12.18.2006

movie talk



justin and i watched this movie, "green street hooligans," on friday night. i don't write about movies very often, but this one was really good.

there is a lot of swearing and a lot of violence, but an underlying message of loyalty, trust and family. it was hard to watch, but i think it could be one of the best movies i have seen in a long time. (i actually cried!)

i'm not very good at giving synopsis' of movies, so i'm sure you'll find some good ones if you google this flick. if you can get past swearing, and some other harsh words, this movie is well worth the while.

and you don't even think of frodo while watching this movie....!

12.11.2006

Early Christmas

This past weekend my family came to Omaha to celebrate an early Christmas. Apart from walking away with some serious Christmastime loot, we had a lot of fun just being together. We are all so busy, and live so far away from eachother that it is difficult for us to all get together like this... fun was had by all!



Our little family!!


My brother Zach, mom, and me


Four Generation photo!!!

11.20.2006

advancements

finn is pretty close to being a bonified crawler... and life changes yet again!


11.13.2006

winters coming

november



we love november. the leaves are falling, the house is warm, football is on tv, we get to bundle up when we go out.

but most importantly, the christmas decorations get to come out. a lot of people wait until after thanksgiving to adorn their homes with lights and garlands... not us. thanksgiving is just like a practice, a warm up, for christmas. we are always gone during christmas, in illinois, celebrating with family. so we don't get to enjoy our christmas deco's as long as many others do. so we get into the holidays early. it's like the north pole in our house! lights, garlands, trees, reindeer, you name it.

in other news, finn is 8 months old today. he has started saying, "dadadadadada." yesterday he started doing this thing where he "gasps" while inhaling... it's pretty funny. he is just the cutest.

we like november alright, but bring on december!!

10.29.2006

more pumpkins...


this picture was taken back in september...

finn is now seven and a half months old!! i can hardly believe how fast time goes... right now he is in his bed crying because he doesn't want to nap. if he wakes up in the middle of his nap, he has a hard time falling back asleep. he is kind of in the transition stage of three naps down to two...

this last friday we all put on our red and gathered around the television to watch game 5 of the world series. it was almost unreal as the game unfolded... and the cardinals took it!! unbelievable! and little david eckstein took home the mvp award, i was glad, go little people....

justin and i are anxiously awaiting the end of november!! we have family coming out for thanksgiving, and couldn't be happier about it! we miss them all so much, and it will be nice to have some company.

rudy got bit or stung by something yesterday, as her cheek was all swollen. justin said it looked like she had some "chew" in her lip! whatever it was, it is better now... it was pretty funny though. rudy likes having finn around, especially now that he is eating things like cheerios... she loves to clean up after him, and it saves me from having to sweep!

and that's all she wrote.

10.16.2006

pumpkins pumpkins everywhere





well. i really wanted to go a pumpkin patch this year. but in an attempt to save money, we just went to HyVee to pick (out) our pumpkins. they had pumpkins all stacked on hay, and corn stalks... so it seemed festive enough.
i was watching the today show last week, and martha stewart was a guest. she talked all about pumpkin carving. so after watching this, i felt like an expert. i picked up her latest addition of "Living" and had all the confidence in the world that i could carve a pumpkin as well as martha. she had this one pumpkin, where the outside of the pumpkin was scraped off with a design of a black cat on it... this was my intent. (you can see this pumpkin on her web page). but by the time justin was done carving his pumpkin, i had barely started! so i got frustrated and ended up with the fleshless faced pumpkin. which is still cool, but not martha stewart cool.

oh well. finn liked 'em!

10.14.2006

I love those Cardinals


Finn wishes he was watching his Cardinals with all his Uncles yelling and screaming with each whiff of Rolen's bat.

10.02.2006

Back from Tennessee


Grandma and Grandpa Hupp


Eating out on the deck!!


