Patterson Family

Remember the preemies...

2010-11-15T14:27:00.001-06:00

November 17th is Prematurity Awareness Day.

Fall 2010

2010-11-01T19:18:00.004-06:00

The girls--ready for school to begin. Seanna--2nd grade

Cassidy-Kindergarten

The first day of school has come and gone as has halloween....so I guess I can share more pictures and updates with everyone!

First, Seanna is in second grade this year and loving it. And Cassidy started kindergarten. She seems to be really doing well with her school work.

In September, we ventured to Denver for Corey and Lindsey's wedding. It was a good time and we are very glad to have such a great addition to the Patterson family. The girls even did very well traveling for the long distance--not very many "are we there yet"s. That was very nice.... We even got to stop at the famous "Ole's" in Paxton on the way home. Memorable--that is a good word for that place.

Along with school, the girls have gone back to their dance classes. They are each in 2 seperate classes now. Should be interesting when receital time rolls around in May.

They are both also involved in Girl Scouts and now this year they are in Awana....which they absolutely LOVE!!! And we love that!

Obviously, if you need to contact either Jared or I, our cell phones are the best way as we are often traveling from one place to another around town. :) Til next time.

The Pattersons

Wow--2 1/2 months have passed?

2010-08-10T17:32:00.001-06:00

I am really a bad blogger--over 2 months since the last post.. were do I even begin? Well, the 2nd weekend in June Seanna went to a camp for Girl Scouts; near Papillion. It was a bit cool, but a good time. That next week, was VBS. That was a great week.

And that rounds out June...stay tuned for more of the summer events.

6/4/10--Here is how it happened

2010-06-05T17:53:00.005-06:00

We left on Friday, late afternoon, to go out to Branched Oak Lake to do some camping. We were all set up by around 7 pm. We got something to eat and enjoying a nice picnic. Then we got our lawn chairs and started enjoying the view. It was from on top of a hill overlooking the lake. We watched some boats and jet skis. The girls had a very good time searching for bugs. They ended up going pretty close to 10 pm. We went in a little while later. Then, around 1:45 am, the wind started to just blowing--it was lifting up the ends of our campter. The with all the shaking--that felt like we were riding on top of an Amtrak train--we decided to get the girls and huddle down. When Jared was going to the get them, the door to the camper blew in. It pulled from the frame. We sat on the floor of the camper, getting rain blowing in on us. Then the roof shifted--it moved and soon after COLLAPSED! I think at this point Jared and I were not sure what was going to happen and really feared for our safety. We crawled out and over the broken door. Once out we ran to the car and tried to get in. This was another feat with fighting the overpowering wind and rain. Remember this is wind strong enough to bend the metal of the roof support. When we were finally all in the car, the ride home was about as interesting. There were branches all over the roads around the lake. However, once we got back to the Lincoln city limits, the streets were dry--therefore the reason why everyone wonders where in the world we were to have this type of thing happen. We spent most of Sat. finding all of the stuff that blew from our camper around the other campsites. And then we had to arrange for the camper to be towed to the camper store. It has needless to say been a very stressful, emotionally and physically draining day for all of us. But praise God that we all got out okay--in the end that is all that really matters.
I have included pictures for those that are not on Facebook.

You can see the bent metal and keep in mind that the top is supposed to line up with the bottom half. And in no way, should Jared be able to lift up the roof like that normally. We will have to wait this week to see if the camper is totaled out; but from what we have heard it probably will be.

More pictures from Easter

2010-04-13T20:30:00.004-06:00

Cousins..
Ready for the egg huntRiley trying to avoid having her picture taken. Ryan collecting leaves

Ryan climbing the rock wall Seanna and Ryan

Lovin the nice mild weather of spring.

Easter

2010-04-12T10:54:00.003-06:00

We hosted Easter dinner at our house this year. It was a very nice time--and the weather was great for the kids to get outside to play.

January-February 2010 pictures

2010-02-17T19:37:00.004-06:00

The dogs enjoying the snow--Lucy is the queen of the snow mountain.

Opening birthday gifts.

More gift opening

Posing with the cake (l.-r.: Cassidy, Seanna & Kailey-Seanna's friend from school)

Hannah cake was the choice this year.

Clean up is needed after the party.

Our Snow Princesses.

2010 this far...

2010-02-17T12:04:00.004-06:00

All is going pretty well for the J. Patterson's. We are getting tired of the snow--but who isn't? At this point I am not sure that the snow in our back yard will melt before April (depressing note here--weather man just said that Lincoln has had snow on the ground for the past 73 days).

Seanna is doing super in school. They started in the differential classes after the Christmas break. There are more of a challenge for her--which is what she needed. She was telling us that everything was too easy before that. She is having issues with being a clown when she should be though and we are working on that. At her 7 year check up we found out that she has some issues with hearing in her right year. We took her to an ENT that confirmed that it is an issue. We are going to try tubes to see if that helps, having them put in on the 25th of this month. Cross your fingers that it works, otherwise the damage from previous ear infections is permanent.

Cassidy is her normal outgoing self. She is doing well in preschool. Finally received a progress report on how she is doing and apparently she is right on target. And we got the approval for her to attend Kooser in the fall with her sister. She has become quite the fan of Barbie and was on a quest to get a Ken doll. She fulfilled that wish recently when we went shopping recently & she found one on sale & was able to buy it with her own money. Another exciting thing for her is that we can once again put her hair up in a bun. She wanted to let it grow out and it is getting pretty long.

I will get some pictures loaded soon from the past couple of months to help catch you up on what the girls are up to. :)

Take Care Everyone!

Love,
J-D-S & C

Cassidy: Daycare Christmas program

2009-12-27T19:35:00.002-06:00

Here are some pictures from the Christmas program that the girl's daycare put on with the full time kids (Seanna is part-time and that is why she was not involved).

Uncle Corey likes Barbies too. :)

2009-12-27T19:30:00.003-06:00

Just had to capture a couple of shots of Corey "unwrapping" the Barbies for Seanna.

Christmas 2009

2009-12-27T18:59:00.006-06:00

Santa made it to the Patterson househould this year bringing all types of fun toys. The girls were very happy with what they found under the tree. And I do believe that they both got things on their list--even though they each had a list a page long. Seanna was very pleased with the fact that she recieved several webkinz...horses like she really truly wanted. Cassidy was happy with everything--especially the hair accessories since she loves loves loves to brush her hair.

We were able to venture out for both the Christmas eve service at our church (I had to do a reading during it) and to lunch/family time on Christmas day at Scott and Lisa's house. It was a nice time.

Next weekend will allow us time to have Christmas for the Kraus side--it will be good to see everyone there too.

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Cassidy with one of her new headbands.

Seanna checking out a gift. Cassidy and a present.

Lucy looking on while the girls open a gift.

Stocking time.

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So, for now--our first rounds of Christmas are over.

Birthday celebration, Halloween and getting ready for Christmas

2009-12-06T13:47:00.006-06:00

Halloween brought to us a princess and an angel--which in all reality is not much different than any other day. :)

The girls loved, loved, LOVED halloween and getting candy this year. In fact, they got so much of it, we still have some left.

Two days before halloween though, we had a birhtday, 5th birthday for Cassidy. It is really hard to believe that our little baby is now 5 years old. She is truly our little clown.

A new way to wear your robe--just stick your legs thru the arm holes.

Yesterday, we got our Christmas decorations up for the holdiays. We got a smaller tree so that we don't lose as much room in our living room with our large one. And it turned out pretty nicely. Cassidy helped me with setting up the village too. It all looks wonderful. I like looking around and seeing all the festive items all around us.

Happy Holidays everyone!

A football game, a vow renewal & a birthday party

2009-10-26T18:46:00.007-06:00

Since my last post, we have done a couple of interesting things. First off Jared and I went to a Husker football game. It was Homecoming and the 300th consecetive sell-out game. It was a pretty good time & the seats we got were AWESOME. Thanks to Jared for getting the tickets.

