The Wilson Family

Hi Waffle

2011-12-21T10:55:00.000-08:00

It has been awhile since I have blogged and I meant to post things a million times but my life living on the lake with a 2 year old and 1 year old has been fun, busy and crazy!! I will post more soon but I have to share this story.

Tommy ate a waffle for breakfast and we had soup for lunch. Right after lunch he told me, "Mommy, I am so full and my soup went into my tummy and said hi waffle,".... it was the cutest thing I had heard all week! He says cute things all the time!!

Happy 1st Birthday Lily!

2011-05-23T19:20:00.000-07:00

Happy 1st Birthday Lily!! You turned 1 on May 21, 2011. You are the light of our lives (along with your brother Tommy) as you wake up with a smile on your face. You are so beautiful and the have the biggest eyes that I love! You are a sweetheart who loves to give hugs and kisses. You also are a "little mother" as you love your little dolls and hold onto them so tight as you hug them and carry them around the house. You can be very independent and social but you also love to cuddle and be carried around the house. You have been walking since 9 months and you love to follow Tommy and play with him! You like to be comforted in the night still so you get up 1-2 times a night even though you should be sleeping through the night. I actually don't mind getting up with you and sometimes I even bring you back to bed with me as you like to cuddle! I am so thankful to have you and I am blessed to be your Mom! Love you Lily!! Happy Birthday!

North Dakota so far

2011-05-20T07:11:00.000-07:00

Joe sent out an e-mail to his family updating them on our trip to ND so I thought I would share it on the blog...

Written by my hubby!

So I got done texturing the basement tonight about 9. It is light here till about 10. The lake was glass and the temp was perfect. I went back to the big garage out back and got Tommy's new fishing rod that we just got him and mine and threw some worms on. Tommy was watching his nightly little bear cartoon before bed and Lora was laying on the couch next to him. I opened the door and whispered "Tommy come here." I said, "you want to go fishing?" He whispered, "Yes." I grabbed his sweatshirt and carried him, the rods and tackle box down with a Miller lite in my pocket. Tommy whispered to me down the hill are we going to catch a fish? I said, "yep, a big fish." We sat on the end of the dock as the sun set with our rods in the water and listened to the owl and ducks. About five minutes later, we got a big pull. I said, "Tommy, we got one!" I took his rod and reeled it in and it was huge. We fought with it for a minute or two trying to drag it to shore. Tommy was running and yelling in joy and just as we almost got it up and out, the line broke. It was a huge, heavy, 24" walleye. About 10 minutes later we pulled in another one and put in the keg bucket we had and it was huge. Tommy just loves it out here. We have been farming with the neighbors as they are planting wheat and Tommy usually falls asleep in the first 10 minutes and then we ride as he naps for an hour or so. Lily and Tommy just are having blast. As I work down stairs in the basement. Tommy and Lily yell down to me, "Dad are you ok? Are you working hard?" I say yep working hard and run up the stairs where they are both at the gate waiting for a kiss from me and Lora usually has lunch and dinner ready. Supper by the lake is amazing and peaceful. I wish I could tell Dad the fishing story but I know he is watching us. It has been a blast so far. Miss my Mom and family and can't wait for visitors. I start my new job on Monday as my new F-150 Truck arrives in Bismarck. I will be training the first month or two. I am excited to start. In the meantime we found an awesome church, St. Leo's in Minot and have seen a few friends and love the friendly people in all the small towns. The kids, eat, sleep, and play so well and love the fresh ND air.
Love
Joe

Moving.....

2011-05-06T09:17:00.000-07:00

It is such a pain.... Moving a whole house in two weeks is really hard. Tommy keeps asking where all his toys are going and he has cried a couple of times. I keep telling him that his toys are being shipped to ND and Grandma will pick up all his toys at the lake and take care of them until we arrive on the airplane... he feels a little better once I say that! We are sleeping on the floor as the beds are packed and we will be moving in to Nana's house for the week while Joe drives some of our stuff to ND. The rest of it is being shipped. I will fly up with the kids and Joe's brother Pat next week after Joe has had a few days in ND to get things settled. Pat and Joe will work on finishing the basement once we arrive!

Last night we had some professional family pictures taken as I want my kids to remember that they were born in the desert of AZ! So, we took the pics outside by all the cactus's and cool surroundings. It was beautiful and I can't wait to see the pics but poor Tommy started touching a cactus and poked his finger. Tommy is walking around this morning complaining about a hurt "ginger".... we are looking forward to getting settled at the lake.... it is starting to get hot in AZ so it is perfect timing! Hopefully, the snow has stopped falling in ND!

We are moving back to North Dakota

2011-04-19T10:13:00.000-07:00

Joe and I are excited to be moving the family back to North Dakota in May! We love Arizona and this move is bitter sweet as we will be leaving great family and friends in AZ. We are especially sad to be moving far away from Colleen and Pat (Joe's mom and brother) but we are excited to raise our kids in the Midwest where we are both from in North Dakota!

Joe received a great job offer with a great company called Victaulic where he will be in a sales position. Joe is currently self employed in AZ and it is getting old paying for everything out of our own pockets like health benefits so we are excited for him to start his new adventure with Victaulic as they will offer our young family many benefits!

Joe's position is based in Minot, ND and we will be moving back the week of May 8th. Minot is growing and there are not many housing options available right now so we will be living in my Mom's cabin on Lake Sakakawea for the time being until we can find something in Minot. If you know of anyone wanting to rent their home out in Minot please let us know as we would be great renters! My Mom is completely finishing her basement for us and we are excited to live on the lake especially during the summer months! We will be renting out our house in AZ so if you know of anyone interested in a nice 4 bedroom/2 bathroom/3 car garage home please let us know!

We will be busy over the next few weeks packing but we are so excited to be back in ND where most of my family lives. Joe also has family in ND. We are also excited to reconnect with some great friends we both have in ND and meet new ones. This will be a new adventure and I am sure it will be an adjustment after living in a city of over 6 million people but we are excited to see where God takes us as we move back to the prairie!

Look out North Dakota... HERE COME THE WILSON'S!!

Pops, Tommy, and Jesus

2011-04-06T12:44:00.000-07:00

“Most certainly I tell you, unless you turn, and become as little children, you will in no way enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. For whoever therefore humbles himself as this little child, the same is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven." Matthew 18:3-4

I don't know where to begin or how to write about the loss of Randy (Joe's Dad, My father-in-law, Tommy and Lily's Pops) so I won't... But, I want to write about a few experiences Tommy has had since Randy passed away on Monday, March 7th as I want to remember these stories and share them with Tommy someday. Randy and Tommy had a great relationship and they had a connection that is unexplainable... the morning Randy passed away Joe and his whole family were surrounding Randy and I was home with the kids as they were sleeping. Joe came home a few hours after Randy had passed and Tommy was still sleeping but as soon as Tommy woke up I went into his room and did not tell him anything about Pops passing away as I wanted to wait for Joe so we could tell Tommy together but while I was changing his diaper Tommy said "Pops sleeping, Pops sleeping, Pops sleeping." I could not believe my ears because we had not said anything yet to Tommy about Randy passing away but Tommy already knew somehow...

About a week later Tommy woke up from his afternoon nap and I asked him if he had any good dreams and he said, "Pops playing with me... Pops playing with me and the animals"... it gave me goosebumps and a few days after that Tommy told me when he woke up from a nap that "Pops playing football with Jesus and the animals" and he kept repeating this story about Pops playing football with Jesus and there were all these animals around. Tommy has said all of this on his own without any prodding...Joe and I are so amazed as he says these things right after he wakes up from his naps so you can believe what you want but I believe that Pops is visiting Tommy in his dreams and I do believe that he is playing with Tommy and that Tommy can see Randy who is safe and loved in the presence of Jesus.

The other reason I think this is because Tommy never asks where Pops is or wonders where Pops is when we go over to Nana and Pops house. He used to always run in their house and run right to Pops... he would even run past Nana as he loved Pops so much but now he goes over there and Tommy never even asks where Pops is and he never even looks around for Pops.... Again, I believe he does not ask about Pops because he KNOWS Pops is safe in heaven. This whole experience just makes me believe even more in Heaven and Hell and the power of Jesus. Jesus is our SAVIOR and KING and I can see that more clearly through the eyes of my 2 year old!!

Catch Up from Christmas

2011-02-04T09:13:00.000-08:00

I have not blogged for awhile as it has been so busy but we love this time of year as the weather in AZ is perfect! (This week is a little cold but it is usually in the 70's) We live in extreme heat during the summer so this is our chance to get outside and enjoy the nice weather!

We hosted Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at our house with family from both sides! We had lots of fun celebrating with everyone. My husband is an amazing host and cook and he rigged the ping pong table so we could all eat around one big table... that's right... we ate Christmas dinner on our ping pong table as you can see in the picture below!

Tommy got a special visit from Santa on Christmas Eve and we sang Christmas carols, exchanged gifts, and blessed the Christmas tree. Tommy loved seeing Santa and still talks about the tennis shoes that Santa brought for him as an early Santa gift. Lily cried and did not really enjoy Santa this year but hopefully, she will like him more next year.

I love the picture below as it showcases Christmas in Arizona..... I miss having a white Christmas but I also love the sun and palm trees!

We love our kids! Tommy and Lily are the joys of our life and it is so fun to see them grow and play together! We want more kids someday but for now we are enjoying our family of four!

We were able to sneak away after Christmas for three days and two nights to Texas as my cousin Michelle got married! Joe and I had a great time and Michelle and Garrett's wedding was beautiful! I was so worried about leaving Lily as she refuses to take a bottle but she did great with Nana and Auntie JoJo and it was so nice that Joe and I were able to get away without the kids so we could celebrate Michelle's wedding without distractions! Below is a picture of all my cousins at the wedding.

We celebrated New Years with some of our close couple friends and their families! I feel so blessed as we have made some great friends in AZ. Joe and I are part of a group called TOOL (Teams of Our Lady) where we meet once a month without kids and have dinner and wine together and then we discuss God and pray together! It is a great group for Joe and I and we look forward to it every month. We also like getting together with all of them with our kids like we did in the picture below on New Years!

Like I said earlier, we are enjoying the nice weather in AZ and we try and go hiking once every couple of weeks with the kids. We like to go to Usery Park as you can hike and then let the kids play on the playground and have a picnic!

I am also thankful for the mom friends I have made in AZ. I am involved in a couple different playgroups and bible studies. Not only do we go to play dates but it is also fun to go out with friends without the kids. Below is a picture of all of us Mom's out for dinner right before Christmas! I am so thankful for all of the friendships I have made in AZ!

A Good Book

2011-01-18T10:06:00.000-08:00

Last night I stayed up late and read a book... a whole book in one sitting! It was amazing and so relaxing just to lay down and read. I need to do that more often. Joe bathed the kids while I read and then I put Lily to sleep and continued reading while Joe put Tommy to sleep. It was so nice to relax and get lost in a good book. I couldn't put it down. My friend recommended the book Unplanned on her blog so I ordered a copy right away on Amazon and it came in the mail yesterday. I would highly recommend this book to anyone! It is a very interesting true story. I was in tears while reading the 1st chapter.

The book description:

Abby Johnson quit her job in October 2009. That simple act became a national news story because Abby was the director of a Planned Parenthood clinic in Texas who, after participating in her first actual abortion procedure, walked across the road to join the Coalition for Life.

