add that we have had our heat on before during another chilly night and that time it did work.

Tonight it is supposed to be in the 30's. No service on the weekend and I left a message with the heating company in Charlotte - almost a 2-hour drive. We tried to keep a positive attitude and decided to turn on our gas fireplace, the lovely gas fireplace we were seeking during our home shopping. Now my house smells like burnt toast. I literally flew down the stairs to figure out why it smelled like my house was on fire. So the gas fireplace doesn't work properly. Add it to the list.

I think this cardboard house (thanks, Ben for the terminology - I love it) is on its last leg. We are at the point of not really knowing what to do next. Know a good attorney? Or maybe the federal government can bail us out. That's it!

Short, but Sweet

Uncle Travis (Matt's brother) came to Greenville! He was in North Carolina for a business trip. He then drove down from Charlotte arriving at our house at 2:30pm yesterday afternoon, then left this morning at 10:30am to drive back to Charlotte for his flight. We wished he could have stayed longer, but we are so thankful he was able to come for a short visit (and put in a lot of miles to do so). We also wish Melissa and Tanner could have come along, too! We went from living a few short miles from them to living across the country, so needless to say we are still adjusting to being so far apart and really miss them. The really bad part...I FORGOT TO TAKE PICTURES! Ugh! I can't believe it.

Fall for Greenville...We Have!

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This weekend was "Fall for Greenville"...a Fall festival packed with great food, music and fun for the entire family! Downtown was packed with vendors and people. We ventured out early for a walk through the festival, then enjoyed the most amazing shrimp & grits I have ever tasted! Yum! There is nothing like good Southern cooking. We also enjoyed spring rolls and finished the afternoon with delicious cupcakes! Blake had a great time playing with balloons and bubbles. He also loved being allowed to walk around all of the streets freely and very quickly! We got our workout! We are quickly learning that Greenville is packed full of great events for families year round. It was so great to experience one of those events during the amazing fall weather!

Cookie Cutter, NO MORE!

I have tried, really tried, to be patient and be positive about our new home. We are certainly blessed to have a comfortable home, but I need the chance to vent. First, let me say we have a leak. Not just a little leak. A nice big leak down the ENTIRE ceiling of our bedroom that is drip, drip, dripping into a bucket. This is after I pointed it out to our contractor during the walk-through before moving in and after I pointed it out at our 45-day walk through!! Matt said, "it looks like a leak to me"...of course the contractor said, no it isn't a leak but we'll re-mud and tape it. IT IS A FREAKING LEAK! Did I mention it has rained all day and is supposed to rain all day tomorrow? It is great for our drought, but not our leak!

So, I should be able to cope with one bump in the road because all homes have them, right? I would be able to do that, BUT this is a brand new home and we have also had...hardwood flooring loosening and coming up, landscaping that had to be completely overhauled by us, discovering we can see ALL the seams in the sheetrock in almost every room of which they will mess up my home to redo, the upstairs floor creaks already, crooked trim work, dented garage door, leaking faucets, nail pops galore...and on and on. I actually miss my cute little home in Kansas built in 1949. My elders have always told me that "they don't build homes like they used to." I agree. At the rate they throw these homes up in these suburban neighborhoods, I can totally understand why they are falling apart.

I have always had a negative feeling about buying a "cookie cutter" home, but we gave it a shot mostly because we needed the room on the budget we have at this time in our lives. I knew we needed this for our family. I envy those who live in downtown Greenville in those older homes, all different with huge trees and amazing character. Unfortunately we could not get an affordable, older home for the space we needed. Anyway...NEVER, NEVER again. After these five years, good riddens to the suburb subdivisions! Well, I'm done complaining and will continue to be thankful for my home (especially during these uncertain times) and the warranty. I just hope these issues are fixed soon so we can breathe easy and finish our time in beautiful Greenville.

Football Sunday

Kansas City Chiefs. Pitiful.

How sweet it is...

This is nothing better than when the Missouri Tigers beat Nebraska or KU, at any sport. Last night vs. Nebraska...52-17 victory - how sweet it is!

Pickin' and a Grinnin'

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Yeah for Fall & yeah for apple orchards! We traveled up to Flat Rock, NC, on Friday to meet friends for a morning of apple picking. It was about a 45-minute drive and incredibly serene and beautiful! As we left Greenville proper we drove up into the mountains where the trees are just starting to change and the temperature continued to drop...aaagh! I did, however, have to face my fears as I turned onto a mountain road up towards the orchard which was extremely narrow and curvy(in my mind) and somewhat switchback. I could feel my blood pressure rise and the road just seemed to get longer and go higher. But, when we arrived at the top at our destination it was all worth it...although I did have in the back of my mind that I had to get DOWN! The flat terrain of Kansas did not prepare me well for mountain driving!

What a great day it was perusing through pumpkins and the orchard store...walking through all the varieties of apple trees...greeting and petting the animals...the hayride...the picnic! And those yummy apple doughnuts :) We brought home some apple cider, pumpkin butter and some fantastic bread mixes. We have almost wiped out the pumpkin bread!

I always knew I was not a beach girl...sand and ocean is no fun for me. This trip just confirmed my love for the mountains and if I had a choice I would be living up embedded in the mountainous terrain where it is crisp and quiet with small country stores nearby. I am ready to move now! That is, after my desensitization therapy for mountain driving and making sure UPS delivers...I would miss urban shopping, you know :)