On the Spring Horizon

KM's Birthday Party will be on Saturday April 2nd at approx 1pm (I think). We have updated and fixed the Wish Lists on the blog for the items we're thinking she may like want. We did not realize the published wish lists were not the ones we were updating.

Our camper is on order; and it has been for about 6 weeks now. We hope to have it by May 12th.

KJ is still scheduled to go to Johns Hopkins Medical Center on April 20th, for his Neurosurgery Appointment. He continues to develop and enjoy life just like any other kid. In fact his take apart and put back together skills are amazing for his age. An engineer at heart just like his daddy I guess. It continues to boggle us on whether or not his issue is in fact threatening to him, but it's just so hard to know, and be willing to take the risk to find out. Which is the sentiments of the Dr. he is going to see; and I trust Dr. Phillipe Gailloude is the expert on the subject after all our research to find him.

This winter has been long, and exhausting. But it looks like it's on its way out. Due to the way the roads had to be cared for this year; it resulted in some tough times on our cars. A Windsield (or two) later, and a few other mechanical or electrical issues at inspection time; and we're back in business. The cost to keep a car on the road in this environment is not fair; so enjoy it those of you further south.

Work has been good, but the recent announcements by the state, regarding the state budget, and it's impact on public education has caused alot of unrest. It seems that momma nut and I are probably in the safe zone, but many are not. And they are our friends and collegues, so it's going to be an emotional roller coaster until its over.

So there you have it! Let the sun shine, and Keep on Truckin!

KJ's 1st Birthday

I think he had a great birthday! Here are some pics of the special day!!

YUM!... Birthday CAKE!

Here are some pictures to show some of the highlights of our summer!

Father's Day Weekend

We had a great time camping at Conesus Lake! It took us about 6 hours to get there becuase we made quite a few stops along the way. As soon as we arrived, we went to dinner at Conesus Inn. The crab legs and prime rib were excellent! Then we set up camp and went to bed. The kids didn't sleep very well that first night. In the morning we explored the entire campground. It was quite a hike pushing the kids in our double stroller up the steep hills, but the campgrounds were very nice. Our friends/family arrived later in the day and we got together for dinner, a swim in the pool, and a campfire with smores. The next day we just hung out at the campground. We let the kids play on the playground and take their naps. Mema came to visit and we all got together for dinner. We got some ice cream and went to a park at the north end of the lake. Sunday, our last day, we took a little excursion to Letchworth State Park. It was beautiful! We went back to the campground for dinner and a swim with the Bailey's and then headed home.

Sleep Deprivation

At some point, KJ became a little ill earlier this week. Dad, then KM, then Mom all got some congestion over the last few weeks, but nothing that much slowed us down. KJ started out with just the sniffles like us; but within a few days began sleeping very little independantly, and occassionally running a fever. Then the fever stuck, and he just became sensitive all around.
The Nanny finally called Dad home from work in the middle of the week; and KJ and Dad went to see the Doctor. Turns out his bout with whatever this bug was; that previously we were assuming might be allergies for all of us, was complicating in Kaidan's system. The end prognosis was mild fluid in the left lung (not yet pnemonia), inflamed tonsils, ear infection, and alot of intestinal gas from something which was probably causing alot of discomfort to him. Sometimes it seems like kids will 'get-over' anything with time and Tylenol, and sometimes they just need to be seen. This time it was the latter. He's feeling much better today; and regaining his independence both in sleep and at play time. But to say the least, for the last week and change, it's been alot of up and down at night; and we're tired. Welcome to ParentHood101 :)
KM is a great big sister, she tries to help when she can. KJ is becoming comfortable on his tummy; and that is also playing into nighttime sleeplessness for him at times. It should be 'very' exciting over the next few months, with good weather and all the new experiences KJ will surprise us with.
We are scheduled to camp on Conesus Lake fathers day weekend, with a visit from Mema and Popi. Between now and then we're hunkered down for the last 8 weeks of school at work, and spending our free time building a roof over our deck.
We hope everyone is enjoying their Spring, and anticipating all of the enjoyment the warm weather brings with it.

Easter Pics

After church on Easter, we went to my mom's to hunt for eggs and for Easter Baskets!

