Our Family of 3

Asher at 8 Months

2012-02-07T09:45:00.000-08:00

Somehow 8 months seems so much older than 7....way too close to a year old! I know everyone says it but he's getting so big so fast!!

Here's some stats on our man:
-He's officiallycrawling everywhere and pulling up on everything!
-I do believe we have started teething. I knew we couldn't put it off forever, but I was ok with him not having to go through it yet!
-He hasn't started solids yet. He's completely content to nurse. My goal was to make it to 9 months exclusively breastfeeding, and it looks like we're going to do it!
-He has started jabbering- mostly da-da sounds. He will whisper to himself sometimes and I find it completely adorable.
-He still doesn't sleep through the night, but he just gets up to eat and goes right back down so it's really not that bad.

Now to the important stuff--the pictures!!

He's a Mover and a Shaker

2012-02-01T12:29:00.000-08:00

From the time Asher was born he has wanted to be up and about as much as possible. The last few days he's been doing so many new things! He can now go from crawling to sitting and balance a little after he pulls up. Pulling up is usually followed by a good fall, but as you can see, that never fazes him! And I feel like I should point out that contrary to what it may look like, my son really does wear pants most of the time! However, he really hates taking the time out of crawling to have his diaper changed, so the pants go on a little later.

Our Big Man

2012-01-28T05:56:00.000-08:00

Our big man has been quite busy this week. I was talking to a friend and telling her that Asher doesn't really crawl yet-just army crawls. I proceed to tell her how I really don't think he's going to truly 'crawl' because he gets around so fast the way he's doing it. I then walk into the kitchen and my guy follows me, crawling around the island!! Guess he proved me wrong!! He's still a little shaky, but he's getting it! He will also get pretty mad at times when trying to crawl if he's wearing pants so as you can see in the video, I oblige and take them off from time to time!

Then, as if crawling wasn't enough, he pulled up to standing last night on a box we had sitting out! He's been trying to pull up on things for a couple weeks now, but it usually ends with him mad since he can't quite get it. He didn't manage to hold himself up there very long, but he was so proud of himself!

And So It Begins...

2012-01-21T13:15:00.001-08:00

Yep, I started cloth diapers today!! We'll see how this goes!

Man on the Move

2012-01-20T13:35:00.000-08:00

I've been trying to describe to our family how Asher gets from sitting to crawling. He falls on his face like this nearly every time! It never even fazes him. I think it's the fastes/easiest way to get down so he just goes with it! He still doesn't actually crawl....just army crawls. But I'm beginning to think he won't really crawl because he's so fast at the army crawl he's content to stick with it!

Wordless Wednesday

2012-01-04T08:00:00.000-08:00

2011 In Pictures

2012-01-02T13:00:00.000-08:00

I started doing this a few years ago and still love it! So here's 2011 in pictures:

January:

We started the nursery for our little guy! (And by 'we' I mean Chris because while he put all this together, I slept on the floor beside him....but I gave great moral support!)

February:

My little guys turned 1! Even though I don't watch them since A was born I still love these guys!

March:

I celebrated my last birthday without kids! Ben made me this AMAZING chocolate raspberry cake!

April:

I was so blessed to be able to go back to Mo for a couple weeks. While I was there I had 2 fantastic baby showers! It was such a blessing!

May:

We took our babymoon at a nearby resort. It was so wonderful just to get away and rest up!

June:

Our lives were forever changed and made more complete with Asher arrived!

July:

Asher got to meet his Abuelos

And his Aunt Nicole and Papa Leo

August:

Our August was pretty chill with no family in town and iust adjusting to our new life. Oh, and this smile made a regular appearance and if it wasn't already stolen, my heart was completely putty in his little hands!

September:

We took our first family vacation to Boston.

We also bought a house in WV. It got us out of a rough renting situation and it's great to have such a great place of our own!

October:

We made our way back to Missouri for my sister's wedding. She was the most beautiful bride and it was such an honor to be a part of her big day!

November:

We spent a quiet Thanksgiving in WV. It was the first time I've cooked the entire meal, and it turned out quite tasty!

December:

We celebrated Asher's 1st Christmas and it couldn't have been more perfect!

2011 was a wonderful year filled with more joy than I could have imagined. It will forever be one of the best years of my life. My heart is overflowing as I type this and my little guy is napping next to me! We're so excited to see what God has in store for our little family in 2012!!

Christmas Day Celebrations

2012-01-01T15:31:00.000-08:00

We spent Christmas Day running around to all the family get togethers. It started bright and early at Chris' parent's house. Since Andres had to be at work early, we got things started at 5:30am.

Asher opening some presents with his Abuelos.

This is one of his favorite new toys.

Next we headed to my Grandparents' house for lunch and more gifts. This was the first year that they've lived in town so it was great to have them so close!

Our family pic turned out a little blurry, but I put it up anyway!

Yep, Asher slept through all the present opening and excitement.

That evening we headed back to Chris' parents for dinner and all the extended family came over.

We had such a great time being home and celebrating Asher's first Christmas with our families. Asher did great and has now racked up 11 airplane rides in his short 6.5 months!

Saxton Family Christmas

2011-12-30T14:36:00.000-08:00

All the Christmas festivities start at my mom's house bright and early Christmas Eve morning. Since this was Asher's first time opening presents, I really didn't expect much. I was pleasently surprised at how much he enjoyed it! Granted, he was more interested in the paper than what was in the paper, but it was still pretty fun! Here's some pics of all the fun:

Our little family before all the fun began! Asher is grinning at Uncle Tyler instead of looking at the camera!

Tuckered out and cuddled up in his new blanket from Aunt Allison!

Liu Family Christmas

2011-12-29T18:09:00.000-08:00

Well, I really had every intention of blogging a lot this month....yet this is my first! oops!! We've been so busy and had random internet access, but we're back home after all the Christmas travelling so I'll try to do some re-caps this week.

Tonight we opened our presents since we just got home last night.

Even Emma got some new toys which she took to her bed and hasn't stopped playing with!!

He opened his book all by himself! Although I think he's more excited about the paper!

Trying out his new booster seat! We haven't started solids yet, but this will come in handy when we do! (As will the baby bullet I got!)

More to come later!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

2011-11-24T17:27:00.001-08:00

We've had a great Thanksgiving! I cooked a Thanksgiving lunch of chicken, stuffing, cranberry relish, rolls, mashed potatoes, pie, and cookies! We had some friends over for lunch, since we didn't make it home to Missouri this year.

My little turkey....a year ago we were just making all the announcements! That was one quick year!

Now, if you'll excuse me, we must get back to planning our black Friday strategy!

What a Difference a Year Can Make!

2011-11-23T17:08:00.001-08:00

This week last year we gave this onesie to my sister to make our big announcement! I can't believe it's already been a year!

The Big THREE-OH

2011-11-22T19:14:00.001-08:00

Yep, Chris is officially out of his 20s! I guess that means he's actually an adult!

I gave him his gifts from Asher and I in the morning...hence the pjs here

To celebrate, we went with some friends to one of our favorite local restaurants for dinner. Then we came back to the house for cake and presents.

On our way to dinner!

Chris with his cake! He wanted me to make 'Lek's Strawberry Cake'. It turned out pretty great! I love how Asher is eyeing the cake in this pic!

