The House

The question we get asked the most is, "How is the house coming?" My standard response is, "It's coming." It is still a work in progress. Right now we are in the midst of inspections before dry wall: electric, HVAC, framing.... We are doing pretty well. This is a big relief to Jason since these are all things that he has done (not the framing though). While Jason is working inside, we hired someone to do the siding outside. Here are a few pictures of the siding and window trim.
We are putting stone on the garage and under the front porch and shake shingles on the peak with the window over the garage and the second peak on the second story. The shingles will be the same color as the siding. The house and windows will be trimmed in white.

Cincinnati Zoo

Xander and I recently headed down to the Cincinnati zoo with a group of moms and kids from our Sunday school class at church. Xander enjoyed the zoo animals as much as a 1 year old can. He liked the manatee tank and growling at the bears. However, the highlights of zoo for Xander were pointing out every golf cart that we saw (these are the ones the workers drive around) and the motorized wheel chairs. The kid likes anything with wheels. "Vroom Vroom" as Xander calls them.

All the kids (notice everyone has something in their mouth) in Emily's mini-van on the way down. (I can't believe I am writing about kids and mini-vans...when did I get old?).

Walking Around the Zoo (very independent :))
Attempting to get a picture of all the kids...this is not even all of them. Xander was playing in the mulch.

*Thanks Mary for the pictures...I left my camera in Emily's car.

Memorial Day

I have to back track to Memorial Day weekend. Erin's big sister surprised her with a plane ticket to Ohio for the weekend! Yeah, I had not seen her since October and even though we talk several times a week on the phone it was nice to spend time with her in person for a couple days. Erin and I meet during Getting Started (freshman orientation) at Cedarville. She was a kindred spirit from the beginning.

I picked her up from the airport Friday and we headed straight to Chick-Fil-A for lunch. Since there are no Chick-Fil-As in New Hampshire we had to squeeze in eating there Friday and Saturday. We went to the mall and shopped. Then on Friday night we went to Longhorn with most of the Edem bunch. Saturday Erin helped me pack...I know she a great friend! We also made several trips to Lowes with Jason and I ran some ideas for stuff for the new house by her. Then we headed to the Greene for pedicures and dinner at Panera with Andrea and Cathy some great friends from work. (After Cedarville Erin and I both taught at Pathway together until she moved back home last August.)
Sunday we hung out watching T.V., talking, and reading magazines. Then we walked around Target just for fun. Then Monday morning Xander and I drove her to Columbus so she could spend Monday and part of Tuesday with her cousin Kim and her girls before flying back to New Hampshire.

Xander's New Friend & Car Troubles

Living out at Jason's parent's farm seems to agree with our little boy (He is his father's son!). There are alpacas, dogs, cats, lawn mowers, tractors (vroom vroom as Xander says), and a large driveway covered in rocks! They had two baby alpacas born last week (I'll post some pictures soon.) Someone is Jason's brother's house church needed to get rid of the last kitten from a litter. Jason's parents will sometimes take in new barn cats. This one is really cute and LOVES Xander. We go out and play with him everyday. Now when we go outside he will follow Xander around. He didn't have a name, so Jason and I decided to name him Chewie after Xander's burp cloth he chews on (and the kitten chews, so it works on some level....right?) It is a barn cat...I am just hoping it stays away from the road!

On a separate note Jason's truck and my car both broke last Thursday. Isn't that weird? Jason pulled into the base and went to pull away from the gate and it just stopped. It turns out my car was leaking break fluid from the back right drum break. Jason usually does all our car repairs himself, but with two not working he decided to have his towed to a shop and fix mine himself. He ended up replacing the drum break and break line in the rear tire. It took him the better part of Sunday afternoon and evening, but Xander, Chewie, and I kept him company for part of the time.

Crazy Times

Hum...where to begin. Around the beginning of May I posted our condo for sale or rent on Craigslist. Within 2 weeks I had shown the condo to 7 people and on Mother's Day we finalized with our renters. They are a couple in their late twenties. He is in the Air Force and starting his medical resisdency at Children's and the base hospital. The only catch....they had to move in June 5th! So, I looked at the calender I formulated a plan for packing around me working 2 days a week and Jason still working on the new house. A family friend owns a storage unit place and is letting us rent a large unit at a great rate. We will be living with Jason's parents until our house is done. Not only did we have to move out, but had to so some minor home repairs, patch holes, tough up paint, clean carpets, ect.. So we moved out a little over a week ago and Chuck and Lauren moved in this past Friday. It has seemed like an organized whirlwind of a few weeks.

Xander enjoyed playing in the cleaned out kitchen cabinets. Xander was a very helpful packer (and unpacker... he must have been practicing for later.)

Xander helping out putting the last few things into our storage unit.

I have to say too that I am going to miss our 1355 square ft condo! We lived there almost 7 years and it was home. It is the home we brought Xander home too. After I cleaned the condo to get it ready for showing it I took our video camera around to each room and I am glad I did.

Swimming Class

Xander and I recently completed a 4week 8 session mommy and me swimming class at the Kettering Rec. We both had a great time and I'm a little sad it is over. We took the class with my cousin, Heather, and her son, Cooper. Basically the babies practiced "jumping" in the water, laying on their backs, swimming towards an object, kicking, going to another person in the water, and going under water. Xander liked the tiny slide the best.

You had to toss the plastic egg and have them "swim" to it.

practicing kicking

Xander and Cooper at their last swim class.

They passed!

Party On Xander

Xander's 1st Birthday Party

@Grandpa and Grandma's Edem's

Using the sucker antenna to dip into the frosting

"Nana look at me!"

Xander loved all his birthday "baboons" (as he calls them). He liked carrying them around. Opening gifts (Jack is checking it out). I forgot what gift it was, but Jack said, "Ohh that is nice."

When you push its hand it says, "Hi I'm Xander Xylophone."

Jason found this blow up ball pit/soccer field in the clearance section of Target probably 4-5 months ago ($11.48!). We finally blew it up and gave it to Xander for his B-day. The kids liked it.

Xander and Henry

Getting out myself...no problem (getting in looked the same)Emily & Claire Me & Xander
Xander, Brinley, Henry, and Layna
"Auntie" Andrea and Xander (They have the same B-day!)