And on our 10th anniversary day (Oct. 16), Jared and I renewed our vows, with Pastor Jim officiating. It was a very small intimate affair. The girls stood up with us and listened. Then we all re-lit the unity candle, together as a family. It was very nice and memorable. I am glad that we did it and believe all couples should do a vow renewal at some milestone. It is a wonderful thing.

And this past Saturday, we had a family birthday party for Cassidy. Hard to believe that in 3 days our baby will be 5. Wow!!! She also had a friend come over to play. They had a blast! Cassidy has become quite the fan of Barbies and Fancy Nancy as you can tell from the gifts. It was a good time and all the family seemed to enjoy themselves. Thanks to everyone for coming.

1st day of school & a couple of cute Husker fans.

2009-09-07T13:32:00.004-06:00

School for Seanna has now been in session for a couple of weeks--in fact, they are having their first break this weekend. I thought it might be time to load her 1st day of school photos. Cassidy got to spend time with me while Seanna was in school--and was there to drop off and pick up. Fabulous. Now she will know what it is all about next year when she goes.

And this past Friday, they got to wear their Husker cheerleader outfits to show their Husker pride. They loved it!!!

GO BIG RED!

A Family day.

2009-08-19T09:32:00.005-06:00

We took the day and visited the Henry Doorly zoo yesterday. It was great fun....and the weather wasa wonderful for it too. While there, we also watched an Imax movie--the first movie in 3D for the girls. They kept trying to reach the stuff in front of them. It was cute. Seanna kept asking..is that on the screen? And when I told her yes..she replied: Good.
Yes, all is good.

Sleeping Polar bear

Tiger & Sun Bear

Feeding the koi

Some Co-workers--oh! I mean some monkeys

Tucan

Our little monkeys

Ostrich

Giraffe

Black footed penguins

Stork

July...and some of August

2009-08-12T11:56:00.007-06:00

Seanna got glasses in July. So far she is okay with them. She does a pretty good job of keeping them on and clean. We will be crosssing our fingers that this helps with the lazy eye. She has told us that they do help her see to read--that is a wonderful thing since that girls LOVES to read.

One day the girls asked for curlers to be put in their hair--so, here is Cassidy "cheesing" for the camera while she had her curlers in. They just love those things.

We went to the county fair and the girls got to get something painted on their faces. Seanna chose a horse--even though the girl didn't have a stencil for that. Still, it turned out pretty good. Cassidy got some pretty flowers. After this, we watched their cousins show their cattle. Congrats to Codie and Riley for doing so well.

After visiting the fair, we went and got most of the school shopping done. Seanna will be a 1st grader this year and Cassidy will be in her 2nd year of pre-school. She missed the deadline for starting school by 2 weeks--which is okay. She will get that chance to have more pre-school this way. And at the last minute, we have decided to try to move Seanna to another school. We are still pending that decision--hopefully we get notification for the School board before school starts next Wed. (fingers crossed). We believe it will be a good thing, but it isn't because we are not happy with her current school--many other reasons.

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This picture was taken earlier this year--but I think it is super cute. It was while out visiting G & G Kraus that we seized the opportunity to get a nice photo.

Happy July 5th!!!

2009-07-08T18:44:00.003-06:00

Since we were in a park that did not allow the blowing up of fireworks on the 4th...we decided to go watch some let off by Greg & Cheri and family. The girls really loved seeing some of their cousins and all the animals on the farm. You can see that they got to get on a tractor, play with a miniature horse and chase after a goat or two. And mom & dad got to drive Greg's new toy--the 4 wheeler. It was great!!! Then we had some grilled food & waited for dark. We were even able to see of of the Lincoln show from their house. We didn't get home til almost midnight, so the girls were crashed when we tried to get them out of their clothes...see picture below. But a good time was had by all, NEVERTHELESS!!

The first 6 days of July 2009.

2009-07-08T18:26:00.004-06:00

We started off the month with a camping trip. This time we went to Mahoney state park. There are lots of things to do there--good thing some of the activities were inside since there was a little bit of rain with this trip (imagine that!). The girls painted little bird houses, played some miniture golf, climbed the observation tower & most importantly, went for a couple of pony rides. Fun times.

a visit from Italian relatives

2009-06-28T13:04:00.008-06:00

The Adventurers---Seanna, Cassidy & Becky

This past week we had visitors from Italy and Denver. Jared, the girls and I got to spend Wed. evening and all dayThurs. getting to know cousins from Italy--well, Jared knew one of them. Loretta, Luca and their 2 children came for a visit. It was very nice to get to spend tme with them. The girls had a wonderful time with the younger 3rd cousins. We went to Pioneers park for a picnic & to the Nature center there to see some interesting things. And the Bison were up close so we got to see them. Then later, we all got together for a bbq & the kids got to play in the pool to cool off.

Cassidy & Daddy

Loretta, Luca, Leonardo & Becky

Pool Time!

Say "cheese" or whatever!

Say "cheese" or maybe not.

May Photos

2009-06-10T17:39:00.002-06:00

Cassidy's Dance

Seanna's Jazz Dance

My birthday--and the yummy ice cream cake.

Slacker!!

2009-06-08T20:18:00.002-06:00

Okay, that is what I am--it has been just a day shy of a month since my last post. I have been reminded today that I have not put anything new out here lately--Thanks Nicole. Anyway, it has been a busy month for us. first we finished up swim lessons, as least the first one for the year. And then we had family pictures taken, and the following week both girls had pictures taken for dance. The last weekend of May they had their recital. It was very cute--and something that they look forward to all year long. I really enjoy seeing them up there on stage performing.

Last Thurs, was the last day of Kindergarten for Seanna--she is already wanting to start 1st grade. That girl just loves school. I want her to keep that attitude. She even makes her little sister excited to do writing skills.

This past weekend we went out to Branched Oak to do some camping--out first outing with the camper this season. It was a very stormy weekend--rained both nights and we had some excitement. The awning of the camper blew up onto the roof of the camper and kept flapping around for the rest of the night. Crazy!!!!

I will post some photos in the next day or so--when I am on the computer with the pictures loaded onto it.

Swim Lessons

2009-05-09T18:10:00.004-06:00

Sing along with me--Y M C A!! Now that I have the song stuck in your head...I will share some pictures from the girls last day of swim lessons for this session. They both did really well--but that is the biased part of me showing up. Cassidy definately has more confidence in the water.

Cassidy practicing her back float.

Cassidy on the front strokes.

Seanna getting instructions from the teacher.

Seanna hanging on the wall. Seanna swimming.Cassidy getting a ride in a canoe.

New Play Set

2009-05-05T17:43:00.004-06:00

Jared spent most of the past weekend building the girls a new play set. They love it--can you tell?

Easter 2009

2009-04-13T09:17:00.003-06:00

Here are some pictures of the girls from Easter day. We have two beautiful little ladies.

Easter Egg Hunt

2009-04-11T15:20:00.004-06:00

We (us girls) went to Crete yesterday to participate in an Easter egg hunt, an annual event held by Grandpa Kraus's work. The girls had a blast--and got lots of Laffy Taffy & some prizes. They also got to see and play with a couple of their cousins. Overall, it was a good Friday. :)

Cassidy--ready to get those eggs.

Seanna--"When is this going to start?"

The gang: Riley, Ryan, Cassidy & Seanna

Hanging at Grandma's

Can you see me now?

Hi!

Cassidy showing Ryan the fine art of playing Barbies.

Seanna & Riley

Cassidy & Ryan

Cool Dude.

It's Spring!!

2009-04-08T12:17:00.003-06:00

Not that you can always tell by the weather outside. But still, it is nice to know that the days will be getting warmer. I love seeing the green grass--makes the world such a pretty place.

So, the girls got to go to a Easter egg hunt at my job last night & I thought I would share some pictures from that.

I found one!!!

Seanna sneaking up on the eggs.
Gathering...

Seanna with Mrs. Bunny. Cassidy decided when we got thru the line that she didn't want in this picture. But she did inform me the it was not the real easter bunny since she could see the person's shoes showing under the costume. "Shh, don't tell anyone though".

