tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79983302130476260132024-03-13T10:13:46.222-07:00News From The LiusThis blog was created so our family and friends can keep up with us. Chris works for a pipeline company that relocates us every few years. We've lived in Texas, Missouri, West Virginia, and now Colorado!! Come follow us as we adapt and explore on this crazy journey!!Jillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06322158183991966740noreply@blogger.comBlogger478125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7998330213047626013.post-27461841671261364682013-10-06T18:54:00.002-07:002013-10-06T18:54:50.957-07:002 Months<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The time definitely goes quicker with the second baby! I can't believe she's 2 months old already! She's still such a laid back, easy baby. She eats about every 2 hours. She has been sleeping a 6 hour stretch, eating, then another 3ish. This is amazing for me, since Asher didn't sleep that long until he was a year old!<br />
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I love how alert she has become. She just coos and smiles at me. <br />
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Asher loves his baby sister! He kisses her and loves to lay on the floor with her. However, he is a two year old boy, so he quickly gets a little rowdy and we have to re-direct him. But I love watching their relationship grow.<br />
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I may be slightly prejudice, but I'm pretty confident these are the cutest faces ever.Jillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06322158183991966740noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7998330213047626013.post-45604801795779662632013-09-13T12:36:00.005-07:002013-09-13T12:36:48.121-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Words can not express how much I love this girl! She makes having a baby seem easy.<br />
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She came into our family and fit perfectly. It's only been 7 weeks and it seems like she's always been here. This girl is so chill....I didn't know a baby could be so calm. She actually sleeps in her pack n play...not my chest. She also actually likes her swing. I expected her to be so time consuming. I expected to feel like I was cheating Asher. I expected to feel like I had no one-on-one time with Asher. I couldn't have been more wrong. Of course there's been changes. Asher plays on his grill and cooks me dinner while I feed Annalise. I still manage to read to Asher before bed some nights, but Chris takes over others.<br />
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I enjoy my time alone with Annalise while Asher naps...sometimes stealing a nap with her for some sweet rest and cuddles. Life is busy....I'm taking a little time to relax and I try not to look around too much....my living room is strewn with toys, my kitchen is cluttered with dirty dishes and there's a pile of clean towels on my bed waiting to be folded. I've had to accept the fact that my house may not be clean at all times anymore, but my heart is full and I'm okay with it (some of the time). Our family feels complete and I love it. I love watching Asher with Annalise and I love watching Annalise's personality come to life. <br />
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<br />Jillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06322158183991966740noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7998330213047626013.post-30374454871219080132013-08-28T18:07:00.000-07:002013-08-28T18:07:42.873-07:00Conversations with a 2 year oldI love hearing Asher's thoughts and opinions. We've had some great conversations lately, and I just don't want to forget them so I'm putting them here.<br />
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We were driving home the other day and I could tell he was getting sleepy. So I was talking just trying to keep him awake when one of my favorite Sanctus Real songs came on the radio.<br />
Me: Oh, I like this song. It's one of my favorites. Do you like it Asher?<br />
Long pause....<br />
Asher: uh...I like Up Up Up can you play Up Up Up?? (That would be the new Fall Out Boy song)<br />
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I didn't really expect him to start demanding which music we play already, but he does fairly often.<br />
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Chris gave Asher a handful of coins from Taiwan to play with the other day, along with a quarter.<br />
Asher: (holds up the quarter) is this George Washington?<br />
Chris: yes<br />
Asher: (holds up a Taiwanese coin) is this George Washington?<br />
Chris: no<br />
Asher: Is it Papa? (Papa is what he calls Chris' dad)<br />
Not sure who's on the Taiwanese coin, but I'm pretty confident it isn't Chris' dad.<br />
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Today we were going for a walk and there is currently a plague of grasshoppers on the paths that we walk. They literally cover the paths and jump towards you and into the grass as you walk. We were at the end of our walk so Asher is out walking in front of the stroller. He wanted to run so he's running in front and I'm jogging behind him, so he's dispersing all the grasshoppers as he goes and he yells 'Scuse (excuse) me, Scuse me bugs! Asher's running!'<br />
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I'm so loving this age! He makes us laugh constantly and keeps us on our toes. Our life would be so boring without him!<br />
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Also, I adore this picture because it captures him so well....and the fact that he rarely stops moving!<br /><br />
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<br />Jillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06322158183991966740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7998330213047626013.post-19553395638306269462013-08-20T18:32:00.000-07:002013-08-20T18:32:00.202-07:00Annalise<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Here's a few of Annalise's newborn photos. We're so happy with them! And of course, Asher jumped in a couple as well!</div>
