tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10493000694973275152012-02-16T14:16:11.690-05:00Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.comBlogger2041100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-3401337468402521092011-11-08T13:39:00.000-05:002011-11-08T13:39:48.277-05:00

There were a lot of crafts and projects completed this summer.  I'm not lying.  I swear.  But I really suck at documenting our accomplishments.  I stained the fence and the swing set but have no proof.  We ripped out part of the deck and rebuilt the remainder and stained it.  We landscaped many, many, many square feet of flowerbeds, vegetable gardens and a bunch of potted plants.  Here is the

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-77833059424887379322011-11-02T20:28:00.000-04:002011-11-02T20:28:03.612-04:00

Jonah loves movie nights.  It's something we try to do with him once a week.  Typically, this involves us dragging our comforter, blanket and pillows down to the living room to make a cozy bed in front of the TV.  Sidebar, I miss my living room oh so much. Anyway, this summer we put together an outdoor movie night.  We mounted a sheet to the outside of the house and made a cozy bed on the deck.

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-13661240614360965252011-11-01T11:58:00.000-04:002011-11-01T11:58:38.656-04:00

Well, not really a vacation, but I did have a lot of fun.  I'll share a couple projects with you over the next couple of days.  The biggest project to share, our outdoor remodeling project, will not be nearly as grandiose as I had hoped because we didn't take final pictures before we left for California.  So I'll share what we have later this week. But today you get to see what I made out of a

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-71268160561437096222011-10-27T18:34:00.000-04:002011-10-27T18:34:49.964-04:00

Today's Time Machine Trip will summarize my first three months as a stay at home mom, leading up to October when we left for LA.  Notice that I didn't refer to myself as a housewife.  Or a homemaker.  Terms I am okay with are stay at home mom, butt wiper, nose blower and fight defuser. I won't lie.  My first two weeks at home with the boys while Adam traveled were less than awesome.  At the

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-54012841235997543572011-10-26T11:33:00.000-04:002011-10-26T11:33:41.183-04:00

Last week's time machine took us back to the spring to explain how Adam changed jobs and I quit mine to stay home with the boys.  Today, I've turned on the flux capacitor and will take you to the summer to give you an idea of what Adam's days are like at his new job. Adam leaves the house at 3:30 am on Monday mornings to catch a 6:00 am flight out of Cincinnati to Los Angeles.  The three hour

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-71241973495302924492011-10-25T16:32:00.000-04:002011-10-25T16:32:09.613-04:00

It's a rainy day here in California, a pretty uncommon occurrence.  We snapped this picture of Jonah and his best little bud Brady before we came out to LA.  The boys were so thrilled to be playing in the rain.  I overheard Brady say, "This is the best day of my life!"  So sweet.

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-86337510568293193082011-10-20T17:22:00.000-04:002011-10-20T17:22:17.568-04:00

Wow!  Look at me blogging two days in a row! Yesterday, I mentioned that I had so much to catch everyone up on that I didn't know where to start.  So, I'm rewinding to earlier this Spring and setting the stage for the sequence of events that brought us to spend three months in LA. --------------- Adam was working in Cincinnati in healthcare IT and really enjoying it, and I was in the

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-24156596637258837112011-10-19T13:03:00.000-04:002011-10-19T13:03:15.953-04:00

It's been a very long 6 weeks since my last blog entry.  That's much too long.  And I'm sorry.  It's been crazy. At first it was the big transition of me quitting my job to stay home with the boys and Adam traveling every Monday-Thursday of every week.  And then it was kind of boring because there wasn't much of anything going on.  I was just trying to keep it simple while we all adjusted.  And

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-62803451944528515942011-08-30T17:36:00.000-04:002011-08-30T17:36:34.578-04:00

So, Hello everyone, this is Adam writing for a change, and because I have the time, I thought I would create a post to show you what Mandy and I did for our 10th wedding anniversary. As you probably know, I have been spending my weeks in Pasadena, CA for work and coming home every Thursday.  I miss Mandy and the kids quite a bit and now I have the opportunity to possibly bring all of them out

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-28118285684206919552011-08-02T21:53:00.000-04:002011-08-02T21:53:19.933-04:00

Jonah's first soccer practice.  Rockin' out a super cool soccer outfit too! Jude was excited too!  He played with his soccer ball the entire time Jonah practiced, even in 94 degree heat!

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-90680882806203558032011-08-01T10:30:00.000-04:002011-08-01T10:30:14.891-04:00

We had a blast at our family reunion this weekend.  It's been 10 years since my mom's side of the family got together for what we lovingly refer to as the "Tommypalooza!"  It was awesome 10 years ago when Adam and I were newlyweds and it was awesome this time too. We rode 4-wheelers, go-carts, horses, took a canoe ride, swam, rode bikes, played soccer, ate food that was prepared for at least

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-11644522049426455642011-07-25T13:41:00.000-04:002011-07-25T13:41:02.784-04:00

My new role is keeping me BUSY.  I've been spending every second of the day with the kids, mostly just playing but also setting up the "new ground rules." Things have greatly improved since last Monday when I spent the ENTIRE day diffusing fights between Jonah and Jude.  It was miserable and exhausting for everyone.  We made some changes and we're on our way to a more peaceful arrangement.  

