The Joki Journey...

Nana Na Na, Nana Na Na, Hey Hey, Goodbye!

2010-06-16T07:54:00.003-05:00

Finally! We are paci free in our home!! Adalyn has been still using a paci at night only for quite awhile. Well, she has been going to bed now for over a week without a paci and she no longer even asks for it. I am so glad to see that thing go. And as with all of her other transistions, I dreaded it and dreaded it and she completely surprised me by making it easy. I've been talking to her about how big girls don't need paci's and that they were for babies and she should throw it away. Well one morning she did! She still had one paci left though and kept asking for it. I wanted to make this easy on her so I was going to give it to her that night but we couldn't find it! I searched everywhere. I put her to bed and told her I would keep looking. She went to bed with no tears!! I was so proud of her. The next morning she did ask for it but I told her I couldn't find it. That night there was some crying but she eventually went to sleep without much of a struggle. She asked for her paci for several nights and there were some tears but nothing terrible. Now she doesn't even ask for it anymore. I'm so proud of my Big Girl!!!

Class of 2010

2010-06-04T23:20:00.006-05:00

Last week Ethan had his graduation from pre-k. He is so excited to start kindergarten but it was so sad to see this phase of his life come to an end. While he'll still be at the daycare until school starts in August, the thought that he will be leaving all of the good friends he has made over the past years is really sad. They are a close group and all are going to different schools.

We entered to a beautiful slideshow of the graduates through the years put together by Miss Brooke. Great job Brooke!!

Miss Linda, how can we ever thank you for providing a loving, caring and safe environment for our son since he was only a year and half old. I'm so glad we still have Adalyn with you so you aren't rid of us just yet!!

Miss Amanda, thank you so much for taking such good care of our boy and teaching him so much. He is so ready for Kindergarten and it is thanks to you and his other wonderful teachers at LLO!!

The ceremony was really cute.

First they got all the graduates into their caps and gowns.

The processional...

Then they were on stage and said the Pledge of Alliegance.

After that they sang a few songs.

Mommy was doing good until the kids ended with God is So Good and then all started hugging at the end, the tears started then!!

Then it was time to get their diplomas and a bible with their name on it.

The graduating Class of 2010 from Linda's Little Ones...

Our graduate!

We are so proud of you Ethan and we love you so much. We cannot wait to see what you will become one day.

Growing up...

2010-06-04T21:59:00.005-05:00

Last weekend was a big weekend for Adalyn. My little girl is growing up so very fast. First, after urging from her Daddy believe it or not, we took Adalyn to do this...

She did so well. I always said I would only pierce her ears if she asked me to, and she has asked but I know she didn't know what she was asking for. Well the past couple of weeks Daddy had brought it up several times. We asked her if she wanted to have earrings and she kept telling us yes so off to Claire's we went. We got to the store and Adalyn was in awe. Why have I never thought to take our girlie girl into one of these places before. All the sparkle and color, she was in heaven!! First we had her pick out her earrings, she chose the pink flowers- no boring studs for our girl!! Our big girl climbed up into the chair all by herself and had a big grin on her face.

I decided to have her sit on my lap to make sure she didn't move. I didn't need to worry a bit. She sat perfectly still while they pierced both of her ears at the same time. After they were done Adalyn sat there for a second then realized what had happened and started crying. It wasn't an "I'm hurt" cry though. No, our girl was MAD! She wasn't happy that we poked her at all. Of course, all it took was Daddy walking her around the store and letting her pick out a necklace for all to be right with the world again. She really is doing well with her earrings. She doesn't play with them and lets me clean the every morning and night without a fight. She loves to look in the mirror and see her "pretty earrings"!!

Adalyn also had another big change this last weekend- she now has a big girl bed!! I was worried I wouldn't be able to keep her in bed once she has been put down for the night but so far we haven't had an issue. I did have a visitor one night over the week at 2 in the morning. I let her lay with us for a bit but then told her she had to go back to her bed and she did!! Without complaint.

When did my baby become such a big girl...

Well it happened.

2010-05-25T07:37:00.003-05:00

I knew it would. That someday I would hear those words that would tear my heart out. I just didn't think it would happen so soon.

"I don't love you Mama" and for added measure, it was repeated. Twice. Ouch.

And what was my infraction?? I didn't give Adalyn 2 pieces of pizza, I gave her one and told her she could have another after she ate that. For that I get "I don't love you". Wow, what is it going to be when I do something that she REALLY hates??

It all has a happy ending though. Within 5 minutes she was kissing me and telling me she loved me "this much". So for now, I'm ok. I am so not looking forward to the teenage years!!!

Prettyful...

2010-03-11T21:57:00.003-06:00

The other day Adalyn pointed to something and called it prettyful. What a great way to describe something... both pretty and beautiful.

Yes baby girl... prettyful indeed.

Let It Snow...

2010-01-31T14:49:00.001-06:00

Let It Snow...

Let it Snow!

Remembering Christmas 2009

2010-01-03T14:26:00.005-06:00

The decorations are down and put away in the attic and my living room is not nearly as homey and cozy as it was with them up. I always hate when Christmas has to come down. I love the colors and the smells and the lights! Right now I am looking back over the last week and I have to say that this Christmas has been one of my all time favorites. Both of the kids really got into it this year and it was so much fun to watch them enjoy. We were blessed with family around us as Ryan and Emily flew in from California and Papa and Cathy were here for Christmas morning. That night, Cathy's kids and their families joined us at our house for dinner and we all had a great time.

Here is a look at our Christmas this year... in pictures!!

Christmas Eve started out well with Aunt Emily and Ethan making a Christmas Tree to hang the nativity ornaments that Adalyn got at school on. They had a great time and it turned out wonderful. We are keeping this tree to put up each year as it turned out so well! After that we went to the Christmas Eve service at Long Hollow Baptist and enjoyed the praise and worship there. We also carried on the Joki tradition of heading to Opryland to see the decorations. We even ran into Santa there!!
Once we returned home we made our reindeer food and then scattered it on the lawn so that the reindeer had something to eat while Santa left presents under our tree! We also opened our Christmas Eve presents- this year both kids got 2 presents to open- their Christmas pj's and a book about the birth of Jesus. Daddy sat down with the kids to read to them about the birth of our Saviour and to share with them the real reason we celebrate at this time of year. Then it was off to bed with the little ones!!