We always take pictures first!
Uncle Josh and KJ with the Rocker wig!
KM and her summer style!
We have a picture from last Easter, just like this.
Baby enjoying the beautiful Easter weather!
Kiara and Daddy walking...
An Easter Egg Hunt at a friend's house. There were alot of kids there. Kiara had a blast and wasn't afraid of the Easter Bunny at all! KM and Mommy on the egg hunt. Believe me, KM helped Mommy find the eggs!!
What a treat to have a visit with the Easter Bunny him/her-self!:)
KJ and Dad relaxing while Mommy and KM scavenge for easter eggs.
Kiara coloring Easter Eggs!

A Busy Day...

Daddy had a busy day. First, he took both kids to the Erie zoo (but he didn't have the camera to take any pics). Mommy stayed home to get some work done. Then, mommy met everyone at Chuck E. Cheese's for lunch. Then, mommy went to hang out with a friend, while daddy took the kids to the beach! After that, daddy and kids went to Nanny and Papa's house before heading home. What a fun day!!

Kiara's Birthday

For Kiara's birthday we had a family celebration here at our house. Mema made meatballs, and we had spaghetti and meatballs for dinner. Then we had some yummy cake that mommy and daddy made for Kiara. It was covered in her favorite...M&Ms!!

Update

At a basketball game...Playing dress up...
Being Goofy...
Chillin...

Kiara woke up from her nap and didn't want to get out of her bed, so I put Kaidan in with her and they played together. Then Kiara wanted to talk to Mema, so she did. Just thought you'd like to catch a glimpse of our joy.

KJ tells a story...

Here is a little video from earlier this year.

Kaidan wearing Mommy's shades! (Kiara thought he needed to try them on)

Kiara getting ready to play in the snow!

Kiara Goes Sled Riding...

Kiara went sledding the other day. We didn't have a sled, so we used the lid from a plastic storage container and tied one of the dog's leashes to it to pull her around. She had a good time!

Christmas 2009

The holidays this year have been tons of fun! The kids have enjoyed spending time with their cousins, aunts and uncles, and grandmas and grandpas. Kiara played in the snow for the first time at Aunt Jenny and Uncle Fred's house. She likes to eat the snow!

Fall 2009

This fall has been busy since the arrival of KJ. Here are just a few of the moments we want to remember...

Meet KJ

Welcome to the Nut Farm KJ. It's only more embarassing from here!

Warren County Fair

I know we're way behind schedule, but here is a look back at warmer, more enjoyable weather, and all the fun we had. . The fair was a little harder this year, with Julie being so far along in her pregnancy. We had expected to camp alot more, but no bed is comfortable enough when you are carrying the weight of another. Now that KJ is here, to join his big sis KM, we've been "**how you say?**" busy! We will get another update of what's transpired from August soon! Love you all!

Trip to Baltimore

We drove to Baltimore, MD this past weekend to hang with MPP and Sweet Potato. We had a wonderful time, and enjoyed every minute. MPP was wonderful. He really took to Little Peanut, and they enjoyed eachother so much. Sweet Potato and Little Peanut had a bath together, and enjoyed getting to know eachother. When Sweet Potato gets her wheels, it will be a whole new ball game, that's for sure.

We also made a visit to see Grandparents in Gettysburg, PA on the way home. A stop we wanted to make, but weren't sure how to make it happen. It was a really nice weekend, I hope you enjoy watching this, as much as we enjoyed experiencing it.

Father's Day

Fathers Day was blessed with beautiful weather. We had a nice day doing nothing spectacular, in company with both Julie and I's fathers at home. It ended with a campfire and milk and cookies. I'll get pics or a video up soon.

The "Day at the Beach" video has also been uploaded to You-Tube in High-Quality. You should see it in "My You Tube" video's in the right column of this page. Our Channel is http://www.youtube.com/tribalsimba . Be sure to select the "HQ" option to watch the video in Full Quality.

Beach

Trip to Presque Isle State Park

Took the day to go to the beach and enjoy the beautiful weather we're having.

This video was created using the FREE progam for Windows, Microsoft PhotoStory 3 in 10 minutes. Download it, use it, and share your pictures in motion!!