Girlfriends

I have been so blessed in the past few years with some wonderful girlfriends. Friends who have been there for me in the tough times and shared in the joys. I have the girls from college (the yaya's and the girls from church the Cosmo girls).

My good friend Mindy came over for a visit tonight and that meant so very much to me. She and I have talked about how much a phone call or visit truly means to me and how much I need them periodically. The calls and visits just lift my spirits so much. So thanks for taking the time and coming to visit. Josiah and I both love a visit from his Aunt Mindy any time!!

Another friend that has really been there for me is Dawn. I know I haven't thanked her enough for the visits and calls. It is so much fun when she and Cody come over for a visit. That will just get even more fun as the boys get older. But I have to tell you that when we went out shopping a couple of weeks ago and left the boys home with their dads...that was the best.

I also look sooo forward to my walks and talks with my friend Katie. We go back to our junior year in college when we lived together in a house with 6 other girls...never again would I ever want to put myself in that situation. But at the time, we had a good time!! Noah will be another little guy that Josiah will have fun growing up with...but a big bummer for us..they are moving. Right now they are only a half an hour away and they are moving an hour away. Hopefully we can still meet up and go for walks half way between, because I sure would miss the walks and talks;)

I also look so forward to "Ladies Night" which my friend Sarah has started. It is a monthly get together without the kids (for me that is). We pamper ourselves, or play games or watch chic flicks. This month is a pamper night...I can't wait:)

I know I have left out some of my other good friends...please don't take offense. This is my blog and if we get together and hang out, I will probably blog about it:)

Friends are so very important to me and I thank God for each and every one of you that has been there for me and for Dan. And for those that we could be there for...friendship is a two way street and I am happy when I can be there for you too.

Kentucky Part I Josiah's 1st Time out of Michigan

ROADTRIP

We packed up the car Thursday night, so that all we had to do Friday morning was get dressed and feed Josiah. We actually got on the road when we wanted to which is pretty good with a baby:) Josiah slept until 11:30am which was great...so we stopped quick and fed him and hit the road for another 45 minutes. We stopped at Panera for lunch...one of my absolutely favorite restaraunts!! Dan did a great job feeding Josiah his rice cereal while holding him on his lap...not an easy task. We hung out at Panera, taking our time eating and playing with Josiah, so that when we got on the road he would be ready for another nap. After this nap, we just stopped at a rest area and fed him quick and Dan got in the back seat to enterain him...this worked really well. We finally arrived at our Super 8 hotel at about 4:30pm. Not exactly the nicest of Super 8 hotels. I have stayed in many of them that I expected it to be nice and well kept. This Super 8...not so much. There were stains on the chairs and the room smelled like horrible cheap perfume...so thank goodness we were only there to sleep! We got settled in and headed over to the hotel where the rest of the family stayed. We would love to stay there some day, but it was just way to above our budget to make it work this year...maybe next year!! We were just glad to be able to make it this year.

When we got there, the hotel was having a managers reception with drinks and appetizers. A great way for everyone to reconnect and get a few drinks to lighten the mood;) Unfortunetly it was time for Josiah's nap and he was getting fussy, so I left him with Dan to put him to sleep, only family was so excited to see him that there would be no nap for Josiah yet!! Such is life. I just ended up feeding him and he was ok.

DINNER

Then we were off to eat dinner in the hotel. I thought it was funny that they offered an adult grilled cheese to honor those who had given up meat for lent. I should have just gotten the grilled cheese:) My dad ended up eating the dinner that I ordered because I didn't like it at all. His was really good, but I felt really bad that he got stuck with the not so good food.

I thought it would be a good idea to bring in Josiah's excersaucer for dinner. It allowed us to eat without having to take turns holding him and he was able to play and be free of being held all the time. It worked out great. He played in there until he got fussy and we put him down for a nap:) I just laid a blanket down and he slept there for a long time. When he woke up

SATURDAY MORNING BEFORE THE RACES

We headed over to visit with Grandma and Grandpa before heading to the races on Saturday morning. It was nice to be able to have a little visit before the business of the day. Then Doug, Dawn, Samantha and Nathan joined us.

Kentucky Part II The Horse Races

KEENELAND

Blue Grass Stakes

2006

What an absolutely gorgeous day we had at the horse races. I think we finally got all packed up and headed down the races at about noon. Just in time to figure out how to make a few bets on the first couple of races. I had only been to the races one time and Dan had never been, so we had lots of questions but when it came down to it...we just did things simple:) Dan picked all of the long shots (the ones who were not expected to win) and I picked the 2nd and 5th horse in every race (the 2nd for Josiah's B-day and the 5th for Dan's B-day). All in all we won about $45...not above and beyond our bets, but since the money was a gift, it was as if we really did win some money:)

All in all it was just a fun day. The following pictures are just a few I took while at the races...

On our walk into the races there was a horse in the stall that was very willing to get his picture taken...too funny!

A few of mom, dad and Josiah (and Samantha:)

Josiah and his cousins being silly...having a good time at the races:)

We took up 2 rows...19 adults and 13 kids...that's alot of family. I think the cousins all had a great time getting to know one another. I know I had a great time getting to see family I hadn't seen in a long time. It was also great for the family to meet Josiah:)

We left before the last race, hoping to beat the crowds, but I think lots of people had the same idea. At any rate we had a few minutes to take our shoes off and play in the grass while we waited for the rest of the group to head on out. Josiah seems to really like the grass!!

