The Free Fam

HAPPY BIRTHDAY UNCLE JOHN!

2009-04-14T22:43:00.003-05:00

Last week April 8th my little brother John turned 24 years old! Guess that means I'm getting older too. We had a great time visiting with John and celebrating his B-Day.

Easter Weekend

2009-04-13T22:28:00.002-05:00

I was working all weekend - but Nate and the babies had a great time on Sunday with his family. My family came down and shared Easter Basket goodies. Here are a few pictures of the festivities.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY UNCLE JEFF!

2009-03-21T21:17:00.002-05:00

Nate has been uploading family pics lately. Found this one of Jeff and Nate. Happy 29th Jeff!

Sunny Day!

2009-03-10T12:45:00.003-05:00

I am so happy to be home today with my children! I have been working a lot more. Today is an absolutely beautiful day! We have enjoyed the sunshine and being out on the deck! We are loving the Spring weather!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-02-18T16:26:00.004-06:00

"Some beach somewhere." - Blake Shelton

Marvelous Monday

2009-02-16T15:04:00.002-06:00

I am just sitting here enjoying my Monday, and waiting for Nate to get home. He's been gone since Friday in Nashville at the IBMA (International Bluegrass Music Association) Festival. We have missed him. Mammaw and Pappaw kept the children. Mammaw made great dinner for us. It was so nice to come home from a long shift and have dinner ready. The house was also so nice and clean. Usually I clean on Mondays and get the house in order. So today feels like a day off. I must confess right now I am sitting on the couch while the kids are napping, vegging and blogging. Oh- I hear Monroe fussing. Think he's up from his nap. - Got to go!

My Husband Rocks Friday!

2009-02-13T21:29:00.000-06:00

I am also so HAPPY to have Nate as my Valentine! He already got us Valentine presents! Such a sweet surprise. Hannah got a beautiful little red purse, necklace and bracelet. I also got a purse I've had my eye on since before Christmas, as well as a necklace, bracelet and matching wallet. Monroe got lots of sugar. : ) Nate is so sweet! I never would have bought them for myself (because I'm too cheap) so it is so nice to have him think of me.

The past four weeks we have been doing a Womens' bible study at church. It has been AWESOME. You know I have realized- the problem with us is me, and the only person I can change is myself. So this post is not all about me, it's about NATE! He is awesome! In retrospect I can't believe his patience and kindness over the past 10+ years. It has been truly amazing! I am so stubborn, strong willed and often think I know best. When Nate tries to lead us- I have often "followed" by giving a guilt trip, or outwardly expressing my disdain. I have realized I must be the wife GOD wants me to be. By honoring Nate I honor GOD. I am not sure if he has noticed the change in me. I have tried to hold my tongue and truly be his "help meet."

He also rocks because he does the little things. He brought up the milk for me (we have our milk delivered every other week). He also took out the trash and brought the containers back to the house. In the past I would have asked him to do these things, then been upset if they did not get done in a timely (my timely) fashion. This week I did not ask or remind him. I just let it be. I am finding life much easier. I have released him from my preconceived ideas. I am working on me. I feel so BLESSED to have a husband that ROCKS!

Updates-

2009-02-12T11:12:00.002-06:00

Well so much for my new years resolution or not of blogging more often. Updates: The snow has melted away. We've had very cold weather, a couple days of warm weather and now we are back in "normal" temperatures for Missouri this time of year.
I can't believe Monroe is 6 months old! Both children are growing and changing everyday- as children do. This morning Hannah found Monroe's cereal and proceeded to make a sandbox in the play room. It was quite a "fun" mess.
We've been keeping busy with little gym, church and just daily life.
Our church has started a women's bible study on Thursdays. It has been an awesome study. I am learning a lot!
Here are a few picture updates too.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-01-14T11:00:00.003-06:00

Here I Go Again

2009-01-13T19:28:00.007-06:00

Ok- so here I was all ready to be diligent in blogging- before the new year. Here it is the new year and I have only made one post. I am gong to try and get back on the blogger train. I have been busy as most of you are I'm sure this new year. I must confess I still have a majority of Christmas decorations that need to be packed away.
Several things have contributed to my lack of blogging. Mainly a little thing called Facebook. I have had a MySpace account for some time. However, Nate has been telling me to get on Facebook- well I did and now I have a new found addiction. It was like that for me for MySpace too at first. I'll be better in a week or so. It takes awhile at first to find friends, update profile and figure out how to navigate the system. It has been fun. I have found several people that I had lost contact with. It is an amazing networking system.
Other family updates- Monroe is eating baby food now. He seems to like everything so far. He makes a face at peas- but will still eat them. His favorite food seems to be prunes. Lucky me at diaper change time. Hannah finished Little Gym in Ballwin and will be starting at The Little Gym of Fenton next week. They have a baby class for Monroe too- which is free with Hannah's membership. What is The Little Gym you may ask. Well basically it is a little gymnastics gym for children. Hannah just loves it. She has learned to interact with others, and developed coordination and balance. Before age three it is a parent child class. After age three children take the class with just the instructor. I have attached some pictures of Hannah in her last class.

Wordless Wednesday and Thankful Thursday

2009-01-01T18:51:00.002-06:00

I missed Wordless Wednesday this week, as I was working. I want to post a few Christmas pics. We had a great time with family, and received many wonderful gifts. I am thankful so much for my family!

Yes I'm Still Here

2008-12-30T20:36:00.004-06:00

Still recovering from holiday travels, and working. Got in Friday pm then to work Sat and Sun am. Go back in tomorrow night to bring in the new year at good ole BJH. Happy 2009! I really don't like working a night shift in the middle of the week, because it really messes up my scheudle. Been trying to get the house in order following the festivities. Slowly putting things away and doing laundry- I will be posting holiday picutures soon. We had a great time with family. More to come in the following days. HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Holiday Slacker

2008-12-21T20:39:00.005-06:00

So I have been a slacker this past week in blogger world- but not in "real life." It has been a crazy busy week! Brief run through of the weeks activities: Clebrated my dad and Grandpa Frank's Birthday with a quick trip to Rolla, made it back for Hannah's Little Gym, Christmas with Nate's Family, Finished and wrapped all holiday gifts, Austin's B-Day party, took Christmas card pictures, sent out Christmas cards (almost all of them), and have been trying daily to keep the house clean. Oh and I have been working at the ED, this weekend, Sat and Sunday then again on Tuesday. The plan is to load up gifts after work pick up kiddos and go to Rolla for the holidays. Planning on being their Tues-Friday. We are planning on celebrating with Dad and family and Mom and family. We are excited Nate's parents are joining us on Christmas day in Rolla. Looking forward to a fun week. Hannah is excited about Christmas this year. When she comes in the living room and sees the Christmas tree she says, "Oh my Christmas." We have also been talking about why we clebrate Christmas, that it is Jesus Birthday. So now when she sees Christmas lights she has been saying, "Happy birthday to me!" I guess this makes since she is the one getting presents. Monroe likes all the lights too, and seems to be taking it all in. Every day is a joy, I just wish I could slow it down a little- it's almost 2009!

