Moody Family Memories

Photo of the week 3.20.11

2011-03-21T16:16:00.000-05:00

I didn't even get my camera out this week. It needs new batteries and though I feel like I am at Target every day, I can't seem to remember to pick some up some more. So I am posting an old picture. This is a picture of Mikaela on her 6th birthday. Tomorrow she turns 11. The past 5 years have went so fast and I nervous that the next 5 will go even faster. It makes me want to somehow slow time down so I can cherish the relatively few short years we have her at home. She is such a sweet and smart girl who cares for those around her and is always willing to help when needed (which is pretty often around here). I am so thankful that I get to be her mother and pray that she will grow in her love for the Lord and others over this next year. I love you Mikaela!

Photo of the week 3.13.11

2011-03-13T14:26:00.002-05:00

Photo of the week 3.6.11

2011-03-13T14:26:00.000-05:00

Tallen 's 5 month picture.

Photo of the week 2.27.11

2011-03-13T14:20:00.000-05:00

Photo of the week 2.20.11

2011-02-26T13:41:00.000-06:00

Photo of the week 2.13.11

2011-02-13T14:38:00.000-06:00

Photo of the week 2.6.11

2011-02-06T09:12:00.000-06:00

Tallen is starting solids and so far he had rice cereal and carrots. He is still deciding if he likes either of them.

Photo of the week 1.30.11

2011-01-31T13:52:00.000-06:00

I obviously didn't actually take this picture, but Mikaela was able to capture a great shot. My absolute favorite thing is to cuddle up with Tallen at nap time and sleep for hours. My other two kids were never big on snuggling and I am afraid that soon Tallen will have better things to do too, so I am trying to take advantage of this time any chance I get.

Swimming (again)

2011-01-28T14:33:00.003-06:00

We took Tallen swimming for the first time last weekend, but he wasn't a big fan yet. Anything to do with water he is still a little unsure of, but Elise had a great time. Our trip was very reminscent of this blog post from 2007. It is amazing how fast the time goes and how quickly they grow up.

Photo of the week 1.23.11

2011-01-28T14:31:00.000-06:00

Photo of the week 1.16.11

2011-01-14T15:02:00.003-06:00

I have been busy practicing with my camera this week and am starting to figuring out aperature, shutter speed and ISO with much help from the 31 days to a Better Photo series by Darcy from Life with 3 Boybarians. I have decided as one of my goals this year to do a P52 project (you can learn more here), a less ambitious endeavor than the P365 project which would involve posting a new picture every day and we all know there is no way that is going to happen around here. So far Elise hasn't been a very cooperative subjective and the light is so poor by the time Mikaela gets home from school that I end up with a lot of pictures of Tallen, who also seems to be refusing to smile for the camera. It could be that I am just taking waaaay too long to get all the settings right and he is bored by the process, but I am getting quicker and I am hoping for a picture of him smiling this week because he really does have the best smiles.

Photo of the Week 1.9.11

2011-01-14T14:57:00.000-06:00

Photo of the Week 1.2.11

2011-01-14T14:55:00.000-06:00

Photo of the Week 12.26.10

2011-01-14T14:52:00.000-06:00

Happy Anniversary

2009-01-27T11:13:00.004-06:00

Four years ago today, Tom and I were married at the courthouse in Manhattan, Kansas on a cold Thursday night. It was four days before Tom was to leave for Iraq and we had struggled with whether to get married before he left or once he returned. In a very last minute decision, we were married with only 2 of Tom's Army buddies and their wives as witnesses, though we still were struggling with doubts about our decision. As I look back, I unequivocally can say that we made the right decision. I am so thankful for the wonderful husband God has given me and am honored to be able to serve God at his side.

