Life In Review

I didn't get any pictures taken yesterday, so I decided to post one picture from each of the 6 months that Matthew has been with us. Hopefully, you haven't seen any of these on the blog!!!





August...This was taken the day Matthew was born.






September...This was taken on Mommy and Daddy's 4th Anniversary.





October...Matthew was two months old in this picture!





November...At Great Grandpa & Great Grandma's house.






December...Hanging out with Mommy!









January...Happy as can be!

RaNdOm ShOtS

Can I help you? Here's Matthew playing with his top. As you can see, no help from Mommy or Daddy. Only the pillows are there for support!!

Our little hoodlum. He thinks he is pretty funny all of a sudden. When we put him up to a mirror, he will catch a glimpse of himself, get a huge grin on his face, and turn the other way. We think that he thinks he is cute!

Pleeeease.....No more pictures!!!!

Thankful Thursdays by Ryan

This week, I am thankful for...

1. A wife that surprises me every day. I got home last night and was getting ready to go blow out the driveway filled with several inches of fresh snow, and she said she wanted to do it. I think she had a little cabin fever from being in the house all day with Matthew!

2. The CC Deli. When I don't have enough time to get breakfast in the morning, I can always count on walking down the street and having a fresh muffin, brownie, cookie, doughnut, etc. If you live close, you should try them, they're grrrrrrrrrreat. (Read that like Tony the Tiger)

3. Matthew being entertained by the little things! I'm sure every parent has a story about getting their child the greatest toy, only to have them be mesmerized by the box that the toy came in! This is ours...We bought Matthew his Exersaucer before he was born, thinking that all these toys would be any child's favorite thing to play with. The funny thing is that the parts he goes for the most are the tags on the toys!!!

4. Four-wheel drive and a snowblower. We have needed them quite a bit this winter, and are glad to have them.

5. A happy baby. I just wanted an excuse to show this picture!

Drinking From a Cup

Visual proof of Matthew drinking from a cup. Matthew was watching Daddy drink from a cup the other night, and wanted to try very badly, so here he is! He is beginning to be Mr. Independent all of a sudden.

He is so proud of himself!!!

Buffalo Menu

Ryan and I are trying to think of new menu items at our house using our buffalo. Here is what we have come up with so far:

Buffaloaf (Meatloaf)
Buffaritos (Burritos)
Buffball subs (Meatball subs)
Buff Stew (Beef Stew)
Buffurgers (Hamburgers)
Buffacos (Tacos)
Filet Buffon (Filet Mignon)
Buffy Joes (Sloppy Joes)
Buffy Dogs (Chili Dogs)
Buff Manhattan (Beef Manhattan)
Steak Buffitas (Steak Fajitas)


We are open to other suggestions!

Buffaloaf A.K.A. Meatloaf Made with Buffalo

Ryan and I are officially the proud owners of 134 lbs of Buffalo meat. We purchased 1/4 buffalo this past weekend and took a little family trip up to Fremont, IN to the Wild Winds Buffalo Preserve to pick up our purchase. Why buffalo? Well, it is one of the leanest meats and these particular buffalo are grass fed and free to roam (which apparently is good for you). They are also free of antibiotics and hormones which have not been adequately studied and have could be detrimental to our health. This was just one more step in our quest to become healthier and more educated on taking good care of our bodies. Our first creation with our buffalo meat was a meatloaf... hence the title of this post. We thought we were fairly hysterical when we came up with this clever little name on Sunday evening. The results are in: buffaloaf tastes the same as meatloaf with a slightly different texture. Later this week we will be trying buffball subs (meatball subs) and burritos. We will let you know how they turn out!

http://www.buffalohillsbisonmeat.com/nutritional_information.php

This website has the nutritional information on buffalo... it's pretty incredible. If you're ever in the mood for some buffalo... give us a call!

Picture Pages

Surprise! This is probably Matthew's favorite toy to play with. It is a turtle that is attached to his Exersaucer. He tries to kiss and lick that thing all the time. I can't seem to get a picture of him without slobber or food on his shirt. When does all the slobbering and puking stop??

Last night was about the funniest our little guy has been. He was eating supper when I decided to try the airplane game with his spoon. He laughed and giggled and squealed the entire meal. We got it on video, but I don't know how to post a video that is on regular vhs tape. Any ideas? We were even able to get all the grandparents called so that they could hear him squealing while he ate! What a ham!

Ice Carving Festival

This weekend was CC's Ice Carving Festival downtown. We didn't get to make it to the festivities, but I did get to go on Sunday night and get pictures of some of the ice sculptures! The pictures are kind of difficult to see clearly.

This one is some sort of iguana on a tree.

I think this one is a crawdad or shrimp or something. Look at the antennas or tenticles.

Here is a grasshopper on some grass. I couldn't believe how intricate some of these were.

On Saturday, the sculptors make things for the local businesses. Here is one with the flag and Liberty Bell.