Unplanned is a heart-stopping personal drama of life-and-death encounters, a courtroom battle, and spiritual transformation that speaks hope and compassion into the political controversy that surrounds this issue. Telling Abby's story from both sides of the abortion clinic property line, this book is a must-read for anyone who cares about the life versus rights debate and helping women who face crisis pregnancies.

A Father's Love

2010-12-01T19:02:00.001-08:00

I have been thinking about my kids lately and how I want them to be raised. Tommy is starting to pick up on every little thing we say or do and I want to make sure he is feeling love and hearing loving words even when he is being disciplined. This topic has come up with a couple of my friends lately as we discuss how we parent our children. I want my children to know that they are loved by their parents and loved by God, the Holy Spirit and Jesus.

I look at Joe and I am so thankful for a strong husband and father who loves his children whole heartedly. I am so thankful that Joe helps out so much with everything from cleaning to diapers and he also works so hard to provide for his family. None of this would be possible without the love of his parents especially the love and teachings he receives from his father. I was looking through a prayer book of Joe's the other day and I found a note that was written on the front cover. The note wast written to Joe from his Dad.

To Our Joe, My Champ,

Throughout every moment of your wonderful,

blessed life,

No matter what you think, no matter what you say,

no matter what you do,

You can ABSOLUTELY count on the fact that

you are LOVED, a powerful love, all healthy love,

a tender love, a rough love, a rich love,

a thoughtful love, a love that wants everything great, good

and wonderful to happen to you Joe.

A love that wants you feeling happy and joyful throughout

your whole eternal life. GOD LOVES YOU JOE,

Jesus love you Joe, the Holy Spirit loves you Champ,

All with God love you, your beautiful Mom loves you Joe,
Dad loves you....

Joe, every moment

be the best you can be, no matter what you think, say or do...

Love, Mom and Dad

I can only hope that Joe and I can love and teach our kids the way our parents raised us and loved us especially the way Randy and Colleen raised Joe. The writing above by Joe's Dad is so beautiful and powerful and Randy means every word he wrote as I can see that powerful love in Joe. That is why I have such a strong and wonderful husband who is such an amazing father to our children. Hopefully, we can pass on this powerful love to our children and grandchildren.

Tommy's Monster Truck Birthday Party

2010-11-30T07:19:00.000-08:00

We threw Tommy his 2nd birthday party a month early as family was in town from ND and Texas! Tommy's official birthday is December 30th so I wanted to throw him a birthday early so it would be seperate from Christmas. We will still celebrate with him on his actual birthday but it will be just our family.

We had a Monster Truck bounce house and served pizza with mud pie for dessert! It was so fun as we have made so many good friends in AZ over the past few years so it was fun to celebrate with family and friends. Tommy loved the bounce house and he had fun with all of his friends and he received some amazing gifts!! Thankfully, my mom was in town so she helped me decorate and she made over 40 cups of mud pie! Mud pie was my favorite version of birthday cake when I was a kid so we had to make it for Tommy and it was a hit.

Our Thanksgiving

2010-11-29T10:15:00.000-08:00

My mom and brother Steven flew in from ND for Thanksgiving weekend. We had so much fun with them and Joe's sister Mary and her husband David and daughter Lucy who flew in from Texas! It was a great weekend. We hosted Thanksgiving dinner and it was very easy for me because my husband loves to cook. I woke up on Thanksgiving morning and Joe had one turkey brined and cooking in the roaster and one turkey in the oven. He had everything lined up and labeled and a timeline for all the cooking. He also found time to mow the lawn! He is amazing as the food tasted great! Nana and Pops (Joe's parents) also brought an amazing ham so we had a lot of food and leftovers which I think is the best part!

Tommy and Lily had so much fun playing with their cousin Lucy and Tommy loves his Uncle Steven who he calls "Zena" - Tommy was really sad to see Steven fly home and even said "I luv you Zena" as Steven was heading into the airport. I may or may not have seen a tear coming down from Uncle Zena's face as he walked inside. Tommy also loves playing with his Aunt Mary and Uncle David. David is really good at throwing Tommy up in the there air!

Joe's cooking timeline and set-up

Playing a little ping-pong before dinner

I wish I had gotten a picture of everyone eating

Lily and I in our matching necklace and headband that was made by my friend Heather

Aunt Mary and Tommy playing

The cousins - Lily, Lucy and Tommy (We were missing Jaxson and Wyatt)

Uncle Zena and Tommy enjoying the pool

Saying good-bye - so sad!

Daydreaming

2010-11-19T18:13:00.001-08:00

I received an e-mail last night from my cousin Michelle. She is getting married at the end of December and I am her Matron of Honor. I am so honored to be in her wedding as I love her like a sister. Anyways, she wrote me last night to confirm my hair/airbrush make-up/fake eyelashes appointment!! YEAH!! I am going to get my hair and make-up done with her in her room before the wedding along with fake eyelashes! This may not seem like a big deal but when you have been either pregnant or nursing for the past three years being pampered sounds like heaven!! I was daydreaming about flying away to her wedding without the kids. Should we bring them or leave them? My mom bought Joe and I plane tickets and got us our very own hotel room with a king size bed as we will be flying to Texas for her wedding. I cannot even imagine being away from the kids as it makes me scared but hey, I also need a break and Joe and I could use some time away from the kids. The only time I have been away from Tommy for more than 10 hours was when I gave birth to Lily and that was an amazing experience but it was no vacation. So, my dilemma is that Lily refuses to take a bottle even with pumped milk....do I leave the kids with Joe's parents who are amazing or do we bring them along since Lily won't drink out of the bottle? I think I have already made up my mind to leave them as we will only be gone for two days but I am also nervous as I don't want Lily to scream for two days? What do you think? Any advice?

Happy Halloween

2010-11-01T09:02:00.000-07:00

We had a fun day yesterday on Halloween! We went to church with Joe's family and then we went out for breakfast before Joe's Grandma flew back to North Dakota. Tommy is still wondering where GG went as he is sad she left.

Joe and I were both so tired from a busy weekend but we spent most of the afternoon in the backyard playing with the kids and carving pumpkins. Joe made real pumpkin masks for the whole family.

We were excited to take Tommy trick or treating this year. He did not really know what was going on at first but he loved it after he realized he was getting all of this free candy! We went over to my friend Kim's house and went trick or treating with her kids and husband Johnathan. Her daughter is a few months older than Tommy and her son is a couple months younger than Lily so we had fun hanging out with them and they have a great neighborhood! There were lots of trick or treaters running around.

Tommy and Lily went as skeletons and Joe went as a Chilean Miner. He was chanting, "Chi Chi Chi Le Le Le... Chile Chile Chile" most of the night.

On our way home we stopped at Nana and Pops house and they had a huge plate of candy, treats, and a movie for Tommy. It was so cute and Tommy loved showing off his costume to Nana and Pops! Joe then transformed into a Pumpkin head Chilean Miner.

Tommy and Lily Updates

2010-10-30T14:27:00.000-07:00

Time flies by when you have two little ones so I want to try and slow it down by writing down a few updates.

Tommy turns 22 months old today- October 30, 2010. He is a very sweet boy. He loves his little sister Lily and is very protective of her. He protects her car seat and toys when we are out at playdates. He likes to check on her and give her lots of kisses and he tries to pick her up and walk around with her but he is not strong enough yet... so I am always holding onto her too while he tries to hold her. He weighs around 23-24 pounds. He is a Daddy's boy. He loves to play with his Dad and he runs to the door every night when Joe gets home. Tommy takes a 2-3 hour nap everyday. He sleeps through the night and usually sleeps around 10-12 hours. He goes to bed around 8:30pm. Tommy loves milk. He would rather drink milk than eat a meal so we are working with him on eating as he has become a picky eater. Although, he always has room for dessert which is just like his momma! He loves to give us kisses and hugs and he told me that he loved me the other day for the first time. It melted my heart!! Tommy still loves his pacifier and we are trying to break him of this habit. He has gone pee on the toilet a few times with his special football seat and has gone #2 on the toilet once. I am slowly working on potty training but I don't think he is ready yet so I am going to wait until he shows more interest. I think the only reason he went #2 on the toilet once was because I gave him a whole ice cream bar. Tommy loves to talk and he amazes me every day as he learns new words. He loves to play football and loves to play with trains.

Lily turned 5 months old on October 21, 2010. She is a very smiley baby and is usually happy. She loves her older brother Tommy and lights up when he is around her. She loves to jump in her jumper and loves to watch Tommy play. She also sits nicely for meals in her Bumbo. We started her on rice cereal and oatmeal cereal at 4 months old. She can't get enough food and she is always trying to reach for our food. So, I gave her crushed up bananas the other night, crushed up peas, and an avocado. She did not love the avocado or peas but she did like the bananas. So, I bought her a lot of 1st food jars today and I am going to start giving her food twice a day. She loves to nurse and has stopped using her pacifier. She has rolled over from front to back and from back to front a few times but does not roll a lot. She cannot sit up on her own but she is almost there. She weighed 15 pounds at her 4 month appointment and was in the 90th percentiles for height, weight, and head circumference. So, I am excited to see her progress at her 6 month appointment. Lily does not like to sleep on her own. She loves to cuddle next to me and loves our king size bed. She sleeps good and usually wakes up to eat 1-2 times a night and gets around 11-12 hours of sleep each night. She takes a morning nap and usually a 1-2 hour nap in the afternoon. So, we are doing the co-sleeping thing at night right now. I am not against co-sleeping but I don't really like it as I don't sleep as well when she is sleeping right next to me. I am hoping to work her out of this stage soon.

I love my babies and I thank God everyday for them. They amaze me and I am so thankful that I can be their mom and I enjoy staying home with them!

Great Grandma (GG) comes to town

2010-10-27T15:04:00.000-07:00

Joe's Grandma is in town visiting and it is so nice to have her stay with us. All of my grandparents have passed away and I miss them a lot so it is nice to have GG come and visit us from North Dakota. It has been fun seeing her play with the kids. They love her and it is so cute to hear Tommy say GG. I am glad that Tommy and Lily have Great Grandparents on Joe's side. Virgie is really young and active so we have had fun taking her hiking and enjoying Arizona. She stays with us at night and goes over to Randy and Colleen's most days to visit. She has been helping me with cooking and baking and I like learning her tips. Here are a couple of pics from this past week.

Garage Sales

2010-10-21T20:36:00.000-07:00

I love garage sales. I never thought I would be the garage sale type but now I love them. They are all over the place in Arizona and you can find one every weekend almost year round. I don't go every weekend but now is prime time for garage sales in AZ as the weather is nice. Some have a lot of junk but you can always find one or two good houses that are selling quality items. I usually wake up at 6am on Saturday and head to Starbucks before driving around to look for garage sales. I really enjoy my alone time and it is pretty peaceful drinking my coffee driving around the neighborhoods in Gilbert. I don't have to drive far as there are tons of them.

Two weekends ago I found some great deals! I found a baseball ceiling fan for Tommy's room for only $8.00! He had a plain white ceiling fan in his room before without a light. Now, he has a light/ceiling fan with a baseball theme! He loves it! I looked online and this ceiling fan retails for $100-$149.