Our trip to Tennessee was interesting. It has taken me almost a week to process it. Check it out...
We left Thursday the 21st. Our plane was scheduled to take off at 7AM. I had planned to wake up at 5 to make sure everything was ready for us to leave at 6. Finn, for the first time in like two months, decided 3AM was a good time to wake up. So he did. And so I did. Needless to say we had plenty of time to get ready. We made it through the security line (i asked a complete stranger to hold Finn while I folded up the stroller to put it through the xray thing) with only having two things thrown out, some hand sanitizer and some face cream for Finn's eczema. The flight from Omaha to O'Hare was great. Finn slept in my arms most of the time. We got there, I found my gate, and decided to walk around as the floght didn't take off until 11:30, over 3 hours later. So we took to walking, had a bite here, changed a diaper there... and at 11 I decided it would be best to get back to the gate and just hang out. 11:30 came, and the little flight attendent lady says over the intercom, "I am sorry for the inconvenience, but flight 1425 (my flight) has been delayed until 11:45." Around 11:35 Finn pooped. I thought, "O man there isn't enough time to run to the bathroom..." so I just announced to everyone near me, I was sorry, but I had to change my kid, right there on the floor. (Of course I laid him on my jacket). There were like ten moms on my flight headed to the MOPS (mothers of preschoolers) on my flight, and they were just laughing... THe lady again, "Once again, I am sorry for the inconvenience but flight 1425 has been delayed until 12 PM." okay. Finn pooped AGAIN. This time I had time to run to the bathroom. So I did. After this change I was down to ONE diaper and TWO wipes. So I get back and the flight had been further delayed until 12:15. So I layed Finn on my coat and let him roll around on the floor expecting preboarding to start anytime... Nope. "Sorry for the inconvenience, but flight 1425 has been CANCELLED. Please get in line at the counter for us to redirect your flight." WHAT, CANCELLED?? everyone gets up in a hurry and into line... Here I am with Finn on the floor, a super heavy diaper bag, a stroller and my jacket... I struggle, while all the moms are hopping into line... and I am next to last, with at least 50 other people (WITHOUT CHILDREN) are getting their flights redirected before mine, which means they are all going to get to TN before me. The tears start to spring up. Could it be... I could be stuck at O'Hare all night, with one diaper and two bottles of formula left... Finn will starve... I always go into worst case scenario mode.... so here I am in concourse G hallway, crying... pity party. I call Justin, he talks to his boss Wanda (a traveler extraordinaire) who calls american airlines and gets my flight redirected over the phone before i even get to the ticket counter. i get it all worked out, but am still crying.. once i start i can't stop. my new flight leaves at 3:45, goes to charlotte NC, then to Nashville TN, and I get in after 8 in the evening (as opposed to my original time of 1:50 PM!) So i call my stepdad ken, who has been at the nashville airport since around 10AM. Sorry ken... lucky he had his little movie mp3 thing with him... So i am crying walking down the hall trying to find my way around o'Hare to my new gate... in a totally different terminal, and I get stopped by a MOPS mother who feels sorry for me and wants to help. then an American Airlines lady stops and wants to help. I explain no one can really help and if I have to I will just flag someone down who is carrying a diaper bag and ask them to have a diaper... or buy one from them... so they realize i am just emotional and give me a phone number to call if i need help. So i duck into a bathroom to see the sad state of my makeup... and decide it best to put on my sunglasses. so i did. and it made me feel better... something to hide behind. so another three hours of walking around, feeding... the time comes to board and i was STANDBY. are you kidding!?!?! luckily i got on.... off to charlotte. when i got there, i had 15 minutes to rush to the bathroom (finn pooped on the plane AGAIN) using the last diaper. We finally made it to nashville and so did our luggage!!! now that is amazing..... We drove two hours to my parents house. And went to bed.

the time there was great. I helped mom decorate a bit, got to see all around their house, and even went to the biggest outlet mall i have ever been to. it was great. and the trip home went without a hitch too.

lesson learned : when traveling with children take as many diapers and as much food as your bag can possibly carry. and try to take another adult with you to help.

9.15.2006

Moo Cow






my son is not a hiefer by any means, BUT he did wear his black spots and red ears proudly for about five minutes the other day.

a gift given by grammie dee, before finn was ever born, the cow suit was intended for Halloween. i was going through the bin we have of 12 months + clothes, and there it was the cow suit. and it barely fit him as it was, so i figured he better just put it on, take some pictures, and go to bed early on Halloween instead.

he was a good sport about it, and even flashed some endearing smiles!

9.11.2006

my boy

8.30.2006

happiness


finn is happy because we got him some new clothes. he is modeling a new shirt in this picture. target was having a great sale! we got three shirts for 10 bucks! finn also got a pair of shoes, as the temps are getting cooler out. he looks pretty funny in shoes!

we are all loving that fall time is getting nearer! we have had the AC off for the last few days, and it has been so nice to have freash air and a breeze through the house.

as of last week, finn started sleeping 12 hours through the night! 7:30-7:30! it has been so nice. there was one day where i must have accidentally set the alarm/CD clock we have in his bedroom and it went off at like 10:30 pm... it woke him up and he was SO scared! i felt pretty bad. he cried for a few minutes and went right back to bed... poor little tyke.

