700

This is my 700th post! So crazy! I started the blog back in May of 2008, first actual post was about Allie's first time on the potty! :) My how things have changed, how our family has grown, all of the experiences we have shared and places we've been!

I wish I had something super exciting to post for # 700 but I really don't. I was just looking back through some pictures and found some I never blogged and thought I'd do one of my "miscellany" posts.....and just update you all on us!



{Allison}

Oh, Allison! She's still sweet as ever. She has her bad days of course but she is always so quick to apologize for any "bad" behavior. Mature beyond her years! Still loving school and exceling!
She went to her first birthday party here a few weeks ago. She didn't want me to stay so I just dropped her off. I was able to get a few pictures from one of the other parents. Allie wasn't afraid to get out and dance on the dance floor, sing songs, etc.

{AVERY}

Still ornery as ever! She can still be a little sweetheart though. I think she is SO much like me. So shy at school but LOUD at home. She likes school but I wouldn't say she loves it. She always asks if tomorrow is a school day. She's bummed if it is, so excited if it isn't. She LOVES her teacher though. She says they are "stuck like glue." I have since found out that she gives not just her teacher, but the teacher's aids and her specials teachers at least 10 hugs a day. The girl loves attention!
Avery also went to her first birthday party last weekend. She was actually invited to 2 but we felt that was too much. No pictures though.

{BLAKE}

Blake is changing every day! He is starting to talk in sentences and saying new words. He usually blows me away each day with something new. His favorite show is Peppa Pig........of all shows! There are so many boy shows out there but that is what he always asks to watch. He sings the little theme song right in tune with it too. He is so sweet. He is always using good manners........please, thank you, excuse me is his favorite.......and it's pretty darn cute because he actually says oh cuse me and then laughs. :) We are quickly learning that he is going to be a stubborn one. I guess that was bound to happen though. We've recently been trying to get him potty trained. He hates having a dirty diaper but has no interest in going on the potty either. You can't tell in this picture but he is usually terrified to sit on the toilet.

 

After Halloween Blake took every opportunity he could to sneak candy. He loved when I had to go take a shower because that made it super easy for him to get into it.....

And, ever since we've moved here grocery shopping has been so easy. Probably because it takes 20 minutes to get there and that is just enough time for him to fall asleep....and he stays asleep!!!

Now for the rest of the missed pictures

We've been having a ton of issues with the house lately. The power goes out at least once a week, usually more. It's a huge pain because in order to get to the electrical box in the garage I have to climb over the car to get to it! I think it's just that it can't handle our transformers. Even though we are really only using one. A couple weeks before Thanksgiving we had a whole set of lights burn out in the kitchen and then another set right before the holiday. The kitchen was so dark.....especially since it is completely dark outside now at 3:30/4pm. Someone was finally able to come out the day after Thanksgiving. Turns out the dimmer switches had blown so now we can't dim the lights but I am OK with that. Also right before Thanksgiving one of our toilets and our kitchen sink started backing up. By the time Thanksgiving rolled around and our visitors were here it was getting really bad. After our friends left then the shower upstairs started doing the same thing and actually flooded the bathroom and the water came through the ceiling into the kitchen! We contacted a plumber and he gave us a few suggestions. One was to check the septic tank. Sure enough, it was overflowing!! So disgusting. The landlords had just emptied it 3 months ago. So either we are full of shiste or something was done wrong when they "emptied" it. :) We got it taken care of but it wasn't very pleasant.

Of course that wasn't the end of our problems. After the tank was emptied we were told to run hot water through all of our lines for a few minutes to help clear them out. Shortly after we did this we heard water dripping. We went into the kitchen and once again water was spilling out from the ceiling! Different spot this time. Turns out the water heater pump thingy is set up completely wrong so every time we use the hot water pressure just builds up and loosens up the pump. With all the hot water we were using at that time it caused it to come completely loose. It's seriously never ending. I do not want to move AGAIN but we are considering it at this point. Not just because of the house problems but the 40 minute drive to and from work is starting to take a toll on Derek too.

School Project. Had to decorate pumpkins as a character from favorite book. Allie chose Henry B. Wigglebottom

And I guess I didn't take a picture of Avery's.......hers was Pinkalicious.

Lastly some pictures from Portugal that Nicole took of our family!