Grammy and Papa

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We had a wonderful visit with Joe's family (with the exception of being thoroughly trounced playing Password...twice). It was nice for Grammy and Papa to get some one-on-one time with Ellie, and then GiGi and G'Pop came over (Joe's grandparents) to have lunch and visit as well.
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Riding in the car seems to be improving a bit. We made it to Akron and back with no crying at all! (Not me, the baby! Well, I guess I didn't cry either this time.) I don't know if Ellie is getting more accustomed to the car seat, or if Joe and I are getting better at preparing her for a trip. Either way, it's much more pleasant without the screaming.
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Joe and I are getting ready to head to the Welfley's annual tree-trimming at the "Barn." For those of you who don't know John and Linda, they purchased an old, very well-used barn and converted it into one of the most beautiful homes I've every seen. Their main room is two stories high and takes a huge Christmas tree. I'll be sure to get some pictures to share with you.
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I'm looking forward to going, but I have to admit, I'm not feeling particularly "Christmasy" yet. Perhaps it's because I'm so tired. Or maybe it's just that it's only two days after Thanksgiving! We're still eating leftovers for crying-out-loud! Regardless, I'm ready to spend some time with good friends smelling a pine tree and getting into the Christmas mood!

Fa la la la la!

Happy Thanksgiving

Was Thanksgiving a success?

I should say so!

We had a wonderful time with the Arden family at my mom's house. 19 people in all!

Do I have anything to be thankful for?

I should say so!

We are headed off to Akron shortly, so I'll leave you with a few more pics from yesterday.

Was Thanksgiving a success?

Road Trip

Mom, Eliana and I had quite an interesting time Thursday and Friday. I had an all day staff meeting at TRECA in Marion, Ohio on Friday. That's about an hour and ten minute drive from us. I knew there was no way I could leave Eliana for over 12 hours, so we left Thursday and stayed in a hotel overnight. Mom and Ellie played at the hotel during the day while I attended the meeting. I was able to visit them during my lunch hour, and it worked out pretty well. The only struggle we had was the car ride. Eliana doesn't like the car seat, so it was a bit rough, to say the least (Hence, my photo inspiration for this post.). All-in-all, I'd do it again. I can actually see it developing into an annual event and being downright fun - once we get past the car seat aversion.

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Well, we are one day into our three-day work week and really looking forward to Thanksgiving with the Arden side of the family (Hey there, Ardens!). I can't wait for everyone to meet Ellie for the first time. Hopefully, she will be in a good mood.

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What are you thankful for? Post a comment or send an e-mail!

Oh Happy Day

You've gotta love Saturdays!

Sleeping Beauty

Had to share.

Guess I'm a fan of a sleeping baby these days.

Shhhhhh!!!! The baby's sleeping!

Video note: Okay, this may be a video for mothers and grandmothers only. Not too much excitement, but it may make you nostalgic for those early days... (You may want to turn up your computer volume. I'm whispering.)

Wow! I can't believe that it's been a whole week since I last posted. What a week!

Ellie had her first cold...poor little thing. She woke up with it on Monday and was pretty miserable for a while. She still has its remnants, but is definately on the mend. I got to know the green snot-sucker bulb that the hospital gave us quite well. Let's just say that I, for one, am quite glad that I've learned how to blow my own nose.

One blessed advancement: Ellie has now taken a pacifier (as you saw from the video). She has really fought it until now, but I'm glad we didn't give up. Some of you may be of the "anti-pacifier" clan...actually, I was of that clan until I had a baby with a VERY STRONG need to suck...but until now, there was really only one way to calm to her down. I kept telling Ellie, "I'm a food processor, not a pacifier," but she didn't seem to listen very well. Anyway, this is quite a relief, and during those times that I have meetings online, I'm sure it will prove very helpful.

It has been quite a challenging week. In addition to trying to make Ellie feel better, I put in my first "full" week of work. "Full" to me is now four days. I typically work Tuesday through Friday, so blogging may be a fun Monday activity. It's funny, I actually work seven hours a day, but it takes me about twelve to get them all in! I absolutely love what I'm doing. It's so different from teaching in a classroom, but a nice change almost ten years into my career. I'm learning so much, and the job's a real challenge.

Well, I'm off for now. Ellie is snoozing in her bouncy chair (another fabulous invention), and I'm going to ....hmm, I'm not sure what I'm going to do. What a fantastic feeling!

Love to all!

Dedication Day

We had a wonderful day Sunday with Ellie's dedication at church. It was quite a thing to celebrate what God has done giving her to us, and then turning her back into His hands. I know I will need to relive that moment many times during her life. If you'd like to see more photos from Sunday click here. A VERY special thanks goes out to Lisa and Jennifer for all the wonderful photos, and for Heidi for the awesome video of the day! Also, the same to Stacey Brant for the beautiful dress Ellie wore. She received so many compliments!

Ellie woke up with a bit of a cold tonight, so we've got the good old bulb out - a fun experience for all involved. She seems to be back asleep, so off I go - not a moment to waste!