Aimee's Blog

Presents!

2012-01-26T07:28:00.001-06:00

Claire got to open one present on her birthday. She doesn't really like dolls but she loves stuffed animals, so I got a this Dress Me Hello Kitty and some little outfits. She loved it! Her party is on Saturday so I will post more pictures after that.

Jan 24, 2012 - Claire Loree AhHee Limpach

2012-01-24T10:08:00.001-06:00

Happy 2nd Birthday to the silliest, sweetest, most ADORABLE girl in the WORLD!! We love you Cay-lo (her self-appointed nickname)!!!!!!!!

This morning before daycare:

And here is a video of her in the car from yesterday. We were on our way back from CO and she is entertaining herself with her little laptop. Her funny facial expressions constantly crack us up!! See for yourself:

My Golf Swing

2012-01-13T14:55:00.000-06:00

I've been taking golf lessons off and on since May of last year. I was going every two weeks initially, but then when the semester got busy at work I took some time off. When I started ... I had never swung a golf club before!! Keep that in mind when you watch this video of my initial Swing Evaluation.

That is SO bad, but I repeat ... I. had. never. swung. a. golf. club. before!

I'm back to lessons every two weeks now and obviously I've learned a lot since May, but I feel like over the last month something's been clicking - more than usual. We've been working a lot lately on my downswing. The first thing I had to learn was to use my lower body as well as my upper body. That actually took quite a bit of practice for me because prior to this almost all of my thoughts during my swing had been focused on how to (or not to) position and move and hinge my arms! I can't even tell you how many drills I've done related to my arms and upper body and holding the club (yes, I sucked that bad, people!!).

It makes total sense to me WHY I'd want to use my lower body in my golf swing but ... it took a bit for me to actually perform the mechanics of moving my lower body during the swing. I'm still working on it (obviously) but apparently my coach decided I was doing 'well enough' to move on to other parts of the downswing (or he just gave up on me getting any better?!!).

So today was all about holding a hinge on the downswing and driving the butt of the club down. Then at impact making sure my right hand on is top and release the club by rotating my forearms. Good lord, that's a lot to think about!!

Here's the video from today's lesson:

Yay! I'm still doing a lot of things wrong but ... I think it almost looks like a 'real' golf swing!

Even though I still suck, I really felt good swinging today!! Here are some of the stills:

This is a comparison of how my hip turn improved from my first swing when I was warming up.

This is him showing me some 'C' curve that I believe is a good thing?

Tiger and I. He was showing me how my arms and the club should be more positioned like Tiger's.

I think I was doing something good in this one.

Here is a before with my hands doing the wrong thing, vs. an after with my hands doing the 'right-ish' thing.

And here's a shot of one of the stats of a swing. Not a very good distance but I was not hitting it as hard as I could because I was thinking more about the mechanics!

Fun times! Now, when am I going to be able to get outside and swing for real!??!

Christmas Crafts

2012-01-02T15:31:00.001-06:00

I was having some framing done at Michael's and after browsing around I got an idea that morphed into these Christmas gifts for my daughter Claire, my niece Ashtyn and my sort-of niece Sophia! They match their rooms!

Christmas Program 2011

2011-12-27T19:49:00.001-06:00

Owen was in the St. Vincent de Paul Christmas program on Sunday, December 18, 2011. It was adorable! All of the preschool and pre-K kids carried letters of the alphabet that stood for something related to the Christmas story. Owen's was "W" which stood for watch by night. They also sang songs and acted out the Christmas story. I did the best I could to take pictures and video.

This is a video of Owen saying his line:

And this is a video of Owen's group answering the 'knock' on the door of their Comfort Inn. Owen is one of the shepherds behind the box:

Santa!

2011-12-13T06:03:00.001-06:00

Champion's Club - December 11, 2011

Decorating for Christmas

2011-12-11T07:21:00.001-06:00

The kids see Santa today! Owen (4.5) is excited and Claire (23 months) doesn't really understand yet, but she is excited BECAUSE she can see her brother is!

Owen wrote a note to Santa and is counting down the days with the Advent calendar in his room. He also has a little tree in his room that he decorated. Claire has both in her room too. I love little traditions like this!

Anniversary Trip - Day 3

2011-11-28T08:22:00.001-06:00

We spent Sun 11/27 cross country skiing at Snow Mountain Ranch. Since neither of us had done this type of skiing before, we took an hour lesson. The lesson was fun, informative and just what we needed to get started.

After our lesson, we went out on our own. I recorded both of our 'runs' via Runkeeper. It was fun but also has the potential to be hard work! By the end of the day, we felt like we had the hang of it. Here are the routes we took:
http://runkeeper.com/user/alimpach/activity/61392397
http://runkeeper.com/user/alimpach/activity/61392355

We finished the day with a soak in the Hot Sulphur Springs. The next time we come back in late December, the hot tub at our condo will be open!

Anniversary Trip - Day 2

2011-11-27T08:32:00.001-06:00

Saturday 11-26-11 was our actual anniversary and I woke up to a steaming Starbucks Latte!

The plan for the day was for Nick to snowboard in Winter Park while I had a 5 hour Lazy Day spa treatment at Devil's Thumb Ranch. Happy Anniversary to Us!

Here are pictures from my spa day.

Anniversary Trip - Day 1

2011-11-25T16:01:00.001-06:00

We flew to Denver on the morning of Friday 11-25, rented a car and were at our condo in Granby by 10am!

We watched the Huskers beat Iowa (yay!) at the condo then headed into Winter Park to go snowboard shopping. Nick's going to demo a K2 board tomorrow.

In Winter Park we stopped into Docs Roadhouse for a beer, then did some more shopping. It was Black Friday after all. Best part of the day ...It started snowing big beautiful snowflakes while we were out and about.

Tonight is dinner at Brickhouse 40. Can't wait!

Anniversary #17

2011-11-25T06:48:00.001-06:00

We're off to celebrate 17 years of marriage!

Happy Halloween

2011-11-01T20:42:00.001-05:00

Highlights from our Halloween adventures during the month of October.

Pooley's Pumpkin Patch

Painting our pumpkins

Trick or Treat!

Crock Pot Monday - Apricot Pecan Turkey Roast

2011-10-24T20:49:00.002-05:00

Fresh boneless turkey breast roast

2 cups cooked rice (I used wild long grain)

1/3 cup chopped pecans

1/3 cup dried cranberries (or cherries)

1 tsp poultry seasoning (I used Old World Seasoning from Penzey's)

1/4 cup apricot preserves (plum or peach will work too)

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Remove and discard any skin from turkey breast.

Stir together rice, pecans, cranberries and poultry seasoning in medium bowl.

If your roast is one large piece, you can cut slides 3/4 of the way through the turkey at 1-inch intervals and stuff the rice mixtures between the slices. If needed, skewer the turkey lengthwise to hold it together.

This turkey roast was in two large pieces so I stuffed the rice mixture between the two and secured them together with twine.

Cook turkey in the crock pot on LOW for 6 hours (or until the internal temp is 170F)

Once turkey is done, stir together preserves and Worcestershire sauce. Spoon over turkey. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes.

The prep time on this was a little more than some of the other slow cooker recipes I've made recently but it only took me about 20 minutes so it wasn't too bad and the end result was yummy. I served it with steamed asparagus and mashed potatoes. Everyone enjoyed it!

Birthday Present

2011-10-21T20:24:00.001-05:00

So I'm turning 40 in about a week and my birthday present from Nick was 'installed' over the last few days. Here's how it went:

Ta da! Happy Birthday to me!! Thank you, Nick!! xoxo

Crock Pot Monday: Chicken and 'Dumplings'

2011-10-17T15:36:00.001-05:00

Last week's crock pot meal was Chicken and 'Dumplings'.

1 lb chicken breast

1 large can chicken broth

1 can cream of chicken (with herbs) soup

1 cube chicken bullion

1 can Grands homestyle biscuits

Optional: veggies like corn, peas and/or carrots. I used frozen peas and carrots because I had them in the freezer :)

Cut chicken into 1 inch squares.

Combine chicken squares, broth, soup, bullion cube and veggies in crock pot.

Cook (covered) on LOW for 6-8 hours.

Cut Grands biscuits into squares, layer on top of the chicken mixture and cook (covered) on HIGH for ~20 minutes (until they are just beginning to brown).

This turned out SO yummy!!!

Perfect comfort food for a fall evening.

Who is Living Like They Were Dying?

2011-10-14T09:52:00.002-05:00

Ok, every time I hear this song, I sing along - because it has that quality - but about halfway through I always, get confused. Who is the song about?

