Christmas Eve

Jack saying a big "CHEESE!"

Amelia & Daddy

Me & Ellie

Me & Bub

Here are a few photos from Christmas Eve. We went to our 4pm service at Northbranch in Ankeny as a family -- Billy, me, Tony, Jana, Ellie, Jack & Amelia. Then went to Tony & Jana's for a nice dinner and Santa presents. It was a wonderful evening - and it was so nice to all be together. This new tradition will be something I hope the kids will appreciate their whole lives.

Merry Christmas

Christmas letters are going in the mail today. Of course, not all of you will get one - I do want to keep some sanity, and a budget! But here is our Christmas picture. We are all wearing our Huxley Heroes t-shirts. Ours say, "Be a local Hero" on the back. The kids say, "Future Hero." My sister-in-law, Abbi snapped this photo and did it all up nice for us. I think this was the first photo she snapped. We took about another 20 others, but none really turned out any better. It's hard to get 3 kids to sit still and smile long enough!

Merry Christmas to all of you. Have a great week ... it'll be fun to share all the excitement next week when we return.

Love & blessings, Deanna

Jack's Room

Room logistics at 703 Parkridge Ave:
Jack doesn't really have a room. He sleeps on the top bunk in Ellie's room, his clothes are in the closet in Amelia's room, and his toys are in the basement. With #4 coming, his clothes will move over to Ellie's room - but since it is a pink & purple striped room - he can't really claim it to be his!

The other day, Ellie went in her room to play Barbies with Amelia. Jack followed. She said, "I don't want Jack in my room." Jack responded, "Do you see that bed up there? That's where I sleep!" And kindly walked away. Ellie couldn't really argue with that. Billy said, between laughing his butt off, "He's right! I've got your back, buddy." Jack said, "Thank you." And then went in the living room to play pirates by himself.

It was classic. I think it's one of those moments that I will never forget.

Picture Time

We hit a couple of milestone this month. Ellie turned 6 & Amelia 18 months. So off to Belle Plaine to have Aunt Abbi take some professional photos. We don't have any problem getting Ellie to smile - it's getting them to be real, genuine smiles with twinkles in her eyes. Most of them were the fake, plastered smile. I'm anxious to see how many good ones we actually get where her personality shines thru! Here are a couple of samples that Abbi emailed me.



Amelia - of course at 18 months - would not sit or stand long enough to get many photos. Abbi finally suggested that we put her atop a ladder, so that she didn't have a choice but to stand still. So I think we got some good ones in that sitting.



Lastly, was me -- baby belly photos. Abbi started her photography studio this summer, and is doing an amazing job! Her business is really thriving in Belle Plaine - and to help build her portfolio we did some more maternity photos. It was fun to do it again - and to have these as memories for this little girl some day to look back at. And for those of you who haven't seen me lately - a look at the belly I'm sporting these days. But, since this is the 4th time around, I think most people are used to seeing me like this!



To see all of Abbi's photos - and the rest of ours when they are posted - check out her website at http://yourmemoriesbyabbi.smugmug.com. You'll also see Jacoby, my new little Godchild's photos on there. He's so cute.

First Snow

We had our first measurable snow the weekend before Thanksgiving. Amelia loves being outside - and the cold temperature hasn't changed that. Billy & I had such a laugh getting her bundled up in the snow pants and big, puffy coat. You just can't help but think of The Christmas Story. She stayed out longer than the other two kids.

Ellie is always the first to come in. She'd much rather be inside - she's her mother's daughter. Doesn't like the too hot - or the too cold. But does anyone really? And actually thinking back, the only way we were able to get her outside was because Lauren, our neighbor girl, asked her to come out.

Here are some photos that Billy captured of the adventure. You can click the pictures to view them larger (which is a must if you want to get a look at the snotty noses!) Jack looks like he has a bloody nose -- but I think it was food or something b/c I don't remember there being a scratch or scab the next day.

Puffy Coat

Trying to walk in puffy clothes!

Yummo -- snow pie!

What's the word?

Lauren & Ellie. Not sure where the hill is girls?!

Amelia 18 Months

Amelia had her 18-mo appointment yesterday. She seems to be on the same growing track as Jack. A little bit small - but proportional. She weighed in at a whopping 21.5 lbs and is 30.5 inches tall. Looking back at Jack's records, it's the same. She is a really good eater, so I'm not really too concerned about it.

She's a real talker! She parrots, or try to parrot, nearly everything we say. And does a pretty darn good job making the word out. She loves saying animal names or their noises. I love how she meows. It's a really deep meow, like an alley cat. I'll have to get a video of it. Last night she spend nearly a half hour doing the same farm animal puzzle with me. I think she likes that it makes noises when she gets them in the right place.