2009 Reading Plan

2009-01-14T16:15:00.001-06:00

Following my parent's example (especially my father), I have always enjoyed reading or at least since I found Nancy Drew books in 3^rd grade. However when I was in grad school I stopped reading for leisure out of necessity. Well I graduated in May 2004 and haven't got back into reading in the same way as before and when I did it was usually a James Patterson mystery, enjoyable but not real deep. One of my plans for the new year is to broaden and increase my reading selections. My goals for the next year:

Read through the Bible—I am ashamed to admit I have never done this. I have tried several times but always lose focus as the year progresses. I have decided to try and read through the entire Bible by the end of March. I know it will be tough and if I am not done by then I will be ok with that, but I am more of a shorter term goal than a year. So far I am doing ok—I have read Genesis, Exodus, Job and part of Leviticus.
Read 2 Biographies a month. I considered doing some sort of them to my selection like biographies of Presidents or missionaries, etc but I decided I would just read what caught my eye or what people recommended. I am on my second selection and am looking for recommendations.
Read at least 5 journal articles a month in the areas of education, social work or social justice. As an adjunct professor for Winona State I feel that I need to make this effort to stay on top of current research in my profession.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-25T22:19:00.001-06:00

Football!

2008-10-14T15:11:00.003-05:00

This past Sunday we had the oppurtunity to go to the Vikings-Detroit game. A non-profit organization that supports veterans were giving away Vikings tickets and we were blessed to recieve 4 tickets. Since we didn't think that football was going to be something Elise was interested in, we were able to take Mikaela's friend Emma with us. The girls were so cute and we all had a great time.

Late Night Adventure

2008-08-04T14:28:00.004-05:00

Elise was really crabby on Sunday night, possibly because she is teething or maybe because she is missing daddy, but either way I layed her down about 45 minutes earlier than I usually do. After finishing up everything I needed to do to get ready for Monday and talking with Maureen and Michael, I headed to bed. But as soon as I turned my light off (don't kids have crazy timing?), Elise started to cry. Thinking she was hungry I made her a bottle but when she didn't want that I thought maybe her teeth were hurting, so I set her down to get some Motrin for her. She came crawling after me and I just had to take some pictures because she was so cute. The funniest party was after flirting with me in the bathroom, she crawled off to our bedroom, where I heard her saying "Daddy, Daddy, Daddy." She is no dummy--she knows where daddy usually is when we have these last night adventures.

So after trying to lay her down again to no avail, we got back up and I thought that maybe she was hungry. I tried her in her high chair but she fussed at that so we tried some goldfish crackers on the floor, which of course she needed to hold the package and she decided that she also felt like dancing, so she flung them all over the kitchen floor. Not that she ate any of them but she did enjoy giving them to Maggie.

After that point, her antics stopped being so cute. Eventually after laying her down 4 times and listening to her cry each time, she finally fell asleep, albeit 2 1/2 hours later. I still am not sure what was wrong--could it be because she is missing daddy? I wouldn't think so but she is sure talking about him alot and looking for him around the house. Only 4 more days to go....

Happy Birthday to Elise

2008-08-01T23:35:00.009-05:00

Because Tom is heading off to Canada for a guys fishing trip first thing Friday morning, we celebrated Elise's first birthday on Thursday night at my parents house. We went with a balloon theme for the party and Elise loved all of the balloons.

For the older kids, we played some balloon games in the back yard. The kids especially enjoyed being able to throw water balloons at Tom.

Elise enjoyed her cake and the frosting. She ate her way through one cupcake and enjoyed playing with a second one.

Next we opened gifts. She got some great toys that will keep her busy for at least a little while, though at the time she seemed more interested in the wrapping paper.

This past year has flown by and we can't believe how fast it has went. We are so thankful for our children and the blessing they are in our lives.

A Weekend at the Cabin

2008-08-01T23:17:00.003-05:00

It is my dream to have a cabin at the lake where our family can spend our summers. We got a little piece of that this past weekend. We rented a cabin in Wisconsin on Deer Lake and enjoyed the slower pace of life. The girls had a great time and loved being out on the lake. We have 2 weeks reserved for next summer on the same lake and are really looking forward to making more memories here.

Unfortunately Elise fell off the bed the first morning we were there and ended up with a fat lip and bloody nose.

Hawaii

2008-07-19T23:47:00.004-05:00

After much difficulty getting copies of pictures off Tom's dad's computer to ours, I finally have Hawaii pictures to post. We had a great time visiting Tom's sister and her family in Hawaii and just spending time together as a family.

