Jenn's Blog

New Blog

2010-06-27T19:10:00.000-07:00

In honor of the wedding last week: I've created a new blog in which to start our new life. :-) The address is jmdeets.blogspot.com.

Ikea!

2010-06-07T19:47:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, Matthew and I went to visit his sister, brother, and brother's family. We were able to bring Kallyn along. While there, we went to IKEA! I love love love that store! We bought 2 end tables, a coffee table, a flower picture, tea lights (100 for $3.99), tea light holders (5 for $.99!!), a couple rugs, and small mirrors.

Bridal Shower, Mother's Day, and Matt's Graduation

2010-05-15T18:02:00.000-07:00

I have been such a bad blogger lately...so here's my attempt
to catch up. It's been a crazy month!

May 8th: Bridal Shower. Matt was feeling left out of wedding
stuff- hence the reason he was there opening gifts. :-)

There is nothing like opening a present with "cute pjs"
(as my friend calls them) in front of 35 people!

More gift opening. We are so blessed with great friends
and family who are helping us start our new life together.

Alexander LOVED all the attention he got
when sitting with Matt.

May 9th: Mother's Day cookout!

Our new grill from Matt's parents! Notice the third burner!

We had both of our families over for Mother's Day. It's so

awesome to have a place that we have room to invite people over!

The guests of honor...our Moms!

All the amazing gifts we got at the shower! I have yet to

figure out where to put it all!

Last night I made my first ever meatloaf! :-D

May 15th: Matt's College Graduation!

My little family!

Matt's friend Ryan and him after graduating! It was an

amazingly beautiful day!

Matt graduated Summa Cum Laude. He also won a

Leadership Award. Lastly, he had a sash from International

Programs for the trip we took to Europe!

Matt's graduation gift! He has been wanting a Playstation

for pretty much EVER!

Motorcycle racing- More for me than him!

And of course...apparently no Playstation is

complete without Madden Football.....

So there it is--if only it totally conveyed how busy these last few weeks have been. No one is more happy to see Matt graduate than I am! I am so proud of him. In September, he will be starting a Master's program in Counseling.

The wedding is fast approaching! We are both excited. My work, as a wedding gift, gave us gift certificates to take a trip to Door County. I've never been and we are both SUPER excited!

Autism Awareness Day

2010-04-02T13:49:00.000-07:00

April is Autism Awareness Month in the United States. April 2nd (today) is World Autism Awareness Day. My 2nd job is working with children with Autism. They are incredible kids! I have become passionate about learning what Autism is and what it means for the lives of children who have it. "Autism prevalence is now one in every 100 children in America-that's 13 million families and growing who live with Autism today" (Autism Society).

Family Visit

2010-03-29T07:23:00.000-07:00

Mom went on a Women's Retreat this weekend. So Matt and I decided to have Jackie, Sammie, Dani, Tricia, Jeff, and Alex over. Jessie was at a friend's house. Here's some pictures...though I just realized that Alex and Kallyn are the spotlights...oops!
Kallyn, Alex and Jackie's puppy Skyler. Alex LOVED the puppies. He would make little clicking
sounds to get the puppies to follow him.

Pizza sauce face!! Alex doesn't talk alot but it's amazing how well he can communicate!

All three "children" getting into mischief with the Wii.

Matt gave me a large bouquet of roses...so I split them up. This is the smaller vase.

They were so pretty!

Alex and his mommy.

Kallyn and the House

2010-03-15T08:15:00.000-07:00

I know I promised pictures of the house...so here they are!

Kallyn with her stick...she carries it everywhere outside

I love this picture of Matt and Kallyn!

Our garage and my car. There is a small shed behind the garage

Our backyard. It is mostly fenced in...except for the driveway

This deck and fireplace were were when we moved it. Can't wait

to use it more in the Summer!

Kitchen/Dining Room.

Living Room with pretty bay window.

The finished half of the basement. It's where our TV is and

we will eventually make into a rec room.

Unfinished half of the basement- Laundry Room. Great for storage!

Basement bathroom. Was pretty gross when we moved in

Spare bedroom. I have my books in here as well.

Main floor bathroom

My bedroom. We were given a loveseat and I put it in there

to make my room look more lived in!

The "Green Room" as we call it. Another spare bedroom.

Currently it houses Kallyn's playard which is where she stays

while I go to work. Can't say she loves it yet!

So there you go- My house! Please Comment!!

Kallyn Jane Deets

2010-03-06T21:15:00.001-08:00

Christmas pictures

2010-01-24T16:01:00.001-08:00

I know these are SUPER late. We have been so busy packing, moving, unpacking, painting, and decorating the house. It's really starting to feel like a home. Look out for pictures soon....

Elizabeth wearing her new coat. She was so excited about the coat and the DVD

This is some Wii fashion game or something. The girls LOVE it...I think it's weird

Sammie with her horse brush set

Jackie hates her picture taken...but I told her I would take the gift back

if she hid her face :-D

My mommy! Notice our sparsely decorated tree---We didn't

even pick one out until a couple days before Christmas

The Ultimate Gift...super good movie! From Matt's family to mine.

Dani looks so old in this picture...can't believe the baby of the family is 10!

Matt and I with our Willow Tree wedding cake topper from Matt's parents

Matt's parents gave this to me...it really is a good book though!

Matt and his family after Christmas Eve service

House

2009-12-30T15:36:00.000-08:00

I PROMISE I will put up pictures from Christmas....probably this weekend or next week some time.

