THE PAPA FAMILY

My kiddos

2010-06-27T17:06:00.000-07:00

hey hey

2010-04-30T15:18:00.000-07:00

cant deal with blogger! everything is blue and underlined, erased my picture 3 times and writing is way down here! this is why i post 1 picture every 6 months.. and this one's for Jessica and jackie! there you go babes!
So, (oh, no we're black), Judah looks like he got into a fight in this picture but it was his allergies (this was Easter).. can't find many that don't have me in them or faces looking up or clothes on and quite honestly in this time in life, i don't even know where the heck the camera is most of the time.. so, here's the kids. papa family about to grow with the birth of Eden, which is hopefully in 2 weeks instead of 3 but not counting on it:).. fat, hot and humid in Florida! over it!
well, there's my nice, polished and eloquent post.
Zion has a pony tail in the back, but you can't see it! highlight of my days, doing her 5 threads of hair in pony tail or pink/pig (what is it anyway) tails!

This is way to much writing I know, most people just look at the pictures; not even sure if anyone will read all this but it feels quite therapeutic right now for me.

February Updates.

2010-03-02T16:26:00.000-08:00

ok, too much to catch up on, so i'll let the pictures say it all. shmirls has been walking since 10 1/2 months, just haven't had a good video yet..
February was the month in the house (in more ways than one)... judah turned 3 on the 12th, our 5 year anniversary was the 19th, Zion turned 1 on the 25...
So, here are some pictures from the parties...as well as random things..
will try to post video of shmirls walking soon..

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Random Pics.

2010-02-02T13:36:00.000-08:00

Some random shots of the kids.. yums in his starbucks outfit:)
(cans someone tell me how to fix this font and underlining stuff!)

updates on the papa house...

2010-01-25T17:15:00.000-08:00

well, here we are.. zion is walking a bit...took first steps a week or so ago...judah will be 3 in 2 weeks, zion will be 1 on the 25th of feb., and mommy, well yeah...6 months pregnant and although not totally excited about posting pictures with me in them, how can i cut out the cute kiddos..
shmirls is sportin' a big red bow our great friend jonah's mommy made for her... :) and well yeah, although you cant really see her head, and the fact that she desperately claws herself to get it off, it matched the outfit (for 30 seconds:)

yums got a thomas bike for christmas that he's learning to ride (all about thomas and trains these days..)
finally, we're having another daughter, due in May, and naming her Eden Justice...

long over due for some pics....

2009-12-06T15:39:00.001-08:00

DONT KNOW HOW TO FIX THIS BLOGGER TEXT & UNDERLINE:)
Some new things happening around the papa house... joe got a new scooter for around town, to & from work...judah has officially become a little kid (will be 3 in feb.).. Zion is standing completely on her own & cruising all around (will be 1 in feb.)...baby 3 due in May (and mommy feeling much better than the past few months..).. hope you enjoy seeing the kids..

Happy Birthday to Aunt Melissa

2009-10-13T13:12:00.000-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO AUNT MELISSA. WE MISS YOU!
(so, it took us awhile, the 3 combined pretty much take care of it..:)

Baseball. Crawling. Date

2009-10-04T12:18:00.000-07:00

(this blog sometimes does it's own thing; i was trying to post the kids first and us last... cant seem to figure that out:), smirls ended up at the bottom somehow..)
So, yums went to his first real, professional baseball game with Daddy, Dewson (his friend whose 5), and Dewson's daddy... he had a blast. stayed out till 1030! he was cheering and rooting the whole time-totally on his own.. this week he's been running around the house pretending to be a professional baseball player with his glove..
Smirls on the other hand has officially taken off crawling.. she's actually been on all 4's and even taking one or two little crawl moves for probably a month, but this past week she just finally took off and is now into everything...
Finally, joe and I went to a really beautiful outdoor wedding Saturday, which was like the first time out in well... i dont know really. but it was fun to get dressed up, have no kids and stoll through the City...

Family, Fun & Drums...

2009-09-27T16:55:00.000-07:00

So, I realize it takes so much for me to actually sit down, upload pictures and post a blog.. but here we go..(and i cant figure out how to get this underline, text color and bold button off)

My grandparents came from Las Vegas to visit for 2 weeks... Judah got his first official drum set, that's he was in shock over.. he's lovin it:)...

me & schrimls alone time...

2009-09-04T12:21:00.000-07:00

Today me & shrimls hung out while yums was sleeping and daddy was gone... here's some of our shots... and shrimls attempt at crawling. i think she's well on her way very shortly to start crawling...

went to the ped. 2 days ago for 6 month check up; shrimls is over 99% for length (she's like 28 1/4 inches long) & she's 75% for weight (she's 17lbs)...

jersey shots & 6 months...

2009-08-29T08:13:00.000-07:00

We traveled to New Jersey, last minute, to surprise our brother Adam who got engaged to Melissa! We ended up staying for 2 weeks.. here are some shots from our time... also girl just turned 6 months...

my blue-eyed girl...