Finally Summer

2008-06-22T14:48:00.005-05:00

We have been enjoying the beautiful weather over this past week and have been able to do some of the quintessential summer activities. On Thursday our friends Brooke and Chris were able to come up for the night and we took all of the girls to the park the next morning. It was Elise's first trip to the park and she just loves swinging, but so far that is all she is able to do. Sadly, Mikaela is getting a little too old for the park but is a awesome helper with the little kiddos. We were also able to make it to the pool a couple of times. Elise still isn't sure of the water but loves being outside.

Wisconsin Dells Trip

2008-06-22T14:30:00.004-05:00

Over the past 3 years I have had the pleasure of working with a group of girls in the middle school ministry at our church. In celebration of them moving up to high school, Kathryn and I planned a trip to Wisconsin Dells. We left on Monday morning and our first stop was in the little downtown area and lunch as Culvers. The girls joked that they were our dectuplets. Our next stop was at Wilderness Resort and the waterpark. We had an awesome cabin and room to spare even with 13 of us staying there.
The next morning we spent more time at the waterpark and wave pool and then packed up and headed to a lunch cruise. We enjoyed the great boat ride and seeing the Dells from a different perspective.

It was a great trip and I had a blast hanging out with everyone. I am so blessed to have been able to get to know these young women over the past 3 years and am so excited to see how God continues to use them for His good.

Testing

2008-06-11T11:54:00.001-05:00

Just trying out this new feature with Microsoft Word.

Hawaii

2008-06-02T21:18:00.003-05:00

Tom's sister and family have lived in Hawaii since we got married, but for a variety of reasons we have not yet been able to visit them. But due to Tom's parents generosity, we are able to go this month. We leave in a little over 2 weeks for 9 fun days in Hawaii. We are both a little nervous about how the travel portion of the trip but are looking forward to the warm weather (since it doesn't seem we are going to get any here), the beaches, slowing down and introducing Elise to her aunt, uncle and cousins.

She's got the whole world in her hands...

2008-06-02T21:05:00.002-05:00

Tom has been acquiring things for his classroom next year from teachers that are retiring and this huge globe has taken residence in our home for the summer. Elise thinks it is one of her toys and she was just so cute, I had to take some pictures.

I have a 3rd grader

2008-06-01T00:18:00.003-05:00

I have been really struck lately by how grown up Mikaela is getting. She really enjoys spending time with her friends, talking on the phone, and having sleepovers. I am not sure when it happened but she is definately not my little girl anymore. It seems like the only time I can get her to slow down long enough to talk with me is right before bed, so I cherish that time with her. Mikaela had her last day of school on Thursday and she is very excited for summer and to be able to just hang out (with her friends of course).

These are pictures from her field trip at Oxbow Park.

No More Monkeys!

2008-06-01T00:03:00.003-05:00

Elise is growing so much every day and learning new things. One thing I like to do with her is "No More Monkeys jumping on the bed" and she has learned actions to go with it. This is a video of her favorite part!

Kathryn's graduation

2008-05-31T23:55:00.003-05:00

My sister graduated with her Bachelors in Education from Bemidji State on May 16th. To celebrate with her, Elise and I, along with my parents and brother, went to Bemidji. We got to stay a really cute cabin building in 1915 right on the lake. We had great weather, though it got a little windy. It was exciting to see her be able to finish her degree and that all of us siblings now have a college degree.

Answer to Prayer

2008-05-08T10:20:00.003-05:00

As I had previously posted, Tom had his interview yesterday at 4:30 and received a call at 6:00 pm offering him the job. The job is a Kindergarten - 3rd grade position, which is exactly what he was hoping for. He will start in August as the EBD teacher at Bonner Elementary in Stewartville. We are both very excited, though I think the reality of it hasn't sunk in yet. We were both fully prepared that he would be interviewing for most of the summer, so this is such a huge relief that he has a secure position already. We are both looking forward to a lifetime of summer off work! God has been so good to us and we are so thankful for his provision of our needs.

Please pray...