We closed on our house today!!! :-D After 3 months of waiting for everything to go through...it's done! I will hopefully move in a couple weeks from now. A friend of mine, Na, is planning on living with me until June so I don't have to live alone. I will add more pictures soon!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Random Pictures

2009-12-06T20:29:00.000-08:00

This weekend, Jessie had a dance recital- The Nutcracker. Jessie and her friend Emily were both in the recital. It was cute!

Jessie, Emily, and Alex after dancing

A couple weeks ago, Matthew and I went to a little Europe trip group get together. Here's a picture of Matthew, Ryan (the kid we hung out with the whole trip) and I. :-D

Work Rantings....and other ramblings

2009-12-06T19:28:00.000-08:00

In this time of Thanksgiving...I just wanted to say....I LOVE MY JOBS!!!

1. My library job: I love the library...so being there 3 times a week is sweet. I love the people I work with-we laugh ALL day! The two women I sit next to are just the sweetest people and we have the greatest time chatting while we work.

2. My job working with a boy with autism: I love kids! My little boy is too cute with big brown eyes and the most adorable laugh. It is the greatest 9 hours a week!

In other news, my mom's cousin has muscular atrophy and is not expected to live long. They believe this will be her last Christmas. My mom was close to her when they were younger...but with us across the country...it's been hard for them to keep up a relationship. Anyway, as our gift to mom this Christmas....we bought a plane ticket for her to visit her cousin this month (17th-22nd). Mom is sooo excited!

Holidays

2009-11-24T15:26:00.001-08:00

I am NOT looking forward to the holidays. In fact, I wish they would be over already. I'm not sure the cause for this "bah hum bug"ness is. Hmm...

In order to keep this post from being completely dismal....here's a cute story. Alexander has learned to sign "please" and seems to understand what it means. If he wants something he will grunt and then if you say "what do you say?" he will sign please. So I was working with him on signing "thank you." He is a little more sketchy on it...but it's cute. His thank you is patting his hands over his mouth. Adorable!

Engagement Pictures!

2009-11-02T10:45:00.000-08:00

Over a month ago I promised more wedding photos. I will put more on here when I get them from Tricia. But the ones his brother took, they don't have yet.

To make up for that, I putting up engagement photos!
Enjoy!

Tricia and Jeff's Wedding

2009-09-08T21:19:00.001-07:00

Jeff's youngest daughter Elena (6 yrs.). She has gorgeous red hair
that we're ALL jealous of.

The back of Elena's hair. My friend Na did a great job!

After 3 hours, I finished Tricia's hair! She has thick long hair.

Finished product!

Back of Dani's hair

Dani- Who is now 10 by the way!

Jessie's hair

Jessie (15)

Sammie's beautiful blonde hair

Sammie (12)

Jackie- You don't understand what a shock it was for
people to see Jackie in curls AND a dress!

Jackie (17)

Mom's hair

Mom :-)

The decorated arch. Right behind the arch was a pretty river

Dani, Elena, and Jeff's daughter Josie (9)

Jeff's daughter Grace (13), Sammie and Alexander

Jeff's son Daryn and Jessie

Matthew and I (Notice my new hair- Bangs and color!)
This was also the first time I'd ever seen Matthew
in a tie, dress pants, and nice shoes....:-D

Jeff's friend Greg and Jackie

Jeff- Excited groom!

Mom walking with Tricia up the aisle

Tricia sewed the veil herself

Ceremony

Vows- The minister was Jeff's Uncle.
The uncle came to the ceremony on a Harley ;-)

Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Claussen

Alexander smiling at all the guests. Handsome dude!

All dressed up

Me and Matthew's sister Melissa

Alexander and his buddy, "Uncle Matt"

Wedding party! Yes, I am the shortest of all us girls (except for Dani).

These pictures were taken by my friend Na. The ones taken on Matthew's camera are at his house. Once I get them put on my computer I will put them up on here. We have some cute family pictures.

We couldn't have asked for a better day for an outside wedding! The ceremony was sweet and pretty. The reception (at the same park) was lots of fun with just social time with family and friends.

Hope you enjoyed the photos! COMMENTS WELCOME!

3 More Days

2009-09-02T19:18:00.000-07:00

Tricia gets married in 3 days!! Josh comes tomorrow night. Jeremy and family come on Saturday right before the wedding because Sara works that morning. Look forward to pictures!

Wet Camping

2009-08-30T19:56:00.000-07:00

This week, I went camping with Matt and his family. It was beautiful during the day on Wednesday and we relaxed on the beach and read. Wednesday night was FREEZING! After that, the weather was chilly and it rained alot. Friday- Matt, Melissa and I stayed in the tent until 5pm because it was pouring rain. Saturday we packed up in the rain and came home.

I would post pictures but we took hardly any pictures since we didnt' do anything!

I start my new job at Walgreens tomorrow. It's not going to be too terribly exciting...but it will be nice to make some extra money on top of my library job.

