C's Blog

By request, here are some photos of our froggy on his first Halloween. Click on the photos below:

   

With Grammy and Gramps and Nana and Papa:
   

With Josie (our across the street neighbor) the Mermaid and with Mommy and the Jack-o-Lanterns:
   

Jack-o-Lanterns:

Bryan's masterpiece and Daddy and Isaac with the Jack-o-Lanterns:
   

Happy Birthday today to Isaac's Grampy (Bryan's Dad), Steve!

This time last year we were wondering if our baby would share a Birthday with Bryan's dad. Isaac hung in there for 9 more days. Had he known how fun it is to hang out with his Grampy, he might have come earlier.

We are fortunate to live close by both sets of our parents. Isaac has gotten to know them all very well and loves them all very much. It is interesting (and fun) to see his different reactions to each one of his grandparents. When Isaac sees his Grampy he is so squiggly and squealy. He literally bursts with excitement when he gets a glimpse of him.

Usually, one day per week, Isaac gets to spend a lot of time with Steve. They play the drums, watch funny baby videos, listen to music on the computer... they play, play, play. Most times, Isaac comes home pooped. It's good proof that he's been well loved all day long. : )

Happy Birthday, Steve! We all love you very much and hope you have a great one!

Ten years ago today Bryan and I started dating. We were on par with most 18 year-olds, courageous and arrogant about our futures. Time, however, is humbling... (Thankfully.) : )

I would have never guessed 10 years ago that we'd be married, working together, and have an (almost) 1 year old son. Crazy.

I did, however, know that Bryan and I had something special. Something that I wouldn't have found with anyone else. He understands me better than anyone and fits into our family perfectly. My sisters adopted him quickly as a brother and he enjoyed meeting (and teasing them about) all of the guys they dated.

One of my favorite memories from our first year of dating is from a three day weekend. We rented the video game Myst and played it all weekend long. We finished the game, which isn't an easy task to do in 3 days. I think we must have eaten a half dozen party pizzas in that span of time, too. To this day, when I eat a party pizza, I'm taken back to that fun 3 day weekend. haha.

That story just proves what true dorks we are... : )

When we adopted Harley, we became an official family of three. (I'll never forget the many "congratulations" cards we received from our wedding that said, "finally Harley is legitimate!" haha. : ) She'll turn 8 years old in January.

And now we are parents. And Isaac is almost 1.

Wow.

Thanks, Arn, for making the past 10 years of my life complete.

And also, Thanks for doing all of those little things that you do for me that make me feel special. I know sometimes it seems like I dismiss them as "routine", but I do notice. They do make me feel very special. : ) I am very lucky.

I love you, Bryan. : )

Happy 1st Birthday today to our son, Isaac.

He'll be officially one year old at 8:28 am today. I cannot believe that one year ago today Bryan and I became parents.

It seems like it went so fast, yet it's hard to remember what our lives were like before Isaac. : )

Yesterday we had his big 1st birthday party. It was very fun. There are so many people who care about this little boy. He received so many cool books, toys, clothes, etc. The generosity of our family and friends is amazing. It was a very fun time.

      

After all of the guests left and all of the wrapping paper was picked up, Bryan, Isaac, and I sat on the floor and started playing with his gifts. Isaac found one particularily funny. It was lucky that I had the video camera close at hand. Download the video below: (Right mouse click and select 'Save Target As...')

There is nothing sweeter sounding to Bryan and I than Isaac's little chuckle. : )

Enjoy! (and thank you to everyone!!) : )

I did it this weekend. I finally found a pair of boots that I love. They aren't too pointy. They aren't too boxy. They aren't too high or too low heeled. They aren't too clingy or too loose... They're just right. And I love them.

Wearing these boots gives me a boost. I'm taller, more put together, and they make a loud noise when I walk. All of those things make me stand straighter and walk with more confidence.

Had I known the transformation my inner-self would receive from my feet looking (and feeling) more lavish, I would have bought some power boots sooner.

I guess for summer, I will need to find power sandals. haha. : )

Whenever I post a blog entry without a photo of Isaac, I receive slack from my family and friends who expect a cute photo. So, here it is... It's a photo that I snapped a few nights ago.

I had spent over an hour trying to get Isaac to go to sleep. He kept fighting his heavy eyes, at times, shaking his head back and forth to wake himself up. Bryan came upstairs and laid in bed with us. Isaac rolled over by Bryan and within minutes, he was fast asleep:

From mother to mother, I beg you...

Next time your husband releases a gaming console, please make sure that the supply is sufficient to meet the demand.

It is ridiculous for popular chains of department stores in well populated areas to receive less than 20 units.

My husband and his brother were up at the wee hours of the morning. At 3 AM, they were unable to find a single line in front of ANY store in the St. Louis area that had less people than the amount of consoles being sold at the stores.

Because of this, I awoke with the baby on his normal schedule and also awoke with my husband and his brother at 3 AM when they left and 5 AM when they returned.

I am now exhausted at work and angry at your husband for his and his team's lack of planning.

I can understand how great hype can be for marketing, but this is purely ridiculous.

Thank you for listening. Please help make the world less frustrating for us Moms and Wives of gamers.

Sincerely,
Caron Arnold

Happy Birthday today to Isaac's Uncle John, my brother-in-law. : )

John has been such a fun addition to our family. It's hard to believe that it's been 8 years since we first met John when he and Angie started dating. They were married in 2000 and have two girls, Reese (3.5) and Caylee (4 months), now. (Oh, and they have a dog, Marley (in the photo) and two cats, Gumpy & Simba.)

John fits right in. One of the main reasons is because he's a sports fan. Now, I'm not a huge college sports person, but the rest of the majority of my family loves their alma maters and the rivalries that are involved. My family members love teasing each other and watching their teams battle it out.

John is a BIG Nebraska and Missouri State (former SMS) fan. For Isaac's b-day, he bought him a little Missouri State football jersey. It's very cute.

Some of my favorite memories with the Betts are from Arrowhead (or should I say "CamaroHead". haha) Stadium. John and Angie have hosted us at a few tailgates over the years in KC. And let me tell you that you know you're a hard core fan when you're out in a parking lot in freezing wind chills barbequing, drinking beer, and dancing around a teepee on Sunday morning for a Noon football game.

So, Happy Birthday to my Brother-In-Law, John. : ) May your wishes come true when you blow out your candles and may all of your teams have winning records in their next seasons! : )

xoxoxo