We got snow.

And I mean SNOW. 20 inches +. Haven't see this much since the blizzard of 1996!!! Grateful to have a 4WD car :)

Christmas, Family and fun in 5 days!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Spencer and I enjoyed a wonderful holiday. We are very, very thankful for our wonderful family and friends. For the warmth of our home, our jobs and each other. We are so grateful for our little James. He is the light of our lives and brings so much joy into our home.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

I won't go into the dirty, horrible details of this week in my health. But last night I was diagnosed with Mono.

I'm 26. Really? I thought that was a kissing disease that only teenagers get.

After a 4 hour visit to the emergency room here in Williamsburg (my Dad was such a trooper - we were there from 10:30pm to 3am, and he maintained a great sense of humor the whole time) Iv fluids, steroid shot, pain medication and some bloodwork, I left feeling better than I have felt in over a week. My tonsils look awful (pus pockets everywhere....you wanted to know that right?), my lymph nodes are huge, but as long as the fever stays down (was 103.2 last night) and the pain in my throat stays down, I think I'll be A-okay. The weakness is a little annoying, but whatever.

Looks like I'll be missing more work. Not thrilled about that. Its getting close to Christmas, and there is stuff I want to get for family, so this better clear up soon.

Heading home tomorrow. Spencer gets home tonight from vermont. I was grateful to be down here and able to be taken care of and help with James since I wasn't at my best. My parents are great. Spencer is taking Monday off from work so I can get better enough to go back to work. Hopefully by wednesday, but Spencer says he'll be the judge of that.

Thats all for now. Looking forward to hopefully being able to take James trick or treating this coming saturday. I better be in good enough shape for that at least.

Sick

It seems that between James and I, we have spent more time at the doctors in the past three months then I can ever remember.

The past three days I have had a sore throat. I'm really good at ignoring stuff wrong with me. Until it hurts so bad I can't swallow. Went to the doctors this morning (thank you Spencer for going into work late!) In the words of the doctor "you're throat looks TERRIBLE". Thanks Doc. Tell me something I don't know. Was tested for flu and strep, they came back negative, but he still thinks I have a little of both.

This week was supposed to be my last week of fun until Christmas. I have off starting Wednesday through next Monday, which is unheard of. Then i start working 40-50 hours a week for two months. I am hoping to still be able to go down to Williamsburg this week to see my parents and spend some time at Busch Gardens like I had planned, while Spencer is in Vermont for a conference.

I currently have James sitting next to me in bed, Ipod in hand with "the Incredibles" playing, eating chicken nuggets. That's how gross I feel. I called in to work - they obviously don't want me there. We had the first confirmed case of H1N1 among our staff, so if you even THINK you are sick, you aren't allowed to come in.

So hopefully I will be able to get a little sleep when James takes a nap (if he naps) and start to be on the mend.

On a more upbeat note, the sun is shining! We had such dreary weather of rain, wind and cold. Yuck! So glad for a little sunshine :) Makes the day better :)

I love to read, and I recently bought the newest Dan Brown book "The lost symbol" I enjoy his books because it keeps you wanting more. I love twists and turns and so far, its a good read.

I think thats all for now!

Busy

I should be embarrassed. My last post was in July. That was over 3 months ago. I remember sitting down with my husband in the middle of June, and discussing how things were going to quiet down. Instead they have sped up! All I can do is briefly go over the things we have been up to!

July we witnessed the marriage of a dear friend of ours - we adore his new wife Jackie!! This was followed by me having knee surgery (which didn't even slow me down). James turned 16 months, and we couldn't believe how fast he was growing up!

August brought fun things and sad things. I had picked up quite a few extra shifts, and we were able to bring my father in law out to help Spencer build our brand new deck. We have since spent every day playing on it. We LOVE it and they did a fantastic job. Around that time, we also lost a dear friend of our family, and I was able to attend his funeral. Not much more I can say about it, except that he was a fine man, and loved deeply by his family and friends. He is sorely missed. August also brought my brothers birthday, and time with my side of the family. I love spending time with my family - my side, Spencer's side and even friends we consider family :)