2009-08-04T16:48:00.000-07:00

i guess this is a lot of the same picture... but she just loves this johny jump up thing...... zion's favorite thing is...judah!

July

2009-07-28T16:34:00.000-07:00

So, many more pics to come b/c my father in law has them on his camera:)... but here's a few for now... check out the papa's old time photo!!

this past month has been quite eventful for the papa's...2 week vacation up the coast; first to south carolina to visit russ and jackie miller (at which judah was lovin noa, so much that he said noa papa:) maybe a pre-arranged marriage... then onto corolla, north carolina for a week of the outerbanks with the entire papa side... (just got back last night:)
... girl got 2 teeth this month, mommy turned 30 this month, girl turned 5 months and started eating cereal to celebrate:)...

4 months old

2009-06-29T08:11:00.000-07:00

Well, here's my blue-eyed girl!!!! yeah!! no papa brown for this chick! Wahooo. now we just have to deal with the papa whitey's!:)
Girl is 4 months old now. she's older than she feels, she still seems so little to me... not sure if it's because of already having judah or what...

Sneak Peak

2009-06-24T09:38:00.000-07:00

Here's a sneak peak to Judah's summer swim lessons. He's taking lessons with lil swimmers survival course. It's founded by a man in florida who teaches the kids how to survive if they fell into water (b/c so many kids drown here each year). It's really amazing to watch how well these kids swim through this. Today was the floating portion of his testing, after 3 weeks. They put you in the water with clothes and shoes on (fully dressed), to see what the kids will do. Anyway, more to come later with updates from the fam and our girl too.

Zion 3 months.

2009-05-26T17:33:00.000-07:00

we did a 3 months photsoshoot of the girl... here she is in her sunday best:)

random candid shots

2009-05-16T13:31:00.000-07:00

Here we are, just some random candid shots of life right now... Judah is potty training and doing exceptionally well, except we had a throwing away diaper party (not really, but joe read dr.phil's method:)) anyway, nakedness and poop are quite common at our house, so visitors hold off for a few weeks...

Rewards...

2009-05-11T15:58:00.000-07:00

"Children are a gift from the Lord, they are a reward from Him". Ps.127.3 In the midst of the sacrifice of Love, I'm moved in the Grace of God for the gift and reward of our children. We're beyond honored that God would allow us the great joy of knowing these amazing children. This was actually a special photo shoot (ha) for mother's day gifts to grandma's...

The kids; zion 2 months

2009-04-25T12:19:00.000-07:00

My Girl!

2009-04-11T17:30:00.000-07:00

So, i know i took way too many shots of the same thing, but she was sooo cute in that little dress today! Zion totally looks like Judah in the one shot. My brother in law came for a visit this week; it was rich, deep and purposeful! We love and miss DANNY, as Judah says...dan-ny.

Kiddos!

2009-04-06T12:27:00.000-07:00

I came out of the room and Judah was trying to put the pacifier in Zion's mouth.. i had to capture of few shots, b/c it was a priceless moment. Sometimes you dont realize how old your first baby really is until you have another one:)
Loving baby girl... she's sleeping like a champ (at least good enough for us and in her own little bed:).

Few shots

2009-04-04T13:28:00.000-07:00

Here's a few shots of baby girl, and Yums. In this picture he's having coffee in his veggie tales mug and talking to joe about something? Funny!

Zion 1 month!

2009-03-25T13:10:00.000-07:00

Here's a few more pictures of the kids... Zion is one month old today and life is beginning to feel a bit more orderly, after having a newborn. We're in a little routine at night for Zion... it's great because she is sleeping 5 hours and then every 2 hours until morning. For us that's great. Way better than Judah. She is really starting to get some pudge and gaining weight quite quickly! She is in 3 months clothes, mainly because of her length (she's quite tall), but also do to her weight..

Thank you God for 2 healthy children and the Grace and Favor to disciple them....

Zion 3 weeks.. and the Kids!

2009-03-18T14:03:00.000-07:00

It's truly amazing having children... we're adjusting to sleepness nights (hopefully getting longer with each passing day), and the frailty of newborn stage... but enjoying this time nonetheless.

judah's loving his little sister. every night he says "nigh-nigh siser" (he's a big allergy ball right now-florida's a mess with them)

Zion 15 days old!

2009-03-12T13:42:00.000-07:00

Okay, so life is so different having a girl. Poor Judah really did wear onesies all the time..... but now having a girl we can barely wait to put these little dresses on her.
Our neighbor across the street bought her this great dress, so before it doesnt fit anymore we thought we do her 2 week pictures (which was yesterday).
And although there are sleepless nights, it's much better than the first time...
i'm truly grateful to God for our children... for healthy, beautiful children!
Judah is loving being a big brother; more pictures to come with both kids.

Zion 1 Week Old!

2009-03-04T09:12:00.000-08:00

Welcome Zion!

2009-02-27T16:52:00.001-08:00

We are deeply humbled and grateful to God to announce the birth of our daughter,

Zion Anna Papa on Wednesday February 25 @ 716am.