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<br />Jillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06322158183991966740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7998330213047626013.post-65780909747740538572013-08-17T07:36:00.001-07:002013-08-17T07:36:51.664-07:00Brother-Sister Love<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
The question I get asked most often is 'How is Asher handling the baby?' It seems like everyone expects there to be jealousy and sibling rivalry already. However, there has been none of that. He handles it perfectly. If we move Annalise when he's not in the room he comes in and immediately asks 'Where's baby?' He seems to ignore her for the most part, but he likes to keep tabs on her. And as you can see from the pictures, he loves on her a few times a day. </div>
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He tells me when she needs a binkie and when she needs a drink of water (no, we don't actually giver her water but he seems to think that's what she wants if she cries). <br />
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It makes my heart so happy to see them together and see him loving on her. I'm so happy to watch their relationship develop over the years.Jillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06322158183991966740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7998330213047626013.post-15356757449909277642013-08-14T18:02:00.000-07:002013-08-14T18:02:56.953-07:008 years.....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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....9 moves, 4 states, countless vacations and day trips (from Boston to Taiwan), and 2 kids later-I would pick him every time. There is no one else I would want by my side than this handsome guy. I had no idea the journeys we would take but I have enjoyed every bit of it! I can't wait to see what the next 60 years hold!Jillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06322158183991966740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7998330213047626013.post-40684430792654946882013-08-13T18:41:00.000-07:002013-08-13T18:41:10.299-07:00Last Family of 3 Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Two days before Annalise was born I had to go to Kansas City to get an ultrasound just to check everything out. Of course, everything was fine, but we decided to make a day of it. We knew this would be the last big family day before we added one more; plus, I really needed to take my mind off of the fact that I was still pregnant! So after the ultrasound we headed to Crown Center and ate at Fritz and then followed that up with a trip to the aquarium. </div>
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He loved watching the trains bring the food and go all around the restaurant. <br />
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Asher thoroughly enjoyed the aquarium. He currently loves turtles so he really enjoyed the new turtle room.<br />
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I really enjoyed our day together. Asher is such a joy and at such a fun age. I love hearing his thought processes and watch him becoming a little person. We had a blast just being enjoying our family of 3. Now we get to add Annalise to the next day trip!<br />
<br />Jillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06322158183991966740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7998330213047626013.post-64301999030543679552013-08-11T08:33:00.001-07:002013-08-11T08:33:35.058-07:00June Highlights<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Since I unintentionally took the summer off from blogging, I figured I'd just do highlights. Our summer has been pretty full-that combined with being pregnant and chasing a two year old pushed blogging to the back burner. Chris was also working in Nebraska the majority of the summer, which left me with Asher during the week. We kept really busy with baby showers and family stuff. It's been so great being back with family, but so busy too!! So here's some highlights from June:</div>
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My baby turned 2! How did that happen?? I really love this age. It's so much fun to watch him figure things out and and hear his take on everything. He had a blast at his party and his tractor from Papa Leo was definitely a big hit!</div>
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We spent his actual birthday at home starting with giving him his bike first thing. We then let him watch Cars for the first time. And we had pizza for dinner. All in all it was a pretty great day!</div>
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I spent yet another amazing week at Camp Rainbow in the middle of June. This was the first time I had left Asher over night with anyone. It was definitely harder on me than him! He spent a few days with his Aunt Allison then Chris came back into town and took over. <br />
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We had an amazing group of campers and counselors this year at camp. I think it was one of the smoothest years we've had!<br />
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Asher got to do all kinds of fun things with Aunt Allison and Elijah-they spent time at the lake and the zoo!<br />
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At the end of June I got to meet my first Niece! Chris' sister welcomed Ella Grace into the world. Ella and Annalise are 1 month apart. I love that they'll have each other to grow up with!<br />
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And just for fun I'll end it with this cuteness! He loves to be read to and look at books--I'm hoping he stays that way!<br />
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Each of these events could and should easily be their own post, but highlights will have to do for now!<br />
<br />Jillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06322158183991966740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7998330213047626013.post-88357551262025751542013-08-05T11:11:00.001-07:002013-08-05T11:11:20.738-07:00Annalise Zhu-Ai LiuI can't believe she's already a week old! Time sure flies, and it seems to go even faster with baby number 2. I wanted to get her birth story written before the details fade.<br />