September was a little insane. Especially the end of the month. I was able to go down and see my parents in the beginning of the month, which was AWESOME. We went to Busch Gardens, and enjoyed the coming fall breeze walking around the historic area. We enjoyed some consistency through the middle of the month. James had his 18 month appointment, and perfected his running ability. He learned how to say milk and car and a few other words! His tonsils were becoming a concern, but the doctor just said to watch them. This little guy is truly the light of my life (as is Spencer). Even the hard times, I look at his little face and am overcome with more love than I ever thought possible. He really is a special little guy. Spencer was called to St. Louis with 24 hours notice the Sunday a week before we left for California (lots of travel this month) And had to run a conference he knew nothing about. Of course he did awesome! :) He rocks :) He then flew from St. Louis to Boston, to work on a conference that he was in charge of. He came home in the evening on Saturday. We were fortunate enough with friends, babysitters and wonderful neighbors who stepped in to help me with my nightly work schedule and watch James. It was a long week, and we were both grateful for the blessing of good friends. Three days after Spencer got home, we left for California. We had an wonderful trip. It was great to see the Boulter's and everyone was wonderful - I even got to take TWO big naps while we were there! We visited Santa Barbara, the LA temple and Disneyland! So much fun and super tiring :) James was a TROOPER on the flight to and from CA. He did SO good. Spencer and I were very very VERY proud of our little boy, and won't hesitate to make the trip with him again.

This puts us in October! We came back on October 3rd and the work week started right back up for me the following day. The following weekend was my best friend's wedding (we have known each other since we were 5 years old!!!) I was honored to be in her bridal party and help with the little things that make a wedding special. She was a stunning bride and it was SO much fun.

Which brings us to this week (phew!) After all this going on, James got sick. I'm telling you this boy has been a trooper for how we've been pulling him this way and that. He has been so patient with us and our schedules. I feel truly blessed to have such an amazing little boy. Yes I am bragging gosh darn it! So when he got sick this week, we did a major slow down. He had a fever for three days, getting into the 103's and what the worst part was, was his tonsils. He was having so much problems breathing because of them. I was able to get an appointment with our Ear Nose and Throat doctor who's been on his case, and she couldn't believe how impressive his tonsils had gotten. The tonsils were "kissing" they were so big and so close. They started him on antibiotics and steroids, and checked him for strep and the flu. We have another appointment tomorrow. It looks like we will be scheduling surgery to remove the tonsils and adenoids. I have heard the recovery is horrible (2 weeks) in little kids, and the doctor would prefer to not have to do it until James is at least 2. But with the difficulty he has had this week, I don't think we will wait that long. We are keeping our fingers crossed, and just want to do what is in his best interest.

Next week James and I are going down to Williamsburg to visit my parents for some much needed Grammie and Grampie Stauffer time and some much needed R and R. I will be bringing down his Halloween costume and we are taking him to Halloscream at Busch Gardens! I think there will be lots of naps taken and walking trips around the historic area. It will be a blast and I am really looking forward to it!

November and December will bring a LOT of work. I am scheduled nearly every week for 5 days (40-50 hours a week). Christmas last year was rough, and very stressful for our little family, so Spencer and I are working extra hard to make sure this Christmas is enjoyed by all :) I even got off Christmas day! (last year I worked Christmas eve and day...yuck) We get to spend it in Williamsburg with my parents and family. I can't even begin to tell you how much I am looking forward to Christmas. It is my favorite of favorite holidays. The smells, the lights, the feeling, I love it all. You can count on me starting to decorate as soon as Spencer will allow it. ;-) I can't wait to share the wonders of Christmas with our little boy. He already has Christmas presents hidden away in our closet! Hopefully we can even make it to the temple to enjoy the Christmas lights...*sigh* I love this time of year.

I think that is all for now. I feel like I am leaving some parts out! I feel very blessed that we have been able to do the things we have this year. I feel truly blessed to be part of such a remarkable family, and so very proud to be James' mom :) What a blessing motherhood is. Even when the world is spinning so quickly around us, our children's sweet smiles bring us into the stillness of comfort and peace.

Random stuff

Phew.

We have had an exciting and very busy couple weeks. We had Spencer's birthday, followed by him traveling to Arizona for a conference for 8 days. I went and stayed with my parents in Williamsburg which was relaxing and fun :) Then, the week after he got back we had three days of wedding, friends and fun with our friends Jay and Jackie. Spencer was a VERY spiffy groomsman. The best man, Hess, stayed at our house, and it was fun to share stories of old times. Between little James, full time jobs and all of this, it made for a rush of a month.