WHO is sick?

WHO is looking at X-rays?

WHO is talking 'bout sweet time?

I don't think it's supposed to be the singer, because he keeps saying 'He said...', .i.e. referring to SAID person in the third person.

But... then much to my dismay, at one point he switches from saying, 'What would you do with it?" To "What would I do with it?" So again, I ask ... Who is the song about?

Is it the singer's dad?

Is it just a guy the singer knows?

IS it the singer?

WHO went SKYDIVING?

WHO went ROCKY MOUNTAIN CLIMBING?

WHO went 2.7 seconds on a BULL named FOO-MAN CHU??

Help me please, will you?

Broccoli??

2011-10-12T20:21:00.001-05:00

Actually it's more like ... 'block-oli'? That's how Claire says it. It cracks us up! Here are two videos of her reading her Pororo book from Korea. She is learning to say some of the veggies and fruits in the book, but 'block-oli' is by far our favorite!

Swimming Lessons for Life!

2011-10-11T12:38:00.000-05:00

Last Friday night, Nick and I attended the SPREE fundraiser at SVdP, as this is where we are hoping Owen will attend school starting next Fall. It was a great time and we bid on and won SWIMMING LESSONS for LIFE for Claire at Swimtastic Swim School!

Owen's been taking swimming lessons at Swimtastic for about a year and Claire for about 3 months. I cannot say enough good things about Swimtastic. It is THE BEST and both kids have shown dramatic improvement since they started!! Owen can basically swim on his own and is learning various strokes and Claire can swim to and from her teacher and I without assistance!

Here are pictures of their report cards from their last session. They always get excited to get report cards because the teachers write their names and decorate the cards in different ways.

Crock Pot Monday - Meatloaf

2011-10-10T13:43:00.001-05:00

During the fall and winter I usually plan one meal a week to slow cook in the crockpot. With our busy schedules it's nice to have one night a week (at home) where dinner is essentially ready when we get done with the day.

So, last week's meal was ... Meatloaf.

I wasn't sure how cooking meatloaf in the crockpot would turn out but ... it was very good. Nice and moist, and very flavorful - like a good meatloaf should be!

Here is the recipe, I used:

1 Lg. Onion chopped
1 Lg. Bell Pepper chopped
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 Cup of Milk
3/4 Cup dry bread crumbs
1 package Lipton Onion Soup Mix
2 lbs ground beef

Mix together eggs, milk, crumbs and onion soup. Then add meat, onions and peppers.

Mix all thoroughly and shape into loaf.

Put in crock pot (lined with foil) and cook on low for 6-8hrs. If possible, top with ketchup for the last two hours of cooking.

Goooooooo

2011-10-07T15:16:00.002-05:00

Big Red, Yo!

Owen's Drawings - Age 4

2011-10-05T12:28:00.000-05:00

Owen's drawings and his art, in general, are getting so good! We hang stuff on the door and closet in his bedroom and we recently did a switch of old stuff to new stuff. I couldn't help but notice that his attention to detail is really improving.

At preschool, they focus on a new letter of the alphabet every few weeks and make an art project related to that letter. He used the O-W-E-N projects to spell his name on his closet door. More art hanging below the letters.

A closer view of some of his drawings:

This is his door. There is a picture Sissy drew on there, too.

Close ups of the drawings on his door.

My Best Round Yet!

2011-09-25T21:44:00.000-05:00

I played my best round of golf to date on the Links Course at Eagle Run on Sunday 9-25-11.

Score 49

Par on hole 4 (Par 4, Handicap 1)

Putts: One 1-Putt, Seven 2-Putts, One 3-putt

And ... best of all...I beat Nick!

(Putts are recorded under the hole score).

Woo Hoo!

Fall TV Review: Up All Night (NBC)

2011-09-15T12:54:00.001-05:00

Nick and I usually try to find one or two new shows to watch each Fall. To figure out what we like, we set several of the new shows to record on the DVR, watch a couple of episodes, then decide 'yes or no'. We set quite a few to record but usually only end up following a couple.

The sitcom 'Up All Night' on Weds on NBC (last night it was 9pm, but I think 8pm-CST is the regular time slot) was the first show we tried and it was funny! We'll definitely watch it again next week.

Here's an extended preview:

Sea Froggies??

2011-09-14T10:45:00.000-05:00

Owen got a gift from one of my co-workers.

Watch the video and then I'll tell you about them:

They are Sea Monkeys (not Sea Turtles, as Owen sometimes calls them)! They've been around for a long time! I remember watching cartoons as a kid and seeing the commercial for them and wanting them. But ... I never got them. I had all but forgotten about them until now!

The set came in this container for growing the monkeys:

Inside are 3 packets:

You start by filling the container with water and adding Packet 1 - the Water Purifier. After 24 hours, you add Packet 2 - the Instant Live Eggs. The sea monkeys are IN THERE! You then put the container with the eggs in a place where it can get light and wait for them to hatch. After about 3 days, you see little TINY things swimming around. After 5 days, you feed the sea monkeys with Packet 3 - Growth Food.

We did this using the large side of the scoop and ... the water got cloudy (bad sign?). Then the next day (day 6), we couldn't see anything swimming around (another bad sign?). On the next day (day 7), again we saw nothing in the container (very bad sign?). We left for our Labor Day trip to CO, thinking they were all dead. Owen and I even said a little prayer for the sea monkeys.

When we returned from CO (day 12), they were BACK! Much bigger than when we originally saw them on day 3! That's when we took the video. Our prayer must have worked!! Now we just feed them every other day with the little scoop and so far, they are doing well. Owen thinks they are the coolest thing and I'm finally happy that I got to experience the wonder that is ... sea monkeys!

In case you want to know more about them, click here.

Labor Day Weekend

2011-09-09T17:04:00.002-05:00

We spent Labor Day weekend at the condo in Colorado... and had SO.MUCH.FUN! I think it may have been our best trip yet (and I kind of feel bad about that because Claire stayed home with Gma Kiki).

We left on Friday and when we got to the condo, we did some science experiments from a book that Owen checked out from the library called 'Just Add Water'. This was an underwater volcano.

We did several more experiments throughout the weekend.

This one was testing the effects of sand and salt on ice melting.

This one was creating 'rain' in a bowl.

Saturday was the first Husker game. Go Big Red!

Before the game started, we had lunch out on the patio and watched some of the bike race that was going on.

We didn't have access to the Big Ten Network, so we had to stream the game on the computer in the condo. No matter, it was still fun to listen to and kind of watch them win!

After the game, we rode the lift up to the top of the mountain for a BBQ sponsored by Granby Ranch.

Us on the lift ... Nick and Owen are waving.

Before the BBQ started, they had this presentation on the various flora and fauna of the area. This included several animal skins that the kids could touch.

Owen touching the mountain lion!

Beaver and a skunk.

I couldn't resist taking a close-up picture of the beaver, showing it to Nick and saying ... 'Nice Beaver'!!

The BBQ was a ton of fun and we met lots of really nice people.

Sunday we golfed. Owen came along and was so excited because it was his first time golfing. As you can imagine, he thought the cart was the coolest.

We let him putt a few holes and he was adorable.

Here's a little video of he and Nick:

Sunday night we went to our favorite restaurant in downtown Granby.

This place is SO good! Everything we've had so far has been delicious.

We also tried a new Malbec. It was good, too!

We drove home on Monday and even though we had a great time, we missed Claire Bear.

This is her in the bath the night we got home!

Hope everyone else had a great holiday weekend!

Who is in the whale?

2011-09-01T12:30:00.001-05:00

Owen came home from daycare with this picture he drew:

The conversation went like this:

Me: Owen what is this a picture of?

Owen: A whale

Me: Oh! With a person inside, right?

Owen: Yes!

Me: Who is inside?

Owen: It's ... me (hesitantly)

Me: You did a good job on the picture!

*Silence for a few second*

Owen: OK OK OK ... it's Claire in the whale, Mom. I didn't tell you because I thought you might think I was mean to draw my sister in a whale.

He cracks me up!!

Dettmer Wedding

2011-08-30T09:16:00.001-05:00

Zach Dettmer, son of our friends Randy and Susie Dettmer, married Sara Bredfeldt on Saturday Aug 27, 2011.

The reception was at Champions and it was a GREAT time!

Susie and Zach during the Mother/Son dance.

Zach and his brother Chris.

They had a photo booth set up for guests to pose in (with props) and then the photos were put in a scrap book for Zach and Sara.

Nick and I:

Susie and friends:

The Bride and Groom:

Congrats to Zach and Sara Dettmer!!!