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I was 12 days past my due date, and none too pleased about it. I had been having some contractions for a week or so, but nothing that ever stuck around or got strong. On Saturday evening I was having some contractions and really praying they would turn into something more. By 11:30 I was pretty sure this was the real thing and not just more braxton hicks. I sent out the mass texts necessary to let everyone know it looked like we'd be meeting Baby Liu soon. I made the arrangements for my brother to come and get Asher at 6:30 am since that's when he wakes up and we didn't see any need to make him get up in the middle of the night. I was in labor with Asher for about 12 hours so I told myself it would be about the same this time. I went ahead and tried to doze in bed between contractions. The contractions were definitely in my back as well this time. So I tried to change positions and get baby girl to move around but didn't have much luck so the back labor continued. I managed to lay down and doze on and off until around 1:30 am. At that point I started to get things ready around the house because it was apparent this was the real thing. At 2:00 am the contractions really started to pick up. I woke Chris up to have him put a fan in Asher's room to drowned out any noise. Then I had him move our coffee table out of the living room so I could labor on the birthing ball and later set the tub up there.<br />
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Getting all measured and weighed<br />
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Asher woke up about 7am to a new baby sister. He didn't care a whole lot, but gave her a good look over. He now loves to rub her hair and hold her hand. It warms my heart so much seeing them together. Of course, he's 2 so he can get rough at times, but it's clear he thinks she's pretty great!<br />
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Asher meeting his new baby sister!<br />
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Annalise is seriously the easiest, sweetest baby! She's so laid back and will sleep in her pack and play for a few hours--which Asher never did. It's so strange to have such a laid back baby after having Asher, who was kind of high maintenance!<br />
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We're loving being a family of 4! Our hearts are full to over flowing and we're enjoying the precious days getting to know our new baby girl. Jillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06322158183991966740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7998330213047626013.post-16098996678374881022013-05-31T19:33:00.002-07:002013-05-31T19:33:20.491-07:00CousinsThis makes my heart so happy.<br />
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One of the reasons we wanted to move back,
really the main reason, was to be close to family. Asher loves his Lij
so very much! I love watching them together and love that they are
really getting to know each other. Asher is a very shy little guy. Each
visit has been rough because everyone loves him so much and wants to
hold, play, and love on him. But he wants nothing to do with them,
because he doesn't remember them. He's finally getting to really know
and love all our family. Every day he asks for some family member. When I
go through who we'll see that day he even tries to bargain and add
other family members in there! I love it!</div>
Jillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06322158183991966740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7998330213047626013.post-61317814123856834692013-05-21T05:23:00.002-07:002013-05-21T05:23:49.195-07:00Wedding Weekend<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
This weekend was Chris' brother's wedding. It's hard to believe that
Dalton is all grown up and married now!! We had a great weekend
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Asher enjoyed sharing his snack with the pigs during the rehearsal.</div>
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Practicing his corn hole skills while we waited for things to get under way.<br />
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Asher tried his hand at the ring bearer gig yet again.And yet again, he decided there were entirely too many people watching and had to be carried down the aisle. At least he looked incredibly cute!!<br />
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We couldn't have picked a more beautiful and perfect girl for Dalton. We're so happy to have Katelyn as part of the family! <br />
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The wedding was absolutely beautiful and the ceremony was perfect. There may have been 60mph wind during the reception, but they made the best of it!Jillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06322158183991966740noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7998330213047626013.post-27677515624834604182013-04-29T19:27:00.000-07:002013-04-29T19:27:03.398-07:00The Big Move<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Well we made the big move from Colorado to Missouri! Asher did amazing for the 12- hour car ride. He was entertained by Uncle Dalton, whom he now calls Uncle Doe-Doe. We've been so busy combining all our stuff from Colorado with our house in Missouri. We've never lived here with Asher so we had to completely clear out the office and officially make it Asher's room. I feel like we've been going 1000 miles an hour for the last week. We're trying to squeeze tons of projects and unpacking in before Chris starts his new job. We've made a ton of progress, but it's hard to not look at everything else that still needs done. I don't have a lot of pictures from the move and the past week. I've been busy wrangling Asher and keeping him out of the way! <img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-r_0yTKKGSd4/UX8qXZCaPzI/AAAAAAAADm4/Xaj0E4u32xc/s320/DSC02465.JPG" width="320" /> </div>
Aunt Katelyn, Uncle Doe-Doe and Asher at REI<br />