About 3 months ago, I began training for a half marathon. I really enjoy running and its something I wanted to do before we start working on baby #2. About a month ago, I went for an 8 mile run. Something I haven't done since college. That night my right knee was swollen and painful, and Spencer told me to see a doctor. Long story short, I am having knee surgery two days from now with the doctor who did my left knee in 2004. Spencer is taking two days off of work so I can rest and figure out how to care for James while I am on crutches. I have not scheduled to take any time off work, which i am now regretting, but I'm sure it will work out okay. I am looking forward to getting back to running in about a month (I hope), barring any kind of complications.

This morning I was racing around getting my blood test done for the surgery, grocery shopping and cleaning, that when I put James down I noticed I didn't feel very good. I got the chills and felt weak. I had a fever! Not surprised since I'm so tired. But James is still in the midst of a 3 hour nap so I was able to rest and feel a little better. Tyelonol is amazing. Tonight is my last day of work before surgery - I wish I could stay home since i feel sick, but oh well.

Thats all for now :)

When I am old, I shall wear purple.

Today is my mother's 60th birthday. She is beautiful, smart, sassy and doesn't look a day over 40. (I hope I have that kind of skin when I'm grown up!) My mother is many things to me - a mom first and foremost (and she will never let me forget it - bless you mom :) ), a nurse, a partner in crime, and a dear friend.

Happy Birthday Mom :) I love you!

Mothers Day, 2009

Sterling, VA

March 2008

Reston, VA

June 2007

Cape May, NJ

James and water

I am raising a little fish. Every day for the past week James has been INSISTENT about getting into water. We have taken him to the dancing fountains at a local town center, he has his own inflatable pool, he visits friends with inflatable pools, he is fascinated with Allie's water bowl and the toilet, as well as trips to the rec center with their cool fountains and slides in the kiddie pool.

Three days in a row, when I have taken Allie outside for her afternoon walk, James has toddled out after us. He runs around on the porch and then proceeds to pull his pool down so it lays flat on the porch. (We keep it on its side when not in use to air out). He then goes to where the hose is, pulls the hose with him and SITS in the empty pool (fully dressed) waiting for me to fill it up for him. What a little stinker. He throws a fit if he doesn't get to play in water once a day. I would correct this behavior, but honestly, I love that he loves to go outside. Spring and summer SHOULD be spent outside. So if we spend the whole summer in this little blue pool, so be it :)

I am loving being a mom. There are times I am just plain worn out. But I love the blessing of being able to raise this wonderful little boy. I love watching him as he learns and grows. He never fails to amaze me! I am confident when I say that along with this feeling, I am ready for another baby. However, with the stress and downfalls of 2008, Spencer and I have promised each other an entire year of "nothingness." Our term for avoiding all sorts of surprises, problems, changes, etc, etc. We had almost more than we could handle last year. Thankfully, this year has been a blessing, as well as a relief to both of us. Things have gone much smoother, and I attribute that to Spencer being in a better job, and both of us becoming more accustomed to being parents, as well as finally acheiving a flexible schedule between the three of us. I don't feel that this moment, right this second, is the time for a baby, but I know that that moment will be upon both Spencer and I soon.

Wet and Wild Adventures

This past saturday was the annual wet and wild bash at the church! So much fun - I would have missed it this year if my friend, Nancy hadn't told me about it! I hadn't thought to bring my camera, but Nancy took some awesome pictures of James and I for me! Yay! Enjoy the pictures! 

He looks a little freaked out here, but I think the camera caught him mid-giggle, since he was laughing on the way down.

Still a little unsure of the whole situation...so we sat together in the moon bounce until he felt better.

One of Nancy's kids, Asher, being attacked with tickles

Nancy's son, Isaiah helping James come out of his shell. As soon as he showed James how to do it, up the slide he went! 

Hmm...maybe this wasn't such a bad idea after all mom!

Sleepy little boy

Yesterday I took James to have his portrait done at "The Picture People" - I wanted to give Spencer some really good pictures of James for his birthday! It was a bit of a trying experience (the photographer was fabulous. James was nuts.) but the pictures turned out really well. I ordered two sheets, and then 6 other pictures that were matted and framed in one big frame. It was ready in about 2 hours. The result was exactly what we wanted. Here is a picture of how the big frame turned out.