I also found a Thomas the Train set. I had been looking for a good used set. The guy wanted to sell it for $20 but I bargained with him and got it down to $10. It has tons of tracks and trains and Tommy plays with his "choo choo" set for hours at a time. A big box like this retails for around $100. Lily likes to watch Tommy play while eating her "Baby Mum-Mum" and jumping in her jumper. She likes to watch the trains go round and round. Joe also likes the train set as he sets up new tracks for Tommy.

56

2010-10-06T14:21:00.000-07:00

i

Happy Birthday Dad! My Dad is 56 today and I get to celebrate with him on Friday when I get back to Bismarck. We are going to go for coffee and talk which is one of my favorite things to do with my Dad and Lily will be joining us! Happy Birthday Dad! Can't wait to see you on Friday!

Fall

2010-10-05T12:19:00.000-07:00

I am so excited for fall as I am ready for it to cool down here in Arizona. It has been way too hot. When I first moved here three years ago Joe told me that it cools down by September 1st....YEAH RIGHT!! He later told me he may have fibbed as he wanted me to move to AZ. I realized that it does not cool down here until October and it is still a little hot this year. I was so excited the other day for cool weather, fall and Halloween so I had the kids try on their Halloween costumes. They are going to be skeletons. My mom bought Tommy some skeleton pajamas when we were back in Grand Forks and it reminded me of when I was little as my brothers loved their skeleton pajamas. Luckily, I was able to find a skeleton onsie for Lily at a little boutique in Grand Forks for $3 so I was pumped! I think they both look so cute! I also have a Superman costume and Elmo costume for Tommy. My mom got the Elmo costume at a garage sale this past year and she bought the Superman costume last year at Wal-Mart after Halloween. You can get the best costume deals after Halloween so I will be on the lookout this year.

We had the best time last weekend in Grand Forks. It was the best trip we have taken in a long time. It was three days and we had so much fun visiting and staying with Joe's Grandma Virgie and Aunt Joanne. They were the best hostesses. We also had fun visiting with old friends and eating at all of our favorite restaurants from college. We also went to a UND football game. I did not make it through the game as the kids were tired but Joe had a great time watching the whole game and hanging out with some of his old football buddies. You can check out our pictures from Grand Forks by clicking here. We want to try and make it an annual trip back to Grand Forks in the fall as we had such a blast and you can't beat $19.99 airline tickets one way!! We love Allegiant Air as it has great prices on air fare and direct flights back to 3 major cities in ND so it works out great!! I will be heading back to Bismarck this weekend with Lily to attend my 10 year high school reunion. Joe will be home in AZ with Tommy. Hopefully, the boys won't get into too much trouble while the girls are away!

Catholic Questions

2010-09-17T13:07:00.000-07:00

I would like to write about something that means a lot to me and that is my faith! I converted to Catholicism in April of 2009 after a year long journey of learning about the Catholic faith. It is going to be a lifelong journey as I learn more and more everyday. I was baptized Lutheran as a baby and grew up in an Evangelical church so I never imagined that I would end up Catholic. Many of my best friends and family are not Catholic and they probably think I am a little crazy for converting so I wanted to share more about my journey on my blog. I want to be more open about my faith and I am open to questions. This is my journey and I want to share it with you if you are willing to listen. Many people have so many misconceptions about Christianity especially Catholicism so I wanted to write a little bit about some of the misconceptions I had before I converted. I am in no way representing the Catholic Church and I do not have all the answers. In fact, I am still learning so much everyday and firmly believe that I know very little but I am hoping to learn more everyday through the grace of God. I am going to choose one topic each time. This week is Mary.

Myth #1: Catholics worship Mary

I do not worship Mary and neither do most Catholics. If they do worship Mary then they are misguided in their faith. The Catholic Church does not teach us to worship Mary. However, I do now pray to Mary. Have you ever asked a friend to pray for you when you were in need? You could go to God directly but you ask others here on earth to pray for you too as the more you have praying to God the better, right? Let's say your child is sick and you ask friends and family to pray for your child. You see it on blogs all the time where someone is in need and they ask for prayers. I do the same thing with Mary now. I pray to her when I am in need and ask her to pray for my family. She is in heaven and is more alive than any of us on this earth so why not ask someone who is right next to Jesus to pray for you? Catholics believe that you can pray to anyone in heaven and ask them to pray for you to God. We are not worshiping Mary but rather asking her to to talk with God. Next time you are in need of prayer why not pray to Mary who is the mother of God and ask her to pray for your needs. There is so much more that I could write about Mary but I am going to keep it simple for now. I have grown to love her since becoming a mother in so many ways which is crazy because I never used to think about her.

Again, I want to open up about my understanding of the Catholic faith and I am open to questions that you may have.... if you don't feel comfortable leaving a comment please send me an e-mail. I will try and write about a new Catholic topic once a week even if I don't get any comments. I am not here to judge but rather to share about my journey.

What's in a name?

2010-09-13T13:25:00.000-07:00

I love family names. I was named after my Great Grandmother Lora Smith. My middle name is Jo which was my Grandma Petrik's middle name as her name was Mary Jo.

I have always wanted to name my children after family members. Tommy was named after my Dad, Thomas Petrik. When we found out we were having a girl Joe and I both loved the name Lily but it was not a family name. So, we gave her the middle name Anne which is Colleen's middle name. Colleen is Joe's mom.

However, about a month after Lily was born I received a phone call from my mom. She was cleaning out her cabin and found an old black vase that was my Grandmother's. Inside the vase was a note written by my grandmother in 1986. It said that this vase was given to Aunt Lily from Sheldon around 1940. WOW! Lily does have a family name. She was named after my Great Great Aunt Lily Blom and we did not even know it when we named her. Joe and I had debated about spelling Lily's name with one L or two L's and I wanted one L which is exactly how Lily Blom spelled her name. I got goosebumps and I am so proud to say that Lily has a family name and someday she will be given the black vase. Now I need to do a little digging and find out more about Lily Blom.

North Dakota

2010-09-13T13:20:00.000-07:00

We had such a great time in North Dakota but it feels great to be back home. If you are not my friend on facebook but would like to check out our pictures please click on the facebook links below:

North Dakota Part I

North Dakota Part II

A letter to my husband

2010-08-11T09:19:00.001-07:00

Dear Joe,

We miss you! I thought that going away to the lake for 5 weeks was such a good idea but we miss you terribly! I do love being at the lake with family but I wish you were here! This time away makes me appreciate you more than ever before... you are the love of my life and although it can be hard on our marriage sometimes raising two young babies together I am so thankful that I am in this journey with you! You are an amazing husband, father and friend.

I am also sad that all of your family is together right now and we are not there to be a part of the action. But, that is ok as we are having fun at the lake with family. We love being right on the water. We get up every morning around 8am and Tommy screams for "Ma" (his Grandma). We then go for a walk in the double stroller around the circle two times after breakfast. I love the fresh smell of North Dakota and the wide open spaces. It is so wet here compared to AZ. The only thing I do not like is all of the bugs.

Ma bought Tommy a Strider bike and it came in the mail yesterday. Tommy loves his new prebike and his new helmet. This bike will teach him how to balance on a bike. He loves it! Tomorrow we are heading down to Bismarck to hang out with Grandpa Petrik. It is so nice to be able to see my family and friends but we miss you Joe.

Thanks for working on the house. I can't wait to see all the rooms you are painting. I am also excited to see all the landscaping projects and new garden. Don't work to hard. Sleep in a day or two and enjoy your time at home alone. I know you miss us too and we can't wait to see you in a week when you fly back up to ND for a few days before we fly back home together. Tommy really misses his Daddy and Lily is getting so big. I can't wait till you see her again.

Thanks for being such a good man and working so hard for your family! We can't wait to see you next week.

Love you!

Lora, Tommy and Lily

My precious Lily

2010-08-10T19:58:00.000-07:00

Lily is such a good baby! I was so worried that I was going to loose sleep when Lily was born as I did not sleep through the night with Tommy until he was 12 months old. So, I thought Lily was going to be the same way but she is not... she is such a good sleeper and baby! I am going to brag about her now because she is my baby and I have not written about her on my blog. She is such a happy baby. The only time she cries is when she is hungry or tired and she stops right away once she is soothed to sleep or fed. She has the most beautiful big blue eyes and the brightest smile. I wake up to her smile every morning and it is the best thing to wake up to in the whole wide world. I usually bring her into bed with me for her morning feeding and she cuddles into me and falls asleep once she is done nursing. We just cuddle together and it is my favorite time of the day. She loves to be held but is ok on her own too. I wish I could hold her more but I am often chasing after her big brother. Tommy loves to entertain her and she is beginning to really watch him play. She smiles when he walks over to her and gives her kisses. Lily is really laid back. She loves attention but is also willing to just hang out. She loves to look at the ceiling fan and if there is a ceiling fan in the room she will find it and smile at it. She loves her toys and will pretty much sleep anywhere. I often take naps with her in the afternoon while Tommy sleeps as it is so much fun to cuddle with her. I am so thankful for both my babies and it is so fun to see how different their personalities are already. I am so thankful for my baby girl and can't wait to watch her grow into a little girl. I am just hoping she does not grow up too fast as I love my little baby!

Snowbirds

2010-07-21T05:45:00.000-07:00

We are getting ready to head back to North Dakota and we are excited. I love Arizona and Arizona is our home but I also love North Dakota and cannot wait to fly back to spend quality time with family and friends. I do think about moving back to North Dakota sometimes (especially in the summer when it is so hot in Arizona) but, for now I am going to enjoy the best of both worlds. I am going to be a snowbird at the tender age of 28 as I am going to go home with the kids for over a month this summer! We hope to go back to North Dakota for two months next summer. Why not enjoy the nice weather in North Dakota in the summer and the nice weather in Arizona during the winter? I am sure my little snowbirds will also enjoy North Dakota! We fly out today!

Tommy's 1st Official Haircut

2010-07-07T18:16:00.000-07:00

We had a fun 4th of July weekend. We celebrated Randy's 53rd birthday on Saturday with breakfast at Denny's. Randy loves Denny's and we all enjoyed a good breakfast and then we all hung out at Randy and Colleen's. We went over to Jim and Robyn's (Joe's Aunt and Uncle's house) on Sunday. Tommy and Joe went swimming and it was fun to hang out with family and show off the kids in their cute 4th of July outfits.

Luckily, Joe took Monday off so we enjoyed a day with Daddy. We went to the mall that afternoon as it is so hot so we wanted to stay inside. Tommy had fun playing in the play area. We also got Tommy's first official hair cut for $5.99. I refuse to spend a lot of money on a child hair cut. Joe has shaved Tommy's hair before but it has never looked even. So, we took Tommy in and he did not cry once... he was too busy enjoying his lollipop. I think he looks so cute and he looks older!

Little Sister and Big Brother

2010-07-02T13:20:00.000-07:00

Tommy was screaming Lily's name as he headed for the front door this past Tuesday when I picked him up from daycare. He loves his little sister so much and just rushed past me as he was looking for his sister. I am taking him to daycare once a week for a few hours in the morning so he can play with other kids and I can get a little break to spend time just with Lily. This past week was his first week and I thought he would be so happy to see me when I picked him up but he just wanted to know where Lily was and looked around for her. He LOVES her!