Chris with one of his gifts from the Sharps (insert my eye roll here)

A quick family pic...and for the record, even though it looks it, my son really isn't in pjs all day! It was kind of late when we got home from dinner so I changed him into jammies so when he crashed he'd be ready!

Well, Chris had a pretty great day, and says he doesn't feel any different....luckily, I have a while until I catch up!!

Best.Sound.Ever.

2011-11-21T17:40:00.001-08:00

Sunday Morning Silliness

2011-11-20T06:00:00.001-08:00

We bought him his jumparoo last month and he's finally figured out how to really get going! However, he's still just a little short so he gets going will just one foot! It's soo hilarious!! Plus, I think that crazy hair just adds to the hilarity of it all!

Free Christmas Gifts??

2011-11-18T17:42:00.001-08:00

That's right! If you're looking to score some free and super cheap Christmas gifts you NEED to join No More Rack! Use This Link and you'll even get $10 free to get started with! Their deals change every day at noon (11am central). They're deals range from electronics, clothing, make-up, and toys! Pretty much a little of everything! And from time to time they even offer 100% free deals! I've scored an iphone case, and screen protector free. Right now they have a $20 gift card to YMI Jeans completely free!
Also, for the month of November they have insanity deals that pop up randomly that are AMAZING!! You have to be on your toes to score one, though (which I haven't been just yet). These deals include a ps3 for $27 and an iphone 4s for $51.12. Both of which would make Chris a great Christmas gift if I'm lucky enough to score one!
What are you waiting for?? Go sign up and use This Link!

A Few Family Pics!

2011-11-13T17:12:00.001-08:00

5 Months!!

2011-11-12T17:30:00.001-08:00

I'm really not sure how it's possible that 5 months have gone by! He's becoming such a big guy now! He's so happy most all of the time (minus last week while he had a cold)! So here's some info on our Asher:

He just discovered Emma and giggles when she does her tricks or runs around
He rolls from back to belly like a pro (I think he'll be a rolly polly by this time next week)
He really wants to be walking and loves to stand on our laps constantly
He loves being read to (I have On The Night You Were Born memorized!)
He usually sleeps 6 hours then 3 hours, then cuddles in bed with mom and dad until we finally get up

Now to the pictures! When we sat him in the chair to take them, he just grinned and grinned!

We haven't started any solids yet. He really doesn't seem interested and is totally content with mommy's milk. I plan on waiting until 9 months as long as he's stays satisfied! We're really looking forward to his first Christmas, and have been busy planning!!

Updating....

2011-11-12T15:01:00.001-08:00

I've been horrible at updating here!! I really thought when I had a baby I'd post all the time because I'd have so much to say and share! However, instead, I have so much going on that this has really fallen behind! So here are a few updates on our family:
1. We moved again....we went ahead and bought a house this time. If you remember, we moved 2 days before Asher was born. It was great renting that big house, but the landlords weren't honest about the situation, which meant we had to get out asap. Rental property is really hard to come by so we just bought our own place! It's a newer house, but still had all construction white walls so I've been busy decorating and planning (Pics to come).
2. We took a trip home to Missouri! Asher and I spent two weeks there, which was great! My sister got married, and our brothers finally got to meet Asher! So all in all it was a fantastic trip! I'll post pics of that soon too....a month late!
3. Another reason I've been MIA is that Asher had is 4 month growth spurt--which was kind of rough. Then last week we survived (barely) his first cold! It wasn't even a bad cold, but the poor guy was miserable!

Well, those are the biggest updates, I think! I promise to post pics soon...Asher turned 5 months this week!

2011-10-17T09:25:00.001-07:00

Photo Card

View the entire collection of cards.

Asher at 4 Months

2011-10-11T15:57:00.000-07:00

We just got back from a 2 week trip to Missouri, but more on that later. Asher turned 4 months on the 7th! I really can't believe how fast it's going! Asher is such a joy and a wonderful baby! We go to the dr at the end of the week so we'll finally get his stats! Here's a few facts on Baby Asher:

He's happiest in the morning and gladly starts his day at 5am! Which is a little early for me, but who can be mad at that smiling face??
He's starting to giggle more and more and we'll do anything to get a giggle out!
He still wakes every 3-4 hours at night, but eats and goes right back to sleep.
He travels quite well and has already racked up 7 flights!
He hasn't lost a bit of his hair and it just keeps getting longer! It even curls at the nape of it neck!

And here's the only thing you really want to see, pictures:

Boy Genius!

2011-09-16T09:37:00.000-07:00

Yep, I have become one of those moms who post videos of their baby doing ordinary things and fully thinks it's the most extraordinary thing any baby has ever done! But luckily we live thousands of miles from our family so I get to post videos of A because "the grandparents, aunts, and uncles" NEED to see this! So here's a video of my genius rolling over!

Asleep or Mild Drunk?

2011-09-14T16:56:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the annoyingly loud tv in the background....

Our Last Day in Boston

2011-09-12T18:18:00.000-07:00

We didn't have much of a plan for our last day; we just played it by ear. We headed to Chinatown for lunch. I have to admit, it wasn't the nicest Chinatown, but the food was good! we found a restaurant that served dim sum so Chris was pretty happy! After lunch we found a bakery that sold bubble tea!
Chris and I with our bubble tea....clearly Asher was as excited as always!

Asher and Daddy ready to head out for dinner!

We spent the evening at Quincy market finishing up buying souvenirs. Then we had our last dinner at Cheers, which was great!!

Of course we had to end the night at Modern Pastry for dessert! There's an ongoing rivalry between Modern Pastry and Mike's Pastry and which has the better cannolli. So, of course, we had to put it to the test and judge for ourselves! Our vote ended up going to Mike's pastry...they had better options and just tasted a little better!

All in all we had a fantastic trip and Asher did quite well! He only had one fit on one flight out of three! And he was calm before the flight even took off so all in all I consider that a big success!

Boston: Day 4

2011-09-11T16:36:00.000-07:00

We spent our fourth day in Salem. We were kind of surprised at how cute and residential the town is. It has a cute little shopping area, however not too many stores we were interested in since most were psychic and palm readers! ha!

Love this picture of us ready to head out for the day!

We took the ferry over to Salem. It was about an hour ride, and they gave a few bits of historical facts as went.

Our first stop was the House of Seven Gables. I have to be honest and admit I've never read the book, however, I probably will after seeing the house that inspired it!

Getting ready for our tour of the house! They didn't allow pictures inside the house :(It was a really great tour! There's a lot of it that's still original!

Next, we headed for the Salem Witch Museum. This museum was neat, but much smaller than we expected. However, they did a good job of explaining exactly what happened at the witch trials.

Of course, we had to visit the oldest candy shop in Salem!! We got some delicious fudge and found a cute area that looked out on the water to sit and eat!

Asher slept most of the ferry ride home, but he did wake up at the end and flashed all kinds of smiles!

Boston: Day 3

2011-09-09T10:36:00.000-07:00

We started out our third day in town at the New England Aquarium. It's not a huge aquarium, but really just perfect sized because it didn't take too long to go through it, but they still had some great animals and exhibits!

Our little family all ready to go!!

Ben, Asher, and I at the aquarium

This would be Myrtle the Turtle and she was adorable! We were lucky and got to see them feed her and a couple of the other, smaller turtles.

After the aquarium we walked around and saw a few of the historical sights. Then, of course, had to stop for cupcakes!