Terrifying Tuesday

2008-12-17T16:29:00.002-06:00

As an ER nurse I am a huge proponent of wearing your seat belt. It actually makes me really angry when people don't or refuse to wear a seat belt. I recently received an email at work about the wrecks and fatalities over Thanksgiving weekend. There were 17fatalities, no one who was killed was wearing a seat belt. In Missouri we have the "Click it or ticket" law. Police can now pull you over and ticket you for not wearing your seat belt. The NHTSA estimates that almost 10,000 lives are saved every year by wearing seat belts. Enough said. Please remember to wear your seat belt this holiday season and always, "Arrive Alive"

Marvelous Monday and Tag I'm It-

2008-12-16T00:58:00.002-06:00

I must say I had a Marvelous weekend. I celebrated my "last" birthday last year. So that's right you guessed it I am actually 30 this year. Happy Birthday to me. I must also give a shout out and HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my nephew Austin, New baby Claire, Misty B, Melissa C, and the lady in the BJH cafetria line. We all share the same Birthday. Of course I can not forget my dad's birthday today! HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD! So Sunday (my b-day) was great. The babies spent the night with my wonderful sister-in-law Tina. Nate's work party was Saturday night. So after work Saturday, I went by and saw the babies, dropped off fresh milk and went to the work party. I got the first night of uninterrupted sleep I've had in 18 weeks, but I woke up twice because my body was telling me I needed to feed the baby boy. Sunday Nate took me to the RAMS game downtown. It was fun, I really enjoy getting to see professional sports LIVE. It is much better than on TV. Also special thanks to the owners of Overhead Door who Nate leases his building from- for the free tickets!
I have also been tagged by Alli and Rachel- I need to list 12 things about me- incase you are intrested. I am going to save this for Thursday when I should have more time.

My Husband Rocks Friday

2008-12-12T00:04:00.001-06:00

My husband rocks because he is an awesome chiropractor!!! He worked so hard in school and now in his practice. He has been in practice just over a year, and is doing GREAT! I am so proud of the growth he has already achieved in such a short amount of time. He is very good to adjust the children and I when ever we need it most. I just got the best adjustment. My neck leg and upper back were really bothering me. The pain in my hip/leg was waking me up at night. I can all ready tell that it is not going to bother me tonight. Ahhh- a solid nights sleep- I wish : ) Well at least tonight it won't be the pain that wakes me up- it will just be baby Monroe. I'd in a shape without his loving care. Thanks Dr. Free! Here is a link to his website:
www.cchiropractic.com

Thankful Thursday

2008-12-11T00:18:00.001-06:00

Thankful Thursday food for thought:

"O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.
For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods.
In his hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is his also.
The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker." - Psalm 45:1-6

"Feeling grateful or appreciative of someone or something in your life actually attracts more of the things that you appreciate and value into your life."
- Northrup Christiane

"If the only prayer you ever say in your life is thank you, it will be enough." - Meister Eckhart

"To receive more you must first be thankful for what you already have. Thanksgiving opens the doors for good ideas to flow, while cynicism blocks the door of good ideas." - Jim Rohn

"Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever." - Psalm 107:1

"They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness." - Psalm 145:7

Wordless Wednesday

2008-12-10T00:03:00.000-06:00

Terrifying Tuesday

2008-12-09T13:42:00.012-06:00

I've been thinking of dedicating one day a week blogging about my life and times as an ER nurse. I am very proud to work where I work. Of course it has its moments. Sometimes I want to pull my hair out because of the stress or frustration. However, most days it is great. I love the challenges that working in a city emergency department brings. We recently began implementing FREE rapid HIV testing in our ED. The test only takes 20 minutes to run. Detecting HIV early is a huge benefit, both to the infected individual and the medical system.
I titled today Terrifying Tuesday because I want to dedicate today to the terrifying HIV/AIDS epidemic. I think sometimes when thinking of AIDS we think of a certain stereotype or person. The truth is HIV/AIDS is a world wide issue. Here are some statistics you may not know about the disease:

Global Stats:

33.2 million people now live with HIV or AIDS.

In 2007, approximately 2.5 million people were infected with HIV.

Every day, over 6800 people become infected with HIV - almost five people per minute.

5700 people die from AIDS every day.

One child dies every minute.

15 million children around the world have been orphaned by AIDS, losing one or both parents to the disease.

Every fifteen seconds, another person age 15-24 becomes infected with HIV/AIDS.

US Stats:

Roughly one million people living with HIV/AIDS in the United States.

Since the start of the AIDS epidemic, 1.5 million Americans have been infected with HIV and more than 524,000 have died of AIDS.

At least 40,000 people are infected each year.

African Americans account for 48% of new HIV infections.

AIDS is the leading cause of death for African American women aged 25 to 34 and HIV rates among Hispanic women are increasing.

The number of women living with HIV has tripled in the last two decades.

At least half of all new infections are among people under the age of 25.

Washington, DC has the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rates in the United States - one in 20 people are living with HIV or AIDS.

I hold HIV/AIDS awareness close to my heart for two reasons: the death of a family member and trip to Africa. My uncle died of AIDS when I was in High School. When he first became sick I was told he had cancer. I later learned he had AIDS. He didn't know how long he had carried the HIV virus. I wish now we could have talked about it more. If I knew now what I know then I think I would have liked to talk to him about what it was like to be living with the disease. After he died we made a quilt piece to honor his life. It is now part of the AIDS quilt.

http://www.aidsquilt.org/

Four years after his death, Nate and I were blessed to be able to travel to Africa. I remember attending the funeral of a man who was rumored to have AIDS. This man was very wealth in the village where he lived. He had three wives and many children. I couldn't help think while attending his funeral about the sorrow that would reach is family. I have often thought about his family. I have often wondered about their fate.

I am now in a quandary. Where do I go from here? What is the best way to educate, teach, prevent and end this disease? I no longer feel I can just say- that it is someone else's problem.

Monroe's Monday

2008-12-08T20:48:00.004-06:00

Monroe is really getting a little personality. I just love this new picture of him.

My Husband Rocks Friday!

2008-12-05T08:00:00.001-06:00

He is an awesome musican. Nate was so worried that he would not be able to find anyone to play Bluegrass with when we moved to St. Louis six years ago. He actually found some bluegrassers within the first month through an internet bluegrass chat. This year his band was named by the RFT (River Front Times) as 2008 Folk band of the year. I am so proud of him!

About the Grass Pack

Riverfront Times Best of 2008 Winner
Best Folk Artist: The Grass Pack

Of all the terrors to chill the blood of a bluegrass band, being called “folk” ranks right up there with accordions and requests for “that O Brother, Where Art Thou? song.” And so the Grass Pack is only folk in the loosest though not emptiest sense of the word. Composed of wily veterans and energetic youths, and including five able singers, the combo is furthering the oral and aural traditions that bluegrass has always relied on. The sextet’s bluegrass is classic and hardcore, with tight and precise arrangements in the spirit of Jimmy Martin or Flatt and Scruggs, combining standard country workouts like “Sugarfoot Rag,” traditionals like “Red Wing” and soulful covers of more contemporary numbers like “No Expectations” (this last sung by fiddler Colleen Heine as if it were a Smoky Mountain blues from the pen of Dolly Parton rather than a decadent hunk of ore from the mine of Jagger and Richards). When the band bobs and weaves around a single microphone at a pub or festival, bluegrass and non-bluegrass folk alike know they’re hearing the real deal.
-Riverfront Times, September 25, 2008

Biography
The Grass Pack is a hard-driving bluegrass band from St. Louis, Missouri. With their roots planted in the tradition of rural American music, The Grass Pack’s brand of bluegrass harkens back to the music of the first generation of bluegrass, as defined by bands such as Bill Monroe and His Bluegrass Boys, Flatt and Scruggs, and Jimmy Martin. Yet, with their driving rhythm and dynamics, tasteful licks, and ringing harmonies, The Grass Pack creates a full and fresh sound that appeals to even the most modern audiences. The Grass Pack is a group of six finely tuned instrumentalists and singers that love playing bluegrass… and it shows.

Members:
Nate Free (banjo, vocals)
Don Grahlherr (Dobro, vocals)
Colleen Heine (fiddle, vocals)
John Higgins (guitar, vocals)
Dave Mueller (mandolin, vocals)
Mike Tiefenbrun (bass)

To listen to their music and see their web page:

www.grasspack.com

Thankful Thursday

2008-12-04T08:00:00.003-06:00

How many times this holiday season have you walked past someone with a red kettle ringing a bell? Yesterday we were on our way to The Little Gym and a man was standing singing and ringing his bells in harmony with the music. He was singing "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer." This song has been in my head and it got me to thinking. What does the Salvation Army Do? What does the money in the red kettle get used for? Below is a brief summary of how the red kettle got its start. Just an FYI if you will. It is my prayer that you choose your charity of choice to contribute to this year. I truly believe the joy in Christmas comes from the giving not the receiving.