Fun Times in February...

2009-02-23T19:31:00.007-06:00

We are just going along with our day to day & realize that it is the last week of February already!! So, this past weekend Cassidy was fighting a cold--but she seems much better today.

Young ones seems to get better so much quicker than the parents. But that is a good thing. Dance classes are going well. We got to see them both dance a couple of weeks ago and have seem a big improvement from last year. The receital in May this year should be a good one.

February has been a month of visiting with grandparents too. We got to see G & G Kraus a couple of times--the girls even got to spend Valentine's day with them. They came home all "glammed" up. And then this upcoming weekend they get to spend the night with G & G Patterson. Good for them and us to have a break from the routine.

The girls of course still loved playing dress up and using those imaginations. They even ham it up a little for me to take some photos.

They also enjoyed playing in the snow, dodging the snowblower spray and building a fort 2 weekends ago when we got a nice snow storm.

Lastly, Lucy is growing and getting bigger. She no longer fits in all the nooks and underneath doors like she used to. And Comet has gotten (mostly) used to her or at least is doing better at tolerating her.

Can it really be?

2009-01-22T10:11:00.005-06:00

So, when I picked up Seanna yesterday from daycare she informed me that she had a loose tooth. And when we checked, sure enough, she was right. Her left bottom tooth is wiggling around. I know that the dentist told me that she would probably loose her bottom 2 between the ages of 6 & 7, but come on!!! She just turned six. I guess this is a sign that she is growing up faster then I can to admit. She is very excited about the possiblity of a tooth fairy visit in her near future. And 2 others in her class also have loose teeth, so they seem to be chatting about how the tooth fairy is going to find their houses. I told her the the tooth fairy and Santa share maps, and not to worry about that.

Other than that, we are just enjoying some time that is pretty calm after all the holidays and birhtday celebrations. Lucy is getting bigger every day--she seems twice the size she was when we brought her home about 3 weeks ago.

Seanna's 6th birthday celebration

2009-01-15T19:06:00.004-06:00

She is 6!!! Who can believe how quickly that went by? Seems like we went from the tiny 2 lb 10 oz baby to a 40 lb kindergartener in a blink of an eye. She is really turning into quite the fantastic little girl. She had a good time eating cake and opening presents on the day before her birthday (since it fell on a Monday, that was just easier). Then on her actual birthday we all went to eat dinner at IHOP after the girls got done with dance classes. Seanna was super excited when they came to sing to her.

A new member to the Patterson family....

2009-01-07T19:43:00.002-06:00

Meet Lucy the puppy. We got her from a home breeder on Sat. We had been considering a 2nd dog for a while and found one that we were looking for. She is a Cairn terrier and will only get to be around 12-15 lbs. Of course her eyes are not blue like that--that is just a trick of the camera. :) Now our fund of house training begins....hopefully she will follow the ways of her "older brother". Comet is not quite sure what to think of her yet.

Christmas Festivities

2008-12-26T11:22:00.006-06:00

Greetings to all....

The Christmas events are over--We spent Christmas Eve with the Patterson side of the family, Christmas morning just the 4 of us & then Christmas afternoon with the Kraus side. There was entirely too much food in all locations--but I guess that is part of the Christmas celebration-- :) And thankfully we had decent weather for all of it...not as nice as this morning, but at least it was not sleeting or included freezing rain.

The girls received lots of nice gifts --as did we--Thanks Everyone!!!! We don't know what to play with next around here. Thank goodness we have 3 more days to get some serious play time in.

Hopefully, your families had a wonderful Christmas as well.

Take Care!!!

The J. Pattersons

Thanks Uncle Corey & Lindsey!!!!

Christmas Morning

Just what I wanted!!!

Playing a little "Trouble"

Dress Up time

The Tree is up......for a week now.

2008-12-09T12:03:00.006-06:00

We spent Sunday afternoon getting up our Christmas tree and decorating it. It was a great time~the girls really enjoyed helping with all the activities. They are really getting excited about the holiday this year.

We got to spend yesterday afternoon with the Gill family. As always, it was a nice time--with lots of laughs, food and fun. Thanks to them for having us over on such short notice!!! The girls got to jump on the trampoline with Makayla and Matthew. Then we opened presents & played with them for a while. Afterwards, the Wii games began. Jared got his first opportunity to be a hero--Guitar Hero that is. It appears to be a pretty fun game.

Now, we just have a couple of days to wait before the holidays begin. It should be a pretty fun year this year with the girls being so excited about Christmas--and the reason for it too!!

They both will be in the church program that will be held next Sunday. So, if you want an entertaining show, come on down.

Happy Holidays!!!

Hooowwwlllling Good time...

2008-11-23T17:32:00.005-06:00

We just got back from our weekend trip to Great Wolf Lodge. That is a super cool place. I would recommend that anyone try out one at least once. The girls LOVED all it all~except for maybe the car ride home. Luckily, they were tired enough to nap for a portion of that part. :) But why should I tell you of all the fun, when I can just show you some photos!!

In the "tent" inside our hotel room
We love it here!!
Ready, Set.....

Slide!!!!!

Story time in the lobby

With the balloon flower & crown they got at dinner.

First School Bus ride

2008-11-12T12:43:00.002-06:00

Yesterday Seanna got to go on her first fieldtrip for school. To get to their destination, they had to take school bus. She was so very excited about that part. Not so sure about where they went--Pioneers Park for a nature walk (and it was a bit cold and rainy yesterday). Seanna told us that one the of the teachers even dressed up as a beaver & "it was so funny". She also saw a turtle with a very long neck & a moose. Not sure where she saw that last one in Pioneers part, but she might have thought that an elk was a moose. Easy mistake to make. :) Then when they got back, she got to have a sack lunch--that part was a highlight to her as well--"very good lunch".

As for the rest of her day, she was a friend to a new girl and held her hand when she was crying. Awww, the compassion that Seanna has for others sometimes amazes me.

Halloween

2008-11-01T07:23:00.003-06:00

Here are pictures of how the girls looked in their costumes. Seanna went as a kitty cat & Cassidy was Abby Cadabby (a character on Sesame Street).

Cassidy's 4th birthday party

2008-10-30T17:36:00.003-06:00

The Birthday Girl!

Hard to believe that she is 4 already!!! On her birthday yesterday, her and I went to Paint yourself Silly & had a girl's day. Then we all went to Valentino's for dinner. It was a very nice day for her.

Birthday Cake

Opening the gifts

The little princess ballerina

A helmet? I think I know what is coming next!!!!!

Trying out the new bike

Getting a little help from Dad.

Awesome wheels~

Veggie Tales...Veggie Tales...VEGGIE TALES!

2008-10-19T19:25:00.004-06:00

We went to see a live showing of Veggie Tales this afternoon....and what a time it was--never in our lives have we seen such large vegtables.

But the girls seems enjoy the show--and got to learn a new dance from them. It was a good time for all!!

Most of the cast....in the final number.

Before the "Lion sleeps tonight" performance

Jr gets his time on stage.

A rapping gourd

Bob & Larry

Ariel! Ariel! Where are you?

2008-10-14T19:32:00.003-06:00

The girls decided to play dress up in the one outfit that they both have--the Little Mermaid. How cute to see them playing together so well & on the same wavelength (as least for a few minutes).

Cassidy is really ready for her birthday this year. She keeps reminding us that it is "coming up". And for the 1st year, she remembers when it is. Not that means a lot to her, but still an accomplishment in it's own.

Seanna is doing really well in school. We went to P/T conferences last week & her teacher told us that she in the advanced group, which will start to learn 1-1 reading soon. And she also told us that she wishes that she had 10 more like her in the class. Awwww!!! Must be doing something right.

Haircuts

2008-10-06T19:31:00.003-06:00

Last Thurs. the girls went in for haircuts. Cassidy got quite a bit cut off & now has a new do. She loves having the new look.

