Life of the Ericksons

Madison Ava

2010-06-07T17:58:00.001-07:00

Here are some quick pictures of our new little bug...she is sooooo sweet!

Update

2010-05-06T16:01:00.000-07:00

Today marks the first day of 38 weeks of pregnancy! The doctor told us on Tuesday that she doesn't forsee baby coming until after 39 weeks. I hope she's right because Shane will be out of town this weekend and our doctor will be gone until the 16th of the month! I guess there really isn't a lot we can do about it...when she's ready, she's ready!
I also have some news on the job situation. A few weeks ago, Shane was out at a private school in Whitefish (Whitefish Christian Academy-WCA) for work. I had interviewed at this school last year so Shane and I both know the superintendent and some of the staff. The superintendent, Todd, asked how I was doing and if I was enjoying Stillwater...so of course Shane told him the truth about my job situation being up in the air and about our frustrations with the school. About a week later, I got an unexpected email from Todd asking if we could meet and discuss the possibility of a job opening at WCA.
Anyways, I met him for coffee a couple days later and discussed a 2nd grade position that they might have open...of course I was thrilled! After that, everything happened pretty quickly. He found out that the current 2nd grade teacher was not coming back next year, posted the position on the internet for a few days and asked me to fill out another application. On Tuesday of this week, I went to the school to turn in my application and he called me into his office. Right then and there he offered me a contract to teach 2nd grade next year! I was kind of shocked...not really expecting it to move so quickly. Of course I told him I would take the job and would be in on Thursday to sign the "official" contract...there was no way I was going to let this opportunity go, especially since things with Stillwater were still so up in air.
Obviously I was completely filled with relief! Then the next day, Wednesday, my boss asked if I could meet with him to discuss my maternity leave. After discussing that situation, he unexpectedly offered me an open 3rd grade position at Stillwater...when it rains it pours, right? I told him I needed to think about it (of course I had already signed the contract at the other school, but he didn't know that. I decided to make him wait a little...)
Shane and I discussed the situation and went over the pros and cons of each school. We are both really upset with how Stillwater handled the situation with my job and the lack of information and reassurance regarding other positions. In the end, I made the final decision to leave Stillwater and go to WCA. Although I will be sad to leave all the wonderful friends I have made, I feel really good about my decision and I can't wait to teach 2nd grade!!!
Shane and I discovered, once again, if we put our trust and faith completely in Him, amazing things will happen!

Sorry!

2010-04-27T18:20:00.000-07:00

Changing table...Thanks for the help Jess...quite the adventure

Possible outfits for Madison's homecoming

Pretty sure I'm gonna pop!

I know, I know...it's been a long time since my last post. Things have been a little hectic around here. We've been doing a lot to make sure the house is ready when baby finally arrives...which, I found out today could be anytime from this week to next month!

I had a doctor appointment this morning. I'll spare you the gory details and put it in less graphic terms: Everything looks really good and though I'm not dialated yet, everything else is ready to go in terms of baby's position and the position of my reproductive system in general:)

Then the doctor sent me to the birth center so I could be hooked up to the monitors and tested for fetal movement. Baby hasn't been moving as much lately...the doc said it was probably just tight quarters but she wanted to make sure...anyways, off we go to the birth center. They strapped me all in to the heart rate and movement monitors and told me I needed to hang out for about 20 minutes while they monitored everything.

About 20 minutes later, the nurse came in and said, "are you feeling these contractions that you're having?" I had been feeling some cramps in my belly and my lower back but they were different/stronger than the Braxton Hicks I had been having and I wasn't quite aware of what actual contractions felt like (I guess it's a good thing I now know what they feel like!). She stayed in the room with me and examined me while I had a couple contractions...she said they were definetly real thing and that I should continue to monitor them for regularity/duration/intensity whenever I feel one. Based on what she was seeing today, Baby could come any day now or she could hold out for another month...guess we just patiently wait!

I still feel great and other than the occasional crampiness...which I guess I can start calling contractions, I don't feel any different than before...just really anxious! Mama and Papa can't wait to meet this little one! It's so sweet because I can tell Shane is getting so excited/anxious to meet her...he is always asking how she's doing, rubbing my belly, giving her raspberries...cute stuff like that!