Christmas morning arrived and the kids were so excited to see what was left under the tree. Papa and Cathy arrived bright and early with breakfast from McD's and we all ate before we tore into our gifts! Ethan received his Nerf Gun from Santa that he forgot to mention when he saw him and Adalyn recieved a baby Elmo complete with paci and blankie from the big red guy. Ethan also got cowboy boots from Grandmas Sandy that he had to put on right away! As soon as he took them off, Adalyn was quick to grab them and take a spin around the living room with them on!!

Christmas was wonderful this year and we are so blessed to have each other and our families around us.

Happy New Year and welcome 2010- we hope this year is as good as the last!!

Christmas Wonderland

2009-12-21T16:50:00.001-06:00

Every year we head to Bass Pro Shops to visit Santa Claus. They have the best setting for pictures, a log cabiny feel and the same Santa every year. Each year they have grown their Christmas operation and now it is a Christmas Wonderland!

Here the kids are dressed and ready to go. Notice Adalyn's wonderful smile?

Here are Ethan and Adalyn at the coloring station. It was great until Adalyn starting throwing crayons. The line for Santa was really, really long (free pictures!) so she was already starting to get bored.

Ethan playing with the remote control monster trucks. Poor little guy stood there for a long time waiting for a turn and people cutting in front of him before I told him to just ask for a turn. He needs to learn to be just a tad bit less shy!

Adalyn watching the train go by.

Me and Adalyn about half way to Santa. Can you tell the smile is disappearing? Naptime is quickly approaching at this point.

Even less of a smile...

Really not having it at this point but getting so close to Santa!!

Look we can see him!

We made it!! Adalyn was about to break out crying until Santa handed her a candy cane. Candy works with this girl every time! Ethan was sure to tell Santa his wish list, but forgot to mention he wanted a Nerf Gun. I assured him Santa would read the list he left in his stocking :)

After our visit with Santa we headed to lunch then the grocery store. Daddy bought the kids each a ring pop and then the guy at the bakery gave Adalyn a cookie and Ethan a doughnut- can we say sugar overload????

That cookie is as big as her head!!

Merry Christmas everyone :)

1 Close your eyes...

2009-12-20T16:42:00.000-06:00

2 Think of a place...

3 Imagine you are there!

As part of Adalyn's Christmas present we took her to see her favorite character, Elmo, at Sesame Street Live Imagine 1 2 3. She loved it and couldn't tear her eyes from the stage. We had great seats on the floor not far away from the stage. She is still talking about how much fun she had at Elmo- "Elmo, Fun!" can be heard often. What a great experience for her, and for us!!

Zoo outing with Papa and Cathy

2009-12-19T16:17:00.001-06:00

About a month ago, the kids got to spend an afternoon with Papa and Cathy at the zoo... without us! They had a great time together and Daddy and I had a nice time going to a movie and having time alone to ourselves as well. Look how much fun they had!

Potty Training

2009-12-18T15:14:00.003-06:00

We have been working on potty training with Adalyn. I was really beginning to think that she was ready when any time she was naked (getting ready for a bath or during diaper changes) and she had to go she would cry and say she had to go. She wouldn't just pee so I thought she might be ready. So, one Saturday I decided to let her run around without pants to see how she did, she did great! She told me every time she needed to go and there were no accidents. So I decided to take the next step...

How cute is she in those big girl panties???? So we went and bought some Elmo and Princess panties and tried to let her run around in those. I put her in them and sat her on my bed to explain that she was to let me know when she had to go so we could do on the potty. She then informs me that she peed... on my bed... great start! Let's just say the panties were not a huge success. We will take baby steps and keep trudging on. I think I'll try the nakey thing again to see how that goes.

All that potty training is tiring though and Adalyn and Daddy fell asleep on the couch together. How sweet is that? :)

Drivers start your engines!

2009-11-06T15:57:00.004-06:00

Who would have thought at 5 years old Ethan would be interested in racing. No, I don't mean watching a race- I mean actually racing! Eric has been wanting to get him into a quarter midget car since he turned 5 (the minimum age to race) and this week we were finally able to do it. Ethan did great and didn't run into a wall or onto the grass!! Not bad for his first time :) Now all he talks about is doing it again... I think we are in trouble!!

All suited up!

Getting instruction...

Ready to go!

Pushing off...

And away we go!!!

Treat or Treat...

2009-11-04T17:15:00.006-06:00

We had such a good time on Halloween. We went to Kristy and Richie's house (Cathy's daughter and son in law) and we trick or treating in their neighborhood. Nick and Ashley, along with Preston and Teigan joined in on the fun as well. We started our evening by having pizza and snacks and then we hit the streets for some great trick 0r treating- the kids made out pretty well!! We ended the evening with hot cocoa to warm up and the straight home to bed. Here is some photographic evidence of our night, enjoy :)

Who could resist cute faces like this????

Aren't they adorable? :)

The first house! Adalyn did great, she wasn't bashful at all and said Trick or Treat and Thank you at each house.

The wagon was essential

Pooped out from all that walking!!

And Adalyn brought us home!

A beautiful fall day...

2009-10-30T16:34:00.008-05:00

at the pumpkin patch! Our house was supposed to show on Sunday (we are trying to sell, know anyone interested?? {wink} ) so after church we decided to go to the pumpkin patch so that we were out of the house. It was a gorgeous fall day, the sky was blue, the air was warm but not hot, it was perfect! We had so much fun just playing and laughing out in the sun.

WARNING- picture overload

We...

Stood in line...

sat on haybales...

played on tractors...

gazed into the distance... (look at that blue sky- beautiful!)

walked through a corn maze...

picked out pumpkins...

laughed...

and were silly...

played in cute little cabins...

and on big tires...

played in the sand...

giggled until our stomachs hurt...

and left happy!