She weighed 7lbs 11 oz and was 20 1/2 in.

2009-02-12T05:02:00.000-08:00

HAPPY 2ND BIRTHDAY JUDAH!

Almost 2....

2009-02-09T10:12:00.000-08:00

So, because we are due anyday with our 2nd baby, and actually thought we would have totally had her by now, we decided to celebrate judah's 2nd birthday a little early. It's not until thursday the 12th... we had just a few people over the house and just sang happy birthday, prayed for Judah and ate daddy's home-made cake!!!

we had most on video, but here are a few pictures!

Happy Birthday Grandma!!

2009-01-21T16:06:00.000-08:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDMA!!
ME AND MOMMY MADE YOU A COUPLE THINGS FOR YOUR BIRTHDAY... HERE WE ARE MAKING THEM, YOU SHOULD BE GETTING THEM IN THE MAIL SOON..
WISH YOU WERE CLOSER. LOVE YOU AND MISS YOU GRANDMA!

Yums' Horsey

2009-01-10T15:48:00.000-08:00

Well, my mother in law bought Judah a horse for his first birthday (kind of a tradition), although it was more for age 3 and up. However, yums for the first time yesterday was able to get on it and actually touch the bottom, so here he is riding his horsey.

Side note: he weighs 35.4 pounds and is almost 23 months old. Those of you with kids you'll know how big this is... he's also quite tall, not sure exactly.

2009

2009-01-07T13:36:00.000-08:00

A New Year...A New Day... With New Hope...Fruit

Cheers to all for a new year with an anticipation of old being gone and new things coming...the fresh beauty and life of a new day and the sun rising...

Love from the Papa's, as we await baby Zion coming soon...

KETCHUP!!

2008-12-22T13:27:00.000-08:00

Joe's been on me to post this, so i figured i would finally do it. To him, and probably most people, this is a strange concept- ketchup on everything. but for me growing up this was next to common; my grandfather put ketchup on everything, even in soup.. i as well have a great liking to ketchup (not quite soup though).
It seems that somehow Yums has inherited this taste... here he is eating a peanut butter sandwich and dipping it in ketchup!

Random Recent Events

2008-12-19T12:04:00.000-08:00

So, family came to visit the first week of December for a few reasons, one being a baby shower we had for Zion. It was my mother and father in-law, my brother and sister in-law with their baby Jathan, and my other brother in-law-with his girlfriend Melissa. We had a great time shacking up in our little house.:), here are some of those pictures of the time. Grandma cut Judah's hair, and did a great job!!! Way better than mommy, wish she lived close.

Catch up Time!

2008-12-01T16:46:00.000-08:00

We just got home from our trip to South Carolina to visit Russ, Jackie and Noa Jane Miller... we really enjoy spending time with them...

The idea of a pre-arranged marriage was thrown out between Judah and Noa, however everytime Noa cried or even made any loud sound Judah wimpered beside me.. (not sure how that marriage would work)... eitherway, Judah loved Noa (and Russ and Miss Jackie for that matter).

The trip was well worth it for many reasons and on multiple levels... only took 7 hours too!

Gingerbread House...

2008-12-01T16:38:00.000-08:00

My mom brought over the kit to make a gingerbread house.. and so it was.. however, way more of that icing went in his mouth than on the house...

Judah's music class...

2008-12-01T16:32:00.000-08:00

The public library offered a free music class for the toddlers, so Joe and I took Judah. Although we thought they'd actually have instruments, Judah had a great time just dancing around with the other kids.

Children...

2008-11-15T16:27:00.000-08:00

So.... the fall is really beautiful in Florida (late fall, early fall is still hot and humid) The fall has seafood festivals, strawberry fests, side of the road watermellons, carnivals, community garage sales and more..well, today was our community garage sale in our neighborhood; we took a stroll around the block and found this little house and car for the backyard- yums loves it. So, here we are eating watermellon from the side of the road and enjoying the new found great deals for yums in the backyard.

I'm telling you, this kid has such a sweet spirit... trust me, our life is not without the beauty of discipline and hardship and tears of love, but Judah carries such a unifying sweet spirit that he gathers people for group hugs and just kisses them... I love him. The place in God built through revelation in prayer over our sons and daughters, i'm speaking of all of our sons and daughters, is so deep. Joey and i have a time of worship and prayer in the morning and the names of the sons and daughters of those we're joined to in God have come out from the heart and intention of God over their lives; Jackson, Emerson, Ryland, Preston, Noa, Judah, Zion, Elijah, Mercy, Barnes children, Kahiapo's children yet to come... and more still... there's such a deep place in God and even deeper the times in which we live and the children of this generation we're raising... May God grant us the revelation for pure vision of truth, undistracted and unbiased, just the revelation of Heaven over our lives and children's lives.... love from us.

(Surely didnt mean for all that in the post:))

The beauty of this Season.

2008-11-10T13:56:00.000-08:00

Okay... where my girls at!!