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-36800351739106854752011-07-24T10:32:00.000-04:002011-07-24T10:32:14.124-04:00

A coworker of Adam's gave him a huge container of poppy seeds from her garden from the previous year.  Adam was so excited to grow poppies.  To our surprise, there was a huge variety of poppies in this container that produced at least 30 flowers from about 7 different varieties.  They are the strangest looking flowers.   Once we realized that there was such a huge variety of poppies, it was

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-6239696728993706612011-07-19T09:24:00.000-04:002011-07-19T09:24:21.514-04:00

The new stay at home mom gig is going as expected.  Jude peed on my foot today while attempting to use the potty.  Jonah threw a baseball at my shin.  I'm pretty sure this is going to be par for the course from now on. Overall, no surprises other than how frustrated I am with their fighting.  They fight over EVERYTHING!  If anyone has any good solutions, let me know! In between fights, though,

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-41535947088643250792011-07-16T10:30:00.000-04:002011-07-16T10:30:14.126-04:00

For the past six years, I've been working in the marketing department at a medical software company in Miamisburg.  I started there in October 2005 and 30 days later we found out we were pregnant with Jonah.  Two and half years later, Jude came along.  They were always very accommodating and flexible with my schedule to allow for doctor's appointments, babysitter snafus, preschool drop-off and

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-60827570884977168482011-07-14T15:07:00.000-04:002011-07-14T15:07:18.416-04:00

Our first substantial broccoli harvest of the summer The boys loved it so much that they ate it like broccoli popsicles

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-72593088991997190352011-07-13T08:44:00.000-04:002011-07-13T08:44:08.862-04:00

Thank you to everyone who attended Jonah's 5th birthday celebration.  He had such a wonderful time and so did we.  Maybe this is something to be debated, but I think this was the best party we've ever thrown.  It was less insane than usual and no one had the crazy eye.  I'll call it a success. We were very rushed to get the party set up that morning because the rain didn't stop until about 30

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-1751569952695135362011-07-12T15:01:00.000-04:002011-07-12T15:01:40.989-04:00

Adam texted me this picture of contents he found stuffed in his carry-on back pack when he arrived at his hotel in Pasadena, CA.  A toy gun, 2 telescopes and a laser spy pointer.  TSA did not even inspect his bag.  This gives me little confidence in that system. Jonah must have stuffed a few toys in daddy's bag for his business trip.  Of all the toys he could have put in Adam's bag...a gun,

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-74346081993945016222011-07-12T09:53:00.000-04:002011-07-12T09:53:13.365-04:00

Jonah & Adam at a family wedding $15!!!  Adam, it's hot pink, NOT red:) Jude is 2.  2 year olds don't get to go to weddings anymore.  They did when Jonah was 2.  Now we know better. Adam's parents Steve and Candy

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-66803450129375944452011-07-11T16:11:00.000-04:002011-07-11T16:11:44.913-04:00

A week and a half have gone by since Jonah's 5th birthday.  Bad Mommy-blogger!  Bad Mommy-blogger!  I have no excuses other than just letting the dust settle.  I'm going to break up the birthday posts and the party posts.  They are two distinct instances this year as we celebrated his birthday on June 30th but his party was not until July 2nd. Jonah received a bike for his 3rd birthday from us.

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-25150138687338139092011-07-07T11:04:00.000-04:002011-07-07T11:04:50.959-04:00

We bought a new VW Jetta a couple months ago.  It's a fabulous little black zippy thing.  The kids love it because it has a sunroof.  Adam loves it because it's fast and plays nicely with his iPhone.  I love it because I look way cooler in it than the minivan. But now it's crashed. It wasn't my fault.  Will it ever be right?

