The Swapps

Disneyland 2011

2011-05-10T16:28:00.017-05:00

We are back from our California vacation. It was so much fun! We flew out on Monday from Omaha with Mom, Dad, Jeremy and Hallie. It was nice to fly with so much family because it helped keep Shelby entertained for the almost 4 hours plane ride. After we got checked in to the hotel and after Shelby got a much needed nap we headed over to Disneyland. We got a text from our friends from Las Vegas that they were at Disneyland too. They had come down for the day to see us! So cool to visit with them for a little bit. Shelby's face when we walked into the park was priceless. She kept saying, "The Princess Castle". We spent 5 days at Disneyland. Shelby's favorite ride was the teacups. I think she went on those about 7 times. It was a fun vacation and we are so glad we got to go with family!

Small World ride with Grandma and Grandpa. Dad was very excited to take Shelby on this ride.

Hi... Sorry it has been awhile

2011-04-23T19:13:00.000-05:00

Not a lot has been going on around the Swapp house. We are getting ready to go on VACATION!!!! So excited. I am headed to Utah for a work meeting next week and then the first week of May we are headed to CALIFORNIA!! We are having a family reunion/vacation on my side. My parents, my brother and sister and my aunt, uncle, cousins and grandma are all coming too. Will update when we get back! :)

Shelby is 2!!!!!

2011-01-31T20:58:00.008-06:00

I cannot believe that Shelby is 2! So CRAZY!! We had a party at our place this year and had some of Shelby's nursery friends and their families over. Mom and dad were also able to come up for the weekend. We had a Dora the Explorer theme. Mom and James were put in charge of decorating the cake. They did a great job. Shelby had lots of fun with her friends while the adults got to visit.

We are so blessed to have Shelby in our lives. She is so fun and is learning so much. We are attempting to start potty training. She is doing amazing in nursery at church. She loves Temples and Jesus and we get to sing the Primary song I love to see the temple to her every night before she goes to sleep. We love you Shelby and are so greatful to be your parents!

Lincoln Children's Museum

2011-01-03T20:48:00.007-06:00

Poor Shelby (and Mommy and Daddy) have been in our apartment too much because of it being too cold. We were looking for something fun to take Shelby to do that was in doors. Lincoln has this really cool Children's Museum. They have 3 levels of things for kids to do. They have cars for kids to drive, different areas like a vet, kitchen, doctor's office, newpaper office, mini airport and a ton of other areas for the kids to play. Shelby had a blast and we ended up getting a membership.

Christmas 2010

2010-12-26T22:10:00.000-06:00

We spent Christmas with my parents this year. Shelby of course was spoiled rotten. I guess she better get it in now, because my brother and sister will be having a baby when the time is right and then she will have some competition. James spoiled me rotten too.He of course waited until the last minute to go christmas shopping. My hubby is the complete opposite of me, I hate to wait until the last minute to do anything and he likes to wait. He did really good with my christmas presents. He made me cards that I can turn in for different things, like flowers, chocolates, me time, girls night and the best presents were getting my hair done and a day at the spa to get a pedi and facial. So excited! Now I just have to figure out when I want to get the spa day. My hair is so cute. James saw this women in the mall that had hair similar to mine and went up to her and asked where she got her hair done. He called and made the appointment and everything. The hair stylist did great and I will definitely being going back again. Here are some pictures from our Christmas. Enjoy!

James and Shelby's presents at our apartment

Shelby's presents at Grandma and Grumpz house

My dad made this out of a pattern of a baby crib I had when I was a little girl. He did an amazing job!

Shelby's Letter from Santa Claus

2010-12-22T15:40:00.000-06:00

I opened my email the other morning and was surprised to see an email to Shelby from Santa Claus. So Cute! Enjoy.

http://www.portablenorthpole.tv/watch/guest/GocPu461Ss1_veLAkM7MZA

Halloween 2010

2010-11-04T13:35:00.000-05:00

We had a really fun Halloween this year. James was able to come down from Lincoln and we went to the Trunk or Treat at my parents ward. Shelby dressed up as a Goldfish and we used a Goldfish carton for her bucket. At first she wasn't sure what she was suppose to do but when she realized that when she put her bucket out and she got candy she was way excited. Shelby made out like a bandit and everyone loved her costume. Thanks mom for the idea and helping me get it done.

Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-16T14:21:00.000-05:00

We took Shelby to the pumpkin patch today to pick our her pumpkin. She was running all over. It was so hard to decide. She felt sorry for the green pumpkins and the one's with the warty things on them. Grandma helped her pick out three pumpkins. Now it is time to decorate. I will post those pictures later.

Sedgwick County Zoo

2010-10-09T14:06:00.009-05:00

We went to the zoo today. It has changed quite a bit since the last time I was there. Jeremy, Hallie, Mom and Dad all went with us. We had so much fun seeing all the animals.

Shelby sizing up her hand to all the diffent monkey hands.

Crazy bird

Shelby thought the monkeys were pretty cool. The Gorilla's were up close so she could really see them

Shelby's favorite part of the whole day. We went to the kids part of the zoo and she was able to milk a cow.

Feeding the sheep at the petting zoo

Good-bye Las Vegas

2010-10-04T13:49:00.018-05:00

We decided a few months ago to start looking for jobs out of Las Vegas. James had decided he wanted to go back to practicing Respiratory Therapy in the hospital and we were not going to do it in Las Vegas. We started applying for jobs and James got phone calls from Lincoln, Nebraska and Kansas City, MO. He went to both interviews and felt really good about the Lincoln job. They are a non-for-profit hospital and from the conversations he had with the department manager and the interview he felt that they would have the patient care he was looking for. We got a call from Kansas City first offering us a job but Lincoln hadn't called yet. We decided to turn down the Kansas City job (SO SCARY!!!!) and keep praying that we get the Lincoln job. On our way to New Mexico for Labor Day weekend, we got the call we were waiting for. Lincoln called to offer James the job! We were so excited. We just felt that this was were we needed to go and a place that we could actually settle down and plant some roots for our family. We are going to miss the people in Las Vegas that we have met but were definitely ready to leave.

The elders' quorum came over on the 28th of September to help us pack our truck. We originally reserved a 22' truck but they ended up giving us a 26' to drive to Nebraska. Thank goodness they did. We had enough room to get all of our stuff in the truck and then our friend Dan Newberry and James left that night to head out. Shelby and I left the next morning and started our 2 day drive to my parents house in Kansas. James gave me a blessing before he left and in it it said that Shelby would be calm and that the angels would be protecting us on our drive. Shelby did sooooo amazing. She didn't fuss at all and we had a great trip together.

We are currently staying with my parents in Kansas while James is staying at an extended stay hotel in Lincoln while he is working. We move into our apartment at the beginning of November.

We have been trully blessed and can definitely feel Heavenly Father's hand in our lives.

Here is to our new adventure in Lincoln, Nebraska

Loading our moving truck

This is how Shelby spent some of her time while the truck was being loaded. Awhile later she had a melt down because her house was being packed up. She is starting to adjust to her new changes.

Birthday Party

2010-10-01T13:33:00.002-05:00

Before we left Henderson we got to celebrate Shelby's friend Andres Boyer's 1st birthday.

Dior Boyer, Kayla & Alex Spencer at the party

Alex eating cake

Shana Spencer, Dior, Kayla, Alex and Shelby

The Kids
Andres, Shelby, Alex & Kayla

Albuquerque Labor Day Weekend

2010-09-10T13:19:00.016-05:00

We went to visit Thom, Kate and the kids in Albuquerque, NM for Labor Day weekend. We had a blast and Shelby really enjoyed playing with her cousins. Here are some of the pictures from that weekend.

At Home Depot building a football stand. The first Saturday of the month they have a free kids activity. The kids get to build something and they get a Home Depot apron to wear.

Helping daddy hammer

At the Botanical Garden

Shelby loves to go to Aquariums. This one had a big window that she could sit in and watch the fish.

We went on a hike to some Cliff Dwellings. It was pretty cool. Shelby got to ride on daddy's back.

Climbing the ladder to go inside one of the dwellings. It was really low inside and you had to crouch down to not hit your head

James and Shelby getting a horsey back ride from Uncle Thom.