Over the weekend Jared started to install our new dishwasher. There are a couple of parts that the store did not include with it, so we are waiting for them to be mailed to us. Hopefully by tomorrow we will have them. The rest of the weekend was pretty low key. We didn't have to travel anywhere or have anything that we needed to get done. We are loving having our Saturdays back this fall.

Later this week, we have Parent-Teacher conferences for Seanna. It will be our first meeting with her teacher since she started school. Not really sure what we should expect.

Otherwise, Jared and I are keeping busy with work & home. Both of us have pretty big projects going on at our jobs that makes for some very long days. But we have seeing the girls at the end of the day to make it all worth while (most days!).

Take Care & Enjoy the photos!~

A couple of nice long, enjoyable weekends....

2008-09-01T09:47:00.004-06:00

Labor Day has come and gone!! Very hard to believe that the end of summer has arrived already. But with our fall schedule, I am thinking that it won't take long for it to sink in. Jared and I got to enjoy an evening out on Friday, going back to the fair to watch the car races. I had won tickets to them from my job. We had a quiet day on Sat. for the most part. Jared did get a tree ring put in around the tree we have in our front yard. It looks fabulous. Sat. evening we went to help Grandpa P. celebrate his birthday. Lots of chocolate desserts & some good homemade ice cream. Then on Sunday, it was a mostly free day--we went to church & I had a bridal shower to attend--but nothing overwhelming. And Monday was good too. Jared did some touch-up painting in the morning. Then in the afternoon we loaded up & went out to hang out with Greg, Cheri & family, and Kari. The siblings and cousins all together--. :)

This past weekend we were able to have a quiet Saturday with absolutely NOTHING that we needed to get done. It was wonderful. And then on Sunday, we attended church. It was my 2nd week holding my class for the little ones. It has been interesting. So....I am hoping that our calm weekends continue for a while. They have been very nice~

Take Care!
The Pattersons

We went to the fair..and had a yar-har-har good time.

2008-09-01T09:37:00.001-06:00

So, last weekend, we spent the afternoon and early evening at the State Fair. Got to see a few animals, looked at some 4-H exhibits and rode some rides. We even saw a diving pirate show. It was lots of fun for everyone.

The evening before we had went to an event @our chruch--Crossfest & the girls got some pretty cool face paintings.

Dedicated to our little "Cinderella's"

2008-08-27T19:42:00.000-06:00

A Wonderful Song

2008-08-27T19:36:00.001-06:00

We officially have a "school-ager"

2008-08-20T17:34:00.008-06:00

As the kids that attend school are commonly called at the girls' daycare....

Seanna was such a tropper--she lined right up with her group/teacher this morning when we arrived at the school. Then they all marched into the school to start the next chapters in all their lives. What a big one too!!! And then after school, Seanna told me all that happened over the course of the day. She is still getting used to the fact that she will not be attending pre-school any longer & the big school is where she will be spending a good share of her weekdays.

Cassidy is due to start pre-school right after Labor day--and she is really excited about that. I don't think that she wants to wait for another 2 weeks for it. She is now in the big kids class for her dance too--and she is just fine with that. Really, she has been our little Miss Independence--practically from birth (& especially since she has turned 3).

So, overall, everything for both girls is starting to fall into place & we hope to have some type of routine in place soon!!

Camping Pictures

2008-08-18T17:04:00.006-06:00

Since I couldn't get the photos to load with the last posting--I thought I would just add them on their own. The girls weren't being very agreeable to get in the same picture (ever)! But it is fine to have individual shots too. :)

Seanna: "Really, Mom? I am trying to watch a movie here~ Cassidy: "Take my Piiiiiicture!"

I spy......NATURE!

You gotta wear your helmet when you ride your bike, don't cha know?

T-3 days

2008-08-17T19:48:00.004-06:00

So, only 3 more days until Seanna starts school. She is getting really excited for it. This past weekend we got to make another camping trip. It was a very nice time--and relaxing. we all have agreed that this was the best one yet. We are all getting better at this camping thing. We took the bike and trike alone with us this time, and that gave the girls the opportunity to ride them in a straight line rather than around and around in circles, like behind our house.

Along with school starting, the girls are going back to dance this week. So, this must be the indication that summer time is coming to an end. And for some reason, we have got activities planned for the next 2 weekends. That is almost unheard of (at least for us).

Stay tuned for 1st day of school pics!!!

Quite the Adventure(land)

2008-07-18T08:09:00.005-06:00

Seanna & Cassidy by a wagon wheel in front of the Outlaw ride at Adventureland.

We just got back from visiting Adventureland outside of Des Moines IA and the Amana colonies which are near Cedar Rapids. It was a good time for all. We pulled the camper along for a place to sleep. We spent most of a day on Monday touring the colonies, checking out shops and enjoying some good food. And the girls had the opportunity to get several naps in on the ride to and from Amana. NICE!!! Then all of Tuesdays was spent at Adventureland. It was a nice walk over from the campsite--and we were there almost when the gates opened. We rode the train first, then when crazy trying to see which ride to do next, and next and next. The girls had a good time. We took a little break in the afternoon, going back to the camper for a snooze. Then we ventured back over to the park to check out the Waterpark--Kokomo Cove. It is really just a bunch of slides and sprinkers--but that didn't stop Seanna from having a good time. Cassidy was not really that thrilled by it all, so her and Jared spent most of the time lounging on the chairs waiting for Seanna and me.

Overall, it was a very good vacation. However, we have decided that the girls need to be a bit older to get the real benefit of all that rides there. Definately something that we will keep in mind.

The campsite:

Playing some soccer

The ladybug ride was definately one of the favorites!!

This motor boat is going fast.....Woo Hoo

We are riding across the midwest just like the settlers."I am a flying ace"

"What?"

Summer 2008 Has Begun!!

2008-06-27T07:35:00.002-06:00

And we spent the first weekend of summer on our first camping trip in our camper. It went really well. We got there and set up pretty quickly and enjoyed the weather and each other's company--well, maybe not that of the dog. But that is another topic altogether! The week previous we had spent each night at our church participating in VBS--Power Lab. It was a fun time. The girls both loved the event, however were a little reluctant to get up each morning since they had been going to bed over an hour past their normal bedtime. The weekend before VBS, was the dance recital. Both of them were so adorable up there performing on the stage.

Now we are involved in swimming lessons. Seanna is really enjoying her time in the pool. Her teacher tells me each night how enthusiastic she is about learning. Cassidy is liking getting to be involved in her own class. She is in the pre-school class where they just basically get used to being in the water & getting their faces wet, blowing bubbles.

So, needless to say, June has went pretty fast for us. We are not sure what July holds for us--hopefully a little R& R.

Exciting to start the summer....

2008-06-03T10:57:00.002-06:00

WITHOUT a cast!!! Today is the day that Cassidy got her cast off. She was a real champ and very brave to face that cast saw for a 2nd time. The only rule for the next week or 2 is to keep her from hurting it again since it still has a little healing left. We can do that~

And we now have officially found a school for Seanna to attend in the fall. She will be attending Pershing, which is actually about a block and a half from her previous daycare. Fortunately we don't have to change daycare either since the director of their current one offered to drive Seanna to this school. The means the Cassidy will also be able to start preschool in the fall. It all has worked out after several months of stressing, wondering and praying. The Lord had a plan, we just had to wait to see just what that plan was. Patience is a virtue!!

We still haven't had a chance to use the new camper...but that will change after the girls finish their dance lessons. We have their receital in just under 2 weeks. Their costumes are so cute!!! I can't wait to see how well it goes when the day comes for them to be in front of a crowd. Seanna is an attention-ham, but Cassidy would rather everyone not notice her. I guess it is a good thing that she is doing her dance with Jared.

2 weeks down; 2 more to go.

2008-05-19T18:02:00.003-06:00

Today was the 1/2 way mark for Cassidy's cast wearing. She had to experience the saw taking off the pretty pink cast & then she got to have the special pictures taken of her bones. She is healing up pretty nicely. She decided to go with the light blue paster for the new short cast. It is very lovely. She is really doing well with this whole ordeal. She just acts as if nothing happend & it most definately will not slow her down.