We went to Sweets Cupcakes and I thoroughly enjoyed my lemon raspberry cupcake!

Next, we headed out for whale watching, which I was super excited about!!

This would be shortly before I started to feel slightly queasy and Caycee took Asher for a little bit!

We were really lucky and spotted humpback whales right away!! There were quite a few whales around and they got really close to the boat!
Notice Chris' totally appropriate tshirt....he was pretty excited about this.

This would be a humback's face that surfaced right beside the boat!

We ended the day by eating at The Oyster house which is the oldest restaurant in the area! The upstairs of the building used to be used for printing the local newspaper! We enjoyed some clam chowder and Boston baked beans!
All in all, it was another great day in Boston!

Asher: 3 mo

2011-09-08T06:25:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how big our little guy is getting!! He was 3 months old yesterday!!
Here's some info on Asher at 3 months:
~He's really starting to like his swing more and more
~He loves to stare at ceiling fans, which means he really likes his play gym because he can go
from playing to watching the fan.
~He's happiest in the morning, but is pretty happy all the time.
~He LOVES playing pat-a-cake
~We've heard 2 giggles last week, but nothing else just yet!

He didn't go to the dr this month so I'm not sure on his stats. I'm planning on having Chris help me measure and weigh him today!

Boston: Day 2

2011-09-07T08:58:00.000-07:00

Day 2 of Boston started with a beautiful morning run along the harbor for me while Chris and Asher hung out in the room! It was a beautiful morning and it was great to have such a beautiful view to run with!

Asher taking a morning cat nap while we got ready.

The Liu family all ready to go!! (yes, Asher was actually asleep and not too happy with me making him take a quick pic!)

We started our sightseeing with a 2 hour lunch cruise of the harbor. It was a great way to see and hear a lot of history plus eat a great meal!!

Asher and I enjoying our lunch on the boat.

The USS Constitution: the oldest commissioned naval ship.

We bought tickets to a night time trolley tour of the haunted sites of Boston. However, once we got there we were told they don't allow kids under 6 on the tour. So while the Sharps went on the tour, we went shopping at Quincy Market.
Our night then ended relaxing at the hotel!!

We also went to the zoo on this day. However, I didn't have many pictures from it, and I wouldn't recommend going if you're in Boston. It was a pretty small zoo and really out of the way. There's way more stuff to do near the harbor that was much more fun!!

Boston: Day 1

2011-09-06T17:10:00.001-07:00

We spent Labor Day weekend in Boston!! We had a great time, and of course, took TONS of
pictures!! I'll try to get a few from each day posted over the next few days.

Asher did great on his first airplane ride! However, I do not recommend trying to change a diaper in the airplane bathroom!!

Finally in Boston and waiting on our bus!

We took a water taxi from the airport to the hotel, which gave us a great view of the harbor on our way!

My handsome guy stretching out at the hotel.

Heading out to a nice dinner on our first night there!

The Chart House: They had great seafood and this building used to be where John Hancock held his office!

Me and my cuddly man!

And this was just day one!! We crammed a lot of fun in our trip!!

Favorite Things: Baby Edition

2011-08-21T11:16:00.000-07:00

When I started our registry I was shocked at all the baby gadgets and accessories out there! At the time we were living in a small, 2 bedroom house. So that coupled with the fact that I'm a less is more kind of person; led me to think most of the baby gadgets aren't needed. However, here's my list of must-haves so far:

1. Moby Wrap:

I seriously LOVE this! It took a few times for me to figure out how to tie it tight enough, but once I got it we were sold on it! I used another front pack for a while, but I love how the moby keeps him so close and secure on me. My other favorite thing about it is that you can nurse while he's in it!! Seriously, this is huge! I can now nurse while walking the streets of Pittsburgh (which I have done) without flashing anyone or dropping my baby! Another plus is that he when he's tired he goes right to sleep without the usual bouncing and swaying he requires!

2. Swaddle Me Blankets

I registered for these thinking they were cute, but really not sure how much I'd use them. They turned out to be a lifesaver! Asher sleeps way better when swaddled and since he was born in June, I used these as pajamas. Plus, they are great for holding down his hands while nursing since we both got incredibly frustrated in the beginning when he'd spend half of a feeding being confused and angry while he constantly unlatched and tried to eat his fist!

3. Breast Pump:

I did register for one, but I didn't get one. I didn't buy one either, because while I knew I would need one eventually, I didn't plan on using one for quite some time. However I had a small (HUGE) over producing problem. And it quickly became apparent that I needed this pump to survive! Thankfully my when my mom came out she brought my sister's pump and I'm confident it saved my life-or at least gave me sweet relief. (and a freezer FILLED with milk).
4. Boppy Pillow:

Prior to having kids, I thought this was the dumbest invention ever. Really, are we so lazy we can't hold our babies while nursing? Then I got pregnant and decided it could be useful. Then I had Asher and realized I couldn't live without it! When you spend hours a day feeding your baby, It's awesome to have a free hand!
I know my favorite things will change as Asher gets bigger, but for now, this is it! Also, I apologize that I have managed to relate every one of these things back to nursing somehow! But, hey, when you spend a good amount of your day doing it, you'll love anything that makes it easier. (Thanks to nursing and the down time it causes I've also fell in love with netflix on the wii and Bones-which I may or may not have watched all 5 seasons of since having A!)

Asher at 2 months

2011-08-11T10:42:00.000-07:00

Our little man was 2 months on Sunday!! He's developing quite the personality! He's pretty happy the majority of the time. He's an early riser....as in 430 or 5am! It's a little early for me, however the smiles he gives me makes it totally worth it! He's pretty much content as long as he is in my arms or the moby wrap, but he is starting to like his play gym and swing a little more.

He's not sleeping through the night just yet...he wakes up every three or four hours to eat but goes right back to sleep!

He hasn't lost any of his beautiful hair! However, every now and then, he does manage to get a handful of it and pull until he's screaming! Poor guy!!

At his doctors appointment he weighed in at 12lbs 3oz and 23 inches long!

The Smiles Never Get Old!

2011-08-01T17:32:00.000-07:00

Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-20T20:18:00.000-07:00

Grandma and Grandpa are Here!!

2011-07-20T19:56:00.000-07:00

Aaannnddd Grandma may have a shopping problem....

Nicole and Leo's Visit

2011-07-19T11:08:00.000-07:00

Here's a few pics from Aunt Nicole and Papa Leo's visit. It was so great to have them here!

3 Generations!

Asher loves his Aunt Nicole!

The time went too fast, but we had a great time! Tomorrow Chris' mom and step-dad come into town so the fun will begin all over again!

Meeting Aunt Nicole and Papa Leo

2011-07-17T17:27:00.001-07:00

Chris' dad and sister came to visit last week. It's so fun to see them getting to meet their first nephew and grandson for the first time! Here's a few pictures of them meeting:

I'll post some more pics of their visit soon!

My Baby is 1 month!!

2011-07-07T20:01:00.001-07:00

This month has gone so fast! It's been a bit of a blur....but a good one! I just can't believe it's already been a month!

Asher had his 1 month check up yesterday, and he's doing great! He's up to 9lbs and 21 1/4 inches! He's such a great baby and getting so big already!

4th of July

2011-07-06T18:48:00.000-07:00

This weekend we decided to have our first cook out in the new house. So we had people over Sunday evening as an early 4th celebration. It was a great time, even though Chris got drenched grilling in the monsoon that came through!

