Ladder 13

Yesterday we got to visit the Indianapolis fire station - Ladder 13. It was really neat to get to see the trucks up close and see the firemen dressed in their full suits. They said that often times, during a fire, kids will run and hide from the firemen trying to save them because they are afraid of them in their full get-up. Elliot was pretty nervous at first, but did get brave enough to give him five and pose for a picture. Hopefully this will ease his fear of the firetruck sound that we sometimes hear at night.

The kids got to actually get in the truck. Elliot was in heaven. He didn't want to get out.

The kids in our Scrubmates club.

Scrubmates is a group organized to support the spouses of IU residents. They have tons of fun activities and get-togethers. What a sweet resource for all us lonely resident wives.

Thanks Scrubmates - the fire station was a hit!

Is it Halloween yet?

Just a little halloween rehearsal. What a cute chubby dragon.

Just how strong is your CURIOSITY?

1 hour? 2 hours? 3 hours even? Try a 3 1/2 hour wait in the blazing hot sun surrounded by a ghastly amount of people just as crazy as we were. If we would have realized sooner what we were in for we might have turned back, but our overpowering CURIOSITY to find out just what was inside the Disney train and figure out why whatever was in that train would drag so many people into the hot sun to wait in a line all evening long kept us there entertaining ourselves and making friends with people around us as the time slowly passed and the line crept on.

After it was all said and done...was it worth it? I have no problem admitting my curiosity's weakness - J.R. however was not so quick to admit defeat. He said he enjoyed it and thought it was time well spent. hummmm......I'll let you guys be the judge if you decide to wait it out like we did. Good luck with that :)

They had carolers trying to entertain the hot and tired crowd.

Sorry, they just can't compete with the Sun Valley carolers.

About half way and total worn out.

Poor Elliot got blisters on his sweaty feet so, off they went.

I was too hot and tired to care.

FINALLY. Just steps away from being inside.

A peek inside.

Getting ready for the 3D sneak peak of the movie.
It does look really good. We'll definitly find time to go see it.

Hess Fam

On yet another trip to Columbus to "deal" with our rental property we decided to make a quick stop at the Hess home. It was great to get to catch up on life after dental school, see their beautiful home and of course love on their sweet baby Jacob.
Thanks Mike & Beth for a nice visit! Miss you guys!

Brandon and his g.friend also stopped by at the same time.

Sleep Trouble

My 2 1/2 year old has started some new and not so pleasant sleep problems. I was hoping a mom out there might have had a similar situation and have a suggestion.

He has always been a very easy sleeper. Went down super super easy with our regular routine. But for the past couple weeks is having serious issues. He seems terrified to go to sleep by himself. I have to be lying next to his crib on the ground for him to settle and fall asleep. This is only at night. During naps he goes down with just a slight struggle, but eventually lets me talk him into sleeping by himself and does fine.
Because night time is the bigger problem, I've tried night lights, music, stuffed animals....I can't think what else to do to help him sleep alone again. I would be fine if it is just a phase, I am willing to sleep on the ground each night and ride it out, but I'm worried that I'm encouraging a bad habit. I want him to know he can trust me, but also know I sleep in my bed and he in his.
I think he's afraid of the sound of motorcycles, firetrucks or loud cars that occasionally are heard at night. Maybe a white noise maker to drown out those night time noises. But, do I continue to sleep on the floor while he adjusts? How long before it turns into a habit?
He also will wake in the middle of the night - probably after better woke by the loud car noises - then we have to start all over and it can sometimes take up to an hour for him to fall back asleep.

Any suggestions are welcome and encouraged.
Does anyone know what I'm talking about? Has anyone dealt with this? What should I do? Any good book suggestions on toddler sleep problems? I hate having bedtime be so traumatic and exhausting emotionally for both of us.

Food for thought

First Day

It was Elliot's first day of Pre-Preschool last week. I may be crazy for putting him in so early, but I'm looking forward to the 2 hours of free time and he's looking forward to the kids and change of scenery.

What a handsome fella!

STAMPIN UP PROMOTIONS

Hi girls!

I wanted to let everyone know that I'm placing a stampin' up order on Sept. 15. I will be able to get orders to people in Indiana & Ohio by the end of September and to people in Utah by the end of October (I'm coming home due to my brother's return from his mission) I'm doing a mass order this month because, thanks to the move and the issues with our house, I've neglected my demonstrator status and need to get the ball rolling again.

So,
Take a look at the cataloge online and think ahead to any Halloween, Thanksgiving or Christmas projects you may have in mind and send me your order.

Because it's been a while since we've all stamped and because alot of us are settling into new homes and jobs - I'm creating my own promotions this month as a house warming / I miss you CELEBRATION....

-Spend $50 or more and get 1 additional item at 20% off.
-Whoever spends the most will get all the hostest benefits
*Benefits include: *up to $35 in free product (amount depends on total sales)
*a level 1 &/or level 2 stamp set
*1 item from the holiday mini catalog for just $10 (if club order total is above $250)
-Schedule a date to host a stampin up party and get the 2009-2010 Idea book & catalog FREE.
(I am able to do parties long distance...I'll send you all the supplies for the project, you just send out invites & provide a location)

Don't forget to look through the new holiday mini catalog as well. There are very cute new "Simply Adorned Charms" that would be so cute as Christmas tree ornaments or gift toppers. Also a new ornament Punch that would make christmas cards a breeze.

If you're looking for home decor ideas or projects, look through the "Definitely Decorative" catalog for vinyl art and stenciling.

Let me know if I can help in your search for products.
Please have your orders emailed to me by Sept 15.
Thanks a bunch! Happy Stamping! www.stampinup.com
Chelsea
email: chelseahayniern@hotmail.com

Happy Bday Dad

Just wanted to give a shout out to my dad on his special day!