So, glad only friends and family see these pictures.... yes, i've gained now 40 pounds..:) i find out i'm pregnant and already gain 10 somehow-j/k..

i'm just about 25 weeks, and just like with judah, seem to carry big babies (he weighed 7lb9oz at barely 37 weeks)

The truth is, not only is there no shame in my game:), but I truly love being pregnant; eveything about having children feels born into the destiny and fabric in God..

it's the most exhilirating, honoring and rewarding journey (and more i'm sure too, like suffering, challenging, testing and exposing)...

But like my friend Jacks said, it's so amazing being a mommy to your baby (or if your linds, a squad:)

p.s.(we told yums to grab mommy's belly and look what he grabbed instead:))

Fall Festival

2008-11-03T12:02:00.000-08:00

Some updates from the past few weeks... we went to a fall festival (fall for Florida that is:) around the corner from where we live... yums rode some rides and had a little ice cream (mommy did too).
Back yard is becoming a pleasant place for us... we just got yums a little swing set, although it's not up yet, and Judah has learned to water the flowers for daddy in the evening...

Judah 20 months; Mommy 20 weeks, looking 30:)

2008-10-10T13:23:00.000-07:00

So, I know everyone loves these kinds of pictures; so I finally broke down and figured what the heck. Here we are; mommy 20 weeks or so and about 35 pounds plus:) (those of you who have only gained 6 pounds at this point, write a book, and please dont add a menu plan:)

Yums will be 20 months on Sunday...

the depth of this season of our life continues to grow in secret, as we anticipate with great joy whats been set before us, and await the promises of God in that.... this promise happens to embody and carry with it a beautiful baby girl Zion.

Which by the way, never experienced the world of dresses and butterflies until now; and I love it. This is perfect for the work of God in us; so often we forget our children arent just about us, or the dream we think we want, but truly a piece and prophetic picture of who God is and what He's saying over our lives... and that obviously differs from one to the next, but one thing I see common is the way GOd intends to use our children to deliver a message of Heaven in us....

And although our children are one of the greatest joys, and promised lands if you will, of our lives on earth; there's a preparation for that promise land that we might always know Who and How we got there; and worship the God of Israel alone.

So be it.

Family Fun Day...

2008-10-05T15:06:00.000-07:00

Joey has Saturday's off now (actually only works 9-12 everyday:)), so it feels like a real weekend for us.... we had an arts and craft day saturday; yums painted a handprinted craft for all the grandparents, mommy painted a frame for baby Zion, and Daddy attempted to make his healthy bread. Although quite messy, as you will see, it was fun.

Somebody gave us this footprinted cement block for Judah's first birthday, we just got to it now:)

I turned my head for one minute and Judah took the paint off the table, ran into the computer room, and you shall see what happened -daddy made him have his first clean up time too..:)

Miracle of God.....

2008-10-02T15:35:00.000-07:00

So... guess what this is....

Our little baby GIRL!

She's due to arrive in Feb., as we're about 5 months along now.

Her name will be Zion Anna...

Trip to the Perfroming Arts Center...

2008-10-02T15:21:00.000-07:00

TPA had an open house for the kids to experience the instruments... here's yums on the harp and triangle...(that's what Joe said it's called, but i thought there would be a bit more formal name for it:)

Judah gets jiggy...

2008-10-02T15:10:00.000-07:00

Our first time seeing how this whole video works... here's yums doing his upper body dance, you should see his lower body:)

Before and After...

2008-09-08T16:23:00.000-07:00

So, Yums got his first haircut... by me. Oh no.. it's a challenge cutting a toddlers hair and he has the sideburns to prove it.
Although it took until he was 18months old to finally cut his out-of-control hair, it was definitely necessary. He learned to sweep his bangs to the side of his face because they were in his eyes so much:(
I wanted so much to perserve his little face and natural look....

Trip to Jersey...

2008-09-05T07:49:00.000-07:00

We just got back late tuesday night from New Jersey... spent 5 days with the fam., Judah got to meet his only cousin, Jathan for the first time...
He had a blast at Grandma and Grandpa's house... absolutely loved the dogs:)

A little bit of this and A little bit of that....

2008-08-28T14:37:00.000-07:00

Here's some pictures from this month... when jamie was here and then more recent.
Joey and Judah make home-made pizza...

Jamie and Preston.

2008-08-13T13:54:00.000-07:00

Jamie and Preston came to the states from Thailand... Preston seems like a fast developer; crawling at 6 months, standing, sitting up, etc.. and above all, this kid is like a dinosaur, he puts everything in his mouth and eats it!! I always thought he looked like Jamie, until I met him in person I can totally see Tim... It's amazing to watch people have children!
We loved seeing them...

Happy Birthday to a Great Friend...

2008-08-02T14:26:00.000-07:00

Today is the birthday of a special friend to us......happy birthday. We think of you often and love you...

Another year, and an older age....

2008-08-02T14:04:00.000-07:00

Well, another year has come... I officially turned 29 on July 27. Joe just had a little house party; us and my brother (i wasn't feeling the best), and bought me an ice-cream cake- my favorite.