Red Kettle History

courtesy of TSA - DFW Metroplex

In 1891, Salvation Army Captain Joseph McFee was distraught because so many poor individuals in San Francisco were going hungry. During the holiday season, he resolved to provide a free Christmas dinner for the destitute and poverty-stricken. He only had one major hurdle to overcome -- funding the project.

Where would the money come from, he wondered. He lay awake nights, worrying, thinking, praying about how he could find the funds to fulfill his commitment of feeding 1,000 of the city's poorest individuals on Christmas Day. As he pondered the issue, his thoughts drifted back to his sailor days in Liverpool, England. He remembered how at Stage Landing, where the boats came in, there was a large, iron kettle called "Simpson's Pot" into which passers-by tossed a coin or two to help the poor.

The next day Captain McFee placed a similar pot at the Oakland Ferry Landing at the foot of Market Street. Beside the pot, he placed a sign that read, "Keep the Pot Boiling." He soon had the money to see that the needy people were properly fed at Christmas.

Six years later, the kettle idea spread from the west coast to the Boston area. That year, the combined effort nationwide resulted in 150,000 Christmas dinners for the needy. In 1901, kettle contributions in New York City provided funds for the first mammoth sit-down dinner in Madison Square Garden, a custom that continued for many years. Today in the U.S., The Salvation Army assists more than four-and-a-half million people during the Thanksgiving and Christmas time periods.

Captain McFee's kettle idea launched a tradition that has spread not only throughout the United States, but all across the world. Kettles are now used in such distant lands as Korea, Japan, Chile and many European countries. Everywhere, public contributions to Salvation Army kettles enable the organization to continue its year-round efforts at helping those who would otherwise be forgotten.

Contact
Privacy Policy
Copyright © 2000 to 2008 The Salvation Army

Wordless Wednesday

2008-12-03T17:02:00.002-06:00

www.johnhartford.org

Monday Tuesday Combo

2008-12-02T17:28:00.009-06:00

Well I am still recovering from the jet lag I always feel from working the night shift at the hospital. It was a pretty uneventful weekend at work. Wait I shouldn't say that. Perhaps working in an Emergency Department for almost five years has made me see the activities we do as uneventful. However- in retrospect- it was pretty eventful. I mean we actually get to save lives- that's awesome! This weekend a man came in in cardiac arrest. We (by we I mean the qualified ED staff members) performed CPR for over an hour as well as gave multiple life saving medications during this time. The patient finally developed a sustainable heart beat and rhythm. He also qualified for our "cooling off" protocol. Studies have shown that following a v-fib arrest(bad heart rhythm) cooling the patient's core temperature promotes a better outcome for the patient. This is achieved by inserting a special IV catheter, then ice cold water (I am simplifying here)is flushed through the catheter cooling the patient. It is amazing really. The patient was taken to the CCU (cardiac intensive care unit) to continue to stabilize and recover.

The Coolguard Machine Used for cooling

See this link below for more information on this life saving proceedure:

include.nurse.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071203/NE02/712030324

Saturday Sunday Sabbatical

2008-11-30T04:40:00.003-06:00

Just to let everyone know I will be taking a break from blogging on the weekends. I work every weekend. Sometimes I work the day shift and sometimes the night shift. It is just to hard to dedicate time on the weekends to blogging. I am also most upset- we have misplaced our camera. Must find it!!! It's time to take some pictures for the holiday season and update the blog with new pics. For now I am forced to use my camera phone. Hope everyone has a great weekend- oh and for my Southern followers- it snowed here tonight, but not enough to stick. "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas."

My Husband Rocks Friday!

2008-11-28T02:51:00.003-06:00

My husband rocks for so many reasons. I am glad that I am going to get to have every Friday to share how great he is! Today I want to honor what a great dad he is. Last night at work I received a page at 0230 in the morning. I was nervous at first that baby Monroe would be crying his little head off and Nate would be upset. Instead my heart was filled with joy. Nate had attempted to put him down in the swing so he could sleep. He noticed after laying him down little Monroe was smiling at him. So at 0230 in the morning Nate and Monroe were having a little bonding time. Precious husband, precious baby boy. Nate is great at keeping both of our children at night and weekends I have to work. I love him even more than I thought possible when I see him with our babies. (Thank you Nate, for being a great dad!)

Thankful Thursday

2008-11-28T02:36:00.007-06:00

Just wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving! We had a wonderful day with family.

I am thankful for:
My family, wonderful husband and two beautiful children
My faith
My friends
My Job
My church
(and this is to just name a few)

I really have so much to be thankful for! I love my friend Suzanne's recent post about finding thankfulness and being positive in every situation. See her post at:

http://www.thelifeofsuz.blogspot.com

I have a book I love that I was given for a wedding present, called Love in Every Room. The book talks about finding thankfulness in everyday situations. For example when faced with a pile of laundry or dishes to wash, instead of seeing the laundry or dishes as a chore, be thankful you have clothes to was and dishes to eat on. It really is a blessing to have so many blessings, so many people are so less fortunate. This time of the year always gets me to thinking about my blessings.

Tonight in the ER, this time of family I have already seen one self inflicted gun shot wound, and two homeless people come in just to have a place to stay.

I am so blessed!

Wordless Wednesday

2008-11-25T21:01:00.004-06:00

I know this is supposed to be wordless- and on Wednesday- but I am sending these pics out early due to a busy day tomorrow. Tomorrow we have Little Gym, my mom is coming for the holiday, and I am making pies. Hope you enjoy the pictures.

Terrifying Tuesday

2008-11-25T14:59:00.002-06:00

Poor Miss Hannah she has been plagued lately with terrifying nightmares and things that go bump in the night. It started about a month ago. She was not able to verbalize at that time what was scaring her. She would just say, "Hannah scared!" So we started saying "Boogie, Boogie" and shaking our hands up in the air to scare anything that might be there away. She would laugh and this seemed to be working for about a week. My sister-in-law Tina had a brilliant idea that worked with her children. She invented "Monster Be Gone." This ingenuous idea can be easily replicated and works great! Take any body spray or air freshener, spray in room at bedtime. If your children can read label the spray with the words "Monster-Be-Gone." I tell Hannah, "We like it, but they don't like it." I have read it is best to acknowledge their fears. So we spray the "Monster-Be-Gone" and the monsters stay away. Well they stay away most nights. Two nights ago she woke up screaming that, "there are bugs in my room!" Last night she told me, "There are monsters in my closet Mamma." So tonight we are trying a night light. At least I have learned through this that not all monsters are mean or scary. Last week she was yelling down into the basement,"Hey you! Hey you monsters! Come up here, I want to show you something."

New Years Resolution

2008-11-24T03:28:00.002-06:00

OK, so I'm not into New Year's resolutions- well not really. I find anytime of year is a great time to make a new resolution. There are many things in my life I would like to improve upon. I consider my self a work in progress. Having children has been especially good to strengthen my character, and my spiritual life. Nothing is more important to me than raising children that love the Lord, and seek to follow his will all the days of their lives. So I know I must be this example for them. I always feel the best when I have exercised, and spent time in the Word or in prayer. I am constantly renewing the resolution to spend more time in these activities. Just as an aside: Have you ever noticed that the gym is always so crowded in January?

