I'm an Auntie Again!

Here is a picture of 3 of my neices. Hope, Faith and new baby Emily, with new mommy and Grandma looking on!
Emily Elizabeth is a little over an hour old in this picture.
The nurse came into Brenda's room at 8:30 and said they were going to start trying to push so Brenda told me to wait in the hallway. And thinking we still had a ways to go and that I would get to go back in the room again, I did. Well, Brenda did amazing, or so I heard the nurse say, because everything strated happening really fast. And Neil and I were still standing in the hallway waiting when we got to hear Emily cry for the very first time. That has got to be one of the coolest sounds I have ever heard.
I didn't get to see her first though. Brenda said something about Grandparents getting that right. WHATEVER! Anyway Neil and I went into the waiting room, were everyone looked really anxious, and told them they could go in and see their new grandbaby. Man did that room clear out fast!
Congratulation Brenda and Zachary! You guys are going to be great parents!!! We love you and your new little Emily so much already!

Snow Day at Auntie's

Last week I took my first pregnancy sick day and when I opened my windows I was so glad I had! The prettiest snow flakes were drifting down, and there was about an inch on the ground.

I called Jennifer to tell her if she wanted to bundle up the girls she could come on over. (Seeing as even if I was contagious, she already has what I got!)

We made two snow men, complete with carrot nose. (Dixie was really the expert in that one, she can roll up snow like you wouldn't believe.) We also tried our hands (and feet) at snow angels, but seeing as we kind of used most of the snow for the men, it was hard to make in impression you could see.

Isabella loved to watch the snow activities, but when we set her down I think her bottom got cold to fast. Her nose got the cutest color pink!

And according to Jed tradition, Tessa finished the day at Auntie's with a cup of Hot Chocolate.

I had so much fun playing with the girls. It was nice to see all the snow! That is one thing I am going to miss when we move. We have gotten snow three or four times in Shasta Lake when Redding didn't get any. But I don't know that that is a good enough reason to stay up here!

Thanks girls for coming up and playing with me in the snow. You were so CUTE!

Is It To Soon To Buy Elastic Pants?

I can not believe how much my stomach already hurts from my jeans and work pants. So I don't know if I am jumping the gun or am right in line, but I went shopping this weekend for some pants with elastic waist bands. Pathetic, I know! But I did get some killer deals. I got 8 items of clothing at Sears for $25.00. And I got a super cute pair of black pants with white pin-stripes and a red shirt at JCPenny for $8.97 for both. I love sales.

Another One Bites the Dust!

Well, I know this post will come with MUCH disbelief, but I do in fact have a doctor's note to prove it. Neil is in fact going to be a daddy. Which means that Alicia is going to be a mommy! AHHHHHHHHH!
Although it wasn't a complete surprise I must say I am still a little speachless. So far the general response is, "No Way!" But Lord willing, there will be two babies in our family this Christmas. (On both sides of the family actually) My sister is due in about 10 days, and Neil's sister is due in August. Craziness!
The doctor has givin me an ETA of October 9th. Our first sonogram is March 12th. So we should be about to hear the heartbeat then. I think that will really make everything kick in for Neil. He is still a little in ShellShock mode.
Zachary's first response when I told him was,"Have you told Neil yet?" I told him I was trying to gain support from my family first. But Neil was obviously the first one I told, and he was really excited actually. But like I said I don't think it has really clicked for him yet.
So if you think about us, please pray. A special request is that I don't have a pregnancy like Brenda's!!!!

The Mountains

Disneyland and California Adventure both have a mountain that is very distinct. We got pictures of both of them this trip. Matterhorn is in Disneyland and Grizzley Peak is in California Adventure. Can you guess which one is which?