Here is a photo of her trying to use a spoon this morning with her cereal. She did a really good job, so I guess I should start letting her feed herself at each meal. Oh, the mess that will come with that!

Ellie Turns 6!

High School Musical gifts from me

A baby doll set from a friend

Gabrielle Nicole Shepherd turns 6! And still as busy and a handful as the day she started crawling! Ellie has really started getting into High School Musical - and so we did a Dance Party with her friends this year. We don't have a great space in our house for dancing - so we did the party at one of the community buildings here in town. It works out well, and I don't have to clean house! We played musical chairs, limbo, and some other dancing games. She didn't have a lot of friends able to come, but I'm pretty sure she still had a great time.

Ellie is doing very well at school. We had a parent-teacher conference last week (she actually didn't have school the day of her birthday, lucky dog!) Academically she's doing great. She's also still seeing a speech therapist at school to help her with a few sounds and a slight lisp that she needs to work on. But she's still Ellie, and sometimes has problems following all the rules. Hmmm .... I wonder where she gets that?! So we are trying to work on those social/emotional issues.

Pampered Chef goes YouTube

Need to know how to carve a turkey? What about how to correctly use a Santoku knife? The Pampered Chef has instructional videos now on YouTube ... how cool is that?! Check it out!
http://www.youtube.com/PamperedChefVideo

Ellie's New Haircut

Ellie turns 6 next week - and so we went to have a big girl haircut done! We've been growing her bangs out all summer - and so I wanted to try and get them blended a bit during this last stretch of growing out. She wanted it cut shorter (which I'm sure her dad will be thrilled - easier to 'do' in the morning), and we ended up taking at least 4-5 inches off. It's very cute and she really likes it a lot.

More Photos of costumes

Trick or Treating went well in Roland. Jack & Amelia only made it up and down Nicki's short street. But that was all the candy they probably needed. Jack LOVED getting some makeup on - and making him look a little more like a pirate. He also had a stick-on goatee and mustache, but he opted not for those. Probably itchy - I don't blame him!

I took the big girls to another street after dropping the little ones at Nicki's house. They were busy getting ready for the Haunted Maze and party. One house that I took the girls to had a cute idea. The homeowner was dressed as a pirate, and he came out and had the girls spin a wheel before they could take the candy. On the wheel was "Trick" or "Treat" - depending on where the spinner landed, that's what you did. Ellie spun treat - and got to take some treats. Lilah spun trick - so she had to do a trick before she got her treats. I helped her, and she decided to bark like the dog she was. I thought it was a great idea to get the kids more involved in the process.

Ellie was adorable in her Cheetah girl outfit. And she's the most photogenic, as you can see. She was very proud of her costume and thought she looked very pretty.

Amelia was a very good chicken. Her little legs couldn't keep up with the big girls - but there wasn't any crying or being scared. She actually really liked all the kids dressed up. Even the scary ones.

Lilah was her dog, Sydney - a hand-made costume by Grandma Barb. It has now become a tradition that Gma Barb makes her a costume each year. Very special! Her and Ellie made a good pair. Cat & Dog!

Lilah planned a big Halloween party for her friends, which included transforming the garage and 1/2 the house into a haunted maze for them to go thru. Nicki, the vampire, met the kids outside as they came to the house - and led them around back to enter. I was inside playing spooky music on the piano - dressed like a scary lady (last years costume). A neighbor was in the kitchen telling the kids where to stand so they could see themselves on TV. At that moment, Billy jumped out and scared them - and it was all on video! Nate was behind the scenes making sure kids got thru and scaring them thru the walls.

There were a few kids that didn't want to go thru - and others that went thru dozens of times. Overall, very fun - but I'm sure Nicki & Nate are pretty tired today! The party was complete with best costume prizes (Jack won best boy), The movie, Monster House on projector screen in the yard, and themed snacks. I'm sure they'll all be asking Lilah for an ancore next year.

Scaring the Neighbor Girl

Ok, so Billy really likes to scare little kids. He's not mean about it - and does take thought into their ages and such. But he loves to scare our neighbor girl, Lauren, who is 10. A year or so ago, he came out of her backyard wearing coveralls and revving up his large chainsaw at 10:00 at night.

This year, he decided to go a little simpler. We had some leaves in the yard and he's been waiting for the opportunity to hide in them and scare her. Halloween is the perfect day for that! Here she is and her friend walking home from just getting off the bus. After the screams (and my laughing!), you hear her yell, "What is your deal!?" Yeah, what is his deal?