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Saying good-bye to Uncle Ben. It hasn't really sunk in yet that we won't live within walking distance of each other for the first time in 4 years. Asher will seriously miss his Uncle Ben! And Chris and I will miss our movie and dinner buddy!Jillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06322158183991966740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7998330213047626013.post-57242548344466873122013-04-17T15:43:00.000-07:002013-04-17T15:43:08.218-07:0027 weeks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Seeing as how I've been so bad at updating here, clearly I haven't posted much about the pregnancy. But things are going great! Our little girl is growing strong and I can feel her dancing all day! Here's our 27 week photo....Asher needed in the pic-his belly is filled with 2 peanut butter sandwiches! That kid can seriously eat!!Jillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06322158183991966740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7998330213047626013.post-57312916422962653852013-04-13T20:04:00.001-07:002013-04-13T20:04:18.172-07:00Monthly Post....Well, it seems my posting has become a monthly thing....I used to be so good and stayed on top of this, but with a toddler running around, my computer time is limited. We spent a couple week in Missouri for Easter. I helped throw a bridal shower for my soon to be sister-in-law while we were there. So we kept plenty busy! Then, of course there were all the usual Easter festivities. Here's a few pictures of all the fun!<br />
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Playing in his 'house' Uncle Dalton made him<br />
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He's finally figured out how to blow bubbles!<br />
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I feel the need to mention that I had dress shoes, but apparently he outgrew them since I tried them on 2 weeks before Easter....so Nikes it is!<br />
<br />Jillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06322158183991966740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7998330213047626013.post-2330976278769227812013-03-05T09:24:00.001-08:002013-03-05T09:24:24.090-08:00Surviving Winter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Yep, I've been seriously slacking. Possibly worse than ever. Oops....what can I say? It's winter. with a toddler. in an apartment. and I'm pregnant. I used to enjoy winter. I'm not really sure when it changed, but I'm not that person anymore. I want hot days filled with playing and running outside. But, alas, we live in Colorado so that's not to be for a while. I really shouldn't complain, because this winter hasn't been all that bad. But I'm still anxious to get outside! In the mean time, here's a sample of what we do to burn energy and keep active lately. </div>
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We went to the Aquarium a few weeks ago. </div>
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Asher was much more into the aquarium than he was last spring.<br />
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We play a lot of play-dough and he's all about it!<br />
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A few weeks ago we discovered a great place called Monkey Business. It's a great indoor play area, and we go a few times a week.<br />
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Asher also took swim lessons for the past two months. He absolutely loved it, and has learned a ton!<br />
Hopefully, I'll keep up on the blog more now, but at least you know a little of what we've been up to!Jillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06322158183991966740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7998330213047626013.post-32115383524626512982013-01-04T20:17:00.001-08:002013-01-04T20:17:56.219-08:002012 In Pictures<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I love doing this post every year. It's so fun to look back on our year and see all we've done and everywhere we've been!</div>
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January: </div>
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This was a pretty chill month, but our little man started being more and more mobile! Funny, we thought he was hard to keep up with then!</div>
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February:</div>
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It was finally warm enough for Asher and I to start putting our BOB to good use!<br />
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March:</div>
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We moved out of West Virginia and spent the month in Missouri with our family. Asher and Elijah became fast and inseparable friends!<br />
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April:</div>
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We (as in, Chris) decided it was time to cut off Asher's long locks.<br />
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Then we celebrated Easter with our handsome big man!<br />
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May:</div>
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We explored some of the great parks around our new home state of Colorado!<br />
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June:</div>
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Our little guy turned 1! I still can't believe it's gone by so fast!<br />
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July:</div>
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We celebrated the 4th of July in Missouri.<br />
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And spent lots of time at the sprinkler park nearby.<br />
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August:</div>
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This was another quiet month, but Asher started his 'cheese' face and we couldn't get enough!<br />
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September:</div>
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We went back to Missouri for Asher's first ring bearer gig. He may not have walked down the aisle alone, but he looked pretty darn handsome!<br />
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October:</div>
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I checked off a bucket list item and ran my first half!<br />
