Brandellaville

We're Back!

2010-03-28T09:38:00.004-04:00

I can't believe I've neglected my blog for so long... Oh well, what can you do but just hop right back in and start up again. I won't even attempt to try to retrace my steps over the last 5 months b/c that would take forever. So, I'll just briefly recap it all.

Since my last post, we had Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's, Ella turned 4, I was laid off, I landed a new job, my parents were both laid off, and Northern Michigan experienced one of the mildest winters it's ever had.

Ella went to Chicago with Jeff to visit his family over the Thanksgiving break so Rusty and I headed to the Wildman Ranch to getaway for a few days. To say we lounged would be putting it mildly. We did get outside a bit for some hiking despite the cool temperatures. I took lots of pictures, and we even got to play with one of the ATV's for a day. It was nice to get some much needed R&R and hang out just the two of us.

Uncle B came home for Christmas, as he always does but was able to spend a lot more time this year which was fun. He & Ella Bella had a blast together and as always, we ate til we couldn't eat anymore. Rusty spent Christmas with us too and we had our traditional Fondue dinner for Christmas Eve and listened as Ya-Ya read the Christmas story to Ella. We spent Christmas morning opening presents and Ella got her pretty pink big girl kitchen this year. On the menu for dinner was the most amazing deep-fried turkey any of us has ever had...we may have to make that a new tradition also...my mouth is watering just thinking about it!

This year really made me realize what a challenge it's going to be having Ella's birthday fall just 4 short days after New Year's and 2 weeks after Christmas. We made the most of it though, complete with cake, ice cream, and presents...just what any 4-year-old wants. Right?! I can't believe my baby girl is already 4!!! We are having so much fun together though. Her happiness, care free attitude, and wit is infectious and contagious. Love you Ella Rae...you make my life complete.

Shortly into the new year, I was laid off at RTV. This wasn't a total surprise since the company's sales had taken a drastic fall in the month of December, but I will say the shock was less than desirable. Since around November-ish I had been house-hunting for Ella & I and the day I was going to be making an offer on a townhome was the very day I got my "pink slip". Needless to say, that halted all plans of home-buying. I made a conscious decision though to not let it get me down, which took a lot for me b/c what I really wanted to do was curl up in a ball and feel sorry for myself for a long time. Instead, I went to work...to find a new job. And, that's just what I did. I was hired 2 weeks later at Insight Optometry in Suttons Bay, just 20 minutes north of TC. I've been there for 2 months now, still in training, but I enjoy my job, make a little bit more money, and I have Mondays off! Woo hoo!

So, now the house hunting continues and my schedule is as busy as ever. I hope to try to be a little more faithful to my blogging but I must say it's not because I haven't wanted to it's just been a crazy few months and I have a feeling it's about to get even crazier. But, FUN crazy...I hope!!! More to come...

Halloween 2009

2009-11-14T22:25:00.003-05:00

It was the first Halloween that Ella expressed any sort of interest in choosing her Halloween costume, and she insisted on being Snow White. We skipped the downtown Trick-or-Treat walk this year, as it was raining and I had to work. But, Halloween day ended up to be clear and chilly, which isn't too terrible for TC. We invited the Kron's to come along with us on our neighborhood to trick-or-treat. Ryan & the boys came down while Christine & Rylen stayed home, where it was warm. Kaiden experienced a bout of shyness during trick-or-treating and opted to head back to my house early. So I took Ella & Cameron, and off we went hand-in-hand to trick or treating all together. It was really adorable how exciting and amazing this whole night was for them. They took it all in, watching the hundreds of dressed up kids out walking around, and all the houses that were decorated to the max. We saved the "haunted house" for last and stopped for a picture by the giant blowup black cat. Ella and Cameron are 3 months apart in age, and we all agreed they were both smitten. Ryan called me later on after they left to tell me that Cameron was chatting his ear off about Ella Bella all the way home. Too funny. This could be trouble...

Rylen Renea Kron & Ella

2009-11-14T22:22:00.002-05:00

Pyramid Point

2009-11-14T21:42:00.003-05:00

I've posted quite a few times about the Sleeping Bear Dunes that are about a half hour from Traverse City, and here's another one. I had heard of Pyramid Point for years, and it used to be a popular spot to go to back when I was in high school. But, while I've been to the dunes numerous times, I have never actually been to this particular site. So it was a beautiful Sunday afternoon and I threw Ella and Rusty in the car and we drove out there. The hike to the point is about 1/4 mile, which Ella walked all by herself. This was a big step for her, so it was a proud moment. Once we got to the lookout, it was breathtaking. The beauty of the dunes never gets old to me, even if it is practically in my backyard. We are lucky to live in such a beautiful part of the world.

Ella found a hairy caterpillar that we named Fred. He was the highlight of her trip.

At one point, Rusty climbed up two sturdy branches that jutted out in one spot overlooking a cliff on the dune, sat on it for a minute, and pondered. It prompted one of the best ideas (in my mind at least) that Rusty has ever had..."This would be a great spot for a hammock." The very next day, I believe, Rusty was a proud owner of a double hammock. "Hammocking" has now become a staple in our every day vocabulary. We've even convinced Ella. I believe the exact words that came out of her mouth when she got in the hammock for the first time were, "Rusty, I love this hammock. It's awesome." Hahahahahaha :-) Stay tuned for hammock posts...

Nice Little Saturday

2009-11-14T21:18:00.003-05:00

Not sure if I've written in my blog about this yet, but my bestest friends Ryan and Christine Kron & family moved back to TC not too long ago. It's the first time since high school that Ry and I have lived in the same city as one another. And, well, if you know Ryan and I at all, you know that we tend to become a bit inseparable, and spontaneous. See I've known Ryan since I was about 12 hours old, and we've always been the best of friends...through good times and bad. Haha! So, you can imagine my excitement when I found out the Kron family was moving back to TC from Florida. On a warm August day, Ella and I met up with them and went on a little hike down to a garden full of sunflowers at the old State Hospital grounds and then hiked back up through the woods. Christine was about 38 weeks pregnant this day and had that new mom glow. I couldn't help but take a picture of her when Ryan put a flower behind her ear. I think she looks beautiful. The kids were just starting to get to know each other, and by the end of the day we could all tell they w good buds. Naturally. ;)

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

2009-11-14T21:15:00.002-05:00

The funniest thing about this picture to me, her mother, is the fact that she was NOT wearing these socks when I put her to bed. Hmmmmm...

Carwash

2009-09-13T09:12:00.002-04:00

Our little vacation took a toll on the new car. So, I put Ella to work and we got that baby nice and spiffy.

CHITOWN

2009-09-13T08:30:00.004-04:00

Ella & I packed up the car and headed to Chicago for Labor Day weekend. It's hard to believe that an entire year had passed since we last saw Aunt Nat! Crazy how time flies. Only a few weeks earlier, Nick & Nat became first-time home buyers of a brand new, beautiful condo in the Uki Village, situated just a few blocks from their previous residence. Words can't describe the amazingness of their guest bathroom's shower, it's a steam shower boasting not 1, not 2, not 3, but 5 shower heads! I felt like that guy in the Kohler commercial that installs the new shower and takes it upon himself to try it out. Best shower ever!

On Saturday, Nat & I took Ella to the park in the morning, napped, and then headed to the Lincoln Park zoo, picnic in tow. We plopped down in the grass and chowed down on chips, dips, and spreads. It was delicious. Then, of course, we walked around to see all the animals. Later that night, we joined some friends' of the Tay's who live directly behind their condo for a little rooftop wine, music, and bags. I met a girl there that I share many mutual friends with from college...such a small world.

Sunday morning we headed to Wicker Park so Ella could play and then took a walk through my old 'hood. I couldn't go to Chicago without stopping at two of my favorite stores...Urban Outfitters & Psychobaby, among others. Later on, Nat & I headed up to the 'burbs so that Ella could spend some time with Papa & JuJu, and on our way back to the city, stopped at Nordstrom, another one of my favorites. Ella scored pretty good during that trip...just ask her about her new shoes. ;)

That night there was one mission. SUSHI. And, sushi we did. We went to Coast, a BYOB restaurant, which was fantastic. My mouth is watering just thinking about the White Dragon Roll. Delish!! We stopped by Cans for a cocktail and people watched on the patio. Later, we headed to The Boundary for a night cap. The next morning I slept in a bit and we ordered breakfast sandwiches from Milk & Honey. I sure miss that place. With my belly full, off I went to pick up Ella and make the 5 1/2 hour drive home.

What an awesome little getaway! Thanks Tay's for your awesome hospitality, as always!! I sure wish we still lived 5 minutes from each other! XOXO

Are ya ready, kids? Aye Aye Captain!!

2009-08-31T20:08:00.008-04:00

Normally, my brother comes to Traverse City for a week in the summertime, but not this year. With a new job and limited time, he just couldn't make it up. So, my mom took it upon herself to plan a Neumann Family Vaca, something that hasn't happened in many years. Being the avid Fox News Channel viewer that she is, Mom heard about these "Freedom Concerts", a nationwide concert tour headed up by Sean Hannity. She found out that one of these concerts was going to be held in Cincinnati (exactly halfway between BJ's house in Atlanta and our house in TC...yes, my Dad has mapped it. Shocker.) at King's Island, an amusement park similar to Six Flags. The concert ticket came with a free day pass to the park. Well, Mom did a little more research and found out that King's Island's theme is Nickelodeon, which could only mean one thing...Dora the Explorer!...And Spongebob Squarepants!!! Perfect, right? Agreed.

I began mentally preparing Ella a week in advance for the Spongebob meeting. She couldn't stop talking about it, and insisted every day that she wanted to "GO NOW" to see him. We picked up Uncle Beej from the airport on Thursday night and headed to the park Friday morning. Barely inside the entrance, there they stood. Dora on the right, Spongebob on the left. In all their glory, just waiting to greet us. Ella's eyes almost popped out of her head, she was in shock. Speechless actually. It was adorable. After the meeting/greeting excitement, we headed to the Nickelodeon kids' rides. Ella rode every ride she was tall enough for and then we breaked for lunch.

Ella was exhausted so my parents took her off for a walk, and sent my bro and I off to ride the rollercoasters. We were seriously like teenagers again. Hilarious. Rode the Diamondback (with some ridiculous 250 foot drop) that nearly scared the bejeezies out of both of us. Naturally, we rode it again. Phenomenal. Two other rollercoaster's that we were waiting in line for actually broke down while we were waiting. Lame. But, the Diamondback made up for it. Awesomeness.

