The Casto Connection

Happy Valentine's Day!

2012-02-14T21:14:00.003-06:00

We enjoyed making heart-shaped sugar cookies this evening.

It was our first time making cookies and decorating them.

A good time was had by all. :)

Finally, we went and delivered them to neighbors.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Sibling Shots

2012-02-10T19:29:00.003-06:00

I love love love getting to spend my days with these two!

Anna Kate is scared of the vacuum, so Hudson read books to her while I vacuumed around them. :)

They're starting to play together more and more

The quietist time in our house is definitely smoothie time! They normally have their own, but this day Anna Kate had spilled hers and so Hudson shared the rest of his with her.

Success

2012-01-28T19:20:00.002-06:00

Tonight we caught our first fish while fishing along the beach. After catching the fish, Trent used his special fish dehooker to release the fish back into the ocean. Many people know this is no small feat for Trent. He has had a fish phobia (of touching a fish) his whole life and has really wanted to conquer it ever since he found out we were having a son. Now, he knows he can take his boy & girl fishing (with the help of his handy fish dehooker, which Hudson is holding in the picture).

Victory

Hudson & Anna Kate

2012-01-21T19:15:00.003-06:00

After a few awesome weeks with company followed by a hernia surgery, we're getting back into some order and routine in our household.

The kiddos are doing well. Hudson is now into talking about and playing army. He doesn't really know what this entails, but asked me several times this week "Mom, do you want to play army parachute guys with me?" With an offer I couldn't refuse, I found myself jumping out of helicopters into enemy territory. We kept the neighborhood safe from all the bad guys though. :) He still has a very active imagination, hits his sister way too often and loves playing outside.
Anna Kate loves talking, her brother, carrying things (babydoll, "purse", jacket...) around and also playing outside. She says 1-2 new words per day, which is such an exciting time. She is mostly an extrovert, knows what she wants and refers to herself as "Kate."

These kids are such a joy to have around and truly a blessing!

Full Family

2012-01-07T10:49:00.001-06:00

Fun with Cousins & Aunts

2011-12-20T20:14:00.003-06:00

watching dolphins at the pier

Surprise

2011-12-19T19:29:00.002-06:00

Two days ago my younger sister, Stephanie, & her dog arrived to stay during her Christmas break from college. Yesterday, we walked in from the park only to have our older sister and her 3 boys jump out from the closet and from behind the couch! It was an awesome surprise!

Here are our youngest surprise guests

2011-12-12T19:45:00.005-06:00

Here's the latest attempt at a family picture. Trent officiated a wedding Saturday that we all attended.

A friend also took Anna Kate and my camera for a bit and this is what I found.

I'm slow to do posts because they all seem like they'd be the same to me. It's still in the low 80s every day, so we spend lots of time outside. We go to the beach often. We can't swim in our pool anymore (it's not heated), but we did swim in the Gulf last week and it was refreshing.

Playing Outside

2011-11-17T12:35:00.004-06:00

We do lots of playing outside these days...

Sand Sculpture Festival

2011-11-11T21:52:00.002-06:00

We love living by the beach! The last couple weekends we've had impromptu trips out on a friend's boat for just an hour or two. The highlight last weekend was when we remembered (while we were already on the Gulf) that the finals for the annual American Sand Sculpting Competition was being held at nearby Fort Myers beach. Our friends drove the boat up, we threw the anchor just off shore and walked around admiring the amazing sculptures. What a treat.
Hudson & Anna Kate love the boat! I have pictures somewhere of them that I'll have to post.

Halloween 2011

2011-10-31T20:38:00.005-05:00

We went downtown Naples where the main street was blocked off. Kids could trick-or-treat at the business and there were kid friendly activities in the street. It was a great night of family fun with great friends!

A Cuddly Mover & Shaker

2011-10-29T06:15:00.004-05:00

At 16 months old now, Anna Kate is extremely social, dramatic and fun! She insists on saying hi and waving to every person when we're out. All the grandparents around here eat it up. She blows kisses and waves while riding in a shopping cart like she's a queen in a parade.

She will dramatically throw herself on the ground and cry into her hands if her feelings are hurt, if Hudson is playing with the toy she wants or sometimes for no apparent reason. After a minute of that, she'll normally get up and just start happily playing again. Trent is worried.
She's learning many new words. She knows lots of body parts and likes to review them. Often, I'm holding her and talking to someone when out of nowhere she puts her finger in my eye saying "eye, eye, eye, eye..." until the attention is turned to her. :) She also loves books, animals, the beach and anything her brother is doing. This girl is either on the move or being held.

Matching Outfits

2011-10-26T12:28:00.003-05:00

Someone passed down some matching outfits to our kiddos. While we had some middle school girls at our house last week, they noticed the matching shirts and wanted to do a photo shoot. Here are the results.

