New Family Picture

Christmas Letter/Update 2007

Dear Friends and Family,

Merry Christmas! This is my first official blog. I hope I will join Paul in his blogging efforts in the new year!

Our year started with the birth of Isaiah in January. My third c-section is definitely not an experience I want to re-live ever. I will spare the details, as most of you have heard them ad nauseum. However, as you can see, all’s well that ends well!

February brought a week and a half stay in the ER with Isaiah as he had RSV and Influenza A. While we were there, Cedar Rapids endured a serious ice storm that knocked out power to almost everyone, including the hospital. There wasn’t an empty bed in the hospital and all the doctors and nurses were sleeping in the halls. It was certainly interesting. Thankfully, Isaiah made a full recovery.

March brought two “falling off the bunk bed and subsequent trip to the ER.” incidents (so that’s why they put warning labels on bunk beds). Asher started it the first night – by the time I got to the e.r. he was totally fine. Gabe ”"fell out” the next night. This time we waited to go to the e.r. and he actually had his first concussion. Thankfully, that was the end of e.r. trips for the year (at least for the boys)!

When summer came, the boys took their first motorcycle ride (inward freaking out on my part).




We had a wonderful time playing outside, enjoying our neighborhood and local parks. The following picture shows just how dirty and tired two boys can get after a long day at Pinicon Ridge State Park:


After last year’s re-do of our front garden – thanks to my dear friend Susan, I continued with my new found love of gardening. I can’t wait to tear into more projects next spring.


We took several trips to local beaches and pools. We also enjoyed a trip to the zoo in Madison where Asher fed the goats and Gabe shocked us all by throwing water bottles at the tapirs. We also enjoyed summer visits from family.

Gabe with his cousin Noah

Grandma Cindy and Isaiah

Asher feeding the goats

Family picture at Eagle Point Park in Dubuque

Visit from my "Texas" cousins

This fall, we finished up a lot of household projects. We also enjoyed our second annual trip to the pumpkin patch in Manchester and we raked and raked and raked. Our first swing set joined the sandbox in the back yard.

I start a new venture in February as an independent fashion consultant for CAbi (Carol Anderson by Invitation). Yes, it’s yet another mlm venture. Thankfully, it’s new to Eastern Iowa and I am one of the only reps in the area. If all works out, it will combine my love of fashion (it’s gorgeous - girls!) and my organizational/office skills without interfering with our family life. I fly to Nashville in January for training. It will be my first time on a plane! Check me out at www.elizabethsmith.cabionline.com.

Here’s Paul’s update:

I started a new position at Rockwell in February and have been really enjoying it this year. I have found a place I could see myself staying in for a long time. I write software for flight displays and computers for military helicopters. I took one graduate course online through the Summer and took both Spring and Fall off. I have to stop taking breaks or I’ll never finish with it. My third course of ten begins in January.

My big project this year was a chimney replacement from the roof up. The old one came down quickly, but the new one went up very slowly. I learned a lot and hopefully will have a lasting result for my labor. I “cheated” and veneered it with rough manufactured stone. Luckily on an old Craftsman style home the imperfections are part of the character. I think I may have to get a little more detail-oriented as I begin our bathroom remodeling, though. I found the demolition part way too exciting, and I’m bummed that I have to put away the sledgehammer now and get out the tape measure.


Now an individual update on the kids:

Gabriel:

Gabe turned five this year in March with a party at the bowling alley.

Gabe learned to ride a bike without training wheels this year and is good at it. Really good.

We think he might have a bmx future. That kind of scares mom a little bit. I had to endure a couple weeks of taking walks with him while he rode his bike as though he was a remote-controlled toy being controlled by some unseen person. I have no idea where he came up with that. He crashed at least a dozen times. He, along with Asher, had a lot of fun playing with the neighbor kids outside – everyday! Gabe also started kindergarten this fall. I totally freaked out about the pressure and responsibility a week before we were to start, but it has been a good experience so far. He is reading phonetically and behaving better since he has productive things to work on. He is also taking supplemental classes through the Marion Homeschool Program and has had really had a good time. One of our highlights this fall was a trip to see the orchestra as they put on a program for youth every fall. Gabe really loved that. Gabe’s other favorite activity is attending Awana at a local church. They play games and learn Bible verses - which he has excelled at.