Later in the afternoon I took James for a 3 mile run in the jogging stroller (LOVE LOVE LOVE that stroller!!) and we got home right as Spencer pulled into the parking lot. As Spencer took care of James for the evening, I got to go out for an hour or so for a little "me" time, which I happily spent at Target (Thank you Sara!) I got a new pair of crop jean shorts and some ne head bands. It was so much fun shopping by myself for a change! I also got something for little James. He is becoming very independent, and I would like to let him have that independence, but still keep him safe. Enter...the baby harness. Here are some pictures when I tried it on him this morning. 

He wore it when we went to go get the mail this afternoon, and he seems to not mind it. I think this will be useful in malls and whatnot, when the stroller just wont do!

Jogging Stroller

Here are some pictures of my new jogging stroller. Its a little heavy, and big, but MAN its a smooth ride to push when I'm running. Plus it has shocks absorbers so James doesn't get jostled around as much and the shade goes all the way over the stroller so James doesn't have the sun in his face. Plus its in one of my favorite colors!!

Fun times!

Let me just say I had an awesome birthday week. 

Last week James and I traveled down to see my parents in Williamsburg and for my birthday dinner we went out to Pierce's Pit BBQ where I was treated to a FULL rack of ribs and slaw. Followed by a trip to Rita's for a root beer gelato! It doesn't get much better than that! It was fun being down with my parents and being able to relax for a day or two. I treated myself to a brand new jogging stroller - pictures to follow soon! James and I put it together and went for a long run down the historic streets of Colonial Williamsburg. It was wonderful! I was treated by my hubby to a pedicure (all by myself!!!! for a whole hour!!!!) and then two days later, I spent two hours at a salon called "Hairy Solutions" where I had my hair dyed RED and trimmed. AWESOME!!

I came home on Friday afternoon (Spencer had been in Tampa and came home on Friday morning) and enjoyed some quality time with Spencer. Saturday after work, we went shopping for a couple things that we needed. At Nordstrom Rack we found a pair of sketchers lights sneakers for James! They are size 6, and he can almost fit in them, but not quite. The wonderful sandals my parents got him from stride rite have been VERY loved. Whenever James knows we are going out, he finds both his sandals and brings them to us so we can put them on, and he heads straight for the front door. But sadly, he is starting to grow out of them :( The great thing about the sandals is he can out grow them a little bit, but he can still wear them. We also found a really nice knit bolero that I can wear with my sleeveless dresses. It is so hard to find cute dresses with sleeves, and lately the sun dresses have been calling my name. But for those of you that know why, I need some kind of coverage that they don't provide! So that was exciting. Not to mention it was a $78 bolero for $27 **BIG SMILES** I <3>

On Sunday, James gave us an early birthday present. He slept in till 8:15!! Bliss.... Spencer treated me to a breakfast of fresh lemonade and an omelet, complete with bacon, onion and cheese!!
mmmm mmmm good! We put James down for a morning nap and I went for a little run. Then we all went to church (we did skip out after sacrament though). After short naps all around, we were off to Viva Vienna Festival!!! It was so much fun. Its a big carnival with vendors, rides, funnel cake, face painting and all that good stuff! Our first stop was the Merry go round - Spencer and James did it together and it was James' first real ride! I am sure there will be many more rides to follow as he grows up!
We then sat down for a dinner of BBQed mac and cheese (James), gyros, BBQ bark, lemonade (are you noticing a trend here with the lemonade??) and french fries. William joined us a little while later and we walked through all the vendors (they had some really neat stuff!!) and enjoyed some funnel cake and ice cream. Uncle William watched James and Spencer and I did a ride together..the SIZZLER...I get my kicks out of stuff like that, but it takes quite a bit to thrill Spencer haha. So William and I sent Spencer to the ride that does a 30 ft vertical drop. He did it twice. I can't imagine how that feels on a stomach full of funnel cake.... Then we came home and relaxed. It had been a fun busy day!

So that is our update for now :) We have a couple busy weeks ahead. But after the first week in July things will settle down quite a bit. 