What about you? Have you been to a pumpkin patch lately? I highly recommend it!!

Wilson County Fair

2009-10-22T21:13:00.005-05:00

So this summer we headed to the fair and a good time was had by all. Of course by the end of the day Mama's feet were sore! Boy I'm getting old! We saw rabbits and ducks and chickens. We fed goats and llamas and camels. We rode mules and camels. We watched monkeys racing on the back's of dogs. We ate corn dogs and spiral fries and had yummy sweet tea. We watched Ethan ride the rides and pulled Adalyn in a wagon. And we walked, and walked and stood and then walked some more. It was a great day and I can't wait until next year when Adalyn can join in on the fun a little bit more :)

Here's the evidence of our day at the fair!

ABC's

2009-10-20T10:05:00.000-05:00

Adalyn has been working really hard at learning her ABC's. It is the most adorable thing I've ever seen, especially when she gets to the LMNO part!

Here have a look...

Help us...

2009-10-17T09:00:00.000-05:00

Our Mommy is a slave driver!!

If only they knew what they were getting into when they asked (begged) to help clean the kitchen! There is no going back now {grin}

Drooling...

2009-10-16T09:37:00.003-05:00

Ok, so while reading this review post by one of my favorite bloggers, was practically drooling through the whole thing.

Can we say Christmas? Anyone?? Hint Hint {wink}

Samsung Washer and Dryer

Adalyn's 2nd Birthday Party

2009-10-15T16:22:00.004-05:00

I know this is a couple of months late but it deserves a post all it's own.

Adalyn's birthday party was at Papa and Cathy's house and we had a wonderful pool party. Adalyn and Ethan are such water babies- they just love to swim- so pool parties were an easy answer.

Adalyn is really into Elmo right now so an Elmo cake was surely the answer! And Elmo on the beach! What could be better for a pool party, right? If you haven't had a pull apart cake from Publix yet you don't know what you are missing. Not only do you not have to cut it like a cake as it is made of cupcakes but the frosting is the best ever!!

Adalyn was certainly happy with her cake! It was really yummy :)

Adalyn also got a lot of great presents. She had been fighting with Ethan most of the summer to ride his tractor but she just couldn't quite fit and reach the peddles. It was the funnies thing to watch her scoot all the way to the end of the seat and push on the peddle which would make her jerk forward a few inches. She would use her hands to hold on to the seat so she couldn't steer so it was good thing she wasn't really going anywhere! Well we decided she needed a ride-on toy all her own so she got her very own four wheeler in her size. It went over pretty well as you can see...

Her other favorite gift was her Elmo restaurant that Papa and Cathy got for her! Did I mention she loves Elmo??? She and Ethan have had a lot of fun playing with this toy.

She also got a couple of really cute outfits from Nick and Ashely and Christie and Richie (Cathy's kids) and an Elmo purse which is right up her alley- she loves all things girlie!!

I was a wonderful day and fun was had by all. Thank you everyone that was able to make it to the party and celebrate this wonderful day with us.

Happy Birthday baby girl- We Love You!!

Wow... Long time, No Blog...

2009-10-14T16:45:00.003-05:00

I would like to apologize for my extended (over a month!) absence. I hope that my 2 readers are not overly upset with me {wink} What can I say, I have been busy with 2 little ones and well, one big one!! It seems that we have been on the go so much lately, what with t-ball and softball and other activities we have really ended the summer with a bang! Yes, I said it, ended summer :( As I look out my window at the rain and gloom, watching leaves falling from the trees and sit here wishing my fireplace were burning and I had a cup of hot chocolate to curl up with I realize that summer is indeed gone *sigh* It went to fast but we did enjoy. The good news, for those 2 people that read my blog, is that now that summer is gone, I should be more available to keep you updated on our overly exciting lives! I know, I know, don't let the excitement get the best of you.

And just to leave your mouths watering, here are some pictures from over the summer of those adorable little ones that have I been keeping me away from you all, you know, those 2 readers I have!! He He I'll share stories soon of our adventures along with more pictures!

Until later, sweet friends...

Picasa

2009-09-04T16:03:00.002-05:00

I just discovered www.picasa.com, look what I did!

Photos by Karen Yaniglos at Karen's Photography

Game Ball!

2009-08-25T21:49:00.005-05:00

I'm so proud of Ethan tonight. He played so well in his t-ball game tonight that the coach awarded him the game ball.

He was really on his game tonight. His first time at bat he had a great hit and ended up with a run. Then he played 1st base and got 2 outs! Next time up at bat he got another run. Then he was at catcher position and got 2 more outs as the runners were coming into home. His last time up at bat he had a GREAT hit but he got out at first. One of the downfalls to being a lefty is that you tend to hit right between first and second and it's easy to get the ball to first.

All and all it was a great night of ball and Ethan did a fantastic job!! Papa and Cathy were even there to see him play.

Congrats Buddy- Mommy is so proud of you!!

Happy Birthday Adalyn

2009-08-19T20:31:00.005-05:00

Yeah, yeah, I know I'm late with this post... only by a couple of weeks. What can I say, I've been busy with the business of living! Now on to my girl...

Adalyn, what can I say to you as you turn 2 years old! You are such a joy to us, even when you are throwing a temper tantrum... with full out stomping and screaming I might add!! You are talking so much now and I never tire of hearing you say "Mama". You are absolutely adorable when you say "Oh Man Mama"- I really need to get that on video.

You've been working so hard to learn to jump with both feet and have made great progress. You love to swim and think Papa is great... or is it just his pool *wink* You are working on learning to count and want to count everything, going down stairs, rocks at the ball field during Ethan's games. If there mulitples of something you want to count them.

You are so independant and want to do everything yourself. Climb into your car seat, walk down the stairs, eat your food... no obstacle is too big for you. At the same time you still want Mama near by, just in case.

You are still all about your Mama and I secretly love it even though it hurts Daddy's feelings sometimes that you want me over him. I know one day soon you will be a Daddy's girl so I am cherishing these moments while I have them.