Our New Car

2010-09-09T19:06:00.001-05:00

James and I bought a 2008 Ford Edge about a month and a half ago. Much needed for our growing family. Shelby loves it because has air in the back seat. No more sweaty Shelby!!!

Temple Square

2010-08-30T13:10:00.001-05:00

We went up to Utah in August to visit some friends that we hadn't seen in awhile. We went down to Temple Square so that Shelby could see the temple. Here are some pictures for our trip.

James & Shelby looking at the Christus Statue

At the Conference Center

Salt Lake Temple

Marissa & Anthony Knight walking with Shelby

James, Shelby, Marissa & Anthony at the Visitors Center

Rock n' Roll Kids

2010-07-15T17:11:00.001-05:00

We signed Shelby up for a class at the Multi Generation Center. Her first class was last Friday. They had music, balls, things to climb on and bubbles. Shelby had so much fun. James was able to come too.

The Circus

2010-07-15T16:58:00.000-05:00

We took Shelby to the Circus in June. She did really well the first half of the show. She sat on her dad's lap and they both ate popcorn. By the start of the second half she was full of wiggles and saw ALL of the stairs in the building and decided that was what she wanted to do. So her and daddy climbed stairs and then came back and watched some of the circus and then climbed more stairs. Overall it was great and I am glad we got to go :)

Hawaii Part 2 - Pearl Harbor, Whale Watching, Temple & PCC

2010-07-14T23:31:00.000-05:00

Pearl Harbor -

Lyle took us on a special tour of the USS Arizona Memorial that is specifically for military and their families. It was pretty neat. We went to the boathouse that the Admiral's boat is stored. We saw a short film on the history of Pearl Harbor and then went on a boat (that held about 20 people) out to the memorial. It was Amazing!

Whale Watching -

James & I with Lyle, John, Andy, Spencer & Jacob went whale watching. It lasted about 2 hours. We saw nothing until the last 45 minutes of our trip and then finally spotted some humpback whales. There were 3 whales, we believe it was the mom and baby and probably a male. It was neat to see them so close.

Temple & PCC -

James, Shelby and I spent the day on the other side of Oahu so that we could go see the Temple and go to the PCC (Polynesian Cultural Center). The temple was BEAUTIFUL!! It is currently being renovated but the grounds were spectacular.

We then drove over to the PCC. Inside you can tour each island and see their culture. It was neat! We had dinner that night at a Luau. Shelby's favorite part was the purple bread and then we attended their show calle Ha A Breathe of Life. I can't even explain how blown away I was. It was a great day!

Our trip was amazing!

Hawaii Part 1 - Shaved Ice, Beaches, Dole Plantation and Family Pictures

2010-04-28T23:16:00.000-05:00

We got to go to Hawaii in March to visit Lyle and Jeanna and the boys. We had such a blast seeing the sites and visiting with family. Thanks Lyle and Jeanna for letting us stay with you!

After flying over night we got to Oahu. Poor Shelby got sick and had a 102 fever. So the first part of our vacation we were just trying to get her better. After a blessing from James and Lyle and plently of rest and fluids her fever broke and we were ready to start seeing the sights. Here are some of the highlights from our trip

Shaved Ice -

After we got done at the beach we headed over to get some shaved ice. So good!!

Dole Plantation -

We went to the Dole Plantation. We took a train tour around the plantation and learned about how pineapples are grown. Did you know it takes 18 months to grow a pineapple? Then James, Shelby and I went over to the Botanical Garden. So pretty. Before we left we had to try the Dole Whip.

Blow Hole -

It was pretty neat to watch when the waves came in and would shoot water through this hole in the rocks.

Snorkeling at Sharks Cove -

This is James' first go at snorkeling. He was pretty brave because there were some seriously big waves that day. I chickened out and poor James came back with some pretty big scrapes from rubbing against the coral but he had a good time. Shelby had a blast on the beach and really enjoyed the sand.

Family Pics -

We got some great shots on the beach. Thanks Lyle for taking them for us!

Stayed tuned..... More to come!