Dress Shopping

2009-08-17T15:00:00.000-07:00

I bought my wedding dress!!!
I also brought along part of my bridesmaids...and to my surprise they all agreed on a dress in about 30 minutes!! Here is the link to see a picture of it. We are going with the brown and blue :-) I would have included a picture of one of them in the dress..but the sample did not perfectly fit any of them. http://www.morilee.com/DressDetail.aspx?C=10&D=786&P=1

Wedding Dress Shopping, House Hunting, and Jobs

2009-08-13T19:30:00.000-07:00

Matt and I have been so busy the last few weeks. We have decided where we are having our reception (Did I already mention we get married June 19th,2010??), contacted a DJ service AND have begun house hunting! Our friend is a real estate agent and he said that because of the first time home buyer rebate that ends in November, we should begin looking for a house. I will probably live in the house until June...when Matt will also move in. This will also allow me to paint and decorate the house before we bring a lot of stuff into it. We look at the first set of houses tomorrow! I am SO excited. :-D

Now that I am done with school, I need to find a second part time job (I work at the library 21 hours a week) to supplement income. I had an interview and was offered a job today. I have another interview tomorrow. Please pray over my decision and that I will pick a job that will best help our financial interest!

Last, but not least, I have been wedding dress shopping twice now. I tried on a dress the first time and really liked it. The second trip I tried it on again and fell in love! Take a look at it...and let me know what you think! http://www.maggiesottero.com/dress.aspx?style=J1127. If that link doesn't work...just google "Maggie Sottero Dallas Marie." If buy that dress I will get it in white (not ivory) and will take off the sash/bow.

I will try to put up photos soon! Oh, Tricia gets married Sept. 5th!

New Car!

2009-08-06T19:43:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure if you have heard about the CARS Cash For Clunkers program the government is working on....but I heard about it and decided to buy a new car. I traded in my 1998 Ford Explorer and bought a 2009 Nissan Versa Hatchback. :-) Matt and I bought the car together and were SO excited!!!

Europe= INCREDIBLE!!

2009-07-06T19:09:00.000-07:00

Alex with his new glasses! I think he looks SO cute!

Matt and I on top of the Arc De Triumphe

Eiffel Tower at night...SO pretty

Matt and I with our new friend Ryan....Matt and Ryan really
clicked during this trip.

Matt and I on the 2nd highest building in Frankfurt, Germany

The 3 weeks in Europe were absolutely amazing. Matt and I had such a great time and met some really awesome people as well! We went to the top of several buildings and towers...which was scary since I'm scared of heights...but WELL WORTH IT!

We are definitely glad to be home on American soil. The trip to Europe was such a great experience and I'm so happy we were there together!

I hope you all had a great Independence Day! Chelsea--I hope all goes well with baby Serena. I can't wait to see pictures!

Europe Preparation!

2009-06-06T10:58:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure if I mentioned this before, but because I graduated last month...when I go on the trip to Europe I am doing what is called an audit. I am the only one on the trip doing the audit. It means that I don't have to do any homework...except for a presentation with one partner. It also means that I do not receive any credit. So basically, I am doing the presentation for the grade of the other person. Let me just get this out...I HATE GROUP PROJECTS! But this time I especially hate it because I am not even receiving a grade. To add on to this, I have been grouped with a partner that does not appear to know what is going on! Which is rather scary since she was supposed to write a paper on the topic (Psychologist Viktor Frankl)! Anyway, a couple of weeks ago she emailed me and asked if we could meet to talk about the presentation and then stated that she wasn't sure how we should present the material. I honestly had no time to drive 30 minutes to meet her for a couple of hours in which I would probably end up just telling her what to do. So I told her that I couldn't meet and that if she sent me all the information she had (including the paper) I would write up the powerpoint. A week went by and no response. After about a week and a half, I emailed her again. Turns out she hadn't submitted her paper yet and "didn't know what information to send" me!!! Instead, she gave me links I could look up. So today (which happens to be 3 days before we leave), I wrote the presentation, gave her topics to talk about and areas to cover, and emailed the whole thing to her. Let me say again...I HATE GROUP PROJECTS!!!

Now that that's off my chest, I truly am excited to leave! :-D Keep me in your prayers throughout the next few weeks...especially for safety in travel and while touring.

I will put picutres up when I get home!

Proposal Photo Slideshow

2009-05-31T13:25:00.000-07:00

Here's the YouTube link to the slideshow Matt set up for the proposal :-)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVbMUEnujTw

Photos of fam and etc.

2009-05-22T12:15:00.001-07:00

All of us "kids" except for Elizabeth and Jeff

My family!

Jeremy, Kajsa, Deanna (with the flowers), Sara and Gregory

Gregory sucks his thumb alot- it's super cute!

Mom wanted an updated picture of Josh because our
last one was when Jessie was little!

Tricia and her fiance Jeff

Alex...aka Bubbles! He makes this face alot :-)
By the way, Tricia took him to the eye doctor and found out
that he needs to wear glasses- Should be fun keeping those on him!

My rose petal path!

This picture was taken on accident- But I LOVE it!

Not a great picture of my ring-- Believe me, it's gorgeous!

Me and my new fiance!! CRAZY!!

My graduation cake

Alyssa, Me, and Na. Na was a great help pulling the proposal off!

My friend Ryan who drove 10 hours for my graduation (and Na's in MN).
This picture is a little goofy because he was leaning down and I was standing on tiptoes- He's over a foot taller than me!

Great Moments

2009-05-19T18:41:00.000-07:00

Well...last weekend was full of fun and excitement! Jeremy, Sara, Kajsa (almost 6), Deanna (almost 4), and Gregory (almost 1) came Friday evening. Josh was supposed to get in late Friday night but because of bad weather in Chicago he did not arrive in Appleton until Saturday morning.

Saturday morning was my graduation. Mom, Jeremy, and Matthew all came. It was pretty miserable! The graduation was outside and it was very cold and windy. I huddled in a blanket during the ceremony and then we rushed home after. I do have some pictures...but not now so they will be included in a later post. On Saturday, we had fun family time just chillin' and playing games.