You are such a girly girl. You love your purses and have one you carry with you all the time that has your friends Ribbit, Mouth and Quack Quack in it. You also love your pretties (hair things) and sit pretty still for me to "make you pretty". You also like to have your toes painted. Your big brother is your hero and you just love to wrestle with him on the floor. He is really good to you and loves you as much as you love him.

Baby girl, you are so precious to your Mommy and Daddy and we are blessed that God chose us to be your parents. Happy 2 years precious one, may each year only get better than the last.

Birth:

One Year:

Two Year:

Picture by Karen Yaniglos of Karen's Photography

Mouth, Ribbit and Quack Quack

2009-07-27T21:03:00.005-05:00

What do these things have in common you ask???

Well, they are all Adalyn's new friends that she must have with her at all time of course.

I would like to introduce you to...

Mouth (aka: Mouse)

And of course there is Ribbit (aka: frog)

And you mustn't forget about Quack Quack (aka: duck)

Adalyn has taken to carrying these items (along with the ever present Blankie and Paci) with her everywhere. She will actually take inventory and will get highly upset if one is missing. She also is the one that named all of these wonderful friends of hers. It's entirely adorable! Of course, with all the items she just HAS to carry with her and the fact that she has tiny little arms and hands, Mommy came up with a solution for her to transport her friends.

Meet bag (aka: adorable purse that Adalyn got from Grandma Sandy for Easter) also named by Adalyn...

All of her friends fit nicely inside, see...

Can my girl get any more adorable????? I'm just saying...

Wanna know what our gift was???

2009-07-10T14:35:00.002-05:00

Meet the newest additions to our family...

This is Lilly-

And this is Kaija-

Eric's brother, Ryan, and his wife, Emily are out in LA while Ryan attends seminary. They have been living in an apartment in a pretty bad neighborhood (can we say bullets flying through the walls????). Well they had the opportunity to move to a new place in a much safer neighborhood but they couldn't take their cats with them, so, we adopted them. The kids are excited- that is when they get to see them. The cats are not used to little people so they can usually be found hiding under a bed while the kids are awake. They are slowly starting to warm up and they have even let Ethan pet them a bit. They are keeping a wide path away from Adalyn though- smart kitties!!!

Wish us luck as we adjust to this new change in our household. We have not had pets in a long time now!!

Gatlinburg and "stay-cation"

2009-07-06T20:27:00.006-05:00

So last weekend we went to Gatlingburg to kick off our vacation/staycation. We rented and adorable little 2 bedroom cabin that literally sat on the side of the mountain. See...

We had a great time. Reg (Papa) and Cathy went with us. We left on Friday after work and got there late that evening. On Saturday we drove up into the mountains a bit then we went to Pigeon Forge to go to the flea market, go-carting and to Wonder Works. Adalyn got to ride her very first ride. Both kids (and the adults) were exhausted by the time we made it back to the cabin!!

On Sunday we hit Dollywood's Splash Country! Boy that was fun. About 3/4 of the way through the day some thunder storms rolled in and they gave us all rainchecks to come back anytime during the rest of the summer for free!! We took the opportunity to spend the rest of the evening in Gatlinburg walking around. We planned to go back to Splash Country on Monday but Eric got a little sun burned on Sunday so we decided to go ahead and head home after hitting the go-carts one more time! We will be returning at some point in the next month or so to hit Splash Country again!!

The rest of the week we were on vacation but we decided to stay home and enjoy a stay-cation. Eric and I went mountain biking on Wednesday and when we returned I wasn't feeling well so a trip to the doctor later I was diagnosed with strep throat. I'm glad I caught it in time though as it was Ethan's birthday and nothing was going to ruin that! We took him out to dinner and then to see Ice Age 3. It ended up being a good day and I was thankful for antibiotics.

Eric's brother Ryan and his wife Emily also came into town (they live in CA) to visit for a few days. They brought us a present that will be saved for another post!!

This week back to work and getting up early. Adalyn was good to us last week and slept in till at least 8:30 every day!! It was a good vacation :)

Happy Birthday Ethan!

2009-07-01T11:32:00.000-05:00

Five! How is it possible that my little baby is now a boy. And oh what a boy you are Ethan. You love anything and everything boy- camoflage, Army tanks, tractors and race cars. You love to hunt for lightening bugs and play ball of any kind. Your bike is one of your favorite toys- that and the toy tractor that you had to have that was "just like Daddy's with a stroller on it" (for those that don't know a stroller = trailer :) ). You just love to help Daddy "mow" the grass and do anything outside- outside is your favorite place to be. Not to mention outside doing anything that Daddy does. You are his little shadow.

While you may be a rough and tumble boy you still are sweet and loveable and love to cuddle with Mommy and Daddy. You even insist on giving your little sister hugs and kisses before bedtime. You are the best big brother any little girl could hope for. Ethan you are more than we could ever hope for and we love you more and more each day.

Happy 5 years baby boy!!

We love you,

Mommy and Daddy

Wordless Wednesday

2009-06-24T08:22:00.000-05:00

Almost!!

How is it this little guy is only 7 days away from being 5 years old????

Homerun!!!

2009-06-23T20:28:00.006-05:00

Ethan has been playing t-ball this season and has really been doing a very good job. It has been a lot of fun for the whole family as Eric was the coach for Ethan's team- the Astros. Here are some pics from this season and even a couple of videos of Ethan!! Enjoy :)

Ethan batting (ignore my very loud cheering!)

and running the bases, narrowly avoiding being tagged coming into home!!

Ethan's biggest cheering section- Adalyn and I at a game

It was a fun season. Can't wait to see what we are in for this fall! Ethan is still deciding between soccer and t-ball, we will see :)

What does...

2009-06-19T13:13:00.003-05:00

This:

Plus this:

Equal????

Why a summer of fun and exercise of course! At least we hope. We decided to get a bike for me and trailer for Adalyn (Eric and Ethan were already fully equipped) so tha we can hit the trails together as a family.

Wish us luck and pray for safety... especially for me, I'm quite the klutz!!!!!!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-06-10T20:22:00.000-05:00

2009-06-08T08:02:00.002-05:00

Not Me Monday! What exactly is Not Me Monday? Well it's where I share with you all the things I most certainly did not do this week. Hop on over to Mckmama's blog and check out what others are not doing as well!