Asher in his 4th of July shirt!

Of course we had to play some Just Dance!

Emma even got some much needed love!

Newborn Photos

2011-06-30T18:00:00.000-07:00

Our friend Nicole came and took some pictures of Asher when he was 5 days old. She did a great job! Here's just a few:

A Few Pics

2011-06-30T17:51:00.000-07:00

So I realize I've been a bad blogger! It's taken more time than I thought it would to get into a good routine! Plus, with our new, bigger house it seems like housework is never done! Well, Asher is almost a month old...how did that happen?? He goes to the dr next week so we'll get to see how much he weights! He's also getting his one month pictures taken! PLUS our sister Nicole and Chris' dad fly out here a week from saturday. So we have a pretty busy week ahead of us! And hopefully I'll be better at posting some updates as they happen! However, until then, here are a few random pics of our handsome guy!

My bright eyed guy!Daddy and Asher having some morning cuddle timeI finally captured a smile. It's not the best picture but it was 430am and I grabbed my iphone!

One Week!

2011-06-20T17:38:00.000-07:00

Well, tomorrow he'll be 2 weeks; so this is a little delayed. But here's his one week picture!

Happy 1st Father's Day!!

2011-06-19T10:36:00.000-07:00

Happy 1st Father's day to my wonderful husband! We have a low key day planned just hanging out at home and grilling out for dinner. My mom and sisters leave tomorrow night so we're just going to hang out and spend time with them!

What's in a Name

2011-06-13T15:20:00.000-07:00

We've had people ask how we came up with Asher's name so I thought I'd post a little something here. We wanted a strong, Biblical name, and we both tend to like the more unique Old Testament names. Asher was one of the 12 tribes of Israel and it means 'Blessed', which we thought was perfect. His middle name Zhu-En means Lord's grace in Chinese. Since Chris was born in Taiwan we definitely wanted Asher to have a Chinese middle name. Chris's dad actually picked out the middle name and we thought it was perfect! When we visit Taiwan he'll actually go by Zhu-En as his first name.

Now, on to some pictures of Asher's first day:

Poor baby with his scalp iv :(

All ready to head home! I was so glad to be out of the hospital!!

Asher's Birth Story

2011-06-13T10:15:00.000-07:00

Things have been a little busy around here as we get adjusted and situated. I'm finally getting around to updating on Asher's birth, so here goes:

Monday morning around 1am I started having a pretty bad constant pain in my lower belly then a few hours later pretty regular contractions started. They weren't bad contractions, but regular until 8am when the contractions stopped. The constant pain, however, didn't stop. I made Chris stay home from work thinking the contractions might start up again. The pain wouldn't relent, though and was followed with aches and chills. I spent most the day on the couch, because just walking was incredibly painful. Chris went and finished cleaning out our old house (yes we had just moved 2 days earlier--more on that later). When he came home we decided to go to labor and delivery and be checked out. At this point, I really just thought I had pulled a muscle or was having major round ligament pain.

We got checked into the hospital about 6pm and I was having regular contractions. The dr said it was very early labor. However, Asher's heart rate was in the 190s which was not a good sign. Eventually his heart rate came down to the 150s and 60s. Then I spiked a fever and that coupled with my belly pain and his high heart rate made them diagnose me with an infection of the amniotic fluid. They hooked me up to iv antibiotics and said the baby would be coming soon!

The drs talked about giving me plutosin (sp?) to speed things up, but I really wanted to avoid that if at all possible. So I talked them into waiting and seeing how my body progressed. When they checked I had progressed a little so they let me be. At around 11pm, at the next check, they went ahead and broke my water and really got things moving. Things progressed steadily from there. The hospital was great about letting me do whatever I needed during labor. They even let me labor in the shower since all the baby monitors are water proof!! I managed to labor completely natural with no pain medicine of any kind! I started pushing around 630 am and at 6:46am our handsome Asher Zhu-En Liu was born!

Asher was 7lbs 2 oz and 21 inches long. He is completely healthy and perfect!! As a precaution, they started him on iv antibiotics and told us he would be in the hospital for 7 days since I had the infection. However, we were so happy that all his blood tests came back clear and he was able to come home with us after the regular 2 days!

Since my due date wasn't until Saturday, June 11 (and you usually are over due with your first) my sister Allison and friend Erin were set to fly in the 9th so they'd be here for the birth. Allison set out as soon as she found out baby Asher was coming and road tripped it 14 hours! She got here when he was just a few hours old! Erin had to wait until Thursday, but was able to be at our house waiting when we got home from the hospital.

All in all, it was a great experience. Labor isn't any fun, but totally doable and sooo worth it!

Asher Zhu-En Liu Has Arrived!!

2011-06-10T15:54:00.001-07:00

Asher arrived June 6th at 6:46am at 7lbs 2oz and 21 inches long. We couldn't be happier!!
Details and more pictures coming soon.....

Babymoon

2011-05-29T17:52:00.000-07:00

Yesterday marks 38 weeks! That seems unbelievable that our baby boy will be here so soon! Some friends of ours gave us a gift certificate for a resort that's just 40 minutes from us. so we decided to have a little babymoon this weekend and get away.

One view of our room- They even accepted pets so Emma got to come along!

We ate at their restaurant that overlooked the entire resort. It was a gorgeous view! Here we are just outside the restaurant before heading back to the room.

Chris relaxing in the room....Emma is hidden away in the covers as usual.

Sitting beside the lake enjoying a delicious breakfast.

We had a great time, just walking the resort and relaxing!

The resort really was amazing! There's so much to do that we couldn't take advantage of given how far along I am! We're definitely planning on going back at some point soon when we can spend all day out on the lake and running along all the trails!

Baby Liu Nursery

2011-05-19T16:50:00.000-07:00

I've had the nursery set up for a little while, but I haven't been good at taking pictures! So here's the nursery so far! All the major stuff is done; we just need some wall decorations now.

This is the view from the doorway

Here's a close up of the bumpers

And a close up of the quilt

Here's the dresser....it's pretty bare right now. However, I'm going to get matching green letters to spell his name on the wall. Well, that is when we decide on a name!

Here's the changing station

I plan on spending a lot of time in this corner. We're having a monkey painting done for this blank wall, but it's not done just yet.

And the diaper stacker!

I absolutely love the bedding and curtains! My mom custom made it all for us! I'm so blessed to have a mom that can make anything I can dream up! I'll post updated pictures once the walls aren't so bare!

Garden Take 3

2011-05-05T13:57:00.000-07:00

Remember this post? Well, that was an epic fail....turns out when you leave town for a month and your husband doesn't weed the garden, it's pretty much unsalvagable. I couldn't tell what was weeds and what were plants, so I ended up mowing over the entire thing. So that was two years ago.

Then last year if you remember this post, I just did a couple plants to see how that turned out. Obviously, the few plants I had didn't produce a lot, but I deemed them a success since they were easy to keep alive and gave us some veggies!

Now we come to my 2011 attempt at gardening, and I'm going a little bigger again this year. Since I won't be going home in June for a month as usual (seeing as how that's when baby Liu is due); I decided it'd be easier to do a bigger garden again.

Here's everything ready to go in. It's not huge, but there will be much more than last year, and hopefully ease our produce budget. We're planted a combo of seeds, plants, and plant roots.