Golf!

2011-08-29T10:03:00.000-05:00

It's so fun ... yet so frustrating! Nick and I played at Stone Creek this weekend and it was the first time I ever kept a 'true' score on 18 holes. We played the front 9 on Greystone - South Course and I did pretty well for ... me. (Nick was not playing very well and got a 61 on this front 9 so it felt even better :o)

Then the back 9, on the Blackstone - East Course, was pretty disastrous.

I know, I know ... 10's and an 11. WTF?? Some of those were the result of penalty shots, i.e. losing my ball in the water. This was the first time I actually have had to hit over the water. On the other courses I've played, the women's tees made that avoidable. THEN! on one hole I had some serious issues in the sand. My ball was just under a high lip and I kept trying to hit it out ... unsuccessfully because it took me 4 tries. Again, I say WTF?? I was close to the green but in the sand and Nick was telling me to take a full swing, but that didn't seem right to me so I was trying to chip it out. That didn't work very well. Oh well, you live and you learn.

The good news is: I'm still having fun playing. The bad news is: It seems like when I get better at one thing, I get worse at another. For example, I've been working on my 'long' shots after the drive. I was struggling with getting under the ball on making them go any distance. I practiced hitting those types of shots at the range last week and I did better with them during this game, but ... then what happened? I sucked at chipping and pitching during this game. So frustrating because usually I'm pretty good at both of those things. I can't tell you how many times I chipped or pitched the ball too hard and it ended up on the other side of the green in the rough. Frustrating!!! but ... still fun!

Oh and I got a new putter that I used for the first time. I like it and did pretty well with it.

Old putter:

New putter:

We are playing 18 holes again this weekend at the condo in CO. I plan to keep score again and see if can improve

‎'Hey, Mom...

2011-08-28T10:04:00.001-05:00

...I learned from Ms. Kristi in Active Adventures (at KinderCare Learning Centers) that your heart pumps blood in your body. And if it stops ..... [long pause] ..... well I don't really know WHAT happens then but I don't think it's very good!' - Owen Limpach, age 4.

Friday Sing-Along Song: L.A. Song by Beth Hart

2011-08-26T10:04:00.001-05:00

I heard this song on the way to work today. Love it!

L.A. Song by Beth Hart

Beth Hart L. A. Song
- Watch more Videos at Vodpod.

She hangs around the boulevard
She's a local girl with local scars
She got home late, she got home late
She drank so hard the bottle ached
And she tried, and she tried, and she tried, and she tried
But nothin's clear in a bar full a flies
So she takes, so she takes, she takes, so she takes
She understands when she gives it away
She says

Man I gotta get outta this town
Man I gotta get outta this pain
Man I gotta get outta this town
Outta this town and out of L.A.

She's so ashamed, she's so ashamed
She know that heaven don't want her anyway
She left a note right by the phone
Don't leave a message 'cause this ain't no home
And she cried, and she cried, and she cried, and she cried
She cried so long her tears ran dry
Then she laughed, then she laughed, she laughed, then she laughed
'Cause she knew she was never comin' back
She said

Man I gonna get outta this town
Man I gonna get outta this pain
Man I gonna get outta this town
Outta this town and out of L.A.

It's all she loves It's all she hates It's all too much for her to take
She can't be sure just where it ends or where the good life begins

So she took a train, she took a train
To a little old town without a name
She met a man he took her in
But fed her all the same bullshit again
'Cause he lied, then he lied, then he lied, then he lied
he lied like a salesman sellin' flies
So she screamed, then she screamed, then she screamed, then she screamed
it's a different place but the same old thang
It's all I love It's all I hate It's all too much for me to take
I can't be sure where it begins or if the good life lies within
So she said

Man I gotta get out of this town
Now I gotta get back on that train
Man I gotta get out of this town
I'm outta my pain
So I'm goin' back to L.A.
Back to L.A.
Back to L.A. Hey...
I'm goin' back to L.A. Hey...I'm goin' back to L.A.

When life hands you lemons ...

2011-08-24T14:28:00.002-05:00

...make lemonade.

Well I'd love to do just that but,

I can't get my lemon tree to actually grow any lemons.

Here it is!

The pics not great because I was in a hurry but for the most part it LOOKS healthy and happy ...but I never see any blooms. I've had it since LAST summer. I brought it inside for the winter and put it back outside this summer. Still ... nothing. It's getting bigger though. My mom recently helped me out by transplanting it to a new larger pot, so I know it's growing. I just don't know why it's not flowering and producing fruit.

Anyone ever had any luck with lemon trees before and have any advice for me??

Aunt Missy's Summer Visit 2011

2011-08-23T09:25:00.001-05:00

My sister, Melissa (aka Aunt Missy), was here visiting from MA for almost 2 weeks. We had lots of fun and the kids enjoyed spending time with her. She came with us to the condo in Colorado and most of the pictures we took were before Nick and Owen got there, so unfortunately I don't have any of her with Owen. Here's what I do have:

Girls Road Trip out to Granby

Rocky Mountain National Park

Grand Lake, CO

Winter Park, CO

Lastly, here's a video of a new face Aunt Missy taught Claire:

We love you and miss you already, Aunt Missy! Come back soon!!

Back To School

2011-08-22T12:41:00.000-05:00

Where did the summer go??

I'm back at work, Claire is going to daycare 3 days a week (Gma Kiki is watching her on the other 2 days) and Owen started Pre-K!

Here they are on their first day of daycare/'school':

Claire is adjusting to daycare pretty well, although she's really tired on the days she goes. Apparently learning and playing is hard work!

Owen loves Pre-K! His teacher's name is Mr. Geoff and he constantly telling us the things he is learning. Here are pictures he drew of Nick and I on the first day of Pre-K:

Truth be told, I actually love 'back to school' time and Fall is my favorite season/semester! So even though I'll miss the summer fun, I'm looking forward to the months to come.

Wild Hogs Motorcycle Trip 2011

2011-08-01T21:16:00.005-05:00

Highlights from our annual motorcycle trip to Granby, CO:

10 Things I Learned This Summer

2011-07-29T08:51:00.000-05:00

I go back to work on Monday 8/1 after being off on family leave for 12 weeks! I've had a great time and I've learned several things about myself and my children during this time off:

1. Staying at home with two kids is HARD work. Much harder than I thought it was going to be. I'll admit it. I had visions of long naps and lots of relaxation when in reality there was very little of that.

2. Our dog, Joey, even though I love him, is a PAIN in the butt. He wants out, then he wants in, then he wants out, then he wants in. Some days he required more attention than the kids. I won't miss taking care of him when I go back.

3. I need to GO somewhere to workout. I tried the P90X thing and it just wasn't for me. Even though I liked the workouts, I ended up only being able to get motivated to do it 2-3 times a week (you are supposed to do it 6 times per week). I can't wait to get back to my workout classes at Lifetime Fitness next week.

4. I have a new APPRECIATION for my cleaning lady, Jean. The house gets way messier/dirtier when the kids and I are home.

5. The Omaha Henry Doorly ZOO rocks! We really need to go there more often. The kids and I loved it.

6. Claire is a FISH. She loves to swim and spending time with her at the pool and at swimming lessons made my summer even more enjoyable.

7. Owen is SMART. We joined the summer reading program at the library and he quickly got bored with the 'story' books as he calls them and started checking out non-fiction children's books. We read about dinosaurs, various animals, mountains, bridges, etc.

8. GOLF is my new favorite hobby. This is old news if you've been reading my blog, but I had to put it on the list because it's something I learned about myself this summer.

9. I LOVE being a mom. If I would have known how much fun it was going to be, I would have started earlier and had more.

10. I LIKE to work outside the home. Although this time off has been wonderful, I miss my colleagues and my students. I may look into working part-time at some point but for now, I'm ready to go back!

And we're off...

2011-07-20T20:32:00.000-05:00

on our annual 'Wild Hogs' Harley trip.

This year we decided (not surprisingly) to ride to Colorado. I'm excited to make the trip on the Harley and ride around when we get there. I'm sure we will see some beautiful stuff!
This year it's the Limpachs, The Franks and the Mutlers.

Here are a few fun memories from past trips!

This is our first time leaving Claire alone, but we know she will be in good hands with Gma Kiki!!

Twinkle, Twinkle ...

2011-07-18T11:04:00.000-05:00

Claire can't really talk yet, but she is constantly singing! I mean all. the. time. Her song of choice is 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star'. The cute thing is, she has the tune but mumbles words in her own little language. Here are two videos of her:

Pretty impressive for a kid who can't even talk yet, huh?