Sunday morning we all went to church. After, we decided to go out to eat. Matt seemed perturbed that I wasn't preparing for my graduation party before eating (the party was at 3pm). I couldn't figure out why...so we went to eat and then took some family pictures. The place we went to had this little chapel...and after pictured were done mom said Josh wanted to see the chapel and said I should also go. I was a little confused because Josh really didn't seem to care! Finally, we drove the couple of miles to church (by now it was about 2pm). I got there with several bags in my arms....Tricia told me to set them down and gave me a tiara and a card. I then became Princess Jennifer and traveled along a path of rose petals. Dani was the next "station" and she gave me princess slippers aka tennis shoes. Sammie gave me scents and aloes aka lotion and candles. Jessie gave me two books. Jackie gave me sweets aka Lindt Indoor Truffles (my favorite!). Melissa gave me a wooden guardian angel figurine and then led me into the church sanctuary to watch a picture powerpoint. The song playing was Taylor Swift's "Love Story" and showed pictures of Matt and I throughout the last 3.5 years. I, of course, starting crying when I figured out what was going on. Matt came and sat by me...got down on one knee...and gave me a beautiful ring! Of course I said yes! hehe My whole family and a few friends had seen the entire process. It was very creative and romantic! We plan to get married June 2010! :-D

The graduation party was great. But very overcome by the "news." But overall, it was the best weekend!

Ho Hum...Finals....

2009-05-08T20:15:00.000-07:00

I haven't blogged in about a month....but I don't really have much to say! I have been busy finishing out the semester. Wednesday was my last day of classes. I have a final on Tuesday and then an online final sometime during the week. A week from Saturday....I graduate! Josh and Jeremy (and fam) are all coming. :-) I will post pictures! Be thinking and praying for me on Tuesday!

June 9th- I leave for Europe!

My friend Sarah had her baby boy (Simon) this morning. And I found out that they are coming to visit in 2 weeks. Can't wait!

Here's a couple pictures from Melissa's birthday. Most recent pictures we have! I have to say they're not the best of Matt!

I'm holding a two week old baby girl, Riley in this picture. She was so stinking cute! I love babies. :-)

Random Tidbits....

2009-04-05T12:07:00.000-07:00

1. Alexander has an ear infection. I feel so bad for the little guy.
2. Matthew's sick! Some kind of nasty cold has been going around and he seems to have caught it. I feel so bad for him as he's had a pretty nasty cough all week. It appears to be getting better though.
3. Tricia's getting married in September. He fiance is Jeff (no...not Alex's dad Geoff...). She's very excited and has bought a wedding dress which you can see if you click link below: http://www.davidsbridal.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplayView?storeId=10052&catalogId=10051&categoryId=-49998999&currentIdx=70&subCategory=-49999486%7c-49998999&catentryId=1000168
4. I graduate May 16!!! I can't wait!
5. I'm going to Europe for 3 weeks in June as a graduation gift from my aunt and uncle. Matthew was already signed up for the trip. It is done through our school, though I will be going as a non-student. We will see Germany, France, Austria, and Switzerland. I am VERY excited!!!
6. I am still trying to figure out another part time for after graduation.

Daytona Beach, Florida-- Spring Break '09

2009-03-22T19:13:00.000-07:00

I was SO excited for the trip to Daytona Beach. Matt and I took

about 200 photos throughout the trip..here are the highlights!

Bored in the airport on our way to Florida (Me, Melissa, and Matt's mom)

Our incredible view of the ocean from the condo

Our first evening- it was REALLY windy on the beach

Matt and his sister Melissa

Melissa and I--SO excited to be in Florida!

Crashed out on the sofa bed at night-- watching TV and reading

Chillin' with my iPod

I love the ocean! It was amazing to hear the waves all week

Enjoying the beach, sun, and warm weather!

Attempting a tan...it worked...kinda!

We spent a great portion of the time at the pool just tanning and reading

It was so relaxing-- A great break!

On Tuesday, we went to Sea World. This was from the dolphin show

Matt took like 100 pictures from Sea World- this was definitely

his favorite part of the whole trip

Sea World

Wednesday morning we rented one four wheeler and a golf cart

to ride around on the beach. We then took turns driving both.

This is me cruising around on the four wheeler! It was awesome

because we were able to explore more of the beach than we could while

walking since it would take FOREVER to walk that far!

Matt, Melissa, and I went mini golfing one evening. It was

a 2 minute walk from our condo

I actually played fairly well this time--usually my ball is all

over the course!

We also went to a Spring Training baseball game (Braves and Tigers)

Matt and I have found we are somewhat limited in pictures of us...

so hence...we have begun to take a TON!

The game- I'm not a sports fan by any means...but I like games

as a social event :-) The Disney Sports Complex was a nice ballpark

Melissa and I passing the time with more photos!

Matt's dad and I on our last day in Daytona

I hated leaving the ocean- went down for one more look!

I was afraid this photo wouldn't turn out very well because of the

wind....but I love it!

Waiting in Daytona airport...the plane was delayed because while it was on

it's way to Daytona a part fell off. It was a part that is only involved when

the plane lifts off. Needless to say...we were ok with waiting for them to fix it!

This was taken in the Charlotte, NC airport. Because our first plane

was delayed we missed (by about 5 minutes!) our connecting flight.

We then had to wait until 8:20 pm (instead of 3pm) to fly to Chicago.