Both girls are anxiously awaiting their dance recital that will happend in a little under a month. The dance teacher is getting Seanna ready for it by telling her group that it will be dark & they will need to be really quiet. Then the curtain will open & lots of people will be watching.

Interesting events

2008-05-11T19:38:00.003-06:00

Greetings All!!!

Again, it has been a couple of months since my last post. Really, I will work on getting new information & pictures out here on more regular basis. I mean that will also give me the opportunity to take more pictures of our quickly growing girls. CRAZY FAST!!!!

So, since I last wrote~these things have happened: we are still taking the girls to dance. They will have a receital in mid-June. We got a Wii~lots and lots of fun. We purchased a camper (but have yet to take it out, still working on practicing the set-up/tear down, made a trip to Ogallala for a niece's graduation & Cassidy broke her arm. That is right--she fell off a slide & has a buckle fracture in her left radius. She is currenly sporting a hot pink cast. It is very flashy. And this has made her even more independent.

So, as you can see--we have been kept hopping & jumping in the past few months. I am just hoping that even if the summer looks busy, we keep it pretty uneventful with the medical issues. :)

Take Care!!!

The Phab Pattersons!!

A 5th birthday & trip to Sesame Street

2008-01-13T17:41:00.000-06:00

The birthday girl.

Yesterday we helped to celebrate Seanna's 5th birthday. Hard to believe that she is already 5!! One more summer and she will be a school-ager~ Goodness, are we ready for that?

Before the show.

We started the day out by going to see Sesame Street Live. It was a good and lively show. I would recommend for anyone with little ones to attend a showing.

Then we stopped and had Mickey D's for lunch. We had time for a short nap before the Grandma's and Grandpa's came over for a party. It was a good day....Seanna was just delighted for the entire time she was awake

After the party, we got invited to have PIZZA with Grandma & Grandpa K. And another chance to see the local cousins.

Today, I got the form ready to try to get Seanna accepted in the elementary school next to her daycare....everyone cross your fingers that we get it approved.

It was a very nice weekend overall~and the weather wasn't even that bad!!!!! Good thing for a little girl who just got a bike that she needed to try out.

Take Care everyone~

Dena, Jared & the girls.

Sometimes a little overwhelming.

Yeah, a bike!!! Almost as good as a pony.

Holidaze; Part Deux

2008-01-02T20:08:00.000-06:00

The picture tells the whole story.....

So, we celebrated Christmas with the Kraus side of the family on New Year's day. It was a good time. The girls really enjoyed being around their cousins. Cassidy was a little chatterbox with them. Everyone seemed to have a good time~except maybe Kari (who had stayed up a little late into the New Year & her nieces wouldn't give her a moment's peace).

It is good to have all the celebrating over for a while. Although, we do have to start thinking about a birthdya that is quickly approaching. Hmmm, wonder what she could possibly want for that? Probably a pony (NO, Grandpa! That does not mean that you need to go out an buy one for her) .

Anyway, that is all for now! Enjoy the pics~

Take Care.

Dena, Jared & the girls.

The unwrapping begins.

And continues.
What? I haven't had any chocolate!!

"I just love this guy"

This is my good side.....

"Yes she will give me a bite"

"I was wrong! OH, THE AGONY!!"

Holidaze!!!

2007-12-26T17:18:00.000-06:00

So, Christmas day has come and gone. And we are 2/3 done celebrating. We spent a good share of the past weekend with the Patterson side. All the brothers and families were able to come back to Lincoln. It was nice to be able to see everyone. We will get to celebrate with the Kraus side in the upcoming weekend. And most importantly the four of us got to spend some time just us. That was very nice. So, although I know that you all enjoy my banter.....I will get to adding the pictures now......

Say "Cheesiest Sisters Ever!"

Oh, what fun~

Oh, Man!! Socks?

This is more like it....

The girls with Uncle Corey and Lindsey

Holiday Program

2007-12-13T08:47:00.000-06:00

The little munchkins had their program this past weekend. They were so excited to get to sing the songs that they have been practicing for weeks. And they did an awesome job. And then afterwards, there was plenty of sugar to keep them going. Both sets of grandparents attended the show as weel. The girls were very exited to see them.
Otherwise, we are getting ready for Christmas. I think that we are just about there. I am glad to be done shopping and have the cards out.

Take Care & enjoy the photos.

Dena, Jared and the girls.

Holidays and Family

2007-11-25T19:39:00.000-06:00

Thanksgiving has now come and gone. As has Black Friday. And we survived both, although we really didn't venture out into that shopping madness. Really nothing that we need/want that badly to have to be in a store by 4 am. That is just nuts!! Anyway, we hosted Thanksgiving at our house this year for my side of the family. It was very nice and I didn't even freak out about anything going wrong. It was very nice for the girls to get a chance to play with their cousin Riley. They don't get to do that often enough......

Besides that not much else going on right now. It should be quiet for a couple more weeks.

Take Care & enjoy the new photos!

Dena, Jared & the girls

Our little Picasso..Little Princess..

What? We weren't doing anything.....True sisterly love!!

Halloween & other things

2007-11-12T12:31:00.000-06:00

Greetings all!!!

Well, we had a pretty good Halloween--at least in the stash of candy that the girls got. We went to try out the "Walk the Stalks" at Hy-Vee. Although I saw no stalks in sight, there were around 35-40 vendors there handing out candy and other misc. items. The biggest downfall to this event was all the WAITING~We had to wait to get into the "maze" and then wait some more to move with the line within the maze. It took us around an hour and a half to complete the process. So needless to say, we didn't make it to any houses for "Trick or Treat". But they had more then enough candy by that point.

Tomorrow I have to take Cassidy in to the dentist again so that she can get a filling. I am not looking forward to this procedure. I know that it needs to be done, but she (and Seanna for that matter) has not had the best history with the dentist office. I am hoping that it goes quickly and easily. Cross your fingers.

This past weekend Jared got the Living room and Dining room painted. They both look very nice and feel so much more cozy. What a difference a coat of paint can make. Now, we just have to get on ordering the new blinds for both those rooms and they will be fabulous.

I made my first ever business trip for work last week (Nov. 6-7). Flew to Chicago and saw a couple of the home office buildings. It was fun, but very tiring. We were running on pure adrenaline for most of the time we were all gone. Jared got to play the part of Mr. Mom and I hear that everything went good. I would have to agree since we had to Daddy's girls this past weekend. And they kept begging for the burritos that Jared made for dinner on Tuesday night.

We are getting ready for the Thanksgiving holiday. We are hosting my side of the family this year. Made up the menu, now just have to do some shopping and get to cooking. But of course the cooking part will have to wait for just a bit.

Well, I hope everyone is doing well. Take Care!!!

Dena, Jared & the girls

Getting current....

2007-10-29T09:25:00.000-06:00

So, in early August I had surgery on my ankle. This required me to be on crutches for 6 weeks. This also meant that I could not access our desk top computer on which I have my sign-on for this blog. Therefore, that is my excuse for not updating earlier. Anyway, Jared got to play Mr. Mom during that time. He was a God-send. I can't say enough good things about how wonderful he is..........how was I this lucky? Anyway, all is better now. I am walking around just fine now. I do have some stiffness in the am, but that is about it.

In September both girls started dance classes. Cassidy's is called "We-Go" which basically means she needs to have a parent in the studio with her. This is to get her used to being there. Jared has been taking her to this since I am unable to jump on my ankle for a while. He tells me that she is the star of that classroom. Seanna is taking a combination class of ballet and tap. There are about 10 others in the class with her. But we don't get to see her progress as her class is closed door. But we already know that she will have a recital in June. That should be interesting. They are both enjoying having this activity to look forward to on the weekend.

For our anniversary I surprised Jared with a dinner/show on the Fremont Dinner train. It was really fun. The show was called "Death Stinks" and the character names played on scents/odors. Very funny!!! We would definitely recommend it for others to try this at least one time~even if it is a little on the pricey side.