Shelby's 1st Birthday

2010-02-10T12:55:00.001-06:00

Shelby celebrated her 1st birthday on January 31st. We had her party the day before with some friends from church. The biggest surprise was when Grandma and Grumpz Oxborrow showed up. We were not expecting them and it was a great treat to have them here to celebrate Shelby's birthday with us. Here are some pics from her party.

Christmas and New Years

2010-01-02T22:42:00.000-06:00

We are back from Kansas. We had a blast visting with my family and some of my friends. Shelby had a great time too. She got to play with Georgie, Princess and Zoe and had a blast with Grandma and Grumpz. She was really excited with her Aunt Hallie and Uncle Jeremy got back from their trip to Georgia. Below are some of the pictures from our trip.

Santa came to visit Shelby after a couple of minutes she was done and wanted daddy.

But before Santa left she decided she liked him and gave him a kiss goodbye

Georgie and Santa

Shelby playing with Grumpz. He was swinging her by her jammies. She thought that was the funnest thing ever!

Zoe, Georgie & Princess hangin out on the couch

Shelby chillin with her Aunt Hallie & Uncle Jeremy. She was playing with a bracelet of Aunt Hallies'

Grumpz and Shelby

Dad wanted to get Shelby's ears pierced while were in Wichita. This is the before picture

And then the during pictures. Let's just say she was not happy. But she loves her earrings now! :)

Christmas morning. Shelby got some awesome new toys from Grandma and Grumpz. They made sure they found some really noisy ones. But Shelby loves them. She got a mailbox that sings and a Noah's ark that all the animals make noise.

Our adopted grandparents Joann and Larry McEuen came to visit.

The McEuen's gave Shelby a candy cane and James actually let her have some. So Yummy!

Christmas in Wichita

2009-12-17T20:31:00.000-06:00

We are heading to Wichita for Christmas. We are very excited to spend two weeks with my family and be able to see some of my friends. I will post pics when we get back. Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Love,

James, Audra & Shelby

Halloween & Other Happenings

2009-11-03T00:08:00.000-06:00

It was Shelby's first halloween this year. She dressed up as a little monkey. She was so cute in her monkey costume. We went to our ward's trunk or treat and chili feed. James got to be a judge in the chili contest. Let's just say next year we are going to pass on being a judge.

Shelby is getting so big. She now has 4 teeth (two top and two bottom). She is so funny she makes these really cute faces now where she scrunches up her nose. She has also started pulling herself up. She is ready to walk in her mind but her little body is not quite steady enough yet.

Shelby's funny scrunchy face

Hanging out with daddy

The cute monkey

Cute halloween jammies from Grandma & Grumpz

Happenings around the Swapp House

2009-08-23T00:05:00.000-05:00

It has been a crazy month. My parents came out this weekend for a visit with Shelby, James and I. We have had a good visit and have enjoyhed watching Shelby interact with her grandparents. Today we went and had her 6 month pics taken at Portrait Innovations. They do a great job. I have included some of the pics from her shoot.

July 4th Weekend

2009-07-06T22:07:00.000-05:00

We had a great weekend up in Utah for the 4th of July. Friday afternoon we got to spend with my Aunt Dode, Grammy and my cousins. We had so much fun. Dinner was so yummy at Olive Garden. It was nice to be able to spend time with them and catch up. I love my family so much!

Saturday James, Shelby and I got some much needed sleep. It was so nice to sleep in and then I got up and went to the bookstore one of my favorite things to do. Later that afternoon we headed down to Provo for the fireworks. We stopped and got some KFC for dinner and then went to save our spot on the grass. Shelby was being so cute hanging out on the blanket catching some rays. Poor baby was so tired, she fell asleep 20 minutes before the fireworks started.

We had a great weekend and it was so fun to spend time with family!!

Washington DC Trip

2009-06-22T11:29:00.000-05:00

We got to spend a really fun week in Wasington DC last week. We went to celebrate Selina's graduation and to enjoy a much needed vacation. We got to see the Washington DC Temple, the National Zoo. We also went to the Natural History Museum, the Air and Space Museum and the monuments. It was so much fun and we had a blast with family. Here are some of the pics of our adventures.