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-4391093471620730152011-07-06T22:07:00.000-04:002011-07-06T22:07:14.221-04:00

Jonah's party was just perfect!  Seriously, it was the best party to date.  Everything went exactly as planned and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves (or at least they didn't look miserable). I have billions of pictures to share with you from Jonah's birthday when he received his new bike to the birthday party to the 4th of July party with the Behm's to the fireworks display.  It was a CRAZY

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-64618989277091585052011-06-30T10:59:00.000-04:002011-06-30T10:59:24.046-04:00

FAQ's about Jonah's birthday party: Q:  Who starts a party at 10:00 in the morning? A:  We do! Q:  Why does the party start so early? A:  Because it's a parade party.  Parades are in the morning.  Unless it's Mardi Gras and you're planning to flash your boobies, then it's best to save that for later in the evening.  Also, it's a busy weekend for many with the 4th of July holiday.  We thought

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-91037045348195160092011-06-30T09:16:00.000-04:002011-06-30T09:16:44.940-04:00

Jonah is 5 years old today.  I can't even believe it.  Five seems even crazier than his first birthday.  He'll still want to cuddle with me, right? Jonah has always been a hilarious, energetic, talented child.  I think he got Adam's "will of a rattlesnake," good, bad or indifferent:)  He is our challenging child that keeps us on our toes and makes us look like complete rookies everyday. I was

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-59134290825845970522011-06-29T09:30:00.001-04:002011-06-29T10:25:31.002-04:00

Photographing our birthday parties is not a strength of ours.  Our parties are always waaaaaaaaay too crazy to think about picking up a camera. We are always so bummed about this.  We love parties and miss so much of what's going on because we're busy doing other things. And this year's party includes a parade!  How will we ever be able to take pictures among all this madness? Solution:  The

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-43156541308702397432011-06-28T09:39:00.001-04:002011-06-28T10:23:31.814-04:00

Jonah's 5th birthday party is only 96 hours away!  The pre-party insanity is in full swing.  Half of my dining room has been taken over by a mound of decorations and party supplies.  There's been lots of last minute poufing, planning and prep. And, of course, it wouldn't be a birthday party if we weren't also trying to tie up a house project.  The exterior project is FINALLY coming to an end.  

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-65304968330034187252011-06-23T09:57:00.000-04:002011-06-23T09:57:06.154-04:00

I came home from work the other day and found Adam and Jonah sitting in the driveway doing this: What were they doing?  Well, I asked the same thing.  Adam's response, "We're making primitive tools like cavemen."  Very matter-of-fact, like you've done this before, right? Adam is the biggest kid I've ever met.  I love this part about him [usually].  He loves video games, shopping for kid's toys,

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-23690048347179441162011-06-22T09:08:00.000-04:002011-06-22T09:08:36.184-04:00

A freak summer storm blew through yesterday afternoon with crazy winds, hail, horizontal rain and lots of thunder and lightening. The maple in our front yard has been deteriorating from some weird flesh-eating bacteria that's been causing the bark to fall off.  We thought the tree had a couple years left but apparently not... It landed on the electric box in our front yard and caused a weird

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-8316878481500731742011-06-17T08:21:00.000-04:002011-06-17T08:21:24.435-04:00

Jude has the cutest way of saying things.  Although he's still coming up to speed with his speech skills, he has made HUGE progress in the past two and a half months.  He's gone from not wanting to repeat anything you say to a little mockingbird.  The words he repeats aren't usually even close to accurate but getting better everyday. For example, I say "motorcycle" and Jude says "coco".  I say

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-47366233440930887672011-06-10T15:13:00.000-04:002011-06-10T15:13:46.425-04:00

For those of you not using a blog feed like Bloglovin, BlogSpot, etc, you can now follow our site via email.  Enter your email address to the right, and you will receive a message when there is a new blog entry.  Don't worry, no one will be able to see your email address, and I won't sell your info to spammers.

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-61397104931560158472011-06-10T14:50:00.000-04:002011-06-10T14:50:12.646-04:00

Invites were mailed today.  If you didn't get one, don't be offended.  Come anyway.  We'd love to have you there.  It's going to be fun and chaotic as usual.  If you've been to one of our parties before, then you know that you have less than one month to prepare for an extremely loud, crowded and unique experience.  If you've NEVER been, then you should plan to come and relax during this peaceful

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-5941916369065008582011-06-08T10:02:00.000-04:002011-06-08T10:02:09.347-04:00

This morning on the way to the sitter's house... Jonah:  I saw you kiss Daddy in his car. Me:  Hehehehe Jonah:  It would be so cool if I could kiss my friends like that too. Me:  Oh god!

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-10487228577541033832011-06-07T08:57:00.001-04:002011-06-07T09:00:15.061-04:00

King's Island is only 20 minutes from our house and is the most awesomest place on earth.  Their water park is mega-fun for the boys and for Adam and me too.  So we purchased season passes for the family this year.  Jude is under 3 so his was free and this is important to note.  Keep reading. Jonah, no surprise, is a dare devil when it comes to anything in the water park and any normal ride.  