This is a horse and funeral carriage. It was done for a local funeral home. They do this one every year, and it's one of the favorites.

And, of course, we had to get Matthew's picture beside the Napa spark plug!

Sunday Pictures

Just chillin before church! Today, Matthew was able to go to 2 church services!!! We went to our church for the early service and then were able to go to Troy (Grandpa and Grandma Peppler's church) and listen to Uncle Tobie and Aunt Carla give their testimony! Their story is truly incredible and to see how God has been at work in all of it was amazing!! To God be the glory!



No, we are not teaching our youngster any gang symbols, but sometimes his expressions are just priceless! Love this picture right before bed the other night!

Day 1 of Everyday Pictures!

Ok, so I'm posting pictures!!!


Uncle Adam and Aunt Rachel sent some clothes for Matthew last week in this box. I told Matthew that it was from them, and he wanted to go visit them by getting in the box and having us send him FedEx. I was tempted, but he wouldn't fit. Hopefully, we'll see them soon!!!


Bobby socks?! Nope...Daddy pulled his socks as high as they would go, and thought he looked pretty cute. He looks a little like Daddy when he was this little.

This is what happens if Mommy and Daddy do not put a bib on during meal time. This is also what happens when Matthew eats green beans and prunes. We won't show you what happened several hours after eating prunes! Notice the drool coming from his mouth!!!

Thankful Early-Morning Friday

Today, I'm thankful for...

1. Low interest rates. Jamie and I decided to refinance a couple of weeks ago and tonight we finally go to closing. I'll spare the boring details, but we were able to save a lot of moola.

2. Digital cameras. Believe it or not, we still have one! I promised Jamie that I will be trying to post at least one picture a day. I'm going to try hard to start that...tomorrow!!!

3. Facebook. For those of you who don't have a Facebook page, get one and become my friend! I love staying in touch with people who I don't usually get a chance to talk to much. And...it's a whole lot easier than email!

4. Ice carving festival. Several years ago, our little town started an ice carving festival and chili cookoff. I'm hoping to make it downtown this weekend to check out the sculptures.

5. Patience. Because there has not been a lot to do at work recently, we've started the process of backing up (scanning and filing) every survey that has been done in the last 25 years in our office. What a job. It will probably take several years to get everything done, but at least everything will have a digital backup just in case.

I hope everyone has a great weekend. Hopefully, you will hear from us soon!

Look at ME!

Matthew has learned how to sit up this week! He is still a little wobbly, but he seems to enjoy this new activity!

P.S. If you click on the bottom picture you can see Matthew's first tooth! He has two of them now, but he tries to bite my fingers when I stick them in there to get a picture!

Thankful Thursdays...

Today, I am thankful for...

1. Snow... I like looking outside and seeing a blanket of white... much better than all the brown dead stuff. I just don't really like driving in it!

2. My new job. In this economy I am thankful to have a job! I am looking forward to learning lots of great things as I continue the orientation process!

3. The two most important men in my life... Ryan and Matthew. I just can't get enough of them!

4. Andrea Roy's life. A young woman from our community who passed away suddenly this week. Although I did not know her personally, I know her family and friends are grieving and asking many questions this week. Even in her short 24 years, she made an impact on many.

5. Online bill pay. Love this little feature, it saves me so much time and keeps me organized!

Have a great weekend!

New Job Update

Well, I am finished working for the week! That sounds so weird to me as I am typically just starting to think about going to work for the weekend by this point in the week. My final night at Lutheran was less than stellar. I worked my 12 hour shift and at 3 AM Sunday morning, my replacement did not show up. We think there had possibly been some miscommunication as she had just arrived home from her honeymoon the previous night and we aren't sure she knew she was supposed to work. So, I got to stay at work and did not get home until after 6:15... needless to say, I was tired and we had a family Christmas that day.

Monday morning bright and early, I was on my way to my new job. I worked Monday 8A-6P, Tuesday 7:30A-12:30P, and today 7A-12P. I am about pooped. I am glad I was able to get the hours in before most of the storm hit though. Matthew and I got home just in time to watch the rest of the snow come down.

As far as work, I am a tad overwhelmed and have learned a great deal this week. I am learning that ortho is definitely not my strong suit which is a lot of what I will be doing in this new job. I know it will take some time to get comfortable, but so far I am enjoying this new adventure. The most exciting part is that I am finished with work for the week!!!! HOORAY!

Too Cute Not to Share!

I am sure most of you parents can relate! This picture was just too cute (in my very biased opinion) not to share! Our little guy is getting so big and strong. He can sit up on his own now for several minutes. We are definitely still right with him or propping pillows behind him, but he seems to enjoy this new activity. He is also diving right into the world of veggies! So far, he has liked sweet peas, green beans, carrots, and sweet potatoes. In this picture he is waiting patiently for me to get his food ready for him! Have a great week!