And here it all is in the ground!! This year we planted a combo of different sweet peppers, tomatoes, spinach, asparagus, and strawberries.

I'll keep you posted on how it all goes this year!!

Baby Shower #2

2011-04-19T18:41:00.000-07:00

Chris' mom and sister also gave me a shower while I was in Missouri. It was a great shower and I feel so blessed to have such great family!

This was a cute 'plant' made out of bibs, wash rags and little outfits! It was so cute and creative!

Opening some gifts!
My mom and Chris' mom....the Grandmas!!

Chris' sister and my sister...the Aunts!! They're already plotting who will be the favorite aunt and why!

UPS Delivery

2011-04-15T14:32:00.000-07:00

Somehow this makes it all seem so much more real!!

Baby Shower #1

2011-04-14T19:38:00.000-07:00

I had a great time being home with family! Allison, my sister, gave me my first baby shower on Saturday. It was a great shower, and this little boy is already spoiled!
I meant to copy my sister's memory card since she took the most pictures, but totally forgot before I left. But I did manage to snap a few photos on my camera.

My beautiful sister and handsome nephew!

The cute diaper cake!

Opening some of my many gifts!

My mom, me and my grandma

30 Weeks

2011-04-02T13:52:00.000-07:00

Holy cow!! 30 weeks has gone by so fast!! That means there's only 10 more before our little man will be here! How is that possible? Here I am this morning at 30 weeks-note the new hair color. My friend Sarah did it last night so I'll look nice and put together for my visit home this week.Yep, I head to Missouri for the week. I'll have two showers while I'm there, so I'm very excited for all that! When I get back we'll start focusing on putting the nursery together!

A Few Updates

2011-03-26T17:03:00.000-07:00

I haven't been so great at blogging regularly...sorry!! There's really not too much to report. I've mostly been hanging out at home wishing the winter would move on and give way to spring!! I'm so ready to be outdoors walking, working on my garden, and finally bust out the flip flops!! However, it's supposed to snow tonight and tomorrow so apparently I'm not wishing hard enough!

We did finally get all the nursery furniture in....Now I just need to work on the decor. My mom is working hard on all the bedding. She posted a few preview pics and I can't wait to get it!
I saw the midwife yesterday, and all is well :) All my blood tests looked good...I am anemic but that wasn't a surprise!

I leave in a week and a half for Missouri. I can't wait to see all my family and friends! I'll be having 2 showers while I'm there. Then one shower here in WV in May. I've done pretty good not buying too much stuff and waiting to see what all I get at the showers before I go crazy buying stuff!
Here's a belly pic from today....29 weeks. It's gone by so fast!! He'll be here before we know it!

A Few Baby Things

2011-03-14T15:11:00.000-07:00

I'm officially in my 3rd trimester!! I really can't believe how fast it's going!! I'm sure the end will drag, but so far it's flown by!

I had my glucose test this week and passed with flying colors! I'm also officially going to the midwife twice a month instead of once a month!

I've done pretty good not buying every cute baby thing I see. I keep telling myself to wait until after my shower then see what all I want/need! However, there have been a few things I couldn't pass up! Take a look at this hat! Obviously, it's for next winter, but I can't wait to see him in it!

This weekend I went to a consignment sale at a church and found these hot kicks:

Seriously?? Does it get any cuter?!

Now we need to focus on the nursery designs for the walls and such. Then there's still the issue of naming this little guy!!

26 Weeks

2011-03-07T18:14:00.000-08:00

It's been a little while since I posted anything...oops! There really hasn't been anything new and exciting going on here...I figured it was time for a new belly pic. I seriously woke up Saturday morning and my tshirt that was baggy the day before was no longer baggy! Crazy!! I feel great, and can't believe how fast it's all going! I only have 2 more weeks left in my 2nd trimester!! We go to the midwife on Friday again and I have the dreaded glucose test...I'm sure it won't be that bad! I'm also looking forward to going back to Missouri for my baby shower in April!! I can't wait to see everyone!

Big 1 Year Olds!!

2011-02-12T13:26:00.000-08:00

If you remember, I watch twins once a week. These boys are so great and we love watching them!! Yesterday was their first birthday and they had their big party today! I can't believe they're already a year old!! They look so grown up-especially with their new big boy hair cuts!! All ready for some cake!!

Chowing down! They managed to be pretty neat about it and didn't dig in too much!

One of the super cute Mickey Cakes!

After enjoying his cake, Lyric happily ate all my ice cream!!

Baby Updates!

2011-01-25T18:18:00.000-08:00

We had our 'official' 20 week ultrasound today! Baby is still a boy, and is perfectly healthy!! He's very active and didn't really want to cooperate but they managed to see everything anyway! The tech really tried to get a good 3d shot of his face, but this is the best she could do!

This weekend marked 20 weeks--that's half way!! It's going so fast!!

Sunday we spent some time putting together some of his nursery furniture!

It's just the start....however it does make it all seem much more real having furniture here!!

Nursery Ideas

2011-01-13T16:10:00.000-08:00

Of course, one of the most fun things about being pregnant is planning the nursery! So of course when I found out we're having a boy I set to work right away. I settled on green and brown as the color scheme and decorate with monkeys. I don' want full out jungle-just monkeys.

I fell in love with this bedding I found on amazon:Isn't it adorable? The only problem is it's made with elephants. So, what's a girl to do? I did what anyone would do--go to mom!! My mom is the most gifted seamstress I know, so I started sending her link after link! The plan is for her to make all the bedding and some extras pretty close to this but with a few twists and with a monkey in place of the elephant!

This is the monkey head we're going to use one everything. Yep, my mom is that good!

I haven't decided what I'm going to do to the walls just yet. We rent, so if I paint we'll have to repaint when we move. And the walls are all textured so I doubt we can use decals. I still have plenty of time to decide on all that. However, babies r us has some adorable monkey accessories and decorations that I'm sure I'll have to have!!

Now if I could just decide on a name......

It's a Boy!!

2011-01-12T07:55:00.000-08:00

I just realized, while I made it facebook official, I forgot to make it blog official!! So sorry! Our Doctor scheduled an ultrasound for when I'm 20 weeks, but I just couldn't wait!! We're so blessed to have a friend of a friend who works in ultrasound! She snuck us in last week and took a peek at out little one and we found out IT'S A BOY!! We couldn't be happier! Here's a few pics of our little guy!

Even though it looks like he's sucking his thumb, he really wasn't....he was just waving his hand back and forth by his face.

Of course, all our family is pretty excited and has already started buying stuff! Of course, Elijah wanted a boy bc 'even though he'll have to be nice when it's a baby; they can wrestle and fight when it gets bigger!' HA!

I didn't post the 'boy' picture because it wasn't very good. However since this wasn't our 'official' ultrasound, we'll be getting more pictures in a couple weeks!

18 Weeks

2011-01-09T12:55:00.000-08:00

Best.Dance.Ever.

2011-01-03T15:46:00.000-08:00

Christmas Day Catch up!

2011-01-02T08:04:00.000-08:00

Our Christmas Day was Chalk full--which means I have a lot of pictures! We loved spending the time with all our families. Unfortunately, I had one heck of a cold! Combine that with being pregnant and not being able to take anything made me pretty tired!

Our day started bright and early at Chris' parents house; where we opened presents before they had to go to work. Here's a few pics of the fun!