Coloring

Here are some rare photos of all the kids sitting together nicely and coloring! It's fun that they are at ages that they can do something together. Amelia really likes to color and/or draw. She really does a good job keeping the colors on the paper.

Leaves for Fun

Yesterday, I raked up a pile of leaves for the kids to play in. This was Amelia's first time in a big pile. She thought it was great! And loves it when big brother threw them on her. Well, until he got a little too crazy. She found that leaves down her shirt and diaper were kind of itchy. Ellie was at school, so that's why she is missing from these photos.

Jack was not too sure about the laying in the leaves.

Amelia was very content!

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween to everyone! This year I'll have a Cheetah, Pirate, & Chicken here at my house. I won't have all the photos up until this weekend - as we do have fun plans at the Skaar Haunted Household tonight in Roland that we'll want to photograph and share.

But here are a few preview shots of two kids to get you spooked!

Captain Jack Sparrow

Amelia, the Chicken.
This was Jack's costume 2 years ago. Go to 2006 archives to see him in it.

Amelia, practicing her "chicken talk" before the big night!

HERO Makes Headlines

Many of you have heard that Billy & I are an active part of our community group, HERO, here in town. Recently, we were awarded the first Iowa Utilities Board Grant of $5000 to do a Weatherization project in the Ballard area.

This was an effort by our entire group, namely those that had the ideas, wrote the grant, and then executed the efforts headed by Russell Zimmerman, our Vice President. It has also taken many, many volunteers outside of our organization to winterize over 50 homes on two Saturdays. A great thanks to all of the time and efforts from everyone.

Last night, our story was featured on Channel 13 news ... a few of our "men in blue" were shown working on a first-time homeowner's home. Please check out the video link at our website. We are VERY proud to be part of this organization and the work we are doing here in the community! Billy will be helping this Saturday to finish up the homes. If you live in the area and would like to be a HERO, please feel free to contact me.

http://huxleyheroes.com/hero/

Needing a rope

I love this blog so I can record little stories like this and not forget them!

On Sundays, Tony comes to our church parking lot to pick up the kids between services. Billy was outside waiting with them, and Jack asked, "When is daddy going to be here?" And Billy's common response when the kids ask when someone will be here is "when they get here" or "when they show up." It usually gets them to stop asking.

Today Billy responded, "When he pulls up." Meaning, of course, when Tony pulls up in his car. Jack then exclaimed, "But he doesn't have a rope!"

Oh, man ... what a funny thought.

It's another girl!

We had our first ultrasound today for Baby #4. We've really been hoping and praying for a boy. Girl & Boy Shepherd, and then Girl & Boy Faubus. Sounds like the perfect little family, right? Well, obviously, not in the stars for us. We are a little disappointed, but really can you be bummed about a healthy little baby - boy or girl?! Not for a second. We are very blessed.

Now the name game will begins. Do we go back to the last list - and pick something from there that we didn't use? Do we start a new list? I don't think the name we have picked out, "Henry David" will work. I'm not a fan of Henrietta.

And the question we are asked, "Will you try again?" I think we'll need to see how we handle/juggle/manage 4 kids before we start thinking about the next. Part of me says, "Sure, why not?" The other part of me says, "Heck no!" Especially when the odds for #5 are just the same. Then poor Jack will really be outnumbered.

Pictures from the Fabulous Grill & Chill

Your Hosts: Deanna & Billy

Yummo! That chocolate pudding dessert needs to be licked clean!

Where all the goodies are at!

Billy getting the yardbirds ready for tastin'

2nd Annual Fabulous Grill & Chill

The 2nd Annual Fabulous Grill & Chill was a great success! Nearly 100 people - over 30 being children - showed up to see Billy smoke the hens. The yardbirds turned out great - and nearly all of them were picked down to the bone. And I think we went thru 3 jars of his barbeque sauce too.

Our "Voted Best" contest was another success - with folks bringing in some real ringers! For Best Side dish, the winner was Suzanne Gauley, a friend of mine from high school with a Mac 'n Cheese dish with bacon. Yeah, pleasing 30 kids isn't hard, is it? The runner up was Brandie Ubben with some yummy, buttery garlic mushrooms. The Best Dessert was a warm Peach Cobbler by Dawn Ploeger, who is a friend of ours from church. I believe there was a tie for 2nd with a couple of chocolate desserts. Thanks everyone for getting your cook on! I can't wait for next year!

Speaking of which, mark your calendar for Saturday, Sept 12th, 2009 - which is the Saturday after Labor Day - for the 3rd Annual Fabulous Grill & Chill. This next year we are going to be working on perfecting the baked beans!