Three and a Half

2011-10-02T19:31:00.006-05:00

Hudson is now 3 1/2, so I thought I'd post an update. He still loves swimming, imaginary play, reading books and yellow.

He can dive to the bottom of the deep end of our pool (about 6 feet), swim a few laps and play for hours on a raft. His favorite time is probably swimming with his dad.

For those of you who have "met" Tad, he's still around, but not as often. Occasionally Tad comes over to play, eat or get into trouble (Hudson loves tattling on him & watching me discipline him :)).

He's gotten into "working out" with his dad & doing work projects together.

He still loves music. Here he's playing the keyboard & singing hymns in the youth building at our church. He also still loves school.

Some funny things he's said...

while walking past the ironing boards at Walmart "Mom look, they sell surf boards here." (shows you how much I iron vs how much we're at the beach :))

whenever he makes up different people or animals for us to be, he'll group the 3 of us as one thing and then Anna Kate is always Jonah (eg- Dad, you're the Daddy elephant who's an astronaut, Mom, you're the mommy elephant who helps launch the space ship, I'm the boy elephant who drives the space ship & Anna Kate is Jonah).

I guess Hudson is a typical big brother. Sometimes he's great with Anna Kate, trying to teach her something or just play with her, but mostly he's annoying her or she's bothering him.

Overall being 3 1/2 seems really cool and you are the coolest 3 1/2 year old! We love you Hudson Lee!

Catching Waves

2011-09-08T13:46:00.003-05:00

This past week, Trent taught Hudson how to body surf. He loved catching waves with his Daddy. It wasn't on this day, but one where the waves were a tiny bit bigger.

Baseball & Bubbles

2011-09-03T11:41:00.003-05:00

We've been playing a lot of baseball & tennis recently.

Toothbrush Rockstar

2011-08-26T19:57:00.000-05:00

She loves to brush her teeth!

A Fun Day in the Casto Household

2011-08-23T17:34:00.007-05:00

Today was Hudson's first day of preschool and he loved it!

His classroom

finding his desk at the open house

his teacher

with 2 great friends from church who are both in his class :)

When we asked what his favorite thing from school was, he replied "P.D." (he meant PE). He told us all about how he got to do big jumps & little jumps on a trampoline there.

Also, today is Trent's birthday!

He requested grilled steak & chicken shish kabobs for dinner accompanied by one of his favorite veggies, roasted asparagus, & rice. His birthday "cake" was a peanut butter banana cream pie with chocolate. :)

Happy Birthday my love! I pray this is the best year yet for you!

Two Peas in a Pod

2011-08-19T15:09:00.003-05:00

Seema

2011-08-18T10:16:00.002-05:00

One of my very best friends from high school, Seema, with her fiance, Patrick and their dog Winnie. They live in NYC and were passing through Vermont while we were there. It was so great to get to spend a little time with them! Thanks for stopping!

Pigtails

2011-08-14T12:58:00.002-05:00

with her cousin Brandon

with her cousin Aaron

Fun with Water

2011-08-12T09:42:00.002-05:00

After some hard rain, the kids went and played in the puddles & loved it!

Always fun to play with a bucket of water

She doesn't know what's coming, but she loved it!

It's so nice to see them play together (in contrast to the seemingly large amount of time they argue over a toy, a piece of trash, really whatever the other one is holding).

Rainbow Pancakes

2011-08-08T13:25:00.003-05:00

We made Rainbow Pancakes for dinner the other night and they were a hit. I thought I'd share the link of where I got the idea here. She does a great job showing pictures and directions, so no need to re-post. We chose 3 colors (green, orange & blue) and enjoyed all of them!

A Timeless Toy

2011-08-08T09:28:00.002-05:00

I recently saw this for a good deal and decided to get it. Both of my kids love it and many friends have played with it, from ages 1-6.

Definitely worth the investment & having extra clutter in our house!

Vermont 2011

2011-08-06T20:33:00.006-05:00

We've enjoyed a lot of things last week...

no humidity

tennis

ice cream

hiking

milking a cow

learning/watching how cheese is made

watching an air show with cousins

and mostly just hanging out with family

We actually forgot a camera, so these are the few phone pics we got.

Sunday Afternoon Fun

2011-07-17T21:46:00.000-05:00

Night at the Pier

2011-07-16T21:10:00.002-05:00

See the guy in the white shirt in the middle? We saw him catch a pelican while fishing. He swung it up over other people and onto the pier. Then, he got the hook out of its throat and untangled him.

Here he's throwing the pelican back overboard.

Hudson's First Triathlon

2011-07-11T08:37:00.004-05:00

Hudson completed a short run, short bike ride & a one lap swim. He loved it and ended up completing the course several times yesterday. I got a video of each leg, but only the swim one will load.

Latest Beach Pics

2011-07-09T20:51:00.003-05:00

Boys Home in Honduras

2011-07-08T19:37:00.000-05:00

A boys' home & school in Honduras. They are located on the same grounds in a neighborhood of families where there are daily murders.