Syndi sent me the beautiful flowers.. every year I get these great big boxes delivered from Syndi with beautiful flowers in it, and I forgot this year and thought it was some kind of doll:) It came special delivery- love you lush!

The Miller's Visit...

2008-07-24T08:51:00.000-07:00

Russ and Jackie Miller came for a visit.... it was beautiful to have them.. Russell Crowe, aka russ miller, decided to make banana spring rolls like the ones from PFChangs. Here's the process of that...
We spent sweet time together and had the great experience for both us and Judah of getting to know baby Noa... As you can see, Judah loved baby Noa. He was so excited to have her here that the morning after they came he woke up saying, "ba-by, ba-by"... his affectionate was tremendous for her.
We are looking forward to the next time we can see them... it was wonderful!

Judah at the Plate again...

2008-07-18T17:15:00.000-07:00

So, as you can tell Judah's a healthy eater... and he certaintly likes food. The pedetrician said a few months back, "at this age you'd be lucky to get them to sit down long enough to eat", and I thought, "she should come to our house for a day". He's has no problems sitting down to eat, so much so that he'll finish his meal and then make his way around the table to each person to see what they have. To be honest, i think it's more an emotional bonding and his friendly personality than it really is hunger, but nonetheless...here he is with my mum.

The Yard Project continues..

2008-07-08T17:08:00.000-07:00

This is Joey, Judah and my mum on another hot day in the yard....

16 months and counting...

2008-07-08T16:54:00.000-07:00

So Judah's going to be 17 months on Saturday, and he's developing into a little person (who wants to be independant now:)
My mum bought Judah a potty seat, for later use; however, he picked up quickly.
One day on the way to the bath, he pulled out the seat and said "up, up". We put him on it and sure enough he did pee-pee. .. never again yet, but he knows where it is..
Joey's begun an outside project-aka: facelift- on our backyard., which Judah loves being a part of! (But Ma-ma sure doesn't, I take the pictures and run back in the air conditioning:)

2008-06-26T17:36:00.001-07:00

LINDS, I THOUGHT YOU'D BE HAPPY TO SEE....A NEW POST!

Way to long and Where to start...

2008-06-26T17:00:00.000-07:00

The winds of change have blown over us in the past few months and continue to...

Much happening and much changing while much still awaits..

Our son is now 16months old and growing so beautifully in everyway... he talks up a storm, everything from "backpack" to "octapus"... he's wonderful. He's affectionate, he's mature, he's sensative and quite caring...

Here's a brief peek into our life...

Trip to the Zoo...

2008-04-01T16:52:00.000-07:00

So, for the first time on Sunday, our family headed to the zoo... I think Yums was a little young yet, but he enjoyed the people nonetheless. We could be in the middle of "major action" and he's the most impressed by people....

March Visit...

2008-03-29T17:52:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile, and of course, life continues to progress...

Our family came from Jersey for a visit... brought Joey's outfits from when he was a baby-the one he's wearing:), and our father brought his famous shoufar (not sure how to spell)...

Judah's finally walking well on his own; it came right around 13 months...

Some events...

2008-02-22T17:55:00.000-08:00

So, a couple important events fall within a week of each other; our anniversary and Judah's birthday! Here's some pictures from our evening out, which was to see Jersey Boys.. Joe surprised me and took me... the card that morning said "join me for an evening at the theater, and dont worry about what to wear it's taken care of"... well, a few hours before the show, joe brought me a box with this great dress and shoes in it..
Also these are Judah's 1st year pictures... he's not quite walking on his own, however, he certaintly takes off while holding your hand and runs along the couch. I think he gets a little uncertain of his barings. Loving everyday with him!

Judahs 1st birthday!!!

2008-02-10T11:38:00.001-08:00

Judah will be one on the 12th, but we had a little party for his birthday on Saturday...
Here are some pictures...
Special thanks to the family who sent cards from out of town and to Aunt Lush and Uncle Da for the great blocks!! We love you!

Our new room....

2008-02-10T11:07:00.000-08:00

So, I know it's traditionally supposed to be before and after, and that's of course the most appealing, however blogger doesnt want to participate, so here you go the after and before...
We converted half our garage into a 4th bedroom/ laundary room area. Joey worked relentlessly at this project, learned a little about nuts and bolts and a lot about his issues:).... in the end, everything was completed beautifully!

2008-01-30T10:55:00.000-08:00

Sorry everyone but our computer broke and we just got it fixed. Pics and update to come in the next few days!

Marks' and Papa's Christmas Trip!