Another good Jack story

Since Ellie started Kindergarten, Jack is finding some independence. And I think he's enjoying it. He's out-growing naps, and on most days he spends his afternoon playing on his own or with me. One of my favorites is eating lunch with him on Tuesday and Thursday. Amelia is fed at daycare, so when we get home, I put her to bed and he and I have lunch. He gets to pick what he wants for lunch (which is usually peanut butter & jelly - which Ellie doesn't like) and then we sit down together.

He's in a major "jabber-jabber" stage and it takes him nearly a half hour to eat his meal because he's constantly telling stories or concerned about what we are going to do next. I just sit and listen, and coax him to continue to take bites of food.

This week, I asked, "Jack, who is your favorite superhero?" Immediately, he answered, "Batman!" But after a moments hesitation, he added, "Actually...Flash. Yeah, Flash." I thought it was interesting how even at 3-years old he was able to use the word "actually" in a sentence well. I'm sure most parents feel that way - just blown away by their kids' vocabulary use. It really makes you stop and put some thought into the words you are using.

For instance, "dumb" and "stupid" are 2 words that Ellie and Jack yell at us for using. And not that we say them to them, but I might be telling Billy a story, or he to me - and across the room we here, "Billy, don't say stupid!" or "Mama, did you say dumb?"

It's shocking to me that some parents think kids at this age don't know what is being said - or what it means. Whatever! They hear EVERYTHING - and they figure out what it means. We need to protect our kids from filthy language, hateful remarks, and the like. They'll get enough of it in school - and out in public when we can't guard their ears. Being sure that good, positive language is used in our home is a huge goal so they know what is valued and expected. I like this saying better, "Do as I say, and as I do."

Mr. Potato Head

Jack is 3 - and certainly not a master artist. He isn't really into coloring or things of that nature. (Neither is Ellie for that matter - must not be in the genes). On occasion, though, I can get him to sit down and do some coloring. The other day I found a Toy Story Color Wonder book and markers and got him to sit in my office with me for a bit.

He plowed thru the pages, making only small, brief, colorings on each sheet. The Mr. Potato Head (above) was without a face and it was his task to add a face. So he made a mouth, eyes and then a nose. I thought he did a pretty good job putting them on the face in the correct spot. A moment or so later, he says, "Mom, he needs a pee-pee." And so he drew a pee-pee. Sorry to put an X-rated photo on the blog - but Jack did not draw pants.

Pigtails

Ellie likes it when she and Amelia can match. So she picked a striped dress and wanted her hair done the same as Amelia too. Here is a cute photo of them reading books together.

Labor Day Weekend

All the kids enjoying a spinning tire swing.

No big plans this weekend. Just a lot of cleaning up around the house and getting ready for our big party this coming weekend. Most of you received an invite - our Annual Fabulous Grill & Chill!

We took the kids to Big Creek Saturday afternoon for a short bit. And then Sunday, Monday Ellie & Jack were with Tony as our usual schedule dictates. That gave us some extra "free time" to finish up our list. Here are some pictures of what Amelia did today to help. Dancing and spraying the driveway .

Huxley Prairie Festival

Billy cutting ribs - his homemade smoker behind him.

Lyle Martin - a local - using his revamped, gas grill to try a hand at it.

Smokin' Caboose - Ron & Rhonda Smith - our winners.

Every year, Huxley has a small town celebration called Prairie Festival. It's the "prairiest festival around." Earlier in the year, Billy was asked to do a barbeque contest - which he was excited to start a new annual event doing something that he loved. We worked hard to get big prizes and hoped for a big turnout of backyard barbequers.

Unfortunately, one 1 person from town signed up. So we had to revamp the contest... but we still sold all of our People's Choice Award voting cards - and had a greatly received event. Billy and one of our judges also participated - and our judge, who also runs a BBQ catering business and goes to lots of contests smoked us in all categories. But we had a great time and Billy learned a lot from them to help him improve his smoking abilities! The Huxley Prairie Festival Smoke Out was a success - and we look forward a bigger event next year.

We also participated in the parade - the little kids and I walked with our friend, Hollie Allen who just started a Kindermusik program here in town. It was a long walk - but they had fun.

Billy & I are active members of HERO community group here in town. So we also worked the beer tent both evenings. I also participated in Ballard Idol Karaocke contest. I placed 2nd - but received no prize. The big $250 prize was given to just the 1st place winners (male & female). Luckily, my mom was able to stay Friday night and then we had another friend, Nicole, stay on Saturday night to watch kids all weekend.