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-38111101534237636942011-06-06T08:50:00.000-04:002011-06-06T08:50:54.799-04:00

Jordan Ferney from Oh Happy Day is giving away a 7 day trip to Paris.  I think it's just in time for our 10th wedding anniversary.  What a fine way to celebrate!  We'll be taking looking for someone to watch the boys so you better start thinking of excuses for not being able to do it because we'll be asking:)  Hahahahaha! You should enter.  I did.  http://ohhappyday.com/2011/06/goes-to-paris

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-52766168693957842002011-06-02T15:05:00.000-04:002011-06-02T15:05:04.529-04:00

We have so many pictures of Jude with the same expression on his face. He walks up to the camera, like right up to the camera, and looks down. He's intrigued. He wants the camera. But he's shy. Melts my heart. Of course, as soon as you snap the picture he comes to life and looks right at the camera with a big smile on his face.  So, you hold up the camera again and say "cheese" and he looks down

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-49485527990473932822011-05-31T09:31:00.000-04:002011-05-31T09:31:03.728-04:00

We've returned from OUR Big Chill weekend in Hocking Hills.  We joined two set of our besties at a giant rustic cabin in southeast Ohio to enjoy some nature, calories and to just hang out with friends.  Luckily, there were no dead bodies or cocaine.  But there were smores, hiking, swimming, children running and screaming and playing inside and out.  We ate like it was the last food on earth and

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-31680121859225043292011-05-26T13:56:00.000-04:002011-05-26T13:56:13.983-04:00

Last night, Adam and I were discussing a few serious subjects...diapers, hail, helicopters.  You know, really important stuff.  One thing leads to another and we're talking about our relationship, in a sweet and nostalgic kind of way. Then, in a way that only Adam could do because he's really good at keeping it real, he compares our relationship to two monkeys picking fleas off of each other.  

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-37487988859279723472011-05-19T20:27:00.000-04:002011-05-19T20:27:38.655-04:00

A screech and then giggles got me up this morning at 3:45.  I hopped up out of bed, and when I got to the end of our bed I could see that Jude's bedroom door was wide open.  Instant panic. Call us cruel and unusual parents, but we lock Jude's door every night when he goes to bed.  Otherwise, he would get out of bed CONSTANTLY.  In fact, he got out of bed 39 times one night.  39.  No thank you

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-30337120539800030682011-05-15T09:54:00.000-04:002011-05-15T09:54:32.294-04:00

Good times!  The first official cookout on our partially finished deck.  All of the kids are SITTING and EATING.  This is no small accomplishment!!!

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-2268888698762167722011-05-10T09:50:00.000-04:002011-05-10T09:50:42.477-04:00

Jonah rockin' it in his first pair of skinny jeans.  Could he be anymore awesome?!

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-34990302828953387302011-05-06T07:56:00.000-04:002011-05-06T07:56:03.626-04:00

My favorite new picture of Adam:)  Smokin' hot!

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-83057937008307706742011-05-05T07:59:00.000-04:002011-05-05T07:59:06.272-04:00

Driving to the sitter's house this morning with the boys, I saw this sweet young couple waiting for the school bus.  They were maybe 15 or 16 years old and he was wrapping a blanket around her to keep her warm (mother nature brought temps in the 30's and frost this morning). It took me back to high school with Adam, and I wondered if anyone ever spotted us in a sweet moment like that. So, I

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-15272810113527063042011-05-04T20:38:00.000-04:002011-05-04T20:38:45.526-04:00

It's been a while since we shared a snippet with you.  I wanted to post this adorable picture months ago of my brother Jason and Jonah, but I was holding out until after his birthday when I gave him a framed copy as a gift.

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-6856953170662628492011-05-04T08:26:00.000-04:002011-05-04T08:26:48.672-04:00

I have not blogged in 3 weeks.  Want to know why?  Because I've been having a 3-week long temper tantrum over the RIDICULOUS amounts of rain we've been getting.  A record breaking 12 inches of rain came down in April.  TWELVE!  Even when it isn't raining, the ground is too wet to even mow. It's just a big mess. To piss me off even more, we have a huge outdoor remodeling project going on.  This

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-8513850134957951352011-04-14T22:12:00.000-04:002011-04-14T22:12:49.183-04:00

Our house is the most disgusting mixture of aromas.  It's a mix between: The gaseous stank from the giant pile of mulch in the driveway waiting to be spread in all the new flower beds that we have just tilled in to the yard. The lingering smell of the fried zucchini I made with during dinner. The fire pit out back with smoldering pressure treated lumber and the toxic chemical filled air coming

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-37994597178701186972011-03-22T14:51:00.000-04:002011-03-22T14:51:39.057-04:00

We've been very excited to begin our big exterior remodel project this spring.  We got started a couple weeks ago by taking apart the lower portion of the existing deck that we do not use and making repairs to the section we are keeping.  Things have been going very well.  We even got the stone fire pit built. Sunday evening was an adventure for Adam, though.  It's all the previous owner's

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-32325546595542630172011-03-14T18:24:00.000-04:002011-03-14T18:24:02.836-04:00

The Dayton Daily News recently contacted me again to share some parenting advice on cutting the pacifier habit with toddlers.  I find it hilarious that anyone asks me for parenting advice, seeing that I have no idea what I'm doing! Nevertheless, I commented and here is the entire article.