When we got back to the hotel, Josiah was awake and we were excited to get him in the swimming pool!! His first time in the swimming pool! I had alot of fun....we got the video camera out and took pictures. I think Dan was just as glad to be the photographer than to be in the pool. It was so great...the only other person in the pool with us was his cousin Samantha. So there weren't lots of kids scaring him and splashin him. It was also fun to be in the pool with Samantha to see how great she is doing in the pool...swimming under water and jumping in the deep end. I think she had a good time too:)

Kentucky Part III Easter

EASTER

To start the day off, Josiah slept in:( Which meant that we had to rush around to get everything packed up so we could head over to the other hotel for the Easter Egg hunt. Kind of a bummer that we had to rush around on Josiah's first Easter, but I did get a picture with him and his Easter Basket (a gift from Grammy Dianne..too cute).

My brother Doug had this great idea to have the Easter Egg hunt outside on the lawn of the hotel where they stayed. There was a big hill out back and he invisioned the old style Easter Egg hunts where there were lots of eggs scattered all over the hillside. Dan and I missed the initial hunt because Josiah slept in which we hadn't expected and we were late. So I was really dissapointed that we missed all the kids scurrying about looking for their eggs..that must have been to cute. And there is no way you can make 12 little kids wait for something as exciting as the Easter Egg hunt. But Josiah's eggs were at the bottom of the hill pretty much all in one area, so we still got to search for eggs and a few of the kids were still looking for their eggs.

After the Easter Egg hunt we gathered for some group pictures. There were 13 children and 19 adults. We didn't get a picture of the entire group which was kind of a bummer, but very difficult to do. We did get a picture of all the siblings and their spouses. I have 8 brothers in total and am the youngest and obviously the only girl. These are my 2 real brothers and 3 of my stepbrothers.

Then we were off to have an Easter Brunch and celebrate Grandma H. 85th B-day. Nothing like eating cake right after breakfast:) How fun for Grandma to have almost her entire family with her to celebrate her 85th B-day. What a weekend!!

OUR VERY 1ST EASTER AS A FAMILY

Josiah Rolls Over

(This picture was taken just seconds after he completed his roll over...I wanted to get the video camera to capture the first one on film...but I was afraid I would miss it;)

Josiah rolled over today and I didn't miss it. I was so afraid that I would miss it, but he was kind enough to wait just a few seconds so that I could see the last of the roll. I had gone to the kitchen to get something and he was on the floor playing in his room. From the time I walked to the kitchen and back he was completely on his side (which he hadn't done before). And right before my very eyes he completes the roll over from back to tummy:) I felt so proud of him!!!! He wasn't even frustrated when he got there...he just started to reach out for the frog sitting in front of him!!

Josiah 1sts

1st Time in the Crib

It is so great having the crib set up...it feels like a real nursery. Now I just need to get on the ball and put up the rest of the mickey mouse stuff I have. Right now it looks a little like McDonalds, but with the crib up and the mickey crib bumper it is started to take shape:) It only took him a day to get used to it and now he takes all of his naps in there!!

1st Time Eating Food

(Mom feeds Josiah his first real food-Carrots. He didn't seem to mind the carrots to much, but the next day he gagged and gagged on them. We finally figured out that we could only do either a fruit or a veggie, not both in one meal. Not yet anyway)

(Dad feeds Josiah his first fruit..pears. Doesn't really like them so much...but he warmed up to them within a few days:)

He has now tried carrots (1st veggie), pears (1st fruit), apples and sweet potatoes (dad says he loves the sweet potatoes...he even dives for the spoon to get more...he doesn't do this with any of the others). Although he is starting to like the apples. I think the next foods to try will be peaches and squash. We'll see how it goes:)

Other Baby Milestones

1. He is sitting up with his hands propped on the ground
2. Trying his darndest to roll over
3. Arching his back to get out of his carseat (little stinker)
4. Reaching out and grabbing anything and everything that is in front or to the side of him.
5. Sucking and chewing on everything that he grabs onto.
6. He has the most adorable laugh. We can get him to laugh by just saying "Pie" funniest thing in the world:)
7. He loves being outside...and slowly but surely learning how to breath in the wind.
8. Loves having his shoes and socks off. This is very new to him since he has been bundled up since he was born.

1. Loves the grass...I put him on his belly the other day on the grass and he just pulled the grass out...I think he just thought it felt kind of like daddies beard and he loves to pull on that:)
2. Just started wearing size 2 diapers this past weekend. 3 wet clothes in one day clued us in:)
3. He went to sleep last night for the first time since he was a week old without a bath. Seemed to be ok...however his nights are not what they used to be. I think the food has given him alot of gas and he wakes up crying alot. Thank goodness all I have to do is give him his pacifier and he goes back to sleep. But that is happening about every 2hours now. I miss the nights where he slept through the night without hardly making a peep. Hopefully they will return some day soon:)
4. Yesterday was Josiah's first trip to the zoo! We went with Katie and Noah...what a perfect day for a day at the zoo. I think the mom's had a better time than the kiddo's, but all in due time, they will love seeing the animals.

   

5. This past weekend he took his first bath in the big bath tub with mom. We put swimsuits on so that he could get used to the feel of it in water. We are hoping to go in the big pool this weekend.

6. 1st time in a Polo shirt....pretty snazzy! And these two pictures turned out so nice, I just had to post them:)