Chris' mom collects salt and pepper shakers so we couldn't resist getting her a cute panda set from the DC zoo!

Dalton got me the same movie my brother got me the day before. Luckily Dalton hadn't wrapped any of his presents until the night before so he graciously included the reciept! haha!

Next we headed to my Grandma's for lunch and presents.Tyler serenading Eric with his piano skills.

After my Grandmas we headed back to Chris' parents for dinner and presents with the extended family on that side!

One of my favorite parts of Christmas is singing Christmas carols as a family while Nanny plays her guitar!

Chris' mom, Andres, and the Grinch! haha!

We had a great time with all our family! It was great to spend time with everyone!

2010 In Pictures!

2010-12-31T09:32:00.000-08:00

This is always a blog I enjoy doing! It's so fun to look over the past years worth of pictures!

This about sums up Janary....We had record amounts of snow and our house really doesn't stay that warm! So we spent a lot of time watching movies and snuggling up with the dogs!!

February: The Messenger boys arrived!! These are the twins I now watch once a week. I forget how tiny they were!!

March: Allison and Elijah came for a visit! It was great having them here and we fit lots of shopping, eating and museums in!

April: We took an unplanned visit to Missouri and totally suprised our families for Easter!

May: They glorious sun started shining again and we quickly started up Volleyball!

June: Camp Rainbow 2010!!

July: I got to visit Erin in Colorado as she welcomed Baby Faye into the world!

August: We went back to Missouri for our cousin Jason's wedding!

September: Nicole and Greg came for a visit and we all headed to Dc!

October: We discovered we were pregnant!! Then we managed to keep it from our families for an entire month! (yes, the picture is sideways, but I can't get it to turn!)

November: We headed back to Missouri with our big news! And Allison hosted Thanksgiving, when Tyler serenaded us!

December: We got to see our beautiful baby for the first time!! Even though we don't know the sex, it was so wonderful to see it!

We've definately had a wonderful, full year!! We're so excited to see what this year brings! Happy New Year from The Lius!!

Christmas Eve Catch up!

2010-12-30T12:34:00.000-08:00

I was lazy and didn't blog the entire time I was visiting Missouri! Sorry about that! However, that means you get to read lots of Christmas catch up posts this week!! Our festivities start at my mom's on Christmas Eve morning.Elijah is the only one small enough to crawl under the tree and get all the presents that were shoved back there!

Lexi with her Star Trek gameboy game.

He was pretty excited to get his pillow pet from us!!

An early morning shot of Lij and I partaking of his stocking candy!

That evening we headed over to Chris' Aunt's house for dinner and presents. Somehow, we didn't get a lot of pictures, but here's on of Jason and his family opening some gifts

As usual, we had a great day, and were blessed with lots of gifts!! There will be plenty more Christmas posts to come!!

16 Weeks

2010-12-28T14:33:00.001-08:00

Things I Love About Winter!

2010-12-12T08:29:00.000-08:00

It's been snowing here for about a week. Luckily, the last few days have actually been warmer, but that will all change tonight! So in hopes of staying positive about all the winter weather, I though I'd post a few of the things I love about winter time!

Hot chocolate, of course!! Specifically Seattle's Best hot chocolate. If you havent tried it there yet, you need to! Right. Now.

Snow. Yes, I said it! I do love snow, and how a heavy coating makes everything look so magical! However, I tend to tire of it shortly after Christmas.

Of course, the best part of winter is Christmas!! I love every bit of it-family gatherings, baking, gift giving-all of it!!

And finally, shopping. I realize I can do this anytime. But it's so much more fun around Christmas when everythink is decorated!

Baby's First Picture!!

2010-12-10T10:47:00.000-08:00

Here's a few of our sonogram pictures from yesterday. No, we didn't find out what we're having yet, but we will!! I'm only 13 weeks along, so they can't tell what it is yet. But we think baby is pretty darn cute already!

It's The Most Wonderful Time of The Year!!

2010-12-04T14:31:00.000-08:00

I love Christmas time!! I love cooking and decorating and spending time with our families. We have so many traditions with all our families! I just love it!! Here's some pics of our Christmas decorating in Missouri. Chris working hard on our house lights.

I handled all the indoor decorations!

Our finished tree!

And the outside of the house! We also stopped by my mom's for her birthday and got in on the decorating as well!!

We also put up our tree here in West Virginia, but I haven't uploaded those pics yet, so I'll post those soon!

Thanksgiving In Missouri

2010-12-03T06:30:00.000-08:00

Here's a few pics from our Thanksgiving celebrations in Missouri. We started with lunch at my sister Allison's house. It was her first year hosting Thanksgiving, and she did a great job!! All the food was wonderful! Then, for dinner we headed over to Chris' mom's house. It was wonderful as well, however I apparently slacked on the picture taking over there...oops!!

Chris and I at Thanksgiving lunch.

The night before Thanksgiving Elijah came over to play some Sega so Allison could get some things done around the house!

Tyler serenading the boys after lunch at Allison's place.

Elijah and Chris playing the Wii at Jennifers. Elijah is quite the pro!

Welcome Back to West Virginia!

2010-12-02T06:43:00.000-08:00

Big News From the Lius

2010-11-29T18:35:00.000-08:00

I realize I haven't blogged in over a month....I'm pretty sure that's my longest break ever. However, I'm back now and I promise I'll be better now!! In hopes of bribing your forgiveness and catching your attention again; we have some big news:

We're PREGNANT!! As most of you know, this will be our first, and we couldn't be happier! I'm 12 weeks along now and due June 12, 2011.

We came home to Missouri for Thanksgiving to suprise all our family with the big news. As expected, they are all extactic!!

I promise to keep the updates coming now. And I'll soon post pictures from our trip home to Missouri!

Chili Fest 2010: West Virginia Edition

2010-10-16T15:40:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Chili fest 2010 was held. You may remember that chili fest is one of Chris' family traditions. We started chili fest here last year and it was a huge hit. We had it a little early this year, but everyone was so excited and anxious for it that we went for it! That's just some of the chili...we had 9 pots in all!!

We got all professional this year and even judged the chili and announced a winner. I think Chad is getting bossy here!

The poor judges.....there was so much chili!!

Sarah was pretty excited to get to the eating part!

It was a great night filled with all different types of chili! However in the end, there can be only one winner and the winner this year was Natasha!! Somehow, I forgot to get a picture with her and her award...oops!

A Day in the Mountains

2010-09-19T18:14:00.001-07:00

Yesterday we decided to head out to Seneca to see how much the leaves have changed. So we packed up and spent the day in the mountains with some great friends! We ended up with several unplanned stops, but it was a fun-filled day!

Our first stop was The Sinks...an area known for their sink holes. We stopped by to look at a cave.

We waded in a little. Some of the guys when on in, but their flashlights weren't bright enough to get me into a dark unknown cave!! However, we may re-visit next weekend with all the right gear and actually go explore it!The view from the mouth of the cave....love it!

Our next stop was Spruce Nobs. The scenery was gorgeous!! The leave had really started to change beautiful colors!
Ben, our tour guide, telling us that was the highest poin of West Virginia....he's a compulsive liar!

My handsome hubby and I at the true highest point of West Virginia!

After a minor incident when our caravan got seperated with no cell service (seriously, how did we do road trips without cell phones??), we made it to Seneca Rock. We ate at a great little resturant then headed up the trail!