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-35031270950630268662011-03-10T15:20:00.001-05:002011-03-10T15:57:03.204-05:00

A little visitor appeared on our deck today.  We set him out for the trash several weeks ago after we asked many people if they were interested in the ugliest Christmas decoration EVER.  No takers.  Even Goodwill wouldn't take it.  The original set included a sleigh, Christmas tree and two reindeer.  It was very special. Little did we know, Santa would return to haunt visit us.  How did he get

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-74329011694078327892011-03-09T21:49:00.000-05:002011-03-09T21:49:03.447-05:00

He looks so much like Jonah in this picture.  Sweet little thing.

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-76353128810032560622011-03-08T21:59:00.000-05:002011-03-08T21:59:38.940-05:00

In light of my recent repulsion of eating livestock that sat in their own poop their entire lives and were so sick that they couldn't walk to the slaughter floor so a forklift had to pick them up, sick and dying... And also because bringing in strawberries from 3,000 miles has quite the impact on the environment and leaves many mysteries about pesticides and fertilizers used on fruit and veggies

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-88636813416675638972011-03-08T09:54:00.000-05:002011-03-08T09:54:59.908-05:00

Last night, I watched Food, Inc.  It's a movie about the farming and livestock practices in the United States and the implications it has on animals, farmers, the environment and the people that consume the products.  I cannot tell you how sick I feel about what I eat and where I buy it from. A good portion of the movie was devoted to discussion around soy and corn farmers, which was very

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-40057384911787246292011-03-02T22:02:00.000-05:002011-03-02T22:02:27.747-05:00

We're living up to our slogan these days.  We're taking on a lot, just under the threshold of freaking out but feeling energetic enough to keep up.  Things are chaotic, but it's pretty enjoyable.   We've been tinkering around with projects around the house.  Our dryer died a few weeks ago, suddenly with no warning.  How rude!  But our laundry room was in desperate need of a little reworking.  It

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-11362025456989268682011-02-24T21:26:00.000-05:002011-02-24T21:26:25.043-05:00

The boys have been getting along so well lately.  Jude is starting to play a little more with Jonah, and they both seem to be enjoying each other's company more than ever.  Finally.  It's been two years in the making! Last night in the bath, they were taking turns laying down on their backs and giggling.  They were both having such fun.  In a moment of reflection Jonah said, "we're making

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-50362600613877471252011-02-23T18:00:00.000-05:002011-02-23T18:00:29.306-05:00

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-16504792053246623972011-02-16T22:04:00.000-05:002011-02-16T22:04:32.618-05:00

We went in Jude's room last night to check on him before going to bed.  He is still struggling with night time but seems to be making a little progress.  He usually falls asleep on the floor in front of the door.  This is progress, right?

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-60004941381878533292011-02-15T20:57:00.000-05:002011-02-15T20:57:24.140-05:00

Jude's 2nd birthday party was a blast!  We welcomed the campers (all 50-60 of them) over to enjoy a fancy feast of hot dogs, baked beans, mac and cheese and, of course, S'MORES!  Kids could visit the playground to jump on the indoor bounce house that Jude received from us for his birthday or explore the ranger station for their ranger kits.  Adults enjoyed beer like campers would...from a can!  

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-60101091499163313642011-02-14T21:25:00.000-05:002011-02-14T21:25:04.984-05:00

Ta-Da!  Jude's new room is finished!  Adam and I LOVE decorating kids rooms.  They are so much fun!  Jonah's bedroom surprise was relaxing and creative and he loved it so much.  He were really excited to do Jude's room too.  Jude loves dogs and a themed-room seemed just perfect for him. At our last house, he had this sweet little wispy nursery.  Oh, it was so awesome. Jude's nursery at the

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-59421057093100641842011-02-09T21:14:00.000-05:002011-02-09T21:14:37.411-05:00

My eyes are blue.  My toast is good.

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-8031677231674339422011-02-09T08:54:00.001-05:002011-02-11T16:05:59.937-05:00

It is once again time for Jonah's VIP day at his preschool.  You may remember's last year's VIP day.  Adam got the honors this year.  Here are a few cute shots. Jonah & his VIP       They iced cookies.  Adam refused to eat his. Jonah posing in front of his snowman.  We were horrified when we saw that he wrote "BUTT" but quickly realized he was telling us that his snowman has "4 BUTTons."