2008-05-05T17:51:00.002-05:00

As most of you know, Tom has been in school ever since he returned home from Iraq and that finding his place in the civilian workforce has been more challenging than he expected. He has been working very hard for a long time with going to school full-time and working full-time. He will be finishing school this summer and has begun the search for a teaching job for next fall. After turning in a resume at 1pm today, he recieved a call at 4:30 pm to set up an interview for Wednesday afternoon. One of Tom's colleagues from school was offered a job already with this district and they have another 3 positions available.

Please keep him in your prayers over the next few days. Pray that he will do well at the interview and that we will accept and follow God's perfect plan for our lives, whatever that may be.

Bathtime

2008-04-25T19:55:00.004-05:00

Elise has never liked bathtime. We are finally getting to the place where she doesn't scream when I put her in the water. I hear stories of babies that love the bath but that has not been our experience. This is the closest we have come to enjoying bath time and also the first time bathing in the sink, so I thought I had found the answer to our bathtime woes. But I tried it again a few days later, and we got more tears. We will have to see how she does with the pool this summer....maybe that will win her over.

Devotions

2008-04-25T19:42:00.004-05:00

In effort to teach our children about God and to encourage them in their personal relationship with Jesus, we started to do devotions with Mikaela about a year ago. While it is not something that we are able to do daily as a family, it is something we try to incorporate into our daily life as much as possible. Since we have the blessing on not working during the summer, it is something that we are better at doing in the summer. Several times over the winter Mikaela has mentioned wanting to go and do our devotions down at the park by our house. Well this last Sunday was so beautiful that is what we were able to do. We took a blanket and our Bibles and had a great time reading His Word, praying for each other, and growing as a family.

And of course, we had to have our first Dairy Queen run of the year too.

Mall of America and Twins season opener

2008-04-07T18:06:00.005-05:00

This last week was spring break for Tom and I and we took the chance to do some local activities. On Saturday we went to the Mall of America and Mikaela was able to meet one of her favorite authors, Megan McDonald, of Judy Moody fame. For those of you without a young reader in your home, Judy Moody is one of the favorite characters of early chapter book readers and of course it is even cooler since we get to share the same name. Mikaela had received a gift certificate to Build A Bear workshop and was able to go and make a very cute dog, something she had been wanting to do for a long time.

On Monday we headed up back up to Minneapolis for the Twins season opener. Of course it ended up being blizzard conditions and not at all the weather you want for baseball season. We took Elise with us and she did great but it was a little loud for her. We made it through most of the game and were even able to find our car--after a little adventure of walking most of the parking ramp (or at least it seemed that way.)

Mikaela's birthday

2008-03-28T20:57:00.002-05:00

Mikaela's birthday was last Saturday and it is so hard to believe that she is already 8. We had a party here in the evening with my parents, Aunt Kathyrn and our friends Krissy, Steve and their kids. Tom and Shirley weren't able to make it because they had been sick all week. We had lasagne and cookie dough cake from Coldstone Creamery (a yearly tradition for Mikaela). You can't really tell from the pictures but Mikaela had broke out in a rash over her entire body on Thursday. We weren't sure we were going to be able to have a party at all but after a doctor visit they determined that it was just a drug reaction to the amoxicillin they had put her on a week before.

Spring..

2008-03-28T20:54:00.003-05:00

We are all anxiously awaiting spring at our house. We are enjoying the longer days, the sunshine and being able to be outside more. I have been able to get out with Elise, Mikaela and the pup the last two days for a short walk. Last night when we were out we saw 10 deer out in the field right around the corner from our house. I love that we have the woods around our neighborhood and the wildlife we get to see.

Mikaela's scrapbook

2008-03-18T10:13:00.006-05:00

I used to be a scrapbooker but when I started grad school in 2002 I decided it was something I just couldn't make time for. My plan was to go back to it when I graduated but I never got back into it but was still looking for a way to preserve our memories in a way other than a box of photos. I started using software through My Publisher and just ordered Mikaela's first book. I am hoping to have it for her birthday party on Saturday. I have attempted to link to the book so you all can take a look--I hope it works.