I have taken Tommy out on a few playdates without Lily and he is always looking for Lily in other car seats at the playdates and repeats her name over and over again. It is amazing to me how much he loves her already. He looks for her every morning when he gets up and loves to give her kisses. When she cries he tries to put the pacifier in her mouth and he brings her a blanket. Sometimes the blanket ends up on her face but he always tries to make her happy. Lily is starting to watch him more and quiets down when Tommy talks to her and gives her kisses. He also holds onto her car seat in the car. Tommy won't get out of the car until we get her out of the car and he won't come in the house until she is carried into the house. I always have to be on my toes as Tommy is only 18 months old but I think Lily and him will get along well since they are so close in age...(at least I hope).

I was worried about how Tommy would react to Lily and overall he has just loved her. He does get a little jealous when Joe holds Lily as he wants Joe all to himself. Last night we put them in the bath together! Obviously, we had to hold Lily up the whole time but they loved it and I think Lily likes the water even more than Tommy. Tommy is a great big brother and I know they won't always get along perfectly but I am treasuring these moments right now as they are so precious!

Scissors - 2nd time around

2010-06-30T14:57:00.000-07:00

I was at a prayer group last night with some great friends and Joe was watching both kids. I got home around 9:30pm and Joe had both kids bathed and sleeping. Tommy was sleeping soundly in his crib and I found Lily in a cut off pair of pajamas! She was too big so he just cut the bottoms off. I could not stop laughing as he did the same thing with Tommy's pajamas last year. You can read about it by clicking here. I woke Lily up and took some photos!

Isn't She Wonderful

2010-06-23T21:26:00.000-07:00

Lily Anne Jo Wilson was born on May 21, 2010! Isn't she beautiful! I have been so busy enjoying being her mom that I have neglected the blog but we are now back. Life with two kids is awesome but it also has its stressful moments! Lily is a really good baby but I am starting to see a little bit of a feisty attitude. She is so beautiful and I find myself just staring at her. She looks a lot like Tommy but she also has her own look and she is a little more chubby! She sleeps good at night so I have been getting a lot of rest. Tommy and Lily keep me busy but I hope to start updating the blog with more updates about our new life with two kids!

Almost 39 weeks

2010-05-10T13:48:00.000-07:00

I can't believe we are about to have another baby! I told Joe last night that we are just getting the hang of this parenting thing and now we are going to have another one. We are so excited but we are also a little nervous about loosing sleep again and having a newborn in the house. I am almost 39 weeks and I am starting to get really uncomfortable. I thought I would be completely fine to go over 40 weeks but I am now ready for this baby to arrive! As you can see in the picture above I am busting out of that dress so I am ready! I cannot wait to meet her and I am ready to get my body back as I am achy all over each night and the heat is not helping. It has been almost 100 degrees in AZ lately. If Tommy and I go out to a playdate in the morning we are both wiped out by the afternoon and I now take a nap each day while he is napping. I am trying to get a lot of rest before the next one arrives.

This past weekend Katie, Konrad, and Wyatt came down to stay with us and see family and we had a lot of fun! Wyatt and Tommy really love each other and play well together. It is neat to see the cousins play together more and more each time we get together! I am hoping Tommy will enjoy playing with his little sister as she gets older just like he enjoys playing with Wyatt.

We had a great time together on Mother's Day. Joe brought me coffee while I got ready for church. We all headed to church at 10am and then went over to Joe's parents house for lunch and hung out by the pool. Tommy made Nana and his Grandma pottery plates with his handprint in the middle so it was fun to see Nana open her gift. I know my mom also enjoyed getting her plate in the mail! We then came home to put Tommy down for a nap and after he woke up Joe, Tommy, and I went out to a Vietnamese restaurant for dinner. It was really good as I was craving Vietnamese!

Later that night Joe put Tommy down for the night but he would not fall asleep so we let him come out in the TV room for a bit and Tommy laid on Joe while he rubbed his head and Tommy fell asleep right away. I told Joe that I am starting to get a little jealous as Tommy and Joe are SO close and Tommy just cries every morning when Joe leaves for work. If I ever leave on the weekends Tommy just smiles and waves bye-bye. So, I was starting to feel a little insecure about my mothering. However, I am thankful to have such a hands on husband who LOVES our kids so much and really takes the initiative when it comes to parenting. Joe plays with Tommy when he gets home from work every day and gets him ready for bed each night. He also puts him to bed and gets up with him during the middle of the night if Tommy wakes up looking for a pacifier. Joe has taken on the night role ever since I was done nursing and also because he wants me to get rest since I am pregnant. I think it will be really good that Tommy is so attached to Joe right now as I know I will be really busy with the baby when she arrives.

We are working on finishing the baby room. I have all of her clothes washed and organized. I am so thankful as I had a couple of friends give me their baby girl clothes! It is so fun to organize little girl clothes. She will sleep in our room for the first few months since I hope to be nursing but we have decided to buy another crib since Tommy is still in his crib. Actually, my mom has offered to buy us a crib so I am excited to pick out a white crib and get that set up soon. My mom will be flying down at the end of May when she is done with school and she will be staying with us for two weeks. I am so thankful that she will be here as she can help with Tommy and it will be nice to have company during the day while Joe is at work. I still need to pack a bag for the hospital and get some last minute things ready but I know it will all work out whenever our little girl decides to arrive! Thankfully, Joe's parents are ready and waiting for the "we're in labor" call as they will be staying at our house with Tommy while we are in the hospital. It is so nice to have his parents close by and Tommy LOVES them. Please say a little prayer that everything goes well as we hope to have a new baby at home soon!

Videos of Tommy

2010-04-13T16:12:00.000-07:00

I wanted to upload some video especially for our friends and family that do not live in Arizona! The first video is of Joe trying to climb a rope at the Renaissance Festival. It looks like it would be easy but it was really hard. We went with Joe's sister and her family. It is so cute as Katie's son Wyatt tries to run in while Joe is trying to climb the rope!

Later that day we went to ASU to watch Joe's cousin play water polo. She plays for Hawaii and they were in town for a tournament. It was fun to watch a water polo tournament but Tommy just wanted to play so Joe found a trampoline for Tommy. Tommy is wearing Joe's hat in the video!

The third video was taken at the end of the day. Tommy really wanted to jump in the pool at ASU. He LOVES water and it was heated so we finally let him walk in and play around for a few minutes before we had to leave. We dried him off quickly and luckily had extra clothes in the car after his little dip in the water!

Nighttime routine

2010-04-12T19:57:00.000-07:00

Usually, Joe gets Tommy ready for bed if he is home from work. Joe takes Tommy in the shower as Tommy loves to shower more than he likes baths. While they are showering I pick out Tommy's pajamas and get his diaper and lotion ready. After the shower Tommy runs around in a towel and Joe sits him up at the sink to brush his teeth. It is so cute to see the two boys get ready for bed. Tommy also loves to share a little ice cream with Dad right before bed.

2 Year Anniversary

2010-04-09T21:10:00.000-07:00

Joe and I celebrated our 2 year anniversary this past Monday, April 5th! WOOOHOOO! I am so thankful for such an amazing husband. We had a fun day and I woke up to find the top tier of our wedding cake on the kitchen table that Joe had remade just like last year. Joe then surprised me with a massage at noon while he watched Tommy. I got him a chain with our names and wedding date engraved on the chain. We were going to go out for sushi but could not find a babysitter so we ended up staying home which was really nice as Joe made an awesome steak dinner! It has been a whirlwind two years that have flown by so fast. I can't believe we have been married for two years and we are about to welcome our 2nd child into the world! We have learned a lot about marriage, kids and each other in the past couple of years and it is not always easy but I am so thankful to have Joe in my life! I love you Joe!

2 things

2010-03-26T16:15:00.001-07:00

There are two things that I cannot do since I am pregnant.

1. Drink Beer

2. Spray Tan

I can't wait for the day when I can get a spray tan and then I will sit outside at a bar and drink lots of beer with olives. I am sick of being pasty white and I would like to enjoy a beer with my husband. Can't wait but it is all worth it!

Go Green - Marry an Irishman

2010-03-22T17:24:00.000-07:00

I posted some new pictures on facebook from this past week. You can check them out by clicking here.

Adventures with Tommy

2010-03-06T15:06:00.000-08:00

Tommy watching his Dad play flag football!

Tommy getting a better look at the game with the help from Grandma

Tommy loves to use real plates, bowls, and silverware now but he still makes a mess sometimes!

Tommy enjoying playing in the mud last weekend after it rained in AZ

Enjoying another day outside

Enjoying a chocolate doughnut from Pops

Sharing pizza with Uncle Pat

My friend went into labor and delivered a beautiful baby girl so her son Robby came over to play and spend the night! Tommy loved having someone to play with and they loved being outside!

Tommy now enjoys being able to face forward in the car

Tommy loves his blue car and wearing his hat backwards just like his Daddy!

Prayers needed for Lucia Elizabeth Simoes

2010-03-01T17:45:00.001-08:00

Calling all prayer warriors! Please pray for the Simoes family as my sister-in-law Mary just delivered Lucia Elizabeth Simoes three months early on February 25th. Joe and I are very excited to be an Aunt and Uncle to a sweet little girl. The Simoes family will need lots of prayers and support since Lucia (Lucy) was born three months early. Lucia will be in the NICU until her due date which is May 18th. Please also keep Mary and David who are such proud and amazing parents already in your thoughts and prayers!

My other sister-in-law Katie has set up a group on facebook and has also set up a donation fund for the Simoes family as they will have many expenses in the upcoming months. You can check out the websites below for more information. Please keep precious Lucia Elizabeth in your prayers or consider making a donation to the family! Katie will be updating the facebook page and her blog with up to date information about Lucia. Check the pages below often.

Lucia Facebook page and donation fund information: click here

Katie Reeder Blog: click here

Mary Simoes Blog: click here

Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints. Ephesians 6:17-18

Whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it. John 14:13-14

My sweet boy

2010-02-20T18:24:00.000-08:00

Lent

2010-02-19T11:38:00.000-08:00

It is the Lenten season and Yes, I am a Catholic now.. I have been Catholic for almost a year. I never thought I would turn Catholic coming from my Evangelical background. I thought Catholics were crazy and I actually thought they were a cult... it is so sad how wrong I was. One of the reasons I had such a hard time even thinking about becoming Catholic was because I met a lot of Catholics that did not practice their faith or even know what the church really teaches. They seemed to go to church but lived a totally different life once they left the church building. This can happen in any denomination but I felt like Catholics were the most hypocritical. I was never going to date a Catholic let alone marry one but I married a good one! He does believe in Christ and takes his faith seriously. Joe opened my eyes to the fact that there are Catholics out there who actually believe in Christ and have a fullness of faith and teachings and I wanted to become a part of that as well. When Joe and I first got married I was not going to turn Catholic but we agreed to go to the Catholic church together as we wanted our family to be as one. I changed my mind about turning Catholic after learning more and realizing that I was not turning away from Christ but opening my eyes to more things and teachings. I could write a whole book on the new things I have learned and some of my Evangelical friends may now think I am crazy but I love the Catholic faith and am so thankful that my husband and I can raise our kids in a faith filled home. The outside world is scary and our families need all the prayer and support they can get to raise children.

