Thankful Thursdays...

Today, we are thankful for...

1. Our crazy little monkey named Matthew. He is into EVERYTHING! It is fairly comical to us that just a couple weeks ago we were wishing he would crawl, and now we are learning very quickly what is NOT baby proof in this house! He's a little explorer and ornery to boot! We just sit back and wonder what he might discover next (looks like it might be the cord that attaches the camera to the computer!).

2. All the toys at our house! Did you know how entertaining a real telephone can be to a 9-month old? Matthew and I play with ours at least once a day! We are discovering that he would rather play with all the things that are not toys!

3. Energy. Some of my energy has found its way back to me over the last week or so. I actually cleaned the kitchen and dining room yesterday! I am sure Ryan is looking forward to some help from me in the weeks ahead.

4. Flowers. My parents picked up our geraniums for us this week at the local Amish farm. Now, if we can just get our garden planted.

5. Matthew's singing. During church on Sunday, he was screaming during the hymns. I thought the older gentleman down the aisle was going to bust a gut laughing at him. We just figure he is auditioning early for the choir! Needless to say, he quickly found himself in the nursery when Mommy and Daddy couldn't get his enthusiasm quieted!

By the way, I was wrong about the camera cord. He ate a piece of paper instead!

Have a great weekend!

Thankful Thursdays...

Today, I am thankful for...

1. Sausage Egg McMuffins. These have always been Ryan's favorite, but lately I have definitely had my fair share of them.

2. Nap time. Matthew has been taking great naps for me lately. The same has not been true for Grandma when she has him, but I am thankful that he sleeps well for me!

3. Moms. Since Sunday is Mother's Day, I just wanted to mention how thankful I am for my own Mom as well as all the other women in my life who have made a difference! Have a great weekend!

4. CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). We joined this year and got our first week's supply on Tuesday. It is exciting to try new and different things!

5. Great song lyrics. Have you ever heard a song and it fit a situation perfectly? I love it when that happens!

Have a great weekend!

Please pray...

Please pray for our friends who are going through a very difficult time right now. We will not share details out of respect for their privacy, but please lift up this family who is hurting deeply. Thank you.

Some photos...

The boys with Mama and Papa on Easter morning! What a good looking crew!

Matthew after Mommy and Daddy made him some baby food. I think we will stick with store bought version!

I have always wanted my kids to take piano lessons. My grandma was an incredible pianist and I always wished I would have taken lessons more seriously. I guess Mama is going to make sure they get an early start!

Thankful Thursdays

Today, I am thankful for...

1. The addition of two new babies in our lives. NO, we are NOT having twins! Our friends, Jon and Megan and Paul and Miranda both welcomed new baby girls into their lives over the last week! They are both just precious and we are so glad to be able to keep up with them through blogger since they both live too far away!

2. Brandon Minier's life. This young dad was killed in a motorcycle accident last weekend. His funeral was today. Although, I didn't know him personally, I know his family and my heart breaks for them during this time. We can be thankful for the time he had on earth and the imprint he left on the lives he touched.

3. More babies coming soon... my sister is due May 24th, but will likely have a baby sooner than later. My good friend, Christy, is due at the end of May. Ryan's cousin, Cara, is due at the beginning of June. We have many other friends who are pregnant right now, but these are the next in line! We can't wait to meet the new little ones!

4. Nausea. Although I must admit I could do without the throwing up, feeling nauseous helps me think all is going well with this pregnancy. I must say, I have kind of gotten used to the idea and as long as I know where the nearest bathroom (or any other receptacle) is, I can usually manage just fine.

5. My husband. I have been less than productive over the past month. Ryan has picked up the slack in a BIG way! I have been more tired than usual and less motivated to get anything done around the house. I am very grateful for a husband who helps me with Matthew and with the housework!

Have a great weekend!

New Addition!!!

Congratulations to our Blogger Buddies, Jon, Megan, and new baby, Ava!!! Ava Paige was born yesterday, and we couldn't be happier for our friends! Congratulations, guys!

Hole in One!