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Asher dressed as a tiger and went trick or treating at the zoo.<br />
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November: </div>
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Once again, we headed to Missouri for Thanksgiving with the family. And we made the big announcement that Asher would be a big brother in July!<br />
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December:</div>
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We ended the year with lots of family time and Christmas celebrations.<br />
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2012 saw us moving across the country, our little man became a toddler, and we decided to grow our family by one more!! It was a fantastic year! We're eagerly embracing and looking forward to 2013 and all it has to bring!Jillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06322158183991966740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7998330213047626013.post-34144843304740782222012-11-06T09:36:00.001-08:002012-11-06T09:38:07.076-08:00Free Christmas Presents Anyone??As a stay at home mom, I pride myself on saving us money in anyway possible. Thanks to all the discount sites and reward programs out there, I'm pretty successful at getting things super cheap or even free!! We're all starting to buy Christmas presents and plan for the upcoming holidays, so I thought I would share some of my favorite sites!<br />
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<a href="http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/jillibean03" target="_blank">swagbucks</a>: This site rewards you for doing different activities like using their search engine, taking surveys, and watching short videos. I mostly use their search engine, and it will randomly reward swagbucks. You can redeem your swagbucks for tons of different gift cards and even products. The best bang for your buck is the $5 amazon gift card, which is what I always use. Since we live 2 states a way, amazon is where we buy tons of stuff and use the free shipping to get it home!!<br />
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<a href="http://www.zulily.com/invite/jliu578" target="_blank">zulily</a>: I'm in love with this site!! It's a daily deal site for moms, kids, and household items. They post new deals every morning at 8am (central time). The items are limited quantity and only on for a limited amount of time. This is where I get most of my cloth diapers for half price. Also, where I got Asher's awesome rocking horse monkey that he loves so much!!<br />
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<a href="http://www.totsy.com/invite/jillibean03_4201672/" target="_blank">totsy</a>: This site is just like zulily, except they often post deals morning and night. I don't find quite as many things that I can't live without here as zulily. However, it's still a great place to find awesome deals.<br />
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<a href="http://get.shopkick.com/kansas4898" target="_blank">shopkick</a>: This is actually an app for your iphone. It's my newest find and I absolutely LOVE it! All you have to do is open the app when you go into different stores and it will automatically give you 'kicks' just for being there. You can also get more kicks by scanning various items in the store. Then you can use your 'kicks' for tons of different gift cards. I've already earned $22 in Target gift cards and I've been using it for less than a month!<br />
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Well now you know all (most) of my secrets!! It can be so addicting to save money (said the nerdy stay at home mom)!! I'd greatly appreciate if you use my links above, as I would get the referral (so, I'm also shamelessly self-promoting)!Jillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06322158183991966740noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7998330213047626013.post-51112653872488797582012-11-01T17:25:00.000-07:002012-11-01T17:25:29.532-07:00Trick or Treating at the Zoo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
We're really not that big on Halloween, but we decided to head to the zoo this weekend for trick or treating. We're zoo members, so it was a fun, free way to get out of the house. I think Asher fit right in at the zoo!</div>
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<br /> The indoor aquarium is one of his favorite parts-specifically the huge turtle.<br />
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Taking a turn driving...or so he thinks!<br />
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Seriously, how is he already a little toddler, fitting in with the other kids!!<br />
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Of course we had to get his picture with the real tiger!!<br />
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We had a blast and the weather was perfect! The zoo gave out candy (which I've been eating...ugh!) and one booth even gave out 100% fruit rollup that I didn't know about. Which was a great find, since I rarely give him sugar! We didn't trick or treat yesterday since Chris and I really don't need more candy to eat! Our little tiger was in bed by 7 and we watched Killer Klowns From Outerspace! All in All a good night!Jillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06322158183991966740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7998330213047626013.post-35855525680684491502012-10-24T08:44:00.001-07:002012-10-24T08:44:50.269-07:00No Idea Why He's Always Bruised....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Jillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06322158183991966740noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7998330213047626013.post-83636639575969375052012-10-23T09:12:00.003-07:002012-10-23T09:12:52.162-07:00Boulder Half Marathon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Sunday morning was a pretty big deal for me- my first Half Marathon! Running a half has been a goal of mine for a while. However, there really weren't many races, if any, in West Virginia. Luckily, there's no shortage of races in Colorado!! My friend Erin has helped me train and I couldn't have done it without her!! (This would be my amazing friend adopting from Africa...Check out her blog <a href="http://www.hanseladoption.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">here </a>to see how you can support them!)</div>