I am so excited to hold her and see what she looks like and touch all her little fingers and toes, but I think one of the things I am most excited about is seeing her papa hold her for the first time...I try to imagine what that will be like and I just can't even picture how special it will be for me to see.

Anyways, I will try to keep up on this a little better, things have just been a little crazy with work/life in general...I have a feeling they will only get crazier in the next few weeks:)

You've Gotta Be Kidding Me?!?

2010-03-26T09:14:00.000-07:00

So yesterday, I had a meeting with the superintendant of the school I teach at. He talked to me for 15 minutes about the ideal structure of middle school and that he was so happy that the middle school teachers are finally a team (which has apparently been a problem for the past few years). He said he is so pleased that the 6th, 7th and 8th grade teachers work so well together and that it is obvious that the students are benefitting from it...Great! I thought, Glad I can be a part of that! Then he dropped the bomb. The school has to cut $100,000 in expenses for next year..."unfortunately, Rachel, your salary is one of the expenses."
Excuse me?
So after 15 minutes of praise and encouragement I'm thinking...sweet! He's going to offer me a raise! Nope...not the case.
Now, after 1 amazing year at Stillwater, I am back on the job market...of course, this is the worst time to be looking for a job. Not just a teaching job...ANY job! Ideally, I would love to stay home with baby and if we could make it work I would...(maybe this is God's way of telling me that He wants me to work as a mommy instead of a teacher) I just don't think we could make it work financially...plus...after paying (and still paying) thousands of dollars to be a teacher...I am NOT ready to give that up! Teaching for a year certainly confirmed the fact that I LOVE LOVE LOVE my profession and I truly do want to work!
So far, I have gone through the whole gammet of emotions. I was super sad and felt like a failure...although I have been assured by many coworkers that it has NOTHING to do with my performance...I am simply the newest employee and lowest on the totem pole:( Then I was just plain mad...I was so angry at the administration...why me? I'm a good teacher, I devoted so much time, energy and emotion to my job and I KNOW I did it well! Finally, after being angry, I feel like I am starting to accept it and now I just think it's silly.
It doesn't hurt to have the most amazing husband in the world either! He has made sure that I know that it's the school's loss, has nothing to do with my teaching and that no matter what, we will make it work. He also said something that made a lot of sense and really made me think...he said that I need to look at all the amazing things I have gotten out of this 1 year. The great friends I have made, the experience and the fact that teaching at a Christian school has strengthened my faith, brought me to a new, amazing church and taught me a whole lot about what it means to be a Christian. As I think about what he said, I realize, he is so right. No matter what, it will work out! I am confident in myself and I thank God that I have such a supportive and amazing family
So right now, I will just finish out the school year (at least until I go into labor), take care of myself and baby (that's more important than any job) and thank God for what He is blessing me with right now.
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
James 1:2-4
I also can't help but think about Paul writing to the people of Philippi while he was locked in prison. He was so joyful and eager to share what he knew. I can't imagine being locked in prison and being constantly joyful...I am the one who cringes when I meet people like that:) In Paul's letter to the Philippians, he says:
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your mind in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4: 4-7
Thanks to my family for all the support, love and encouragement! I couldn't do it without you!

Photoshoot

2010-03-15T11:34:00.000-07:00

I had a good friend of mine come take belly pictures of Shane, baby and me on Saturday. We did some at the house and some at the lake in Whitefish...it was really fun and she got some great shots! I am so happy with how they turned out and they will be great memories to keep forever! Thanks Elenie!

27 Weeks

2010-02-20T15:10:00.000-08:00

Everything has been going really well in the last few weeks and I'm starting to feel really energetic! Baby girl moves a lot these days and I can feel her higher up in my stomach rather than really low like she has been. She is 15 linches long now (all stretched out) and weighs about 2 lbs...just a little thing still, but VERY active! I think I felt hiccups the other day, that was pretty fun!

Gins and Rins (Cooper and Gus, respectively) have been feeling a little left out these days so I decided to include them in my pictures...they like my belly and are usually very gentle around me. The must sense something...