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-1874322927147116132011-02-07T20:32:00.001-05:002011-02-11T16:07:14.905-05:00

We (and everyone that attended) survived another extravaganza while we celebrated Jude's 2nd birthday.  I think we reached full capacity in our house.  There were over 50 people in our house!  It was full and hectic but so much fun. We took very few pictures, but I will share them in a couple days.  We are still trying to recover from the party and then the superbowl party that occurred the

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-37564000719113625202011-02-01T10:04:00.000-05:002011-02-01T10:04:08.504-05:00

Let's be real, while there are many wonderful, blissful, memory-filled moments of parenthood, there are others I would gladly trade.  I don't want to wish away these years of having babies in the house.  I know I'll look back and regret not spending more time with them and feel nostalgic about chasing after them at family get togethers and answering 1000 questions during a 20 minute drive. But,

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-53572597560104275992011-01-31T09:36:00.001-05:002011-01-31T09:38:07.798-05:00

I can't even remember what was so funny when I took this.  It doesn't take much to entertain him.  He's so happy and smiley and sweet all the time, except when he's not:)

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-36911860127902449732011-01-29T21:53:00.000-05:002011-01-29T21:53:12.361-05:00

Things have been nuts lately!  On top of a house project and party planning, Adam's annual manly poker slumber party at Hocking Hills is this weekend and we've been running here and there for doctor's appointments (Jonah's been twice in the last week for an ear infection, plus a dentist appointment for Adam and me, a yearly physical for me and Adam's physical is next week) and Jonah's VIP day on

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-51558399388132287292011-01-25T10:24:00.000-05:002011-01-25T10:24:38.873-05:00

Jonah and Jude have both been fighting some kind of bug this past week. There's been lots of coughing, fevers and runny noses - enough to use up 2 boxes of tissues in 5 days! Ew! Jude has also been a little more difficult than usual at bedtime and during the night. Last night was the first night in a couple weeks that he didn't get up at least once. Even at bedtime, he cries for a really

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-43754071659122087982011-01-20T21:37:00.000-05:002011-01-20T21:37:09.055-05:00

A typical expression Jonah playing in the snow

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-63757953272597736902011-01-19T21:00:00.001-05:002011-01-19T21:05:00.159-05:00

Most greeting cards are mediocre at best.  I'm NOT into the sappy ones especially.  If it's more than one sentence on the front of the card, I skip right to the inside.  Not that I'm looking for money or anything like that.  I'm just not an intellectual.  Even greeting card poetry is too much for me. And they have become ridiculously expensive! So, I'm sorry if I've offended anyone by

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-68050634167774386692011-01-14T10:16:00.000-05:002011-01-14T10:16:15.812-05:00

We've welcomed the newest member of our family to planet Earth this week with the arrival of my niece's first child, a healthy baby boy.  That makes me a GREAT aunt and that's all we're gonna say about that! Seeing her and her husband figure out what to do with their little pooping, fussing, perfect little bundle of baby brings back all those emotions of the shock and AHHHHH of being a first

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-21762066038745442112011-01-12T09:00:00.000-05:002011-01-12T09:00:05.217-05:00

My sweet, smiley, laptop-loving, cuddly child.

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-87060665893099721512011-01-11T08:28:00.000-05:002011-01-11T08:28:54.138-05:00

In 25 years, I look forward to being tortured the way Jonah tortures his Grandma Candy.  He wears her out and then sends her on her way.  That's what's so great about being a grandma.  You get all the benefits of shaping little lives but still get to sleep through the night, eat your meals sitting down, read a book, use the restroom without being interrogated and don't go out in public with

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-44761539915266197992011-01-10T07:57:00.000-05:002011-01-10T07:57:45.183-05:00

So, it turns out that coming up with five things about each of us that you may not know and that are at least a tiny bit interesting are more difficult than I imagined. This is a sign that we need to get a hobby and do more fun stuff! Here are the final tidbits about each of us. Jude He has started potty training.  In an attempt yesterday to pee standing up like big brother Jonah, Jude peed on

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-82824211702572366122011-01-05T11:22:00.000-05:002011-01-05T11:22:58.074-05:00

Recent cuteness from a trip to Jason & Kate's He's not crazy about toys but LOVES shoes? Jude with Uncle Jason My favorite expression.  If his eyebrows were any lower, he wouldn't be able to see!

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-52074758537631518352011-01-03T08:58:00.001-05:002011-01-03T08:58:32.757-05:00

I don't normally post pictures of the kiddos in their undies but this is an exception.  You can see how Jude has transformed the fashion industry with his new line of accessories. They were both really excited about these super hero underwear that Jonah received in his Christmas stocking.  The superhero is on the back of the underwear.  Jonah wears them backwards so he can see the superhero

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-61371221886116166842010-12-30T17:34:00.000-05:002010-12-30T17:34:11.865-05:00

Another year flying past us.  Good god, where does the time go? Thank you to all of you that visit and read our blog.  We are delighted that so many people find what I have to say the least bit interesting.  I hope you'll continue to read in 2011.  I promise to try to be more interesting. I had hoped to summarize 2010 in a short paragraph followed by a 2 minute slideshow of pictures but that 2

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-64073651041814644932010-12-30T08:27:00.000-05:002010-12-30T08:27:40.404-05:00

Another year has come and gone since Jude's last birthday extravaganza.  So mark your calendars for Saturday, February 5th at 5:00 at our house.  More information to come. P.S. Wish for a blizzard to NOT dump 11 inches of snow the morning of his party.  Please.