Lent started this past Wednesday and this is the first year in my life where I am actually giving something up and thinking closely about Lent. I don't want to just give something up. I want to start a new habit in place of giving something up. I have decided to watch less tv and spend less time on the computer during nap time. Tommy can take naps for 2-3 hours each day and I often find myself checking e-mail and other things while watching Oprah or the View. I feel like it is such a waste of time. I could sit and watch Fox News for two hours everyday and I think that is not a benefit for me anymore. So, instead I am going to focus on praying more and enjoying the silent times during nap time. My sister-in-law gave me the book, The Power of the Praying Wife, for Christmas. I started reading that and it has helped me to focus my prayer time during the day and I can already tell a difference in my relationship with Joe since I have been praying for him more each day. I am really learning to enjoy the silent and quiet times during the day instead of always having the tv/radio blaring in the background. I will keep you posted on how faithful I can remain to my new commitment. It is nap time now and I am typing away so I better get off and enjoy some quiet time.

The second time around

2010-02-05T12:46:00.000-08:00

I have been thinking a lot lately about things I will do differently the second time around as the date of our new baby's arrival approaches this coming May. I don't think I did things wrong the first time but there are things I now know that I will try and do differently with our second baby.

1. I will NOT buy expensive bedding.

- When we were getting ready for Tommy we went out to Babies R Us and bought a very expensive bedroom blanket/sheet set for Tommy. You know the ones that come in a big bag with a blanket, sheet, bumper pad, and dust ruffle. We didn't think you could have a baby without a nice bed set. We had no idea and we ended up only using the sheet and it now has a hole in it so it was not even a top quality sheet. It was the cutest set with a sports theme but it was not worth the money since it is now just sitting in our closet. Instead, I will probably go to Target and pick out some cute pink sheets and that will work. Especially, since she will sleep in our room in the playpen/bassinet for the first few months anyways.

2. I will try NOT to worry as much.

- When we brought Tommy home from the hospital it was RSV season and all the doctors and nurses warned me about too many visitors. They also told me not to take him out of the house a lot unless it was absolutely needed. I became so paranoid that Joe started referring to Tommy as bubble boy since I would hardly let anyone come over and I did not take Tommy out of the house for two weeks unless we had to go to the doctor. I turned down meals from friends and I even made my mom completely shower down after she got off the plane before she could hold her first grandchild. Luckily, our little girl will be born in May so I am hoping that I will not be as worried and I will enjoy the company, meals, and time getting out of the house.

3. I will sleep when the baby sleeps at night.

-When Joe and I brought Tommy home from the hospital we were so in LOVE and excited but also nervous. We stayed up with Tommy even when Tommy was sleeping. I would sleep from 7pm-1am (I would get up and feed him when needed) and then Joe would sleep from 1am-6am. Even if Tommy was sleeping one of us would be up watching him or watching tv with one eye while watching Tommy sleep with the other eye. This time I am going to sleep when the baby sleeps. I think this will help get her into more of a sleeping routine as Tommy did not sleep for 12-14 hours straight until he was around 1.

4. I will cuddle more.

-I loved cuddling with Tommy but I took that time for granted as I did not realize that cuddling would stop. Tommy is older now and he would rather run around and play. He does not have time to cuddle. I just thought he would cuddle forever so I am going to enjoy my cuddle moments more with our little girl knowing now that they grow up way too fast.

5. I will allow formula. (Once in awhile)

-I breastfed Tommy for 12 1/2 months and I am so proud and thankful that I was able to nurture him that way but I was never able to get away. I did pump and he would take a bottle of breast milk at first but I was always around so I got lazy and stopped using bottles so he stopped liking bottles and only insisted on the real thing. Tommy has never really been sick and I attribute a lot of that to breastfeeding but once I got pregnant again my body was producing less milk and Tommy was mad but he would not take a bottle. This time I will allow a formula bottle once every week or two so she can get used to both in case I need to get away or I need to stop breastfeeding for some reason.

6. I will not stress out about flying.

- I was so nervous about flying with Tommy as I did not want him to scream the whole plane ride but I did not realize that when they are little they usually sleep the whole flight. I did not fly home as much as I would have liked because I was worried about a screaming baby. This time I want to fly home to see family as often as we can and I am going to try and not worry about flying or what others think on the flight.

7. I will make more time for myself and my husband.

-It is so easy to worry about your children and forget to send love to your husband. I am always trying to take such good care of Tommy that I forget to take care of myself or my husband. I am going to make sure and make time for myself to workout or get out of the house by myself and make sure that I do more things for Joe as he needs to realize that I am here for him too. This is a lot easier said than done but it is one of my goals.

8. I will try not to worry about looking too pregnant.

-I feel like this 2nd pregnancy shows all over my entire body. I can see it in my face, butt, legs, arms, and even my hair. It is crazy. I am eating less and I have gained less weight this pregnancy but I feel like I am nine months pregnant already and I am only 25 weeks along. I am not one of the lucky girls where you can only tell they are pregnant by looking at their stomachs. You can see my pregnancy from 10 miles away. Joe has been posting pics on facebook but I won't let him post pics of me as I think I look too pregnant. He can only post pics of Tommy and him. It looks like I am not around when they are hanging out even though I am right there behind the camera lens. He tells me that I look beautiful and that he wants pictures of his whole family but I laugh and tell him we can take pictures of the whole family just don't show anyone. I am going to try and accept this pregnancy and move on. This is such a blessing and she is only inside me for nine months so I am going to try and enjoy it even if you can see my pregnancy coming from miles away it will all be worth it for her! I was inspired by this post on a blog I read often by C Jane. She is a mother of one little boy and is expecting a second child soon. You can read it by clicking here.

9. I will try and love her as much as I love Tommy! (I am now crying as I type)

- I know all Moms say that they can't believe they are going to be able to love the 2nd baby as much as the 1st but somehow the love appears. I still don't believe it is possible as I can't even imagine having that much love but I am so excited for her as I LOVE TOMMY so much that it hurts and I can't imagine having even more love to give.

Hiking Backpack

2010-01-13T19:20:00.000-08:00

The weather in Arizona is perfect this time of year. Joe and I love to go hiking but it has been hard to get out with a baby and it is also hard for me to do tough climbs while I am pregnant. However, we have still enjoyed the easy climbs. Last week we took Tommy hiking but we did not have a backpack for Tommy so Joe carried Tommy on his shoulders and it really wore Joe out. Luckily, on the way home from the hike we spotted a second hand store and found a gently used hiking backpack. Joe and Tommy were testing the backpack out tonight and Tommy LOVES it. Can't wait to go out again this weekend!

Park Time

2010-01-07T14:59:00.000-08:00

Lately, Tommy and I have been enjoying going to the park every morning as Tommy loves to feed the ducks. Tommy loves the to play on the playground, run around on the huge open soccer fields, and he loves to climb the hills.

I don't push him around in the stroller anymore as he loves his little car. Joe even brings this car in the grocery store when he has Tommy with him as Tommy loves to ride around in the car. (I wish I had more pictures but I only had my camera phone today.)

Only in North Dakota

2010-01-06T17:33:00.000-08:00

Tommy was enjoying the North Dakota weather this past Thanksgiving before it got too cold. I was talking with my mom on the phone tonight and she said it is really cold in ND and she is worried she won't be able to get her car out in the morning so she has her cross country skis ready. Only in North Dakota are teachers that dedicated that they will cross country ski to work in frigid temperatures.

Tommy's 1st Birthday Party

2010-01-06T10:41:00.000-08:00

We had so much fun getting ready for Tommy's first birthday party! We had some great family friends come over to help celebrate and my mom was in town from North Dakota. The party was football themed and Tommy had a blast!

Friends and family came over to help celebrate Tommy's 1st birthday!

Cousins Luke and Hannah with Aunt Robyn!

Everything was decorated with football gear! We now have enough football stuff to host a Super Bowl Party!

Joe and I even got dressed up in our jerseys for the football themed birthday party!

Joe made three cakes for Tommy's birthday. Yes, my husband is AMAZING! I was just going to go to Wal Mart and buy a cake but Joe wanted to make the cakes. One just for Tommy, a heart shaped one and a double layer chocolate cake for everyone else! They tasted so good! Joe did the cooking and baking and I decorated.

Tommy loved his cake and could not stop eating. We finally had to take it away. He has such a sweet tooth!

He stuck his pacifier in after he was done eating!

Cousin Luke loved that he got his own heart shaped cake!

The double chocolate layered cake!

Tommy enjoying a bath after all the cake.

Tommy playing with his birthday balloons the next morning.

Pictures from Tommy's 1st Birthday photo shoot

2009-12-30T20:54:00.000-08:00

Tommy's 1st Birthday

2009-12-30T10:00:00.001-08:00

Tommy is officially 1 today! I cannot believe how fast this year has flown by... Tommy has grown so much and we love him more and more everyday. It is so fun to watch him grow and do new things everyday. He amazes me! He has been walking since a little before he was 10 months old. He babbles all the time unless he has his pacifier in his mouth. He claps and says hi and loves to dance especially when he hears Elmo. He has four teeth. He eats anything and everything he can get his hands on and he is still a little squirt but he is an oh so strong squirt. He plays hard with his Daddy and loves to be outside. He especially loves his swing in our backyard.

This morning we let him eat a doughnut in celebration of his 1st birthday and he LOVED it! He could not cram it in his mouth fast enough. We are spending the day getting ready for his football themed birthday party. (I will post pictures tomorrow) We are also going to get his first birthday photos taken at Target. It should be a fun day as my mom is in town. She is staying with us for a week and I really enjoy having her around.

Last night we went out with Tana (one of my best friend's from high school) and her fiance Travis. They flew down from Bismarck for a few days and Joe and I enjoyed going out while my mom babysat.

Tana is such a great friend and I look forward to making it back to Bismarck for her wedding in July!

Pink

2009-12-18T12:21:00.000-08:00

I LOVE pink! I also loved purple as a little girl and I am so excited to be able to start buying pink and purple things as we are going to be having a girl! We just found out today and I was so excited for a little girl that I started crying on the ultrasound table. Can't wait for May when we get to meet our little girl!

6 out of 10

2009-12-14T10:58:00.001-08:00

I was catching up with Missy (one of my best friends) on the phone this past Saturday. It was so nice to visit and talk about being pregnant, family and life. She is 7 months pregnant and is due on March 5th with her first baby. I am so excited for her! She was the Matron of Honor in our wedding. I had nine bridesmaids..Yes, NINE. I am blessed to have such great friends. I then realized that 5 out of my 9 bridesmaids are pregnant and since I am pregnant that would make 6 out of 10! That also includes my two sister-in-laws. I am so excited for all the babies and for my wonderful friends. Congrats to Missy, Ashley T., Ashley B., Mary and Katie! I pray that everyone stays healthy and I look forward to bringing all of our babies together someday.

Laundry

2009-11-14T09:19:00.000-08:00

I am very good at loading the wash. I am also good at moving the clean clothes to the dryer and I am also good at moving the clothes from the dryer to the living room couch. I am not good at folding all of our clean clothes. I always intend on folding while Tommy plays in the living room/playroom but I don't usually get around to it right away. Joe is very good at folding laundry. I woke up this morning to find all of our clothes nicely folded on the couch! I LOVE my husband! He does so many things that I need to send out more love to him on this blog! I have to brag because he is my husband and he is the best and I love him!

Sleep

2009-11-06T11:15:00.000-08:00

Tommy slept the whole night last night! He slept from 8pm - 8am! I am so proud of him. Especially, after I wrote about how hard it was yesterday. He woke up at 2am and cried for about 5 minutes and put himself back to sleep. He woke up again at 5am for about 2 minutes and put himself back to sleep! I am hoping this will continue! Please say a little prayer for him! It was an amazing night of sleep for me!