- I did not get the opportunity to share about Jesus with a bunch of 2, 3 and 4 year olds through song and dance and some pretty cool puppet skits during our vacation bible school at church this week.
- I did not have a blast doing it and am not so thankful that I get to take part in such a ministry!
- I did not not bath my kids all week long because we went straight from work to VBS and got home so late that I just put them to bed each night- that would be just so gross!!
- Adalyn is not transistioning to the 2 year old classroom at daycare. She is not growing up that fast. I am not completely sad about that but happy all at the same time.
Go over to Mckmama's blog and share what you have not done this week as well!!

I have "that" kid...

2009-06-05T21:16:00.000-05:00

you know the one. The one that all the teachers at school say "oh no, here comes so and so", yeah that kid. I never thought I'd have that kid. You see, we have been having some discipline problems with Ethan at school lately. It includes him not listening, throwing tantrums ("fits" as they call them at school) and most recently? Why that would be kicking the daycare director!! Ethan can be the most considerate and caring kid most of the time but when he throws a fit he loses himself. Well, after the "kicking" incident, Eric left work to go and talk to Ethan. He claims he was tired.

Guess it means earlier bedtimes for little man!

Surprise visit!!

2009-05-27T21:10:00.008-05:00

This weekend we made a surprise trip up to Michigan to visit my family. It was a great time and fun to completely surprise everyone. Ethan and Adalyn just ate up all the time with Grandma and Adalyn just completely blossomed while we were there. Her little personality is really starting to shine and she is the funniest little thing! Case in point:

Adalyn had climbed on top of the picnic table and I told her she needed to get down because she was going to fall. Next thing I know she is giving me this big grin, puts her fingers to her cheeks, sticks out her tongue and starts going Na Na Na while waving her head side to side. It was the cutest thing ever and all I could do was laugh!!

She has also developed a love of animals... as long as said animal is not within 10 feet of her. It does not however keep her from chasing after them! She followed my brother's cat all around his field for the longest time. The cat just played with her- it would lay down till she got close then get up move a few feet away and lay down again only to move as she got closer. I did manage to get some beautiful pictures of her though while she played this game with the cat.

See...

Both kids also did really well on the 8 hour drive to and from. I was a little nervous about the trip home as it would all be during the day and I was worried they'd get bored. They did really well and this was what they looked like about and hour into the trip...

Ethan soon followed Adalyn into dreamland and both slept for almost half the trip! I was impressed and quite relieved :)

Here are some more pictures from our fun weekend- enjoy!

Big Brother sharing his ice cream :)

Whipped Cream fight!!

Hot dog anyone??

Adalyn's newest reaction to asking her to smile for the camera?? Why, stick your finger up your nose of course!!

Not Me Monday- it's back!!

2009-05-04T10:38:00.003-05:00

YAY it's back! Not Me Monday! What exactly is Not Me Monday? Well it's where I share with you all the things I most certainly did not do this week. Hop on over to Mckmama's blog and check out what others are not doing as well!

I did not sleep until 9:30 on Saturday only to lay around in bed all morning AND take a nap. I did not then finally get out of bed at 3:30 that afternoon. Nope, that would most certainly be too lazy of me!
I did not have the chance to get lots of cuddles and wrestling time with my two adorable kids all morning on Saturday because I did not stay in bed so long. I also did not get to take that glorious nap snuggled up to my sweet little girl- nope, not me!
I did not decide to post a ton of new pictures on my blog to make up for not posting any new updates for nearly 3 weeks. Nope, that would be neglecting my blog which I most certainly would not do.
I was not overjoyed when I heard the news that MckMama would be heading home with Stellan to be reunited with her family as Stellan was discharged from the hospital. Nope, it would be silly of me to be so excited for something that happened to someone I don't know in real life at all.
I also did not spend way too much time this week reading blogs of other sick little babies that I do not know if real life at all and crying and praying that they would be healed. Nope, I have better things to do.

Ok, so there is what I did not do this week. What about you? Head on over to Mckmama's blog and see what others did not do this week!!

The last few weeks...

2009-04-30T21:01:00.009-05:00

In Pictures.

With warm weather comes busy, full days, here is a glimpse at what we have been up to...

***WARNING: Picture overload ahead***

Time as a family spent with family and good friends, how much more blessed could we be?

Where has the time gone...

2009-04-02T07:42:00.001-05:00

wasn't it just yesterday that she was this small?

And now all of a sudden she is 19 months old, running everywhere she goes, climbing on furniture, feeding herself and learning to talk. It seems like I blinked and she turned into this:

She is all over the place now! Here are some of the things she is up to these days:

Learning to talk! New words include:

Mama (I'll never get tired of hearing this, I've waited so long!!)
Eat (her favorite pastime)
Num Num (her word for food)
Na Na (banana)
voom voom (car)
mup (up)
bye bye
Hi
And I know there are more, I'm just so glad she is finally starting to talk!

She is still using her signs too- she knows please, thank you, milk, bye bye and all done.

She also is learning some animal sounds:

Quack Quack
Woof woof
roar

She is working really hard to climb onto the furniture all by herself and has succeeded at least once!

We just got her a tricycle which is her new favorite things- pictures soon I promise!

Her favorite things:

shoes- she is such a girl
her blanket and her binky- can't go anywhere without them
her pretties- her hair things
books of any kind!

It's so amazing watching her grow and learn everyday. I am so grateful and extremely blessed to be her Mommy.

Apparently

2009-03-31T19:35:00.003-05:00

Apparently, "apparently" is Ethan's new favorite word. This morning alone on the way to school he used it at least 3 times. There is nothing funnier than hearing such a word being used by a 4 year old. Here are some examples of his use of the word:

Said while opening the door for me this morning and it closed on him: "Apparently that door doesn't want to be opened!"

Said after Adalyn dropped her grape on the floor: "Apparently she didn't want that grape"

Now, hear those statements with the emphasis on the word "apparently"- too funny!