6 Months

2010-02-03T13:02:00.000-08:00

Had a doctor's appointment yesterday...everything is right on track! I got to hear the heartbeat again, but it took Doc awhile to find it because baby girl was moving like CRAZY! At one point, baby must have been a little irritated with the whole looking for her heartbeat thing because she kicked the microphone...so cute! Anyways, I have some more pictures for you faithful followers!

Funny and Oh So True!

2010-02-02T09:49:00.000-08:00

I found this cartoon the other day and these days it totally applies! Obviously I don't mind people asking questions...I love talking about my baby girl! But people I barely know touching my belly kinda crosses the line. Even though I'm pregnant, I still have a personal bubble!!!

Week 23!

2010-01-23T17:49:00.000-08:00

I know it's been awhile since my last post...things have been crazy at work and I've discovered that the last thing I want to do when I get home is sit in front of the computer! But it's Saturday and now I'm ready to add some more pictures.

These are my 23-week belly pictures. Baby is moving a lot lately and I love every minute of it. She is getting stronger by the day and her movements are much stronger too! I was looking back at my 5/6 week belly pictures the other night and I can't believe how flat my stomach was! I was also looking at my 11/12 week pictures. I remember taking those pictures and thinking WOW! I really look pregnant now! Not even close! I can't believe how much I've grown since then and according to everything I've read, baby is starting to put on fat now, so that means I'm just gonna keep growing bigger and bigger in the next few weeks. I can't wait!

Lately I have been feeling really good! My back hurts by the end of the day and I am still fairly tired, but I have been getting bursts of energy lately! I have even been going to the gym more and more.

Now that she has started moving more and more, I have started getting really anxious to meet her. I know that we still have a ways to go, but I find myself wondering more and more if she will have curly hair like Shane or straight hair like me? Shane's eyes or mine? Just little things like that. We are so excited and for the most part, we are both loving every minute of being pregnant!

P.S. I finally had to break down the other night and take out my belly button ring :( I was kinda bummed about that but I'm starting to get used to it now!

19 weeks...

2009-12-25T15:57:00.000-08:00

I am officially 19 weeks today! I decided that I needed to post a belly picture up because it's been awhile and I feel like I have grown TONS! At my last doctor's appointment I hadn't yet gained any weight, but that was about 3 weeks ago. I suspect I have gained a few pounds in the last few weeks...it definitely feels like it anyways! So here are some pictures...Shane got me the cute maternity top and comfy pants for X-Mas...He's so good to me!

...and some more

2009-12-23T18:22:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple more pictures to go with the ones below. The top one is one of the 3D ultrasound pictures. I labeled the parts because once you pick them out, it's pretty easy to see the face/arm. The second picture is the baby looking at us. Kind of creepy and alien-like, but at least she has 2 eye sockets...heehee.

More Pictures

2009-12-23T17:26:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple more pictures of baby girl. She was giving us a thumbs up in one of the pictures...so cute! The other picture is her bum and legs...he was showing us that she really is a girl...that's what the arrow is for if you can see it.

Baby Girl!

2009-12-23T14:32:00.000-08:00

Shane and I had our 5 month doctor's apptointment today and we found out that we are going to be the proud parents of a baby girl. We are so excited and were amazed by the pictures and videos we saw at our ultrasound. I posted some of them so enjoy!!!

Deja Vu

2009-12-21T09:23:00.000-08:00

So, Friday morning at about 4:30...Shane and I are sleeping, the dogs are sleeping and I thought the cat was sleeping. Apparently, I was wrong. All of a sudden, I woke up to a loud crash in the living room. I new instantly what it was because I heard the very same thing last year in the middle of the night. Kitty knocked down the Christmas tree...again. LITTLE STINKER!!! That's not actually what I said at the time, but it seems more appropriate now.
So, I got the tree all redecorated and looking beautiful and what happens? Sunday morning, Kitty decides to pull it down AGAIN! Finally, I gave up. The tree is now getting put away for the year and next year I am going to nail it to the wall...or something like that:) It's a good thing I have other decorations around the house since my kitty is the world's Scroogiest Scrooge.
In other news, we find out the sex of the baby on Wednesday the 23rd so I will post pictures of myself and of baby sometime after that. We can't wait!!!