It was 7pm, concert time, and Ella had just passed out in her stroller, after a VERY long day. So, everyone took their seats while I walked around the park with the sleepy little girl. She woke up still tired, cranky, and hungry. And so began the Biggest Meltdown EVER. It was intense. I must say I handled it like a champ, as I was already mentally prepared for an angry, exhausted child. But, this was, like, devil child. I hadn't really seen this side of her before. But, she was tired and, well, my kid needs a nap. It's just a fact of life. But, this did make for a long concert, which I was somewhat able to enjoy. I was also battling some stomach issues (that's another post) myself. The concert was good, I enjoyed the music. I've always been a big fan of Michael W. Smith, who sang, and Sean Hannity performed "The Devil Went Down to Georgia", which was pretty entertaining. Jon Voight spoke and Ollie North was there also. It was pretty cool. I got a mug. Ella got a flag.

The next day YaYa and Uncle B took Ella swimming at the hotel pool, as the weather stunk and blew our plans to go to the water park. This was no issue with Mom, BJ, and I as we headed to the Premium Outlets to do a little damage. And, damage we did. More awesomeness. That night we headed to the Montgomery Inn and had some world famous ribs. Mmmm. My mouth is watering just thinking about them. I must say though, as amazing as they were, Nick Taylor (Nat's hubby) makes the best ribs I've ever had in my life. :) After ribs, we took Ella to an indoor "Krazy City" that had go-carts, rides, glow-in-the-dark mini golf, arcade games, you name it. A nice cap to our mini vacation.

Thanks YaYa and Gray for an awesome time!

More Beach Pics

2009-08-28T22:51:00.003-04:00

Beach Day

2009-08-28T21:44:00.003-04:00

Now, if you compare my posts from this year to my posts from last year, you'll notice there were a lot more beach and "summer-like" photos, but really, this was our first true beach day for Ella and I. The date, August 9. But, it was pretty amazing. We left Cara's house Sunday morning and rather than wasting the 90 degree day in the car, I took Ella to my favorite beach in Holland. Tucked away off a private road that no one knew about back when I was in college, has now turned into a local haven. Thank goodness we got there early b/c that beach was packed!

I couldn't even say how many stairs you have to climb to get up and over this massive dune, but it's a lot. My pictures don't really do it justice. My 3 year old beat me to the top and she even managed to impress the people who were stopped on the "break" benches that were strategically placed alongside. I snapped some photos b/c the view is just breathtaking.

Side note: There was one night in college when a big group of us "night owls" came out to this very beach to watch a meteor shower. Ah, to be able to stay up until 3am just to look at stars...I thought those days would never end. I also remember coming out here with Benj quite a bit, just to get away. I always drove, she always sat shotgun. I'll never forget those days, not a care in the world. Except, of course, where to go that night and the stress of all stresses...WHAT TO WEAR! Cracks me up just thinking about it.

Anyway. Back to my beach day with my favorite little girl. I literally sat and watched as she ran up and down the shore, and jumped waves. We built sand castles' and ate chips and cookies. The wind was so strong that day, we hardly noticed it was 90 degrees with 100% humidity. We didn't care. It was our one and only beach day of the summer. And, we were taking it all in. But, trouble was lurking...

Like I said, it was windy and that wind created some of the biggest waves I've ever seen Lake Michigan produce. Ella quickly discovered the fun of "jumping waves", something I used to LOVE as a kid. I was taking some pictures and watching her closely, but soon I noticed that she had begun to wander down shore just a bit too far from where I was sitting. And, just as I was getting up to guide her back a little closer to me, a wave flipped her over. It took her down and under....FAST! An older gentleman and another mother jumped to their feet no faster than I had already scooped her up and out of the water. She was just fine and, luckily, didn't inhale any water, but it definitely scared the dickens out of her. And, me too. She took a minute to catch her breath (and by "she", I mean, "WE"), and shortly thereafter we were back to playing and giggling and having a ball.

Nevertheless, it was an awesome day, and we both thoroughly enjoyed our mommy/daughter day together.

Ladies & Babies

2009-08-28T20:58:00.004-04:00

There's so much to write about, but being the "Anal Annie" that I am, I have to go in chronological order. So, it's been a few weeks now, but Ella and I headed down to Holland for the Second Annual '02 Sigma get-together. Not that we would want to leave any of our other Sigma ladies out of the loop (we would happily welcome anyone who wants to join, of course!), but we decided as a group at Brush's wedding last year that our "class" needs to get together more often, at least once, annually. We all live so far apart...Fensler in Cali, I in Traverse City, BA in Detroit, Jax in Atlanta, Cara's in Holland, while Brush, Benj, Korstange, Baxter are all in G.R. While there are many other delightful Sorority Sisters that we all would love to see more often, it was merely this group that came together one evening, over lots of wine, who decided that we see far too little of each other. Cara and I were the only ones who made it to the first annual get together last year, with our 2 kids. And, even though it was just the 2 of us, we still had a ball laughing, giggling, and exchanging mommy stories until we couldn't hold our eyes open any longer (it was maybe 10 p.m. when we had to retire). We vowed to do it again, no matter what, the following year.

And, so we did! This year, however, Korstange spearheaded the get together and it ended up being her, Baxter, myself, BA, and Benj who all congregated at Cara's, who played the "hostess with the mostest". Ella came with me, Cara's son Caleb was, of course, there, and Baxter's hubby brought her twins, Wyatt and Dylan to join in the fun. The kids played, we ate, and caught up. A LOT can happen in a year...

Poor BA was going through some health issues, but as always, was still her chipper, happy, smiley self as her attentive hubby changed her IV during mid conversation. (You're alright in my book, Kevin!) Benj was only able to join to us for a short bit, but it was so awesome to see her! And, I just received an email from her yesterday...she's ENGAGED!! Congrats Benj!...Aben is one lucky guy. Korstange is also engaged and well on her way with wedding planning...another email I received last week is the set date...9.11.10. Congrats again and can't wait to celebrate! And, more news on the homefront...Mama's Cara and Kate are preggers with Baby #2 and Baby #3! Wow, can you even imagine the chatter going on in that house on that day?? Sheesh. Not to mention, the 4 kiddos running around. Although, I wouldn't have had it any other way. It was a great day! I was able to snap a few shots but in order to protect their privacy, I don't want to post pictures of my friends' kids without their permission. So, I'll just tell you that it was one good looking group of toddlers that's for sure! ;)

Nurse Ella

2009-08-19T21:16:00.002-04:00

Ella: "What's a matter Mommy"
Me: "Mommy's tummy hurts, Ella."
Ella: "Do you have a baby in your belly?"
Me: "Um. No. I don't have a baby in my belly."
Ella: "I sorry Mama. You want me to read you a story? Ok. I read you a story now."

Trip To Da U.P.

2009-07-28T21:35:00.010-04:00

This past weekend I was pleasantly surprised by my boyfriend who took the initiative to plan a weekend getaway to Munising, Michigan. One of his coworkers has a charming log cabin up there which he so generously offered to us. So we packed up and headed north, about 4 hours to an area dubbed "Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore". The UP (Upper Peninsula for you non-Mid-Westerner's) is filled with hundreds of waterfalls. Just to give you an idea, we were able to visit Miners, Munising, Memorial, Tannery, Alger, & Chapel Falls...all within 15 minutes of the cabin. Most were short hikes into the woods for viewing, however Chapel Falls was a 2.8 mile round trip hike.

I have to say the summer weather up here has been just shameful, even for Michigan. It has rained entirely too much, especially on weekends, and the temperatures have rarely gone past 75...mostly in the 60's actually. I wouldn't necessarily mind the lower temperatures if we didn't have a winter featuring sub-zero temperatures for 8 months out of the year. Nevertheless, that's what I get for living in the Tundra. (Sigh...) Well, our weekend in Munising didn't steer too far from this cruel pattern, although I will say the cooler temps made for easy going hikes. It rained all morning Sunday, was dreary and cool, and I thought for sure our hike to Chapel Falls would be ruined. But, Rusty had gotten he & I brand new rain pants last week and we decided that now was as good a time as any to break these suckers in. So we geared up, and headed out. It was a 2.8 mile round trip hike to the fall, which ended up being totally worth the jaunt as these were by far the greatest and most beautiful of them all. We were even noticing how the fog settled into the trees, which made us feel like we were in a rainforest. Very cool. Pictures don't do it justice.

We ate very well...yummy Guy breakfast burritos, jalapeno & cheese grilled hot dogs with guacamole, and hot ass fajitas that are absolutely to die for but make Mommy cry. (Can you tell I'm dating a guy from New Mexico?) The cabin was filled with toys for Ella to play with (the owners have 2 kids) as well as an awesome playhouse and swing set. We relaxed, built a bonfire, drank a couple Stone IPA's, and listened to records. It was a weekend to remember.

The Jarema's "Little Slice of Heaven"...

Memorial Falls...

Miners Castle Rock (Most of it has eroded into Lake Superior, but it's still a great lookout)...

Munising Falls...

Obviously, Wagner Falls...

Hike to Chapel Falls...

Rusty seriously contemplating a kayaking session down these falls...

Ella and I happy with staying onshore...

All geared up...

Cherry Fest '09

2009-07-23T13:19:00.005-04:00

The week of Cherry Festival was just chaos for me. I was in the middle of trying to buy a car, house sit for some dear friends of mine, and attend as many Cherry Festival activities as possible, for Ella's sake. Although, we didn't get to do as much as usual, we still attended both parades, both firework displays, ate some Gibby's french fries, and rode some rides at the Midway. Ella had a ball at everything. The fireworks were a first for her and she "oohed and aahed" throughout the shows. We took her on the lots of rides, and this year she was just tall enough to do the swings, which is a favorite for Mommy, so we did those and many others. Rusty and a few other friends ran the 5k on Saturday morning so Ya Ya and I took Ella down to watch that bright and early Saturday morning. Passed Elie Krieger from the Food Network as we stopped at Crema for a breakfast sandwich. All in all it was a good week though. Here are some pictures...

The Marshmallow Trip

2009-07-15T21:55:00.004-04:00

As most of you know, Rusty and I are into the camping thing. And, although he and I have had a few trips out in the wilderness, Ella has never been on an official camping trip, in a tent. Well, this summer's weather has been less than desirable, but finally at the end of June it was warm enough to set up camp! If you recall, last year we found the perfect camping spot, out in the middle of nowhere, along the shore of the Platte River, which is where we headed this weekend. We arrive, start unloading all of our stuff, and there are dogs chained up about a hundred yards away barking their heads off. We decide that this was last thing we wanted to listen to all day and night, not to mention the fact that I was already unsure how Ella would adapt to sleeping outside. So, we repacked up and left.