Anyway- all this to say- I am making an early but small resolution to blog more often- I have said this many times- but this time I am going to stick to it. It takes 30 days to form a habit. I am going to accomplish this by titling the days of the week. I am borrowing a few of these weekly titles from my friends in blogger world. Rachel gets credit for wordless Wednesdays, and Stacey gets credit for my husband is fabulous Fridays. Today is Marvelous Monday, Tuesdays and Thursdays will either be terrible or terrific. I am hoping for the latter. So here goes:

Marvelous Monday: Today in Marvelous for so many reasons.
1) Nate and his dad killed three deer this past weekend. They also processed it and we now have yummy deer meat to last us almost a whole year. (We are splitting the meat between three families)
2) I have almost finished my weekend of work, or at least I will have in a few hours (don't tell- the life of an ER nurse is not always exciting) and I have a few minutes to type this at work.
3) This week is Thanksgiving! (Yummy turkey and dressing here we come)
4) I am resolving to be a more faithful blogger. : )

Weekends

2008-10-28T19:01:00.005-05:00

Papaw and Monroe

Apple Picking

Cousins- Carson, Abby, Cadey Mae, Hannah, Austin and Monroe

Austin and Monroe

Hannah and Grandpa Alan

We'll weekends have now changed. Last weekend was my first weekend back to work. Daddy did good with the little ones. Papaw and Mamaw also came over and helped him out. I enjoyed being back at work. I really like my part time job at the hospital. It gives me a little break from my full time job at home, and makes me appreciate the time at home and work more. I really applaud moms who stay home 24/7. I love my babies so much, but also really like being an RN.
The weekend before last we went to Purina Farms on Saturday and Eckerts on Sunday. It was a fun last weekend "off." We are looking forward to Halloween festivities this week. We also squeezed in a quick trip to Rolla- I got to see my best friend from High School Abigail and her two children. She was in Rolla visiting. It was great to see her. Aunt Tina made the cute shirts the children are wearing! I just love them!

Balloon Glow

2008-09-22T23:16:00.000-05:00

Last Friday night we went to the Forest Park Balloon glow. This in an annual event followed by "The Great Forest Park Balloon Race". I must say the balloons were very beautiful all a glow. After the balloon glow- there was a beautiful display of fireworks. The plus was family time- the minus was VERY crowded traffic. We also had to walk about a mile to see the balloons over and over the hilly terrain of the park. Hannah loved it and that was the best part. Monroe was not to sure what to think of it all- but seemed to enjoy the colors, sights and sounds.

Family Picture Time

2008-09-21T00:02:00.000-05:00

With the new addition to our family we decided to take some family photos. We got them taken at Target. I think they do a nice job and are very reasonable in price.

Hannah's Second Birthday

2008-09-14T15:20:00.001-05:00

It's been awhile since my last post- Hannah turned 2 August 10th. We celebrated by a party at Chuckie Cheese. Hannah loves the mouse. We all had a fun time- it was kind of a blur though- since Monroe was still such a newborn. Here are a few pictures.

Birth Story

2008-08-18T22:17:00.000-05:00

I finally have a few minutes (I hope) to post baby Monroe's birth story. I was both easier and harder that delivering Hannah. My OB/GYN said, "well apparently your body has no exit plan." So at 41 weeks July 31st I went in for a scheduled induction. I kept hoping that I would to into labor on my own. I really would have preferred all to go "naturally." However, I am very thankful for the invention of pitosin. The plan was to go in at 0700 on July 31st. There was no room in the inn. We went in at 0930 instead. It was not too bad of a delay.

Nate and I went to hospital, (Missouri Baptist Medical Center) got signed in and I had my IV started. Hannah stayed home with my mom. The pitosin drip began at around 1000. I am about 3cm dilated at 60% effaced. I started making laps around the nurses station. I knew I would make no progress without having my water broken. I wanted to get this show on the road! I was on pitosin for 11 hours with Hannah- never felt a single contraction until my water was broken. So I was more proactive this time. My doctor came in around noon, broke my water. From here on out it started to getting a little harder. I kept making laps- asking my nurse if I could have my pitosin increased until I felt my contractions. Finally I did- OUCH!

By this time of the morning- Hannah, Nate's parents and my parents had arrived, also Jeff, Tina and children. I was doing OK for a while- but I am one of those people when I am sick or hurting I just want to be left alone. So Nate asked everyone to leave the room. He and I rode the wave of contractions until the end. I kept expecting to be nauseated- a sign I was about 6cm dilated. I asked the nurse to come in and check me- exactly 6cm- how about that. No nausea this time around. Very nice not to be vomiting with contractions. The contractions were getting more intense. I decided as with Hannah not to have an epidural.

Nate was awesome! He helped me the entire time. I spent the majority of my time in the bathroom. I think he was afraid I would deliver in there. He was great at performing hip pressure points to assist the baby in coming down the birth canal. He said it was really hard for him to see me in so much pain. The labor was now getting even more intense. This time around I think it may have seemed worse because the pitosin was increased faster and I dilated faster. The worst part of the labor pains only lasted 2 hours. Then near the end- while still in the bathroom- I said to Nate, "Get the nurse, the baby is coming." It felt like I barely made it to the bed. He was out in a few good pushes. Nate was AWESOME! I could not have done it without him. He made a great doula this time around.

Monroe arrived at 1432. All our family made it in just in the nick of time. It was great to have everyone there to support us. Pappaw, Uncle Jeff and the children stayed in the lobby and played with Hannah. Hannah came in shortly after delivery. She seemed to love him right away. He was beautiful, and perfect. I held him, then he got a bath. I nursed him, and then ordered some lunch. Chicken salad, a salad, milk, chocolate cake. It was yummy! I had worked up quite an appetite. I asked by doctor afterward if I could go home now- she said I had to wait at least a day. : ) Ok- doctor.

We had a good first night in the hospital. The stay was nice- not like being at home in bed- but nice. Staff was good and so was the food. Monroe had a little jaundice- so we almost had to stay. Thankfully we were able to bring him home 30 hours after he was born- a very new new born! Hannah has been adjusting well. We have been very busy around here I hosted a PEO meeting, had Hannah's 2nd B-day party, and I had a baby shower for a good friend. We have also had a visits from good out of town friends Rachel, Kaiya and Kaleb, Chris, Alli, and Emerson, We also went to the zoo. We also had visits from baby Chole and fam and baby Adi and fam. We are also very excited to have Nate's parent's living close by now.

We are settling in and adjusting to life with a new born. He is a great baby so far! Fussy in the evening making it the hardest part of the day. We are getting rest when we can. We have had great weather for taking walks- which I would love to do if I had not broken my toe last night. Great timing right? I will post pics of all the recent events soon. : )

Baby Monroe is Here!

2008-08-01T08:27:00.000-05:00

Well Maurine and I are totally excited to have our newest addition to the Free Fam. Monroe Alan Free was born at 2:23pm on July 31st weighing 8lb 12 ounces. He and momma are doing great and planning to come home today! I only have a short amount of time to post but wanted to get something out there and show off our new boy :)
Maurine will more than likely be the one posting more info soon:
nate

Baby Boy

2008-07-24T10:56:00.000-05:00

Another week down-- I had a few strong contractions at work last weekend, but still no baby boy yet. Today Nate, Nate's mom, Hannah and I went to OB and Ultrasound appointment. All is well and he passed his ultrasound "test" with flying colors. He is very active and measures well. Estimated weight is 8lbs 11oz. This is a comupter estimate and can be plus or minus 1/2 lb. The plan is to be induced next Thursday, if no baby by then. We will go in early at 0730, then see how it goes from there. Please continue to pray for a safe and speedy delivery.

Making a little progress-

2008-07-16T22:28:00.000-05:00

Well another appointment/week down. Here I am offically at 39 weeks- just waiting on baby to make himself known. Doctor appt. went well still progressing in the right direction. I had a few contractions this evening- and thought this may be it- but they went away when I rested. Next week I have another ultrasound and appointment scheduled. Baby is very active- so I think there is still enough room for him. Must be a nice little warm cozy home in there. Packed a bag to take to hosptial today- now we just continue to wait. Thank you for all of your prayers- I'll keep you posted.