Feeling better

2009-11-05T10:37:00.000-08:00

I would like to say that I have not blogged in awhile as we have been busy with company and enjoying the nicer weather. However, the real reason is because I have not been feeling well. I forgot what the first trimester was like and I had about two weeks where all I could do was stay inside and try my best to play with Tommy and keep him busy but I would just pray that I could make it to nap time each day. Luckily, Joe would help me out in the mornings and Joe's parents love to watch Tommy so they watched him quite a few afternoons and evenings. Tommy also loved getting out of the house and going to visit them especially since all I wanted to do was stay inside. Luckily, I am feeling a lot better. I have also not gained any weight during my first trimester. Granted, I had not lost all of my baby weight from Tommy but when I was pregnant with Tommy I gained over 10 pounds in my first trimester.

Update on Tommy:
- Turned 10 months old on October 30th.
- Is walking - he started about two weeks ago and can now take numerous steps but he is still somewhat unsteady and has no idea how to walk with shoes on his feet.
- Weighed 17 lbs. 9 oz. at his 9 month appointment. He was in the 90th percentile for height and the 10th for weight - He is my little peanut.
- He is a very happy baby and his favorite thing is to play with his Daddy!
- He has two teeth.
- He loves to eat and no longer eats baby food. He loves to eat anything that we are eating.
- He still nurses - he REFUSES to take formula. I tried to switch him once I got pregnant but there was no way he was going to switch - He only wants the real stuff.
- He can be very stubborn.
- He cries very loudly.
- He DOES NOT sleep through the night - This is such a hard thing right now. He just started going from 8:00pm to 5am a couple of weeks ago and now he is back to waking up earlier. I try and give him his pacifier but he still cries. One night he cried on and off for over two hours. I finally went in and fed him and he went right to bed. I am just getting really sick of getting up in the middle of the night. My pediatrician and OB doc said that I need to make him cry it out as he does not need to be eating at night but I guess I am a sucker and can't handle all the crying. I thought he would grow out of it as he eats so much during the day. This is something we are working on every night. Hopefully, he will be sleeping completely through the night before the next baby is born!

Big Brother

2009-10-17T20:37:00.000-07:00

Yes, Tommy is going to be a big brother! We are expecting our second baby! I am about 9-10 weeks along with a due date of May 22, 2010. While we were open to another baby I was still a little shocked when I found out I was pregnant. I was home alone with Tommy when I took a home pregnancy test about a month ago and it was positive! Joe was still working and I really wanted to tell him but I wanted to wait until he got home so I could tell him in person. So, I wrote on Tommy's diaper that he is going to be a big brother and when Joe came home I asked him to go change Tommy as I needed a break. Joe started playing with Tommy and I kept saying please change his diaper. Finally, Joe changed his diaper and could not believe what he just read. He was so excited!

(I am not sure why Tommy's diaper looks so big in these pictures. He must have had a lot of pee that afternoon!)

Tomtoon

2009-09-20T19:35:00.000-07:00

Pat (Joe's brother) made Tommy this awesome pontoon and surprised us with this amazing gift! Pat thought up the idea and bought all the supplies and made it in his living room! We were so excited. Pat gave this to Tommy this past May but I am finally getting around to posting these pictures on my blog. Isn't it amazing. Tommy actually floats in this thing. We put his bumbo seat and he fit just perfectly into the pontoon that we now call the Tomtoon! Than you so much Pat!

Simple Things

2009-09-18T15:28:00.000-07:00

While washing the car a few weekends ago Joe told me that he is so happy. He had always dreamed of washing his car in his own driveway with his family right inside. It was the perfect Saturday and Joe felt like he had arrived. I love you Joe! It is the simple things in life that make him happy!

North Dakota: Part 2 (Water Time)

2009-09-17T12:42:00.000-07:00

Yes, in the Smith family you even take your dog with you on the kayak! We love our dogs!

You can see our cabin behind Joe water skiing to the left of Joe's shoulder - it is the white one with the big wrap around deck.

We spent most of our trip back to North Dakota at Lake Sakakawea. I grew up going there every weekend with my family and we would meet up with all our cousins and aunts and uncles. It is fun to go back there now and bring Tommy and Joe. My mom inherited my grandparents cabin so she tore it down a few years ago and built an amazing cabin/home. We love spending time on the water. We go water skiing, tubing and have contests to see how many people can stand on the tube at one time. Tommy loved being on the boat and playing in the water even though it was cold. He does not mind the water being cold as he just loves being in water. My mom bought him a life jacket last summer before he was born and he had to wear it on the boat. It looks like he is being strangled but he actually liked the life jacket. We are hoping to teach Tommy how to water ski next summer with kid's skis. My cousin Michelle learned how to water ski at the age of 2 so we are going to try and beat her record. I don't think it will be a problem as Tommy loves the water!

Labor Day Breakfast (Tommy style)

2009-09-07T16:32:00.000-07:00

Tommy started off the day with rice cereal, pancakes and cantaloupe. He is really starting to enjoy food and wants real food more and more each day which means he is starting to nurse less and less during the day. He sure loves food and wants anything and everything that Joe and I are eating. We started him out on rice cereal and moved up to baby food. Now, he loves to try and eat real food but I still feed him rice cereal and baby food throughout the day. He eats three meals a day. He is becoming such a big boy!

Thank you Uncle Jim

2009-09-06T17:06:00.000-07:00

Thank you Uncle Jim for my Air Jordans! I love them and they are finally starting to fit. Now, all I need to do is start walking. Mommy told me that you are now teaching 5th grade. Good luck Mr. Petrik and have a great year!

Love,

Tommy

Just Chillin

2009-09-03T09:58:00.000-07:00

Tommy and his cousin Hannah were just chillin last Sunday night as we all enjoyed a relaxing evening at Joe's Aunt and Uncle's house - Tom and Patty. They invited us all over for burgers, beer and fun. I love living in Arizona where you can sit out in the backyard and enjoy good food while visiting with family and friends. The weather was beautiful and so was the scenery as you can sit in their backyard and look out over the golf course and see the mountains in the background. The babies also enjoyed relaxing in the pool! (These pictures are from my phone so they are a little blurry)

Overstock.com

2009-08-27T10:59:00.000-07:00

I had been looking for a duvet cover for our king size bed for the past few months. I could not find the right one for the right price so I just kept looking. One day my mom told me to check out Overstock.com and I found this awesome duvet cover for only $39.95. That is an amazing price for a king size duvet cover and it only cost $2.95 for shipping. It arrived in the mail last week and I love it. I bought the blue/chocolate one and it is a soft cotton that looks perfect on our bed. I will now check out overstock.com more often!

North Dakota Part 1

2009-08-24T09:33:00.000-07:00

We took a family trip back to ND for the second time this summer. Joe and his brother Pat flew up with Tommy and I. Joe and Pat stayed for one week and then they flew back to AZ to work while Tommy and I enjoyed more time with family and friends in ND for a couple of weeks. We flew back to ND at the end of July as we did not want to miss my stepsister Annie Vossler's wedding. She got married on July 25th in Bismarck. Her wedding was beautiful and she looked gorgeous. I only got one picture during the wedding as we were sitting in the back of the church. It was good we sat in the back as Joe was able to walk out when Tommy got a little fussy. We loved spending time with my Dad and his wife Kris. Tommy is named after my dad and it is neat to see the two of them together.

Boarding the Allegiant flight from the back of the plane. We love flying Allegiant Air as it is a direct flight to ND and it is cheap. The airport is also about 5 minutes from our house.

This picture is from 2007 - I added it so you could see my Dad's wife Kris and her two daughters - Annie and Maddie (I was really tan in this picture as I used to spraytan - I have not been able to spraytan in over a year as I was pregnant and now I am nursing. Can't wait to spraytan again as I refuse to tan in the sun.)

I found the bride's suite and used it as my nursing room.

Tommy and his Grandpa Tom

My brother Jim, Joe, Tommy and Grandpa

Pushing the Radio Flyer

2009-08-23T20:02:00.000-07:00

Thankful

2009-08-21T13:27:00.000-07:00

I am so thankful today as I am a stay at home mom. I have been a stay at home for almost 8 months but today I am especially thankful. I went to workout at a gym with a friend and we both left our little boys in the gym daycare. This was the first time either of us have had to leave our boys with someone other than family at a daycare setting. We both wanted to cry. I know it is only an hour but this was not a nice home daycare. It was loud and full of kids. Luckily, Tommy did well but it just made me appreciate how lucky I am to be staying home with him everyday. I am so thankful to Joe for allowing us to be at home. I know Joe loves it as he is able to have peace of mind knowing his son is in good hands at home! I have had many insecurities about staying home like what will others think of me?? Will I get bored? Will I ever work again? Am I meant to do more? But, today all those insecurities washed away as I now know that I am right where I am supposed to be in my life. I do have some bad days and some days can get boring but I fall in love more and more with my son everyday! I hope to go back to work someday but for now I love my job being a stay at home mom with Tommy! Oh and I do plan on going back to the gym as it is good for me and it is good for Tommy to be around other people but it does make me appreciate my time at home with him even more.

Fun Weekend

2009-08-19T18:41:00.000-07:00

Last week Tommy and I had an uneventful week at home as the car was getting fixed. We had fun playing in the backyard with the baby pool and playing with toys in all the different rooms in the house but Tommy and I were ready to get out. We usually go out and about at least once during the day even if that means just going to Target and walking around so we were not used to being home for a whole week. Well, we made up for it last weekend with Joe. We had fun!! Tommy is such a big boy and so strong! He had fun at the Diamondbacks game with his GG (Great Grandma Virgie) and his cousin Luke! He played in the water and made mud with Daddy. We went to Jim and Robyn's on Saturday and Tommy loved being in the pool and playing with his cousin Hannah. He even hung from the basketball net and climbed a water fall. (Please don't worry - he loved it and we only let him hang for a few seconds but it was impressive!!!)

Queen of Diamonds

2009-08-14T09:26:00.001-07:00

This past week my computer and my car broke down. I cried on Monday morning as Joe was walking out the door for work. I was excited to be back in AZ but I was also sad as I had just spent three weeks with my entire family and now I was going to be home alone without a car or a computer. Joe felt bad but told me I was being a little dramatic. (I can be dramatic sometimes even though I do not like to admit it and I do not like others to point out that I am being dramatic) It was not the best way to start out the day or week. Joe left and I played with Tommy for a couple of hours and then put him down for his morning nap. Normally during nap time I go in the office and check e-mail. I walked into the office and looked at my dead computer in angst and then I realized that I had a VERY OLD computer in the bottom of the desk so I turned it on praying that it would work and it did! I was so excited that I could connect to the world while Tommy napped. I was also excited as I found some old pictures on the computer from the summer of 2007. I thought I would share a few from our engagement that happened around 2 years ago. (I can't remember the exact date but if you ask Joe he will remember. He is a lot better at remembering important dates)

Joe asked me to marry him at my family lake cabin in ND. We love to play pinochle together. We were playing a game outside overlooking the water and he had stacked the deck so it would deal out perfectly. I almost had a double rope and all I was missing was a queen of diamonds. Joe thought I would ask for the queen of diamonds right away but I did not realize what was going on. He said, "Isn't the queen missing her diamond?" I realized what was going on as he got down on one knee and said he had the diamond for his queen. I just melted. He is so amazing and it was the perfect way to get engaged.