Off we went to seek out a different "perfect camping spot", and another, and another, and another. And so this went for the next 4 hours. UGH! It was awful. We didn't want to go to a campground. and all the places on the map that had little tents to signify "camping" simply did not exist. It was exhausting and trying on all 3 of us. But, I must say, the best sport of all was Miss Ella Bella. She was a trooper. I kept promising her that we would roast marshmallows, but I don't think she was totally convinced. Finally, after hours of unsuccessful attempts, it was either go home or go back to "our spot". So, being that I was not going to allow this day to be a total bust, we headed back to our original campsite.

We step out of the car, I hand Ella the entire bag of marshmallows, tell her to eat as many as she wants, and we start walking towards the spot. As Little Missy saunters nonchalantly down towards the river, chomping on marshmallows, she stops and says, "Oh. Here again." Classic Ella moment right there. That was, by far, the funniest thing we heard all weekend. Probably a "had to be there" moment, but just so appropriate and such perfect timing. Leave it to the 3 year-old. Cracks me up just thinking about it!

We set up camp and built a fire. Rusty made his amazingly awesome fajitas. We roasted marshmallows. Got rained on. Twice. Played in the river. Ella passed out from sheer exhaustion. And, Rusty and I watched the fireflies illuminate all around us as darkness fell. I had never seen so many fireflies in all my life. Just so peaceful and serene. A perfect camping trip.

Funny thing. The dogs were pretty quiet almost the entire time we were there. Ironic, isn't it?

Ella's New Look

2009-07-12T16:03:00.003-04:00

Ella has fully embraced her new look. She was very excited about telling all her friends at school what happened to her tooth, and then proudly smiles to show it off. We keep the tooth in a little velvet bag that she insists on holding and playing with quite often. Occasionally, she'll look and me and say, "Mommy, I miss my tooth". But, all in all, she's dealing with it quite well. So, without further ado...

A Very Long Day

2009-07-05T22:07:00.006-04:00

Ella's schedule now consists of Mondays' & Tuesdays' with her Daddy and Wednesday through Sundays with with Mama. So, a week into my new job, on a Tuesday, I'm walking home from work and receive a frantic phone call from Jeff..."We were playing with the ball outside and Ella tripped and fell on the sidewalk. Her tooth is really, really loose and it's about to come out..." I remain calm, assure him that I am on my way, hang up the phone, and run home. Thank God I'm less than a block away. I race over to Jeff's, walk in the door, and all I hear is "The tooth is GONE". I take one look at poor Ella, with her tears running down her face, whimpering, and all I see is an empty black hole in her mouth. I turn away for a split second to stop my own tears from forming, and I immediately decide that remaining calm and rational at this point is going to be in everyone's best interests. I take Ella and try to calm her down as best I can while Jeff makes dozens of phone calls to doctors and dentists. We have no idea what to do. One of her two front teeth is completely out, root and all, and her other front tooth is chipped. She has a nice scrape on her chin and her knee is pretty banged up too. After about a half hour of runaround's with doctor's, Jeff is directed to go to the emergency room (after being told not too when he called 911 the first time). We all hop in the car, and off to Munson we go. I, being that it was a Tuesday, had plans with Rusty that evening, and on our short drive to the hospital, I receive a text message from him stating, "I'm going to be a little late. Just got in a wreck on my bike."

WHAT???? Are you freaking kidding me?! Um. Ok. Let's stay calm people. I immediately call him, ask him if he's ok, tell him I'm on the way to ER with Ella, and he says he's fine. We arrive at the hospital, tooth in hand, and are told by the doctor there is absolutely nothing he can do. She has no lacerations in her lip, which is great, and the tooth came out so clean that there is no need to repair anything. As for the tooth that's in the baggy, it will have to be a keepsake. Because it's still a primary tooth, the damage that could be caused to the permanent tooth if they were to try to put the primary tooth back in is too risky. Not to mention the trauma it would have on Ella. The other front tooth that is chipped has no sign of nerve damage and will just remain chipped. And, so we left. Ella will now be toothless until around the age of 6 when her permanent tooth will grow in. This is causing a bit of stress for me, as you can imagine! Some time has past, and the hole where her tooth was, is healing nicely, and the chipped tooth doesn't seem to be dying or anything so that's all good news.

On to Rusty's accident. He was biking with a buddy down a hill on a residential road, going about 35 mph when a Ford Expedition, who had stopped at a stop sign, pulled out right in front of Rusty (who had the right of way). Rusty crashed right into the driver's side door, leaving quite a dent, breaking the bike, literally, in half in 3 different places, and cracking his helmet in two. Rusty walked away with nothing more than a sore shoulder and a few scrapes and bruises. He was LUCKY. Knowing how fast he rides his bike, that could have ended much more tragically. And, now Rusty is the proud owner of a brand new Cannondale bike and Giro Helmet, thanks to the owner of the Ford Expedition.

Although, it was a day I certainly wouldn't ask to do over again, I am so thankful that things didn't turn out any worse than they did. It was a day of accidents and headaches, but at least we are all ok and alive!

So, everything happens in 3's right? I spent 2 hours on the phone later that night with my best friend...he lost his job. He has 2 children, one on the way, and his wife is a stay-at-home mom. UGH!

I was pretty happy for that day to end!

Jobby Job

2009-07-05T21:31:00.002-04:00

This year I've really been trying to keep up with my posts, but that was pre-working-40-hours-a-week-Brandi. On June 11, I received my first call back from a job application in over4 months. At this point, I had sent out over 60 cover letters/resumes and received nothing more than a few, generic unacceptance letters. I was, needless to say, ecstatic! This phone call came unexpectedly, but I immediately scheduled an interview for the next morning. The interview went very well, and I was offered the job the next day. 4 days later, I started my new, full-time position on Monday, June 15. Now, being a single mom and having a very strict schedule that I needed to uphold, not too mention my desperate desire to find a job that allowed me to keep my weekends open, this position -on paper- could not have been more perfect. Here is the criteria: 40 hours/week...Monday thru Friday from 8-5 with a 1 hour lunch, at whatever time I choose...Hourly position (perfect for someone who needs to leave at 5 every day in order to pick up Ella from daycare...immediate Medical & Dental Benefits...vacation time & personal days effective immediately...and last but not least: LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION: 1 block away from my house & 1 building away from Ella's daycare. So, all of these things alone was a true answer to prayer. Now, onto the actual J.O.B. The company is called Real Tour Vision, an internet-based company that provides virtual tour & photography services for clients like residential & commercial real estate companies, retirement homes, hotels, car companies, etc. There are less than 10 people in my office, and 2 of the women are pregnant and going on maternity leave in a few short months. My position is "Tour Track Account Manager. I place all orders and schedule/dispatch photographers (over 1000 nationally) to shoots. I then receive the images, process (or edit) the images, and deliver the them to our clients. So, not only is this position appealing to me on paper, it's something I will thoroughly enjoy doing on a daily basis. I haven't worked this much since I was pregnant with Ella, and it will take some major adjusting for all of us. But, I'm thrilled to be back in the workforce and excited for this new chapter!

Pet

2009-06-03T10:05:00.003-04:00

When I took Ella into the woods this past weekend I was hoping to find some mushrooms before the season was over. Instead, we found Ella's new best friend. Early into our venture, I stumbled upon a snake, ruining any sort of good vibe that I originally had of being in the woods alone with my 3 year-old. From then on I could never truly shake the heeby-jeebies it created. Shortly after, however, I stumbled upon "Froggy" as Ella has named him. Quite original actually, since "Froggy" is really a Toad. We sat and played with him for a good while, and the only way I could get her back to the car was by making a promise that he could come home with us. So, there you have it, Ella has adopted her first pet. She wants to hold him, watch him, and play with him every second of the day. She can hardly contain her excitement for this little creature. So much so that she jumps out of bed in the morning (6AM I might add) insisting that we "go see Froggy". My hope for Froggy is that I am able to keep him alive, as being a toad owner is uncharted territory for me. Will keep you posted...

Fearless

2009-05-27T12:29:00.003-04:00

Ella has always showed little to no fear about most everything. But, when Rusty found an Ella-size-harness and offered her to go on the "big swing" I must say I had no idea how this activity was going to unfold. While she was getting all geared up and strapped in...SECURELY...she was giddy with excitement and could not wait to start swinging. After the excitement of the swing wore off, she insisted on climbing the big tower. Again, I had no idea what we were getting ourselves into but, Ella turned into a climbing Rock Star! She went right up the ladder, without a care in the world, climbed onto the little platform, and jumped off. {Side note...I watched a grown man perform this very act the day before and he chickened out once he got to the platform} My 3 year-old repeated this over and over again. Rusty even hoisted her to the very top where she dangled and even tried to climb on the highest platform but simply lacked the strength to pull herself up. Otherwise, she would have. We were all pretty amazed that she flew up 55 feet into the air without batting an eye. It was shocking really. To me, at least. Her nervous mother. After she was noticeably exhausted, I could only think of one thing that would get her out of the harness. I told her she could watch Mommy climb. My idea worked but once I was about halfway up the tower I began second guessing my brilliant idea. But, even though I had a slight anxiety attack due to my fear of heights, I, Brandi, climbed to the top of that thing and repelled down. Here are some of the shots I took of Ella in all her glory...

Poser

2009-05-27T12:18:00.004-04:00

Ella was very cooperative with having her picture taken the entire weekend. I, of course, took full advantage. Here are a few of my favorites...

Memorial Day Continued...

2009-05-27T11:40:00.004-04:00

The sea kayaking was short but full of adventure. I didn't want to miss the opportunity of snapping a photo of this first-time-ever event for Ella and I, so I braved it and stuck the camera in the boat. Ella was excited to ride in the kayak, and even more excited that Mama's Friend Mike was going to be our guide, who happened to find her an awesome Barbie life jacket to wear. But, after just 10 minutes on the river, she and I were battling over who got to paddle, and she insisted her view was better if she was standing up. With a lot of Mommy patience, I calmed her down, let her paddle, allowed her to sit facing me if she promised not to stand up, and we chatted our way down the river. My plan of distraction worked, and we both had an enjoyable float. We saw an otter stick his head out the river and Ella watched for Nemos (fish) and frogs out the side of the boat. At the end of the trip, our fellow sea kayakers let me know how impressed they were that a 3-year old handled it so well. I heaved a giant sigh and was ready for a beer.

The owners of the ranch have a little girl who is 2 and we were all very excited to introduce her and Ella. They immediately took to each other, and Ella wanted very much to hold Jo Jo's hand and be her friend. Jo Jo helped Ella pick out a backpack as a souvenir, and off they went like two peas in a pod.