Taking in the view at the top!Chris, me, Chad, and Ben...the only ones of the group that made it clear to the top!After our full day we headed to the Purple Fiddle for a concert and baklava. The Purple Fiddle was a great little hippy coffee shop. I definately plan on visiting this quaint little town again during the daytime! The concert was not the best, however I highly recommend the baklava!

Wedding Madness Recap!

2010-09-12T13:53:00.000-07:00

This weekend is the first weekend we haven't had a wedding to go to for a month! The last 4 weeks have been filled with weddings....2 of which Chris was the best man! It was great getting to see so many of our friends start their new lives together!

As you may Remember, the wedding madness started with our cousin Jason getting married in Missouri.

Next, was Britney and Mitch's wedding. It was a beautiful out door ceremony. Sadly, I forgot to put the memory card in my camera, so I didn't get a lot of pictures!

The following weekend we had the honor of being a part of Nate and Tasha's wedding Chris was the best man in that wedding as well. Chris and I with the beautiful bride and groom!

Adam, Ben, and Sarah dancing the night away at Nate and Tasha's reception. We all had a great time!
Lastly, was Kai and Bethany's wedding. Kai is from Hawaii, so the wedding had an awesome luau feel to it! Sadly, I didn't get a great picture because of where we chose to sit. We also had to cut out before the reception so we could head to DC.

It was great to be at all the weddings. They were all so different and unique to each couple. However, we felt a little weird not being at a wedding this weekend!!

Final Day in DC

2010-09-10T15:26:00.000-07:00

Our plan was to go to Arlington Cemetary on our last day, so we could head back to wv early. However, after sleeping in we made a couple mistakes getting on the metro and a 20 minute metro ride turned into an hour of confusion! None the less, we managed to finally get to Arlington!Packing up while Greg and Nicole continue sleeping in the background!

Hanging out in the metro with our iphone during our morning long metro ride!!

We were fortunate enough to see the changing of the guard while we were at Arlington.
After a day of walking, Nicole was pretty happy to be resting in the car on the way back to West Virginia!

It was so great to have Nicole and Greg here, and we had a great time! We love visiting DC; it's such a great town with so much to do!

DC: Day 2

2010-09-09T17:43:00.000-07:00

We managed to squeeze a ton of stuff into our second day in DC. We started the day at the National Zoo. As you probably know by now, Chris and I enjoy seeing different zoos. The DC zoo is special because it's one of only 2 zoos in the country with panda bears.Next, we headed to all the monuments and war memorials. This involved a TON of walking because all the monuments and memorials are way far apart!Greg and I mapping out a plan to see everything.All of us at the Missouri part of the World War II Memorial.The Korean War Memorial...Greg's grandpa and both of my grandpas fought in the Korean war.

The view of the Washingtion Monument from the Lincoln Monument.

The Lincoln Memorial

Finally, the soldiers at the Vietnam Memorial

It was a packed full day! But we managed to get it all in! We ended the day by meeting up with The Halls, who were also in DC, for dinner. We enjoyed dinner at a local Mexican restuarant. All in all, it was a fun filled day!

Labor Day Weekend: Day 1!

2010-09-08T11:11:00.000-07:00

Chris' sister Nicole and her boyfriend, Greg came out to West Virginia for Labor Day weekend. We drove into Washington DC to spend the weekend. Here's a few pics from our first day in DC: Outside the capital building

On our tour of the Capital Building....apparently this picture suprised Greg!

We decided to go check out China town and managed to find bubble tea!

Greg also found a fire house in Chinatown!

We walked down to Georgetown for dinner that night. It was great area of town and we highly recommend Clyde's!

Future Royal Fans!

2010-08-28T19:32:00.000-07:00

Wordless Wednesday!

2010-08-25T19:03:00.001-07:00

Missouri Odds and Ends

2010-08-19T12:43:00.000-07:00

Here is the final purge of Missouri pictures....pictures that don't really fit in a post of their own.Our cousin Michael and I at the rehearsal dinner.

I had the privelage of watching Jason and Amanda's son Tre the night before the wedding. Since we live so far away, we haven't had the chance to spend much time with him, so it was awesome to watch him. He was such a sweetheart and so easy to take care of!

Elijah helping haul some of the luggage into the airport. He was so proud that he could carry two suitcases! (We didn't tell him the bigger one was completely empty!!)

Saying good-bye before we boarded our flight! I always hate to leave, but this time was even harder. Since we were there for the wedding, I really didn't get to spend much time with Alli and Eli. Plus, we won't be back in Mo until Christmas.

It was a great trip! We had so much fun and the wedding went great! Now we're busy getting back into our routine in wv of babysitting, volleyball, and church stuff!

Evening Long-Boarding Session

2010-08-18T11:00:00.001-07:00

After all the wedding madness was over, we spent as much time as possible with our family. One spent one evening over at Chris' moms. We had Elijah with us, so of course, we ended up outside skateboarding/long boarding with Dalton! I love this kid so much!!

Yeah, these guys are pretty awesome!

Plus, they have mad skilz!

Speeding down the driveway!

I'm definately improving....even if it's slowly!!

Mr. And Mrs. Chen!

2010-08-16T16:32:00.000-07:00

Chris' cousin Jason got married on Saturday. Which was the reason for our visit to Missouri. Chris and Jason were raised like brothers so Chris was honored to be Jason's best man for the big day! The new Mr and Mrs Chen!

Greg, Nicole, me, and Dalton at the reception.

Sisters!!

It was a beautiful wedding! We couldn't be happier for Jason and Amanda! It was such an honor to be a part of their big day!

5 Years!

2010-08-15T16:26:00.001-07:00

Saturday was Chris and I's 5 year anniversary. I really can't believe how the time has flown by! I'm so blessed to be married to such an amazing man! I had no idea we would end up living in Texas, Missouri, and West Virginia! The past 5 years have been a great adventure, and there's no one else I would want beside me for this adventure!

I love you babe!! You're an amazing husband, and you make marriage easy. My life with you is so amazing and I can't wait to see what the next 50 years bring!!

Missouri!

2010-08-15T16:14:00.000-07:00

We're here in Missouri, and having a blast! We've spent the week running around for our cousin's wedding (pictures coming soon!). We've also been getting as much time in with family as possible. Here's some pics from our first couple days in town! It's been incredibly hot here, so we hit up starbucks to cool off. Notice Dalt's drink says Jafar!

Lauren made it to town to hang out one night. It's so good to see her!!

Erin and Bob stopped in St. Joe to see us on their way back to Co. It was so good to see them!!

Day at the Lake!

2010-08-09T14:14:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was a beautiful day, so after church we headed for the lake! Chris had been to Stonewall Jackson when I was out of town, but this was my first time. I'm really not a lake fan--I just find them kind of gross! So I had every intention of barely wading out, and spending the day sun bathing. I did plenty of sun bathing! But when they found the perfect spot for some cliff jumping, I couldn't resist!!Ben and I making our way to the cliff.

Nate and Bryce discussing their upcoming jump....Luckily Nate managed to not get hurt during this outing! (that's a big deal for him!)

No big deal--that's just my hubby walking on water!!

I had to observe a little....once I had to make sure it was safe!

I finally went for it!

All the girls hanging out at the bottom of the cliff!

We had a great day, and plan on returning very soon!!

Relaxation.....

2010-08-03T11:55:00.000-07:00

If you need me I will be in my newly purchased hammock. Life.Is.Good.