8.23.2006

dancing on the desk


8.14.2006

we like books

here is finn enjoying the story of The Pokey Little Puppy, courtesy of aunt chari and uncle darin. he likes to look at pictures, and likes fast paced stories, such as Fox in Socks... i never read that book before recently, and it is a tongue twister... fun for the whole family!





finn is five months old today. he seems to be growing up so fast already! time has flown by!

in other news, i have really enjoyed the rain we have gotten the last couple of days. yippee!

8.11.2006

our new rug

my new rug from crate and barrel works perfectly in the kitchen, as you can see for yourself.




this is me happy because the rug is cool and cheaper than target.

a lesson in shopping

for those of you who are shopping impaired, and a reminder for those who think you are good shoppers...

the other day i decided to go to target. finn was almost out of rice cereal, and i was bored, so why not. the changing of seasons means one thing at target - new stuff for people to see and buy, and wish they could buy. targets fall line of, well, everything, is great. everything is so tempting... oooh, look, especially that pair of comfy camo lounge pants. i decided to purchase these pants, and decided a size small would probably be adequate. so i looked at the see of hangers and found the right size and threw it in my cart, alongside 2 boxes of rice cereal, a bib, and a small bucket of chocolate bite things. i was so excited to get home and try on my new pants. i pulled them out of the bag and was so excited i decided to change right there in the kitchen (no one was there... no one could see me, why not...). so i put on my new pants (dramatic pause) and they fell right off. yep. fooled by the hanger tag. XL. to my utter dismay i could not wear these pants. they are toooooo big. lesson learned. check your tags. so now i get to travel back down I-80, down 72nd... all the way back to target, which i will probably be lured to buy something else.

what a clever scheme on targets part, eh??

8.07.2006

St. Louis















Justin and Finn waiting for our flight.
















Finn's first takeoff - he didn't mind it one bit :)
















The E. clan, minus almost all of the kids, at Blueberry Hill in St. Louis



All in all the trip to St. Louis was great! We all woke up before 5 AM on Friday to make sure we wouldn't miss our early flight. Finn did great, even fell asleep on the plane! Cam and Erin were there to pick us up at the airport, after a little terminal location mishap. We went out to breakfast with Justin's aunt Viv and uncle Curt at the Cracker Barrel. I got Egg's in a Basket, which turns out that it could be my favorite Cracker Barrel meal ever - so good. Next we proceededto the Galleria, a big mall. There are lots of stores there that are not available in Omaha, so it was fun to visit there. Then we went back to Erin's parents, ate pizza, relaxed, had dinner, relaxed, until the rest of the E. kids got there (ja, caron, chari, darin, cait and jordan) which ended up being around 10:30. We went to bed.
On Saturday, we all met up at the Galleria, and proceeded down to the loop where we ate at Blueberry Hill. Food - mediocre, but it was definately a cool place. THen us gals split off from the guys who were gonna waste some time and then head out to Busch stadium for the long awaited cardinals game. Us gals did a bunch of window shopping, and probably about the same amount of eating! I got a sweet rug from Crate and Barrel for our kitchen. And we ate at the Cheesecake Factory and dessert was so yummy. To end our day of fun, we Built-A-Bear! It will be a toy that can be passed from cousin to cousin, collecting many stories and names and outfits along the way. I got it a superman outfit, complete with pecs and all. Annabelle will get it first for awhile, and so on down the line, until a knew kid is born to the family, who will then receive the bear... it was pretty fun! Erin, Finn and I went back to the Zeller's to wait for the boys to come home. They told us all about the game, we went to bed and then woke up the next morning to fly back to Omaha.
And here we are. Back home with lots of memories. It was a quick trip, but enjoyable to say the least.

8.02.2006

the screech


all signs previous to this week would say we were going to have a quiet little baby. those signs were misleading, to say the least. finn has found his voice, or more appropriately, he has found his screech. he will screech for an hour straight. it is funny and cute for the first five minutes, and then it becomes totally annoying... so loud, so high pitched... ahhhhhhhhhhh!

so maybe he will be a jabber jaw afterall, or as some like to say, a chatty cathy.

