Merry Christmas!!!!

Biase family pictures

We got to spend some time with some awesome photographers over Thanksgiving and took tons of family photos with Dan's family.  It was super fun and the kids did great! (I bribed them with candy ;)  Here are some of the best pics- thought you might want to see :)

Carpenter's

I wanted to share this recent newsletter from our church we attend.  It is definitely different than most churches and has taken quite a while to get used to and understand that we aren't there to "fix" these people, but to walk through life with them as equals, but we really enjoy it and have made some great friends through it.  Please read our friend Ted's story on the first page below and if you want to read more about our church, its philosophies and goals, please click here.

Winter 2011 News (Web)

Popo and Pictures

If you pay attention to details, you may have noticed that Popo's name was removed from the title of our blog.  The sweet little frog came and left in a few weeks and has gone to take a dirt nap.  At least that is what we told June since we are not sure she understands dying/death and all sad things like that.  Not to fear though, Dan made her a picture of Popo's "napping" place and she re-named Vitamins - Popo.  Hmm, well I guess that means I should technically leave Popo's name in the blog title but I will think about that later.  For now, we are one less frog, but still have "The fish formerly known as Vitamins" going strong.

A few days ago, we tried to take some Christmas card pictures with all of our family members which didn't go so well.  Zeus absolutely refused to participate and the chickens, for some reason, would not eat the treats I gave them to stay in the picture.

Dan was super stressed by all the activity and I was ordering everyone around/picking animals up to make them stay in the pic - you can sense Vern's annoyance....

So, this one is ok, except for Meuf Te' itching to try and get to the chicken poop - yuck! and June not looking... but you will have to wait for the finished product in your mailbox!

Oh, the anticipation... ;)

Happy Two Months Annie and Happy Thanksgiving!

8 whole weeks have gone by- can you believe it?

 And June is just the same as ever - enjoying life and taking no notice of Annie...

As promised, here are the only pictures of Dan and I from the last two months- Dan being super dad and me wearing the same vest 5 days in a row because I never leave the house! ;)

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Vitamins and Popo

We have added to our ever-growing family.  Luckily, these two little guys require 0 love from me, of which I am very glad, because I am a little maxed out at the moment.  June named the fish her favorite thing in the whole world (besides Dora) - Vitamins.  And then she named the frog, the first thing she thought of- Popo- do we talk about the popo alot here? I am not sure.  I don't think so, but that word is stuck in her head....  

Hopefully the popo (aka-the police) leaves our neighborhood alone for awhile.  We have some loud college students down the street and someone (who could that be??!?!) keeps calling the cops on them for noise violations- oops! ;)

Meanwhile, Vitamins and Popo are enjoying their new home.

And this cool lady is enjoying her little sister!

AND, a friend of mine pointed out that their are no longer pictures of Dan and I on the blog! Agh! Se la vie' !  SOON :)

Courtney and Charlotte in town!

This past week, my great San Antonio friend, Courtney, came in town with her little munchkin, Charlotte.  We mostly hung around the house and played with the girls and worked (she works from home too), but we had a great time talking about Mahncke Park (my old neighborhood, where she still lives right down the street from our old house!) and all our friends and MP board enemies! ;)

The girls hung out and got to experience not being only children, which was interesting...  But all in all, a great week and a super collage prepared by Courtney!

Happy one month birthday, Annie!

It seems like the days are so long, but we look back and cannot believe it has already been a month.  It all blurs together, but that is good, because we are almost past the super tough part and into the fun :)  Happy One Month Birthday Annie!

For a month, I have been trying to take a good picture of Annie that shows she looks EXACTLY like June when June was her age.  I finally got one today.  It is so crazy that this can turn into June.  Just so different; its hard to believe how much they change!

Can you tell which is which?

Just as a hint: they are in alphabetical order.  Crazy, huh?!