No changes---

2008-07-11T11:05:00.001-05:00

Just a quick update- MD appointment on Wed provided no new information. Except that "There are lots of storms coming. Your water could break at anytime." Next appointment is this Wed. All is well here- Hannah and I went to see a free movie at Wherenburg yesterday. It was "Charlotte's Web" cute movie. Last night the ladies at church had a diaper shower for us. It was very nice!! We received 668 diapers and some other very cute goodies. I am very thankful. Now we are just waiting on baby Monroe. I have some more shifts to work- so it would be nice to get those in too. We'll see how it goes.

No changes---

2008-07-11T11:05:00.000-05:00

Just a quick update- MD appointment on Wed provided no new information. Except that "there are lots of storms coming. Your water could break at anytime."

Can it be JULY already? 38 weeks and counting!

2008-07-08T22:17:00.000-05:00

I can't believe how time flies! It is almost time for our little baby boy to make his entrance. I'm offically 38 weeks tomorrow. I had an appointment last week and all is well. Doctor says all is progressing in the right direction. Had an ultrasound and he weighed approximately 6.5 lbs last week. Expected growth rate is 1/2 lb per week. Also got to see he has hair and was practicing breathing-- and still a boy! : ) I'm now at weekly appointments- go in again Wed. Plan is to induce by Aug 1st if he's not here by then. Hannah was 8lbs 14 oz- so little guy is set to weigh same if he comes late like his sister. More to post after next appointment. Here's a few recent pics- of activities around the Free house.

Hannah goes down big slide at park- weeee!

All smiles!

Hyser's visit- Rachel reads Kaiya and Hannah a story.

Hannah practices being a big sister- feeding Kaleb a bottle.

Not for the faint of heart- the one and only belly pic- yes that is a cape around my shoulders.

Fun with finger paints!

2008-05-22T23:10:00.000-05:00

We had a good night tonight. We all went shoe shopping Nate and Hannah got some new shoes. I wasn't able to find anything for myself. I think I'll go back after the pregnancy is over and look again. I had a craving for chocolate. We went by Shop and Save picked up some cake and brownine makins. While the brownies were cooking Hannah and I had fun doing some finger painting.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

2008-05-12T23:07:00.000-05:00

We had a great mother's day. Hope you all did too. Nate and Hannah made my day special with flowers and a picture. Here's a few pics.

Beautiful Flowers!

Sweet Kiss!

Love my Hugs!

The Cruise Pictures-

2008-05-10T21:58:00.000-05:00

Well folks here they are the cruise pictures. I published them in reverse order of the actual cruise. So start at the bottom and work up. We had a great time! We left from Fort Lauderdale, FL then on to Key West, FL, Cozumel, Mexico and Belize City, Belize. We are very thankful we had this time together before our next new little addition. Hope you enjoy the pictures.

Ports of Call

2008-05-10T21:43:00.000-05:00

Belize City, Belize

We decided on another beach day in Belize. We didn't go into the city. What could be better than enjoying the beach with the one you love.

Approaching the beach

Nate and Mo at the beach

Mo in the Hammock- doing some good reading- "Baby Wise" and "The Happiest Toddler on the Block"

Nate's toes and the Ocean

A view from the tender boat.

We had a great time on our cruise and are very thankful to Grandparents who watched baby Hannah for us. We missed her so much! It is good to be back home now as a family.

Ports of Call

2008-05-10T21:24:00.000-05:00

Cozumel, Mexico

Here we had a beach day at a resort area. We spent the day relaxing and laying in the Sunshine. It rained a little on us- but was a great day. Can't beat laying around on the beach- with all you can eat buffet. We also ejoyed a paddle boat ride in the ocean.

Nate at the beach

Momma in the Ocean

Nate at the dock

Mo enjoying the sun

Towel bunny- in our room

Ports of Call

2008-05-10T20:58:00.001-05:00

Key West-

In Key West we did a tour called "A taste of Key West." We walked around the town stopping at about five different places sampling local cuisine.

This is me in Peppers of Key West. We sampled all kinds of spicey salsa and dips. Nate and I made it to the second to last spicy salsa. After that we had to sign a wavier. It was so spicey that we could only roll it on our tounges with a toothpick. Touching it to anyother part of the body and ouch!!!

Port- above where we tasted some yummy shrimp. After that we fed the fish with our shrimp shells.

A view of Key West from the ship.

Local arcitecture- look closely and you will see a woman standing on the top of the roof- the widows peak. This was also used to look out for pirates, and crashed ships-carring loot.

We also sampled Conch Fritters, Dolphin Fingers and Key Lime Pie.

Here is my very full (and pregnant) belly!

The Cruise Pictures-

2008-05-10T20:28:00.000-05:00

Pictures of the ship:

A view from above looking down to the main floor

Main area- grand entrance

Model of the ship

Outside Pool

Indoor pool

The Cruise Pictures-

2008-05-10T20:11:00.000-05:00

Here are some of my favorite pictures from the cruise

Nate at the emergency drill

Nate and Mo in our room

Mo smiles on the boat

Cruise ship: Enchantment of the Seas

Strange ring around the sun Key West- our first port of call

April's Over Already?

2008-05-04T05:00:00.000-05:00

Can't believe I haven't posted the entire month of April. The time has flown by! Nate and I just got back from our 5 night cruise of the Western Carribean. We had a great time. It was nice to spend the week together. It was soooo hard to be away from Hannah. She had some quality time with grandparents. I guess you could say she was on vacation too. : ) We are already back into the swing of things. I got off the plane, changed clothes and went to work. Looking forward to a good days sleep in our bed. I'll post pictures soon of some of the cruise highlights.

Family Lovin

2008-03-20T21:38:00.000-05:00

Not much news here- except our basement flooded with all this rain we had. We had to hire "The Griffin Brothers" to come and get the water out and dehumidify the basement. We have had this huge dehumidifier down there for days now. The good thing to come from all of this is it has started my nesting process. I am trying to get this place cleaned up and get rid of some stuff we just don't need. I guess it really is spring cleaning.
Hannah had her pictures taken at Target today. I didn't even know they had a studio until I saw the sign for the free 8x10. So we were able to get a walk in appointment and got some really cute shots. They will be ready the first of April. I was amazed at how reasonably priced they were too.
Last but not least here are a few quick pics of Hannah and here cousin McKenzie with Grandma Ria and one with Momma and Daddy.

Warm Weather in Texas

2008-03-14T21:59:00.000-05:00

At the end of Feb. Hannah and I took a week and visited my Grandparents in South Texas. We really enjoyed the warm weather. Especially since in my opinion it has been a cold depressing winter. We celebrated my Grandmother's birthday. Enjoyed the pool, warm weather and great company. Here are a few pictures of our time in Texas.

ITS A BOY!!!

2008-03-12T15:49:00.000-05:00

So from a long "blog" break I am back with great news! We are expecting a boy in late July. We are still undecided on a name. The day we found out was probably the worst snow storm we have had yet living here in St. Louis. It took us 3 times as long to get to the appointment. I had been craving a our favorite Mexican Restaurant- it took us an hour to get there only 5 minutes from the doctor's office. Here's a picture of Hannah and I getting ready to go in to eat.

Still have my hair, just a little bit less.

2008-02-13T14:34:00.000-06:00

Things are looking up. I did not in fact pull out my hair, but I did get trim today. Having shorter hair makes me really keep up with getting it trimmed. Otherwise it just looks sloppy. With long hair no one knows if it's getting "too long." I took Hannah with me today to get my hair done. I was SOOOOO PROUD of her! She sat in a little child chair, and ate gold fish, drank some juice and looked at books for 45 minutes! What a good little girl. I actually couldn't believe how good she was. Especially in the trials of late. So needless to say, I do have a little less hair, but only because I got a trim, not because I pulled any out.