POP!

2009-11-20T07:58:00.000-08:00

As of today, Friday, November 20, I am officially 14 weeks pregnant. I kept waiting for my belly to grow, but baby was being was being stubborn and I didn't feel like I was showing at all! People kept telling me to be patient because one day it would just POP out and be totally noticeable. Well, that day was yesterday (lastnight really). Granted, my stomach always seems a little bigger at the end of the day, but lastnight was surreal! So of course, I had to take a picture. Now, I know that some of it is probably gas, (I have never had gas/bloating like I do these days) but I didn't have a big dinner and I am NOT pushing my stomach out. Not being able to button my pants has never been so exciting! Hope you like my jammie pants, Jess, I wore them just for you!

P.S. Gus and Cooper say hello to all their fans!

All the Baby Stuff!

2009-11-05T10:00:00.001-08:00

Shane and I continue to get so much stuff for baby E! I thought I would post some pictures of all the stuff baby already has. We haven't bought anything yet, everything in the photos was given to us! Once we find out if baby is a boy or girl, then I have a feeling I'm not going to be able to resist all the cute baby stuff.

*2 pairs of shoes are from my sweet friend Jessica

*The adorable pair of Keen shoes(Meow Cat snuck into that picture), onsies, giraffe and love bug blankie are from Shane's dad stepmom, sister and brother.

*The baby brush, comb, electrical outlet covers, special clippers, socks and rocking chair are from my mom and Clint. They also got me a super cute "belly band" that will hold up my jeans when I need to unbutton them because my belly is getting too big. It just makes it look like I am wearing a tanktop underneath my shirt (the layering affect).

*The cute Rockaway hoodie and fish t-shirt are from Mama Cate and Bruce. (They got these for us before I was even pregnant!!!)

*The highchair is from the Chief of Police and his wife.

Gus and Cooper have been feeling a little left out of the blog lately so I also decided to include pictures of them...the love the camera!

Thank you so much to all the people who have been so supportive and generous towards Shane and I. We are so incredibly blessed to have such and amazing family. We love you all and can never thank you enough!

So True!

2009-10-30T09:02:00.000-07:00

I found this really cute website that has different cartoons for every week of pregnancy. It's really funny and definitely easy to relate to:) This is certainly how I have been feeling the last few days. I'm almost done with my first trimester so I'm hoping this goes away soon! My belly hasn't changed a whole lot in the last few weeks so I haven't posted another picture of that but hopefully I will see some change soon and get another one up here. Happy Birthday mama Cate!!!

More Baby Info...

2009-10-16T08:09:00.000-07:00

I know, I know...the ultrasound image is super hard to see, but that's literally what it looked like for us too. I have another one at 5 months and that's when we will get to see if Baby E. is going to be a boy or a girl!
As for the belly picture...it looks to me like I'm showing a little but I chalked it up to gas:( Then Jessica told me it does look like I'm starting to show so maybe it's not gas! Who knows? I am still pretty nauseous in the mornings but that's ok with me, mostly I'm too excited to care about feeling icky. That's it for today...Oh and as soon as we find out boy or girl, I am changing my ticker!

P.S. I know the text on the pictures is impossible to read...just click on the picture to make it bigger!

...Oh and notice creepy browey's glowing eyes in the background...he's not very photogenic:)

2009-10-13T12:05:00.000-07:00

Shane and I had our doctor's appointment this morning. It was so amazing! We got to see little baby...or little blob I should say. It didn't really look like anything except a gray mass, but it had a heartbeat! It was beating about 160 beats/minute. It just looked like a little flutter...so sweet. It's so nice to have that confirmation. Even after 4 positive pregnancy tests, it still didn't feel real until today when we finally saw the baby! I have a picture but it's a hard copy so once I get the image on the computer, I will post it. In the mean time, here are the cute little things from my friend Jessica...so cute!

Fun stuff!