7.27.2006

rolling anniversary

well, about 20 minutes after i posted that finn is not rolling yet, he did the impossible, and started rolling. he is a pro at rolling from his back onto his stomach, but once he gets to his stomach, he doesn't really know what to do! in fact last night, at 1:30AM i awoke to find him rolled over on his stomach in his crib, unable, and too frustrated, to get back onto his back. so we are going to be working hard to learn the stomach to back move, so i don't have to get up in the middle of the night to rearrange him!

in addition, today is justin and i's fourth anniversary. and it has gone by so fast! when i think of all of the things that we, as a married couple, have accompished in the last four years, i am in awe. buying a car, getting a dog, graduating college with respectable grades, moving to nebraska, finding jobs, buying a house, having a baby... there are a lot of milestones there within the last four years. it's funny how so many things can change in just a short amount of time. i wonder what life will be like in four more years... more kids? different location? different cars? (we can only hope!) by then finn will be starting kindergarten! anyway, i am sure the next four years will be just as wonderful, if not better than the last four.

7.26.2006

online sudoku

free online sudoku has revolutionized the way i spend my mornings. there are billions of sites, just google online sudoku, and you are on your way.

this puzzle is great in the morning. it wakes up your brain when you are drowsy. now once i can drink caffeine again, my sudoku mornings will be joined with a nice mug of hot, milky tea. this idea makes me excited for december.

try a sukoku puzzle every morning and see how you feel afterwards.

i am cute



what a cute face!

finn has mastered the art of "roaming." he is not rolling yet, but somehow he can manage to move, at least several feet, getting himself in a good position to see whats going on (mom at the computer, the evening news, etc.). he has been quite vocal the last few days, and has found his grunt, when trying desperately to move around. finn's been sleeping great (7:30 PM to around 6AM, with a quick snack at 9:30)! it has been great to get real sleep.

finn has moved up to size 3 diapers now, so now he and cousin caroline are in the same size, and she is five months older... i think finn will be able to hold his own among all those girl cousins he has!

7.21.2006

My parents are moving!


As of this past weekend, my parents are officially moving to Tennessee. So long to the Land of Lincoln, where my mom has lived since before I was born. The move will take place August 30th... so soon!

They are both very excited. They have found the home they will retire in, the home their grandkids will remember as "grandma and grandpa Hupp's place." Tennessee doesn't only offer beautiful views. The community their house is located in boasts of 3 golf course, a lake, a community building, any club you could possibly imagine... what more could a retired person want! Their town is located in the very eastern part of Tennessee, near Knoxville.

As for me, this should prove to be an interesting transition. I have never really felt like I live far away from parents. A quick 6 hour drive, and zap, there they are. But now, it just seems that they will be so far away. An almost impossible drive. I guess there comes a point in everyone's life (or at least most people's) when the focus turns away from the family you grew up in and towards the family you are cultivating for yourself. Of course we will all still be close, but it won't be the same only seeing them a few times a year.

Anyway, we ARE very excited as well for them, as they move on with the next chapter in their lives. And we will have a nice vacation spot, being right near the Smokey Mountains!
So here's to you, mom and Ken, good luck getting ready - August 30th is just around the corner!

7.17.2006

Weekend of 1st's

mmmmm, mmmm... rice cereal

"hey momma! lovin' my new exersaucer!"
"uuhhh, i'm eating here..."

scrabble

for the first time EVER, i beat justin in scrabble - with a respectable score of 260. i wanted to document this occasion, because i am fairly certain it will not be happening again any time soon!

7.15.2006

Minnesota Fun!

Easley family wiener roast, followed up with some yummy smores
Lazy Minnesota afternoons - Finn hanging out in Lake Gladstone
Finn finally got to meet his Great Grandma Grabow - now all grandparents have met the little guy!
Caroline was lovin' the water!
and Cameron, doing his best impression of a mexican awaking from a siesta

7.13.2006

FOUR months!