Well, Ryan and Jared decided to join a golf league this summer. They started this week which one of our friends has affectionately termed "Widow Wednesdays." I fully understood the meaning of the word when they didn't get home until after 8 (and they were the first ones off the tee)!!! Wednesdays might be long days around the Peppler household this summer! The BEST part of the night was that Ryan hit a HOLE IN ONE!!! Did I mention it was a par 4? Yep, I married to a pretty groovy guy! Way to go, honey!

Today, I am Thankful for...

1. Garage sales. I had a garage sale yesterday and today and was able to get rid of a load of stuff that Ryan and I just don't have room for anymore. The weather was perfect and I couldn't have asked for a better turnout! It was great!

2. Phenergan. This is an anti-nausea medicine my doctor called in for me this week. It has helped so much, although, I am still a bit queasy in the mornings!

3. SPRING!!!!! Finally!!

4. A garden... I can almost taste a freshly picked tomato now!!!!

5. All the new life around us. We have many friends and family members who are pregnant right now (several who are ready to pop any day)! It is so awesome to experience this miracle with them, and Ryan and I are looking so forward to meeting all the new little faces that will be arriving around here very soon!

Kisses

These are probably our favorite pictures of Matthew yet! He has started giving kisses. (Wet ones, too!) But not all the time...just when he wants to!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

I just wanted everyone to know that TODAY is my favorite Daddy's birthday! He is so funny!!! I LOVE it when he comes home and plays with me. I have even learned to give him kisses! I LOVE to laugh at my Daddy... he sure is a funny guy! I hope he has the bestest birthday in the WHOLE world! Happy Birthday, Daddy! I love you!!!!

Matthew

More Pics!

Drinking from a cup.

Eating banana muffin all by myself!!!! Daddy gets so mad at Mommy when she doesn't put a bib on!

Just hangin' out. If you look closely at this picture, you can see that Mr. Matthew has pulled the fabric away from Mommy's ottoman! Little stinker!

Thankful Thursdays

Today, I am thankful for...

1. Tillers. Not Joe Tiller, for those Purdue fans out there. Garden tillers! I can't wait to start the garden soon, and not have to throw out my back scraping the sod off.

2. Good weather is coming soon!!! I can't wait to go on walks, work in the yard . . . PLAY GOLF!!!

3. A happy child. Matthew is still very happy most of the time, and it is so much fun to make him laugh. He's such a little stinker!

4. Garage sales. Jamie is getting stuff around to have a garage sale at our house on April 16 & 17. Did you hear that, Grandma and Aunt Nancy. APRIL 16 & 17 - GARAGE SALE AT OUR HOUSE!!

5. New life. So many friends and family of ours are expecting or have just had babies. It is so much fun to see all the new life around us!

Have a great weekend!

Some Random Pics

This is what happens when Daddy leaves his shoes out at night!

Ryan thinks Mommy helped get this shoe up on the exersaucer, but I say Matthew did it all by himself!

Matthew LOVES to talk (chew) on the phone! Ours lights up orange and he thinks that is the neatest thing!

Reading a story with Mommy before bed. We are reading one of his favorite new books: "God Knows All About Me." He loves books that rhyme!

Baptism Photos

Pastor Paul Arnold

Ryan's Family

Pastor Jean Ness

The Phegley Family

The Pease Family

Here are some of the photos from Matthew's baptism. One of the lessons I learn every time we take a large group picture is that only ONE camera should be taking the pictures!!!! I always forget that in the moment, but from now on I am vowing to try to remember it is best if only one camera shoots 3-4 pictures of the same pose instead of 5-6 cameras taking 1 picture of a pose. Notice how we are all looking in different directions!

Goofy

Seriously, why do we buy toys? All we need is some pajamas and a Daddy that doesn't mind looking silly!

Matthew's New Trick

What I love most about this video is how he looks at Mommy to make sure she's watching!

Anything For A Laugh

All of a sudden, Matthew thinks it is hilarious when Daddy gets hurt!

(In order to watch the video, Grandma, click the play button!)

WE ARE PREGNANT!!!