2009-10-12T07:49:00.000-07:00

Shane and I have received a lot of baby stuff from family so far! We are so blessed to have such a wonderful family that is just as excited about Baby E as we are! The "love bug" blanket, onesies (sp?)and cute little giraffe are from Dan, Shawn, Shalayne and Dillan. The rocking chair is from my mom. My wonderful friend Jessica also got us a few things that I haven't taken pictures of yet. I will post those asap, Jess!

We have a doctor's appointment tomorrow! They told me they will do an ultrasound and that we should be able to hear the heartbeat! I am so excited I can barely stand it! I'll post more tomorrow!!!
P.S. Don't quite know how Cooper snuck in there...but he's real cute so I left him.

Baby E

2009-10-08T14:24:00.000-07:00

Shane and I have our first doctor's appointment on Tuesday...I am so excited/nervous. I have started feeling sick to my stomach and things like lettuce, pizza and CHOCOLATE make my gag reflexes kick into gear:( I still can't believe there is a little human in my belly! Shane doesn't think I've started showing yet, but I'm CONVINCED I have...He's probably right:) Anyways, I thought I would post a picture of what baby E looks like at 8 weeks along...Kind of alien-like.I could be between 8 and 10 right now but we'll stick with 8! More pictures to come...hopefully tomorrow.

Setting Up

2009-09-28T11:53:00.000-07:00

I know it's a little early to be "nesting" but we are so excited we just can't stand it. So on Sunday, we finally got the crib set up...it's beautiful and HUGE. Shane still can't understand why the crib is so big when the baby is going to be so little:) He's so sweet! We also got a woodland friends bouncy/vibrating chair. It has 3 animals hanging off the top for baby to look at, and later, play with. Shane's favorite is the owl and my favorite is the hedgehog holding the lettuce...so cute!

Baby Fever

2009-09-24T08:55:00.000-07:00

So as many of you know, Shane and I are going to have a baby! I am still VERY early and have been feeling WONDERFUL....until today, that is. I started feeling a little -off- today, but I don't mind...we are both soooooo excited and have already started getting clothes from Shane's mom and stepdad. Baby clothes are so cute! So anyways, I am going to start blogging again....I know, I know...I've only said that a few times, but this time I REALLY mean it! Here is my first posting of my belly...not really a belly yet, but that's ok...I will try to post a new picture every couple weeks if not more than that...enjoy!
P.S. the picture is a little dark...I'll try to do better next time!

So long...

2009-06-01T20:56:00.000-07:00

I am terrible at this blog thing. we haven't had internet for awhile and we just finally got it so now I can begin blogging again. I have a few pictures to post, but now that it is nice outside I will be taking and posting more and more. So far you can see pics of Kweeks thinking he is now an outside cat, he likes to chase the bugs. I am also building myself a little garden in the back yard and then I took a picture of the final product. Also, I took a picture of Maim and me on the river at their house. Enjoy!

Life at Home

2009-04-09T13:14:00.000-07:00

Sorry it's been so long! Things are a bit crazy these days and just finally beginning to settle down! We are loving our house and everything that goes along with it...I never thought yard work could be so much fun but Shane and I spent all day last Tuesday (I'm on spring break!) working in the yard with the doggies! I took a few pictures mostly of the dogs. Enjoy!

Almost Home!

2009-03-20T20:50:00.000-07:00

Wow...it's been a long time since the last time I posted something. We have been sooo...busy! This whole house-buying thing has taken up almost all free time. From packing to cleaning to signing paperwork...Everything is time consuming. But...it's almost over. We close on the 27th and I can't wait! Shane's dad and stepmom are going to help us move and my mom is coming to help us also. Stay tuned for moving/cleaning pictures galore! I figured since it was our first house...we'd better take TONS of pictures! This only happens once after all.

House Hunting (again)

2009-02-16T19:21:00.000-08:00

So after the goof up with the other house we were trying to buy, Shane and I decided we needed a break. We kind of stayed away from the whole house thing for about a month and finally this weekend we decided we were ready to go out and look again. We looked at 10 houses on Saturday, narrowed it down to 2 and went back to look at them on Sunday. We ended up making an offer on one of them this morning and we are just waiting to hear back...the worst part! Pray for us and wish us luck!!!