I must also take this time to brag on Hannah, she went pee pee in the potty all by herself yesterday! It's a small start but a good one. I am being careful not to push her. I am however hopeful that she will be diaper free by the time baby two comes along.

I am thinking blue. I had my second dream last night about having a baby boy. I am not sure how much stock to take in my dreams, but I did dream about baby Hannah. She came out looking a lot like in my dream. Of course we will not at all be disappointed with a girl. We love our baby girl and two would be twice as nice.

I am so looking forward to vacation next week. Hannah and I are going to South Texas to visit my Grandmother and Grandpa Frank. Then we head to San Francisco, CA to see my friend Jessicca. Looking forward to warm South Texas weather!!! Probably won't want to come home.

Pulling my hair out

2008-02-11T18:30:00.000-06:00

Does any one else out there feel like their little one can try their patience? I thought I was feeling better, but I don't feel so well today. Hannah has a cough- and I don't think she feels 100% either. She has just been so much more needy today. Everytime I try to get anything done she cries and wants to be held. Right now I have a moment because she is eating supper. She is very content right now. I feel bad because I have lost my patience with her several times today. I called Nate- and lost it on the phone. Looking forward to him getting home. Times up- supper is over and she's fussing again. I love her so much but today has just been one of those days I want to pull my hair out!

Weekends!

2008-02-10T11:28:00.000-06:00

I must confess- I have not gone to work this weekend. I was sick all day Friday. Well to be exact I got up at 0330- to call in on Saturday morning. Felt slightly better, and decided I could go to work. Got ready- to work by 0530- left work too ill at 0630. Anyway, all that to say- slept all day Saturday- Nate watched Hannah. I also had slept all day Friday and Friday night. Thanks to Jeff and Tina who took care of Hannah. Nate was at work then a gig. I am feeling better today but am going to take off tonight too. This way hopefully I will be 100%. Hannah has a bit of a cold and cough too. Despite being sick- it has been really nice to be home this weekend. I never thought I'd say this, but I am envious of people who get to have weekends home with their families together. Hannah just fell asleep by me sitting on the couch. I am going to lay her down for a nap now.

New Pictures

2008-02-07T05:26:00.000-06:00

Here's a couple of recent pictures. Here's Hannah and Abby after their bath. Nate and Hannah during a recent weekend. Hannah found my hair ties, and put them on. Nate does a great job with Hannah on the weekends!

Baby Moving!

2008-02-06T18:09:00.000-06:00

Today I am about 16 weeks pregnant give or take a day or two. That's 4 months already! Today I was sitting on the couch with Hannah and I felt the baby move, several times. At the last doctor's appointment the doctor said to expect being able to feel the baby soon. With Hannah I was 20 weeks, before I felt her. I must confess perhaps it was the caffeine that got this little one going today. I made my self a 1/2 caf iced coffee- with sugar. Mmmmmm. Drank it in the am to help me stay awake all day.

Long story short- I had to work yesterday- traded the day shift for 1/2 a night shift mn to 0600. I did take a couple of naps prior to going in. Mind you I still have Hannah- so naps are really when she will sleep. She takes a nap every day but the time varies. So when I got home this morning I had worked since midnight. We had a lazy day- watched a couple of movies, ate and took a nap.

We are waiting on Nate to come home. He is brining O'Charleys. Yummy. Looking forward to an early bedtime tonight! Then tomorrow it starts over again- except I work a 12 hour shift. Don't worry this time I have child care so I can sleep all day uninterrupted. She's just too active these days for me to take care of her after working all night. Plus she loves spending time with her cousin's.

Hannah had her first sleep over Monday night. Abby (Hannah's first cousin)- 5 months her senior came over. The girls had a good time, it was a little challenging getting them both to sleep. It was Abby's first time away from home without her momma or daddy. She did a great job and is a really sweet little girl.

Well that's all for now- Nate has most of the newest pics of Hannah loaded on his computer. I will have to wait for him to get home to post pictures. I must confess we are skipping church tonight. Just too tired to drive there. Hannah is looking through the directory and calling out people she knows. We also sang some Bible songs earlier today. Hope that will count for tonight. : )

BIG NEWS!

2008-01-15T22:43:00.001-06:00

Well it is finally time- actually a little past time to make the BIG blog announcement! We are expecting a baby at the end of July. That's right Hannah is going to be a big sister. I am now out of the first trimester, and the nausea is getting much better. We had our first appointment January 3rd. I have a new doctor. The doctor that delivered Hannah is now head of the OB department at a new hospital. She no longer has a private practice. I really like my new doctor. I had an ultrasound at the appointment and all looks good. I have attached a picture from the internet of about what the baby looks like now. We are anxious to find out what we are having on March 4th.

BIG SNOW!

2007-12-17T20:57:00.001-06:00

This past weekend on Satuday we got a lot of snow. I think the final count was close to eight inches. It is still on the ground. While I was at work while the fam had a great time sledding down the hill. Hannah has a great time sledding down the hill.

Winter Wonderland

2007-12-12T17:10:00.000-06:00

Last week we had our fist snow. I bundled Hannah up in her new snow suit and she was off. She seemed to enjoy it. She has been a little under the weather this week. I think it is because she is getting 4 more teeth all at once. They should all be in just in time for Christmas dinner. We are hosting Christmas here this year. The house is decorated, but still need to finish the shopping. It's been a little hard, with a sick baby this week, she only wants to lay around a cuddle. I am thankful that I have been able to cuddle with her. I am fortunate with my job I only have to work 3 days a week. Mom aka Granny is coming tomorrow night, to help watch Hannah when I go to work, and then while I sleep on Friday. Right now no big plans for Friday, think I'm going to lunch with a friend and I really want to go see Santa's Magical Kingdom (lights in the park). Maybe someone will make me a cake. : )

Here are the pictures:

2007-11-28T16:35:00.000-06:00

Time Flies When You're Havin Fun

2007-11-21T23:33:00.001-06:00

Since last post, we have fixed the roof, traveled to Utah, celebrated Nate's big 30, visited Grant's Farm and celebrated Halloween, celebrated my mom's birthday. Nate's practice is going great check out his web site www.cchiropractic.com. He practices in a little town about 6 miles from our house, it is truly a blessing! We are looking forward to celebrating Thanksgiving with Nate's parents and My parents. I have to work, but they get to eat Turkey twice. Hannah's vocabulary is really advancing. She says all kind of words now. Seems like she learns a new word every day. She has learned her name and points to pictures of herself throughout the house. She also loves to mimic sounds like ChoCho, and all kinds of animal sounds. It is a joy to watch her grow and change every day. Here are a few pictures of the highlights.

Emergency Nurse Convention Salt Lake City Utah

Mormon Temple Salt Lake City

View from Triage: Inter Mountain Medical Center

Hannah feeds goat with Grandma Ria at Grant's Farm

Hannah and Momma at Grant's Farm

Pictures Continued

2007-11-21T23:25:00.001-06:00

Halloween Visit with Aunt Louise

Little Clown

Happy Birthday Granny

Hannah Helps Momma with Dishes

Hannah Helps Daddy with Editing

The Joys of Home Ownership!

2007-09-30T13:27:00.000-05:00

We totally love our new home- and aren't really experiencing any buyers remorse. I've learned that a bigger house means more to clean- but it's great Hannah has so much more room to run around and play. The other night it rained very hard and we realized our roof had a little leak. Last weekend Nate got up on the roof and fixed the problem. I captured our hunting for the leak. I think these pictures of Hannah captures our sentiments of the event.

Congratulations!