Memorial Day

2009-05-26T14:19:00.008-04:00

For the holiday weekend, Rusty & I headed up north once again to Wildman Ranch, only this time we took Ella Bella with us. The weather worked in our favor also, with temperatures in the low 70's every day and plenty of sunshine. It was a trip full of firsts...first 6 hour road trip for the 3 of us...first camping trip for Ella...first campfire...first sea kayaking trip for Ella & I...first roasted marshmallow...first time meeting little Jo Jo...and first time on the climbing tower for me and Ella. What an awesome weekend for everyone, and Ella was truly a gem the entire time. She proved herself to be quite the wilderness warrior. She played so hard that every naptime came early and every bedtime was at her request. By the time we got home, her nailbeds were caked with dirt and it's taking at least 2 baths to get the sap out of her hair. But, all in all, it was well worth the trip!

On our way there, we stopped at Daves Falls so Rusty could show us the waterfall he kayaked so impressively (same one from the video I posted). There, he snapped this picture of us...

That evening, we built a campfire and hung out with, according to Ella, "Mama's Friend, Mike". Mike is actually Rusty's friend and the director of the ranch. Either way, Ella was pretty smitten by Mike, constantly asking if we could "Go find Mike" all weekend....
While Rusty was working, Ella and I spent a lot of time down at the riverbankthrowing rocks and pine cones in the water while watching the boats come down the river. She happily would have hopped right on in that river if I would have let her.
We also played hide-n-go-seek. This was her hiding spot...More to come...

Weekend in Texas

2009-05-26T13:52:00.004-04:00

Rusty and I traveled down to Lubbock, Texas for his sister, Lacey's graduation. She now holds a Masters degree in Occupational Therapy and off to the real world she goes. We celebrated with dinner on Friday night, graduation on Saturday followed by a party with the Klein family and friends that afternoon. I had the pleasure of being introduced to Rusty's parents and lots of other family members who were all very sweet and welcoming. Rusty showed me around Lubbock and the campus of Texas Tech (where he attended as well) and had beers at Cujo's & Cricket's. At Cujo's, we played Trivia and I beat Rusty pretty good. He was not impressed. I took a picture for proof...it's a little blurry but you can make out "Brandi" in the #1 spot and "Kayak" (aka Rusty) in the #2 spot. We're not competitive at all. ;)

A short but FUN weekend. Congrats Lacey!!

My Boyfriend the wild man

2009-05-07T21:24:00.003-04:00

First Bike

2009-05-05T11:21:00.002-04:00

I'm shocked I even got a good shot. She lasted for all of 15 seconds...

Morels

2009-05-05T10:55:00.002-04:00

When Spring arrives in the Neumann family, we head out to the woods and hunt for morel mushrooms. Something that has been going on in my family forever and ever. I found out this weekend, firsthand, that this Northern Michigan past time is in my blood. We're out deep in the woods a half-hour from Traverse City, not a sole around, and we hear someone yell out, "Aunt Sharon, what are you doing in my mushroom spot?!" It was my cousin. You see, around here, the true 'shroom hunter keeps their spots top secret. My Aunt Wendy has her secret spots that I don't even think her husband knows about! Anyway, I know people may think I'm crazy. Actually, I know they do because my friend Katie stopped by my house on Sunday as I was walking out the door, and she told me I was crazy. But, not only are these mushrooms, in my opinion, the tastiest on the planet, getting outside after a long, cold winter is beyond refreshing. I had a feeling it may be a little early still this weekend, but we headed out anyway only to come up empty handed. We found 1. However, it was a beautiful weekend that needed to be spent outside, and we had 2 very yummy picnics in the process.

Wildman

2009-05-04T18:01:00.000-04:00

Last weekend Ella headed to Chicago with her Dad to be a flower girl in her Aunt Kay Kay's (Katie) wedding. Pics to come on that later. With a kid-free weekend on my hands, I joined Guy on his weekly trip (a 6-hour drive) to the Wildman Ranch in Athelstane, Wisconsin. To say Rusty is addicted to kayaking and any other extreme sport imaginable is an understatement. It's what he lives for. He spends every weekend in the Spring as a raft guide for the Ranch, where he gets paid to do something he loves. To each his own, right?

We lucked out with an 80 degree Friday afternoon/evening but got dumped on with rain all night, and the rest of the weekend hovered around a drizzly and wet 50 degrees. This was all just fine since we were provided with a comfy, cozy little cabin well-equipped with heat, shower, and a toilet. It just so happened that the resident photographer for the Ranch couldn't be there this weekend so they asked me to fill in. Ha! I got paid to go on vacation! :)

I gathered up all of my belongings, threw on the TNF rain jacket Guy gave me for Christmas, and headed for the river. Luckily, the rain stopped just in time for my little outing. I found a perfect rock at the base of the last rapid (dubbed "Horse Race") and dunked half my leg in the river on the way to my seat. No big deal, I can handle a wet foot. Well, an hour and a half later the men decided to grace me with their presence. I snapped pictures of all of them in their glory. It was unbelievable to me that ANYone could have a smile on their face after spending 2 hours in 28 degree water, but they were as happy as pigs in shit. I, on the other hand, was borderline hypothermic. I raced back to the cabin, threw on both heaters, crawled into my sleeping bag and read my book. Aaaahhh. No sooner than I had warmed up, it was time for my next round of picture-taking. This trip was less eventful and even enjoyable. By the end of my day's excitement, I was ready for a glass of wine. But, it was 3:30. So, I refrained and waited until 5:00, which seemed like a more suitable time of day to begin cocktailing. Rusty and I took a hike along the river, went out to dinner, and sat around the campfire for the rest of the evening.

On Sunday, we headed over to the Menominee River so Rusty could meet up with a kayaking buddy and run the rapids a few times. I instantly took to his friend's wife (I'll refrain from mentioning names until I get their permission) who was just as sweet as ever. Come to find out, she roomed in college with a friend of mine from high school. Very small world. And, not only do they have a little girl who is a ball of energy just like Ella, but she has the exact same birthday as Ella, just hours apart! We hope to introduce the girls to each other soon and spend more time with them this summer.

Here are some pictures I took with my camera. I will post the pics I took on the Ranch's camera when Guy gets them to me.

Easter

2009-05-04T17:36:00.005-04:00

The Easter Bunny stopped by Washington Street to deliver Ella an Easter basket filled with O's and coloring materials. Our morning was filled ooo's and ahhh's as we all gathered around to watch her open all her goodies. Since the Egg Hunt the day before was such a success, I decided to hide eggs all over the yard for Ella to find after returning home from her regular Sunday morning rendezvous with Daddy. Not quite grasping the concept that we only have Easter egg hunts on Easter, she continually asks me to find eggs nearly every time we walk through the yard. And, finally, continuing with what will be a yearly tradition, we colored Easter eggs later that afternoon. A fun-filled Easter Sunday!

I think I've mentioned this before but Ella has been calling Rusty "Guy" ever since she met him. I'm not sure why or where this came from, but it stuck, and now our entire household only refers to him as Guy. Naturally, Ella would yell "Cowboy Guy" when he walked in looking like this...

Cupcakes

2009-05-04T16:28:00.001-04:00

Boy Friends

2009-05-04T16:19:00.002-04:00

After picking up Ella from school today, Jeff sends me a text stating that he thinks Ella and Luke have a crush on each other. Interesting, I thought. Because whenever I ask Ella about Luke she smiles and blushes stating, "Luke is so silly". Now, mind you, I have always had close "boy" friends so it should come to no surprise to me that Ella's two best friends at school are Jacob and Luke. According to Ella. Apparently, Luke's mother stopped Jeff today and told him that when she and Luke were driving the other day, Luke called Ella "beautiful".

And so it begins...

Easter Egg Hunt

2009-05-04T11:38:00.004-04:00

The Saturday before Easter, Ella and I met up with her friends Arie, Didier, Elyse, and Marin for the big Traverse City Easter Egg Hunt. It was actually more of an organized mob-of-children-free-for-all, but nonetheless the kids seemed to get a kick out of it, despite the frigid temperatures. Ella quickly filled her basket to the top with eggs, and I was pleasantly surprised that she didn't body check anyone during the process. But, once she got wind that the Easter Bunny was there along with the Moomers Cow, she bee-lined it for both of them demanding all of their attention. No surprise here. Last year at Cherry Festival, the characters at a Children's Cherry Picnic ended up leaving because Ella wouldn't stop following them around. My mom thinks it's a necessity to take Ella to Disney World this year because of her infatuation with characters. I, on the other hand, think she may go into cardiac arrest at the first sight of Minnie Mouse. Anyway, it was great seeing all the kids, and even running into our friends, The Banton's as well.

The Big 9-0

2009-05-04T11:16:00.004-04:00

As mentioned earlier, on April 2 my Grandma Ella (Ella Rae's namesake) turned 90 years young. Wow. My parents, Ella, and I all piled in the car once again and headed for Iowa to celebrate. It was great to see Grandma again and she was just a ball of energy and so excited to see all of us. Especially Ella Rae. Ella has become the best little traveler and seems to really enjoy our road trips. Thank goodness because we Neumann's love to travel. Especially by car. Once we got there, Ella was thrilled to play with the cousin's again and had a ball at the indoor water park that was at our hotel. Although, we were pretty disappointed that children were not allowed in the hot tub since this is a favorite of mine and Ella's. Boo! The party for Grandma was a success, and we were able to share with the rest of the family the progress we had made on the family tree and Grandma's Life Album. A few months ago we learned that Grandma was diagnosed with Dementia. And, even though she couldn't remember most of our names, you could tell it meant a lot to her that we were there. So Happy Birthday to Grandma and may you live another decade!

Family Picture Project

2009-05-04T11:05:00.004-04:00

For the last year or so, my Dad and I have been sorting through hundreds of old family photos his family, dating all the way back to the early 1800's, provided by his mother and my grandma, Ella. Included, among the hundreds of photographs, are probably 150 original black and white photos from the families of Grandma Ella Stahr-Neumann and my late Grandpa Don Neumann.