Heat Wave!

2010-07-26T14:01:00.000-07:00

It's been unbelievably hot here lately, but that doesn't stop us from getting our game on! We hit the volleyball court Saturday for some fun in the sun along with some friendly competition!

The rest/baby area! And I was finally succesful at getting at least one good pic of Joanne!

Adam and I fighting over a ball...guess we forgot we're on the same team!

Despite the heat, it was still a blast, and we'll be doing a repeat tonight!

Sharp Game Night!

2010-07-23T14:10:00.001-07:00

Last night we headed over for a game night at the Sharps. Of course, there was plenty of food and fun! Sarah and Ben team up for some cranium! (However, the just weren't good enough to be Mine and Chris' team!)

As always, we played a couple rounds of Battle of the Sexes! Sadly, the girls were dominated in both rounds!

Sutton is such a great baby! He slept through most the night!!

A Much Needed Reunion!

2010-07-22T07:10:00.000-07:00

Our good friend Joanne has been visiting this week. We have worked with them in Texas and here in WV but they got transferred back to Texas in January. We have missed them so much! Joanne and her daughter Caylea made the long road trip out here, and we couldn't be happier! It's been so great to have them here! Caylea playing under the Sharp's coffee table!

We hosted a cook-out on Sunday so everyone could see Joanne and Caylea!

Mollie and Sarah--we are so ready to meet Mollies little guy!

Sarah and I watching the boys play ladder ball.

Somehow Joanne has managed to avoid the camera. However there is a game night tonight and I will be fixing that promptly!!

Echo Day 3

2010-07-22T06:48:00.000-07:00

Our last full day at Echo was packed full of fun! The day started with a talent show in the morning. There were a lot of great talents, ranging from singing and rapping to beat boxing and guitar playing! This is Julia rapping the Mcdonalds rap!

In the afternoon we had the team compitition, which was an obsticle course. There were some pretty hilarious sections of the relays! But team Nuggets pulled through and won!

Eating half a can of cheese wiz for the food portion of the relays!

That night the rave was Punk Rock Prom--by far my favorite theme! The kids really went all out! Their costumes were awesome!

We had a really awesome time at Echo. I got to meet and get to know some amazing kids. And above all I was privelaged to see God move through these kids in a awesome way! We're already pumped for next year!!

Echo Day 2

2010-07-21T06:18:00.000-07:00

Day 2 of Echo camp was even more fun than the first! Of course the day was filled with games, competitions, worship, and teaching. The evening rave was Nerds vs ninjas, which was hilarious! Ben and Sarah...Ben may have pulled off the nerd too well!

The nerd fashion show!

My nerdy prayer group!

Hanging out before curfew!

Echo Summer Camp Day 1

2010-07-19T03:55:00.000-07:00

I had the privelage of going to Echo camp-which is our church camp all last week. I had a great time getting to know the kids and watching God move in their lives! Each day was fun filled and in the evening we had a costume theme. Here are a few pictures of Day 1!

Team Crazies making their team flag!

80's Night!

Summer and I--try not to be jealous!

80's at it's best...

Last Day in Co

2010-07-10T06:16:00.000-07:00

On my last dayin co I had sadly, come to the realization that I was not going to meet Baby Hansel this time. Erin was a week over due and her labor always lasts 2 days. Which meant that even if she went into labor that day, I wouldn't meet the baby :(. We decided to take the kids to gymnastics. Shortly before we were to leave, Erin started to have some contractions. We didn't get our hopes up since she'd been having contractions for a week on and off. But she decided to stay home and I took the kids.Maggie running the trampoline!

Jett and Mya in their tent they made.

While we were at gymnastics, Erin text and told me to take the kids to the neighbors on my way home. When I got to her house, Erin was in pretty intense labor. The midwife soon arrived, and in 5 hours from start to finish, she was holding her beautiful baby girl!!

Faye Kyle Hansel 8lbs 12oz

Big brother Jett helping put on Faye's socks.

It was such a privelage to be there for Faye's birth. I'm so happy I got to meet her!!

Flagstaff!

2010-07-05T19:17:00.001-07:00

Yesterday afternoon we went to Flagstaff for a hike. It was much cooler in the mountains, which was a welcome change to the heat! Here's a few pictures from the afternoon: Erin and Maggie!

Can't beat that view!

Bob and Jett enjoying the view!

4th of July Celebration

2010-07-04T18:53:00.000-07:00

We celebrated the 4th yesterday with a cook-out in Bob and Erin's culdasac. We had some great food, and I was able to take part in the annual bike race!

Erin and Jett

This would be the bike everyone must ride around the culdasac!

Bob coming across the finish line!!

Jett and Maggie ready to watch some fireworks. Maggie didn't last too long because it was too loud, but Jett really loved it!

Morning Walk

2010-07-02T19:20:00.001-07:00

It's been pretty hot out here in Colorado. This morning it was actually pretty cool, so we took advantage and Jett, Maggie, and I took a walk to the pond! Looking for frogs, turtles, or fish!!

The big frog we spotted--Jett was pretty happy!

In case you're wondering, no baby yet. We're just playing the waiting game now!

Birthday Fun!!

2010-06-29T19:37:00.001-07:00

Allison's birthday was last week. She wanted to spend the day at Worlds of Fun to celebrate. Elijah had never been, so it was all new and fun for him! Elijah was pretty excited to start the fun!!

Allison and Lij on the kiddie detonator!

Sister picture!!

Lij and I playing around in the air conditioned bathroom!!

At the end of the day, Lij was worn out!!

It turned out to be a hot day but we still had a blast!!

Worlds of Fun - WV

2010-06-27T09:23:00.000-07:00

Even though this Worlds of Fun doesn't compare to the Worlds of Fun in Kansas City, it still was pretty fun. It definitely kept us busy for a few hours.............6 to be exact. Here are some pictures below:

18 Hole Miniature Golf

Miniature Golf - Each hole represented a different country.

On the Detonator ride

Yep, that's me at the very top! However, the bell did not work so all that was for nothing. Pretty cool feeling..........felt like King Kong!!

Going.............UP!!

Nate has definitely not learned his lesson!!

Slip and Slide Fun!!

2010-06-26T12:58:00.000-07:00

The weather in Missouri was hot and humid while I was there! Elijah and I decided that we would hit the water park.....however we discovered the water park was closed because they didn't have any electricity due to all the storms we had the day before. So instead, we made our own water park in my back yard! We got a slip and slide and water balloons and had a blast!!

Taking a break for a Jolly Rancher popsicle!

Goofy face!

He fell in a mud puddle while trying to walk up the slip and slide!

Camp Rainbow

2010-06-25T18:44:00.000-07:00

As most of you know, my main reason for travelling back to Mo. was for Camp Rainbow. Camp Rainbow is one of my biggest passions. I look forward to it all year! I love being able to connect with the campers and make each of them feel special and important, if only for a few days! Here's a few pictures of the fun!

Abby and Lauren making camp tshirts on our first night!

Me and Ashley at the dance....and Derek creeping in the picture!

Ethan and Christie dancing!

Travis and I tie-dying his t-shirt....which turned out suprisingly nice!

Sherrece and I at the dance. She's definately one of my favorite campers, and she borrowed my clothes and jewelry for the dance!!

For more pictures of all the fun check out the Camp Rainbow Blog!