Standing Up

2009-08-13T21:08:00.000-07:00

Tommy loves to pull himself up to the standing position. He does this all of the time during the day and he does it in his crib when he is supposed to be going to bed. I put him down in his crib awake and he usually falls asleep on his own. However, tonight he kept standing up and looking out the door waiting for us to walk by and pick him up...so, I had to had to walk in multiple times and lay him back down. He kept standing back up and he was not happy but eventually fell asleep.

Wild Man

2009-08-13T12:47:00.000-07:00

Tommy is crawling all over the place now. He can also go from the sitting position down to crawling and back up to sitting. He learned how to crawl while we were home in ND visiting friends and family for over three weeks. That is one of the nice things about currently being a stay at home mom - you can take vacations for as long as you want. Joe was only able to make it for a week so we missed him when he had to fly back to AZ to work. I have lots of pics to post but my computer is not working and I am currently using a really really old computer so I hope to get some pics uploaded soon.

Tommy can also pull himself up on things. I found him today standing up in the crib. He also says Momma...Momma....Momma A LOT. I am not sure he realizes he is saying my name but I just love hearing it even if he is screaming it! I am so proud of my little man. He has a lot of energy just like Joe!

He was standing up when I came in to his room this afternoon
so I snapped a quick photo with my phone.

More Family Pictures

2009-07-21T14:26:00.000-07:00

I just had to post a few more pictures from our photo shoot that we had a couple of weeks ago. I love all of the photos and already have some framed in our house! Thanks again Jess!

Food Pusher

2009-07-17T11:13:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I wonder why I have not lost all of my baby weight. I thought it would be really easy since I am nursing Tommy. Everyone always told me while I was pregnant that the weight would just fall off if you breastfeed. So, I breastfed Tommy knowing it would be good for him but I also nursed him for selfish reasons hoping the weight would just melt away. Well, needless to say nothing just fell off and I think part of the reason is because my husband is a food pusher. However, he does this out of love as he loves to make everyone happy with food! It is one of his love languages that he inherited from his father.

The first night we arrived in San Diego Joe went out to get dinner while I settled in to my friend Missy's house. I told Missy and her husband Dustin that I am sure Joe will come back with a lot of food because he always buys more than what is needed. Boy, he did not let us down. He came in with the biggest pizza that I had ever seen. We were all laughing as Joe was barely able to fit the box through the front door. I just love my food pusher husband!!!

Tommy could not even stretch over the whole pizza box.

San Diego

2009-07-16T10:00:00.000-07:00

We drove to San Diego this past weekend and had a blast! It is only about a 6 hour drive for us from Phoenix. It was so fun to get away and be on the beach. Tommy absolutely loved the water and the sand. The first day we hung out at the beach for over 7 hours and Tommy did awesome! He took two naps right on the beach. We want to go there every summer and get out of the heat. We went and stayed with one of my best friend's from college - Missy. We also got to hang out with Joe's Aunt and Uncle Jeff and Therese. They rent out a home on Coronado every year for a month. We had such a good time. Tommy's cousin Hannah and her parents Jim and Robyn (Joe's other Aunt and Uncle) were also there for a day. We really enjoyed relaxing, talking and spending time with friends and family while enjoying the beautiful weather!

Playdate

2009-07-09T09:14:00.000-07:00

I joined a bible study this last fall for moms and I have loved meeting with them. We meet twice a month throughout the school year and it is so nice to get support from other moms while learning more about your faith. We don't do it during the summer since everyone is so busy so I invited a few of the women over for lunch yesterday. It was fun to see all of the kids playing together. Tommy loved having people over. I have been cooking lately (no, I am not kidding) and I was going to make a homemade chicken pot pie but we didn't have all the ingredients so the night before my wonderful husband made a lasagna and I baked it before the girls came over. I am so thankful to have found some good friends in AZ who support you as a mom and they also share your faith.

Goodbye blonde - Hello brown!

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

One of my friends from a mommy group that I joined took some photos of the family last night! It was hot and we made poor Tommy go in jeans and a black shirt but it was a lot of fun and Jess did a really good job. You can check out her website here if you are interested in getting your pictures taken. She only charges $50 as she is working on building her portfolio and she even gives you all of your pictures on a cd. She met us at a park and worked with us even though it was really hot outside. Here are a few of the pictures that she already sent me. Also, I said goodbye to my blonde hair yesterday and I am excited to be a brunette which is more my natural color. I had dyed my hair blonde for many years. I surprised Joe and he loved it. He could not believe that I would dye my hair blonde for so long. I think he likes the new look!

4th of July weekend

2009-07-07T09:06:00.000-07:00

Tommy and I took a couple of naps together this past weekend on the couch. He is always moving so I enjoy the time when he is sleepy and cuddly!

We celebrated the 4th of July with family in town. It was actually a very lazy day and I really enjoyed just relaxing this past weekend. Joe's Aunt and Uncle (Carrie and Jeff) were in town from ND and they stayed with us for a few days. Joe's Dad has not been feeling well lately and was in the hospital as the doctors are trying to figure out what is going on... please keep him in your prayers. He is now out of the hospital at home resting. He is in good hands with Colleen! So, we spent an hour or so in the hospital visiting Randy on the 4th. We had fun getting dressed up and I think Randy enjoyed it!! Tommy had fun visiting his Pops!

Baby Pool

2009-07-06T11:28:00.000-07:00

We put an offer in on a house that had a pool but we did not get that house. Now, I am so thankful that we did not get the first house as I love the house we bought! However, it does not have a pool and I am thankful for that now as I was nervous about keeping Tommy safe with a pool in the backyard. Instead, we bought a couple of baby pools and Tommy loves them. We go outside in the backyard everyday and play in the water at least once a day. It is so hot here so Tommy loves getting in the water. It also tires him out and he takes really good naps after some time in the baby pool. He loves to suck on the sides of the soft pool and he loves playing with all the water shooting at his face.

North Dakota

2009-07-02T10:24:00.000-07:00

I found my camera. It was buried in my backpack. I guess I should have looked a little harder. Here are some pictures from our trip to ND. It was very cold a couple of days so we are all wearing our sweatshirts that my mom had made. We loved them as they kept us nice and warm.

Arizona is home

2009-06-27T11:43:00.000-07:00

It feels good to be home in Arizona. Arizona is now our home. It took a long time for me to say this as I LOVE ND but now I also LOVE Arizona. I love that Joe and I are from ND and I love that we can always go back and we may even move back someday but right now Arizona is home. I love the sun everyday and the heat is not so bad in the summer as it is a dry heat. I loved coming home to Joe! He is such a good husband. He had painted our room and bathroom and ceiling. He had laid new grass in the backyard and worked on other projects around the house. Tommy loved seeing his Daddy and he just lights up every time Joe walks in the room. Joe and I went on a date night this week to the Diamondbacks game. Joe also took Tommy over to the pool this week! Tommy loves being in the pool. Joe also let me sleep in this morning. I woke up and they were in the backyard playing with the hose. Tommy loves water!

Weddings, the lake, family and friends

2009-06-27T11:15:00.000-07:00

I have been remiss on posting as so much has happened over the last month so I have posted a few snapshots from the past few weeks below. I have used a lot of these images from Katie Reeder - thank you! I lost our camera at the lake so unfortunately we have very few photos from our time in ND. I will have to get a new camera before we head back to ND in July! Joe's sister Mary got married to David on June 5th in Gilbert. We had a lot of fun and it was a beautiful wedding. Joe's other sister Katie and her husband Konrad and son Wyatt came to stay with us for a couple of weeks during the wedding. We loved having them at the house and so did Tommy as he loved watching Wyatt play. We also had GG (Joe's grandma Wilson) and Auntie JoJo (Joe's aunt) come and stay with us for a couple of days before the wedding. It was fun as they were able to finally meet Tommy!

GG and Auntie JoJo feeding Tommy

One of my good freinds Ashely from ND had a baby two days before me and they finally got to meet when we went back to ND. Tommy and Link

Tommy enjoying his time at the lake in ND!

Joe's sister and her family! We loved hanging out with them!

Wyatt loves to play hockey so Joe and Tommy joined in a game!

Katie made the cutest t-shirts for Tommy and Wyatt!

The Wilson Family

Home

2009-06-12T20:13:00.000-07:00

I am home visiting family and friends in ND. It feels so good to be home and enjoying the lake. I am staying with my mom and she is really enjoying spending time with Tommy. Tommy is really rolling over a lot these days and trying to crawl. He is so strong and always cute. We have been busy. We had company at our house in AZ for a couple of weeks before Joe's sister's wedding. Mary was married last Friday and we had a lot of fun. We then flew to ND for my cousin's wedding on Saturday. There was a 60 degree temperature change. It was really cold here last weekend. It is finally starting to warm up so Tommy and I are enjoying playing outside on the deck. We will be here for another week before we head back to AZ. Joe went back to AZ a couple of days ago and we already miss him! We will be coming back to ND for a couple of weeks in July.

Tommy's room and the guest room

2009-05-21T11:50:00.000-07:00

It is fun to actually have a closet for Tommy so we can hang up all of his clothes and we have a place for all of his stuff.

Joe painted Tommy's whole room. He stayed up until 2am finishing everything and hanging up everything. I woke up at 3am to get a diaper for Tommy from his room and I was pleasantly surprised by what Joe had done. The only thing that really surprised me was "my belly" - Joe had hung up the plaster of my belly that my cousin Michelle made over Thanksgiving last year. I was wondering why it was placed so low on the wall. Joe told me that he likes the belly low so people can go and stand next to it and compare belly sizes. I just laughed. The belly is still hanging low on the wall.

We bought a bunch of wall stickers that match Tommy's room which is sports themed. We also hung up Tommy's taggie football - a football with taggies all over. Tommy loves to look up at the fan and see his football hanging in the room.

This room used to be all white and it had dings and was dirty. I love the tan color. It was nice to be able to fit his crib and changing table in the room.

Joe painted all of the letters and they match my belly plaster. I love the way he hung them up kind of crooked.

Another picture of the crib. I was so paranoid that Tommy might get squished between the mattress and the bumpers so I removed the bumpers. However, Tommy got his leg stuck in between the bars this morning while taking a nap. I was able to get him out quickly but he was not happy so I will be putting back up the bumper today.

Tommy is enjoying his new high chair. It lowers so he can be eye level with us at the kitchen table. Thanks Dad and Kris!

The high chair can also roll if you unlock the wheels so we went riding around the kitchen yesterday and Tommy loved it.

The guest bedroom was painted blue when we moved in so we left it blue for now. My mom will be the first one to stay in the room this weekend!

More pics of the house will be coming soon!

We have moved!

2009-05-18T14:45:00.001-07:00

We moved into our house last week. We closed a week late so it was a slow and frustrating process but it is now all over and we are really enjoying all of the room! I feel like I am in a palace compared to our apartment as I have so much more room. Tommy and I are really enjoying playing in all of the rooms. We don't have furniture in the living room but it works perfect for a play room as we can spread out all of his toys. We have been working on small projects in the house. Actually, Joe has been doing most of the work and I just make sure Tommy is taken care of and happy. Joe installed a microwave above the stove - we were able to save $100 by installing it ourselves. He also has been painting Tommy's room and the office. Tommy's room looks so good! It is so fun to be able to actually design a room for him. Joe also painted the office. The next room that needs to be painted is our bedroom. My mom is coming this weekend and Joe's sister is getting married in Gilbert on June 5th so we have some more family coming in to stay with us that week. We love being able to have friends and family over. Tommy has started eating rice cereal and he LOVES it. He can't get enough. He eats really good and opens his mouth for every bite. I have too many pics to download so you can view some pics by clicking here.