Caught in the act

After a very long day of errands with James, I put him down for a nap and hour ago. He was very quiet for awhile, so I dozed off thinking that he was sleeping. I woke up 20 minutes later to loud giggling and banging. I wondered what he could be doing so I went in to check on him... What I found was a little boy who had stripped off his pants, as well as his diaper..And had peed multiple times outside of his crib. Not a DROP in the crib mind you, just 2 or 3 little puddles on the carpet suround the crib. And he was SO proud of himself as he stood there examining his "man parts."

*sigh*

Happy birthday Sara!!

Happy Birthday to my Sister, Sara!!!!

Have a fabulous, wonderful, fun day!!!!

April 2008

April 2008

December 2007

Sweet husband

This past weekend was pretty busy for us. It was spent helping my parents prepare their home to go to closing, at work, with family, and a visit from friends.

My parents house is officially sold as of May 14th. Its amazing, and I am so happy for them. Its sad knowing that I will never be able to go into the house that I grew up in again, but at the same time I am so grateful that my parents can finally settle in where they are. Its been a trying past year for them, and I know that this is a huge burden lifted off their shoulders.

Since my parents were in the area, I was able to spend a good deal of time with them - which was really nice. Mothers day was hard for my dad, since this was the first mothers day without his mom, so I am glad we could all spend it together. I surprised my mom in her hotel room on mothers day morning with gladiolas from our garden and a little goodie bag. They stayed at a hotel close by us, so I was able to eat breakfast with my parents at least twice during their stay. Mothers day was busy - started the morning with a tender note from my husband, which made my day!, had breakfast with my parents and James, went for a three mile run in GORGEOUS weather (it was THE perfect weather for mothers day), came home and helped Spencer clean the house while James napped. Then met my parents at our ward and we enjoyed a mothers day program at church. Right after church, we all went to Sweetwater tavern, Mom and Dad's treat!- honestly one of my favorite places to eat - for a wonderful mothers day dinner. The whole restaurant was decorated with pink, yellow and white balloons and there were families everywhere. The atmosphere was light and we really enjoyed ourselves! When we came back, we put James down for a nap and finished getting the house ready for our friends, Jason and Tanya and their two little girls (one 5 months, the other 3 years old). They had been in PA for a wedding and were staying the night at our house before Jason flew back to CA and Tanya went to visit her parents in SC. It was a little bit of a zoo, but a lot of fun! We all went to Friendly's for ice cream, and came back and got all the kids ready for bed (hence the term "zoo") Bath time was awesome. hahaha It was like an assembly line! We spent a quiet evening all together and even had a late visit from my parents to say hello before they went back to Williamsburg early the next morning. Monday morning we helped everyone get packed up and on their way. Spencer had taken the day off so he could take Jason to the airport later in the day, and I could go into work earlier so I didn't have to work so late! yay! Here is a picture of Sydney with James. Spencer and Jason are convinced that one day they will get married. Haha

And last, but certainly not least, while I was at work last night, Spencer had made some cupcakes (mmmm....cupcakes!!) But the best part is he sent me a picture on my phone of one of the cupcakes he had made. Here it is - I'm sure you will see why it melted my heart.

**swoon** :) I am a lucky girl <3

Ever just feel...done?

I try and keep my  blog uplifting, because I have quite a bit to be thankful for, and all things considered, I have absolutely NO right to whine. But..

I feel done. I am wiped out. I worked till 3:30 this morning, which means I only got into bed at 4:30am, and the up and at em' at 7:30 because my little boy needs me and Spencer needs to go to work. I am able to run on adreniline for a little bit and get some much needed stuff done, but then I try and nap and can't, so by the end of the day, I feel like this. Wiped out and close to tears from being so tired. This isn't everyday I feel like this, but its getting to be more and more frequent.

Part of me thinks its from being a little depressed - no surprise there, I've been dealing with that since I was a kid. Part of me thinks its because I try and be super woman. I work awful hours 30 to 40 hours a week so I can have James on my insurance (which saves us from having to pay for a family plan, saving us a lot of money), I am trying to stay in good shape, so I've been running 10 to 15 miles a week, I take care of James (can't complain about this one - he's such a love), keep the house clean, groceries, little things that the family needs, spend my free evenings with my dearv  husband, attempt to be there for all family and friends and all the while trying to look great and keep a smile on my face. When I mean keep a smile on my face, I don't want anybody to think that smile is fake. Those who know me know I wear my emotions on my sleeve. If I'm smiling, I mean it. So I guess its all relative.