2008-01-08T07:39:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!! Well, we ventured for a week to Pennsylvania to visit the Marks' family and then drove to Jersey to visit the Papa family. All is all it was worth it... (to see family and just be together with them),but really it's always great to be home in the ordinary, everyday that seems to matter the most...
The intention is to always take these great pictures....:) but that just never seems to happen! So, here's some bits and pieces of the fam.'s.
The one picture of my little sister (who's the oldest of the three kids), was the most expression we'd seen her demonstrate the whole week and it was over a surprise "Kathy Purse" for Christmas that just seemed to knock her little socks off:) (who knew what the heck a Kathy purse was:)).... the other picture with my little brother (whose 8) and I was the morning of my step-mom's birthday. We made a cake.. he was the tropper with me in the kitchen.
On to the Papa pic's..although it looks like the maffia (at least my husband and his new hat), it's really just all of us Papa's at an Ethopian restaurant...
Enjoy...

Visit from Auntie Lush and Uncle Day!!!

2007-12-21T18:01:00.001-08:00

Well, this past week has been quite memorable for us. Syndi and Dalen came to visit for 6 days from Hawaii. It's the first time we've seen each other since our wedding almost 3 years ago... Judah loved them. He waited for the "Chocolate Man" (aka: uncle Day) to come out of his room every morning. He had such a blast with them that he returned rather gracefully to his afternoon naps the day they left... (he was having too much fun when they were here and didn't want to miss any action).

Sumatra's Christmas Party and the Rockettes...

2007-12-09T08:53:00.000-08:00

This past weekend was one of the most action packed we've had in quite some time. Friday was our Christmas Party at the coffee shop and Saturday my mum took me and Christina to see the Rockettes. Here are some pictures...

Thanksgiving and more....

2007-12-02T13:35:00.000-08:00

Here's some of our life over the past few weeks. I cooked my first thanksgiving dinner this year, (the turkey was supposed to take 4 hours,.... 7 hours later we were cutting that bird). Judah adopted a giraffeee into his playroom and Nonna bought him a water firetruck! Lots happening this season of the year.... Judah will be 10 months old in 10 days... who can believe that!!

Here we are...mr.monkey, mugshot and all!

2007-11-15T10:42:00.000-08:00

So, eventhough it looks like Mr. Monkey's mug shot, it's really Judah's new 6 foot friend and the hat his mommy made him...daddy's was officially the first. I got into crocheting, since I"m home quite a bit and Judah now sleeps most of the day, I figured I'd learn a trade:)

These other shots are our family portraits from last month. Judah's been fully crawling since last month.. he's into everything!

Family Times...

2007-10-29T16:23:00.000-07:00

My mom recently moved to Treasure Island in St. Petesburg Florida and this has become her backyard.

Weekend Blast with Great Friends, Fun and Food!

2007-10-11T07:15:00.000-07:00

Pictures that are worth the words! We had a great weekend with our old friends. Talking, walking, eating and laughing. Brian's Home-made Barbeque Chicken was a great hit and Meghan cut my hair!!! This is the first time since 5th grade my hair has been short and I love it! Light and Free!

Judah's going to be a big cousin!!!

2007-09-28T08:31:00.000-07:00

So, as you probably saw from our previous pictures, we were in New Jersey 3 weeks ago. This is Jonathan (joey's brother) and his beautiful, new, egyptian wife Nivin! Well, this was them, thoroughly enjoying Judah. They even had a couple alone moments with their nephew and of course the thought crossed my mind, and I'm sure the mind of other family members (mother-n-law), wonder when they are going to have a baby. It just felt like they had the "itch", if you will- better said, the desire! Well, they sure did....because Judah will be having a cousin in May.. will it be another boy (as there are many of them:)) or will it be a little girl for Yummy's to "have fun with"... we shall see.

Either way, CONGRATULATIONS TO JONATHAN AND NIVIN AND ANOTHER BABY PAPA!

Yummy's Ocean!

2007-09-24T17:09:00.000-07:00

So, a ton of pictures of basically the same thing ... (just for you Bets).. haha

But we couldn't pass up the opportunity for the first official, real baby pool. One that me and Yums both can fit it. He thinks it's the ocean... He reached the whole time for the treasure chest on the bottom of the pool:)

Me and Yums out for a day at the pool.. (on our back porch..)

Trip to New Jersey!!

2007-09-12T09:36:00.000-07:00

So, here's our trip to New Jersey. Judah met all of his family... all 3 uncles, 1 new aunt (Joey's brother Jonathan got married last Nov. to Nivin), all his grandparents and then some. My dad and stepmom with their 3 kids drove to Jersey for the weekend and Angie and Melissa came from Conn., it was one big reunion. I'm sure you can figure out who's who in the picutres, but if not I'll explain:) Hope you enjoy. This was at my mother and father-n-laws house.

Johnny Fell Asleep!

2007-08-28T18:17:00.000-07:00

Johnny Jump Up that is....

So, as I was sitting on the floor folding laundary, while trying to stretch my fussy son into working out his emotions on his own, I looked up..... and this is how he worked it out. I suppose he figured I wasnt coming for him anytime soon. Let me tell you the laughs Joey and i had watching this happen. He literally bounced himself to sleep, he didnt mean to, but he was bouncing, bouncing, bouncing and pretty soon, ploop! It was quite the moment. Every time I turn around this kid is sleeping. 6 1/2 months old and 2 teeth later, I think he's hitting a growth spurt!