2007-09-30T13:08:00.000-05:00

I am so excited that we have a new niece! Mackenzie Elaine was born last week. To proud parents Clay and Sally. Also our good friends Chris and Ali have a new baby named Emerson Grace. Mackenzie and Emerson were born last week. My good friend from nursing school Suzanne and husband Joe had 4 healthy babies the first of August. Here are pictures of all the blessings!

Mackenzie and Big Brother Caleb

Emerson after her first bath

The Steece Quads, Savannah, Ethan, Andrew, Benjamin

Birthday Party Pictures

2007-09-14T10:22:00.000-05:00

Here are a few pictures from Hannah's first birthday and Nate's graduation party. It was a big day. Not only did Nate graduate, but my brother left for Oregon. So far he likes it and is doing well.

Mini-Me

2007-09-13T23:34:00.000-05:00

Little Hannah is becoming a big help these days. She likes to do everything I do. Last week she helped me unload the dishwasher, and in this pic she helped me curl my hair. I am going to make an effort to blog more often. I have so many pics I want to share. It has been another busy month. More to come soon.

HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY HANNAH!

2007-08-10T22:27:00.000-05:00

Today is Hannah's first birthday. We celebrated with a visit from Pappaw, Granny, and Grandpa, Grandma Ria and cousin Caleb. We ate at O'Charlie's. Earlier in the day we had some one year pics taken. Here's Hannah one year ago and today. Can't belive how the year has flown.

Such a Slacker

2007-08-01T13:06:00.000-05:00

Dear fellow bloggers- I have been such a slacker with the blog lately. First I have misplaced the camera among the boxes. So I don't even have any pics to post. In news: Hannah is almost a year old! I can't believe it, just 10 more days. She is walking and has her first tooth. We move into our new place on the 14th- just two weeks. So much to do before then. Nate is having repair to his wrist the 22nd. He has some exciting job prospects as well. We are super excited to be moving. We are just hoping nothing else breaks before the 24th- the day we "close" on the trailer. The air compressor on the air conditioning went out- so we are negotiating repair. We are planning a big celebration on the 18th of August for Nate's graduation and Hannah's B-day. If your in town come on by. : ) We also have a Jeep Wrangler for sale. Any takers- just throwing it out there. Works great just don't need it. All for now. I'll keep my eyes peeled for the camera. Baby Hannah is getting so big!

Ooooooo !

2007-06-07T14:18:00.001-05:00

She's a cutie!

2007-06-07T14:02:00.000-05:00

Hannah's a little cutie! If I do say so myself. Hannah really enjoyed a visit from Pappaw this month. She also got her first haircut this month. Here's a few recent pics!

What a month!!

2007-06-06T22:14:00.000-05:00

We have had quite a month! We are soon to be home owners. We found a great place in Fenton, MO. We close on the 22nd, but are waiting to move in Aug 13th. We'll move in just to have a big celebration for Hannah's Birthday and Nate's graduation. We are super excited. Our minds are racing with ways to decorate and make it our own. Nate has an interview tomorrow for a possible associateship. He also has an appointment next week to see hand surgeon at Barnes. He has a ganglion cyst that has been giving him a lot of pain. He's got to have good working wrists! Pray all goes well. In baby Hannah news she is pulling up and walking behind a musical walker. She is communicating more, waving and showing us how big she is. She is also standing on her own. She turns 10 months on the 10th. She is growing more everyday!!

Long time no Post

2007-05-07T16:03:00.000-05:00

Well it's been almost a month since I last posted. Things have been pretty much the same here. We've been doing the same thing, work, eat, wash, sleep, repeat. I've been trying to drink more water lately, and just be healthier in general- Always good I guess. Nate is preparing for part 4 Boards. I am so proud of him! He has already passed parts 1-3 with flying colors. He is done with classes now and is seeing pt's in clinic. He well on his way to meeting all of his clinc requirements as well.
Hannah news: She is becoming much more mobile: She is doing this 1/2 crawl thing and is able to move around just about everywhere now. She is pulling up on everything too. It is fun to watch her explore her world. Still no teeth yet.
Personal news: We've decided to stay in our trailer for probably another year. At least until Nate know where he is going to practice (what part of STL). This will allow us to save some money for a down payment. We'll see what the future holds.
News from friends in our life: Suzanne is doing great with her pregnancy! Benjamin, Ethan, Andrew and Savannah are growing and doing well. She is over 1/2 way there. Hoping to make a trip to see her in June with some other nursing buddies.
Tony and Rachel are having baby #2 due sometime in Dec.!
Chris and Ali are having a baby girl!
As always I have to post a few pics of our little princess.

And the winner is. . .

2007-04-11T21:04:00.000-05:00

So to all of you who have been wondering- we have decided to stay in Saint Louis. We almost decided to move to Nashville- but the benefits of staying including family, job and music in STL out weighed moving to Nashville. For about 20 hours I was sure we were moving to Nashville - but Nate had a sick feeling in his stomach the whole time. We then decided we would rather stay here. He now has a PEACE about the decision. I am always up for new adventures- but I must say I think I am happier about staying here. Family is a HUGE bonus we are only 2 hours away from my family- and 2 minutes from Nate's brother and his family. Hannah Rose loves her cousins! We will definitely make a better effort to get to Louisiana more often! That is one of the benefits of being a nurse- flexible schedule and I only have to work 3 days a week! I can't beat it! So the decision has been made- We're staying. Nate and I have been searching the web for homes for sale. I'm thinking we might like to live in the city and rehab something. I love home improvement- the city is changing and their are some great possibilities. However we may move closer to Hwy 44, or closer to the city in a suburb like Webster Groves or Maryland Heights. We'll see. The deal with our trailer fell through and with the motorcycle too. So we have some time to make a decision. At any rate the possibilities are endless and we are excited about our future. Your prayers are always appreciated!

My Celebrity Look-alikes

2007-04-05T22:38:00.001-05:00

http://www.myheritage.com

My Celebrity Look-alikes

2007-04-05T22:24:00.001-05:00

http://www.myheritage.com

My Celebrity Look-alikes

2007-04-05T22:17:00.001-05:00

My cool celebrity look-alike collage from MyHeritage.com. Get one for yourself.

Abigail Turn's One & Fun With Cousins

2007-04-03T20:55:00.000-05:00

Hannah and Uncle Jeff

Aunt Tina and Abbi with Birthday Cake

Abbi and Presents !!!!

Cousins by Window

Solving the World's Problems

August 31st Abigail turned one! Also a few pics of the girls: Cousin Cadie Mae, Abigail and Hannah playing together today.

Trip to the Zoo

2007-04-03T20:37:00.000-05:00

Hannah enjoys the tulips

Swimming Hippo

Hannah looks on in her plush ride- loves her Jeep Stroller

Elephant Family- New baby Elephant born at Zoo this winter

Princess Bride Fans- ROUS- really do exist- world's largest rodent

Last week Granny was on Spring break and came to visit for two days. Hannah was very fortunate last week as she got to see all of her Grandparents. Tuesday we went to Rolla for Grandma Ria's B-Day. Wednesday and Thursday Granny came. Friday Pappaw and Mammaw came for the weekend for Abigail's first birthday. Here are some pics from the Zoo, we went on Thursday.

Nate's Trip to DC... More Sights

2007-04-03T20:27:00.000-05:00

Nate goes to Washington D.C.

2007-04-03T20:12:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago now Nate went to Washington D.C. to meet with State represenatives and Senators represenatives about legislative issues pertaining to Chiropratic. This was his first time to D.C. e said he had a great time, but was tired of walking. He said they walked everywhere. Hannah and I were glad to see Daddy when he got back!! Here are some pics of friends and sights.

Nate goes to D.C.

2007-04-03T20:09:00.001-05:00

Where Do We Go From Here?