LPN vs NP

I have had several people ask me the difference between an LPN and NP this week. So, here it goes:

LPN = Licensed Practical Nurse: an LPN is a nursing degree that is more of a technical degree. It requires about 2 years of schooling and is often what people do before going on for their RN (Registered Nurse).

NP = Nurse Practitioner: an NP requires additional schooling following an RN license. Being an NP does not always require a Master's degree but typically nurse practitioners have a Master's degree.

Hopefully this helps those of you who were wondering.

Have a great day!

Thankful Thursdays...

Bet no one thought we would post our thankful Thursdays early!!! We're sneaky!

Today, I am thankful for...

1. My new job. I had Onboarding today... not really sure what the definition of onboarding is, but it was just a general overview of my job. It was good to get started and learn a little bit about Dupont Hospital. I received my name badge so now I can clock in and out! Hey wait... I am salaried, so I won't be clocking in and out... oh well, at least people will know my name!

2. Matthew officially has 1 tooth and is working on the 2nd one. He has been a tad fussy today, but we are thankful that our little guy is growing and developing on schedule!

3. My dad is back to work!!! He has been working partial days all this week. I think he is glad to be back and has enjoyed seeing some of the people he has missed over the past couple months. If anyone sees him out and about in his plaid shirts and plaid mismatched pants, please just look the other way! His jeans are still really irritating, so he can only handle them for a few hours a day. The rest of the time he looks like a 90 year old man who didn't turn the lights on when he was picking out his clothes for the day!

4. Tilapia trial. Well, I tried making tilapia tonight. Ryan liked it and scarfed it down... I was not too impressed. I think it might be because the seasoning we tried on it is what my mom uses on chicken... I thought it should taste like chicken, but it didn't. We'll have to try again soon!

5. A free facial. A friend of mine has a gift certificate for 2 free facials tomorrow and she invited me along! HOORAY! I have never had a facial before, but I am excited to join her!

Have a great weekend... my last one at work!

New Job!!!

Well, for those of you who have been wondering... I have officially accepted a job as a nurse practitioner. I will be working at Dupont Hospital in Fort Wayne in their Health Services Department... In fact, I will be their Health Services Department. There are some really great perks to this job:

1. It's only 20 hours/week, so I still have plenty of time with my baby!
2. Dupont Hospital is in the same network as Lutheran, so all my benefits/seniority transfer with me.
3. I get to make my own schedule.
4. No holidays!!!!
5. No more weekend nights (after this weekend)!
6. I will have my own office!
7. I am using my degree!

The job is not perfect, but as you can see, it is a great starting point and hopefully somewhere I can grow! I know I will learn a great deal in this setting and with the flexibility of the schedule, I can see myself in this position for awhile! I have something called "Onboarding" in the morning and then I officially start next week! I am looking forward to a change of pace and meeting new and exciting people! Will let you know how it goes!

Thankful Thursdays...2009 Style

I know...it's Friday, but on the bright side, I am remembering Thankful Thursdays, unlike the last 3 weeks!

1. The cold. I know we complain about the cold a lot, but it really makes you appreciate the warm, sunny days!

2. Jamie's ability to cook. Last night, we made homemade organic tomato sauce. We haven't tasted it yet, but it smells wonderful! So wonderful, that it made me hungry enough at 9:00 last night that I ate 4 brownies! The brownies were not organic!

3. Days off. I love the end of the year when all the holidays and vacation days allow me to spend time home with Matthew and Jamie.

4. Ace Hardware is less than a mile away. I am renovating our small bathroom/laundry room over the break, and it is so nice to be able to hop in the truck and get what I need pretty quickly.

5. Family and friends. We got to see a lot of them the past couple of weeks. It's great to see people that we don't get to see very often.

Happy New Year!

The Ugly Sweater New Year's Party

This year for New Year's Eve we decided to host an ugly sweater contest. As you will see in the following pictures, some people really went above and beyond the call of duty when it comes to ugliness! This photo is of Cara and Chad... the picture doesn't quite illustrate just how large Cara's maternity sweater was! I especially like how the bears are right in the area where a pregnant woman gets the biggest. Even when she is nine months pregnant, this sweater will still be too big on her!



I am almost embarrassed to post this picture. I thought my sister and I had gone through our parents' closet and gotten rid of these hideous items. Unfortuneately, they were the winners of the contest, but we decided they had to be present to win and they had gone home before we voted! Thank goodness no one got in an accident or pulled over last night... would have been difficult to explain that one!




Here are the winners of the contest... Kyle and Lindsey! Not sure if you can tell in the picture, but Kyle's sweater says, "Save our animals." They received 2 Rave tickets and free popcorn at the movies!




My mom was really upset that Ryan was wearing this sweater for the contest... she really likes it! Maybe we can donate it to her ugly sweater collection for a party in the future!




Here's the whole gang (minus a few people who hadn't arrived yet!). We had a great time despite how we looked!

Happy New Year!