Two of My Favorite

I had a blast with my camera this trip. It was fun to take all the artsie pictures I am always afraid to waste film on. This time no film to worry about. The top one is "It's a Small World" at night still decorated in Christmas lights. And the bottom is the teacups just spinning. It was dusk when I took this picture so the lanterns were on. The Teacups and Alice in Wonderland are my two favorite Fantasyland rides just because of the colors the rides are decorated in. Lots of brights! Hope you enjoy these two pictures.

So Very Close to the End!

Well today is a big day for me. I'm on my way to the orthodontist
to get my bottom retainer in. I guess they are going to put a permanant one on the bottom. Put it will be on the inside of my mouth so you can't see it. Then I will get fitted for my top retainer. I am very close to getting my braces off. I can hardly believe it is here already. I have had them on since August 2004. Crazy, that went so fast!

Dreams do come true

11 people in 2 rooms isn't that bad. The hotel we stayed in had an awesome hot tub and they had a great breakfast every morning. Which was nice to fill up on before heading to the park.

We really and truly did get to meet Lightning McQueen. He was so incredible! He drove up and parked and then sat there with his engine running while kids got to take pictures with him. And when I say kids I mean me!

Tow Mater was so much fun too! He had a hidden Mickey on him, which Neil pointed out to me! That was neat! We even hooked Noah up to his crane and tried to haul him off. I think meeting the charaters is still one of the funnest things for me! We saw the Mad Hatter playing musical chairs and a riddle game with a bunch of kids.
Noah was all about the big rides this time. He wanted to bad to go on the Tower of Terror. He didn't think any building was as big as that hotel!

We really got into trading pins this time. It was a first for us and I think we really enjoyed it. Some of us more than others (see Zachary's Blog). Neil traded one of his for a tinker bell. He was proud of himself.

My new camera was so much fun!!!!!! I was so happy to have it on this trip. I could post a pic a day and it would take me about a year to show them all to you.
Well, I miss the place already. I wonder if it is too soon to plan my next trip? Brenda also has some pictures on her blog so be sure to read her point of view. Check back later for more pics from Disneyland. I haven't even shown you my favorite one yet!

Nikon D80

I can tell you there will be a lot of picture taking in Disnayland this year. Alicia has a digital!
Neil spoiled me ROTTEN this weekend! I got a Nikon D80. What does that mean? I have no idea, but I am reading my manual, and I have learned some stuff already, and I will get a lot of practice this next weekend at Disneyland. It's gonna be fun!

Lightening McQueen

Would it get any cooler than watching the real Lightening McQueen drive by in a parade? Yeah, getting to ride in him! Yeah, that would be cooler. Well, it is the "Year of a Million Dreams", so I guess it could happen.

Merry CHRISTmas!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all. I can not believe that January 2007 is here already. It seems like I always forget that a new year comes after Christmas, it always seems to surprise me anyway.
Only 3 more days until Zachary's Birthday! How excited are we! And only 10 more days until Disneyland. Yeah I'm a little more excited about the second one!
Christmas was nice and we got another family picture. Next year will be adding one more (from Brenda! Not me!!)



This year's tree is our favorite. It is was just this cute little thing and fit on the 3 foot wall we needed it to fit on perfectly. It was the only spot in the living room it could go. Brenda saw the cutest this on two peas and since our star was to big for this tree I stole the idea and put my Christmas Mickey Ears on the top of our tree this year. I thought it worked because we are going to Disneyland so soon.


Our ornament for this year was a Rainbow Trout. We got it in Montana on our vacation.We each caught a pretty good size fish while there, and it was my first trout.


Well, we go back to work tomorrow. Sometimes I really miss that 3 week vacation I used to get while in school. 3 days just isn't the same.
Happy New Year! Can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for this coming year. But don't forget to take the time to look back on last year and see all the ways God showed you He loves you!

All the Other Aunta Lesha's Out There Better Look Out!!