2007-03-29T00:24:00.000-05:00

Nashville, TN Post Card Picture

Saint Louis, MO- View of Arch and City from Illinois

Searcy, Arkansas Downtown Courthouse

Where do we go from here? Nate and I have been doing some serious thinking about what to do after he graduates. What to do, what to do... So to up date my faithful blog readers- (usually I just post pics)- as it seems I rarely find a spare moment to actually blog and not just put up a few pics-- to up date you. Nate graduates in August. He has been working very hard to get all of his new patient credits in the past trimester so that he will be eligible for a fellowship. He just needs one more new patient and some more adjustments to be complete with his clinic requirements. (Any takers?) Anyway the original plan for past year has been to move to Nashville, TN, and open a practice with a fellow classmate. With no hard feelings involved. (We still love Ali, Chris and baby ?) Nate has decided not to purse this option. After making this hard decision- several options have come to light. A-D in no particular order.
A) Practice Management Group
B) Pro-Adjuster
C) Associate with Experienced DC
D) Buy practice or open one on own.

We have decided on option B/C combo-- I think. Now where to go on this adventure.

I have a great job here and love what I do. We could possibly stay here in the STL area. We could move to Nashville as planned- Nate has some contacts there. We could move back to Searcy- that's right back to good ole' Search-me, Arkansas. The opportunity has arisen to work with a Pro-adjuster doc there. Hmmm? There are pros and cons to each of these three options. Where to go? Where to go? Any advice/suggestions are always welcome.
Did I mention we sold our trailer and motorcycle? Have to be out by May 31st. Hopefully we will know in the next couple of weeks for sure.
Please keep us in your prayers. I don't think we can make a wrong decision here- just want to make the best one.

Fun at the Park!

2007-03-28T22:39:00.000-05:00

We had a wonderfully warm day a couple of weeks ago weather in the 70's + It was great as we had had a lot of cold weather before this. Jeff, Tina, Austin, Carson, Cadie Mae, Abigail, Hannah and I enjoyed the warm weather. Oops- some of these pics are sideways- you'll have to turn your head to the side. : )

Spring Portraits

2007-03-28T22:31:00.000-05:00

Our sweet little girl did great today for pictures! The weather is warming up and Spring is on the way. Green shoots, tulips, and flowering trees are everywhere. We love it!

Art in Bloom at the Saint Louis Art Museum

2007-03-15T11:30:00.000-05:00

Hannah and I enjoyed this exibit at the Art Museum the first weekend of March. Local florist were commisioned to intreperet works of art in the form of a floral arrangement. It was a nice way to welcome Spring.

Trip to South Texas

2007-03-03T08:55:00.000-06:00

Last week we Hannah, Grandpa Alan and Grandma Ria made a trip to South Texas to visit my Grandmother for her 80th Birthday. It was so warm! I did not want to come back to cold Missouri weather. Here are some pics of the event.

We arrive at the airport! Hannah did great on the plane.

Family time, Here with Greatgrandmother and Greatgrandpa Frank. Also, Grandpa Alan, Grandma Ria and Momma.

Relaxing in the pool. Hannah loved the water.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDMOTHER!!

Hannah enjoys time with Greatgrandmother on the Patio.

Hannah and Greatgrandpa Frank.

After four days away from home and a long flight with lay over in Houston- Hannah was tired out. Good to be home, but had a great trip- Missing warm weather but family most of all.

Happy Valentines!

2007-02-09T19:02:00.000-06:00

Will you be my Valentine? Got these pics taken of Hannah yesterday at Sears. She is such a little Sweetheart.

Winter Bundle

2007-02-08T01:53:00.000-06:00

It has been very cold here in the St. Louis area lately. Needless to say- going out requires some bundling. I snapped these pics after a recent outing.

AJ's Birthday

2007-02-08T01:45:00.000-06:00

Last weekend we celebrated AJ Rhodes 1st Birthday. (AJ is the son of Jason and Jenn). Nate goes to school with Jenn. There are also pictures of the mommies. Jenn and AJ, Rachel and Kayia and Hannah and me. (Kayia is daughter of Tony and Rachel). Nate goes to school with Tony. It was a Whinney the Pooh Themed Birthday- hence the Pooh ears. We had almost as much fun as the babies did playing with each other. They have all really grown since Halloween.

Carrots Anyone?

2007-02-08T01:29:00.000-06:00

Last week we started Hannah on baby foods. She makes the same wrinkled up face on all the foods we have tried to far. Including: Carrots, Peas, Apples, Bannans, Pears and Sweet Potatoes. She eats them- but I'm not sure if she likes the taste of anything yet. We may have a picky eater on our hands.

Holiday Party 2007

2007-01-31T12:41:00.000-06:00

Last weekend was the annual Barnes-Jewish ED Holiday Party it was a lot of fun ! Nate and I had a good time. Enjoy the slide show.

Gotta Love Craig's List

2007-01-25T09:23:00.000-06:00

The news around the Free house- I found a walker on Craig's List! For those of you who don't know- Craig's list is a web site found in cities around the country and world- where you can buy stuff. Sort of like an on line garage sale. Anyway we had been looking for a walker for Hannah. All the one's in the store were so busy. They all had 5 or 6 toys on them- too much stimulation- I thought they were supposed to be learning how to walk. We'll anyway- I found this walker picked it up last night. Right now it is more of a Stander than a walker- but Hannah seems to enjoy it. She makes happy noises when ever I put her in it. Success for only $20.00!

Here's the link to the St. Louis Craig's list- from this site you can navigate to list's in your area:

http://www.stlouis.craigslist.org

Trekie

2007-01-23T10:09:00.000-06:00

For those of you who know me- know I'm a bit of a Star Trek nerd (aka Trekie). My friend Suzanne sent me this link seveal weeks ago- I find it to be a very funny tribute to Captin John Luke Picard of the USS Enterprise- from Star Trek the Next Generation. Click on link to view.
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=1144614385

Here's a tribute to Captin Katherine Janeway of USS Voyager enjoy:
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=1098859114

My How She's Growing

2007-01-17T23:22:00.000-06:00

I took these pictures of Hannah sitting up yesterday. She's almost sitting up by herself now. We put the Boppy behind her for moral support. In the process of uploading these new pictures, I found this one of Hannah when she was just 2 weeks old. She seemed so big then- but now looking back- she was so small. The 2 week old picture was taken on Hannah's first trip to church. I just love that little peanut.

Blog Marathon

2007-01-16T00:54:00.000-06:00

Yeah! I have finished my blog posting Marathon! It feels good to finally get some pics and info up on the blog site. Enjoy the new posts.

Trip to Louisiana Jan 3-8 2007

2007-01-16T00:24:00.000-06:00

What can I say- it is always great when we get to go to Louisiana. Nate's parents just finished building a house on the lake. It is such a nice place! We had a great time visiting with Pappaw and Mammaw. Mammaw is a great cook. We enjoyed playing pool, looking at the lake and good eats. We had a nice time visiting with family. Here are pictures of visting with Aunt Pam, Hilda, Great Mammaw and Mammaw- didn't catch any pics of Hannah and Pappaw- but I included a couple of pics from our visit in August when Hannah was just 2 weeks old (don't tell our pediatrician) : ) You can really see how she has grown in the past 5 months. We really enjoyed our visit.

New Year's Eve

2007-01-16T00:16:00.000-06:00

We had a great New Year's Eve. I had to work the weekend- but Granny came into town and I got to go to The Bottle Works and here Nate and the Grass Pack play music and bring in the new year. I think Nate's band is Awesome- if you like Bluegrass. You can check them out at www.grasspack.com Here's a couple of picks of us and the band.

Presents from Louisiana

2007-01-15T23:50:00.000-06:00

We hate that we didn't make it to Louisiana for Christmas this year. Hopefully we will make there next year. We did get to go for a week after Christmas- see next blog. Hilda, Aunt Pam and Jim sent some presents. Hannah Had a great time opening them. She also enjoys the presents! Here are a few pics of her opening them. What a cutie- if I do say so myself!