Who's Who....

2007-08-17T13:51:00.000-07:00

Guess who's who... well, I"m sure the decor gives it away, one's from the 70's. Need I say more, Yes, this is Judah and Joey. Is this my kid... who knows? He surely doesnt look like me. My father-n-law spent much time trying to send this to us so we could see the great similarity. The comparison picture doesnt do it justice, it's much better if you see Judah in person to realize how much he looks like Joe! Tell us what you think yeah or nay??

Swimming Pool or Spaghetti Pot:)

2007-08-13T17:24:00.000-07:00

Well friends, take a good look! We thought Judah was going to experience his first swimming pool that grandma bought him, however after we blew it up we weren't quite sure if we should swim or cook:)... (I'm not a comedian), but needless to say the pool was smaller than Yum's first baby bath tub. (I dont know if the pool is small or my Yummy's is too big:)

A lot of "Firsts" at the Papa House....

2007-08-06T08:28:00.000-07:00

YEAH.....FIRST TOOTH!!!

This is the best first of the list...friday morning I proceeded to offer Judah my finger for some suck time, normal rountine, however, as he started his strategic devouring plans I felt something sharp, and yes.. it was a bottom tooth! A friend (Aunt Angie) asked if he bit me yet, at that time I had no such experience, since then however, I have encountered the "tooth on bossom":). We have entered a new day... updates to come:)

JOHNNY JUMP-UP

..or not...

So, yums had his first experience in this contraption that someone gave us. Funny thing, Judah thinks he's standing by himself so he got a bit brave and started spinning around... take note; the fabric of johnny jump up is getting swallowed by yums rolly legs... (the kid hasnt even had food yet:)

BOOSTER SEAT BUDDY

Judah's first booster seat.... as usual, he wasn't sure at first what was going on, or if he was okay with this change of events. Once he realized it wasnt his enemy (aka. car-seat) he was more apt to open up, eventually even enjoying himself.

I love the raw, uncommercialized truth and honesty that kids posses, particuarly at these ages before learned behavior sets in. They find no purpose or enjoyment in flattery and live from an authenic, genuine place all the time.

In Honor of My Aunt Lushy

2007-07-30T12:41:00.001-07:00

So, here are the great flowers that my dear friend Syndi sent me for my birthday!! Me and Yums standing at our kitchen counter. The other picture is his room... me and Joe painted a tree (as you can see, quite large:) on his wall; thought you might like a little virtual tour. Thanks again Syndi- love you!!!

My Birthday.... and PERM!!!

2007-07-29T09:47:00.000-07:00

I've taken the advice, of a great gal Bets, to keep the blog updated.... so, here you go! Hope you dont get bored with the stories:)

So, I have to say my husband is the most creative man I"ve ever met, and definitely into birthday surprises. Last year was my golden birthday, as I was 27 on the 27 th and he had a surprise birthday party for me inviting everyone we know from down here.... well, this year I thought I was spending the day with Judah and Christina, until there was knock at my door at 830am. Greeted by flowers and big ballons and of course my husband, he informed me that he took the day off work to spend it with Judah, and that I have an all day event planned at the spa. Event it sure was.... I got a massage, fascial, pedicure and A PERM! I've been wanting a perm for ages, and sure enough Joe broke down and got me one. I love it! ANy idea you have about perms, you must throw out the window and look at these pictures. We all went to cheesecake factory in the evening for dinner- one of Joe's gift's was the dress I'm wearing, he did great! (He and Judah just came to the spa and met me for lunch (so I could feed yums) and have a nice lunch together.

THe other gift was the great shirt that Yummy's is wearing- we always say mama and dada show, so Joe had one customed made for Judah.

Jamie's Baby Shower

2007-07-29T09:36:00.000-07:00

As you may already know, Jamie and Tim Edwards are expecting a baby in December and she was in town for a few days....... so, we had a baby shower for her. Here are some pictures.... Unfortunately, she broke her foot while she was in her travels; (pregnant women, can you imagine:) However, that didn't stop us from having great laughs and memories together! (I made a healthy carrot cake with cream cheese icing.... you can tell it was home-made:)

Making Up for Lost Time

2007-07-19T18:56:00.000-07:00

Here's our life for the past month.

Judah is now 5 months old and is in the 95th percentile for his age- weighing in at 19 pounds 1 oz.... (he's never had anything but breast-milk:) However, my mother-n-law tells me all her kids were big babies. He's taking after daddy... He definitely looks like him; most people cant even tell he's my kid! That's okay with me, I think my husbands quite handsome!

Thanks for checking up on us and caring about our lives!

Mommy and Me Time!

2007-07-19T18:53:00.000-07:00

Me and Jude's having some lovin-lovin time!

The Toe Fettish!

2007-07-19T18:45:00.000-07:00

Needless to say, Judah has a great desire for his toes. He's teething and will put anything in his mouth that fits, or doesnt:) He's fingers just dont do it for him anymore, so he moved on to the discovery of his toes!