For those of you who didn't figure out Snaps this week, it read:

Surprise! Matthew is going to be a big brother in November!!!!

We found out last week that we are expecting our second child in November. We were a little shocked, but feel blessed that God has chosen us to be parents again! Let's get one myth cleared up first: YOU CAN GET PREGNANT WHILE NURSING!!!! I, being a nurse, knew this, but thought it wouldn't happen to us (famous last words)! Our babies will be about 15 months apart and we are praying they will grow up to be wonderful friends. I have started feeling somewhat nauseous, but so far, as long as I keep my stomach full, it has been manageable. We will be updating as the weeks progress, but for now we are excited and looking forward to this wild journey!

Snaps is the Name of the Game

We are playing this round of the game a bit early this week. As you will notice, the game is a little tougher this week! Enjoy!

Sisters play snaps. Snap Snap Snap Snap Snap. Radios play snaps. People play snaps. Rockets play snaps. Snap Snap Snap. Ships play snaps. Snap Snap!!!!!!!! Matthew plays snaps. Snap. Tigers play snaps. Tennis shoes play snaps. Heavyweight champions play snaps. Snap Snap. Widgets play snaps. Snap Snap Snap. Sandcastles play snaps. Girls play snaps. Snap Snap Snap Snap. Snap Snap Snap. Nerds play snaps. Golfers play snaps. Tarantulas play snaps. Snap Snap Snap Snap. Brothers play snaps. Snap Snap. Snap. Boys play snaps. Snap Snap Snap. Grandparents play snaps. Balls play snaps. Roxy plays snaps. Snap Snap Snap Snap. Tobie plays snaps. Hermits play snaps. Snap Snap. Rugby players play snaps. Snap Snap Snap. Norton plays snaps. Newbies play snaps. Snap Snap Snap Snap. Victors play snaps. Snap Snap. Misers play snaps. Brooms play snaps. Snap Snap. Runners play snaps!!!!!!

Good luck! Post your final answer in the comments section!

Thankful Thursdays

Today, we are thankful for...

1. Banana Cream Pie. My parents went to the Essenhaus overnight with my aunt and uncle and brought us back some homemade banana cream pie! YUM!

2. Beautiful spring days. Matthew and I were able to venture out on a walk today without a coat since it was so nice! Hooray for more sunny days!

3. A house that is fairly easy to clean up. Matthew and I do a great job of demolishing the family room most afternoons, but it is so nice, that after he goes to bed, we can have it picked up and looking halfway neat in about 5 minutes. Just don't inspect for dust!

4. A good sleeper. Matthew has spoiled us rotten. He goes to bed at 7 PM without the least bit of fussing and doesn't get up until about 6 the next morning. He nurses and then goes back to sleep until 8ish. Ahhhhh! I love sleeping in!

5. The plan for a garden. Ryan and I are going to try and do a garden this summer. We are looking forward to being able to raise our own veggies and try some new and exciting things. Any advice would be appreciated!

Can you believe we posted Thankful Thursdays on Thursday this week? We are still very grateful for all the wonderful blessings in our lives despite our sometimes weak attempts at posting on time! Have a great weekend!

Many Thanks!

Well, in the cleaning frenzy for Matthew's baptism, I have misplaced the thank-you notes. I have looked in every logical place I can think of and cannot find them. I am sure they are safely tucked away somewhere and all who helped with the brunch or brought a gift can anticipate receiving one as soon as I find them. We just wanted to make sure everyone knew we are very grateful for the lavish gifts and all your wonderful help to make this day special! We could not have done it without you!

Baptism

Matthew's baptism was wonderful! We enjoyed spending the morning with family and friends and Matthew did a great job! We thought he would try to squirm right out of Pastor Paul's arms, but he just sat back and enjoyed being paraded around the congregation. We have decided he's going to be an otter just like his daddy. We will post some pictures soon!!

More Pictures!

That's my boy!

Does this hat make me look silly? Daddy thinks I look like a rooster!

Bath time!

Snaps is the Name of the Game.