HA! our little guy is four months old today! man, it goes by so fast. and yet it seems like so long ago... at this time in the morning, i wouldn't even know yet that i was about to have a c-section. craziness.

today finn has his 4 month checkup with the dr. i can't wait to see how much he weighs now. i am guessing 17 pounds, 2.5 ounces. just a shot in the dark, i really have no idea! justin was guessing closer to 18 pounds, so we'll see!

the little guys is getting pretty good at rolling over, and excellent at sticking toys in his mouth! he loves to be laying on the floor and playing around. we recently took a family trip up to minnesota (and when i say family, i mean all 18 of the easley's crammed into a 3.5 bedroom cabin) and we all had so much fun! above is a pic of finn's first time in a lake.

in another few weeks, finn will be experiencing his first plane ride, as we go down to st. louis. justin is meeting his dad and all of his brothers there to go to a st. louis cardinals game. all the girls are gonna do some shopping and fine dining of sorts :D so we are looking forward to that mini-vacation.

in other news, my parents have sold their house in illinois, and are packing up for a big move to the great state of tennessee! they will live near knoxville, in a nice little community nestled in the woods. we are sad that they will live even further away than they do now, BUT it will be a good place for them to be, and a fun place for us to visit! finn and i are hoping to make a trip down sometime in september or october.

so there is your update!

5.19.2006

pals


for the most part rudy (our doggie) could care less about having a new baby around... except when he is on the floor. she loves to sneak up and lick him on the hand, and sometimes, on the face! she loves her "little brother" finn!

4.26.2006

what to do...


today is wednesday. it is the only day this week that i actually had something planned. today is hannah's birthday (the little girl who i used to nanny for) and finn and i were going to go to her party at Chuck E Cheese tonight. then justin told me that his boss was taking all of the employees and their spoused out for dinner tonight at charleston's (this super yummy and expensive steak house). i was looking forward to both and was trying to decide which one to go to. then finn woke up last night with the nastiest cough and stuffy nose ever. so now the decision is easy - stay home and watch amazing race and lost. kids - ay ve!

anyway, finn is growing up so fast. he tuned six weeks this past monday and is starting to give smiles here and there. we love to go for walks together and we are planning to get a zoo pass soon so we can go to the zoo, everyday if we want!

4.17.2006

big kid



this kid is getting so big. he is five weeks old today and has started wearing the clothing of 3 month old!

we had a bit of a rough weekend. i think finn gets thrown off when justin is at home, there is just more action going on. it is so strange. today he is back to his normal self again!

today i accidentally clipped his skin instead of his thumb nail... whoops. it was bleeding forever! i felt bad, but he didn't cry or even flinch, so i don't feel that bad!

4.11.2006

gamer


check out this sweet onesie my friend darby got for finn. i love it! finn will totally be a gamer just like his dad.

it has been wonderfully warm here the last few days and i am loving it. finn and i went for a walk to the grocery store yesterday... it was interesting. we live in the area of town which is heavily populated with hispanics... and yesterday happened to be like the national protest day for immigrants against the bill congress is considering passing... there were cars flooding the street next to ours. horns honking, flags waving, even little kids were riding their bikes up and down the street with their little flags in hand, screaming, "Viva America!" and there were police everywhere, trying to keep things in order - which actually, everyone was being very peaceful. they were just having fun and driving around honking their horns. really, it was like a big party, like a wedding party, you know when everyone follows the bride and groom, honking through the town.

finn slept through the whole thing. and i made it to the grocery store, bought my hamburger buns, and arrived safely at home an hour or so later. i love our country. Viva America!

4.05.2006

New Beginnings



My baby is sleeping, and this blog was old... so I am starting over.

This log will probably be mostly about my friends and family, since that is what I care most about in the world, and surround myself with daily.

You may find the occasional post about a book, movie, or some music... but that is not really my forte.

Lets start with the most recent occurence in my life - the birth of my first child - Finn. He was born by c-section, weighing in at a massive 8 lbs. 8 oz. He is now three weeks old and is already over 9 pounds!

Being the mom of a newborn has proven to be challenging, but I am embracing the new job I have as Finn and I learn more about eachother and how to work together. Everyone says he looks like me, but I still don't see it!

Today Finn went to the Dr. as I suspected he might have thrush - it's like some bacterial infection of the mouth ot something. And the Dr. painted his mouth with violet! He is completely purple... it is quite the sight. I will post the picture when I get my camera up here.

Other than all the action going on with a new baby, my sister in law and brother in law are moving back to Illinois this week. They have two little girls, and Justin and I will miss their family so much. We will have to find new back alley bridge partners. Ah well.

I will try to post every couple of days, to keep everyone updated on all that is happening here and with our little family.