Zoo Trip - Part 3

2011-07-16T10:01:00.001-05:00

As I mentioned, the day we picked for our zoo trip was one of the hottest days of the summer. The heat index was 110! After Claire fell asleep in the Aquarium, we decided to head home. On our way out, the exit was closed because Emergency vehicles had arrived. Apparently someone collapsed from the heat and they were transporting them to the hospital. Scary!

We let the kids cool down in the water mister at the petting zoo.

The mister made Owen's hair look like an old man!

And on our way out, we saw the kids weren't the only ones enjoying a water mister.

What a fun day!!!

Zoo Trip - Part 2

2011-07-16T09:56:00.000-05:00

At the Madagascar Expedition, we found Claire's name on a sign too!

This was our first visit to Madagascar and I actually wasn't that impressed. It was smaller than I thought it would be, but the kids liked the lemurs and other animals. Most important, it was COOL inside!!!

After Madagascar, we stopped outside the Aviary for a snack.

The moved on to Bear Canyon.

On the way to the petting zoo, we took a ride on the carousel.

Petting Zoo

Our last stop was the Aquarium.

It was dark and cool in the aquarium, which put Claire to sleep.

Zoo Trip - Part 1

2011-07-16T09:47:00.001-05:00

My mom, Gma Kiki, and I took the kids to the zoo on Friday July 15. Even though it was one of the hottest days of the summer, we all had SO much fun. The kids didn't complain once about all the walking OR the heat and they were totally into the animals in every exhibit. Since so many of the pictures that I took turned out, I decided to split this into three posts.

Owen and Gma Kiki

Mommy and Claire

Owen outside of the Desert Dome

Our first stop was the Cat Complex, where most of the 'kitties' (as Claire calls them), were snoozing.

Except for this tiger, he was eating a HUGE piece of meat. The kids loved watching him.

Our next stop was the .... Owen Gorilla House!! How cool it is to see your name in huge letters on a sign??

The gorillas were much more awake.

My kids ran around looking at them from every angle.

This was so cute. Claire and a big gorilla ('monkey' as she called him) having a stare down.

Owen seeing how he measures up!

At the end of the gorilla display there were some other animals. Owen found the mongoose and was so excited about it because he's been reading the book Rikki Tikki Tavi with Gma Kiki.

Next up ... Madagascar!

4th of July Weekend in Granby, CO

2011-07-13T11:31:00.000-05:00

We had a great 4th of July Holiday weekend at the condo in Granby, CO. Nick's brother, Kevin and Owen and Claire's cousins, Cole and Sissy, joined us.

There was hiking:

Lift riding:

Biking:

Playgrounding:

Popcorn eating:

A peacock sighting:

Bungee jumping:

Sightseeing (Winter Park):

And 4th of July parading in downtown Granby, CO:

A great time was had by all!

My golf game is ...

2011-07-09T14:04:00.000-05:00

improving!

Today is July 9, 2011 and exactly one month after the day I started golf lessons. As my previous post stated, prior these lessons I'd never picked up a golf club (other than putt-putt a FEW times) in my life.

When I attended my first lesson, my instructor had me list some short-term and long-term goals. One of the short-term goals was simply to PLAY golf - because I never had done that when I started. So for the last month, I've been practicing my lesson drills and attending clinics and have played golf three times on Eagle Run's Par 3 course. My first score was a 59, my second score was a 56, and my most recent score:

I'm getting better!!
I realize these scores that I'm happy about are not good scores but I'm excited that I'm getting better because ... I LOVE playing!

After the last game I asked Nick, 'are there some people that are retired or don't work that play golf every day'? His answer was 'yes'. My reply was 'that's now one of my long-term goals!!' :o) :o) :o)

My New Hobby: Golf

2011-06-25T17:25:00.002-05:00

I'm almost 40 years old and up until yesterday, I'd never played a round of golf. In fact, up until about a month ago, I'd never even swung a golf club. I'm not joking! Never! And I've only played putt-putt golf about 3 maybe 4 times in my life.

Motivated by the fact that we joined Champions this year and our condo in Colorado has a beautiful golf course, I've decided to learn how to golf.

Step 1: Lessons at Golf Tec.

I started June 9 and because I didn't actually HAVE a golf swing, I am like a clean slate for my instructor. I have no bad habits to break, but I also know nothing about golf so the lessons are both fun and frustrating.

Step 2: Driving Range and Family Holes with Nick at Headwaters Golf Course in Granby, CO. Since the Golf Tec lessons are all computerized, I got my first outside practice (besides the back yard) on Father's Day weekend. The golf course at our condo in CO has two family holes that you can play for free. I found this extremely helpful because I had no idea what the tee box or a what a pin was (I'm serious in that I've NEVER golfed before) before I stepped foot onto these holes. And, because they are free, I got to play and practice with without any pressure from other golfers on the course.

Family Hole 1 is a Par 3

Family Hole 2 is a Par 4

Step 3: My first golf game EVER!

After the lessons and the practice on the family holes, Nick talked me into playing my first game of golf on Friday afternoon at Eagle Run's 9-hole Par 3 course. I was SUPER nervous, because a lot of times during my lessons, I will swing over the ball (I know, sucky - but it just happens). I did the same thing a couple of times on the family holes but luckily no one - besides Nick - was watching. I did NOT want to do that in public. Even though the course we were going to play is a Par 3 for beginners, I just didn't want to look like an idiot!!

Speaking of looking like an idiot, I didn't let Nick take any pictures but I was bound and determined to LOOK cute for my first game of golf EVER, so I wore this golf skirt with a blue polo:

So, how'd I do????

Well I did NOT swing over the ball once! This totally surprised me and made me very happy. Beyond that, I had WAY more bad shots than good shots, but when I made a good shot - it FELT great!!!!! Most of my tee shots (it's a Par 3 so I wasn't hitting it very far) landed in the fairway or just outside of it and were playable. Yay!!! That's what I have been working most on at my lessons.

My putting was OK. I can tell this is going to be the most frustrating part of the game for me, but I'm guessing it is for most people.

What I learned is that I need to work on pitching my ball onto the green. That was my downfall. I kept hitting it way to hard and over shooting the green. Or I'd hit the top of the ball instead of pitching it into the air. The hole that I bogeyed (I think that's how you spell it), I pitched the ball perfectly onto the green and then had a chance at a makeable putt for par but I missed and ended up 1 over. The majority of the high numbers were the result of terrible pitching! That was annoying but I think it is definitely something I can practice and improve.

Overall, my score sucked but ... I had a BLAST and cannot wait to go again! I think I'm hooked!!!

Happy Father's Day ...

2011-06-16T21:59:00.000-05:00

...to Daddy Nick! We love you!!!!

XOXO

P90x Fitness Challenge

2011-06-15T08:27:00.001-05:00

If you know me, you know I like exercise challenges. If you don't know this to be true about me, click here or here or here.

So here my latest exercise challenge:

Since I'm home this summer with Claire and I'm not sure she's ready for the Lifetime Fitness childcare center yet, I thought I'd try the P90x Home Fitness Program. We have a really nice workout room in our basement, so why not?!

For $120.00, you get 12 DVD P90x workouts, a fitness guide and nutrition plan. You also need a pull-up bar and weights or bands. I've had the DVDs for about a month and have been playing around with which workouts I (and my body) like best and here's my schedule for the next 90 days:

Monday/Lift: Chest, Back and Abs (Weeks 1-3, 9, 11)/Chest, Shoulders, Triceps (Weeks 5-7, 10, 12)
Tuesday/Cardio: Plyometrics (cardiovascular exercise with a lot of JUMPING. It sucks!)
Wednesday/Lift: Shoulders, Arms and Abs (Weeks 1-3, 9, 11)/Back and Biceps (Weeks 5-7, 10, 12)
Thursday/Stretch and Core: Yoga or Core Synergistics
Friday/Lift: Legs and Back
Saturday/Cardio: Kenpo X (cardiovascular exercise similar to kickboxing) or Cardio Intervals
Sunday: Rest!

I'll keep you posted on how it goes!!

Claire's Baptism - June 12, 2011

2011-06-13T13:03:00.001-05:00

We had Claire baptized on Sunday at Saint Vincent de Paul.

Uncle Kevin and Aunt Jen are her godparents.

After the ceremony, we had cake and opened presents at our house.

I displayed her presents in her room.

More Colorado...