This is what our step-by-step process includes:
1. Scan all pictures. (Total so far: 1,490)
2. Caption all scanned pictures with names and birth/death dates, if possible.
3. Compile DVD with all pictures for preservation. Distribute copies to the rest of the family.
4. Sort physical pictures by family (i.e. Neumann's, Stahr's) and [attempt] at chronological order.
5. Compile scrapbook of Ella's life for her 90th birthday...Completed! But was so thick, it turned into 2 albums.
6. Gather information and create a family tree of the Stahr's and the Neumann's, with birth/death dates.
7. Compile scrapbook of Grandma Ella's ancestors...the Stahr Family
8. Compile scrapbook of Grandpa Don's ancestors...the Neumann Family

Currently, we are working on the family tree that goes as far back as my Great-Great-Great-Grandfather, who was born in Germany in 1815. With this tree, we are able to match most of the pictures with names, and taking it a step further by gathering birth/death dates for everyone. With all of this information combined with some amazing original photographs, we will compile 2 separate scrapbooks...one for the Stahr family (Grandma Ella's side) and one for the Neumann side (Grandpa Don's side). I can't even tell you how much time we have all put into this project, but the information/memories are priceless to us and our future generations. A true labor of love! So, in case anyone was wondering what I've been doing with my spare time, this is it.

When the picture project began last year, my goal was to be able to present Grandma with a scrapbook of her life by her 90th birthday. Here are a couple of pictures of this first completed project. With summertime approaching, I'm not sure how far I will get with the next 2 albums this summer, but I hope to have it all completed by this time next year.

Dad's Family Tree So Far...

Grandma Ella's Life Albums...

Computer Virus

2009-05-02T08:42:00.002-04:00

I haven't posted lately b/c our computer has had a virus which has prevented me from downloading the pictures off of my camera. Boo! But, my wiz of a mother saved the day and it is now fixed. Prepare for post overload. :)

Boobies

2009-05-02T08:31:00.009-04:00

A conversation between Ella and I while she took a bath last night...

Ella said, "Look at my boobies Mama".

I responded, "Yes, I see."

Ella - "Other people's boobies?"

Me - "Noooo" (a little confused at this point)

Ella - "Naaaahhhhh...We don't touch other people's boobies. We touch other people's boobies and they will break. That will make the people cry."

Me - "Exactly."

The Western. A Post all to itself.

2009-03-13T17:00:00.006-04:00

Ok. So Rusty's been talking about this bar called "The Western" ever since he went home for Christmas. It is definitely a place I couldn't miss if I was going to be in Tatum. We were both beyond exhausted on Sunday night but I needed to at least "experience" The Western at least once in my life. So we hopped in the car, psyched ourselves up the whole 1/2 hour drive there (well, more like I was psyching myself up), only to find out they were closed on Sunday! I was pretty sad. I've included a picture that even states, "Open Sunday". Dang it. So, in order for me to not completely miss out on the experience, we stopped for a Miller Lite and a game of pool on our way out of town on Tuesday. Oh Man. It was everything I could've hoped for. And then some. First of all, the building is made out of tin, and its walls are lined with termite-infested wood. The barstools are cushioned with holey, worn-out seats, it houses 2 pool tables, a shuffle board table, a tarped-off-area that is the "karaoke-section", and last-but-not-least, it had a fireplace that had cigarette-carton-boxes for kindling. Awesomeness.

Landscape

2009-03-13T15:04:00.007-04:00

The Klein Farm:

Cattle Guard...They have these between pastures so you can drive over it without having to open a gate. And, the cattle won't cross it. I can see why...that would leave a mark.

One of the pasture's watering holes for the cattle:

Pump Jack. These things are everywhere.

The cattle roaming in the field. I took this at dusk.

Another watering hole.

The edge of the farm.

Can I get a Self-Timer?

2009-03-13T14:54:00.004-04:00

Carlsbad Caverns

2009-03-13T14:21:00.008-04:00

On Monday, we traveled about 2 hours south of Tatum to Carlsbad. A town known for it's massive cave that goes down 800 feet underground! It's unbelievable really and I couldn't quite capture it's brilliance as best as I had hoped. But, the pictures still give you the idea. We had dinner with Rusty's grandparents that night, and they were telling me that the entire natural walk is about 5-6 miles total. Trekking down steep hills, cutting back and forth to make your way down in the cave made for an incredible adventure, but towards the end the staleness of the air did give me a bit of a headache. This was definitely the highlight of the trip!

In the summertime, thousands of bats enter the cave here at dusk. Behind Rusty is seating for spectators to watch this spectacular event every night.
The whale's mouth. Looks just like one!

I went potty 800 feet underground.

The elevator counted down by feet. Inside, the elevator lady turned out the lights so we could see the cavern wall out the window as we rode up.

Plants and Animals

2009-03-13T13:40:00.009-04:00

The Klein's grow wheat and alfalfa as well as raise around 50-100 cattle. While Rusty was working, I chilled with the cows for about an hour. Just call me the cow paparazzi. They couldn't quite figure me out, but they were quite the posers. Show offs.

This one walked over to me, stood there long enough for me to snap a picture, and then walked away. The next Paris Hilton.

After this star-studded event, Rusty picked me up on the 4-wheeler so I could go chase down some antelope in the next pasture. They were a bit more camera shy so I refer to them as the Reese & Jake's of my subjects.

My bird friend:

Who knew there were so many different types of cactus? I'm not sure what all their names are but here are some of them in all their glory. Prickly little suckers...one got me right in the tush!

Rusty was telling me these little clumps on the "prickly pear" cactus will embed in your skin making it impossible to get out. OUCH!

Isn't he cute?? Looks like a little meerkat!

I made Rusty pull over to the side of the road so I could get a picture with these cool cacti.

Rabbits & Sprinklers

2009-03-13T13:07:00.005-04:00

Sunday was spent around the farm all day. Riding the 4-wheeler around, fixing sprinklers (that are like 100 or so yards long, at least), chillin' with the cows, chasing antelope, catching rabbits, and getting blasted with the neverending dust and wind. I don't think my hair will ever forgive me for that ridiculousness...next time, I'll bring a hat.

Rusty and his sister, Lacey, had a hell of a time getting the sprinklers going. Having to constantly adjust in order to keep them straight...it all looked to me like a real pain in the butt. I offered to help but quickly realized that I would be more in the way than anything. Although, Rusty did give me the responsibility of turning the knob on the sprinkler to get it going. Of course, I botched that by making it go the wrong way. No worries, I figured it out.

Notice how off-kilter it is towards the end:

My knob.

Rusty had to move some of the pipes around on the sprinklers. Apparently, the rabbits like to crawl in the pipes and hide. Here are some shots of Rusty and Toby (the dog) removing one. Unfortunately, I cannot promise that all rabbits were unharmed during the shooting.

NEW MEXICO!!!

2009-03-13T12:31:00.004-04:00

Let me preface the next few posts by explaining how and why I (Brandi) vacationed in the great state of New Mexico. My amazing, thoughtful, and generous boyfriend, Rusty, grew up on a farm there in the town of Tatum. Population: 800. Rusty's Dad turned 50 this year, and in honor of that, his Mom decided to take him to Mexico to celebrate. This, however, was only possible if someone would be able to run the farm (which is normally single-handedly run by Rusty's father) while they were away. This is where Rusty comes in. He not only gave up his own personal vacation days to go home to work but also took me with him! Pretty generous and thoughtful, don't ya think? So, while most of the time Rusty was out busting his butt and working hard, I was wandering around aimlessly taking pictures and enjoying the vast amount of nothingness. At times I think he thought I was pretty silly for getting excited about things like 4-wheelers and cactus, but I found it all pretty exciting! I took over 300 pictures, which explains why these next posts are filled with plenty of visual affects. I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed taking them! :)

This is my favorite picture from the trip:

Speech Therapy Update

2009-03-03T10:47:00.002-05:00

Jeff and I had Ella's 2nd trimester Parent-Teacher Conference yesterday with Miss Karen and Miss Janet...her teacher and speech therapist. Ella has been attending school since September and recently we changed her schedule to 4 days/week here, and daycare on Friday's. We are all in agreement that Ella seems to love preschool, has adapted well to her schedule, and is showing great progress. One of the major goals has been to get Ella to work on her "m", "p", and "b" sounds...all consonants that involve closing the mouth in order to verbalize. She has shown major success with this and is now saying words like bubbles, Pinkie, play, mine(this is a favorite), boy, purple, etc.

Over the last few weeks she has shown interest in colors and is able to say every color in her color book, although orange she calls "noise". Still pretty good for a 3 year-old. She can also count to 12...verified by Miss Karen. The class has been working on dressing/undressing themselves (with their snowsuits) daily which has triggered Ella's need to prove that she can do this at home. She changes her clothes anywhere from 2 to 20 times on any given evening.

The challenges that we are still facing with Ella's speech is following through with the endings of words like "ing" or "ed" when describing things/actions. She is also having a hard time answering Who, What, and Where questions. And, whenever she is asked to say an animal, instead of using the name, she uses the sound the animal makes in order to describe it. For example, a "Moo" is a cow, a "Meow" is a cat, a "Qua Qua" is a duck...you get the idea.

All in all though, the class has been wonderful for Ella's speech, and it really is a relief to be able to verbally communicate with each other now. Her teachers were quick to state that she is a very smart little girl, and her grasp of concepts is spot on, sometimes even above and beyond, where she should be for her age. Yay!

Screw the Chopsticks

2009-02-24T11:06:00.004-05:00

It is probably safe to say that I could eat sushi every day. Unfortunately, I've moved to a town that has only one good sushi restaurant, Red Ginger. It, of course, is rather pricey and doesn't allow for daily (or even weekly) visits without breaking the budget. Rusty, also a sushi lover (melt my heart!), decided that we should try to make our own. Easy, right? It was a lot of fun, but it did take a total of about 6 hours (including shopping for the goods), so allow yourself plenty of time. And, try not to be starving when you start...this can cause Food-Hankiness (yes, I made that up using hungry and cranky with a little bit of "ness" thrown in for added effect).

Anyway, so we decided on some easy rolls for our first time (or Maki for those of you sushi gurus): California, Spicy Tuna, Tuna with Cucumber, and Tuna with Avocado. We also made Shrimp Nigiri and Tuna Nigiri (with rice) as well as Tuna Sashimi (without rice). We made an attempt at shrimp tempura and also threw in some onion rings for shits and giggles.

When I first started eating sushi I completely dismissed the idea of the ginger on the side, but now I absolutely, positively, must have ginger accompany my every bite. It is so yummy!! How was I ever so ignorant to this amazing accessory to my most favorite meal? So I made a call to Red Ginger (because they have the BEST ginger I've ever had) and the manager sold me 1/2 a pint for just $4! Woo Hoo!!

The wasabi is in a whole section all by itself. It has to be. This powder we found will literally take your breath away. (that's what she said) Our eyes were tearing up as we were making the rolls because the dish of wasabi paste was merely sitting on the counter next to me, lingering. Once we sat down to eat, our eyes were watering and our noses were running with every bite we took. We were hysterical at the site of each other's red faces, which, in turn made us laugh and cry even more. Haha! It was definitely NOT your poor man's wasabi...this was some serious Japanese LOVE.