So Thursday Night I show up at Bunco and in Jamie's entry way there is a rather large pile of pink travel bags. You see Tessa was coming over to Auntie's house for a sleep over. So after Bunco we lug ourselves to the car and get strapped in for the drive. When we left Jamie's driveway Tessa says,"Know what Aunta Lesha? You're the coolest Aunta Lesha ever!" Yeah I thought that was pretty cool!
Well, we made it to the corner, before a large bowl of water that Jennifer assured me wouldn't spill, spelt. So back to Jamie's house we go! After using half a roll of paper towels we are back on the road. This time when we pull out of Jamie's driveway Tessa exclaims," Hey! I forgot to say goodbye to Emily!" "Oh, Tessa she is already in bed" I say. So Tesssa whispers," Goodnight Emily." Then she whispered a bunch of stuff I couldn't hear. But then she goes, with a big sign! "I miss her!"
The drive home was good, I never had to turn my radio on! And Tessa decided that when we see Unle Neil we should yell SURPRISE!
When we got home we got our bath (because Emily and Tessa tried to tickle some fish eatlier in the eveing and got all wet with fishy water). We got all settled in for a movie when we heard Uncle Neil pull in. Out go the lights and we hide! Neil opens the door and out pop Tessa and I. Neil looked a little shocked and says with a big smile on his face," I forgot she was going to be here!"
After that the night was pretty calm. Neil got worn out just listening to Tessa talk. It was so adorable!

And in the morning we had cookies for breakfast! And sang Christmas songs all the way back into town. Thanks for coming over Tessa! I had a great time.

The Guy's Rules

Please note: these are all #1 on purpose!

1. Men are not mind readers.
1. Learn to work the toilet seat. You're a big girl. If it's up, put it down. We need it up, you need it down. You don't hear us complaining about you leaving it down.
1. Sunday sports. It's like a full moon or the changing of the tides. Let it be.
1. Shopping is not a sport. And no, we are never going to think of it that way.
1. Whenever possible, please say whatever you have to say during commercials.
1. Christopher Columbus did not need directions and neither do we.
1. All men see in only 16 colors, like Windows default settings. Peach, for example, is a fruit, not a color. Pumpkin is also a fruit. We have no idea what mauve is.
1. If it itches, it will be scratched!
1. If we ask what is wrong and you say nothing, we will act like nothing is wrong. We know you are lying, but it is just not worth the hassle.
1. If you ask a question you don't want an answer to, expect an answer you don't want to hear.
1. When we have to go somewhere, absolutely anything you wear is fine . . . Really.
1. Don't ask us what we are thinking about unless you are prepared to discuss such topics as baseball, the shotgun formation, or golf!
1. I am in shape. Round is a shape.
1. Crying is blackmail.
1. Ask for what you want. Let us be clear on this one. Subtle hints do not work, strong hints don't work, obvious hints do not work! Just say it!
1. Yes and No are perfectly acceptable answers to almost every question.
1. Come to us with a problem only if you want help solving it. That's what we do. Sympathy is what your girlfriends are for.
1. A headache that lasts for 17 months is a problem. See a doctor.
1. Anything we said 6 months ago is inadmissible in an argument. In fact, all comments become null and viod after 7 days.
1. If you won't dress like Victoria's Secret girls, don't expect us to act like soap opera guys.
1. If something we said can be interpreted 2 ways and one of the ways makes you sad and angry we meant the other one.
1. You can either ask us to do something or tell us how you want it done. Not both.
1. Yes, I know, I have to sleep on the coach tonight. But did you know men really don't mind that? It's like camping.

Junk Mail in your Bills?

Okay, does anyone else get junk mail in their bills? Of course! Does anyone I know read it? Probably not!! Is it annoying? YES!
So I was talking to Tabitha Ann tonight and she told me something that I thought was rather entertaining. Want to know what she does? She returns it. When she is filling out her check and puts it in the provided envolope, she also puts in all the junk that company sent her. Cracks ME UP! She said she read it in a Reader's Digest. And it cuts down on the garbage she has to throw away.
I think I'm gonna start mailing junk back. I've often wondered if you can mark junk mail "Return to Sender"?

