Merry Belated Christmas

Ok, so I was just wondering...is there anyone out there other than me who can't seem to pull it together this year??? I even got half a Christmas letter written, but didn't have time to finish it. sigh. As I reflect on 2009, one word comes to mind: Change. It goes as follows: In February, we welcomed Luke Thomas into our family and began our journey into parenthood. In April, Chad accepted an associate pastor position in Kansas. In June, we moved 1000 miles from Cleveland to Hutchinson and Chad began his position at the church, as well as his new vocation as a plumber (with no prior experience, by the way). In August, we made 2 offers on two houses and didn't get either of them. In August, I also started back to work part-time at a new job working as a speech therapist at a school (very new for me since I'd never worked in a school setting before). In September, I joined the women's ministry team at church and started leading a Bible study. In September, we also made another offer on a house and got it! We closed on the house in October. In November we moved into the house after numerous hours of painting and fixing. Which brings us to December, when we had a broken down water heater, and we still have plenty of unpacked boxes, and a bathroom project in the works, complete with a toilet in the guest room and the sink and vanity in the living room. Now that I look back at this crazy year, I don't feel so bad about not sending out Christmas cards, because really, it's a miracle I'm still sane. Here's to hoping for a less eventful 2010. And maybe I'll even get a little more organized. I did get a label maker for Christmas after all.
From our hectic home to yours, we wish you a (belated) Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Happy Birthday...

To the hottest husband around! I gotta say his birthday is not at the most ideal of times, since it often can get overlooked in the midst of crazy holiday happenings. But I'm here to say he is a wonderful, selfless husband and father. He works. Hard. He is passionate about helping people. He is discerning and wise. Here's to hoping Luke grows up to be just like his daddy. Happy Birthday, my love.

A Trip to the Zoo (with Grandpa and Grandma Nisly too!)

Luke visited the zoo for the first time in October. Even though I'm way behind in posting them, the pictures are too fun not to show anyway. My parents went with us and it was a perfect fall day to enjoy the outdoors!

I think Grandma and Grandpa enjoyed themselves as much as Luke did!

Monkey see monkey do.

Luke's Room

Thank you for being patient with me (as if you are all waiting on the edge of your seats for me to post something new, ha!) as I have been super slow to post pics the last several months! We are finally in our new home with daily internet access at last and everything. I'll be playing catch up for a while. I have some fun pictures of a trip to the zoo and other adventures that will be coming once I get the pics off of my parents' camera. Until then, see some updated highlights of the last couple of months as you scroll down. And I have had requests to show our work at our new house, so I will start in Luke's room, which is my absolute favorite. Not sure how he gets the coolest room of the house. But, if our bathroom ever gets done, that may become my new favorite.

I don't have the original look of this room, but imagine blue wallpaper with little flowers...not quite the boy look we were going for. So this shot is after (count them) three layers of wallpaper have been removed but before the paint... And after...
We started with a orange and brown theme (partly because it's cool and partly in honor of his birthplace - the Cleveland Browns), but later thought the blue was a perfect complimenting color and would brighten it up a bit. Chad was reluctant at first, but I told him the blue could represent Lake Erie. He wasn't super impressed, but went with it anyway, and now we both love it.

In Other News...

I cut my hair. A whopping 4 inches. It's the first time it's been above my shoulders in...well, a long time. Somehow, people haven't really seemed to noticed though. I think only 3 people have noticed in the last two weeks. Obviously a more exciting milestone for me than everyone else! If you look closely, you can see the green wall in the background which is the color of our new bedroom.

8 month pics of Luke

This is our new thing. Luke has figured out the whole separation thing...like when mommy puts him down for a nap she leaves the room. So he did not nap/sleep all that great for awhile, but hopefully we're back on track now. Anyway, he's taken to sitting up in his crib and crying until eventually he wears himself out and falls asleep sitting up, which ends up looking like this. I happened to peek in his room right as he was falling asleep literally sitting up with the head bobbing thing going on and everything so I ran to get the camera and by the time I got back I found this.