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-86737567560668670462010-12-29T09:27:00.000-05:002010-12-29T09:27:18.340-05:00

Part 4... Jude Jude has FINALLY decided to start saying "momma." Jonah Jonah received an archery set for Christmas.  Last night, we set up an old VCR tape on top of the straw bales to use as a target and HE HIT IT!  Unreal! Adam Adam is very excited to attend the Girl Talk concert in January.  Apparently, it's not nearly as much of a teenie-bopper fest as we imagined. Girl Talk's Greg

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-80508321470489640152010-12-28T20:45:00.000-05:002010-12-28T20:45:01.663-05:00

It's amazing what four little boys will do BEFORE the presents are opened.  We never could have persuaded Jonah, Jude and cousins Zack and Alex to pose for a picture after the presents were opened.  Too cute!

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-2606428293550704762010-12-27T21:01:00.000-05:002010-12-27T21:01:27.517-05:00

My brother and sister-in-law gave me a squeezy pancake thingy for my birthday a couple weeks ago.  You should know - we eat a lot of pancakes in this house.  I wish I had a picture of it because it's really cool but here's a link to one.  And just realized when I googled squeezy pancake thingy and got no results that I better, at least, get up and read the brand on the squeezy pancake thingy.  

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-53792034409639983562010-12-27T09:59:00.000-05:002010-12-27T09:59:50.337-05:00

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-55430179546998805412010-12-24T14:39:00.000-05:002010-12-24T14:39:12.606-05:00

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-39892194969256370232010-12-22T22:00:00.000-05:002010-12-22T22:00:36.234-05:00

Merry Christmas!  Much love.

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-31859865390685174802010-12-20T10:30:00.000-05:002010-12-20T10:30:23.692-05:00

Here is part three of the Five Things series. Jude After to reading to Jude each night at bedtime, he insists on taking those books to bed with him, even though he doesn't even open them again. Jonah Jonah has been so unbelievably difficult lately. It seems as if we're reverting back to the terrible two's!  A recent trip back to the pediatrician for some behavior modification advice is

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-48058847064501303682010-12-16T09:28:00.000-05:002010-12-16T09:28:12.509-05:00

Someday, he will rule the world.  Even the flowers will answer to his commands.  I'm not kidding!

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-57642477889387593822010-12-15T07:44:00.000-05:002010-12-15T07:44:37.259-05:00

I don't particularly like taking the boys to meet Santa at the mall. Is that normal? It's very unenjoyable to me and waiting in line for more than 3 minutes with the boys is like herding cats. We're the family that everyone looks at while they smile at us and say, "You have two very active boys." We smile with an overwhelmed looked on our face and continue to save Jude from being smacked in the

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-91608803253643974332010-12-14T08:01:00.001-05:002010-12-14T09:42:44.327-05:00

Here is your next dose of useless information about the Pressel's that you didn't know.  Enjoy:) Jude Little Stinker!  He's now in a big boy bed before he even turned two! Jonah For some reason, Jonah is now TERRIFIED of all dogs and most cats, even the little chihuahua we encountered on a recent walk. Adam Adam is definitely the "fun" parent. Mandy

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-9610246225475555022010-12-13T08:00:00.000-05:002010-12-13T08:00:30.181-05:00

Santa called the other day and left a message for Jonah and Jude.  Jonah was amazed!  Jude just wanted to push the buttons on the phone.  Click below to hear each message:) Jonah' Message Jude's Message (Santa apparently couldn't pronounce Jude's name so that part is missing from his message)

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-71948125549934089622010-12-10T07:40:00.000-05:002010-12-10T07:40:58.105-05:00

Our boys have all the right moves and here is proof. P.S. Ignore the messy house and half finished fireplace renovation project.

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-10877987912181696582010-12-08T20:08:00.000-05:002010-12-08T20:08:36.330-05:00

Don't be alarmed.  Yes, you should feel very overwhelmed by his sweetness.