And now, we have celebrated Miss Cassidy's 3rd birthday (really, already?). Now we are looking forward to Halloween. We are going to have a cowgirl and Minnie Mouse. I will get pictures out as soon as possible from that.

To make the end of the the summer months wonderful, the rails on our porch are up. They look fantastic. There was even a comment make that now we have our curb-appeal back for our house. Hooray!!! That is such a good thing.....

Otherwise, all is going well. We are all good. Hope that everyone else is as well.

Take Care!!

Dena, Jared & the girls.

Cassidy's 3rd birthday party

2007-10-28T19:16:00.000-06:00

Today we celebrated little Cassidy turning 3 years old. It was a good day with both sets of granparents and a couple of aunts and uncles in attendence. Cassidy gots lots of nice gifts and she was thrilled to have all the company. Even if she wasn't so keen on everyone looking at her and singing Happy Birthday. Anyway, not much to report~just wanted to get the photos posted. More notes later (and I do realize it has been over 2 1/2 months since my last post)!

Some very stylish girls.

2007-08-19T13:31:00.000-06:00

Greetings to all!!!

Hope the month of August has been treating everyone well. I had my surgery on the 2nd and Jared has been a God-send!!! He has had to take over all the house hold duties since I can't stand on 2 feet for a while. The surgeon says that I have a 5 out of 6 chance of this being successful. Hopefully he is right. And I have been a good patient for the physical therapist as well. I only am having to go to therapy once a week since I do my exercises at home so well. I did have a slight scare last week though. when I went in for my follow-up visit to the surgeon he thought that I might have a blood clot in my leg. After going to another office and having a doppler ultrasound done, it was determined that I do not have a clot. Whew!!!

The girls have been keeping busy with the last fieldtrips of the year at their daycare. They have more of a social life then their parents. Pre-school will start again the first week of September for Seanna. She will now be attending a class 3 times a week instead of just the two. What an adventure it will be to see how much more she learns now. As for Cassidy, she will not be starting pre-school this year, due to her age and the school age guidelines. Oh, well-she will still end up benefiting from hearing things her sister learns.

They both are growing like weeds. All the sudden their shirts are too short and their shoes are too small. Amazing how this seems to happen "overnight".

Well, that is about I have have to report for now. Everyone take care!

Dena, Jared & the girls

"Family" picnic

2007-07-29T19:31:00.001-06:00

Yesterday a whole gang of us got together, 18 of us to be exact. Some of our good friends and their families got meet in a park in Crete, Ne and had a picnic. It was a nice relaxing afternoon. All of the kids played together very nicely, especially when you consider the age ranges--8 to 1 month. The adults played nicely also, or as well as we know how. It was very nice to see the Lynn, Ryan and family make it up from MO~~~~~very very nice to see them. It was sad for all of us not to see Jeff and Tricia though. We think they had a horse issue to deal with at the last minute. Whatever the case, everyone thinks that we should do it again. I agree, it is nice to have another generation get to hang out with each other....after all we didn't turn out to bad, so if our children play together it shouldn't end up in disaster. Well, not much more to report. Adding more photos though. Everyone take care!!!!

Dena, Jared & the girls.

"Mommy says we shouldn't stick out our tongues like that or our face
will freeze like it"

"Sure glad we don't have one of these at home"

Just hanging out~enjoying the company.

What a cute crowd!

~Girls just wanna have fun~

On the road again.......

2007-07-25T19:20:00.000-06:00

So, the month of July was spent on the road. Or so it seemed. We had a quiet 4th of July at home. Invited Jared's parents over to bbq and watch some fireworks with us. Then the following weekend we headed west. We went camping for 2 nights at Lake Maconaughy with the Gill family. It was a pretty good time. I think that Seanna and I would have had an even better time if we were feeling better. We each caught summer colds. Then there was Cassidy dislike of sleeping outdoors. This trip has really spurred our search for a pop-up camper for next summer. The following weekend we packed up and headed west again. This time to North Platte for Jared's Grandma's 80th birthday reception. It was nice to see the Larrie Patterson family together and a few of the other relatives. However, we are anxious to have a quiet weekend at home~not sure when that might happen though. We are going west again this upcoming weekend (although not quite as far) to enjoy a picnic with a group of long-time friends and their families. Lots of kids and lots of food. That is what summer is all about........

So, I am including a couple of new pictures~a couple are good for some comic relief.

Take Care!

Dena, Jared, Seanna & Cassidy

Summertime, summertime, Summertime!

2007-06-24T18:29:00.000-06:00

Well, the summer is off to a busy start. The beginning of June brought us 2 weddings to attend. So the girls got their grandparent time while we attended them. And then we had VBS for the entire week this past week. Needless to say, we are all very tired after that one!!! We went to visit Mom K. today, and help to celebrate her birthday. The girls got to see their cousins Codie, Riley and Ryan. It was very nice. Otherwise, all is going pretty well with us. Take Care everyone~~and enjoy the new photos.

Dena, Jared & the girls.

A trip to the BIG Zoo!!!!

2007-05-31T19:24:00.001-06:00

The family ventured to Omaha today to meet with the Gill family to tour the Henry Doorly Zoo. The first area we went thru was the Desert Dome. I must say, not too thrilled about that one. Not sure that it was worth the hype that went with it when it first opened. Then we got to see the cat complex and the bears. We kept hearing from Seanna that she wanted to see the sharks. So, the very last thing that we went to see was the aquarium. She was thrilled. Cassidy was pretty happy with all the animals that we got to see today.

Then we all went to have lunch together. It was a very nice morning and early afternoon of activities. Everyone had a good time~then it was time to go home. By the time we got back to Lincoln, it was threatening rain, so the girls got to play with the play-doh. Always good for a couple of hours of fun for them. I would have to say that had a pretty good time today. Now what to plan for tomorrow~hmmmm, good question.

Hope all are good.....

Take Care!!!
Dena, Jared & the girls

A trip to the BIG Zoo!!!!

2007-05-31T19:24:00.000-06:00

Memories....

2007-05-29T09:56:00.000-06:00

Greetings to all!

We hope that life is treating you well. We are currently on vacation from our jobs~spent the weekend out of town (in North Platte) visiting relatives. We all stayed with Jared's Grandma and Al. We also got to see his brother Mike & family (or most of the family). Grandma had a birthday cake for Mike & my birthdays. The weather was even nice for the majority of the time that we spent in N.P. But now we are back to reality & painting!!! Jared is currently working on emptying out the kitchen so that we can paint it a nice sunny yellow. Should look very cheery when it is all done.

Well, nothing else really going on~just wanted to share a new family photo.....

Take Care!!!

Dena, Jared & the girls

Front (from left): Seanna, Sydney, Cassidy, Elizabeth, Mike & Emily

Back (from left): Grandma Coleman, Jared, Krissa & Dena

May flowers

2007-05-13T21:14:00.000-06:00

Well, I know it has been a while since my last post. Sorry about that! Time gets away from me sometimes. Anyway, we are all doing well. Jared got moved to his new position (and building) in mid-March & he is loving it. Keeps him pretty busy. He also has started a part time job helping out at the hotel where his Mom works. He assists with some bookkeeping things there. As for myself, I have gotten into the yard a little more this year. I have a real flower bed next to the garage & am hoping for it to do well. I have interviewed for yet another position and will find out in this next week if I got the job. It would be in the same department, but as a tried and true Training Specialist. Wow!!!

As for the girls, they are getting taller by the day it seems. Both have found that they like to stand their ground against the other lately though. That can sometimes be tough for Mom & Dad. But they are both throughly enjoying the nice weather and both have a little bit of a "farmer's" tan going on alreadly.

Jared and the girls went to the zoo yesterday & did a fun run (1 mile around the zoo). Both of the girls did great. Then they got to wander around the zoo & Seanna got to go on 2 pony rides (Cassidy didn't want hers, so that is why Seanna had 2). Then they pet a rat and a guinea pig. Big excitement. Needless to say that they were both exhausted (or should I say all 3 of them) when they returned. I got to have some quiet time during their trip. And it was very nice and appreciated. What a caring husband I have. All that in addition to the beautiful flowers (see picture above) that I got for Mother's day. He is a good man.