My little bookworm. Getting to his pile of books is what motivated him to learn to crawl.
Oh yeah, have I mentioned he crawls now? My life as a blissful, carefree mother is over. It just happened overnight practically. One day he couldn't and didn't seem to care. The next day he made a beeline across the room for his books. Now he makes a beeline to pretty much everything that is not baby related...outlets, a teeny tiny screw, breakable items, etc. I'm excited that he has accomplished this milestone, but secretly, I'm also in mourning because I know what awaits me and that this is just the beginning.
Awww, this picture was just taken a short week and a half ago, back when life was simpler and I could just sit him by his toy box and not worry about his every move. *Sigh*

This pic is pretty deer-in-the-headlights-ish, but check out those big brown eyes!
Halloween. Yes, I said Halloween. Yes, I realize it's almost December.
The cutest cow on the Nisly Farm.
This picture is pretty wiggy for some reason, but a cute one nonetheless.

A New Friend

Nevermind these pictures were taken in October and I'm just now posting them...my longtime pal Dana and I had sons within months of each other. We are sure they will grow up to be buddies! These pictures were taken at our second playdate (Luke is 7 months, and I believe Wyatt is around 5).

And this one is just too ridiculously cute not to show off. (taken way back in September!)

Home OWNERS!!

Well, we closed on our house on Oct. 15 and have been feverishly picking out paint colors and updating stuff around the house. We still have a bit of painting to do, but it’s coming along nicely and I’m so excited how it’s all turning out! Luke’s room is going to be especially cool. My brother will be in town next week and he will be helping us transform our pretty-in-pink-tiled bathroom into a light and airy bathroom. Yes, I watch HGTV. “Light and airy” makes me happy.

Pumpkin Patch

This weekend Chad's sisters came for the weekend to celebrate Chad's mom's birthday. We all ventured out to the pumpkin patch and corn maize. Chad navigated us through the corn maize, we went on an adult-sized slide, shot baby pumpkins with a giant sling shot and lots of other fun stuff. Luke, little trooper that he is, got his first tooth during all the fun and a bout with diarrhea to go along with it that resulted in two quite impressive blowouts. What's a trip to the pumpkin patch without some extra excitement, right? :) He didn't seem to mind. He also fell in love with his cousin Kayla. He giggles with us, but he just laughed and laughed at/with Kayla all day long. The kind of belly laugh that makes everyone else laugh too. It was a fun day, despite all the poo! It's nice that he can see his cousins more than once a year now!

Luke with Grandma and Grandpa Eigsti

with Aunt Cherise and cousins Kayla and Ethan (somehow didn't get Aunt Shanna pictured!)
Our little pumkin

Race for the Cure

Ok, so we didn't technically race, but we participated! I did this race for several years back in my college days and then somehow life got busy and I haven't done it since. This year my sister Tanya and I did it together and had a great time for a good cause. Don't we look buff?

Peas and Carrots and other Adventures

We recently started Luke on veggies. Carrots were first and were a big hit. Then we introduced peas.

He really,

really,

REALLY doesn't like peas. Who can blame him? In other adventures...here's Luke and Daddy checking out Grandpa Eigsti's beloved truck.
And here's Luke's favorite new pastime...emptying out his toy box. Can't wait until he's able to crawl and does this to everything in the house. Wait a second, yes, I can wait. Won't be long!

NEW HOUSE!!!

We have a home! Well, kind of. We bought a home, but won't close on it until next month. We are so excited to get in there and start painting and making it our own!

Luke's Dedication

We had Luke's dedication on Sunday at church. I love the story of Hannah in 1 Samuel..."I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord." 1 Samuel 1:27,28

Luke in his dedication outfit ...and please note his new trick - sitting all by himself like a big boy at only 5 months old!Ok, mom, enough with the pictures