Another update 11/28

First off we took baby to her 4 month check up (even though she's closer to 5 months if you go by weeks), and she is looking just wonderful the doc said! Her appt was on 11/18 and she was 13 lbs 1 oz, 24 in long. Head circumfrence was 16 in. She is around the 30th percentile for all 3 measurements. So she is doing wonderful! She is a very happy baby now, she loves to smile all the time. The only time she really cries still is when she is hungry or tired. We have had some of the fighting sleep at night but not too bad. And she loves her toys and TV now. She loves all the bright colors I think. She is our world though and we just love her to pieces!

Thanksgiving was kind of crazy this year! Lots of running around. Ben got up and made his apple pies - one for his family and one for mine. Then we stopped up at his Aunt Cathie's house for a few mins then his Grandma and Grandpa Boyd's. Carmie, Timmy, Ronnie, Chrissy and baby Johannah were all there also. It was nice to see them all on Thanksgiving and we got some pictures too. Then we went to Uncle Don and Aunt Bev's house for dinner #1. It was very good! Ben's grandpa, aunt and uncle, mom, cousin Bleu and his girlfriend Keri, me Ben and the baby were all there. Then around 4 we headed to my family's house. We had dinner over there as well so we ate a ton!! We stayed until around 8 then we headed home. I got up around 3:30 am on Friday and went shopping with my mom. I've only been out 1 other time for black friday and that was 2 years ago. I forgot how crazy it coudl be! The checkout line for Target wrapped ALL the way around the store. And Best Buy was a little better but still a pretty long line. It was a lot of fun though and I got my shopping finsihed for the baby. Now it's time to do everyone else. Hopefulyl that will get done this Friday when we get paid. So I will probabyl just go out and get it all done enxt weekend.

And I can't be more excited our family pics are next Sunday! I can't wait - the photographer is amazing and I can't wait to see what she captures. We just found a place to take them this (Univ of Akron Student Union and Quaker Square) so we will see what happens. Maybe it will be slightly warm and we can do some outside ones too. I'm excited to get a few of the baby too but most of them will be family group pics. Just hoping the baby cooperates. I want to gets lots of pics taken- we have 2 hours booked so I'm ready to take some pics!

Easter 2009

So this year we decided to stay home for once for a holiday! We got up and went to church and my mom met up there. Then I came home and napped :) I woke up and got to work on the Easter feast! We had ham, butter noodles, homemade mashed potatoes (courtesy of my loving husband!), chessy green beans (a tradition) and rolls. It was so good and I'm glad we finally got to stay home for once for a holiday! It was nice to be able to stay in my sweats.

The Easter Feast!

Ben getting his food

My step dad getting his food

In other news...well there's not much. Still workin, Ben's still not working. We are still hopin' and prayin' for something REAL soon. We need it - Bad...but he's trying. It's just a bad world out there right now. We are lucky he has unemployment or it could be much much worse. Other then this...just waitin for it to get warm outside for good. It keeps teasin' us then getting cold again! I can't stand it much longer.

One Year Ago...

Me and my hubby were getting married :) This first year has certainly had it's ups and downs but we survived. I love you honey!

Today we are going to Golden Corral to celebrate our anniversary and it's also Ben's Grandpa Blankenship's 74th birthday. Should be a good time :)

Chrissy and Waynes Baby Shower and Dinner for Anniversary

So today was a very busy day for us! First up, we had Chrissy and Wayne's baby shower. She is due May 14th. It was a very cute baby shower - their room is jungle themed so their were jungle decorations everywhere! They also had tons of games - guess when the baby will be born, finding hidden eggs, guess the number of diapers in the bowl, the women got to match baby socks for prizes (which I won!) and lots of other fun things. It was mostly her family but there were some friends there too that we know so it made for a good time. We are wishing them both good luck!

Mom to be - Chrissy

Cake

Mom and dad to be

Ben with Chrissy

Me with Chrissy

Next up, we had dinner reservations with my parents at 5 pm for our anniversary dinner. Our anniversary isn't really until tomorrow but my mom is leaving for out of town so we did it tonight. It is a very fancy restaurant out by my parents house called Lannings. The food was pretty good and the service was wonderful. It was pricey but my parents had gift certificates so it wasn't that bad. We had a good time!