Haboob

Today, my mom and dad were over hanging out with June and me while Annie cried (no surprise there!). My brother, Travis, just had hernia surgery, so they were talking about the limited activities that Travis can do.  My mom said- "Travis was going over to Tom's to play video games, but the haboob got him."   I was sitting there thinking, oh, some stupid video game thing that I have no desire to know about because  video games would be #8,900,456,724 on my list of interests in life.  So, I am just sitting there thinking- blah, the haboob.  Who cares, mom.  Then, my dad says "yeah, the haboob knocked down a private plane at the airport too."  And my interest perked up a little bit, mostly out of annoyance.  I was thinking- Dad, why the heck do you know or care about haboobs and when have you ever played a video game?  Blah, anyway, again, I was annoyed, but started thinking how a video game character named Haboob (in my mind- somewhat like Jabba the Hut) could get to the real airport and knock down a plane.  This tells you how sleep-deprived I am (yes, thanks Annie for not complying with my schedule), because FINALLY I ask- why do yall keep talking about this haboob?  My mom says- "you didn't see the windstorm?"

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, a haboob.

Who in the world chose to name a wind/dust storm that looked like the Wicked Witch was flying by to Kansas any minute a Haboob- I don't know.  But, four hours later, as I am just now processing my conversation, I got a pretty big kick out of my sleep-deprived confusion.....

Lessons of the day:
#1 Annie, stop crying and sleep all night
#2 Haboob does not equal Jabba the Hut

Found!

After much prayer, 1000 fliers ALL over the neighborhood, and lots of looking, Meuf Te' was found!!  Some sweet college girls said she turned up on their doorstep yesterday four streets away.  They had given her a bath and gone shopping for her and were pretty sad to give her back.  But, the posters did the trick!  They didn't even want the reward and settled for a dozen of our hens' finest!

So glad to have her back!

Meuf Te' or as June says: Moofie

So, I'm not going to mention my terribly painful birthing recovery, or the fact that Annie cries ALOT, or that she takes ALOT of time leaving me no time with June OR that post-pregnancy hormones are ALL over the place, OR that you TOTALLY forget how hard it is to have a newborn and recover and then you are happy and fine a few months later and your body tricks you into having another one and you think AGH! Why did i DO this again???.... (ok, well I mentioned it, but I'll spare you the rest of the deatils ;)

But anyway, this post is to focus on sweet Meuf who has been missing since yesterday.  We think she was kidnapped because she can't be away from me for longer than five minutes and she is gone for the first time ever.  Come back little Meuf Te'!  We love you and miss you....

Hello Baby Annie!

She's here!  The little munchkin arrived with a successful (somewhat traumatic) VBAC with forceps.  But, she made it and she is doing great!  Lots more crying than June, but she looks exactly the same and is adapting to my famous schedule! :)  I am recovering very slowly (actually slower than c-section), but that is to be expected and mom will be staying with me during the day this week.

June has been with my parents for five days (SO helpful!) and is coming back to live in our little house (which we are finally moved into!) tomorrow.  She has adapted perfectly and hardly notices a change with Annie...

A family of four now- adjusting and moving slowly, but very blessed :)

30?......30 :)

A few weeks ago, I turned 30.  This would usually be a HUGE day/week celebrated mostly by me with lots of pushing for husband, family, friends, etc to get as geared up about it as me so that I can make any and all celebrations a very big deal.  Well, this year was different.  I don't know if it was because I was running Rush for my sorority or because I am super pregnant or maybe just because I was so busy busy busy, I just didn't have time to think about it.

But, that's ok.  Because on the night of my birthday, my fun family surprised me at the sorority house with a cookie cake (my FAV!!), personalized accessories mom made me wear, presents, and a nice, quick visit before I had to go back to work. (Dan was there too of course, just m.i.a. in picture-taking).  I know the college girls were thinking it was a little extreme because they had all already sang to me (ok, maybe I told a few people it was my birthday...), but hey, that is how I roll, right?!