United States Marine Corps War Memorial

On the Metro

The Hope Diamond at the Natural History Museum

James, Shelby & I with Selina

Selina in her Cap & Gown

At the Lincoln Memorial

The Washington Monument

Me in front of the White House

James, Shelby & I in front of Constitution Ave

James & Shelby at the Air & Space Museum

Hot Times!!

2009-05-24T22:18:00.000-05:00

We got home from church today and were hanging out in Daddy's den. I had turned our little floor fan on because when the computer is on it gets really hot in that room. Shelby was laying on the floor by the fan and had turned herself toward the fan and was letting the cold air blow up her dress to keep her cool. It was so funny. James was helping out her dress but holding it up until it stayed by itself to look like Marilyn Monroe's dress when it blew up. She is so funny!!

Crib Time & Star Trek

2009-05-21T16:07:00.000-05:00

So James and I decided that it was time to move Shelby into her crib. We moved her in last Friday night since James did not have to work the next day. She did fairly well only getting up once. She has been sleeping in there for almost a week now and I think is finally getting use to the idea. It is just me that is not used to it. I am used to having her in the room with us, so I end up checking her about 5 times from the time she goes to bed at 7 to when I finally make it to bed around midnight.

James and I also got to finally celebrate our 1 year anniversary (only a month late). We went to see Star Trek and went to dinner with our friends the Newberrys. I was surprised with the movie. It was actually really good. Definitely one that we will have to buy when it comes out on DVD. We went to dinner at BJs. It was really yummy.

Hoover Dam, Cheesecake Factory, Baby Blessing, OH MY!!

2009-04-29T13:45:00.000-05:00

I started this blog about a week ago and accidently hit the back button instead of save. It was too late and I was way too tired to start it again. So here we go.

We had Shelby's Baby Blessing a couple of weekends ago. We were so excited that so many family were able to come out and support us. We had a really fun weekend. We got up Saturday morning and went to Hoover Dam. Most of us were able to go on the PowerPlant Tour. Later that day we went to the Cheesecake Factory for dinner. It was so yummy! That night one of the Stakes in Henderson was sponsoring a production of Savior of the World which is a musical on the life of Christ. We all went to this except for poor Grammy. She got so sick during dinner and ended up going back to our house to rest. The play was great.

Sunday morning we got up and got the final preparations done for the luncheon we were having after the blessing. We got to church and James gave Shelby the most beautiful blessing. She looked so beautiful in the dress that my mom made for her. After church we took pictures and then headed home for the luncheon. It was so nice to be able to visit with family.

We had a great weekend and are truelly blessed to have such wonderful family in our lives. Thank you to everyone that came down to spend the weekend with us. We love you so much!!

My Baby is 2 months old and the lights go out in Vegas!

2009-03-31T15:30:00.001-05:00

My baby turned 2 months old on Saturday. She is getting so big!! James took me on our first date since having her on Saturday too. Shelby spent about 4 hours with our friend Laura Mayo while we went out. It was our first time going somewhere without her with us and it was kinda weird. I have gotten used to just having Shelby with us now. We went to the movies and saw Knowing with Nicholas Cage. It was a strange movie, especially at the end when it started having kinda a Scifi twist to it. We then went to eat at the Elephant Bar and then James took me to the Ben and Jerry's ice cream parlor. So good. Shelby did great with Laura and had a good time.

That night Las Vegas also particiapted in Earth Hour. At 830pm they turned out the lights on the Strip and also turned off the Welcome to Las Vegas sign. I guess that was the first time the sign had ever been turned off. We went up to The District to watch the lights get turned off. It was kinda cool.

We had a great weekend and are getting very excited to see family!!

Church and Bedtime Routine

2009-03-24T16:25:00.000-05:00

We took Shelby to church for the first time a couple of Sunday's ago. She did really good. We dressed her up in one of the fancy dresses that daddy picked out for her. She looked so cute. Then last Sunday she wore the dress the her Aunt Jeanna sent her. I can't believe how big she is getting. We had to put away her newborn clothes already.

She also slept through the night a couple of nights ago. I didn't even realize that she hadn't gotten up until it was 5am. We have a pretty good routine down now. We give Shelby her bath between 8 and 9pm and then I feed her really good and then we put her down. She loves her bath time and I think she knows now that when she gets her bath that it is time for bed.