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-7786302838826894202010-12-08T00:09:00.000-05:002010-12-08T00:09:19.826-05:00

I can't wait until he's old enough to use his handy skills on a real home renovation. Turns out Jonah can hammer nails, glue, use a drill and paint with very little help. Jude thinks hammers are loud, so...not counting on him being too helpful. I couldn't even get him to wear the project apron. He does sing a perfect version of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, though, and you can't put a price

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-91317346346490447192010-12-06T20:43:00.000-05:002010-12-06T20:43:29.140-05:00

Maybe these little tidbits will be of no surprise to you.  I hope you'll find out something new about each of us though.  Over the next five weeks, I'll be bringing you one of five things about each of us with the purpose of getting to know our family a little better.  I hope you'll comment below and tell me something about each member of your family that we didn't know. Here is part one: Jude

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-31003950226694860902010-12-06T08:02:00.000-05:002010-12-06T08:02:16.854-05:00

November was lung cancer awareness month.  My company sponsored interested staff to participate in a lung cancer run/walk.  Our family walked in honor of our friend's mom Kitty Lobo and my grandma on Kevin's side of the family, who both lost their lives to lung cancer. Lung cancer is a nasty disease that deserves more funding, respect and screening programs associated with so many of the other

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-5071083806029919252010-12-03T17:28:00.002-05:002010-12-03T17:31:58.464-05:00

It was a perfect Thanksgiving.  Jonah got to ride Jason's Vespa scooter and Jude got chocolate cupcakes, a baking technique that Kate has perfected.  Baking for Jude involves rice milk, vinegar and other weird ingredients.  They actually taste really good though.  She made enough to last through adolescence so we froze them and plan to bring them out for each holiday so he can have special treats

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-60228773179001808792010-12-01T22:20:00.001-05:002010-12-02T14:05:49.470-05:00

I can feel it.  The fog is lifting.  A monster kidnapped by creativity for the past several months causing me to lose all available time and creative capacity for blogging.  I think and complain about it constantly as I love blogging and hope I haven't lost all followers.  I'll be on in full force this weekend with some new pictures, stories and information you can definitely live without.  I

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-58760610743111506162010-11-04T17:26:00.000-04:002010-11-04T17:26:18.821-04:00

Halloween was so much fun in our new neighborhood.  We had a lot of trick or treaters.  Adam's parents came for a visit to see Jonah and Jude in their costumes.  We twisted their arms into passing out candy so Adam and I could take the boys trick or treating together as a family.  It was really wonderful, and we had a great time! As we were making our way back to our house, Jonah said he wished

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-34322887410068900092010-11-03T09:26:00.000-04:002010-11-03T09:26:55.403-04:00

Sorry.  My brain is stuck in this mode of being very overwhelmed by all the responsibilities of life these days.  I keep telling myself that the closure of summer will make our lives a little more relaxed but who am I kidding...Christmas is right around the corner.  Nothing will be slowing down until January.  Work for Adam and me is nuts, crazy, out of control, drowning in work.  And then there

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-27012662015711705972010-10-22T22:15:00.000-04:002010-10-22T22:15:22.671-04:00

We took a trip to the Renaissance Festival recently. Well, kind of recently. It was before we went to OBX for vacation. I could take a few minutes here to tell you how busy I've been at work and how I never have time to blog anymore but I feel like a broken record. So I will spare you. The festival was great. Adam and I hadn't been in almost 10 years. It had changed only slightly, which

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-81661881688210634512010-10-19T00:44:00.002-04:002010-10-19T17:49:10.112-04:00

If you read our blog, you must like the torture, at least a little. Here is a 7+ minute slideshow of our vacation to the Outer Banks. At least the music is good.We had such an amazing time on this vacation. Days were fun-filled and evenings included lots and lots of calories. We didn't eat out much because Jude is a nightmare to take to a restaurant at this age. We cooked most meals at home,

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-41997256356869957242010-10-14T20:51:00.003-04:002010-10-14T20:55:44.280-04:00

Still not done editing the vacation pictures. It's a delicate process, okay! We're in the post-production phase:) Stay tuned. Here's a sneak peak...

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-59365651330226231922010-10-12T21:50:00.000-04:002010-10-12T21:51:20.028-04:00

Uhhhhh...sorry. I had these grand plans of blogging EVERYDAY while on vacation. I think I posted 2 entries. I have no excuses. Most days were fun-filled during the day and beer/calorie filled in the evenings. I guess I was truly relaxed and unplugged.Now, we're back to the grind, and I'm legitimately struggling to find time for blogging. Adam and I are both swamped at work and haven't even

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-56074526879218418682010-10-06T07:41:00.004-04:002010-10-06T07:49:06.797-04:00

BEFOREAFTER

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1049300069497327515.post-14820174322668601022010-10-03T08:08:00.009-04:002010-10-03T15:06:13.715-04:00

It's business planning session for me at work this time of year. Everyone is all "strategy" and "go-to-market" and "is that objective measurable?" So, when Adam and I decided that we would drive to the Outer Banks for vacation with our two boys, we brainstormed A LOT about how to make the 12 hour car ride as smooth possible. Here is our go-to-OBX plan. And before anyone asks, no we didn't

Mandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02076302880749892881noreply@blogger.com2