On top of it all, I am searching for the perfect dress. I know...this is not something that should throw me into such a foul mood. Dress shopping (actually shopping in general) is supposed to be fun. We have three weddings this year that we are going to. One of which Spencer is a groomsman in. I was so excited for an occasion where I could get all gussied up. I have lost just about 70 pounds since early april of 2008 and I am all for an excuse to look really pretty. BUT...I just can't seem to find a dress. I have an idea of what I would like, and have come close to it twice now, and well...the search continues. The dresses are either really short and strapless, or WAY over priced (you'd never think sleeves could add that much markup...I mean really people??) or they look like they were made for Grandma's to wear. (Grandmothers that read my blog - please don't take offense. I'm sure you know what I mean) Is it so much to ask to have a flowy, silky, dress that is modest, but still sexy? Am I really asking that much? *grumble....*

So now that I have written all this down, it seems really petty. But I needed to vent. Onward and upward tomorrow.

Washington Family Magazine Survey

I recently completed a survey for the Washington Family Magazine. This is a great magazine that shows different family friendly events happening in the DC area, along with many fabulous articles and tips. After sending the survey in to the publisher, she wrote me back saying that she loved my comments and they brought tears to her eyes. With Mother's day around the corner, I thought I would share the survey and my answers with everyone. 

What is the most important part of motherhood?
The most important and vital part is the bond and love between a mother and child. I never knew how strongly I could love someone (aside from my husband) until my son was born. What a truly wonderful blessing! 

What is the hardest part of motherhood?
That's the thing. Motherhood IS hard. Nobody said it was going to be easy! But the blessings outway the hardships by far.

What makes you feel appreciated?  (I feel appreciated as a mother when . . . )
When my son smiles at me. Thats all it takes. 

What have you learned from being a mother that you didn't expect?
The patience I have learned. I was never a very patient person, but being a mother has taught me that patience is a vey necessary part of being a mother.

What was your mother right about? (and you thought she was wrong)
Most everything. I can't believe I was such a know it all! Haha

What's the perfect Mother's Day gift for you?
A long run with our dog, followed by a BBQ with our whole family, outside, running around on a sunny day laughing and smiling while my husband BBQ's. I don't need gifts. Those kind of moments are things I cherish most.

Here are some cute pictures from today - I can't believe how big James has gotten!! He is 13 months today! Wow. My dear friend Robin bought James this outfit. She said when she saw it that it had James written all over it! He sure does look spiffy!!

Another update - Spencer is preparing to start his masters this fall! He has applied to the Univeristy of Arkansas and will be doing the program online! I am excited for him and proud of him :)

 

Its been a busy two months! In late March we had a fabulous birthday party for James with family and friends and it was a blast!! But that has its very own blog so I won't go into detail about it!

Around James' birthday, I was also able to plant my garden out back. It looks better each time I do it! I went to lowes and spent $30 for plants, potting soil and mulch. Spencer watched James while I went to work, tearing up all the rubbage from the winter and trimming shurbs and ripping things out. Good ol' virginia red clay.I even planted a set of three snapdragon flowers. My Grandma Rill always loved them, and one of my favorite memories of my grandmother is that she would use the petals of the flower to make it "talk" or give "kisses". She always had them growing in her garden. here are a few pictures of the finished product. I am quite pleased!

Then the first week in April, Kami and James traveled to Williamsburg to spend some time with her parents. It was nice to get away for a little bit and have James spend some good quality time with Grammie and Grandpie. WIlliamsburg is always fun to go visit. The place where my parents currently live is very quiet and wonderful for walks. They even have a little park in the middle of the community with a baby swing.The following Friday, Spencer and I had a date night. By date night I mean SERIOUS date night. We did a cooking class at "Cookology" at the Dulles Town Center Mall. You get instruction from two professional chefs, and you make your dinner. Each class is usually 2 hours long and it was SO much fun! The local mall has opened a new store that sells cooking classes. Every night is something different. Spencer continued his usual routine when it comes to kitchen stores, walk in a couple dozen times and look around but never buy anything. After a few trips in the store like this we decided to sign up for one of their “Date Night” classes. Check it out at http://www.cookologyonline.com/

After easing Uncle William in as the babysitter for the night we were off to our class. We were joined by 7 other couples and started making what would turn out to be a fabulous Italian dinner of Polenta Cakes with a red wine sauce, homemade tagliatelle pasta and shrimp in an Alfredo pesto sauce and for dessert ricotta fritters with chocolate sauce.