Winter Carnival

2009-02-08T11:51:00.000-08:00

Shane did the Penguin Plunge with the PD and I got to do the parade with the preschool. It was so fun and the kiddos were super cute! My dad and brother also came for the weekend so I got some pictures of them and the dogs too!

Penguin Plunge

2009-02-08T11:32:00.000-08:00

This weekend was Winter Carnival in Whitefish. Shane did the Penguin Plunge with the Police Department on Saturday, he had to jump in Whitefish Lake...brrr. I was a spectator...no jumping in the lake for me!

Tug of War

2009-02-03T17:37:00.001-08:00

Gus and Cooper are starting to become friends and play together. It's pretty funny to watch them because Cooper is so clumsy and Gus is just an oaf! I happened to catch them in a game of tug of war and it's pretty cute!

Cooper Again.

2009-02-01T19:08:00.001-08:00

I thought this was a cute picture, plus it kind of shows how little he really is.

Cooper

2009-02-01T18:53:00.000-08:00

Meet the newest member of our family! Our yellow lab puppy, Cooper. Saturday night I got to work at a fundraiser for the preschool I teach at. I got home at about 11:00 and heard Shane asking me to come upstairs. I went up and in the bedroom, on the bed was this cute little guy! Apparently he's part of my Valentine's Day present! I got to pick out his name and today I decided on Cooper. Gus and Kitty aren't quite sure of him yet, but they're warming up to him. He got his first bath today...little cutie!

Taser video 2

2009-01-27T18:34:00.000-08:00

Taser 1

2009-01-27T17:40:00.000-08:00

The animals LOVE chasing the laser beam used for aiming at things on Shane's taser gun. The actual electrodes are not at all exposed when the laser is out so the animals are not in danger at all. It provides fun and exercise and for them and a whole lot of laughs for us. One video is Gus and Kweeks and the other is just Kweeks. We had to put Gus outside for one of them because he is such an oaf and Kwee Kway didn't even get a chance to get the light. It's pretty funny...Enjoy!

Shane and Kitty

2009-01-27T17:32:00.000-08:00

Shane decided to make his video debut on the blog by showing us his animal-like weight lifting skills. He's pretty funny...Hee hee.

Great Falls Trip.

2009-01-25T15:57:00.000-08:00

So I got to go to Great Falls this weekend. Shane had to work so he stayed home:( But...I had so much fun! I have posted some pictures of mom and I playing Wii...so much fun. They just got it so we played it most of Saturday night. I also have a video of Mom and Eric playing Wii...it's so funny! It was so nice to see the family for more than 4 hours like last time, but I missed my Whitefish family too and it's good to be home!

Sunday Sunday.

2009-01-18T19:44:00.000-08:00

Yep, it's Sunday...yucky:( Today was a pretty good day though. We finally got ourselves a dining room table...which, of course I had to include a picture of. We haven't had one since we moved and its actually really nice to sit there and eat dinner. It used to be either sitting at the bar in our kitchen, or sitting in front of the TV...I know, bad habit. Now I feel like a real grown-up. Heehee. Anyways that's about it. Now I'm off to watch a little TV and do some reading before bed!

Back to Basics

2009-01-15T18:26:00.000-08:00

I tried to put a cute new background on here but their website is down...and I just couldn't figure out the alternative way...oh well. I kinda like the simple look. I have started a new little area on the side here where I will put different quotes from people in my life and also some of my favorite things from the Bible. Enjoy!
Thank goodness tomorrow is Friday and that Shane has the weekend off...Goodie Gumdrops as my maim would say:) Well I'm off to eat my spaghetti and meatballs with EXTRA parmesan mmmm....

Shane and Rach

2009-01-10T19:08:00.000-08:00

Well...for me, today was a day of rest and relaxation. I got a haircut this morning...which I absolutely LOVE! Then I went to Remedies Spa and got a 1 hour Glacier Hot River Rock massage courtesy of my mom. Thanks mom! It was soooo....wonderful. I still feel nice and relaxed from it. Just what I needed with all the stressful little things going on.

Shane is working nights now for the next 6 weeks and it really stinks to say the least. Gus likes it because he gets Shane's half of the bed...who am I kidding...Gus gets half of the bed even when Shane is here at night:) I know he's spoiled.