2011-06-11T10:54:00.001-05:00

I was deleting pics on my memory card to make room for more and realized I never posted the pictures from our historic train ride last time we were in Colorado. The train ride was in Georgetown, CO - about 40 minutes from our condo in Granby. The historic train ride takes you between Georgetown and Silver Plume, over 2 miles apart, the tracks scale an elevation of 600 feet over beautiful mountainous terrain.

Hiking in Granby, CO

2011-05-29T09:40:00.000-05:00

We made our first trip to the condo in Granby, Co over Memorial Day weekend. This was Claire's first long trip in the car and she did pretty well considering it's a 9 hour drive.

You might be able to see that she has some scratches on her eye. Before we left, she and Joey were playing with his toys and things got a little rough and he accidentally scratched her. She cried for a few minutes and then went right back to playing with him?!! She also has a scratch on her lip from playing outside and falling on the cement. She's going to be a problem in this way, because she has no fear!

My car doesn't have a DVD player but we loaded up the iPads with movies for both kids and hooked them on the backseats. It worked really well and Owen pretty much watched movies the entire way!

The weather forecast was not great when we left but it actually turned out to be a BEAUTIFUL weekend. On Saturday, we went on a hike with the kiddos. We got a backpack to carry Claire in and apparently she doesn't mind hiking.

These pictures were taken on some of the trails around our condo. The mountain bike park officially opens on June 9 and there are several races and events planned for the summer. We are going to try to come back for most of them.

We love Granby Ranch!!

Magna-Tiles

2011-05-22T12:50:00.001-05:00

If you have children that like to build things, I highly recommend Magna-Tiles.

They are magnetic plastic building pieces that come in a variety of shapes and colors. Owen was first introduced to them at daycare. When I'd come to pick him up from Kindercare, he'd be playing with them and it would be hard to get him to leave.

He got his first set a few months ago at the Miller birthday party from Aunt Dana and Beth and Uncle Jay and Aunt Cheryl. He'd build something elaborate with them and then tell me he needed more. Soooo, I got him MORE (100 pieces more) for his birthday. Check out what this kid builds with these things!

This is the view of the entire structure he built this morning.

Here is the close up of the one side. It looks like a garage to me.
Hopefully you can see how the various tiles fit together magnetically.

The middle of the structure gets more elaborate.

Check out the 3D design! (I think there are cars inside it too).

This is looking at that middle structure - straight on.

This is the view of that middle structure from behind.

And this is the other side, less Magna-tiles and more cars. I see he stuck an airplane in there too!
I love how creative he is with them.

Pretty cool, huh? They are kind of expensive but well worth it. He spends hours playing with them.
If you are interested, they sell them at Fat Brain Toys, here in Omaha. If you aren't local, the Magna-Tiles website has info on how to order them!

Everybody Loves Claire

2011-05-21T08:26:00.000-05:00

Neither of these pictures were posed or planned:

She's fitting right in with the family!

RunKeeper

2011-05-19T11:05:00.002-05:00

Runkeeper is an app for the Android or iPhone that uses GPS technology to track your fitness activity. There are options to track: running, cycling, walking, hiking, downhill skiing, cross-country skiing, snowboarding, skating, swimming, mountain biking, wheelchair, and elliptical. I tried it this week and ... it rocks.

I recently downloaded the free version and used it for a bike ride, in which I towed Claire behind me in the Go Bug. This was her first time being towed and my first time towing. It was hard, but fun.

I left the 'Coaching' option on during my ride and the Runkeeper app would 'talk' to me periodically telling me my time, speed and distance. I liked this even though I wasn't really trying to go fast since I was towing Claire. I could definitely see how this option could be used to motivate me in the future during activities when I am trying to push myself.

After the ride, Runkeeper recorded the routes and stats that I could access online and post to Facebook if I wanted to share it with others. The link to the info is here: http://runkeeper.com/user/alimpach/activity/35824167?utm_medium=facebook&&utm_source=fb-shared-act&utm_campaign=sharedactivity&channel=web.activity.shared.facebook.manual

I realized after my ride that I had the route setting on private so you can't see the route I took on that link, but here it is:

I've changed that setting for future rides. We went pretty far for her first time out in the Go Bug, but we didn't go very fast because she was kind of unsure about it. I had to stop several times to reassure her that all was OK. So don't think I'm proud of the pace. I just think the app is really cool!

Owen Turns 4!

2011-05-18T10:52:00.001-05:00

Owen turned 4 on May 9, 2011!

We had his 4th birthday party at Pump It Up last Saturday. He invited his Pre-K class from Kindercare, all of his cousins and several of his friends. It was a GREAT time! If you are looking for a fun place to have a kid's birthday, I highly recommend Pump It Up.

Here are the kids watching the safety video before the jumping started. They are all really paying attention!

When the video was over, Owen was off ........

The kids got to jump in two different rooms at Pump It Up. They spent about 25 minutes in each room.

Friends Preston and Jordyn going down the slide.

Little Miss Claire wanted to climb on the benches instead of the inflatable stuff.

At one point, Nick did get her inside the basketball bouncy thing.

Owen, taking a break.

Friends Andrea and Preston playing the flag game.

The rock climbing wall.

Cousin Nathan

Cousin Cole

Cousin Cooper having fun on the slide.

All the kiddos!

Pizza and pop time.

Wow, look at all the presents!

The birthday boy opened all the presents in the Pump It Up throne. He started out wearing a crown.

He got all kinds of awesome presents! Thanks Everyone!

The crown was eventually replaced by a Spiderman ball cap from Cole and Sissy.

Happy Birthday, Owen! We love you so much!!!

Being Outside!

2011-05-17T17:08:00.001-05:00

Claire loves to be outside and the weather is finally cooperating!

Here she is right after waking up from nap. I couldn't get her to smile, but she enjoyed the walk. I promise!

Here's a smile! She loves to swing!!

Joey went along for this walk. They are still getting along really well.

Here she is in her little car having a snack.

If you can't tell...we are loving the nice weather!!

Claire and Joey Meet

2011-05-17T17:06:00.001-05:00

My mom had been keeping our dog Joey because we didn't want to overwhelm Claire when she first got home. Today, I took her over to my mom's house to meet him. It went really well. She loved him and wasn't afraid of him at all. He was a good boy and just let her pet him.

I'm so happy she likes dogs! We brought Joey home with us so hopefully things continue to go well!

Here's a short video of her reaction to him. It's cute!

Owen and Claire Meet!

2011-05-06T16:04:00.002-05:00

We are home! We left Seoul at 7pm on Thurs 5/5 and with the time difference we arrived in Atlanta on the same day at 7pm! Crazy huh? Claire slept about 10 of the 12 hours of the flight so that was nice! We did the immigration thing in Atlanta and then our flight to Omaha was delayed so we didn't actually get home until 1am. We came home and played a little then slept - fairly well considering all the time changes.

Owen spent the night at Gma Kiki's on Thursday night so we wouldn't disturb his sleep when we got home from the airport. Nick picked him up from daycare and brought him home to meet Claire! We missed him SO much!!!!!!!!!!

The first meeting went GREAT! She is still warming up to Nick and I but she was drawn to her brother the minute she saw him. Here are some pictures of them playing 5 minutes after meeting!!

Helping her with her new backpack:

So cute!

Reading books:

Playing 'computers':

Getting Claire

2011-05-04T07:53:00.000-05:00

At 2pm today we prayed for the adopted babies with Dr. Kim, Claire and her foster family and several other foster mothers, babies and their escorts. It was very emotional. As were the goodbyes we said to her foster family. Claire is very attached to all of them so her transition is going to be difficult. Although we've had several happy moments with her so far, there have also been a lot of tears. It breaks my heart to think of what she's going through right now. We are just going to take it slow and let her grieve for the loss of her foster family and warm up to us on her own terms.

I'm not sure how much time I'll have to post anymore pictures before we leave for home tomorrow, so I'll post some of the highlights from today here now.

Sightseeing in Seoul

2011-05-03T23:45:00.000-05:00

Since we weren't able to see Claire on Tuesday 5/2, we decided to spend the day sightseeing. The weather was beautiful - clear, sunny and 60!

The morning was spent at the Jeoldu-san (Korean: 절두산, Hanja: 切頭山) (lit. beheading mountain) Martyr's Shine. This is a memorial at located the site of the Byeonin Persecution of 1866, where many Korean Roman Catholics were brutally murdered.

We attended Mass at the Shrine's church and although it was all in Korean, we could follow along pretty well. So, it turns out my third communion ever was in a Korean Catholic Church! I took a short video of the singing before the service. It was beautiful.