Well, I don't have much more. We hope that all are doing well & are able to enjoy the nice cooler weather before the heat of summer comes to visit.

Take Care!

Dena, Jared & the girls.

February has MARCHed right by.....

2007-02-20T12:11:00.000-06:00

and the temperatures will be rising. The girls are staying busy getting on one another's nerves. They both have bad cases of cabin fever. But now with the warming of the weather, the snow is melting and making a muddy mess~so still no outdoor playing.

We haven't been doing too much lately, a lot of time spent at home. But that is alright, nice to have quiet times. Mostly I know that people just want to see pictures of the girls--so I have included some for everyone.

Take Care!

Dena, Jared & the girls.

February & the groundhog has seen his shadow...

2007-02-10T16:31:00.000-06:00

So, we are expecting 6 more weeks of winter? No, say it is not so. I am very tired of this white stuff. And it has been so cold that the girls haven't really even had the opportunity to play outside in the snow. We are enjoying being with each other in the house, at least for now. Thank heaven for cartoon videos.

All around our house have been relatively healthy. A few runny noses and some occasion coughs, but nothing too major. That is a good thing.

Seanna is doing very fine with her night time training~waking up most mornings dry, which makes us very happy! And Cassidy is doing pretty well with her potty training as well. Maybe by summer we will only have to buy occasional pull-ups. That would be wonderful.

It seems that the field trips might be starting back for Seanna. I got a flyer in the cubby the other day about her group going to the circus. That is wonderful. The only downside is that Cassidy does not get to attend these things, and we usually don't take Seanna again to the same event a 2nd time. I guess when Cassidy reachs the next age group at the daycare she will get to go as well. But it still makes me feel like a bad parent.

I guess that is all the news for now~I will get some new pictures posted soon, so check back.

Take Care~
Dena, Jared & the girls.

Seanna is 4!

2007-01-15T09:35:00.000-06:00

The birthday has come and gone. I have to say that Seanna had a pretty good time for a couple of days. On her actual birthday, she and I went to see Charlotte's Web. This was actually heer 2nd movie at the theater, but this was special due t it being just the 2 of us. She really enjoyed the show except for that part about the animals talking. Animals don't talk, that is just crazy. That evening the Gills came over and we had pizza for dinner. What a way to cap off the day. Overall, I believe that she had a good birthday.

On Saturday, both sets of grandparents, Uncle Scott, Aunt Kari and Rhonda came over for some Strawberry Shortcake cake and ice cream. Then Seanna got to open more girts. That was the best part for her. And she has been playing with all the new toys ever since. Good thing for them since the weather has turned bitterly cold making it tought to go outside.

That is about all the news we have from our house. 'Til next time....

Take Care,
Dena, Jared and the girls.

Oh, the holidays!

2007-01-06T09:51:00.000-06:00

Well, another holiday season is over. The girls weren't so sure about the whole thing until they saw the presents. We even had to take our tree down sooner then inticapated due to Seanna consistent asking about more presents. We also got a chance to see both sets of grandparents over the holidays--which made everyone happy. You will see from the pictures all the loot that they received. Overall, they love all the new things that they got. And now with the thank-you's sent out, we are starting the preparations for the next event, Seanna's 4th birthday. More pictures to come after her party.

Take Care,
Dena & Jared & the girls

November.....

2006-11-29T19:52:00.000-06:00

Well, we have all been doing pretty well this past month. Cassidy had some type of little "bug" for a couple of days but nothing major. We were able to go visit with my parents the weekend before the Thanksgiving holiday. Then we spent Thanksgiving day with Jared's parents and 2 of his brothers and Aunt Carol for Denver~it was a very nice day. Hard to believe that the holiday season is upon us already though. Now it is the rush to get everything done before the next holiday.

Going back to October, the girls had a very good time trick-or-treating. Seanna was Snow White this year and got to wear her costume most of the day on Halloween. She did a lot better this year than last year. Miss Cassidy was a lady bug, but that was not her first or 2nd choice. That was a costume that Seanna had worn a couple years previous. The first costume that we got for Cassidy was a Minnie Mouse, but found out to late that it was too small for her. The stores didn't have any more left in the next bigger size. We ended up getting a rag doll costume, but one time getting that one on determined that she was not going to put up with that AGAIN!!!!! So, I dug out the ladybug.....and it seemed to work.

The first week of the month, there was a lot of activity in our neighborhood with the ABC show Extreme Home Makeover building a house about 2 1/2 blocks from our house. I know that this event made me like a moth to a light. Something about it being so close made me want to go over there constantly. And of course, I got to go on the reveal day and say "move that bus!". It was all very interesting. I can't wait to see the finished show on tv.

Otherwise, it has been a very nice month. We have had some good times with loved ones and some wonderful quiet moments at home. All in all, I must say it was a blessed month.......

Our little bug....

"Are we cute or what?"
"Snow White don't have nothing on me!"

Yes, folks, that is TY~ And again.....

Right before the reveal, can see the bus waiting to be moved.

Cassidy is 2 (already)!!!!!

2006-10-30T19:56:00.000-06:00

Hard to believe that it has been two years since little Cassidy was born. But she is growing like a weed. Seems like everyday she is doing or saying something new. I can say with great authority that our house is always interesting.

Sunday was the actual birthday, so we had the grandparents and Uncle Scott & Lisa over for some cake and pizza. It was a nice relaxing time together. Cassidy was not so sure about all the attention, but I am sure that by the time the next birthday rolls around, that will change.

Earlier in the day, just the four of us went to IHOP to celebrate together. That was also a very nice time. Jared and I are just so lucky to have our girls, they truly are wonderful little people. :)

As for other excitement in our lives, the tv show "Extreme Makeover, Home Edition" is filming just blocks away from us. I have even seen TY a couple of times~not on the set however~both times I have seen him driving to or from the set. Maybe I will get to see him on the set before all of this is done with, but my time is limited since they will only be here a couple more days. If not, that is fine too.

The Gill Family came down tonight (Monday) to walk over to see the events going on over at the house. It was a good time except for the bitterly cold wind blowing this evening. I have to feel for those volunteers that are up on that roof working tonight.

Well, that is all for now~stay in touch!

Take Care!
D & J

Again...that darn left tooth!!!

2006-10-17T12:08:00.000-06:00

Greetings all;

Well, we had another eventful day yesterday. Seanna had a dentist appointment and it was determined that her left front tooth needed to be pulled. This was due to an abscess on her gums. Apparently after her root canal on this tooth, the gum started to see the root of that tooth as a foreign object. So, it was determined that the best thing to do would be to take the darn thing out. So, another traumatic visit to the dentist for Seanna. Cassidy also got an x-ray taken due to her tooth being knocked out the other day. The dentist wanted to make sure that the entire tooth/root was out. He found that everything looked good for her. But still pretty scary to have an x-ray taken of her mouth.

Afterwards, the girls and I went to see Grandma. As everyone knows, hugs from Grandma usually make everything all better. :) Then we went to get a few trinkets for the two of them to make them feel a little better after all the drama that they went thru earlier in the afternoon.

Jared had found a couple of cute outfits for the girls. They both got dressed up in them this morning~and they were just so darn cute!! Maybe someday they will grow up to be a true Husker cheerleader some day. I have included some pictures that we took of the two of them.

Otherwise, everything is going very well for all of us. Hope all is well with everyone out there.

Take Care!
D & J

What is wrong with a left front tooth?

2006-10-15T20:00:00.000-06:00

Well, another exciting weekend at our house. Everything started out quite normally, but little Cassidy wanted to bring some more gray to Mommy's hair on Saturday.