Snaps is a game Ryan and I learned to play a long time ago. We thought it might be fun to play it on our blog. So, each week we will have a Snaps riddle. The first one to figure it out can post the answer on the comments section and everyone else will applaud you!

Hermits play snaps. Snap. People play snaps. Pepplers play snaps. Young people play snaps. Smelly people play snaps. Parrots play snaps. Red crayons play snaps. Snap Snap Snap. NASA engineers play snaps. Golfer play snaps!

Good luck!

Random Pictures

Our new favorite game: playing in the clothes basket!

Mommy and Daddy are so funny when they let me play on their bed!

My college roommate, Jake, with his daughters, Ava and Grace.

Just hangin' out!

Peek a boo!

The Countdown in On!

Well in less than 24 hours we will hopefully be arriving at church for Matthew's baptism. Considering we were 15 minutes late to church last week, we are hoping for a better showing this time! My to do list is about a mile long starting with working from 6 AM-10 AM this morning. Don't you just love how when you have a party everything seems to need to be done at the last minute? Luckily, my mom and sister, and my good friend, Nikki, have volunteered to help me! We are going to be starting the assembly lines this afternoon.

These were Ryan's exact words to me last night, "Now, don't get mad (I love it when he starts out his sentences like this!), but I don't know what I am supposed to do tomorrow." I was happy to make him a little list of his own. He is happy because one of his jobs includes using his power tools!

Don't worry, we aren't neglecting Matthew in all this! Aunt Rachel is home for the weekend and offered to keep him for us this afternoon! Better get to work!

A day late, a dollar short!

Well, we are once again behind on our posting! Sorry. We have been getting ready for Matthew's baptism around here. He is getting baptized Sunday morning followed by a brunch for family and friends at our home. If you know the Phegley girls very well, you know throwing a party is always quite an affair! We love to entertain at our house, but I think Ryan would like it more if I didn't start setting up for it weeks in advance. We have had the tables set with my mom's, my sister's and our fine china for more than a week now. I love to look at the tables and find just the right finishing touch! It makes my heart happy to get ready (and actually pull off) a party! I am sure there will be plenty of pictures once we get finished with this weekend. The latest development at the Peppler household: Matthew is eating MEAT! Babyfood meat looks DISGUSTING!

Minnesota Fats

Matthew continues to impress!

Crawling.... backwards!

Well, Matthew has officially mastered crawling... backwards! He knows he is getting somewhere, but hasn't quite figured out that he is going the wrong way! Oh well, that will be for another day!

Just When You Thought You Were Having a Bad Morning!

More Pictures From Last Week!

Just a couple more pictures to enjoy from last week's photo shoot. Have a great week!

Thankful Thursday, tried to post on Friday, but now it's Saturday... Something is wrong with Blogger

Today, I am thankful for...

1. Grandpa Kessie had his hip replaced this week and is getting to come home today! He is healing well and will hopefully be able to get back to doing all the things he loves very soon!

2. Working 20 hours/week. Have I said that I LOVE my new job? A year ago I had a much different idea about where I would be and what I would be doing, but I must say things have worked out way better than I thought!!! I enjoy my job and look forward to work.

3. Having a house full of boys Sunday night. Our youth group at our church is having a boy's night and a girl's night this weekend. The boys asked if they could come to the Peppler house and hang out for 3 hours! We are excited for them to come and are so glad that our basement game room will get some much needed use!

4. Warmer weather... enough said!

5. New running shoes... I suppose that means I have to run... or at least walk. My plan is to break them in this afternoon on a walk!

Thankful Fridays

1. Grandpa Kessie had his hip replaced this week and is getting to come home today! He is healing well and will hopefully be able to get back to doing all the things he loves very soon!

2. Working 20 hours/week. Have I said that I LOVE my new job? A year ago I had a much different idea about where I would be and what I would be doing, but I must say things have worked out way better than I thought!!! I enjoy my job and look forward to work.

3. Having a house full of boys Sunday night. Our youth group at our church is having a boy's night and a girl's night this weekend. The boys asked if they could come to the Peppler house and hang out for 3 hours! We are excited for them to come and are so glad that our basement game room will get some much needed use!