Here are pictures from our Sushi Date Night:

Future Sushi Chef? Haha...not quite.The pieces turned out bigger than bite size so I had to break out a fork. Hence the title of this post.
Heaven on a table! Not bad for a couple of sushi-making-virgins. :)

Minnie Mouse

2009-02-18T11:21:00.002-05:00

Over the last couple of weeks Ella has been obsessed with a sing-along Disney video and she is quite adament that it play at all times, even if it's just background music. This has triggered her imagination, and she now refers to herself as Minnie Mouse and insists that everyone else do the same. The other day she hurt her knee and was consoling herself by saying, "It's ok, Minnie Mouse. It's ok.". She then turned to me for reassurance, and so I offered my condolences to Minnie Mouse as well. It seemed to do the trick. Ella has also become interested in dressing herself. When she gets home from school, she tears off her play clothes and puts on her sparkle tights and a flowy yellow skirt, intending to "look" like Minnie Mouse. For Valentine's Day I couldn't find a Minnie Mouse outfit and had to settle on a Snow White dress. She wore it all weekend at the cabin.

Weekend Getaway

2009-02-17T16:01:00.005-05:00

When you live where we live, the winters tend to trigger bouts of cabin fever, especially by the time February rolls around. I did a little research on Craigslist (love that website!) and found a quaint 2 bed/2bath log cabin in the middle of nowhere, and so we decided to head out of town for a long weekend. We didn't really do much of anything...which was perfect! However, we did manage to take some walks & venture out onto the iced-over Lake St. Helen. No worries, I watched a 4-wheeler drive across the thing before I took one step on that ice! And, who says you can't go to the park in the winter?! We romped around in the snow going from swings to see-saws. A Valentine's Day with 2 of my favorite people...Cheers to that!

Sledding

2009-02-09T12:14:00.003-05:00

It was 47 degrees and sunny this past weekend and although the snow was wet and melting, we couldn't resist playing outside. After checking out 3 sledding "spots" we settled on a nice, steep hill behind Copper Ridge. Ella found it weirdly entertaining to stare at the dog poop that was scattered around the area. But, all in all, we had a very enjoyable afternoon sledding and the view wasn't half bad either!

Fun in the Tub

2009-02-09T12:12:00.002-05:00

Ella proudly displaying her artwork. In the bathtub. Good thing their washable.

Igloos & Dreams

2009-02-09T11:17:00.003-05:00

I really did think Rusty was crazy when he made the decision to purchase an igloo-making-tool. But, his excitement was contagious and we set out one afternoon (to the front yard) and built Ella her very own igloo. It took about 3 hours total and now Ella is the coolest kid on the block! Our step-by-step process...

More Pictures from the top

2009-02-09T11:01:00.007-05:00

Snowshoeing...The Experience

2009-02-09T09:26:00.006-05:00

Where do I begin? Well. It was a cold, but sunny, January day and we wanted to get outside and play in the snow . Rusty, Ella & I rented snowshoes and set out for a little adventure. It was a leisurely half hour drive out to Sleeping Bear and Ella fell asleep. When we arrived, she woke up and we all put on our snowshoes. Ella made it as far as the start of the trail & demanded they come off. She then climbed into her toboggan. And, so began the 1.3 mile trek uphill to the lookout. Rusty so graciously offered to pull the toboggan and I followed behind. Not bad. About a 1/4 mile up, we breaked for a snack. Onward. 5 minutes after that, Ella had had enough of the toboggan. The day before, I purchased a baby sling at B&B in anticipation that I may end up carrying her. Little did I know how right I was. Once situated nicely on my hip clutching her blanky, we continued on. We walked. And walked. And, walked some more. It was gorgeous and peaceful. My legs were burning. When finally, we made it to the top! The view was breathtaking and totally worth the trip. We played in the snow for a while before beginning our journey back downhill. This was much easier than coming up, but it was still 1.3 miles in the snow with a 30 lb. child on my hip! Ella fell asleep and Rusty & I enjoyed the silence and leisurely stroll through the barren, snow covered woods. Even though I was exhausted and craving a hamburger by the time we reached the car, I would definitely do it again. Here are some pics we took at the top.

3!!!

2009-02-07T09:31:00.004-05:00

It's hard to believe that Ella turned 3 on January 5 but alas, she did. Another year has whisked by so quickly. Although, I've come to the realization that having her birthday fall so close to Christmas is going to be an ongoing challenge, it still makes for a fun kickoff to the new year! Even though we didn't have a big party, Ella still seemed to grasp the idea that it was "Her" special day and savored all the attention. She got a big kick out of the "trick" candles we put on her cake. But, she tired quickly of blowing the candles out repeatedly and grabbed her fork and dug into the bright pink & yellow dream cake. YUM!! Now, this may make some people cringe, but I found it quite amusing and need to share. The next day there was a note in Ella's backpack from her school teacher saying "Ella's stool today was pink in appearance and playdoe like in texture". Hahaha, funny stuff.

Uh-hul B called to wish Ella Happy Birthday just as she was blowing out the candles. She was filling him in on the trick we played on her.

Friends Reunite

2009-02-06T16:30:00.005-05:00

Everyone heads home for the holidays which always calls for some mini-reunions. I was able to sneak out a couple times and get together with some girlfriends who I haven't seen in a long time. They were some much needed mommy-needs-to-get-out-every-once-in-a-while-and-have-a-drink-with-girlfriends nights! Thanks Ladies!!

Christmas Morning

2009-02-06T16:05:00.004-05:00

Ella and her new presents...

The only thing she asked for were "Qua-Qua's". That means Ducks. Not sure what she meant though? But, these seemed to suffice.

Oh, the weather outside is frightful

2009-02-06T15:46:00.006-05:00

It was a Christmas Eve to remember. We had more snow on the ground than we've had in 15 years by this time and we were having a blizzard! All of us Neummie's headed out anyhow to put up the traditional luminaries that line our neighborhood sidewalks. People come from all over the area to drive through and see the glistening lights in our 4 block radius. I might add that last year my mom & Ella landed on the front page of The Record Eagle setting up the luminaries! That was cool. :) Anyway, we all bundled up and headed outside to play in the winter wonderland. Everyone, that is, except poor Uh-hul B (otherwise known as BJ, my brother) whose Southern bones just can't handle this northern chill!

My Munchkin

2009-02-06T15:31:00.001-05:00

In memory of the 2009 Holiday Card

2009-02-06T15:14:00.002-05:00

As most of you know (because you receive them!) I have been doing homemade Christmas cards for the last few years. Because I worked every day the entire month of December this year, I just couldn't find the time to make holiday cards. So, I created a cute picture card through my favorite picture website and placed the order. Just in time for me to receive & have them in the mail before Dec. 20th. Well, I was in a bit of a tizzy when Dec. 22nd rolled around, and NO cards!! It took a couple of days, but I came to the realization that, like most things in my life, the cards were going to be late. BUT, Better Late Than Never, RIGHT?? To this day, those stinking cards have still not showed up! I'm getting all riled up just thinking about it. So...I'm posting the pictures that were on the card and wishing you all Happy Holidays!! Love, Brandi & Ella Rae (better late than never!)

Gingerbread House

2009-02-06T14:50:00.002-05:00

For the last couple years I have been really excited to build gingerbread houses with Ella...something I remember doing in school every Christmas when I was in Elementary School. It was so much fun! A few years ago, I made a go at doing an "entirely homemade" gingerbread house...making the dough, baking the cookies, letting them cool, and then frosting. Blah, blah, blah. By the time I was ready to actually decorate the thing, I was so exhausted from all the prep I had no desire to finish it. But I did, and it was no fun. So, imagine my excitement when I was shopping at Target one day and passed a "Gingerbread House Kit" all wrapped up in a pretty little box for a grand total of $8! (it's the little things that make me happy) We all gathered in the kitchen to build our masterpiece...divided out the candy, kneaded the frosting, laid out the cookies. Ella was pumped! It didn't take long to build the house frame but then, as we read the directions, it told us we had to wait for 15 minutes to let it "mold together" before we could start decorating. Now, for those of you who don't have a 2 year-old, 15 minutes is like an ETERNITY! So we waited. And waited. And, finally it was time. What you see in the first picture is exactly how the entire process went...I would frost, Rusty would decorate, and Ella would sample all the icing she could get her fingers into! It might not have been the "Norman Rockwell" painting I had pictured in my head, but it was fun. And, we will continue the tradition every year!

New Year, More Blogging

2009-02-06T14:33:00.002-05:00

It's been way too long since my last post and I've felt guilty about it but really didn't have the time to sit down & make it happen. But, it was making me feel a bit better when I did have a moment to check my friends' blogs and see that apparently their busy lives were keeping them from blogging as well. So, thanks to all of you who were putting it off...please know that it was helping ease the pressure over here! :) I will try to retrace my steps since the beginning of December and post pictures & such in order to play "catch-up". Over the last couple of months, we had Christmas & Ella's 3rd Birthday, which I will fill you in on later. Now that February is here though, I am currently unemployed & looking for a job. As anyone can imagine, this puts an overwhelming amount of strain on me, especially with this economy and it's job market. I am blessed to have an incredibly supportive family and so is Ella. For that I am grateful. On with the bloggin'...

Erin's Birthday Celebration

2008-12-08T22:35:00.007-05:00

After meeting up for a couple playdates with the kiddos, my friend Erin & I decided we needed a girl's night out, and what better reason than Erin's birthday?! We celebrated the night before Thanksgiving, which also happens to be one of the biggest night's to head out during the year. (no worries...Ella was safely with her Dad visiting relatives in Chicago!) We (Erin, Katie, Jessica, & I) first headed to Poppycock's for dinner where we were treated to yummy martinis called Grape Crush's which coincidentally (and quite dangerously) tasted just like the real thing. We had a blast toasting and telling stories and referring to ourselves hysterically as "Woo Girls"...wooing at every opportunity we got! (Woo Girls are in reference to one of my favorite tv shows, How I Met Your Mother...go ahead, figure it out!) After dinner, we headed to Union Street where our favorite local musician, Mike Moran, was playing. We danced 'til our hearts were content & I even granted Erin's b-day wish of getting a picture with Mike, who we think might just be famous one day. Woo!!! :)

Sleepover

2008-12-08T22:26:00.003-05:00

Ella has been over to my friend Katie's house before & met Katie's cats, Puff & Elfie as well as her rabbit, Thumper. Ella is particularly fond of the kitty's, always asking if we can go to "Ki-Ki's house" to play with the "meow's". So, Katie so graciously invited Ella & I over for a sleepover one night & we just couldn't resist. So, we packed up & headed over. Ella was easily entertained by the kitty's & we even watched a little Tom & Jerry...which we think the cats seemed to enjoy just as much as Ella. After staying up until the wee hour of 9:30, Ella was so exhausted she practically put herself to bed. It was a fun sleepover & hope to have many more to come! :)

Way Back in Time

2008-11-10T09:50:00.004-05:00

So I told my North Carolina girlfriends I had a surprise in store for them a while back. Please forgive me for keeping you hanging for so long, but I think it will be worth the wait! I found these pictures, mostly from middle school, and couldn't resist sharing. We have an email chain between myself, Natalie, Sallie, Meg, Joy, Catie, & Cameron that we have been slacking on lately but for the most part keeps us all informed on our lives. We all live so far apart that it's really the only sensible way to keep in touch...and I just love it. So, without further ado, here are the pictures.