Ben and I outside the restaurant

Mom and Eric after dinner

And last but not least my wonderful anniversary present, my anniversary band that matches my wedding band :) I love it! I wasn't sure if I was going to get it but I did. I love my hubby!

Valentine's 2009

Of course I'm a week behind again! Last weekend we went out to celebrate Valentine's Day. Normally we don't celebrate it because it's not really a holiday to us but our friends asked if we wanted to go so we went. It was quite a bit of a wait since we didn't have reservations and that sucked big time but it was really good so it was worth the wait! We went to Japanese Steakhouse in Montrose called Wasabi. It was delicious. Now Ben and our 2 friends Kyle and Liz have never been there before so they were pretty excited about it. I've been a few times but it's been at least 2 years. Afterwards we went to a bar called Brubaker's for a drink (and I will never go there again, the girls that were serving there were rude). Overall, a great night out! We will be going back - when we have reservations :)

Our cook - poor guy was so tired. I think we were his last table...

Me and Ben (I was pretty tired at this point)

Liz and Kyle

And of course Liz and me :)

This week and weekend have not been that exciting...worked a lot that's about it. I have started to go out to my stepdads house to help him clean up his shop a bit. I am trying to get out there a few nights a week and help him out. He's not a good one with organizing or keeping clean. And he has a really hard time throwing things out. So we are working on that :) He had a lot of invoices that needed filed. His computer also got wiped out last year so we are going to work on rebuilding his customers in the software. Fun fun! Ben has been working a lot also. He is off tomorrow so I don't know what we are going to do. Might go to church in the morning and then maybe go to Kyle and Liz's so Ben can get his haircut. I'm going to try to do better and keep this more up to date :)

Happy Birthday Honey!

So my honey's birthday was this past Tuesday (Jan. 20, I'm a little late posting this!) and we didn't do a whole lot to celebrate this year.

On Tuesday we went to dinner with my parents at Bricco in Downtown Akron. I had been there before and so had my mom but my step-dad and Ben had never gone before. They both ended up loving it. It's a little bit pricey but well worth it and their food is so filling. Ben got their pork tenderloin with risotto and he loved it. I got the chicken with a mozzarella croquette and it was delicious! My mom got Ben a charger with rechargeable batteries since he was complaining about running out so often because of his Xbox! I didn't get him anything because we are low on money right now but eventually we will get him something. I will probably buy him an Xbox game that he has reserved coming out in March. (Side note: my mom found an awesome deal on a pot/pan set so she gave that to us Tuesday - but it's my Birthday/Christmas gift for this year because it was a really nice set and pricey :) )

Then Friday night to celebrate Ben's birthday again, we went out with our friend's Kyle and Liz to Hopocan Gardens (a chicken house) in Barberton and it was so good! They have the best hot rice :)

Then on Sunday the celebration continued at Ben's Grandpa Blankenship's house where his Aunt Bev, Grandpa, Ben's cousin's kid Nolan (2nd cousin??), Ben's cousin Bleu and me and Ben had Sunday dinner. It was yummy - cube steak, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, grean beans, cole slaw and biscuits. His grandpa is an awesome cook so it was so good!! Then they brought in a cake and sang happy birthday which was totally unexpected. And that finally ended the week long celebration we call Ben's birthday :)

Yummy dinner cookin on the stove

The Birthday Boy
Aunt Bev and Nolan

The Cake!

Haha....he's 26 :)

And of course he had the honor of cuttin' the cake

Ben's cousin Bleu is the one holding the cake,
he had Nolan help him blow out the candles!

Snow & Puppies

I'm a little late with this post but this was from last weekend when we got about 10 inches of snow. Harley just loves the snow and Duke does too! Here's two pictures of Harley and then a video of Harley and Duke. It was one of those days where we were snowed in. Since we live on a hill, there about 4-5 days a year we know we aren't going anywhere because we can't get out/up the hill. It was funny to watch some people try though!!

Sunday of last weekend we went with my parents to try a new place called Zoup in Solon, they have 11 different soups daily. It's a Panera of sorts but smaller and less known. We were 1 of 4 groups of people we saw the whole time we were there! But with the snow we thought that might have had something to do with it. It's amazing how much soup they had and we all got a different kind and LOVED all of them. Yum!! Then we explored a bit up in Solon and ended up at the Cold Stone Creamery in Macedonia, haven't been to one in a while so I was super excited! Here's my creation then a picture of Ben, my mom and Eric eating theirs!