It was a great night and just went to show that I was the only one who forgot my birthday.  I guess these past 30 years of training have paid off pretty well! ;)

June wearing her sunglasses upside down (her preferred look)

Chicago!

I got to go on a nice little trip before Annie arrives.  (It could be any day now.  Even though I am only 37 weeks, she is technically considered full term, but let's hope she stays in there three more weeks!).  Anyway, I met my Mahncke Park girlfriends in Chicago for a SUPER fun girly weekend.  We hung out and did non-mom things all weekend- fantastic!  In a few more weeks, all my free days will be gone again, but that's ok.  We are ready to settle in the new house and relax (well, however much relaxing you can do with a new baby!).  I love the MP girls!  It was a great, much needed weekend! :)

Potty-training

Oh, the dreaded words....

Dan tried a little this weekend, but it ended up more on the floor when she was running away from the potty than in it. Lovely.... Just thought we'd try before Annie. Doesn't look like its going to happen.... :)

Chicken Mama

So, apparently, the chickens are alot more attached to me than I knew. I had no idea.

Every day, I go to the new house with June (yes, we are still living with my parents for two more weeks!), we get the chickens' eggs, say hi, and sometimes give them cantaloupe or watermelon rinds for a special treat. Usually, Esmerelda pecks my ankle while I am looking for their eggs that they hide in the hen house in the hay (I kindof yelp and play-kick her away, well maybe really kick her sometimes if it hurts...) Miss Penny says hi and Kink Tutu and Madame Cluck pretty much ignore me. They all cluck cluck cluck (although it is really more of a chortle- not sure when the cluck sound happens...) when I approach, but the previous scenario is their typical behavior when I go into their domain.

SO, I was expecting no change when I was gone and Dan was picking up their eggs. I was the Kappa rush advisor (10am-midnight) this past week and then met my San Antonio girlfriends in Chicago for this past weekend. Needless to say, I was not able to visit my ladies. Every day, I would ask Dan which eggs he found because of course, I had to keep my egg journal up to date. Well, day 1, he found two and then the next 6 days, NONE! I was getting a little worried about their diet or thought maybe they were sick, but I came back sunday and then yesterday- one egg, and today- tada! three eggs!!!

So, my conclusion is: the chickens cannot lay eggs without their mama- not Dan, not June, but ME! I feel very loved and important to add some ladies to my brood and will not take this new responsibility lightly.

Growing up

One and a half years old today!

Three is NOT a crowd...

Hooray Esmerelda!!! Her pretty copper eggs are here!

Another Egg Layer! (and gatherer)

Today, I checked the nest boxes and TWO more eggs! Madame Cluck laid her third blue egg (three in 6 days!) and Probably Miss Penny, but maybe King Tutu laid her first. Miss Penny and King Tutu will both lay light brown eggs, so I will just have to start noticing who is nesting and domesticating more and I will figure out the culprit. I am keeping an egg diary to track their egg frequency, so it is important that I know who laid and when. :)

I am trying to teach June how to gather (or at least hold) the eggs, but she really wants to bang them together and throw them. Not sure when this learning curve will even out.....

Dan leaves to hike the Enchanted Forest in Washington State on Sunday with two guys he hiked the Appalachian Trail with. He will be gone for a week ( :( :( :( ), so I might attempt to make the hens' roost on my own.

http://www.raising-chickens.org/chicken-perches.html

Isnt't it weird that that is what they like to sleep on? Birds of a feather....

Oh! And we ate Madame Cluck's first two eggs- delicious and very normal! ;)

Uncle Love

June has been loving some uncle time lately. Two of her uncles (well, my cousins) are currently in town and have been hanging out with us over at the parental's casa. Every day, she yells- Chappy! and Bobby! all day long, looking for them, and making them play with her anytime they are around.

But, they are more than happy to comply and give her all the attention she needs when I am trying to get some work done. We will be sad to see them go in a few weeks....