Matt and I walked around the entire Charlotte airport...and counted

at least one Starbucks in every concourse (A-E). Before we left we

of course stopped! :-D I love Starbucks!

Valentine's Day and other news

2009-02-22T19:12:00.000-08:00

For Valentine's Day Matthew and I went shopping, out to eat at Texas Roadhouse, and then went to see Pink Panther 2 in the theatre. The day was wonderful!! I loved the first Pink Panther (super funny cheesy humor!!) and the second movie was just as funny!

School is going by very fast...which is great. I am going with Matthew and his family to Florida over Spring Break in 3 weeks. I can't wait to get away from the snow for a week.

In other news, Alexander waved for the first time the other day!! In our living room we have two sofas, one on each side of the room. Mom and I were sitting on one and Tricia and Alex were on the other. Mom and I were waving at Alex and then he waved back. It was SUPER cute!

Here are a couple pictures of our spoiled (but adorable) little fellow:

My friend Lea's Wedding

2009-01-25T11:12:00.000-08:00

My beautiful friend Lea, her kids Logan and Kloe (from previous marriage)
and her new husband Jon!

I didn't take either of these photos but they were so
beautiful that I decided to put them on here. I am
so happy for the whole family!! :-D

New Years Pictures

2009-01-24T17:44:00.000-08:00

The bowling alley handed out hats and noise makers!!

So, of course, we practiced before midnight

Matt...3 minutes to 12am!!

So...I SUCK at bowling...:-P

Alyssa and I

One of many group photos while waiting for our turns

:-D

Bowling?? I swear we did not just play with the noisemakers

the whole time!

Matt's "Costume"

Chris and Alyssa....not sure what is going on...

This would be a GREAT picture...if I looked normal! :-D

"The Outfits" What more can I say about this?

Blame Na...Apparently this is hilarious in Minnesota...Good thing

everyone else at the bowling alley was drinking!!

See!!! I told you we bowled!

My bowling pose :-D

Me and Na

Some Photos

2009-01-24T15:11:00.000-08:00

Matt's Sister "Lisi" and I

Matt, Lisi, and I after Christmas Ever service

Matt and I
Finally! A halfway decent photo of us!

The best way to make Alexander laugh! Belly tickles

Dani playing dress up....

Our adorable, completely spoiled baby!

A normal picture of us :-P

At a friend's house for Christmas stuff...
Denny, Alyssa, Na (Denny is her dad), me and Matt

Stupid self photos!

I love this picture!

Line of Arnolds.....

Alexander's favorite pastime...putting his hands in other

people's mouths.....

Once again...self photos! This is how we spend the time

when we hang out together...

My mouth was full! Notice how my smile seems to be the same

in EVERY picture....

Except for this one...apparently food is funny!!!

Not sure what I'm pointing at...or asking for.....hmm..

Tricia and Na...

Our friend Rob with Alexander. I love how Alex looks

completely baffled....he loved the orange light from Na's camera

I promise to put other pictures up as soon as I get them off

mom's camera and onto my computer!

Long time....No Post..

2009-01-10T08:50:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the lack of updates!!! I have been so busy since Thanksgiving.

Finals-- They went pretty well. I came out of this past semester with 3 As, 1 A-, and a B+. Not too bad. The new semester starts the end of this month.

Christmas-- Jeremy, Sara, Kajsa (5 1/2), Deanna (3 1/2) and Gregory (6 months) came for Christmas. It was great to see the kids!! I will add pictures as soon as I can. My other brother, Josh, could not come but mailed a Wii as a gift. Mom bought Mario Kart and 4 wheels. That seemed to occupy most of our time over Christmas! Jackie, Jeremy, Matthew, and I were also able to see a Packer game (FOR FREE!!). Jeremy and I had never been to a game before....so even though it was very cold...we had a great time!

New Years-- Matthew and I hung out with some friends of ours. We went bowling (Incredibly embarrassing pictures are on my Facebook page if you have it) and watched movies. I fell asleep at around 2am....I feel too old for that whole "staying up all night" thing!

Lately, I've been working...reading (YAY!!)....and hanging out with my family/Matthew. It's been great to actually have a little break from school. I am kinda bummed it is starting up soon. :-(

Other random news---My friend Sarah and her husband Mark are expecting a baby in May. They just found out they are having a boy. :-)

Alexander ("Bubbles") now has 6 teeth- 4 on top, 2 on bottom- and at least 1 more is coming in on the bottom. :-) He can now sit up pretty well on his own. He is attempting to crawl...backwards is easier! He loves to sing and is likely to cry when not the center of attention. He is probably the most spoiled child in Wisconsin...but he is definitely well loved!!

It's National Soup Month....just thought I'd mention that...:-) Oh...and January 12th is National Clean Off You Desk Day......

I'm sorry for the lack of pictures!! I will try to add some soon....HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and English Accents

2008-11-30T17:50:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving- My family went over to Matthew's house and were also joined by another family. It was very funny!! We ate a ton of food and pie. Funny story----Matthew's dad was holding the baby and asks "What's his name again?" I told him and he says "Oh, I thought it was Anthony." About ten minutes later he says "So...do you called him Anthony or Tony?" I was like "Neither..his name is Alexander!" His response: "Oh, well whatever." That was definitely the topic of conversationg throughout dinner!!

Black Friday- Matthew, Melissa, Alyssa, Tricia, Jackie and I all decided to leave at 10pm and go Black Friday shopping. We shopped all night and finally got home around 11am on Friday! It was CRAZY cold...but fun. We were all tired but had a great time. I think we are planning on going again next year. Between Matthew, Melissa, and I--We saved about $400.