We are also looking forward to seeing family in about a month for Shelby's blessing. It will be nice to have almost everyone her to support us. We will miss the family that is unable to come but know that you will be here with us in Spirit.

Latest Happenings

2009-03-14T18:16:00.000-05:00

So here are some of the things that have been happening around our house lately.

James took Shelby and I to Red Rock Canyon last weekend. I was really wanting to get out of the house and so we decided to go for a picnic. It was really nice and a beautiful area.

Shelby also got her first scratch. She never holds still long enough for me to cut her nails. I thought I had finally got them cut and then James showed me her nose.

Shelby is 4 Weeks Old

2009-02-28T20:48:00.000-06:00

Shelby is 4 weeks old today. I can't believe how fast time has went. She is so much fun and we love learning her little personality.

Shelby

2009-02-13T20:43:00.000-06:00

Shelby decided that she was ready to come into this world early. She was originally due February 3rd but joined at on January 31st at 1:40pm. My water broke the night before at around 630pm. We got to the hospital at 730pm and they admitted us. It was quite an experience going through the labor part. I got an epidural because I wanted to sleep and did not want to feel any pain. When the doctor came in to do the epidural, my blood pressure dropped pretty low and it took them a little bit to get me stable. Poor James, he said that my lips turned white. After that things got better and we were able to get some rest. My aunt, cousin and grandma came down from Utah to be there for the delivery because my parents couldn't come until after she was born. They arrived at around 2am.

The only other bad experience during this whole labor and delivery process was that when I was 9 1/2 cm, the doctor that was on call from my OB's office, decided that he needed to leave to go to the next hospital without checking with the nurses. So they had to give me medicine to stop my contractions until he could get back. That was so not fun. I was ready for her to come out and had to wait almost an hour for him to come back.

When she finally arrived it was amazing. James got to cut her cord and then got to help the nurse clean her up. She was absolutely amazing. She was 7lbs 10 oz and 21" long with a full head of hair. I couldn't believe that James and I created something so amazing.

My parents came out for a week to spend time with us and Shelby. They were so cute with her. My dad doesn't like to hold babies because he is afraid he will break them, but by the end of the week he was a pro. I can't wait for them to come back in April. It was really sad to see them go. I miss them so much but am so greatful that they are my parents.

So James and I are adjusting to being parents and not getting a lot of sleep. Shelby is doing great and growing every day. It is so fun to watch her and see her watch what is going on around her. I wish there was a way to read babies minds so that you can hear what they are thinking as they check out their surrounding.

Baby Shower

2009-01-28T18:28:00.000-06:00

My friend Laura threw me a baby shower last night. I couldn't believe the number of sisters that showed up to celebrate Shelby. We are truely blessed to have such wonderful people in our ward. We got a lot of the stuff that we needed for Shelby which is wonderful. Below are some of the pictures of the things that we received.

I have been also working on Shelby's room trying to get it ready for her. Below is the picture of the wall that I did. Not too bad if I can get those letters to stay up. I think each of them has fallen at least twice. As much as James does not want me to put too many holes in the wall, I think the only way they are staying up is with a nail. Sorry honey! :)

Getting Ready for Shelby

2009-01-25T21:20:00.000-06:00

So James and I have finally decided that we needed to get some things done in preparation for Shelby's arrival. We decided when we first found out we were pregnant that we wanted to buy our own carseat and stroller. We found the one that we wanted at Burlington Coat Factory. It is one of those travel systems and will work great for our next child as well. We also purchased a bassinet with some of the gift cards that we received from our baby shower in Wichita during Thanksgiving. My parents bought us this beautiful round crib and have been asking me for like 4 or 5 months now if we had put it up yet. We got everything put together this last week so now Shelby has a place to sleep and a carseat to come home from the hospital in.

My friend from church Laura is throwing me a baby shower here on Tuesday and I will post some pictures from that later this week.

We have a date set for the blessing of Shelby for anyone that would like to come. We are going to have the blessing on April 19th which is also James and my 1 year anniversary.