Not working--I can't figure out how to link to it so you will have to copy and paste if you want to see it. Sorry!

http://www.mypublisher.com/bookstore/book_viewer.py?d=tq%3Ey-cppl%60je%3E326%3A485

Our weekend away...

2008-03-13T18:54:00.003-05:00

For the first time this last weekend we left both girls with my parents, and even though we were all worried, they did so great. Tom and I went up to Brainerd to Cragun's Resort for a marriage retreat with our church. We took a half day off work on Friday and enjoyed the trip up. We stopped at the mall in Maple Grove and checked out the drapes I have been wanting from Pottery Barn (more on that later) and a tablecloth I was eying at Anthropologie. We had a great time hanging out with friends and getting to know others from our church. We played cards, went to the session and took it easy. We enjoyed the time together and hanging out just as a couple again. When we returned home these are the signs that Mikaela had posted on the door, probably hoping to avoid the age-old mom question of "what did you do while we were gone?"

She sits!

2008-03-06T18:15:00.002-06:00

It seems like all of my posts are about Elise's new accomplishments but she is doing so much new all the time. This last weekend she learned to sit up, got her first tooth and said "mama." I am trying to get video of her talking but she still deoesn't say the coveted "mama" on cue, but I will keep trying.

Learning more every day

2008-02-17T22:37:00.003-06:00

Elise is changing before our eyes every day. She had a bunch of "firsts" this weekend. She is very close to being able to sit up which has opened up new possibilities of things she can do. These are pictures of her sitting in her high chair unsupported by the multitude of blankets that are usually needed to prop her up. She did ok but still definately needs to be belted in for the extra support. I also gave her Cheerios for the first time. I have fed them to her a few times but this was the first time I let her try it on her own. It wasn't very successful but Maggie was pleased with the snack since Elise's attempts to pick the Cheerios up usually resulted in her flinging them on the ground. She doesn't quite have the finger-thumb grip and still needs her whole fist to pick things up and that doesn't work with Cheerios so for now she will have to settle for Mommy feeding them to her. Another first this weekend was that she got to sit in the cart at Lowe's like a big girl. Again she had to be buckled in securely and Mommy didn't go very far away but she seemed pretty impressed with herself.

Our vow to Elise

2008-02-10T20:40:00.000-06:00

Today we were dedicated as parents to raise Elise to love, serve and honor the Lord. Our parents, my sister and brother, and our friends Krissy, Steve and children were all able to come to church and witness our vow and be with us to celebrate the blessing of Elise. After church everyone came over for dinner and it was Elise's first real party (though she did sleep through most of it). We are so thankful for our beautiful baby and the support of our family and friends.

Headboard Project

2008-02-09T22:55:00.001-06:00

Over Christmas break (or was it Thanksgiving?) I started this headboard project for our room. We never have had a headboard and it has always bugged me but I also haven't been willing to shell out the cash for one yet. So I found directions for making an upholstered headboard online, found some fabric and got to work. Well of course half way through I ran out of staples and it has sat in our room propped up against the wall since then. Well finally last week we finished the upholstering part and hung it up on the wall--which was adventure by itself. Well and since I had a new headboard I thought that we needed an updated style for our bed. So I found some funky sheets that went perfect with our wall color and sewed the euro shams with some fabric that was on clearance at Hancock. The smaller pillows were one my sister got me for Christmas that I was planning on using in the living room but in an "ahhh" moment I tried then in the bedroom and they were a perfect match. The duvet is our "winter" one we have been using for awhile. Overall I am happy with the result but actually thinks that it looks better in person than in these pictures. On to the next project (won't Tommy be thrilled...)

Maggie is home again!

2008-02-04T18:36:00.001-06:00

After 2 very quiet nights Maggie is back home with us again. Tom had called and left a message at the pound on Sunday when a neighbor told us he had seen animal control in the neigborhood. They returned his call this morning and said that they did have our precious Maggie. So she is back with us, watching over the neighborhood from the back of the couch and driving us crazy again.