This week has been really crazy with work - our quarterly meeting was this week with all of our team in for the meeting. Since the new admin coordinator for our group doesn't technically start til next week I still had to do pretty much everything. The new person (Julie) was there for the meeting to see how things run but she won't be back until Weds but then she starts full time with us and I'm pretty much done doing the things I had to do for my old position besides training her. I'm super excited to finally have this weight lifted off my shoulders since I have been waiting since September for this to happen!

Ben's birthday is on Tuesday (Jan. 20 - Inauguration Day). I am off Monday. We might try and do a nice dinner this weekend or maybe just wait until Tuesday. I think we are going to go out to the bar tonight with some friends (we will see who shows) and have a few drinks. Who knows!! I am not getting anything for him, at least not right now since we are broke. Maybe in a few months with my bonus or tax return we will get him something!

Hope everyone is well and trying to stay warm (for those of us in Ohio at least!).

Christmas Day 2008

On Christmas Day we go to my family's house in Pennsylvania and this year was no different. My mom came over and picked us up since it is on the way out to PA for them. We opened up our gifts from them first. She had bought me a coat the weekend before and then she got me an apple reed diffuser and apple candles for my kitchen, perfume, an ornament for me and Ben's first Christmas married, a silicone baking set . She also bought me some clothes on Black Friday. Ben got a gift card for Macy's, Gamestop, and McDonalds (don't ask...LOL). He also got a pair of jeans and cologne. After we opened our gifts we headed to PA to visit with my family. Lots of good food and of course a good time. It was a long 2 days but so worth it :)

Eric and Mom when we first got there

Me and Sis

Ben, Aunt Betty and Rusty

Matt and Amy

Me and Sissa

Me and my momma!

Singing Happy Birthday to Grandma Evans who turned 80 this week!

Aunt Shirley, Mom and Aunt Betty opening their gifts

Christmas Eve 2008

Well this year was the typical Christmas run around! On Christmas Eve we always go to Ben's dad's side of the family and then off to his mom's side.

So I worked 1/2 day on Christmas and then came home and got ready. We went to Ben's Aunt Cindy's house at around 5. Most people showed pretty quickly. We snacked mostly and hung out. Then around 7:30 his Grandpa handed out the gifts (we draw names since there are so many people - Ben's cousin Carmie Jo got us and we got Ben's cousin Ronnie who lives with us anyways). Carmie Jo got us a huge picture frame and picture paper for my printer. It was a pretty good time and for once no one cried which is always a feat with Ben's family!

Me before going to the families house

Ben's cousin Shannon's new baby - Dalton

Boyd Boys 2008 (take this picture every year at Christmas)

Then it was off to Ben's mom's side of the family. This year his mom was in town so that was fun. We got a bunch of wonderful gifts from her and Ben's uncle and grandpa! They are so wonderful to us :) Lots of gift cards and I got my first Willow figurine. I got a really nice Akron Zips hoodie and Ben got a nice Michigan one.

Unlce Don, Aunt Bev, Ben, Bleu, Sue, Grandpa

Scratching lotto tickets - Aunt Bev won $100!!

Absence Makes The Heart Grow Fonder

I can't believe how long it has been since I have posted. I have just been super busy lately with a lot of different things but mostly work.

I have officially moved my desk but my role does not seemed to have changed like it was supposed to. My boss informed me that he needs me to manage his calendar still (hopefully at the end of this week coming up that will end, he said it will but we shall see). I have a gazillion (ok not that many but it feels like it!) interview candidates coming in for different positions right now. I am really pretty sick of doing it at this point and i was just given more to do, both first and second round. Not really happy about it. I am just through with all of it. Plus, I am getting so many things to for my new job which I love but I can't get around to them and I hate telling my new boss that but it's the truth. Now I also have goals to start working on for next year that I need to work on and I just don't know how I will find the time until the hire someone. But then there will be trianing and learning so it will probably be another month and a half before I finally get a break....I'm hoping for sooner but doubt it. Alright enough of the complaining...

I have been doing a ton of cleaning lately and that is making me feel better about things around here but I still have plenty left to do! Everything just looks a mess to me! Hopefully this winter I will get motivated to get more things cleaned up and out.

I can't believe this week is Thanksgiving already! I have to say that I have much to be thankful for this year, my husband, my family, my friends, my home, my puppies and kitty, my job, and so many more things.