So anyways we decided to take a few snapshots. These ones featuring my handsome husband, the kitty and my new haircut!

Post Christmas Clean Up!

2009-01-05T18:19:00.000-08:00

Christmas was so much fun...but travel was nearly impossible because we got soooo much snow! I love the holidays and all that goes with them but once New Year's is over...all the holiday stuff just starts to feel like clutter. I got a few pictures of myself and the animals redecorating the house and being silly once we took the tree down. Taking it down is never as much fun as putting it up so I decided to make it more fun by taking pics of the animals doing funny things!

So much snow!

2008-12-27T13:58:00.000-08:00

Well, we are getting an incredible amount of snow here in the Flathead Valley. Skiing must be awesome...unfortunately we haven't been up there yet:( I was supposed to be in Great Falls this weekend; however, due to the massive amounts of snow I couldn't make it. Shane is working this weekend so I have lots of free time to do whatever I want...it gets kind of boring. Because of this boredom, I decided that Gus and I would brave the snow and go for a walk...needless to say I am glad we did because we both had soooo... much fun. I didn't have enough battery power to record a video, but I was able to take some pictures of Gus playing in the snow! He's so cute:)

More Pics

2008-12-17T17:00:00.000-08:00

Wedding pictures!!!

2008-12-17T16:50:00.003-08:00

I know it's been awhile; however, we've been busy! We are trying to buy a house, which is really exciting/nerve-racking at the same time! We FINALLY got our wedding pics back and there HUNDREDS of them so I will only post a few today and more throughout the next couple of days!

A Crash in the Night.

2008-12-06T17:51:00.000-08:00

This morning I was awakened at about 6:00AM to a loud crash coming from the main floor of our house. Me...being the curious one-and the light sleeper-decided I had better go check it out. Gus wasn't barking so I knew it wasn't an intruder or anything, but as I wandered downstairs, I kind of had a bad feeling.

I got to the landing and looked around the corner of the counter-and what did I see? Kwee Kway had some how -I haven't quite figured it out yet- managed to tear down the ENTIRE Christmas Tree. It was laying on its side in the middle of the floor with a pile of broken ornaments and glitter scattered around it. Kitty got in a lot of trouble and I think he learned his lesson...needless to say, our tree doesn't look quite as nice as it did. I think it is time to invest in some shatter-proof ornaments so we can redecorate it:( OH WELL.

Thanksgiving Weekend

2008-11-30T17:52:00.001-08:00

For Thanksgiving, Shane and I went to his sister's house in Brady, MT. We stayed there wednesday night and had a WONDERFUL dinner Thursday afternoon. Then, Shane came back to Whitefish-he had to work Friday, and I stayed in Great Falls with my mom and family. Finally, my mom and Clint brought me back to Whitefish on Saturday and stayed with us for the night. I have included some pictures of the entire fun-filled weekend...including Shane's deer that he got Wednesday evening!!!

P.S. The black lab in the pictures is my brother's puppy Oscar...he's sooooo...sweet!

New Post...Same Day:)

2008-11-22T19:44:00.000-08:00

Today was a pretty fun day. Shane and I went and did some shopping in Kalispell and found ourselves lots of goodies! Then we came home, ran the Gus, decorated the tree and decided we would take ourselves out to a nice dinner. When we got home, I got on the computer and soon found Kwee Kway in one of his feisty moods. Gus had lots of running time today so he was very tired but Kitty was ready to attack...If you listen closely, you can hear him talking the way he does when he is ready to pounce!

Happy Holidays

2008-11-22T19:24:00.000-08:00

Well I have a couple things to write about tonight. Today is the 2nd anniversary of my grandpa's death. It was kind of a rough day considering I am so far away from all my family...mainly grandma. My entire family (the one's still living in GF) took grandma out to dinner and hopefully had a good night celebrating his life. I miss him and and will keep praying for my grandma to be happy and strong!