There are many more examples but those are what are coming to mind at the moment. That kid just cracks me up sometimes! Remind me to tell you sometime of his use of the word "actually"...

Not Me Monday

2009-03-09T09:59:00.003-05:00

It's Monday again which means it's time for Mckmama's blog carnival where I tell you all about the things I most certainly did not do this week. Hop on over to Mckmama's blog and check out what others are not doing as well!

This week I did not have to go to the surgery center twice to take family members for surgery. Adalyn did not have tubes put in her ears on Wednesday and Eric did not have his shoulder scoped on Friday! Whew, that would be just too much medical stuff in one week if it had indeed happened.
Ethan did not tell me this morning after he had been woken up several times that he "needed to let his head wake-up" and that was why he wasn't yet out of bed. That would be too funny!
I did not start reading "Gone With the Wind" this week because I had never read it before. Everyone has already read that by this point in their lives, right?
I did not decide to participate in Not Me Monday just because I saw that Mckmama had not yet posted hers and I might actually get a chance to be in the top 10 this week if I had it already done!!!

Your turn- what did you not do this week?

Mwwaa Wa Wa

2009-03-05T13:57:00.001-06:00

Do you remember what all the adults sounded like on Charlie Brown? Well, apparently that's what Adalyn has been hearing, at least for the last 6 months or so. You see, she has had ear infection after ear infection for about that long and when they weren't infected they still had fluid on them. So yesterday we went in and she had tubes put in her little ears. She did great and was in a great mood afterwards. She did have yet another double ear infection when they went to put the tubes in so they drained all the fluid off and she is on antibiotic ear drops. Now we are hoping that she can hear better and hopefully she will start to talk soon!!

I do swear she said Thank You yesterday so that's a start :)

A Nice Thought...

2009-02-13T14:05:00.002-06:00

So the other day Ethan said this to me...

"Mommy, God is where the clouds are moving"

And all I could think was... what a nice thought!

Ahhhh Springtime... oh wait, it's still February!!

2009-02-10T19:49:00.002-06:00

We had the most gorgeous weather here this weekend. I'm talking 70's in February, how cool is that???? We took full advantage of it too and decided to grab some food and head to the park after church on Sunday. The kids had a blast and so did Mommy and Daddy!! Well, just see for yourselves!!

Notice the tongue sticking out? Just like her Daddy!

And because I did promise, here are some pictures from the circus a couple of weeks ago. The kids had a blast and so did we! Thank you Papa and Cathy for taking us!

This was our view.

We had really great seats!!

Daddy and his girl.

Adalyn's favorite thing was definitely the popcorn!! And was having a great time but eventually did this...

This was Ethan's favorite thing!

See :)

He also really liked the elephants- I think we all did. It was amazing!

And of course the souveniers!!

Not me Monday...

2009-02-09T20:27:00.003-06:00

This week I most certainly did not forget to give Adalyn her medicine 2 nights in a row and then have to wipe her poor little nose non-stop because of it. Poor baby :(
I also did not have the opportunity to go to a retreat at church and I did not absolutely LOVE the experience and I most certainly will not do it again!!
I also did not neglect my blog in favor of spending some quality time with my family. I will not rectify that by tomorrow evening!! Circus pictures are coming... I promise.
I am not totally missing Eric while he is out of town and I certainly can wait till Wednesday till he returns- I mean it's only 3 days.... right?

So that's what I did not do this week, what about you? Check out Mckmama's blog and see what other's have not done this week as well!

Not Me Monday...

2009-01-26T09:05:00.005-06:00

I did not have a very short work week due to the holiday on Monday and a staff retreat on Wednesday. I also did not get WAY behind in my work because of it- no way, I am always on top of things at work!!

I did not make a pan of brownies just in time to sit and watch The Biggest Loser on TV. That would just be ridiculous. I also did not do that exact same thing last week when The Biggest Loser was on either!!! The brownies also did not taste good at all- nope, they didn't!

I was not late to church yesterday because Adalyn did not throw up all over both of us as I was getting her into the car- nope that would not be what happened to us yesterday. I then did not go in the house and change both of our clothes and head off to church anyway!

I did not get to go to the circus with my kids on Saturday and see the delight on their faces at all the wonderful sights. I did not have more fun watching them than I did the circus. I will not be posting pictures from the circus later today because well we did not go there.

Thanks for reading about what I absolutely did not do this weekend. Now head on over to Mckmama's blog and check out what other people are not doing!!

Not me Monday...

2009-01-19T10:18:00.000-06:00

I did not have surgery last week so I did not have to stay home for 3 whole days from work. I also did not get really bored while being home alone because any sane person that has small children would probably enjoy the alone time, but not me, oh no!

I did not almost cry when Adalyn was begging me to pick her up and I couldn't because I didn't want to push myself too hard the day after my surgery.

I was not completely grateful for my husband this week when he took on all the household chores so I could rest and take care of myself.

I was not completely happy when we found out that Adalyn would NOT need tubes in her ears. I was not also happy that she was given medicine for allergies and after only one dose her runny nose had already stop running.

So now check out Mckmama's blog and see what other people have not done this week!

Surgery & BRRRRRR....

2009-01-15T11:58:00.003-06:00

For those that don't already know, I had a minor surgery yesterday. It wasn't a big deal and I was in and out of the hospital in one day. I'm home now through the weekend to recover. I'm mostly tired but feeling ok.

In other news- it is freezing outside here today. I think the high is only going to be in the low 20's... that is cold for us Tennesseans!!! We will survive though and we are supposed to be back up in the 40's by this weekend.

Just wanted to give an update on what was going on here. I'll try to come up with a better post later.

The resourcefulness of a 4 year old...

2009-01-09T13:27:00.002-06:00

So the other day I was picking up dirty laundry in Ethan's room when I came across something strange. I found about 10 pair of underwear all stacked inside one another, kind of like when you leave your underwear inside of your pants when you take them off (anyone with kids or a husband knows what I'm talking about!). So I ask Ethan what it was all about and he informs me that his new pants (you know the kind that have adjustable waists on them) are too big so he had to put on more underwear to keep them up! I told him next time to just let me know and I'll make the waist smaller.