The video was shot before it got crowded but by the time Mass started, it was full. The one thing I found interesting was that almost every woman in attendance put on a veil when she sat down in the pew. You might be able to see a few in the video. I did some quick searching on the internet and found a picture of similar veils here.

After Mass, we did some shopping in the streets of Namdaemun Market. It was really crowded so we didn't spend a ton of time there.

Next we headed to Jamsil Park and rented bikes. We cycled along the bicycle path that stretches for over 30km's through Seoul's parks, gardens and most notably Olympic Park, which was built in 1988 to host the Summer Olympics. It was a beautiful day for a bike ride!

This final photo is a drink vending machine in one of the subway stations. One thing we've learned: Korean's don't drink pop like American's do. It's hard to find a pop and if you want diet pop - even harder!! We finally found a 'Coke Light' at a grocery store that day!

Pictures of Claire from Foster Mom

2011-05-02T18:01:00.001-05:00

We don't get to see Claire today (Tues 5/3) because there is a special event at Eastern. We are bummed but! we get her tomorrow for good so we are focusing on that. Today the plan is to sightsee! The weather is beautiful - sunny, clear and mid 60's. So it should be a good day.

When we met Claire and her foster mom yesterday, she gave us lots of pictures!

Here are the professional shots:

And ... this is a picture of a photo album page so it didn't turn out very good but it's so cute. Her foster mom told us one of her favorite things is to SHOP! Here are three pics of her shopping (with a purse! Too cute!):

Meeting Claire!!!

2011-05-01T21:55:00.000-05:00

The first meeting:

Claire with her foster family:

Meeting Dr. Kim, director of Eastern Social Welfare Society:

We made it!

2011-05-01T09:46:00.003-05:00

We left Omaha on Saturday 4 / 30 at 6:10 am and arrived in Seoul, Korea at 3:10 pm Sunday 5 / 1. Seoul is 14 hours ahead of Omaha, so our internal clock is a bit messed up. We are staying at the Guesthouse at the Eastern Social Welfare Society (ESWS) again.

We got up at 3:30 am to make our first flight and had a 3 hour layover in Detroit. This meant naptime for me!

Here we are about to take off for the 13 hour flight from Detroit to Seoul:

Our flight flew west over Canada, Russia and China. Here's a photo of the on-flight map:

So when we arrived in Seoul it was 3:10 pm but my phone was still on Detroit time. That means we were getting our luggage at 1:40 am Omaha time.

The Love Mobile from Eastern was once again our ride from the airport:

ESWS Guesthouse - Our home for the next 4 days:

When we got to the Guesthouse, we took a nap and then got up and found a nice pizza place for dinner!

We meet Claire and her foster mom tomorrow at 10am!!!! Stay tuned ...

Becoming Catholic - Easter Triduum 2011

2011-04-29T21:15:00.001-05:00

The Easter Triduum, which consists of Holy Thursday, Good Friday and the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday, was amazing.

The priest washed Nick and my (along with 10 other parishoner's) feet at the Holy Thursday service.

We took Owen with us to the Good Friday service and words can't really describe how emotional this night was for me. It started with the lights dimmed and two priests and one deacon walking up to the alter and then laying prostrate for what seemed like several minutes. That set the tone for me in terms of how serious this night was going to be. This was followed by the Veneration of the Cross, during which I was equally moved, every attendee walked up to the Cross and either bowed, knelt or kissed it. The ending of the Good Friday service is what really got me. Again the lights were dimmed and only the cross was lit as the choir sung acapella.

Were you there when they crucified my Lord? Were you there when they crucified my Lord?

Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.

Were you there when they crucified my Lord?

Were you there when they nailed him to the tree? Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?

Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.

Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?

Were you there when they pierced him in the side? Were you there when they pierced him in the side?

Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.

Were you there when they pierced him in the side?

Were you there when they laid him in the tomb? Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?

Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.

Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?

I cried during this song and about half way through, Owen leaned over and said 'Mommy, are you crying because Jesus died?' This made me cry even more. Then he said 'I'll go up and kiss the cross and tell him 'Night Night Jesus', which he did do. It was a beautiful,emotional night.

The Easter Vigil on Saturday night was less emotional for me but still powerful. Watching several of my RCIA 'mates' get baptized was awesome! Then all of us getting confirmed and taking our first communion together was great. I loved it all. Unfortunately I only have pictures of the Easter Vigil.

The Saint Vincent de Paul RCIA group. There were 22 of us!

Some of my tribe!

A close up of some of the Tribe Judah members:

The confirmation ceremony:

Finally!

2011-04-29T12:27:00.000-05:00

My tulips have finally bloomed and they look awesome!

Thank you to Dave from Mulhalls.

Happy Spring!

The search is over ...

2011-04-26T07:24:00.000-05:00

I've posted in the past about our on-going quest for a good $10 bottle of red wine. A while back, we stumbled upon Cupcake Cabernet Sauvignon and it started drinking it pretty regularly. Then, somewhere along the way, we switched from Cabernet to Pinot Noir. I think it's because I like the lighter taste of the pinot - especially as the weather is starting to get warmer. Anyway, I'm happy to announce that - for now- the search is over! We've found a good $10 bottle of red wine. And the winner is: Cupcake Pinot Noir!

My father-in-law bought us a case so ... it better be our favorite for awhile!

Cute or Cheesy Idea?

2011-04-25T08:09:00.000-05:00

Ok, so the other day I'm in the Scooter's Coffee drive through on 168th and Dodge and I see this:

Apparently Top-Q nails is no longer and the new business is called Nails-R-Us. What do you think of the logo? I find it totally cheesy but I was wondering if others might think it's cute or clever?
Anyone want to share??

Happy Easter

2011-04-24T08:25:00.000-05:00

Champions Run had a Easter party for kids on Saturday April 23.

It was a GREAT time! There was a brunch for the kids, cookie decorating, Easter movies, bounce houses, an Easter-egg hunt and of course ... the Easter Bunny was there.

Owen at the bottom of the slide of one of the bounce houses:

Decorating a cookie with Mom:

With the Easter Bunny:

Is it time for the Easter Egg hunt yet??

Claire Update!

2011-04-22T23:19:00.001-05:00

The travel plans have been made, but they are different from the original plan.

After much thought and discussion, we've decided that Nick and I will travel to Korea and my Mom will stay home with Owen. In all honesty, I feel better about this new plan because I want Nick and I to be together the first time we meet our daughter AND there is NO one I trust more than my Mom to take care of Owen while we are gone.

So after waiting close to nine months, Nick and I leave next weekend for Korea to get pick up our daughter, Claire.

We got some updated pictures of her today, too. She's is as adorable as I remembered and is getting big. She's almost 15 months in these pictures. Her hair is ... well, I'll try to be nice and just say it needs 'something', maybe a bow or a headband?? I'll be packing some of each ;o)

I'll be updating the blog during our journey to Claire so stay tuned...
Happy Easter to Everyone!

Good news!

2011-04-22T09:48:00.000-05:00

So although I love my 'boys':

and think my son is the most adorable child EVER...

I'm ready for Claire to come home!!! We got travel approval yesterday!!!!!!!!!!

That means my mom and I will be heading to Korea to pick her up within the next couple of weeks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Our agency has updated pictures of her that they should be sending soon. I'll post them as soon as we get them.

Thanks for everyone's thoughts and prayers. This was a long process! Too long, in my opinion, but! it will all be over soon.

Song of the Week: Grenade by Bruno Mars

2011-04-21T07:09:00.001-05:00

Ok, when I first heard this song I actually hated it. And by hate, I mean, I did. NOT. like. it. AT. ALL. And, I was surprised by that a little because I really liked Bruno Mars' first single Just the Way You Are.

But when Grenade came out, my first thought was: what a dumb song!

Now after it's been out awhile... I love it. Go figure?!

Does that ever happen to you?

Quick Tulip Update

2011-04-20T08:48:00.000-05:00

I took this picture this morning when the sun was out for just a bit.
They SO want to bloom and can you see how awesome they are going to look??!

C'mon Sun!!

What the world needs now ...

2011-04-19T07:08:00.000-05:00

is sun, sweet sun!

(I changed the song a little but I apologize in advance if it becomes stuck in your head as a result of reading my blog)...

Anyway, my front yard needs some sun!!! Mulhall's planted tons of tulips for me last fall and now they are just waiting to bloom. C'mon sun!!!

Claire's Room ...

2011-04-17T21:05:00.000-05:00

is officially done!

I spent some time this weekend putting the final touches on Claire's room since it looks like my mom and I will be traveling to Korea to pick her up around the first week or so of May!!! Thank you to everyone who has given her blankets, bedding and toys.