4. Warmer weather... enough said!

5. New running shoes... I suppose that means I have to run... or at least walk. My plan is to break them in this afternoon on a walk!

More photos...

These two photos are probably Mommy's favorites! Hope you enjoy them!

6 Months Old Already!

The Peppler Family 2009

We FINALLY took Matthew to have his pictures taken professionally for the first time yesterday! Here are a couple of the 107 poses we had to choose from. We were able to narrow it down to 46 the first time through, and then eventually were able to narrow it down to our 12 favorite! Here are a couple glimpses of some we liked!

Our little ham!

Thankful Thursday

Today, I am thankful for...

1. A sleeping baby. It is 8:30 AM and Matthew is still in bed! Yesterday he slept until 9 AM and still took 2 great naps for me!

2. Our sump pump (even though it is not working correctly right now). We are thankful that it keeps our basement from flooding during this crazy freeze-thaw cycle... and that Ryan knows how to fix it when it acts up!

3. Being done with orientation!!! I am finished with orientation at my new job! I am so excited to start doing things on my own "officially." Have I mentioned that I love my new hours? It is so great to have the weekends to spend with my family!

4. Portrait Innovations... we are having Matthew's first set of professional pictures taken on Saturday (yes, we know, bad parents). We are thankful there is a studio not too far from our house and we are the 1st appointment of the day, so hopefully we won't have to wait too long!

6."We serve a risen Savior, He's in the world today. We know that he is living, whatever foes may say. We know that He is leading through all the stormy blasts, the day of His appearing will come at last...." Go ahead... sing it! Happy Lent!

Matthew Thomas the Train

Here is Matthew's new favorite activity. He is so proud of himself when Mommy and Daddy push him around the basement. Now, we just need to invent something to extend the handle!

Busy, Busy Beavers!

We have had quite a day! This morning, our phone rang at 7:24 asking Ryan if he could come and do the video for church this morning. We were planning on sleeping in and going to Sunday School and 2nd service to usher, but Ryan went ahead and went early to help out. Matthew and I arrived in time for Sunday School which we spent in the Crib Room. Ryan left there at 10:45 to go down and start ushering and I was to wait for our replacement to show up. He did not come, so I stayed in the Crib Room during 2nd service while Ryan ushered. We came home from church and decided we wanted to hang shelves on the empty walls in the family room. We took Matthew out to Grandpa and Grandma's and headed to Fort Wayne. Three stores later, we were on our way home to hang the shelves. We stopped and got Matthew and then Ryan spent the rest of the afternoon hanging them (9 in all!!!!). They look great, especially now that I have been able to trinketize (yes, I made that word up) them! Maybe we can snap some pics later this week! Hope everyone has a great week!

Thomas the Train!!!!

Matthew has a new train and he thinks he is BIG STUFF! We just got home from a family Christmas with my Dad's side of the family (we know it's February, but we just weren't healthy enough at Christmas time). Thanks to Aunt Julie and Uncle Mark and family for this great new toy! We have been making circles around the basement on it ever since we got home! HE LOVES IT!



LOOK AT ME!!!




One-handed!

It's Saturday

We're just posting today because it's Saturday and we are trying to get back on the good side of all our blog readers! Happy Saturday! We're off to celebrate Christmas... more on that later...

I'm Sorry.... So Sorry!

Well, we owe all of our loyal blog readers a HUGE apology! We have been WAAAAAYYYYY behind on our blogging lately... I guess we have been spending more time with Matthew! Here are a couple pictures to get us back on track and we will try to do a better job from here on!

Matthew and Jacob

Matthew loves his 5 ft. tall giraffe that Uncle Mark and Aunt Julie got for him. Here I am holding him so that he can ride Jerry (that's the giraffe's name).

Papa's birthday was yesterday, so the boys had a photo shoot. For those of you who don't know, Jamie's parents own the Napa store in Columbia City. Thus, all the Napa gear!

I love this picture...It's like Jacob and Matthew are trying to plan their escape. "Ok, if you distract your mommy, and I distract my mommy..."