English Accents- From time to time my name for a babysitter is passed on to families around church and town. Last week, another couple heard about me and called me up. The only problem...the wife had a VERY strong English accent. I could hardly understand anything she said. However, I still agreed to babysit for them last night. I went to their house (hoping I understood the directions right) with little idea of who the family was, how old the kids were, and whether they were girls or boys. Anyway, I got there and the kids were 3 (a girl-Madeleine) and 2 (a boy-Bowe). It was fun and interesting to get to know two new kids. Still...even in person I understood about half of what the wife said. Luckily the husband was American and understandable!!

I hope you all had a GREAT Thanksgiving!!! :-D

Alexander and Baby Storytime

2008-11-14T13:39:00.000-08:00

I had off of work at the library today...so what did I do? Took Alexander to the library! There is a baby story/song time on Tuesday and Fridays. Tricia had a meeting at work today so she asked if I could take him.

We both had alot of fun singing and playing. I can't say he showed much interest in the other babies...but that's ok. :-) Anyway, it was very fun to actually participate in the programs where I work!

And yes....this was a post to procrastinate doing homework---Studying my Gender Psychology notes for Tuesday's exam. YUCK!

Fall Pictures

2008-11-06T10:03:00.000-08:00

Alexander and his grandma at the pumpkin farm
He loves his grandma!

However, he was NOT so sure about this whole sitting in
the dirt with pumpkin thing!

Matthew and I--The sun was right in our eyes. Hence the
eyes closed!

Hay bale slide! It was about 70 degrees that day!
I don't know that we have ever gone pumpkin picking
when it was that warm.

I love Alexander's smile in this picture.
Now he has two teeth, but I can't get him to smile
and show them!!

Alexander truly did like his frog costume...
just not the hood! He slept through most
of the trick or treating

Election Day

2008-11-04T10:25:00.001-08:00

So, I voted. Not sure how I feel about the person I chose. But...it's done. Now it's time to wait and see. Sometimes, I think it's hard to live in a democracy. If you choose one person...and they do a bad job you feel guilty. And, it also leads you to wonder if perhaps you should have chosen the other person. At least in a monarchy there's no question! Oh well...it's freedom right?

2008-10-13T05:59:00.000-07:00

Tag-Quiz Time- 3 things

3 names I go by:
Jennifer
Jenni/Jenny
Jenn/Jen

3 Restaurants I LOVE:
Charcoal Grill
Hu Hot
Fazoli's (Breadsticks and Italian Ice...YUM!!)

3 Trips I plan on this year: Nothing exciting!!
School
Work
Home
The 3 places I always go! Put Matthew's house in there for fun ;-)

3 things I want badly:
To graduate (In May!!)
Get married (in a couple years...hopefully!)
Have enough money to move out and live on my own

3 things I did yesterday:
Homework (Sociological Theory take home exam..yuck)
Church- though not my own, went to see two little babies baptized at a catholic church
Watched Final Destination 3- Except for the parts I closed my eyes...hehe

3 things I did today:
Got up at 5 am!!- Gym class I'm taking...pretty sure I'm crazy
Homework- Finished exam
Put this on blogger??- It's only 8 am!

3 fears:
Heights
Spiders/snakes
Psychos and creepy people

3 pet peeves:
Cigarette smoke
People who can't drive or choose not to drive well
Guys who constantly hit on you...even though you make it painfully obvious that you are
NOT INTERESTED!

3 favorite holidays:
Christmas
Thanksgiving
Easter

3 people I tag:
You
YOu
YOU (this means YOU)

Good Book I Read

2008-10-03T20:30:00.000-07:00

Usually during the school semester I do not read a "fun" book since I have so much homework to do. However, this semester I am trying to read at least one book a month since it helps me to relax especially when I'm super stressed.

Anyway, I chose to read this book. It is about a husband who writes letters to his wife every Wednesday throughout their marriage. When both die, their grown children find these letters. Through the letters, the two sons and one daughter learn about who their parents were and also about their childhood. It was a sappy books, which isn't usually my type of book. But it was SO sweet.

Milwaukee Brewers

2008-09-30T10:52:00.000-07:00

I can't say that I am a baseball fan...or even a sports fan. However, Matthew and I watched the Brewers game on TV this past weekend. They won...and are now going to the play offs as the Wild Card. They have not been in the Playoffs since 1982. Exciting right? Well to Matthew it is. Ryan Braun hit a home run...That was exciting, I like him :-) Anyway, that's my sports news of the week.

In other news, I had one exam (Psychology) today and one (Sociology) on Thursday. Which...by the way...I should go study for!

More Pictures!

2008-09-16T10:18:00.001-07:00

Auntie Sammie (or Sami as she wants to be called since it's shorter!) and baby Alexander

My new haircut and color! People at work are really beginning to wonder about me!

Another picture of the new hair.

The back...Sammie took this one...

Jessie with a goat she took to the fair

Jessie's dog Amoria (we got her one Valentine's Day one year.
This dog will answer to Ding-Dong though...not too bright!

Cinnamon (Cimmie) in one her various holes she digs around the yard.
She gets hot and sits in them pretty much all day

Dani and her goat

Jackie and her goat (sensing a theme??)

Sammie and Cim at the Dog show

The only time you'll see Jackie dressed up!!

Jessie and Amoria at the dog show. Amoria was very flighty!