And a special thanks to Jami Frank for making her this quilt. It is awesome and matches perfect!

Exterior Paint - Cast Your Vote!

2011-04-15T07:48:00.002-05:00

We've decide to paint the outside of our house and are in the process of selecting a color. We feel like the current color of the house next to the light stone makes it look washed out. So, we want to go with a darker color. We picked three samples and they put them up earlier this week.

I numbered the colors in the second picture. We've been looking at them in different light and here are our thoughts so far. Neither Nick, Owen or I like #3, so it's out. We keep going back and forth between #1 and #2. I'm leaning towards #2 because I think it accomplishes the not-washed-out-darker look. I think #1 is nice, but still has the potential for the washed out look. Nick thinks #2 might be too dark and I can see the danger in that. So what do you think??

(You can click on the picture to make it a little bigger).

Song of the Week: Sweet Talkin' Woman by ELO

2011-04-07T09:28:00.000-05:00

I know this song is cheesy but!!! it just makes me wanna get up and sing and dance!

Happy Thursday!!

My Saint ...

2011-04-06T12:21:00.003-05:00

On April 23, the Saturday before Easter, I will officially become a member of the Catholic church. That night at St. Vincent de Paul's Easter Vigil ceremony, I will be confirmed and take my first holy communion. I honestly can't wait .. for two reasons. 1) RCIA is a long process! Nick, as my sponsor, and I have been going to classes every Thursday night since September of last year. 2) After learning everything I have about these two sacraments, I'm ready.

It is customary for a person being confirmed in the Roman Catholic Church to adopt the name of a saint whom that person admires or feels a special affinity with. The saint I've chosen is St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuits. As an educator at Creighton, a Jesuit University, St. Ignatius' teaching and values have inspired me in many ways. The characteristics of a Jesuit Education, based on the teachings of St. Ignatius of Loyola are:

Magis: Literally translated “more.” This is the challenge to strive for excellence.
Women & Men for and with Others: Sharing gifts, pursuing justice, and having concern for the poor and marginalized.
Cura Personalis: “Care for the individual person.” Respecting each person as a child of God and all of God’s creations.
Unity of Heart, Mind, & Soul: Developing the whole person. Integrating all aspects of our lives.
Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam (AMDG): “For the Greater Glory of God.”
Forming & Educating Agents of Change: Teaching behaviors that reflect critical thought and responsible action on moral and ethical issues.

All of these values are close to my heart and I honestly strive to embody them in my overall teaching philosophy.

A few weeks ago, as part of the RCIA Rite of Election, I met Omaha's Archbishop George Lucas at St. Cecilia's Cathedral. Nick took a picture of me by the St. Ignatius of Loyola window.

Adoption Delays - The Good, The Bad and the Ugly

2011-03-21T19:33:00.006-05:00

If you think you are having de ja vu, you aren't. Unfortunately you have read a similar post on my blog before. Just as we did with Owen, we are experiencing delay's with bringing Claire home. With Owen's adoption, we were watiting on US immigration. With Claire's, it's Korea. We did get an update last week, so I'll share what I know: the good, the bad and the ugly ... but not in that order.

The Bad: Last week, we were informed that Eastern (the agency in Korea) is just now preparing to file Claire's exit Visa paperwork. It should be filed within the next two weeks and after that it will take about 8 weeks for final approval for her to leave the country. This puts her homecoming to sometime in May, which is much later than we originally had hoped for.
Boo! Hiss!

The next piece of info falls in between the good and bad categories. The agency in Korea is requesting that we travel to pick up Claire. This is optional. The other option is that she would be escorted to the US with us meeting her at an international airport, which is what we had originally planned to do. When we thought she'd be home sometime between Jan and March, we weren't going to travel. But now because of the delays, Claire is getting older (she'll be 17 months at the end of May), so for the same reason it was suggested we travel for Owen they are suggesting it again. She is close to her foster family, so the transition has the potential to be difficult and the more involved we can be in the entire process, the better.

We've thought about it and ... we agree so we are starting to make arrangements to travel. The tentative plan is to have Nick stay home with Owen and my Mom and I (Gma Kiki) travel to pick her up. That way, Nick can stay home with Owen and provide stability to his routine and my mom can get an opportunity to see Korea. We'll make the final decision as it gets closer.

The Good: Originally when we thought she'd be coming home in March, I was going to still work part time instead of taking full-time family leave. This is because I'm currently teaching an anatomy course to undergraduate students and it would have been easier to just come in and teach two days a week than it would have been to find someone to fill in. With the new timeline, that is no longer an issue. Finals week for undergrads is the first week of May, sooooooo this means I will get a full 12 weeks of uninterrupted family leave AND it just so happens that it will fall during the summer months! The other good part about this is that we've arranged to switch Owen to part-time at daycare in the summer so he can be home with Claire and I on Tuesdays and Thursdays during the 12 weeks. This is good in so many ways!! I can't wait to spend the summer getting to know Claire without worrying about work!!! If anyone is looking for us this summer, they should check the pool at Champions Run! Which brings me to...

The Ugly: I need to get my white, flabby body into pool shape before summer! I hope there's still time!!!!

March Madness Results 3/20/11

2011-03-20T17:15:00.004-05:00

So much for being #25 in the pool. I've (quickly) fallen to #91. Here's the damage:

March Madness - Results 3/17/11

2011-03-18T13:52:00.005-05:00

So here's my bracket from the Morrissey Engineering March Madness pool after yesterday's games. I'm a little disappointed about Louisville and Missouri but ... I still may have a shot. Right now, I'm #25 out of 108. So bring it on!!

In Memoriam - Elaine L. Limpach

2011-03-18T08:47:00.003-05:00

May 23, 1949 to March 17, 1992

We miss you...

The Season of Lent

2011-03-14T14:15:00.003-05:00

has begun and this year I'm giving up Facebook. Although I think it's a good way to keep in touch with friends and family, it can get time consuming and addictive. And I'm guilty of playing around on it when I should be doing other things. So , I'm 'fasting' from Facebook ... for 40 days at least!!!

Dinner with ...

2011-03-11T07:41:00.001-06:00

the Walkers tonight!

I can't wait!!! It's been way too long since we've seen them!

ACEC Engineering Excellence Awards 2011

2011-03-09T13:41:00.008-06:00

Morrissey Engineering won a 2011 Merit Award for Office Solar Energy for their own 4940 Building. The office building, designed by Morrissey Engineering staff, includes solar, wind and geothermal systems that have helped contribute to a 40 percent savings in utilities.

If you haven't seen Nick's office building ... you should! It's awesome.
Here are some photos:

The awards ceremony was fun and it included a delicious dinner at the Champion's club. Here's a photo of Nick and George receiving the award with with Congressman Adrian Smith and ACEC/N President Marty Wiedenman.

Congrats MEI!!

Ski School - Day 2

2011-03-06T19:02:00.003-06:00

Today was an even better day at ski school!! There weren't as many people on the mountain today so ski school was less crowded. Owen was in a class with only one other girl so he got lots of attention. They actually went out to ski four times! He mastered going up the carpet surface lift by himself and he started working on turning and stopping. It was so fun to watch him!

Unfortunately, we didn't get very good videos of him this time. The two I am posting here are the best but they really don't show him at his best. Also, he was wearing the wrong pair of gloves so they were falling off. But, they give you an idea of what his lessons were like.

Ski School - Day 1

2011-03-05T17:40:00.002-06:00

Owen did GREAT at ski school. In all honesty, I didn't know how he would do. We took him sledding once this winter and he was kind of afraid and didn't want to stay out very long. So, I just wasn't sure if he would enjoy ski school or not.

But my fears were put to rest when he walked out of the building in the front of the line - like he owned the place. These pictures are from my cell phone so they aren't that great. Nick took more with our good camera so I'll blog those when we get home. For now, here are some of the highlights of his first day on skis.

Here he is with his group. He's in the middle of this picture. His ski coat is gray-ish black with white and blue checks.

He started out on one ski and he was pushing himself around without any problems.

Soon it was time for two skis. It took him a few falls to get the hang of moving around on two skis but he picked it up quickly and was one of the first in his group ready to go on the tiny lift. This is not a very good picture, but it was funny. When he got off the lift, he was supposed to wait for his teacher to walk in front of him down the hill. Well, he didn't wait. He just took off and the instructor is running behind him trying to catch him. The instructor did end up catching him and he didn't ever fall so his first trip down the hill on skis was a success!

Here he is after ski school with his report card. The first thing he said to me when I picked him up is 'do we get to come back tomorrow?' Yay! He likes to ski!!!!