8th grade Washington DC trip. Sorry Nat, the photographer cut you out! I loved that sweatshirt.

Chaos soccer team stopped after our double header to watch the US Women's team play in Greensboro, I think? Then, we piled into Big Blue & headed home.

The "Jet girls" before the dream sequence in Roberson's "West Side Story". Hot.

Sal's Birthday Bash. In the Neumann kitchen. Such detailed party planners, complete with a construction paper placemat for the birthday girl. Any guesses on what age?

Catie & I all dressed up before a sixth grade dance. Either at the Fire Department or the middle school. Am I the only one that misses the beloved Skyland Fire Department? Good times.

Meg & I climbed the bleachers at a TCR soccer game at Appalachian. What a great pic!

8th grade. After a chorus concert. We were AWESOME singers!

The TCR girl's soccer team. I stopped on my way to Myrtle for Spring Break to catch a game & snapped this pic. The girls' were awesome that year! Can you name everyone? Whatever happened to Sumlee?

Ah. Cruise of '95. One word...DUNKER. I still consider this to be my favorite vacation of all time. Can we please duplicate the ridiculousness of the cruise in the Dominican, 2010?!

Well, I hope you enjoyed the show. A little walk down memory lane never hurt anybody! :)

It's been 10 years?!?!

2008-11-10T09:18:00.004-05:00

A few weeks back we had our 10 year high school reunion. I submitted a bunch of pictures for the slideshow & need to share a few. They're just too funny & bring back lots of memories! Top to Bottom: Traverse City West Cheerleaders being filmed for a spot on the news; Ryan, Holly, Brandi, & Len on Spring Break in Myrtle Beach; Senior Prom Photo Shoot in my backyard; my best friend Ryan was a basketball player & I was a cheerleader; parties at the Barn (oh, the stories!); the boys & I headed to Windsor, Canada for a weekend where the drinking age made us legal; my girlfriends at Graduation. Enjoy!

Flashback

2008-11-10T09:10:00.003-05:00

I have a little spare time this morning so I'm going all out with posts. I feel a bit guilty for not blogging much last month. So, here's a comparison from last year's Halloween & this year's. Last year, Ella was Halloween Minnie Mouse. Next year will be here before I know it!

Fall Colors

2008-11-10T08:34:00.006-05:00

Last Sunday Rusty & I took a little trip out to Sleeping Bear Dunes to see the fall colors that our great state is known for. We were about 2 weeks past "peak season" so the drive out was pretty barren, but once we made it to the Dunes, the colors were a sight to see. There's a little drive along the Dunes that you can take with about 11 stops where you stop for pictures, picnics, or even hikes. The pictures I took of the bright yellows & oranges of the leaves on the trees that line the drive don't even do it justice. It was gorgeous in person. We attempted to have a picnic, only to have it start raining on us...3 different times! So, we gave up & ate in the car. On our way back into town, we saw a family of six deer hanging out in the road. They were checking us out as we slowly crept by. Despite the rain though, we managed to have a nice day. Check out the pictures and you'll see why they call northern Michigan "God's Country".

Wonder Woman

2008-11-08T17:38:00.006-05:00

The day of Halloween was total madness. Ella went to preschool in the morning, walked in a parade with her class downtown. I worked. Left early to pick Ella up, made a mad dash home to throw on her costume, and headed back downtown. We met up with our friends Erin & Carter (he was a dinosaur) and trick-or-treated at the downtown stores from 3:30 until 5. 6 suckers, 5 tootsie rolls, 30 pictures, & 2 meltdowns later, we decided to head home & begin our journey down Washington Street. When we got home, Ella was intent on being Grammie's candy-passing-out assistant. The street filled up quickly with kids & parents lining up at houses to gather their candy. We decided to join them & made it for a total of 6 blocks...hitting up quite a few houses. Ella would run up to the houses, say "Dick or Deat", take her candy, come running back to me, sit on the ground, and check to see what she got. She did this at every house. But, she did seem to have a ball flying around the neighborhood, in typical Wonder Woman fashion!

Corn Maze

2008-11-08T17:24:00.004-05:00

One of the best things about northern Michigan, according to my father, is the amazing sweet corn grown up here. It really is the best & he's from Iowa. They grow a lot of corn there. Anyway, so one of the bigger corn farmers up here decided to cut a path through his corn field, charge admission, & allow the public to stomp through his "Corn Maze". There were 3 courses, we only did 2. But, totalling almost 3 miles of Maze! Ella had a blast running through the corn, picking the corn, & eventually ditching her shoes to run barefoot. After we were finished, we stomped through the pumpkin patch & picked out 2 perfect, Ella-size pumpkins. Oh & did I mention it was 80 degrees in mid-October?? Yeah, that's pretty much unheard of up here. But, we were loving every minute of it!

Leaf Blowin

2008-11-08T17:13:00.004-05:00

I remember when we lived on the lake when I was about 4 years old, the house being pretty much surrounded by forest and, during fall, the trees would sprinkle hundreds of thousands of leaves all over the yard. Dad would make piles that would tower over our heads, and BJ & I would barrel through them over & over until we would fall over from exhaustion. And, now, as most kids love to do, Ella has been treated to giant piles of leaves to jump into & takes full advantage. Not too mention, she gets to hang out with Ya Ya, her buddy.

Ella meets the Stahle kids

2008-10-08T11:10:00.009-04:00

My cousin Kurt & his wife Kerri have 3 kids...Sophia, Ali, & baby Nick. Kurt's brother Kyle & his wife Jennifer have 4 kids...Colby, Jack, Joe, & Sean. 5 of those 7 kids I had never met. However, naturally, as kids do, they all bonded immediately. Sophia & Sean were the flower girl & ring bearer in the wedding & they were busting a move with Ella almost immediately after we arrived at the reception. They were definitely the guests' dinner entertainment! Every so often Ella would break from dancing to run over to the dessert table (situated conveniently next to the dance floor) & grab a mint from the bowl next to the cupcakes. She would spin with Sophia, then jump with all the boys off the head-table-platform onto the dance floor, followed by a little jig, and back to the mint table. Repeat. And repeat. 37 mints later...she was passed out cold & snoring soundly in bed. Here are some pictures of the kids. The last pictures are the morning when the girls were treated to leftover wedding cupcakes, followed by races up & down the hallways of the hotel. What a weekend!!

Another Stahle Wedding

2008-10-07T17:46:00.007-04:00

This past weekend we packed out bags and headed to Iowa for my cousin Kevin's wedding. 10 hours there & back in the car took a toll on Ella, but she was quite the trooper. We watched a LOT of movies on the road, and in between each one, we would go through the videos and Ella would tell me, "No Dis, No Dis, No Arrrr" (translate: "Not that one, Not that one, Not Lion King) until we would come to "Madagascar" & she would eagerly shake her head yes and jump around in her car seat. We did this close to 10 times, and every time the same reaction. How is it that kids can watch the same thing over & over again and never get sick of it?! It's truly a phenomenon.

The wedding ceremony was beautiful, at a cute little hilltop church, nestled in the middle of endless acres of corn fields (remember...Iowa). I breathed a sigh of relief after the 20 minute ceremony was over as we managed to get Ella through it without a peep. It was so fun to see all of our cousins again, all on the "Neumann" side. And, Grandma Ella (Ella Rae's namesake) was just elated to see all of her children & grandchildren again, too. Pushing 90, she's looking fabulous! The last picture is Grandma with BJ & I, then Grandma with all of her grandchildren (the 10 great-grandchildren were left out, probably out dancing!) Then there's the new happy couple, Kevin & Jackie (wearing a gift from the Elvis impersonator who showed up to serenade us all...). And, of course, the top picture is my family, and according to Ella our names are, from left to right, "Dukle, Gway, Deegon, Mama, Ya Ya".
Stay tuned for more from the weekend...

Preschool Update

2008-09-26T16:01:00.002-04:00

It's been a pretty busy month which is why I haven't written much. Plus, I always like to include pics with my posts, but I don't really have any new ones right now. So, I'll just give an update on our "Back To School" month thus far.
As you know, preschool started just over 2 weeks ago, and it sure has been a major struggle. The poor thing would become hysterical at the mere thought of preschool...not to mention the cling-to-my-leg-for-dear-life ordeals once we actually got in the preschool room. There was even one morning when I had just gotten settled in at work, after one of those heart-wrenching, drop-off moments when suddenly I hear a voice that sounded vaguely familiar yelling "Ma MAAAAA...." coming from outside (I work 2 blocks from her school & the store door was open). By the time I get outside, I see Ella's class taking a walk downtown & there was Ella running to me with tears just pooring down her face. It took an excruciatingly long 5 minutes before her teacher was able to pry her off of me, and off they went with my uncontrollable child.
Well, after all that & then some, I am happy to report, that this morning when we got to school, she sat down with her friends, started coloring, & actually waved goodbye to me as I left. NOT ONE TEAR!!! I even saw her class walking downtown again (on the opposite side of the street from the store), and she pointed this way, but again, no tears. I was thrilled & so happy that Ella will not be permanently traumatized by her first school experience. I kid. :)

Famous Namey's

2008-09-10T11:52:00.002-04:00

I officially have the coolest friends. Sallie, Tom, & Kate Namey are going to be television stars! Premiering on the DIY network in their very own show, called "Bonus Room Breakout" (definitely not their first choice for titles, but apparently they have no choice in the matter), the Namey family will be showcasing their Bonus Room makeover for all the world to see. Saturday, September 20 starting at 1:00 the show airs as a marathon, all day, with 5 episodes following them on their journey to transforming their not-so-livable-basement into a beautiful guest suite masterpiece. I've personally seen the "before" and it was pretty scary...and now, after seeing the "after" photos, Ella & I can't wait to go visit our friends in Knoxville & stay in their famous guest quarters. We are so proud of you guys & can't wait to see you in action! :)

