Love, sweet love

We had a great weekend celebrating Valentines Day. On Friday Adam and I went out to Chili's for dinner, and the next night we had a "fancy" family Valentine dinner. That evening, Jared got to play with his friend Spencer Hill while we went to the stake Gold and Green Ball. The ball was so nice--the decorations and refreshments were amazing! Half way through the dance we switched babysitting. Afterward, we had a cherry-chocolate Valentine cake with the Hills. It was a great weekend!

Run-down of the Holidays...

Has it really been three months since my last posting? How embarrassing! I hope that you've been checking out our Phanfare site in the meantime. It seems I can't keep more than one photo site updated at the same time.

Well, Thanksgiving and Christmas were both great. We spent Thanksgiving with the Dicksons in Utah, and we spent Christmas with the Washburns in Chicago. Jared loved being with his aunts and uncles and grandparents, and we enjoyed it as well. Here are a few token photos of the holidays...





With the close of January we come one month closer to baby time! I'm due March 12--just six weeks away. Adam and I have already taken a tour of Carle Hospital, and I've sorted through all our old and new baby clothes and organized the nursery to accommodate both Jared and the baby (she has now taken over the top drawer of Jared's dresser. Adam says it's only a matter of time before she's taken over half his closet space). ;)

Jared is learning new things at lightning speed. He now knows over 40 words, and he often repeats words we say. He can also point out colors and some letters. It's fun to watch him learn and become interested in new things! (though his favorite toys are still cars. They keep him entertained for hours). Jared knows that there's a baby in Mama's tummy and not in Daddys, that a baby says "wa-wa" and drinks a bottle, and that you can rock and kiss them softly. We only hope he won't be too jealous when the new baby is here taking up Jared's Mommy time!

Halloween!

We had a great time trunk-or-treating at our ward party! Grandma made Jared a lion costume, so we dressed up as characters from the Wizard of Oz. Jared even wore his lion hat the whole time--amazing! He also discovered candy, and he now loves suckers. Happy Halloween!

Food storage--check.

When I hear the words "food storage," the first image that comes to mind is my mom's food storage pantry--complete with rows and rows of bottled peaches, canned goods, 50-pound buckets of rice and wheat, and LOTS of powdered milk.

But when, at 21 years old, I married Adam and moved out of my parents' house, food storage took on a whole different meaning. Our 1-bedroom abode was tiny--smaller than the entire bottom floor of our current Winfield town home. The kitchen was the smallest part: long and skinny. There was a mini oven at one end, and when sitting at the kitchen table, you could turn on the sink, reach the trash, open the refrigerator door, turn on the oven, and open the front door to let in a guest without even leaving your seat! Needless to say, there was not much extra space for food storage.

But while we got by with a grocery sack full of cans and a can opener at our last apartment, I knew that this time I had no excuse. We now have sufficient storage space (requiring a little creativity), and we also have a growing family to provide for in the event of an emergency. With the recent Priesthood-Relief Society meeting on home food storage, I knew it was time to act.

I had already gathered up a decent supply of food which was stored in our coat closet (go Aldi!), but we were a little low on water supplies. Luckily, Melissa Stevens had given us some 2-liter bottles from their water storage when they moved. I just had to fill them and figure out where to put them.

After a little measuring and a trip to the hardware store (boy does Jared love the hardware store!), they now have a home. All 17 bottles sit snugly beside the furnace in our bathroom closet, stacked in rows separated by boards.

Thanks to Adam's grandma, we now have a 72-hour kit and a bag of extra clothing too. I must say I'm quite proud of our little food/water stash. I almost wish a disaster would strike so we could put it to use (well, not really). The only trick now is keeping the clothes and diapers updated so Jared isn't stuck wearing baby clothes when he's two!

Berries, airplanes, and haircuts--Oh my!

September brought with it a fun assortment of activities for our family. Jared and I enjoyed picking berries at Pontious Farms with Jenny and Zoe Snow... and Jared loved eating them! We also got to attend a Boy Scout Jamboree at the Rantoul aerospace museum. And a week ago, Jared got his final summer haircut. It looks like he was blond underneath his mop, after all. I think it was the sun that bleached it... although Adam did have blond hair as a baby, too. We'll see what color his hair is by the end of winter.

Third Anniversary!

For our third anniversary, Adam and I splurged: we hired a babysitter, rented a tandem bicycle, and strolled the town! We enjoyed walking by some of the university's gardens as well as biking through Meadowbrook Park. For dinner we went to Biaggi's (Italian). THAT was a major splurge... but the food was great! I got some ellegant-sounding cheese-filled pasta and it was SO good! (especially since I've been craving cheese throughout my pregnancy). We got to eat out on their patio where it was quiet with perfect weather. During dinner we exchanged gifts, and at home we watched the video of our wedding day.
Adam is the best husband ever! I feel so lucky to be married to him. He is an excellent father, too. We love spending time together, when we get the chance, and we're excited for the challenge of raising another little Lisa/Adam Jr. next spring. Aaaah. Life is very good.

The Wheels on the Bus...

Over the past few months, Jared and I (and sometimes Adam) have gone to visit an elderly lady (mother of Sis. Anderson in our ward) in a nearby rest home. Last Monday the Andersons invited our family and several others who have helped with her mother to join them for a ride on their bus and some ice cream. Jared absolutely loved the bus ride (and, of course, he loved the ice cream too). We really enjoyed getting to spend time with ward members and their kids. It was a very fun evening!