Can a Dog Break It's Tail?

Well, apparently a dog can in fact break a tail. I always thought that a tail was made of cartilage, but it is a bunch of little bones with cartilage between them. We think that Gauge fell off the deck and landed on it, but he is such a hyper dog that really it could be anything!
Sunday night when Neil went to feed him, Gauge just didn't seem as excited about life as he normally does. Then Neil noticed his tail. Normally it is going Mach 2. He has given me a welt on my leg before from his tail. It hurts! But now . . . well . . . it just hangs. He looks so funny. His rump is still wigglin, but the tail, not so much.
Gauge is now on Meds for the swelling. The vet said that it is getting good blood flow, and that it should straighten out over time. But he will baby it for a while. (Yeah, apparently it can really tire a person out trying to get an X-ray of a hyper dog's tail. Neil said the lady looked worn out when she came back in the room.) But for now I guess no whip, which isn't all that bad for Neil and I. I'm sure Buddy is kind of relieved too.

Deal or No Deal!

Jed and Jenn's church friends had a Halloween get together on Saturday Night, so Neil and I tagged along. When discussing what to be, Jed came up with the Deal or No Deal girls, and Neil agreed to go as Howie. Which wasn't a huge reach for him seeing as he is mostly bald already. But he did refuse to shave his gottee down to that little soul patch that Howie has.
So meet Stacey, Howie and Anya!
Did you know that the same girl holds the same case in every show? We went on Deal or No Deal's website and you can read the Bio for all the girls. I picked case 10 because she had short blonde hair, and Jennifer picked case 2 because her girl went to law school. We made quite a splash I must say. It was real fun getting all dressed up! And Neil was such a stud!!! Jed it should be stated went as a Cone Head.
So next time you watch Deal or No Deal check out case #2 and case #10.
I would love to hear everyone else's dress up ideas for this year.
P.S. Don't you just love Jennifer's shoes?

Montana Friends

Neil and I went to Montana and Idaho in August. We had so much fun just driving around. It was kind of nice not having any schedule.
We stayed with Neil's friend Tony and his family for 4 days while in Great Falls. And got woken up every morning at Sunrise by a rooster. I'm not very fond of that rooster!
Here is a pic of the kids. They are such good kids, and there is another one on the way! I don't know how Amy does it!! Malachi is on the far left, then Daniel, Rebecca, Caleb, and David is the baby, but not for long.
We went fishing on the Missouri River, and I caught my first Rainbow Trout, we also got to see a rock chuck. They live in the rocks along the river. We went to the Montana State Fair too. That was kind of neat.
It was great meeting you all. Thanks for a great visit!

We call it Bagels

Fridays are so much fun! I just love it when we can all get together for an hour on Fridays. It always feels really early, but once I am there it is worth it.
A couple of years ago Brenda and Heather started going to begals on Friday mornings. Then when I started working with Brenda, I got to go. And as you can see it has grown. So if you ever want to join us, just give us a call.

Brenda and Zachary had their second sonagram this last week. Brenda put more pics on her blog, so be sure to check them out.

Fishing at Cresent City

Went fishing at the ocean on our vaction a while back. It is amazing what God put in that big body of water. Some of those thing are just plain scary!! While cleaning one of the fish Neil found an octupus inside of it.
We have had several fish frys since we got home with all that fish. It sure is good!

What a Difference!

I just love watching Neil mow the back lawn. The dogs just crack me up! They follow Neil around like they are really going somewhere. I think they just like to be with Neil, and who can blame them?
The sod is such a nice change. Neil built the fence also, and we just put up the shed. It just amazes me what the yard looked like when we bought the house and what it looks like now! The yard looks so much bigger. There were 9 trees in that little back yard when we got started. Now there are 3. Let me know if you want to come over for a bar-be-que.