On a happier note...Shane, the animals and I decorated our Christmas tree today. (Mostly the animals and I...Shane was watching football, but he helped a little bit) It turned out wonderfully...a glittering tower of red and silver! So far Kweeks has stayed away from the dangling lights and ornaments...we will hope for the best. I included some pictures of our decorating adventure. P.S. This is our first Christmas as a married couple so we are pretty excited!!!

Home for Lunch

2008-11-18T20:59:00.001-08:00

I got home for lunch today and found Kweeks having a great old time on the counter while Shane was on the computer. Check it out...

Loving Right Now...

2008-11-18T19:53:00.000-08:00

I got this idea from Tiffany who got it from one of her friends and I am really excited about it! I am going to share 5 things that I am loving in my life right now. Of course there are lots of things that I am loving right now...but I tried my best to narrow it down to 5. It's going to be hard!

1. Putting up the christmas tree with my family!

I know it's a little early but we decided to splurge and get a tree tonight. Of course since we got the tree...we had to set it up! We won't decorate it until after Thanksgiving, but it sure was fun setting it up. Shane did a great job and the animals were good helpers too!

2. Candy Cane Tootsie Pops (mmm...)

These are so yummy. They are like candy cane suckers with tootsie rolls in the middle!

3. Working with kids every single day!

I have, by far, one of the best jobs in the world! I get to work with kids 5 days a week! Not only do I get to teach them, which has been my dream job since I was little, but they teach me things on a daily basis...patience and laughter being 2 of the main things. I love what I do and I can't imagine anything that would make me happier!

4. Living in a beautiful place with my wonderful husband!

Shane and I live in Whitefish, which, in my opinion, just happens to be one of the most beautiful places in Montana. We are so lucky and so blessed!!!

5. Winter wear!

It's been getting colder and colder every day and while we haven't really had any snow yet, I am still loving all my warm winter wear. Hats, mittens, scarves and coats...I would FREEZE without them!

Wedding Day

2008-11-16T14:28:00.000-08:00

Ok so I had a request to post some more wedding pictures, which I am more than happy to do! Our wedding day was sooooo wonderful! We haven't gotten our professional pictures back yet but when we do I will post some of those. The ceremony was supposed to be outside; however, we happened to get rained out so we had to have it at the reception site which turned out to be a blessing in disguise! The whole day was perfect...from waking up and seeing it pouring rain outside:( to getting our hair done (and the beautiful diamond earrings Shane had my brother deliver to me as a wedding gift) to seeing Shane for the first time and becoming husband and wife. We feel so blessed to have such wonderful families and friends. It was an absolutely amazing day, as were the days leading up to it with the final planning and stuff...anyways, I could go on and on and on! But here are some pictures!

Our Family

2008-11-15T19:09:00.000-08:00

Well, Shane and I do not yet have kids...as in human kids. We do; however, have our pets, which at this stage in our lives, is pretty much all we can handle. We do want to have kids in a couple of years, but for now it's just the 4 of us. I have posted some pictures so you can meet the members of our immediate family! Gus is our black lab, Winston is our kitty (although we never call him Winston, he has a handful of nicknames) then there is Shane and myself. Most of the videos I post will probably be of the animals so if you get sick of them let me know. I don't want to be the person who thinks that everyone thinks my animals are as funny and cute as I do!

Finally Friday!

2008-11-14T20:45:00.000-08:00

Shane is working this weekend:( So I am sitting at home thinking of ways to keep myself entertained. I did think of one way and that was to take videos and pictures of me, the dog and the cat. Good times!!! I posted them so have a look.

We also just bought ourselves a new mattress...YAY!! Well I was excited until I started sleeping in it and realized that it makes me sweat profusely:( It's a tempur-pedic and apparently I am one of the rare people who sweat when they sleep on it. So I am on my way tomorrow to exchange it for a different one. It's very comfortable though so I am kind of bummed. Oh well...I can't be waking up in a puddle of my own sweat every morning...YUCK!

My First Blog

2008-10-30T12:39:00.000-07:00

Well, we have been keeping up with our friends Eric, Tiffany and Braylee on here and it seems like such a great way to keep track of life! Shane and I just got married about 2 months ago and are slowly getting into the routine of married life. It is soooooo much fun and I am excited to start documenting it!