Spencer looked like he was in his natural environment with every kitchen gadget he could imagine a good sharp knife and his very own stove top. The chefs teaching the class were great, very fun and very good at what they do. Everyone in the class had a great time. Once all of the food was cooked everyone sat down and enjoyed the fruits of their labors. The pasta turned out perfect we both had huge portions on our plates and wiped them clean. And the ricotta fritters was like having a fresh funnel cake of your very own creation.

Needless to say we both went home very full and very happy about our date night. William also learned that a baby with a bink (pacifier) will sleep much better than one without.

The week before we left for the Great Wolf Lodge Spencer decided he needed to get sick with the Funk. He took 2 days off of work because he felt that bad. Now that he enjoys working again it takes a lot for him to call in sick, but he did. Three days, two packages of ramen noodles, two liters of ginger ale, one package of jello, three snack pack puddings and some good old fashioned rest and Spencer was back to his old self.

After everyone was feeling better, Kami and James took a trip to the Reston Zoo. It was SUCH a fun trip! We hit the petting zoo, looked at the safari animals, snakes, turtles, it was a blast!! James even got a pet snake at the very end (stuffed animal of course)

Three years ago we had our first Great Wolf experience up in the Poconos Mountains of Pennsylvania. We had traveled up north for a trip to Hershey Pennsylvania and some skiing but when we arrived we learned that PA had received almost no snow that year. So while looking for an alternative we stumbled across the amazing Great Wolf Lodge and water park. Fast forward three years and we felt like it was time to experience the Lodge another time. This time we would stay a little closer to home.

We drove down to Williamsburg Monday afternoon when Spencer got off of work. Amazingly even though we left at 4pm we didn’t run into any DC traffic. We made it to Williamsburg in almost record time. After a nice evening with my parents we went to bed looking forward to our coming adventure. The following morning we took James for a morning walk with Grandpie and then put him down for a nap. Before the little boy woke up we decided to make our break for it (James does better with babysitters when he doesn’t see mom and dad leave).

The lodge is only about 10 minutes from my parent’s house and we couldn’t check in till 1:00 so we killed some time at the outlets. For lunch we went ended up at Hooters and Spencer was extremely disappointed because they didn’t have their Gumbo, but it was fabulous food anyways! After lunch we checked into the Lodge, changed our clothes and hit the water park hard. And I mean HARD. It’s amazing how much they can squeeze into 42,000 square feet of water.
While I have never been a fan of big slides or roller coasters Spencer loves them. The first thing we went on was their biggest slide the Howlin Tornado. While I just wanted to ease into things maybe wade in the lazy river for a while Spencer made me hit the biggest thing first. After making the trek up the five flights of stairs we hopped in the tube I closed my eyes and went down the chute. It was awesome, I might not have seen where we were going but Spencer was excited and that takes a lot so it had to have been good.

Going in the off season definitely had its advantages. We only had to wait in line for one ride. Spencer had been excited for weeks to ride the perpetual wave machine. Since we don’t have waves on the east coast like they do in California Spencer really hasn’t had a chance to play in the water. This ride gave him a chance to boogie board on the East Coast. While each turn on the wave only lasted for about a minute My husband enjoyed the wave each time.

After a couple hours in the water we were ready for some sun and time outside. We decided on a round of mini golf, the loser had to pick where we would eat dinner. Figuring that Spencer had never played this course before it would be a pretty fair match. Boy was I wrong. Spencer ended up with four hole in ones and I got stuck picking the restaurant for dinner. We settled on Cracker Barrel. Its a shame there isn't one around here - their food is always fantastic!

