Hello!!

Ok I realize its been, well forever since I last posted so I am writing to give you a little change of scenery when you visit:) 

  So I kind of have an excuse.  Tony and I are so happy to let everyone know we are expecting Baby #2 October 1st!  Some of you may know by now but we have been telling slowly but surely, just for precaution I guess.  Thia ultrasound was at 8 weeks.  I'm 14 right now.  I know you can't see anything but he/she looked like a gummy bear.

   As for foster care, we found out I was pregnant a week before we got our official license to foster/adopt.  God really knows how to mix things up!  We decided to obviously put things on hold but are thinking about doing a little respit care.  Which is basically babysitting foster children for other foster parents while they are gone or if they may need a little break for a day or so.  This means it wouldn't be an indefinite or permanent placement.  We are thinking of doing this only in the 2nd trimester, which we are beginning now.  So pray for us in making all of the different adjustments.

  Dean has been great.  Although he is well into the terrible twos as they call it.  Man, this is crazy stuff.  No wonder people are driven to addiction.  ok I'm only joking but its tough stuff.  He is really trying to figure himself and us out.  Luckily it seems to only become full blown out right scream sessions in the privacy of our own home.  In public (most of the time) he is satisfied with chatting with people and eating fruit snacks all day.  

  Which brings me to another issue.  Fruit snacks!!  Who invented fruit snacks anyway, yes- they are yummy, yes- they are non messy, yes- they are delightful for all ages but why are they like crack for my son??!!??  He can't get enough, he will finish one and be ready for the next.  It's insanity people.  The good thing is that I always know when he's asking for them.  His voice gets really sweet and quiet..."Mama? pease, 'root nacks' pease mama? pease?" .... then, big smile... another big smile,  "pease?"  

  Yeah no wonder all of the suckers that babysit him hand them over one by one to him:)  I love you all, but you're all enablers!

   Well as you can see we have been busy with planning for a new baby and getting through the two's, (its not all bad, this is what we signed up for... again)  so please forgive me for my lack of motivation in my blogging.  I try:)  These pictures were from my Mom's 60th birthday lunch.  She loved the surprise scrapbooks, thanks for writing everyone!!!!!!

Cousin Miriam
Aunt Da:)
Look at her surprised face... I love it:)

Snow Days

So we all bundled up and played in the snow this week.  Dean loved it!  Last year he was not impressed with it but this year he loved  the  'noballs' and sledding!  We went sledding with our neighbor Zach aka 'Yak' to Dean.  We actually just went to the drainage easment in our backyard.  I know, pretty awsome huh?:)  Anyway it was a big enough hill for us to have fun on. 

 p.s.  Don't all of you Arizona people feel like you're missing out on such fun... haha:)

He was throwing snowballs at Tony.

This was earlier that day, Tony went out to shovel the back steps off for the dogs and Dean saw me get the camera out smf posed for a pic with daddy.

He just liked to sit in the snow and watch Zach throw snowballs at Tony.
It looks like they are going so fast down the hill.

We got a family pass to the Cincinnati Children's Museum with Dean's birthday money and we've gone several times already and he loves it there.  There is a huge netted area that they play with thousands of balls, making them go into tubes and throwing them into buckets and shooting them out of pipes.  It's fun.

This part is the water area.  He is usually here for a while.   I have learned to pack a second whole outfit for him to change into after this area.  There are many other areas for him to play in and also other museums to walk through.  It's really a cool place to go, especially when the weather is so cold.

Well I hope you all stay warm and safe.

The New Year

Well,  I can't believe we're two weeks into 2009.  I hope this year brings lots of happy times for everyone.  It sure has brought a whole lot of frigid weather for us so far and more to come!  Oh well,  what can we do?!  

  So i'll begin by saying Dean is now officially 2 years old, I can't believe how times flies yet I can feel every bit of his two years added onto my life:)  I know it's only going to get crazier though... this is a shout out to all of my friends and family with multiple kids!  Hooray for you!!  Seriously.  

  Anyway,  here are a few pics of the last few weeks...

He is enjoying his very own kalotchy cookie. If some of you don't know, this is our family cookie. Its been a tradition in my dad's family for years. We like to pass on those traditions, especially if they're sweet:)

This is before church on Christmas Sunday. He is so handsome in a sweater vest:)

So, yes we did take him to see the real Santa and not just the Chic-fil-a cow Santa.  He actually told him he wanted a 'choo-choo'.

And guess what he got, a choo choo:)  He loves it.  He actually had a terrible time sleeping after all of the Christmas activites and traveling that one night he was up and upset and a little drousy that I could hear him muttering '...choo choo, mama, choo choo'.  Its really cute now but it was not too much fun at 3am.  Thank goodness he has for the most part overcome the sleeping troubles!

Here we are visiting Daddy on Christmas Day!  We had dinner at the firehouse with him.  Dean loves the wee-oows.  Another cute story was last night we Dean and I were ready to pray at dinner and Tony was working, Dean grabbed both of my hands, as usual, and started praying  " mi, mi, mi, mi... dada wee-ow wee-ow. Mamen!"  Translation:  "Thank you Jesus for this food.  Bless it to the good of our bodies, and be with daddy at work.  Amen!"  His first Prayer all on his own!!  It was so sweet because I always say the prayer and add to be with Daddy at work and he might add the wee-ow wee-ow but he said it all and he was praying just for Daddy.  It just makes my heart swell:)  Daddy was happy:)

Christmas Celebrations with the Families...
Dean got so many gifts from Nanny Pappy and Maw Maw, not to mention all of the Uncles and Aunts!!!  He is so blessed to have family like he does!
Nanny and Dean in the tent he got for Christmas!  It's been one of his very favorite gifts.
Uncle Danny and Aunt Jenny
Uncle Dray
Opening gifts at Maw Maw's house.

He got a shaving kit for Christmas and Daddy is showing him how to use it.
Here is Dean on his 2nd Birthday!
Yay!
Opening presents at his party!

Digging in to the cake... yummy, thanks Ginny!  He just couldn't help himself.
I just thought this was cute.  Olivia and Dean in the beloved tent.
Finally able to relax and watch a little Handy Manny.  :)

I probably should've just used a slideshow but too late now:)