Uncle Jim

2009-05-07T11:03:00.000-07:00

My brother flew in to meet Tommy! He is currently subbing in Beulah and was able to take a few days to come visit us. He just got offered a full time job as a 5th grade teacher for Northridge Elementary in Bismarck. I am so excited for him as there were 350 applicants for 5 job openings and he got one of the jobs. He was going to stay in Beulah and continue his coaching job but there were no full time teaching jobs open for next year. I am really excited to see his classroom this summer as I am sure I will be home a lot. I don't want to be in the heat with Tommy all summer so we plan on spending a lot of time in ND enjoying the weather, family and the lake. Jim also bought Tommy a pair of Nike Air Jordans! They are so cute. I think Jim is getting Tommy ready for a basketball career.

Sprinkles

2009-05-02T14:45:00.000-07:00

My friend Katie truly knows the way to my heart - sweets! She brought over the most delicious cupcakes from a place called Sprinkles Cupcakes in Scottsdale and they were amazing. Katie is from ND and I just love having a good friend from back home who lives in the area! We were talking today about how comforting it is to have friends down here from back home! Anyways, one of our friends LeAnn came into town from ND so the three of us went out to lunch and it was great to catch up with LeAnn who just got engaged.

No time for bloggin

2009-04-30T12:40:00.000-07:00

I have not had any time to blog as we are getting ready for the big move next week! At least we hope it is next week. I just found out that in AZ you don't get your keys at the closing. You get your keys once the money has officially transferred and it won't transfer until after the closing. It should hopefully only take a day or two but someone I know had to wait a week. I had already scheduled the carpet and tile cleaning and phone/internet/cable set up for next week. We are also supposed to be out of our apartment by May 8th as we could not wait to move! So, hopefully we will be moving next week. Otherwise, we are on the street. Also, I have not even started to pack. I need to start this weekend! Tommy goes in for his 4 month check up tomorrow and more shots. Hopefully, it will go better this time! I hate having to take him in for shots. The poor little guy. My brother Jim is flying in next week to help us move if we end up moving so I am really excited for him to meet Tommy! Tommy is so cute and he has started to suck on his toes which I think is just the cutest thing in the whole wide world! He also started rolling over from his tummy to his back a few weeks ago. We have video but I can't upload video on my computer so I never post video on the blog. I will work on this sometime. My mom and I have started calling each other on Skype so she can see Tommy and he can see her. It is a lot of fun and it is free! Please keep us in your prayers as next week is a big week for our family! We are so excited to own our own home!!!

Cousins

2009-04-23T10:58:00.001-07:00

Jenny, Joe's cousin, invited us over for the afternoon last Saturday. Tommy loved seeing Jenny's daughter Hailey. He couldn't stop looking at her. They look so cute together in these pics!

May 5th

2009-04-18T09:43:00.000-07:00

Joe and I are really looking forward to May 5th as that is the date we close on our new house! We are so excited to be moving out of our apartment. It looks like a bomb exploded with baby stuff and we are running out of room in the apartment. The new house has four bedrooms and two baths. It has a 3 car tandem garage. It faces into a park so there is no one behind us and no two stories anywhere around us. We can't wait to have people over for game nights, dinner and a murder mystery party. Yes, I said Murder Mystery Party!! I have been waiting to host a murder mystery party for a long time. Joe got me the set for my birthday so I can't wait to invite people over. Hopefully, you won't be the killer!

Long Week

2009-04-17T10:46:00.000-07:00

I usually try and be really upbeat on this blog but this past week has been a tough week. My family was all together for Easter this past Sunday and I was really missing them. I realized that we had not spent a single holiday with my family in over two years. We have been too busy planning a wedding, having a baby, buying a house and I just turned Catholic. I guess a lot has happened in little under a year and a half. We did do a video conference with my whole family on Easter and decided that we will possibly host a Smith Thanksgiving in AZ this year and Joe and I are planning on going home to ND for Christmas this year!!!

It has also been stressful this week trying to get everything ready for the move. Joe has been working longer hours before we move so it has been harder at home as he such a big help with Tommy when he is home. Tommy and I have been missing him. But, whenever Joe was at home this week all I did was talk and stress out about health insurance. I HATE having to deal with our health insurance. If you have health insurance through your company or your husband's company please be THANKFUL. We have to pay out of pocket for our health insurance since Joe is self employed and it is a nightmare but also a sacrifice we are willing to make so I can stay home with Tommy.I found out this week that Tommy's plan only covers part of his immunizations so I started freaking out and applying for new plans. I was then able to talk with our insurance company and they will be covering most of his immunizations. I also talked with our doctor and he said they can cover any immunizations that our plan does not cover. So, I am feeling better but I am always keeping my eyes open for a good part time job if needed down the road so we could get better health insurance.

I was also starting to loose some more baby weight these past couple of weeks and I was feeling good but now I feel like I have gained it all back due to stress and less sleep. Tommy has been such a good sleeper as he was going to bed around 9pm and waking up around 5am for a feeding and then we would go back to bed till around 8 or 9am. Now, he sometimes will go to bed at 9pm and he now wakes up at 2am or 3am and then up again at 5am and 8am. I was starting to get used to sleep and now I am back up again throughout the night. Tommy must be going through a growth spurt but it is also causing me to gain back a little weight. I thought I had made so much progress.

Also, please keep one of my best friend's from ND in your prayers. She has had to go through some things this past week that are a lot harder than any of my little problems. I wish I could be there to hug her and love on her. So, please keep her in your prayers.

I am starting to feel much better now that I am able to write it down and share with others. I am also about to take Tommy on our daily morning walk and that always makes me feel better!!! I will post pics of our new house soon! I was waiting to make sure everything went well with the inspection and the appraisal!

Happy Easter

2009-04-12T08:37:00.000-07:00

Jesus is risen! He is risen INDEED and Tommy is excited! Tommy and I found the basket that the Easter bunny (ie-Joe) had hidden. I also became a Catholic last night and I am very excited. I will write more about that experience later this week. For now, enjoy the Easter pics!

Rainforest Jumper

2009-04-07T09:22:00.000-07:00

I bought this rain forest jumper from a friend. I am excited because eventually Tommy will be able to sit in it and jump up and down. He is still too young but I put him in there today just to test it out. I put a pillow below him and a blanket behind him. He loved it so much that he fell asleep in the chair! He was mad when I woke him up and took him out but I was not going to let him sleep in the jumper.

Anniversary Date Night

2009-04-06T11:11:00.000-07:00

Joe and I had a great 1st Anniversary. We took Tommy over to Colleen's house while we went up to Scottsdale and enjoyed sushi. We then went over to Martini Ranch and watched Gavin Degraw. I really wanted to see him and Joe surprised me with tickets. The concert was fun but everyone stood the whole time as it was a small venue so our feet were really hurting by the end of the night. The biggest surprise of the night was when I walked out and found that Joe had a replica of the top of our wedding cake made to celebrate our 1st anniversary! I loved it! It was so fun to see and eat the cake. It made me want to cry as that was so special! I posted pictures of the replica and then I posted pictures of our actual wedding cake. It is something that I will now look forward to every year! The cake tasted amazing. Joe even plastered some icing on my face just like last year.

1 Year Anniversary

2009-04-04T22:20:00.000-07:00

Joe and I have been married now for 1 year! We were married on April 5, 2008. It has been an amazing year and time has gone by so fast. I am lucky to have such a great husband and I am looking forward to many more years to come!

House

2009-04-04T11:15:00.001-07:00

We bought a house! We are so excited as we think we found the perfect one! We move in on May 5th. It is a great house in a good neighborhood. I will post more pics and info later!

Croquet Anyone?

2009-04-02T16:10:00.000-07:00

Nana and Pops

2009-03-31T10:44:00.000-07:00

I would just like to make a shout to Nana and Pops! They are Joe's parents and it is so nice having them only a mile away. They love spending time with Tommy and they are the best babysitters. They have given us the gift of being able to get away together and go on date nights while they watch Tommy. Thanks for being awesome grandparents. Tommy loves you!

Where is Tommy?

2009-03-31T10:22:00.000-07:00

I have not cleaned out my closet since before Tommy was born. It has been three months and I just take clothes off and throw them on the floor. I also take clean clothes and fold them and throw them on the floor in piles. Whenever I need to find something I pull out all of the clothes from the closet and then throw them all back in the closet. Joe makes fun of me as he is Mr. Clean and his closet is super organized. The other day I told Joe that I am going to clean out my closet so I took all of my clothes on the floor and threw them on my bed. Can you find Tommy amid the clothes? Needless to say, I never got around to organizing them so they all ended back up on the floor. I have now decided that I am not going to organize them until we move into our new house. Whenever that may be....

House Hunting

2009-03-31T10:11:00.000-07:00

We are looking forward to moving into a house soon if we can find one! There are tons of homes for sale down here at great prices but a lot of them are short sales. These are homes that are in pre-foreclosure. We don't want to buy one of these homes as it can take 3-5 months to close. So, we are looking at a lot of bank owned homes. They get back to you right away and you can close a lot sooner. We found one we loved this past weekend! We both loved it but there were others looking at it as well and one of them got it so we are off to look again today. This whole process is so exciting but also overwhelming. Hopefully, we can find a good home today!

Flooding and Blizzards in ND

2009-03-25T11:45:00.001-07:00

My heart and prayers go out to my family members and friends stuck in the blizzard conditions in North Dakota that is now causing major flooding. I got this video from the Bismarck Tribune. Please say a prayer for everyone in ND. Many people had to be evacuated in Bismarck. Please pray!

3 months

2009-03-24T10:33:00.000-07:00

Waking up from a nap

Stretching

Yawning

Stretching again

Then a smile for mommy!

Tommy is 3 months old today! He is growing up so fast. Joe and I are enjoying every minute with him as he is so fun and we love watching him grow and do new things everyday! He sleeps through the night and we have fun with him during the day. We are excited for many more months and years to come!

Wind Cave Trail

2009-03-23T11:14:00.000-07:00

We hiked to the top of Wind Cave Trail last weekend with my aunt and uncle and cousin. We even brought Tommy with us. Joe and Kevin took turns carrying him in the sling. We need to get a backpack for Tommy to ride in as it will be easier on Joe's shoulders! However, Tommy liked the sling and slept the whole way up and down.

Picnic

2009-03-21T19:56:00.000-07:00

We went to a Knights of Columbus picnic today. We dressed Tommy up in a cute baseball outfit from his Nana. He looked so cute! He still needs to go grow into it. He does not usually like hats but he let us put this hat on today! Liam (our friend's son) really enjoyed the cotton candy!

Hot Air

2009-03-21T19:29:00.000-07:00

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My aunt and uncle were here last weekend and they took Joe and I and my cousin up in a hot air balloon ride for my 27th birthday! It was amazing to be above the city and one of the best birthday presents ever!

Trunks

2009-03-18T10:52:00.000-07:00

After Joe and Tommy went swimming the other day they came up and showered off. I found both their trunks hanging on the closet door.