LOVE YOU DADDY!

Pickin Raspberries

Yesterday we went on an adventure to the Raspberry patch. I had intentions to pick enough for jam, but just a few minutes into it and I got impatient. Elliot had his own bucket that we were occasionally putting raspberries into it, but soon realized he was eating them faster then we could pick them and was even picking and eating his own too. What a chubby. It was really cute. That's when I realized how long picking raspberries really took, so I lowered my expectations.

We had a great time. It's always fun being on a farm and getting a little dirty. Elliot loved searching out the ripe ones calling out "Here it is." "Look mom." whenever he came across a good bunch. He was deteremined to hold the bucket with all the berries and had a few accidents where we spent as much time picking them off the ground as we did off the bush. No wonder it was taking us so long. But, I guess that was the point. We were there to make memories not jam and we certainly succeeded.

I sure love my family. What a sweet boy Elliot is. So curious and independent. He's growing up too fast.

His first pick of the day

The first of the binging spree...and it never ended.

His bucket had better use as a hat then a raspberry collector. But his belly was certainly not complaining.

Finally, a full bucket. It was about 3 lbs in 1 hour. Not bad for a hungry group like us.

Yep, still eating. We probably should have weighed him too.

Happy Birthday J.R.

My idea of emergency decorating while J.R. was napping.

Matt D. would be so disappointed :)

Technically the new T.V. was his bday gift, but I had to wrap a few other things just for the tradition of opening presents.

You'd be surprised how many green highlighters he goes through. This is the second box of all green highlighters I've bought for him in the last couple years...just think all the studying that went along with it - yuck.

Right now he uses my stethescope so I got him his own, but he took it back. I guess he likes mine better or maybe it's a sign he doesn't want me to go back to work...hummm...

Ice cream cake from Cold Stone.

Talk about rich, tastey goodness...let's not talk about calories, I'll be good next week.

Yes, I'm a week behind. For some reason I can't seem to get anything done lately. I don't know if we're really that much more busy or if Elliot is just more demanding?? Not sure, either way it's harder and harder to keep this thing updated.

Happy Birthday J.R! He had the entire weekend off so we celebrated all weekend long. Saturday night I surprised J.R. with a long date night. The Rushton's took Elliot and had him sleep over so we had the whole night to ourselves. (seriously awesome friends) We first went to The Melting Pot for dinner. Have you been there? We hadn't and were pleasantly surprised. It was really fun and very romantic. We were sat in a little secluded booth and got to fondue everything ourselves. The cheese, salads and dessert were amazing. The meat was pretty good, but I think we were so paranoid about getting the pieces done that we over-did most of it. But, it was still so yummy. Very pricey, but luckily I had a $25 coupon to help soften the blow.

Next we headed off to the Indiana State Fair and went to the Keith Urban concert. It was J.R.'s first concert - can you believe it? I was worried because I know J.R. isn't that into Country music, but afterward he said "that was not country, that was really cool" I love Keith Urban, but we were both really impressed by his guitar playing skills. Sweet! He's amazing. It's always fun to see musicians who are more then just great singers. He was lead guitar on every song and was just awesome! Our ears were tingling for about 2 days after...ohhh the lingering affects of a rock concert :-)

After the concert we would have normally been done and headed home to get Elliot, but NO - not tonight. We stayed at the fair and wandered around stopping for ice cream (as if we didn't eat enough that night) and stopping to ride a ride. We haven't been on a ride in FOREVER so this was pretty exciting. It really was scary too.

We felt like kids in love again that night. What a breath of fresh air for our relationship. To just be us for a night without responsibilities or worries. SO FUN!!

HUGE THANKS to our sweet neighbors and best friends, Jerry and Debbie Rushton and their boys. What a kind thing to offer to keep Elliot. They never cease to surprise me. I'm learning so much about being a good friend from them. What great people!

What concert would be complete without a t-shirt with someone plastered on the front.

Not sure the face...this was during the opening act. I think J.R. wasn't too sure what to think at this point. Don't worry, he gets into it as the night goes on.

It was so hot. Can you see the sweat beads running down our faces? Gross.

The "Freak Out" ride we went on. Can you believe they can charge $4 a person to ride this? Talk about a rip off. It didn't stop us though...we were crazy, free teenagers again.

I love you J.R! Happy 31st Bday!

You're one amazing husband and father and I couldn't have asked for anyone better. You're perfect for me and I love everything about you.

Thanks for the fun night!!

Enjoying the Summer

Just another day on our block. Enjoying the sun, kids and food. Still loving the Rushtons and their care free, laid back personalities. We had a spur of the moment cookout Friday night. We each grilled on our own grills, brought it all together and shared around in the Rushton's back yard. Such great company. What a fun kick off to a fantastic weekend....more to come.

(this is a quick page I got from scrap matters - I can't take credit for it's cuteness.)

Water at the zoo

The zoo is one of the two places I know to go here in Indianapolis, so we go once sometimes twice a week. Compared to the Columbus zoo there isn't many animals to see, but IN has a very cool water spray park that is super fun for Elliot and slightly shaded for me :) Oh yes, and don't forget the train ride and the merry-go-round. Favorites for sure!

While watching Elliot play I noticed that the water looked like crystals spouting up into the sun. I thought is was pretty so I took a picture.

Elliot was sitting on a spout and was surprised when he opened his legs and got it in his face.

The merry-go-round. It's a different animal each time we ride. Today it was the tiger...the one animal he mentions on a daily basis because he likes to growl at everything.

He was sick of me in his face snapping shots and was asking me to put it down and get wet with him. I said, "okay just one more. Look up here and smile" and this is what I got. Can you see the impatiences in those eyes? So cute!