Asher:



Asher just turned three….more like finally turned three.

Asher is all boy, yet very cuddly at the same time. We wake up most mornings finding that he has snuck into our room and is sleeping at the foot of our bed. He really keeps up with his big brother and they are generally obsessed with the same things – guns, swords, guns, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, guns and of late, spiderman.

One of our favorite Asher stories happened one warm night this summer. Asher snuck outside right before bed time in only his diaper. I watched from his bedroom window as he skipped along the driveway towards the front of our house and the garden. As he neared the flowers, I called out to him in a very deep voice, “Asher, get in the house. It’s time for bed.” Asher came screaming and running into the house exclaiming “The flowers are talking to me.” Despite my telling him contrary, he still thinks the flowers talked to him. I think that’s why I caught him watering the flowers several times this summer and telling the flowers in a sing-song voice that everything is going to be okay and to enjoy their “milky.”

Isaiah:

Isaiah has changed the most of our three boys, and is taking on his own personality.

Like Paul says, Isaiah has two moods – happy or whiny- with no in between. He has definitely been the most high maintenance baby so far. He loves his mommy time! His looks remind us a lot Gabe as a baby… See:

Isaiah

Gabe

And, then we realize he also looks like Asher. Maybe it should be "My three identical sons...":

Asher

Right now, Isaiah has four teeth and has been crawling for a couple of months now. I wouldn’t be surprised if he is walking soon. Of course, he says “da dee” constantly and adores Paul just like the other two did at this age. He is finally eating table food, and he loves it. Next summer should be the one when we have to chase him everywhere!

I hope your year has been as joyful and blessed as ours!!!!

Love – Paul, Elizabeth, Gabriel, Asher and Isaiah

Bathroom Demo part 2

After you watch this, I'll have you know I had that tub out in no time. The doubter and naysayer watched me stand it up and walk it out of the room, slide it to the basement stairs on a towel, and then drag it down the steps. Someday when somebody with some pipes stops by I'll get them to help me take it out the basement door. Getting the new one (which is older and roughly as heavy as the old one) up the basement steps to the bathroom might be interesting.

Asher's first motorcycle ride - Our First Blog Video!

So I just wanted to try a quick little clip to start with, and kept it really low resolution because I didn't know I could go to 20MB on Blogger until just this moment. It is easy, though, so we will have some good high-res stuff coming soon. I have two hours of footage from this year to import to the PC and edit. Since I have a really basic PC it takes FOREVER! This video stuff is making me itch for 2GB of dual-channel DDR and a nice video card.

Think mommy might be tired yet?

One man's junk...

Isaiah shows one of his two moods

Gabe and Asher Compete for Neighbor Girl

Not Halloween, but could have been....

Gabe is apparently doing his best Sean Penn here and Asher may have just come home from a weekend renaissance festival.

Gabriel Dreams of Ninja Turtles

Bathroom Demolition

The main floor bathroom has been gutted. All cabinets went first by sledgehammer, then wall and floor tiles. Yesterday I got the toilet, sink, and tub out and took all the plaster off the outside wall to prepare for the new window framing. Pictures will be posted soon. We bought an aluminum-clad wood double-hung window and a clawfoot tub. The floor will be tile, the walls likely beadboard and wallpaper, and the ceiling may be tin or faux tin tiles. We'll have a pedestal sink and a dresser and mirror. I plan to do all new plumbing with PEX tubing throughout the house. So far the only "real fun" part was taking the old tub out. I took it down the basement steps myself and just barely kept from having to ride it down into the chimney foundation.

DSL Arrives Tomorrow

We have been hooked on the cheap stuff for a long time. When I locked in $4.95/mo dial-up eight years ago I never figured I'd be on it for so long. It was nice on the budget, but it is time to move on. 7Mbps DSL through Qwest begins tomorrow and I can't wait. I will update all the pictures on the blog and (with help from Matt Farrand) also try to put up some video clips of the kids. Maybe I can get them to behave for ten seconds in front of our Christmas tree or something.