Gotta love the resourcefulness of a 4 year old!

It's Eric's turn...

2009-01-05T20:04:00.003-06:00

Well, I spent the New Year's weekend sick with strep throat. I'm feeling better now but Eric has caught something now. He was tested and doesn't have strep but he doesn't feel well at all and is running a fever... poor guy :(

Anyway, just wanted to share why there was a lack of posting here. I'll post more when our house is on the mend.

Music City Bowl

2008-12-31T14:02:00.003-06:00

If you have time and the Music City Bowl is airing in your area be on the look out for Eric and Ethan!! Eric got tickets through work and they will be on the 50 yard line in the FRONT ROW!! They are seated on Boston's side so keep your eyes open :)

Christmas... a bit delayed

2008-12-30T16:41:00.010-06:00

Ok so I'm finally going to post about how Christmas went at the Joki house. Can you believe Mom and Dad woke up before the kids??? I know, strange right? Well we woke up and called for Ethan as we couldn't wait to see his face- and what does he give me- NOTHING!! I told him, look Santa came and he say "I know", silly boy. Well he came downstairs and took in all the presents and became more excited after that.

Here is what our house looked like first thing Christmas morning... pretty cozy right???

Well, we were expecting Papa and Cathy to show up any time but we could tell Ethan was excited so we let him go ahead and do this...

Which seemed to appease him a bit :) When Papa and Cathy finally arrived they brought with them donuts... bless them... and also lots more presents. This is what our house looked like after their arrival...

Then we proceeded with the unwrapping of gifts and all chaos broke out, just look...

Adalyn had more fun picking up the paper than unwrapping gifts...

We all got wonderful presents this year, and had a lovely day. After presents we were treated to pancakes and sausage courtesy of Papa and Cathy and spent a wonderful day together as family. Though we missed those that couldn't be here with us (Ryan and Emily and my whole family) it was a good day filled with happiness.

I hope you all were as lucky as us this Christmas.

Busy...

2008-12-30T12:38:00.001-06:00

Sorry for the lack of posting... it has been a busy week! I plan to do a Christmas post as soon as I am able to sit at the computer long enough to do so. Till then, I hope everyone had a wonderful Chrismas... I know we did!

Happy New Year!!

Christmas Eve...

2008-12-24T23:50:00.006-06:00

The children are nestled all snug in their beds...

The letters to Santa have all been written (for those that can't tell, Ethan has asked for a computer and love for Christmas)

The reindeer have all been fed... (oatmeal and glitter go a long way!)

Santa's cookies are out... (thanks Mom!)

and have been eaten...

The stockings are stuffed...

Santa has visited..

and the presents are under the tree...

Now Mommy is tired and headed to bed...

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

Not Me Monday!

2008-12-22T07:06:00.004-06:00

Ok so I'm finally going to jump on the bandwagon and join in Mckmama's blog carnival and tell you all about the things I most certainly did not do this week. Hop on over to Mckmama's blog and check out what others are not doing as well!

I did not put Ethan to bed at his normal bedtime, even though he had earned the right to stay up half an hour late by doing all his chores, just so that I could have some peace and quiet to wrap presents... what kind of Mom would do that?

I did not order a Christmas present for Eric online only to stress that when it arrived at our house he would see it an open it before Christmas. I also did not yell at him on the phone when he did indeed see the package arrive to not open it!! A smart person would have just had it delivered to her work address... right?

I was not so busy this week that I realized on Friday that my daughter had not had a bath... all week long... ewwwwwwww!!! Of course, if I had done that I would have quickly rectified the situation...

I also did not get all choked up about selling our house when our neighbors, who are really more like family than friends, came over with Christmas gifts. It also did not make the situation even worse that the gift that was given to me was a beautiful church that was taken from their personal collection so that "every year we will think of them when we put it out". How can we possibly move away from such lovely people- are we completely crazy! We love you Bud and Debbie!

So what have you not done this week???????

Teachable moment...

2008-12-19T12:47:00.004-06:00

So this morning as I was driving the kids to daycare on my way to work, Ethan and I were listening to Christmas music. Well, Away In a Manger came on the radio. Here is the conversation that followed:

Me: Ethan, did you know this song is about the day Jesus was born. You know that is what Christmas is about right?

Ethan: Mom, Christmas is not allllll about God. (said in a "I know what I'm talking about way") What about Santa?

Me: No Ethan, Christmas IS all about God, it is the day Jesus was born and it's all about celebrating his birthday. The reason we give gifts on Christmas is to celebrate that. Santa just helps.

Ethan: Oh, ok. (and his mind was on to something else already!!)

Wordless Wednesday

2008-12-17T09:54:00.001-06:00

BooMama Christmas Tour of Homes

2008-12-16T21:22:00.007-06:00

So, this is my first attempt at doing a blog carnival but this one looked like so much fun I had to try. So, over at BooMama's blog she is hosting a Christmas Tour of Homes. Here is a peak at what we've done in our home!

The tree... I love our tree. I used to want the perfect tree, you know the one, all the ornaments match, everything is just so, and I had that tree for awhile. Mine was all red and gold with spiraling ribbon coming from a huge bow on top. I was great! Then I met Eric and we aquired this wonderful tree with it's colorful lights and it screamed fun not formal. So now we have ornaments of all shapes and sizes and most have a meaning- first Christmas ornaments and wedding ornanments and engagement ornaments- even a "parents-to-be" ornament. And without further ado, here is the tree...

And here is the fireplace. I can't take credit for the design as this is the same set-up that Eric's Mom had on her fireplace the last Christmas we had with her. Every time I look at it I think of her.

And the tinsel tree that used to be Eric's Mom's as well. It's really pretty as it rotates around with the different colors bouncing off the silver branches.

First with the flash...

And without...

And you must have a tree in the kitchen... right? Mine is decorated with gingerbread ornaments, too cute!

And the centerpiece on our table. I can't take credit for this either as it was given to me after a party for a dear friend as he graduated from police academy. I loved it and decided it needed to be on my table!