We got up and went to our insurance agent's office to re-evaluate our coverage, then afterwards we all went for a walk around Holmes Lake Park. The girls enjoyed seeing all the ducks on the lake. There were quite a few of them out there. The girls got to play on the playground there as well. It was a good time. By the time we got home, it was time for the girls to have something to eat, so we had an early lunch. It was after the nap that things went downhill. I was helping Seanna with changing her pants when I heard Cassidy start crying in the kitchen. She had fallen off a little chair that she had dragged into the kitchen. When I came around the corner and saw all the blood, I just about passed out myself. So, while I tried to calm Cassidy (and myself) down, I had Seanna going to get things for me~mainly to keep her busy and her mind off the situation. Cassidy had knocked her front tooth completely out (the same one that Seanna had knocked loose in her mouth earlier this year). Unfortunately, since Cassidy's was knocked out, there is nothing that can be done to fix it. So, she will be without one of her front teeth for several years.

On another note, Jared surprised me with a night at Embassy Suites for our anniversary. It was a very nice to get away for an evening. We had a nice relaxing time together. We had dinner at a different restaurant, Dish, which was very good. Afterwards, we watched the end of the NE-KS game. The hotel was a nice gift for me. Sometimes it is tough to believe that we have been married for 7 years. And even more so that it has been 10 years at Christmas since our first date. Crazy!

I guess that is enough information for now. And I don't plan on having in smiling pictures of Cassidy out here for a while.

Take Care!

D & J

Warm autumn daze

2006-10-08T21:04:00.000-06:00

Had another great weekend of nice weather. We got the chance to enjoy the outdoors for most of Saturday. Before that, we had a pretty exciting Friday night. At least in the eyes of a 3 and 1 year old~ the girls got their copy of The Little Mermaid in the mail. They were pretty excited about it. Seanna thinks that she is going to be Ariel for Halloween. That is pretty unfortunate for us since we got her a Snow White costume for that. Oh, well.

On Saturday, the girls and I went to the park to play. When we were leaving, we saw a woolly bear caterpillar. Both of them wanted to bring it home, so I grabbed a stick and got it to climb up on it. When we got home, we found a jar to put it into. That night the caterpillar spun itself into a cocoon. I guess we will see what becomes of it.

Then on Sunday, we just had a relaxing day at home (after church). It was very nice to be able to enjoy each other. It seems that the girls have just shot up over the summer. Both of them have gotten so much bigger. It is amazing that they can seem to grow overnight.

Well, not too much more going on with us. I will update later.

Take Care.
D & J

Cassidy's pretty hair........

2006-10-01T17:53:00.000-06:00

This weekend included another first for our second child. Cassidy got her first haircut and I have included some pictures so you can see. Both of the girls got to have some time with Mommy on Friday afternoon. We took a short road trip to Grandma & Grandpa's house to play and visit. Everything is going fine with them. They even took us out for dinner, at which time we got to see Rhonda as well. Jared has gotten almost all the work done on the porch that he planned for this year. We will finish it up in the spring. It looks very nice. Took the opportunity yesterday afternoon to sit on the porch swing. I think that was the first time all season.

Saturday night we all went to watch the Huskers (win!) against the Jayhawks at the Gill's. The girls really enjoyed themselves. And best of all they wore themselves out with all that activity so they were asleep before we were 10 minutes from the Gill's house. Good thing they aren't too heavy to carry into their beds.

Sunday was pretty laid back, stayed home most of the day. Did some playing outside since it was so nice out. Then us girls went to the library to pick out some new books. They just love going there to get more to read. Might have a couple of bookworms on our hands. Nothing wrong with that! Well, it is time for bathes so I need to cut this update a little short. Keep in touch!!

Take Care~
D&J

Black Eye, the Zoo and a Split Lip......

2006-09-18T19:00:00.000-06:00

So, things have been pretty evenful around our house. Or at least this past weekend. Cassidy had a little bit of an accident on Friday evening. She fell into her guard rail on her toddler bed, of course it was the corner of her eye that hit the hardest. She now has experienced her first black eye. Poor kid. Then on Sunday the family went to the Children's Zoo (first and probably only time this year). When we were there Cassidy had another incident. She was running towards Jared and I when another little boy (around 5ish) ran right into her and knocked her down on her back--on pavement. She bumped the back of her head pretty hard, but was alright after a few minutes. Pretty tough little one. The daycare director keeps telling us that she should have been our boy. Don't think so.....but she is pretty tough. Speaking of daycare, she took another spill today there, splitting her lip in the process. So, don't expect any pictures of her anytime in the near future (Kidding!).

Back to the zoo, it was a pretty good time. We were impressed with all of the changes/updates that have been done this past year. Seanna was not very thrilled about the peacocks that wanted to walk up to her though. And she was not excited about seeing the gibbons (thru the glass) up close either. But she did like the turtles, butterflies and of course, the mole rats (as usual). Cassidy on the other hand was pretty excited about all of the animals. She really had a good time (until her accident of course).

I had another interview last week, and heard back 3 days later that I did not get the position. I am about ready to give up on my job search. It is very frustrating when all of the openings require 3 years experience. How do you get that if no one is willing to hire you?

Jared is taking most of this week off, mainly to work on the porch. We can now go out the front door, and it is only Monday! Should be a good week for working on it since it is going to be pretty cool outside.

That is pretty much all that is happening with us.
Take Care!
D&J

2006-09-03T08:48:00.000-06:00

Long weekend without a lot of Labor......

Well, it was an enjoyable weekend for our family. We had a good time with the Gill family watching the Huskers win against Louisiana Tech. After the game we all went to the NE State Fair. Seanna got to ride some of the midway rides and she had a BLAST!! She was even brave enough to ride the big ferris wheel. She came running up to Jared when the ride was over, saying "I DID IT!". And in case you were wondering, it was that big one, the one that is about 6 stories high. So, the turning strawberry and flying elephant were nothing compared to that ferris wheel. Unfortunately, we did not have our camera with us to get photos of the joyful expressions she had while one the rides or afterwards. Cassidy didn't miss out on the fun, just didn't get to have as much. She chose a duck out of the water and got a medium sized prize. She then to go play "run from mom & dad", one of the most enjoyable games for toddlers.

Jared got a little more work done on the porch~there are boards there now to walk on. Looks good and should look great when it is all done. Now he has the dilemma of how to put the supports back. Since he build the floor up a little, the old supports are too long. So, we are not going to raise the roof, but just trim down the old supports. He is doing pretty good since this is his project alone. Makes me sooo proud. Well, another week has begun and I have a couple of candid shots of the girls to share this time. Although, they weren't really in the mood to be photographed when I took them (keep that in mind when you see them).

Take Care!
D&J

Busy weekend...

2006-08-28T11:23:00.000-06:00

Monday Greetings!
The girls kept pretty busy this weekend. Friday night they got to make an short appearance at St. Elizabeth to see Grandma. Saturday morning was delivery day for the fundraiser items from Seanna's school. But that came after she got a much needed haircut. That evening we went to a birthday party of a family friend. Their son was celebrating, complete with a bouncy castle. The girls both had a good time. On Sunday, they got to go to the park with Mommy in the morning. When we got home, Grandpa and Grandma P. came to visit for a little while. In the afternoon, we all took a short road trip to see the other set of grandparents. How lucky can they be seeing both sets of grandparents in the same day? Needless to say, they were very tired when we returned home. I have included some recent pictures of the two of them.
Take Care!
D&J

A Beginning....

2006-08-25T20:31:00.000-06:00

Just created this blog to help keep others updated with us. Not that we do a lot but the girls do change with all of their growing. This way I can post pictures and share with everyone that cares.

I have been busy with my job search. Didn't really realize how limited the HR field was when I was taking my classes. But I am sure that the right one will come along for me eventually.

As for the girls, Seanna is doing very well in the new daycare/pre-school center. She comes home with lots of art work and a new song or two every week. I can tell quite a difference in her knowledge power. Cassidy is learing quite a bit as well. She is starting to say some of the alphabet herself. They make me so proud. ;)

This past week we ended up getting another 2nd car since the Taurus decided to slip it's transmission. So, now we have a Pontiac Bonneville. It is a few years older than the Taurus, but seems to be in really good working order. And we have diversified to another color--maroon.

Hope everyone is doing well~take care!

D&J