Hannah Montana

2008-02-03T17:41:00.001-06:00

Yesterday Mikaela and I went to the much anticipated Hannah Montana movie. For those of you who don't know, Hannah Montana is a show on Disney channel starring Miley Cyrus (daughter of Billy Ray Cyrus) and is crazy popular with tweens, our daughter included. The movie is 3-D and they gave us some groovy glasses to wear. Every showing in Rochester has sold out so far and somehow they are able to get a whopping $18 per ticket. Miley is an amazing performer and I hope that her story turns out different than Britney's.

Missing Maggie

2008-02-03T17:36:00.000-06:00

On Saturday Tom had class up in the Cities and we stayed at my parents while he was gone. We got home around 2:30 and then seperately ran some errands. Mikaela and I headed out to go see Hannah Montana and when we got back we couldn't find Maggie. So we are not sure how she got out or when she left but we still haven't been able to find our pup. Our neighbor said that he saw the dog catcher in the neighborhood yesterday afternoon so we are hoping that she is at the pound but we won't know until tomorrow. We made flyers and Mikaela and her friend Lauryn went door-to-door but nobody has seen her. So we are praying that she is safe and sound and will be back with us soon. We miss you Maggie!

Trip to Cedar Falls

2008-01-05T08:57:00.000-06:00

On Friday, December 28th, we went down to see our friends Brooke and Chris in Cedar Falls. They moved there in June after being in Rochester for 3 years. We miss them terribly but enjoy going down to visit them. In fact, our two trips down to their home have been Elise's only trips out of town. Here are some pictures of all of our girls in their matching pajamas.

Christmas decorations

2007-12-25T14:35:00.000-06:00

It is hard to believe that once again it is Christmas time again. As our second year together as a family and our first year with Elise, we are excited to celebrate the wonderful gift of our Savior and the wonderful family and friends we were blessed with. We enjoyed (at least most of the time) decorating our home for the holidays, listening to Christmas carols and watching holiday movies.

Swimming

2007-12-08T22:50:00.000-06:00

To keep the winter blahs away this season we decided to join the Rochester Family Y. They have a new water park that we thought the kids would really enjoy and it would give us a place to workout also (if we can find the time). We took Elise, Mikaela and Mikaela's friend, Lauren, there tonight and it was a great break from the snowy weather that we have been having. It was a balmy 85 degrees in the water park! Mikaela loved the lazy river and the waterslide. Elise took her first dip but was much more interested in watching everyone else than she was in the water. She did great for her first time though and didn't complain one bit. We are looking forward to spending lots of time hanging out there this winter! Our break from the winter weather was very short lived though since we had over an inch of snow on our car by the time we were done....

Elise rolls over!

2007-12-07T22:37:00.001-06:00

After many weeks of being sooo close to rolling over, Elise has now mastered the task of rolling over from her back to her stomach. She didn't seem too impressed with herself and is not a fan of tummy time. We have had a few slow days this week. Mikaela has been running a fever for the past 2 days but without any other symptoms. We are hoping that she will feel better soon. Tommy is finished with classes for the next 5 weeks so we are looking forward to having some more time together as a family.

Snow Day

2007-12-01T22:29:00.001-06:00

Today was our first snow day of the season. We recievied over 6 inches of snow and freezing rain so we spend the day holed up at home. Tommy is working on homework preparing for his last week of fall semester. Mikaela completed her first sewing project--a pillowcase for Maggie for Christmas but she wanted to make sure that Maggie liked it. She seems pretty comfy! She is now working on Christmas decorations--a pillow sham for her bed and a tree skirt for her little Christmas tree in her room. It was a good day and we enjoyed the slower pace for a day.

Elise finds her feet!

2007-12-01T22:27:00.001-06:00

Elise is starting to figure out how to use her hands and tonight found her feet. She was so cute laying on the couch and grabbing her feet. She then would get so excited she would arch her back causing her feet to come out of her hands and she would have to get them again. This repeated itself over and over but she enjoyed her new found source of entertainment.

Welcome to our Blog!

2007-11-13T20:21:00.000-06:00

We have been a little slow to join the whole facebook/my space/blog bandwagon but my friend Jen has inspired me to start our own family blog. I think it is a cool way to chronicle our life as a family and how quickly our girls are growing.

We hope you will check us out!