Alexander getting bored at the fair. :-)

Jessie and goat...I think they entered this picture in the fair.

Jackie's dog Tucker

The Library's Summer Reading Program Finale party!
Matthew was helping me work the food table.

My Summer Reading Program shirt...:-)

Matthew the Pickle Man.

One of my favorite babies of all time!! My friend Jill's son Owen.
He was sucking on a pickle for about an hour.

Hope you all are having a great FALL!! :-D

Sorry about the delay in Pictures!

2008-08-26T09:07:00.000-07:00

Sorry it's been so long since I've posted anything. I never seem to be on the computer long enough to do anything! This Summer has been VERY busy with work and then always something going on over the weekends. Last week I was gone camping with Matthew and his family. It was wonderfully beautiful in Minoqua (as always!). However, since I don't have a camera (yet...I want one for Christmas..) and no one else took pictures I have nothing to show for it..Sorry! But, anyway, it was wonderful and relaxing and the perfect thing to end the Summer with since we start school the day after Labor Day.

Anyway, I DO have some pictures of Alexander. His surgery went great and his beautiful blue eyes are now open for all to see!

It's looking like Alex will have reddish hair...which I think you can tell a little from this picture.

He loves to look around...especially if he's outside!

Sleepy mommy and baby

Mom and I were giving him a bath. He started out happy but then became frustrated when he soaped him up so much he kept sliding down the tub. I skipped putting the screaming baby picture on here...it makes me feel like a bad aunt!

I think by this picture he sorta forgave me for all I put him through!

I will try and keep updating with photos. Mom and the girls spent the last week at the county fair with their goats, horses, and bunnies. I will weed through the 400 (literally!) pictures of that to find some to put up.

Alexander Pictures!

2008-07-11T11:18:00.000-07:00

Tricia pre-baby. This was before all the really hard labor started.

First picture of Alexander.

Getting measured by the nurse. He was NOT impressed. :-)

Sleepy Baby, Mommy, and Auntie!

Mommy and baby time right after birth. He's a real cuddler!

Alexander sleeping. He had already managed to scratch his face with his nails.
Look at how long his fingers are!

Sweet little baby.

Bath time!

Nurse cleaning his head in the sink.

He actually didn't cry too much about it.

Auntie Dani. She's pretty good at this aunt stuff...seeing as she's
been one since she was 11 months old!

Auntie Jessie

A rare moment- Jackie holding a baby!

Grandma Stephanie with her sixth grandchild.
For whatever reason I don't have a picture of Sammie and Alexander. I will try to find one! Alexander's eyelids are fused together and he has an appointment at the Children's Hospital in Milwaukee tomorrow morning. We are praying all goes well! Can't wait to see his eyes. :-)

Welcome to the World!

2008-07-08T10:18:00.000-07:00

When I finished my shift at 6, I called Tricia to see how she was doing since she had been experiencing contractions throughout the day. She stated that her contractions had quickly moved from 30 mins. apart to just 4-5 mins. I drove home, showered, packed, and we were off to the hospital. We got there at about 7. After several hours of painful labor and alot of "I can't do this!!!" Tricia delivered her son without any medication. His name is Alexander Michael Lee Arnold. He was born at 1:50am on July 8th. 7 pounds, 6.8 ounces, and 21.5 inches long. He has a head full of brown hair. We are not sure what color his eyes are because he has yet to open them! I was VERY tired at the end and struggled to stay awake for Tricia but we made it through. Currently, mom and the girls are in the room admiring our new little one. He whimpers everytime you move him so we've nicknamed him "Little Prince" because that's what he acts like! Anyway, we have taken some pictures but I need to get home to put them on the computer. I will post as soon as I can!

Still Waiting For Tricia's Baby!

2008-07-07T07:26:00.000-07:00

Since Tricia STILL has not had her baby, I seem to be lacking in new information. Though, I did talk to her this morning and she said she was having painful contractions every hour or so....I'm hoping this means something good!

4th of July Weekend: We were SO busy this weekend. We went to 2 parades, 2 cookouts, 2 firework shows, my family went camping (I did not), swam--the water was cold!, played frisbee- I'm actually FINALLY getting it....and a whole host of other things. Loooong weekend...but fun! It's nice to have a busy, fun weekend.

On Saturday, Matthew, me, and Melissa (Matt's sister) watched "P.S. I Love You." It's such a sweet movie...sad though. I'm not one to cry at movies but I went AWWW several times!

Random Lists to Follow-
My Current Favorite Things:
1. Books by Sarah Dessen. I have just started reading all of her books and I love them! She is very bittersweet...not everything turns out like you hoped they would. I just find them more realistic than some books that are like "And they lived happily ever after." Anyway...she's good. My favorite is her new book Lock and Key.

2. Tans. I know that it's bad for your skin...but I do put sunscreen on. But anyway...I just love that for at least two months I am able to get rid of my ghostly pale skin.

3. Warm Days and Chilly Nights. I love when it gets very warm during the day but then cools off at night. It makes it better for sleeping!

Current Things I Dislike:
1. Rain! Rain is good...I know...but we've had SO much of it this year. No more!

2. Bug Bites. Not fun. Right now I have some on the back of my knees from being outside the other evening with shorts on.

3. Not knowing when the baby will be born!! Since I am Tricia's "Labor Coach" I'm always afraid that she will call me and I won't have my phone. And since I HATE carrying my phone around, I currently feel like I am strapped to the darn thing until this baby comes. It's hardest not knowing when he will come.