The Bridge

Ok, so I found this website, Tangle.com.

Every time that I click on a video on this website, I find one that I have to share. This one was really great...a little long (6 1/2 minutes), but it is well worth it to watch. I hope each and every one of you enjoy.

AHHHHHHH!!!!!!

I AM SOMEWHAT ANNOYED!!!!! I HAVE JUST SPENT THE BETTER PART OF THE LAST 2 HOURS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IN THE WORLD HAPPENED TO OUR HOMEOWNER'S INSURANCE PAYMENT DUE ON 12/29/08!!!!! APPARENTLY, SINCE WE REFINANCED OUR HOME, THE PREVIOUS MORTGAGE COMPANY DID NOT FIND IT NECESSARY TO PAY OUR INSURANCE PAYMENT. WHAT IS MOST ANNOYING ABOUT THIS ENTIRE SITUATION IS THAT WE DID NOT DECIDE TO REFINANCE UNTIL 01/07/09... 8 DAYS AFTER THE PAYMENT WAS DUE!!!!!!!!!!!! I JUST FINISHED TALKING TO SOMEONE WHO SAID THE PAYMENT WAS NOT RELEASED DUE TO A FREEZE PLACED ON OUR ACCOUNT PENDING AN UPCOMING REFINANCE. IT IS VERY INTERESTING TO ME THAT THEY KNEW ABOUT A PENDING REFINANCE BEFORE THE PAYMENT WAS DUE SINCE WE DIDN'T TELL THEM!!!!!!! NOW, I AM BEING TOLD THAT THE $1000 + IN OUR ESCROW ACCOUNT WILL BE MAILED TO ME WITHIN THE NEXT 30 DAYS!!!!!!! THAT'S GREAT... BUT THE PAYMENT FOR THE STINKING INSURANCE WAS DUE 39 DAYS AGO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I GUESS MATTHEW AND I WILL BE MAKING A TRIP TO THE INSURANCE AGENCY LATER TODAY TO PAY THEM THEIR MONEY!!!!! THANK GOODNESS FOR SAVINGS ACCOUNTS!

Thank you for letting me vent... I feel better now! :)

Thankful Thursdays...

Today, I am thankful for...

1. A warm home.

2. A loving family.

3. Wonderful friends.

4. A good job.

5. Chocolate!

Fun Times

One of my favorite things to do is to get Matthew up in the mornings. He is so wide awake and ready to go most mornings. Here he is after a long night's sleep, happy to see Daddy!

Here's our little man playing after church on Sunday! He is so anxious to show everyone his teeth. He'll even bite you if he gets the chance!!!

Cheer For Who???

Here is another video that I really enjoyed. I had heard of this story on ESPN, and was really impressed by the coach and fans of the home team. My favorite line in this video is when the reporter is talking about the visiting team, and says, "Regardless of the bad things they had done in the past, they had reason to look ahead." What a great way to look at Christianity. We all have done things in the past that we are not too proud of, but we can look ahead to greater things because we have been forgiven!!!

Dad

My cousin, Sara, sent this video to me and thought I might enjoy it, being a new Dad. And I did. Thanks, Sara!!!
Show this to all the Dads you know. I don't think we realize the impact we have on our kids!

Saturday, Sunday, Monday!

My best friend from college, Nikki, came to visit us this weekend! It was so great to spend time with her and catch up on everything and nothing at all!

Here's Matthew trying on some dancin' shoes... They are size 4's and we could barely squeeze his BIG feet into them!

Matthew and Daddy after his bath. This is probably Matthew's favorite part of the day and usually time that he gets to spend with his Daddy. I can't wait till he figures out he can splash us while he is in there! Sorry we slacked off this weekend on the picture posting, but now you can consider yourselves up-to-date! Have a great night!

Stethoscopes are smarter than you think!

Our preacher shared this video this morning... not exactly your conventional take on how to tell what's in someone's heart, but a cute video nonetheless. The sermon was discussing a "Spiritual Stimulus Package." Couldn't we all use that?