My Mom's Birthday!

2007-07-19T18:40:00.000-07:00

July 14th was my mom's birthday... she has moved to St. Petersburg, Fl, which is 30 minutes from us. Her boyfriend shares the same birthday and flew in for the weekend. We took them out to a beach restaurant that is local. This is our coffee shop that we run.

Mr. Curiosity

2007-07-19T18:33:00.000-07:00

My little man is curious and always ready for action... he literally turns his head the whole way around to see who and what is going on in the room. He's always aware and watching what everyone is doing.

My Tough Boys!

2007-07-19T18:29:00.000-07:00

Daddy wanted to get a picture with he and Judah's sleeveless shirts.... Judah looks like a tough guy!!!

Mommy and Daddy's first date!

2007-07-19T18:25:00.000-07:00

Joe took me on our first date when my dad and step-mom were here to babysit Yums. We went to cheesecake factory for some great chocolate cake and drinks!

My Yummy's New Toy!

2007-07-19T18:16:00.000-07:00

This is Yummy's new toy... his walker. He still cant really touch the floor unless he's on the carpet. He only lasts a few minutes in it. He's still hitting the buttons by accident and then realizes the music somehow mysteriously plays!

Christina's Birthday

2007-07-19T18:09:00.000-07:00

We took Christina out for her birthday, June 14th, to a Thai restaurant we found. Laughs, tears and another year of memories together as friends!

Mommy and Judah's date!

2007-06-19T16:59:00.000-07:00

Mommy and Judah's date....

Joe knocked on our bedroom door with Judah (who was wearing a tie), informing me that we had a date... me and Judah that is. So mommy and Judah spent alone time kissing, cooing and hanging out in the bedroom.

Happy Daddy's Day!

2007-06-19T16:44:00.000-07:00

HAPPY 1ST FATHER"S DAY TO DADDY JOE!

Mommy and Judah made Daddy Joe a tee-shirt for Father's day that he so graciously wore all day! We went out to Joe's favorite restaurant for lunch and just enjoyed the reality and favor of having children!

The Past Few Weeks

2007-06-07T09:32:00.000-07:00

The journey started out by friends coming to visit.. Angie Fields first and then Tim and Jamie from Thailand.... we hadn't seen them together in over 2 years.
On to the road... Judah had his first plane ride to Pennsylvania and then to Las Vegas; all to visit family. The following picutres are from our time in Pa with my dad and step-mom.

Tim and Jamie and Judah!

Happy 1st Mothers Day!

2007-05-18T13:19:00.001-07:00

(This is Joey)
For Nicole's first mommy's day Judah gave me strict instructions on what he wanted to get his mom. First, he requested an 8x10 to be framed so his mommy could look at him when she misses him during his naps. Secondly, he specifically wanted the tri-color, rose bouquet. And lastly, he bought her the silver heart around her neck with her birthstone in the center and his birthstone dangling off the end. All in all I think I met all his requests and thus, Nicole had a very happy mothers day!

Dad's favorite pics

2007-05-18T12:59:00.000-07:00

(This is Joey again) These are my two favorite shots of Judah's three months pictures. As the photographer, I had to share with the world my top picks.

I'm my own Man!

2007-05-15T04:57:00.000-07:00

So, Instead of going to a studio, (which didnt work with Yum Yums), we decided to take our own home portraits if you will. Here's Yummy's 3 months pictures. Joey did a way better job than the studio anyway. However, out of 2 rolls of film I think we got 1 smile. That's the beauty of kids, they dont perform! He says, "Hey, this is me.... I'm mister intense man. Check out my cool hat"! I love being a mother!

These pictures are in mind/thought of my mother-n-law, as I know she'll love them. She had 4 boys of which 2 look unbelievably similar to Judah at his age. I could actually be tricked as to which is my son. At his age right now he looks mostly like his Uncle Danny. (Pictures soon to come).

The Visit with my Grandparents!

2007-05-08T11:49:00.000-07:00

Grandma and Grandpa came to visit for the weekend and were so excited to see me. They brought me a whole suitcase full of clothes and toys. We had a lot of fun with them and can't wait to see them again soon....

Grandpa, Me and Daddy!

2007-05-08T11:45:00.000-07:00

I think I got my Grandpa's skin color... my daddy says it's because he's Irish. Then we took a picture of all the guys...

My Face!

2007-05-08T11:39:00.000-07:00

My Grandpa took great pictures of me this weekend! He says I look like my daddy when he was little.... Mommy says it's hard to say who's better looking.

Me and Grandma!

2007-05-08T11:33:00.000-07:00

Grandma loved me so much she wanted to take me home in her suitcase! She had shiny jewrely and had to put her glasses on every time she looked at him. Her hair was my favorite part of the weekend.

Working for a Smile!

2007-05-08T11:24:00.000-07:00

Mr. Intense Man is his name! This is mommy trying to get Judah to smile, as he stares back thoroughly entertained by my efforts!