Colorado or Bust

2011-03-05T08:18:00.004-06:00

We left at 10:30AM (both Nick and I had to go into work for a couple of hours) for our first family ski trip. Our destination was Sol Vista ski resort in Granby, CO. It's a smaller lesser-known resort, just outside of Winter Park. It's a great place for kids to ski and Owen will be in ski school on Saturday and Sunday. It was a long ride in the car - 9 hours - and Owen did great! Here are some photos from the drive.

Playing with his Leapster:

Taking a snooze just outside of North Platte:
Watching a DVD with his shades on:
Some art Owen created in the car with his Color Magic Markers. They are great because they are clear until you write on the paper. So there's no mess!
Sunset in the mountains. We're getting really close to Granby in this picture!

David Shannon

2011-03-02T20:51:00.005-06:00

David Shannon is the author of a cute series of children's books featuring a little boy named David, who gets in trouble a lot. Owen is really into two of these books right now. When I say 'into', I mean he has them mostly memorized and insists on reading them to us, instead of the other way around. It's pretty cute!

Here is a video of Owen reading 'David Gets In Trouble' before bed tonight.

My name is.........................................

2011-02-25T08:22:00.004-06:00

Kid Rock!

We're off ... to Kansas City with our good friends Jeff and Jami Frank, to see Kid Rock in concert tonight!! This is our third time seeing him and he ALWAYS puts on a great show.

I can't wait!

WOO HOO!

A Night At...

2011-02-19T13:01:00.005-06:00

The Children's Museum!

Last night, we attended a private party at the Omaha Children's Museum hosted by our financial planner, Paul Ludacka.

Owen had a blast! Here he is turning the wheel in the mechanical area. This area, with all it's levers and cranks, is both Owen's and Nick's favorite!
After we ate dinner, we went upstairs and found ... the old Zooland animals from Richman Gordman!!!!!!! Anyone else remember these?

The kids loved them....

As much as the adults used to! Nick was not the only adult to go down the slide for old times' sake. I even tried it though I wouldn't let him take a picture!

We all had a ton of fun! Thanks, Paul!

Lastly, here is a video of Owen zooming around with some of the other kids!

Champion's Run

2011-02-18T07:52:00.003-06:00

Last Saturday night, Nick and I attended the Mercy High school Fundraiser and had a great time. I love silent auctions and tend to bid on lots of things. That said, I don't usually get into bidding wars. I just set a price that I'm willing to spend and don't usually bid over that. So, sometimes I win, sometimes I don't. At this particular fundraiser, I talked Nick into letting me bid on a social membership to Champion's Run. I've been wanting to join ever since we moved back into town from the lake, but we never could seem to find time to make it happen.

Well, guess what??? I won!!

We had a tour last night and ate dinner at the clubhouse for the first time. With our social membership we get unlimited use of the swim/tennis/fitness facilities, and opportunity to use golf facilities of the Club up to five times per year (along with these other benefits).

This is perfect for us because neither Nick nor I are big golfers but we will definitely use the pool with the kiddos this summer! I can't wait!!

Owen's Writing Practice 2/13/11

2011-02-12T13:36:00.006-06:00

For the last year, Owen has been enrolled in supplemental Phonics and Math classes at Kindercare that he participates in three times a week. I've been really impressed with what he is learning at such a young age.

Three weeks ago, I started working with him on number and letter writing at home. I'm hoping by the age of 4 he'll be able to write each letter of the alphabet and the numbers 1-10 from memory. I'd also like for him to be able to write his full name on his own (this may be the 'Tiger Mother' coming out in me. More about that in a future post!).

Here is his work from today.

He's writing with colored-pencil and I let him pick the color before we start. For this exercise, I say the letter, number or shape then he writes it. For now I'm letting him write either the upper or lower case and I don't comment about which is which. I just praise him for writing it correctly. If he writes it incorrectly, I point that out but don't make him correct it on this first exercise.

For the next exercise, he practices what he wrote 'incorrectly' on the first exercise. As you can see above, he did really well on his letters (this isn't always the case), but his numbers need some work. So for practice, I write each number on the left hand side of the page once, then he writes that same number 3 times. For now, I don't make him redo it if he writes it incorrectly. I just talk him through it as he writes.

The last exercise is to write his name. This week he wrote 'Owen' all by himself then he wrote his middle and last name as I spelled them.

Good job, Owen!

Book Review: Stieg Larsson’s Millennium trilogy

2011-02-06T18:48:00.002-06:00

I recently finished the last book in Stieg Larsson's Millennium trilogy: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played With Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest.

I give the series 4/5 stars and would say that overall they are really good reads. I decided to review and rate them as one book because they are so tied together. They are mysteries set in Sweden and the main characters are an investigative reporter, Mikael Blomkvist, and the girl in said titles, Lisbeth Salander. It's hard to describe Lisbeth, she is one of the most unique character's I've ever read about. My only complaint about this series is that the first book moved very slowly in the beginning. It felt like it took forever to find out who the girl with the dragon tattoo was and what she had to do with the story. But once she is introduced, things pick up and they really don't stop until the end of the third book.

Product Service Plans

2011-02-05T09:12:00.011-06:00

When we buy electronics and/or expensive items, Nick and I always debate on whether we should purchase the extended service plans. We ask ourselves 'is it worth it?', 'what's the likelihood the product we are buying will break?'. And of course, we are always asking ourselves this AT the checkout when we have only a few minutes to decide. So we make a quick decision and then whatever we decide, we end up questioning ourselves on the way home in the car.

That said, we've had two experiences in the last year that have made me feel like purchasing the service plans is worth it.

Experience 1: My iPod Touch that I purchased at Target in October 2009 suddenly wouldn't 'turn off' anymore. By this I mean the little power switch on the top of the iPod wouldn't respond when you touched it. At first this really wasn't that big of a deal, because after a few minutes of inactivity it would time out and shut itself off. But then, it started shutting itself off randomly. It would have a fully charged battery and would just stop working. This was not acceptable, so I looked back at my receipt and paperwork and found I had purchased a 3 year service plan with the iPod.

Long story short, the iPod was broken and they replaced it with a brand new one! Getting this done, did take a few phone calls in which I was put on hold for awhile but all in all, it was not a painful experience and had a pleasant outcome.

The iPod Touch cost $399.99 and the 3 year service plan cost $45.00.

Experience 2: When we moved into our new house in 2008, we got a new washer and dryer set from Nebraska Furniture Mart and also purchased the 5 year extended service plan. Last weekend, I had to have the washer serviced because it kept stopping mid-cycle and giving me an error code that wasn't even in the instructor's manual. It turned out it was a sensor that needed to be replaced. The replacement sensor cost with labor was $360.00.
The washer and dryer set was over $2000.00 and the service plan was $169.99.

I think we made the right choice on purchasing the service plans for those products!

What about you? Do you purchase extended service plans on electronics and/or expensive items or just take your chances??

In Memoriam - Gary W. Miller

2011-02-03T07:54:00.006-06:00

Remembering my dad today...It's hard to believe it's been 10 years. I still miss him and often think how much he and Owen would have loved each other!

In Memoriam:

Gymnastics, Anyone?

2011-02-02T08:31:00.004-06:00

For her birthday and Christmas, Owen's cousin Sissy, got gymnastics mats and equipment so she can practice in her basement.Owen would go over there to play and come home and say 'I want to go to gymnastics'.

So I thought ... why not!?!!

So for the last two months, he's been going to a Mini Stars tumbling class at Premier Gymnastics.

It's a co-ed class with two teachers on Wed nights from 5:15 - 6pm. Owen loves it!!
They divide the kids up into groups of about 5 and then they rotate through various stations.

Last week, I took some pictures (keep in mind I was taking them through the observation glass so they aren't great).

Twisting on the rings:

Dismounting the balance beam:
Swinging on the bar:

Tucking on the bar:

Jumping off the trampoline:

If you are looking for a place to enroll your child for gymnastics classes, Owen and I highly recommend Premier!

Lady Gaga?!!

2011-01-29T13:51:00.003-06:00

Ok, so Owen loves the song Bad Romance, by Lady Gaga. I probably shouldn't encourage this, but it is so funny when he dances and sings to it!

Here are two videos that I recently took. The first is of him dancing to the song. It CRACKS me up! Anyone remember how Elaine used to dance on Seinfeld? See any resemblance?

And here he is singing the song on his own. Notice how he looks over at me suspiciously when he realizes I'm recording. Too funny!! Luckily he continues the song...