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Hanging out waiting for his momma to run by!<br />
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Seriously, check out that view!!! It was a beautiful run!<br />
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Asher missed his momma during the run!<br />
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In some ways the race was easier than I expected, and in some harder. During the run I didn't think I'd want to run another half, but when it was done and over it seems doable to do it again! Erin joined me for the last 6 miles, which really helped to have her push me. My time was 2hrs 15min...slower than I had hoped, but not bad for my first! Now I start training for the spring half!Jillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06322158183991966740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7998330213047626013.post-17415515563480321712012-10-16T19:34:00.001-07:002012-10-16T19:34:40.511-07:00Starting Him Out Right!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Jillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06322158183991966740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7998330213047626013.post-21594604224115167052012-10-15T09:26:00.000-07:002012-10-15T09:26:39.573-07:00Pumpkinfest<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
We headed out to the local pumpkinfest yesterday. We couldn't have asked
for a more beautiful day! It was sunny and just warm enough but not
overly hot! Here's a few pics of the day:<img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-X_azY54xOhY/UHw3x1xyeGI/AAAAAAAADdc/IPbiosMelBw/s320/DSC01883.JPG" width="320" /></div>
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We picked out a great pumpkin! I envision myself making a great pumpkin pie out of it, but we'll see if that really happens or if it just looks great until it rots, as usual! The festival gave out some healthy snacks, which Asher loved! They had free pony rides (the line was too long to wait for us), and had some great music! We'll definitely be back next year!Jillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06322158183991966740noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7998330213047626013.post-29739868361371502062012-10-07T19:41:00.001-07:002012-10-07T19:41:58.802-07:00Can You Give $1?So I have this friend. Her name is Erin and she's amazing. We met about 7 years ago at the gym we worked at. Very rarely, it's totally and completely apparent that God sends someone directly into your life as an instant and life long friend. This was one of those times. We became fast and close friends. We both got married within a few months of each other- mine a 300+ amazing wedding...hers an elopement in Colorado equally amazing. I've been blessed since meeting her to be present at each of her 3 children's births. Since Asher made his appearance early, she was there waiting the day I got home from the hospital. She moved to Colorado in 2006 and we started moving from state to state in 2008. We've often dreamed and wished we lived near each other again. In March God moved us to Denver......40 minutes away from Erin. Have I mentioned how good God is to us?? It's been so amazing to be near her and watch our kids play together. I can't explain how happy it makes my heart.<br />
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Now, this post isn't just to tell you what an awesome friend I've been blessed with. Erin and her husband have decided to add to their family, this time through adoption. As a Christian, and someone who has adopted and multi-racial siblings; I fully and completely believe adoption is something very close to God's heart. The Hansels have felt led to adopt from Africa and will be trying to do it debt-free. Please, please, check out their story on their <a href="http://www.hanseladoption.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">blog here</a>. Read their story, and if you 'feel led, please donate $1 or whatever you can to their paypal account: <span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: x-small; line-height: normal;"></span><a href="mailto:erinmhansel@hotmail.com" style="color: #0068cf; cursor: pointer; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: x-small; line-height: normal;">erinmhansel@hotmail.com</span></a>. Let's show this family some love and get them that much closer to bringing home their baby!Jillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06322158183991966740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7998330213047626013.post-57130612248323072082012-10-05T18:48:00.000-07:002012-10-05T18:48:36.882-07:00Bridal Shower!<blockquote class="tr_bq">
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Yes, I realize this is horribly late, but I'm choosing to ignore that fact! While we were in Missouri for Nicole's wedding, I had the honor of throwing her a bridal shower. It was a fun day with all her friends and family. Here's a few pics of the day!</div>
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The decorations and desserts....red velvet cupcakes and reeses cupcakes! <br />
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Unfortunately, our camera broke the day of the wedding so I don't have any pictures from the big day, which I completely hate!! Nicole was such a beautiful bride!! We're so happy for her and everything wend wonderfully!Jillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06322158183991966740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7998330213047626013.post-84776265465913476382012-10-05T10:34:00.001-07:002012-10-05T10:34:05.866-07:00We've Got Snow!!Here's the view from our deck!<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-OqdIRUcPmH0/UG8aC9I5oaI/AAAAAAAADb4/VeKGm_BGLTU/s640/blogger-image--1015486867.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-OqdIRUcPmH0/UG8aC9I5oaI/AAAAAAAADb4/VeKGm_BGLTU/s640/blogger-image--1015486867.jpg" /></a></div>Jillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06322158183991966740noreply@blogger.com0