Anyway, enough randomness. I hope you all had a GREAT 4th of July!!!

More Gregory Photos

2008-06-27T12:43:00.001-07:00

Apparently Deanna doesn't like the crying!

Kajsa and her new baby brother

Sara and Gregory

Proud Daddy!

Our newest little addition to the family

Kajsa and Deanna have a brother!

2008-06-26T14:21:00.000-07:00

With all the excitement and preparation for Tricia's baby, I think I failed to mention that my brother Jeremy, his wife Sara and their girls Kajsa (5) and Deanna (3) were expecting a little boy. Due to the previous 2 C-Sections, Sara was scheduled for her C-Section this morning. After waiting and waiting to hear from them, Jeremy FINALLY called and told us he put pictures online. So here are the pictures of my new nephew Gregory Daniel Arnold: Born June 25th 9:01am, 8 Pounds 1 Ounce, and 20.5 Inches Long. I will try to add more pictures as Jeremy sends them to me.

Random Pictures

2008-06-16T08:40:00.000-07:00

I found some random photos and thought I would put them up. They aren't the greatest...but it's something!

Tricia's baby belly. It's growing FAST! She's very anxious for the baby to come. He is due July 11th but we are all hoping for a June baby.

A bad picture of Matt and I at the Baseball game. Not sure why it's fuzzy

L-R: Sammie, Jessie, and Dani at their dance recital

For three years Matt has done the Daddy-Daughter dance with Sammie and Dani. This year it was Austin Powers. Matt's mouth looks funny because he has Austin Powers teeth in.

Matt and Sammie dancing.

Another fuzzy picture...ugh. This one is of me, Matt, and Tricia at Sammie's play.

Baby Shower Pictures

2008-06-02T14:10:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures from the baby shower including a family picture. Elizabeth wasn't at the shower...so she's not in that picture. If I can find a picture of everything Tricia received, I'll put it on here...but not sure if we took pictures of the end result.

Back Left to Right: Me, Jessie Tricia
Front L-R: Dani, Jackie, Mom, Sammie

Long Time...No Post

2008-05-27T08:15:00.000-07:00

It's been over a month since I last posted!! Sorry! I've been super busy with the baby shower, finals, and work. But with the first two done I thought I would just post quick.

BABY SHOWER: I do have pictures from the baby shower but not with me so they will be posted as soon as I get them off Matthew's computer. It went GREAT! Tricia was given many, many gifts. We were very blessed with all the support she has received!

FINALS: Hectic! But they are over! I wasn't sure how I would do in my classes over all but looked at my grades this weekend and found I had a 4.0!! :-) That definitely makes it worth all the stress.

WORK: Earlier this month a job was posted to replace a woman who is retiring at the library where I currently work. I applied for the position and after much anticipation and sweat...I was offered the job! Previously, I had a job putting books away. But now, I will be working in the Children's Department which is what I wanted to do! The pay is $3.00 more per hour than my other job, 21 hours a week, and I get to work with GREAT people. I start the training today and I am very excited. :-)

MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND: I went with Matthew and his parents to visit some family and friends of theirs. It was a good weekend but we were all exhausted by the time we got back.

I will post pictures as soon as I can...it makes it hard when Matthew is the one with the camera!

Hu Hot Mongolian Grill

2008-04-21T07:58:00.000-07:00

A couple nights ago Matthew and I went with his sister, Melissa, and some friends of hers to Hu Hot Mongolian Grill. I've been there once before, but I just have to say that it's amazing! It's about $12 a person (not counting sodas) but because you can go up and get food as many times as you want it's definitely worth it. So, if you are ever somewhere and they have a Hu Hot...go check it out!!

Surprise Ruined!

2008-04-07T09:06:00.000-07:00

For the last month I have been planning a surprise baby shower for my sister, Tricia. It's been hard to not tell her and have almost done so several times. I was rather proud of myself and family that we hadn't let out the secret and the shower is on the 26th of this month! Well, yesterday, I took the invitations to church and put them in the "mailboxes" of the people we wanted to invite. The obvious SURPRISE (which is on the front and inside) was apparently not obvious enough and people told Tricia about it. One woman even said "Oh, so it's on the 26th right?" I guess that even the day will no longer be a surprise. Oh well, we tried! But I'm still bummed...:-(

Spring is Finally Here!

2008-04-06T12:04:00.001-07:00

After many many MANY snow filled days, the sun is finally out. It's sunny and warm. :-) That makes me happy. It's funny how you can get so used to the cold that when it's 55 degrees out, you see everyone in shorts.
School and work have been crazy busy lately. I had to work 9-4 this Saturday which cuts down on a "real" weekend. I rented "In the Land of Women" and took it to Matthew's house last night after work. It was pretty good, weird, but good. I haven't watched a Meg Ryan movie since "You've Got Mail."
Well, I've procrastinated Political Science exam prep long enough....

First Posting!

2008-03-27T09:50:00.000-07:00

I thought I would get around to creating a blog over Christmas break, but obviously that never happened. So here (after much procrastination) is my first blog posting!

Life has been fairly boring as of late. I worked much over Spring Break, but I was definitely glad to be not driving the 30+ miles to school. Alas, it was not to last. I went back to school on Tuesday and am currently researching my project on early literacy in relation to brain development of preschoolers. This is to prove the benefits of a game I have not yet started making. The project, in full, is due April 17th...but no pressure!

I should get back to studying.....thus ends my boring first post.