Aunt Nat comes to town

2008-09-02T08:47:00.005-04:00

My good friend Natalie braved the 5 1/2 hour drive from Chicago over Labor Day weekend (after some highly unnecessary car trouble) to come see the Neumann clan. It also happened to be my dad's birthday. So, we decided to take Nat down the Platte River, along with the other 938 people vacationing this weekend in Northern Michigan. It actually went pretty smoothly, considering it was a first-time adventure for Ella. ~Note: Giant minnows nibbling on your toes are not Ella's idea of a good time~ We soaked up the sun while switching from canoe to kayak to tube...an 85 degree day floating down the river is the best kind of day. We all headed to North Peak for dinner & music on the patio before the ladies headed out for a night on the town....taking full advantage of living within walking distance to town! Thanks for coming Nat & next time bring Tay! :)

PRESCHOOL

2008-08-28T09:34:00.003-04:00

It's official. My baby is a baby no more. She is now a preschooler...at the ripe old age of 2 1/2. She will be attending Central Methodist 3 days a week, Mon/Wed/Fri, all full days (b/c they don't offer 1/2 days). Central comes highly recommended by a few moms I have spoken with, and it is literally 1 block from home and work. Ella seemed to enjoy her 'practice day' yesterday, as I stayed with her and observed. However, I was cringing as her teacher explained to me that "we LOVE messy projects & bring lots of changes of clothes b/c potty trainers will be having multiple accidents daily, & expect her to come home dirty". Needless to say, off to Target we went to waste money on clothes that would likely be ruined by the end of the month. Such is life, right? Today, Jeff, aka Daddy, dropped her off for a day by herself. It was a bit challenging but I'm sure she will settle in and create havoc. Stay tuned for "Confessions of a Toddling Preschooler"...

The Proof is in the Pic

2008-08-28T09:09:00.003-04:00

Contrary to popular belief, I think I can hold my own when it comes to the great outdoors. Now, don't get me wrong, I crave a hot shower and lip gloss on a daily basis. But, the idea of going camping last week with some friends definitely sparked my interest. So, we made it happen. And, in true 'Dale Neumann' fashion (for those of you reading this who live on Pluto, that's my Dad), he decided to head out into the wilderness to find his favorite (and only) daughter the best, most perfect place to set up camp. And, boy, did he deliver! We set up our tent quickly (and easily I might add) while Rusty cooked us fajitas that sent us running for the border. Despite the heat, they sure were tasty! With our bellies full, we settled in for a relaxing night by the fire watching stars, listening to Rusty play the guitar, & playing a little 'Never have I ever'. Below are some pics...Katie sitting on the "front porch" of the tent & Katie, Mark, Rusty, & I by the campfire. Can't wait to do it again! :)

Doin' the Dune Climb

2008-08-26T07:59:00.010-04:00

Our friends, Ryan and Christine and their boys, Kaiden & Cameron, came to visit from Tampa, Florida. So we got to all spend some time together. Ella and I went along with their whole family for a trip out to Sleeping Bear Dunes, along the Lake Michigan shoreline. While they climbed the dune all the way to the top, Ella decided that sand is sand and she would rather roll around in it and sometimes sample it as if it were an appetizer. Much to the dismay of her mother, I might add. After a nice picnic under a shade tree, we headed over to Otter Creek Beach. Below are pictures of everyone busily creating sand castles & some of the kids floating down the creek. It was a perfect Northern Michigan beach day! Later on, some of the adults headed out for a night on the town.

World Series

2008-08-22T07:50:00.004-04:00

My cousin, Todd coaches his son Tyler's baseball team and has for years. They're teams have done well in the past, but nothing in comparison to this year. They went to the Iowa State Finals (they are from the outskirts of Des Moines) which was a bit of joke b/c they are so good. Then they went to Regionals in Fort Wayne, IN, which was a little more challenging, however they swept it and became the Central United States Regional Champions. Which, in turn, sent them to the Junior League World Series! Which happened to be in Taylor, Michigan (major coincidence for us since teams were coming from as far as the Phillipines). They did very well, becoming the 2nd place winners for the United States! Here's a picture from the first weekend they played, when my parents, Ella, & I made the trip down to see them. And, the second picture is the runner-up consolation game, where Johnston, Iowa played Mexico. You don't see that everyday! Congrats to Todd & Tyler!

Just Can't Say No

2008-08-20T10:02:00.003-04:00

So I was asked (more like, begged) by my friend Ryan to help plan our 10 Year High School Reunion. Funny story...I went there for 2 years (junior & senior years) and senior year we moved to the new high school & I became a member of the first graduating class. We graduated with over 850 students! So, with that being said, I can name all the people I know from high school on like two hands (if I'm lucky) ...Aah, this should be fun. Thank God I have my new friend Katie...SCORE...she graduated with me! Anyway, the point of my story...All of you people out there who are reading this blog and graduated in 1998 from Traverse City Central or Traverse City West (yes, we're doing this together again, just like we did prom and graduation...shocker, shocker!) Please do the planning committee (a whopping 4 of us) a favor and send your contact info (ie: name, address, email, and phone number) to the designated the Class of '98's email address: TCReunion98@yahoo.com. We promise not to sell your information...unless of course, we get stuck with bill and we need to make some extra $$$ to pay for this thing! Ha, Ha ~ Just kidding ;)

Thinking of you...

2008-08-18T14:40:00.003-04:00

There are a lot of people that I know right now who are going through some really hard times. And I just want to share these things and ask those of you who are reading this to please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

My friend Christie, who lives in Chicago, was riding her bike last week and was hit by a truck. She broke her collarbone in 3 places and is in a lot of pain. Thankfully, she has lived to tell about it. Most biking accidents turn out much differently, especially in big cities. It will take about a month to recuperate, which of course, will prevent her from working. Get well soon Christie!

My friend Sallie's (who is about 32 weeks pregnant) daughter Kate (who is Ella's age) was recently sent to the emergency room & admitted to the children's hospital for an accidental overdose. It was a very close call & incredibly traumatic for their family. Thankfully, Kate has recuperated & is doing well. We love you Kate!

One of my sorority sisters, Krista and her husband had been trying to have children for years. They were finally blessed with pregnancy...twins! She went into labor at 23 weeks and both of their little girls did not make it. You can read their story on their blog on the right side of this page, listed under My Friends & Favorite Sites. A really wonderful thing their church did was start a prayer pager for them. You can call the number and it sends them a page letting them know someone is praying for them. It's anonymous & only takes about 10 seconds. Their pager number is 616.772.0110. My heart breaks for them & it's a reminder that we must always count our blessings & never take life for granted. My thoughts & prayers are with you & your family, Krista.

Around the time of Len's funeral I became friends with Katie. A group of girls, including my newest friend, Katie & her best friend, Ashley, went out to dinner together shortly after. Ashley told us about her husband, Glen, who was recently diagnosed with Stage 4 Colon Cancer. Glen passed away this past Thursday. I was able to spend time with Ashley, among others, over this last weekend. She's probably one of the strongest women I've ever met, and is handling this unimaginable tragedy with pure grace. Please keep Ashley, her family, Glen's family in your prayers. My thoughts & prayers are with you, Ashley.

And, please continue to keep Len's family, my friend Ryan, Len's fiance Megan, & all others who loved Len in your thoughts & prayers as well.

"Missing someone gets easier every day because even though it's one day further from the last time you saw each other, it's one day closer to the next time you will."
~Author Unknown

The Film Festival

2008-08-17T20:58:00.003-04:00

This year was Traverse City's 4th Annual Film Festival. It was founded by documentary director, Michael Moore. (Fahrenheit 911, Sicko, among others) Quite similar to Cannes, actually. Well, come to find out, he is friend's with Madonna (which, in turn, makes Madonna my friend and Madonna's daughter, Lourdes, Ella's best friend) Yes, you see where I'm going with this. Madonna dropped by the State Theater downtown here in good ole TC to show her new documentary. A few of her close friends casually stopped by the theater to greet her. Here are some of the casual pictures I took.

A New Tradition

2008-08-17T18:37:00.010-04:00

So, I think that we've started something without even realizing. So, we live in Traverse City, also known as the Cherry Capitol of the World. Out on the peninsula that separates Grand Traverse Bay into East & West, some of the cherry farms are "u-picks" (self explanatory). So last year my Ya-Ya and Grammy (aka: my parents) took Ella cherry picking and when cherry season rolled around again this year, my mom & I decided to take Ella again. Being the master cherry picker she is, Ella had really caught on by the second annual cherry picking trip. When we got out of the car this year, she knew exactly where to go & what to do. Pick & Fill. 12 pounds later we were driving home with windows down, hair blowing in the breeze and we shoving cherries in our mouth and spittin pits all the way home.

A Tribute

2008-08-17T17:49:00.009-04:00

It's unfortunate to have to start this blog on a sad note. But, that's life. And life is not perfect. With that being said, the most monumental part of my life this summer was losing one of my dearest & sweetest friends to a brain tumor in June. Len Scheidel. I always felt so lucky to have as close a friendship with a boy like I do with my friend, Ryan. That is until Len came into my life, through Ryan, and the three of us became inseparable. So, then I had two best guy friends, both of which I will be forever grateful. Len was diagnosed with a brain tumor in the fall of 2007, and fought very hard for about 10 months. On June 25, 2008 the tumor took over completely and Len passed away, peacefully. It's so sad that his life ended at such a young age (he was 27) and I will miss him terribly. But, I am so grateful for all the great times I had with Len and I will never forget his love, generosity, and genuine friendship to me. This is a picture of Len & I when he and Ryan came to visit me & we celebrated our 19th birthdays together. No, we won't say how many years ago that is, but those were some of the best times of my life. The following is a postcard I had kept that Len sent to me from Florida when he was on spring break. I have lots of cards (thankfully I kept!) that are just like this one. Like I said before...I am very lucky. Forever.

Jumping on the Bandwagon

2008-08-17T15:06:00.002-04:00

After much debate with myself, I've decided to start a blog. For both personal and professional reasons. And, because, of course I have to be just like everyone else! I've been trying to convince myself to start journaling so I can keep track of all our memories, but I can never keep up with it. Since I spend so much time in front of the computer and because I'm always checking my friends' blogs, I figured it only made sense. Now, instead of sending out mass emails to those of you who could care less about what's happening in our lives, you are now spared and have the choice to check in and see what Ella & I are up to. So hang on and enjoy the ride! :)