And the garland on our railing to the loft. Not the best picture but I couldn't get a good angle.

Well, I hope you enjoyed the tour of the Joki house. I had fun sharing! Now check out BooMamma's blog and share your own tour!

How could anyone not just love this face????

2008-12-09T10:32:00.004-06:00

Check this out...

2008-12-05T08:19:00.002-06:00

Wow, what a wonderful opportunity to try to win something great PLUS give to 3 great causes! Check out Mckmama's site for this great raffle and to learn more about the cause you could help.

Change of plans...

2008-11-29T20:27:00.003-06:00

So we didn't end up going rock climbing after all. Eric had been having some trouble with his shoulder since playing softball last season and it is just beginning to feel better so he didn't want to risk reinjuring it so we changed our plans. Instead we headed off to the mall to see a movie. The choice of the evening????

It was very funny and Ethan had a blast sitting with Rachel and Skip through the movie. Adalyn was fussy at first but then she fell asleep and was conked out for the rest of the movie. After the movie was over it was off to dinner at Wasabi, a new Japanese grill they put in Providence. The kids were enthralled with the food being cooked in front of us and I didn't think Ethan was ever going to stop eating he enjoyed it so much! I forgot my camera but Rachel was kind enough to get some pictures so I'll post those as soon as she gets them to me.

Today Ethan spent the day with his Papa while Eric and I got some much needed Christmas shopping done. We have the kids all done- whohooooo!!! Only a few more things to get and we are done. I'm really excited about Christmas this year, Ethan really "gets" so it should be a lot of fun on Christmas morning!!!

Happy Thanksgiving... a day late!!

2008-11-28T10:47:00.004-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!! How was your turkey day? We had a wonderful day. We went to Cathy's (Eric's Dad's wife for those that don't know) daughter's (Kristy) house for dinner and we had a good time. It was good to spend the day with Dad and to get to know Cathy's family a little bit better. Ethan had a blast playing with Preston (Cathy's son's girlfriend's son) and they ran around causing havoc as only 4 and 5 year old boys can!! Adalyn was terrified of the dogs at first but by the end of the night she was going up and giving them hugs- of course at this point they were sleeping so they were much less intimidating!! Then it was off to home and all of us went to bed early- the Joki clan was exhausted!!

Thanksgiving always makes me think of the things I'm most thankful for- which I guess is good because well... that is what the whole day is about right? So I thought I'd share with you all what I am thankful for. First and foremost I am thankful for knowing that I have a God that loves me enough that he would send his only son to die for ME. I am not worthy of this love but I am thankful for it none the less. Next would be that this same God felt fit to put Eric in my life and then to go on and bless both of us with the most wonderful children two people could ever ask for. I am so lucky to have the wonderful family that I do and wouldn't change it for the whole world. Both Eric and I have also been blessed with wonderful families that are always supportive and always there if we need them but don't tell us how to run our lives. We are so blessed to have these wonderful people to call family. And last but not least are the friends we have. We know that we are not good at always keeping in touch with those friends that are far, or for that matter near, but it doesn't mean that we don't think of them often and miss them dearly. Know that all of you are loved and we are grateful that you are in our lives. (How's all that for mushy?????)

Speaking of blessings, today we get the pleasure of spending the day with our good friends Skip and Rachel. We have been so blessed by their friendship and don't get to spend time with them nearly as much as we would like too!! Skip is currently going to the Tennessee Highway Patrol Academy and will be graduating soon so hopefully once that is over we will get to see them more. Today's agenda will included rock climbing which I'm sure I will take lots of pictures of!!

Tune back in for news on whether any of us fell off the wall!!!!!

Mr. Mom

2008-11-18T14:58:00.003-06:00

Well, tomorrow morning I leave to fly to St. Louis for a few days for work. Eric will be flying solo with the kids. I had a trip a few weeks ago as well and he and the kids did great while I was gone- he even had the house clean when I got home!! I'm sure they'll have a great time while I'm gone but I'm a little sad that I'll miss Eric's birthday on Thursday. Of course we can always celebrate on the weekend! Wish Eric luck this week... or should I say wish me luck, it's going to be a busy fews days.

Bad Start...

2008-11-14T16:04:00.005-06:00

Wow, what a bad start to my blogging experience! I get excited and start this blog then go and get sick and not post again in forever. Well, here I am to correct that. I'm finally starting to feel human again, let me tell you strep is not your friend- ICK!

So new things in our house... hmmm... Adalyn now has a vocabulary of a grand total of... drumroll please... 5 whole words!! She can now say "uh-ohhhh", "Daddy", "dog", "mama" and "nana" (banana)- she learned them in that order. For a girl that is all about her Mommy she sure did put me pretty far down that list. I mean, come on, I'm after dog! And we don't even have a dog! Oh well, I'm just glad she is learning. She also had an appointment with the ENT. Our pediatrician was worried that the ear infections she's had and the continual fluid on her ears is effecting her speech so he referred us. The ENT has us in a "wait and see" pattern right now. If she gets another ear infection (she has one now) in the next 2 months then she goes in for tubes. I really don't like the idea of her having surgery but if it helps her then she'll be there. Guess we'll just wait and see... Oh and her 15 months stats- 22.3 lbs and 31 inches- my girl is growing up!!

Ethan is... well he's Ethan. He is just funny and goofy but can be so compassionate it kills me. And that boy loves his little sister... almost too much! He would be in her face non-stop if someone didn't tell him to let her breathe. I'm glad though, I want them to be close and to love each other. As for Adalyn, Ethan is the funniest thing on earth to her!

Here are some pictures for you for now. I promise I'll get better at this posting thing once I get the hang of it!!

I Did It!

2008-11-06T15:19:00.003-06:00

I actually did it! I started a blog. Now the pressure begins- AHHHHHHHH!! So why, do you ask, did I decide to start a blog? Well you see, we have many family and friends that live so far away from us and well, I'm terrible at keeping in contact with them. My hope is that this blog will help to accomplish that. I hope to use this blog to update those we love on the ups and downs and ins and outs of life with the Jokis. So, pull up a seat, kick up your feet and join us for the ride!!