Hi Everybody!

I've decided to make a come-back, and try blogging again. Previously, I thought my blog had to be spectacular and full of beautiful pictures and exciting accomplishment. I'm over that now :) For me, the point of this blog will be to help preserve fun memories and keep family and friends a little more in-the-loop with whats going on in our lives, no matter how exciting or ordinary our life may seem. Enjoy!

I'll start of with some updates about us...

We moved from city life to country life in August 2009, to a great little area of Geauga county called Auburn Township. We've made the adjustment, and I don't think we could ever go back to city living again! Complete with septic tank, well water, oil heat, 100% electricity, little critters, lots of trees, fabulous neighbors, and beautiful scenery, our little "cottage in the woods" is our piece of happiness (for now). It's a pretty tight fit, so we'll be looking to expand this summer, with our sights set in the same area.

Scott is lead LAN engineer over the Server team for University Hospitals. He's got a lot of responsibility, and it often feels like he's working or on-call almost all the time. However, Scott has his priorities straight and always makes time for the kids. He's very good at picking up the kids from Grandma's house on-time, getting dinner together, bathing and dressing, and putting the kids to bed, all on his own! Scott also loves building stuff in the garage. His latest project is a solid wood frame princess bed for Lisi, and some shelving for his office. He's also a great self-initiator and is always helping around the house, from scooping cat litter to vacuuming to emptying all the trash. I love him :)

Sam is a big 4 1/2 year old! He's taller than most kids his age, and is often mistaken as a 6-year-old. He loves his Hot Wheels and Geo Tracks--building different set-ups, tearing them down, and starting all over again. He's also very patient with his sister, and plays really well with her. Sam loves to be outside, even when it's snowing. He's gotten really good at putting on his snow gear on this own and heading out for a sledding adventure in the yard. He helps take care of our 2 year old dog, Rocco, and loves all his toy "lovie" dogs. Sam is very sensitive to others feelings, and is always asking questions. He goes to pre-school and will attend Kindergarten in fall 2010!

Elise is THE princess of the house. She's about 3 1/2, going on 15. You will often find her wearing her beloved Snow White dress (from Halloween) and singing made-up songs in her pretty princess voice (complete with fake vibrato). We always know when she's happy, because she will be singing. Lisi is now a Sunbeam in church, and is learning how to be reverent. She is very good at sitting quietly with her arms folded for about 5 minutes at a time! She loves animals and wishes all the birds and other woodland creatures would flock to her, just like in Snow White. Lisi is in her first year of preschool, and loves it more than anything. She's really bonded to her teachers and always asks if it's a school day.

As for me...well, I'm big and pregnant :) We're expecting our third kiddo around April 5, 2010! We decided to go old-school and not find out its gender, which was fun at first. Now that I have about 10 weeks to go, and have nothing prepared for this little baby, I'm starting to wish I knew to buy pink or blue. Oh well! The surprise will be exciting. When I'm not chasing kids or driving back and forth to preschool, I work part time at UH Geauga Medical Center as an activities person on the psych unit. I've been there about 14 months, and each time I go in, its a new experience. Working in the mental health field has opened my eyes about mental health awareness, and the importance of taking care of our minds and bodies. I feel like I've also become more accepting and open to all different people, and love them despite their choices and circumstances. Working again has been a good outlet for me, and I'm thankful that I have this opportunity.

Whew! I think I've done an okay job and filling in the gaps. If I left something out, please let me know! I'll work on posting weekly, and I'll try hard to post pictures, even if they're taken off Facebook or my phone. Thanks for hanging in there with me, and can't wait to post more soon!