Holidays 2008

2009-01-05T14:28:00.000-06:00

We had a great time this Christmas and New Years. James and I spent the holidays up in Utah. James' sister Michelle and her family came in from Washington so we spent Christmas with them, John and Brenda and their kids and Sarah. We had a blast. It snowed a lot while we were there and we spent a lot of time tubing. We ended up staying a extra day because we got snowed in. On the way home, we all stopped in Kanab to visit James' Nannie that is in a nursing home there. It was good for the family to be able to see her and it hopefully lifted her spirits a bit.

James and I came home for a few days and then headed back up to Utah on New Year's Eve. We got back into Lehi about 10pm and was able to bring in the New Year with John, Brenda and Katelynn. On New Year's Day we drove down to Salt Lake City and went to Temple Square to see the lights. It was so beautiful. Friday morning we went to lunch with my Aunt, Cousins and Grandma. It was great to see them and spend some time with them. I am very excited that they are planning on coming down for the birth of Shelby.

We hope everyone enjoyed the holidays as much as we did. Now we get to start getting ready to bring Shelby into this world. I can't believe we have less than a month.

Christmas Tag

2008-12-22T13:51:00.000-06:00

Christmas Tag...

Egg nog or hot chocolate?
It depends what I am in the mood for. If it is really cold, then I go for the hot chocolate. If not, I usually enough a glass of eggnog but I mix it with a little milk, if not it is way to thick.

Does Santa wrap presents or set them under the tree?
I prefer to wrap for Christmas. It makes presents more fun to open.

Colored lights on tree or white?
As of right now, we do not have a Christmas tree. But we have a lot of left over white lights from our wedding reception. So most likely when we finally get a tree, there will be white lights involved.

What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?
Ham

Favorite holiday memory as a child:
My brother and I waiting patiently in our rooms until our parents finally decided to come and get us. I think they would purposely take their time.

Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
When I was younger, we used too. James and I have discussed this and I believe we decided we are going to start this tradition in our family.

How do you decorate your Christmas tree?
Again, no tree yet. I just like trees that have different ornaments for memories. It is fun to get the ornaments out every year and then you get to remember that special thing that happened and why you have that ornament.

Snow! Love it or dread it?
Depends. I love it if i don't have to drive in it. I think it just makes everything look clean but driving in it is not fun.

Can you ice skate?
I think I went when I was little, but it has been a long time. I think if I tried (and after some falls) I would probably get the hang of it again.

Do you remember your favorite gift?
I don't remember a favorite gift, but I know I like everything I received :)

What's the most important thing about the holidays for you?
Being able to be with family

What is your favorite holiday dessert?
Anything chocolate is always my favorite.

What is your favorite tradition?
We don't really have any traditions yet. We will have to see what happens next year.

Which do you prefer, giving or receiving?
Both. It is fun being able to find the perfect gift for the one that you love.

Favorite Christmas Song?
I love Away in a Manager.

Candy canes! Yuck or yum?
Depends on the flavor

Ever recycled a Christmas present?
Do White Elephant gifts count?

Snow in Las Vegas

2008-12-17T18:03:00.000-06:00

It is actually snowing in Las Vegas!! The news station says we are suppose to get 6 inches on the strip. If they close the schools tomorrow it will be the first time in almost 30 years that they have closed for weather related issues. The airport is closed and flights are grounded or being diverted someplace else because the airport does not have the equipment to clear the runways.

Thanksgiving

2008-12-08T16:34:00.000-06:00

Hi Everyone!

So I guess James and I are going to join the blogging world. We were able to go to Wichita for Thanksgiving this year. We had a blast. While we were there we had family pictures taken. It was really fun and our pictures turned out great. I was really proud of James, he actually smiled in the pictures this year. I gave him a bad time because last year when we did family pictures we had to throw a bunch of them out because James didn't smile. So he did this year and we were very excited for how the pictures turned out. Below are some of the pictures that we took.

My sweet mom also threw me and James a baby shower while we were home. We got some great stuff for Shelby. It was also really nice to visit with some of my friends that I haven't been able to see for awhile.

It was a great visit but like a lot of vacations are, it was was too short.