Once back at the Lodge we decided to hit the water park again. We were a little tired, but that didn't stop us from riding some of the slides a few more times and playing some good ol' fashioned basketball in the water. It was a blast!! We then decided that a little dessert was in order. We ended up ordering the Campfire Sundae which was supposed to have 5 scoops of ice cream (we got 4), what we also didn’t know was one of the flavors would be bubble gum. This had to be the worst tasting ice cream on the planet. So we ate around the weird ice cream and tried to enjoy what we could of it. We ended up not eating much of the sundae and went back to the room to rest up for day two.

The next morning we picked up James from Grammie and Grandpie’s house and took him back to the water park. James enjoyed splashing in the fountains and going down the slides with his daddy. But after about 45 minutes he was exhausted and we were ready to go home.
It was a great little vacation (except for the ice cream and the lack of Hooters gumbo) and we look forward to the next time we can get away from the city for some R and R. 

Its going to be a busy next two months as well! In May we are having our friends from college, Jason and Tayna stay with us with their 2 daughter, and then the week before that we are getting a visit from Lindsay, Spencer's cousin! Followed by Spencer going to Tampa for three days, and then my 26th birthday on the 24th! (Phew!) 

On another note, my parents have sold their home in vienna, and plan to go to closing on May 15th. This was the home I grew up in, but I am grateful that my parents were able to sell it for a good price, especially in this economy. Plus it means they can start building their permanent home in Williamsburg, VA.

In June, Spencer will be busy with two conferences. One at the beginning of the month, and one in one in the middle of the June for 8 days in hot hot HOT Arizona. While he is gone, I will be taking some time off from work and going to spend some time with my parents with James! For almost a week! It will be a nice little break and I am looking forward to many pool trips and maybe even James' first real beach experience!

So this is our update - I am sorry it has taken us this long to write it!

We have been so busy the past couple of weeks - we have been meaning to put it all up on the blog! Don't worry, there is a huge blog coming soon! Here are some cute pictures to tide you over!!

Happy 1st birthday my sweet baby James.

After 26 hours of labor, 2 hours of pushing, and an emergency c section, our son came into this world, with bright open eyes, and a look of sweet wonder, at 9:51pm March 27th, 2008. I wanted to share the pictures of those first 24 hours with him.

Right before transitional labor and beginning to push.

Its 1am and they had wheeled me into my room after 2 hours in recovery. My hubby, baby and my parents were right there with me.

Finally. I never wanted to let him go. Most parents on our floor kept taking their babies back to the nursery. We kept James in our room as frequently as the would let us, which was 90% of the time of our 4 days stay there.

Cuddles for Daddy :)

James LOVED to sleep on his daddy's tummy

Looking showered and a bit refreshed, the first picture of all three of us :)

Grammie Stauffer getting cuddles

Grandpie Stauffer getting cuddles

Tomorrow is James' first birthday party, and we have invited a few close friends and family over to celebrate! My Mom and Dad came up to the area today, and we met the for dinner at the mall. Grammie and Grandpie Stauffer had  a BIG surprise for James. He was going to have his first hair cut! (drums playing) So we went to the "Barber of Seville" in the mall, and he did SO good. I held him on my lap and turned his head this way and that. At first, he thought it was the coolest thing, but after 10 minutes....well...he was getting a little upset. But add 10 more minutes to that, and a patient barber, and he looks fantastic! Then they had ANOTHER surprise! They took James to stride rite to get his feet sized now that he is walking. We have been buying him shoes as he has needed them, but its been touch and go as to what is best for him. They measured him at a size 5, and Grammie and Grandpie got him the most adorable sandals I have ever seen. They look like those hiking sandals, only they are so small!! He has pretty sweaty feet, so I am glad we got him something much more breathable. Thank you so much Grammie and Grandpie Stauffer!!!! It was a fun night!!! Pictures of the hair cut and the shoes to follow soon - he was so tired when we got home, we couldn't do pictures!

*Sigh*....Oh my sweet baby James. Today you are 1 years old, but I feel I have known you so much longer than that. I love your smile - its so full of life and love. I can't do anything but smile back at you! I love how excited you get when you discover something new, or after many attempts and frustration, you are able to accomplish something new (crawling, walking, sliding!). I love your giggles when I run after you, and I love how you give kisses at the best times  - always when we are least expecting it. I love that I love you so tenderly, so whole heartedly that it brings tears of love and joy to my eyes. You are my greatest creation, and you hold my heart in your tiny hands. I love you my boy. Happy, Happy birthday my little James.