A new dorm being built to house an additional 40 boys. This will keep them off the street and instead give them a place to sleep, meals, education & love.

It houses boys from grade school through college. There were 4 boys currently living there who were in college, a rare privilege in this area.

With all those boys, there were lots of make-shift weights

Every place we visited in Central America had a high wall surrounding it with razor wire on top and an armed guard at the gate because of theft is common.

Where they keep water

Their bathrooms

Sass

2011-07-03T21:25:00.003-05:00

This girl loves her accessories

He's hoping to give some fashion advice :)

Our Toddler

2011-06-25T12:50:00.002-05:00

This little girl is definitely more of a toddler now than a baby. She loves to climb & get into things.

excited to sit in a big chair by herself

Honduras

2011-06-22T12:45:00.004-05:00

We stayed at Pico Bonito during our last night in Central America. Here was our cabin we stayed in, complete with hammock.

The view from the porch where we sat to read & enjoy a cup of coffee our last morning.

We then enjoyed a guided hike where we spotted some beautiful yellow flowering trees

The hike ended at this waterfall where you could take a refreshing dip

Then we boarded our plane amidst this beautiful land back to had back to Naples

We came back refreshed and energized, which we didn't expect. We saw and heard about such poverty, corruption, despair and injustice. But, we saw hope amidst the brokenness. We heard about glimmers of hope, peace and mercy being extended by the faithful missionaries we met. The Lord is at work in these countries.

We are excited for our church to partner with the amazing work already taking place to bring education, food, hope, medical care, homes, mercy, grace and love to the people in these areas.

Nana Camp

2011-06-20T21:39:00.003-05:00

Last week, Hudson & Anna Kate had a very special week. They spent the week at our house with Trent's mom (Nana) & her best friend (Ms. Bebe).

In addition to both kids being sick while we were gone, they got to swim, go to the beach, go to the movie theater, have ice cream at "Old McDonalds" and lots of other fun treats.

Having Vickey & Ms. Bebe here gave us such peace that our kiddos were in good hands while we were out of the country.

Thanks a ton!! We're glad that you got to spend time with our sweet kiddos and they got to spend time with their super Nana!

House of Hope

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

We had the privilege of seeing & hearing firsthand all that God is doing through this incredible outreach. This woman started speaking to prostitutes in Nicaragua 10 years ago and had women telling her they wanted to leave the lives they were living, but couldn't.
Currently, House of Hope houses 65 families of girls & women leaving prostitution. A family never includes a dad, but looks like some age mother or grandmother with one or more children.

The families live here, the children go to school & the girls/women learn a simple trade to earn some income.
It also houses girls who have been literally captured out of slavery. One man lives on the grounds and does raids whenever they hear of a child in prostitution. He will break into a brothel during the night, taking girls from as young as 5 years old. Often, their families have sold them into slavery for a few dollars.

The girls live in a dormitory (above is one room of it), eat all their meals together and attend school.

One woman who was living there shared her story with us. They encourage women to do that because it helps with the healing process. She spoke to our small group through tears of some of the deepest anguish I've heard. She has been at the center for a few years and has had radical transformation. She's still struggling, but striving to raise the grandkids that are with her to break the cycle.

They are in need of a long-term worker. The work is vast, God is moving, but the laborers are few. Check out House of Hope and let us know if we can share more about this amazing ministry with you.

Nicaragua

2011-06-15T21:45:00.008-05:00

We've spent the last 2 days touring various ministries in Nicaragua and we have 1 more day here before we travel to Honduras.

I don't have any pictures showing the extreme poverty living conditions, but it is hard to even look at.

Views from the plane

a smoking volcano

We visited a re-nutrition center in Matagalpa, a city about 2 hours outside of the capital city. Here, they take babies and children who are malnourished and get them back to reasonable health and release them to live with family.

This little girls legs were smaller around than Anna Kate's despite being over a year older.

Guess how old this happy little girl is...

...10 years old. Extreme malnourishment stunted her growth and she could not walk correctly. They said she spoke like a 15 year old though.

One of 2 schools we visited in the capital city. This private Christian school, holding all grades, is made up of Nicaraguans and classes are taught in Spanish. It costs $70 a month to attend and is fully self-supporting.It was started in 2005 (I think that's the right year) and is at capacity with 300 students. They are planning to expand.
The vocational center within the school. They teach welding, electricity, blacksmithing, small engine repair and will add woodworking next school year.

We toured Tesaros de Dios, a center for children with special needs. Students, along with one of their family members, come 1-2 times a week for a few hours. The center is aiming to teach family members how to best care for their child/grandchild/niece/nephew.

They have horse therapy

Their computer lab

They have trained physical therapists on staff

Getting ready for devotions before learning time with trained special ed teachers

Students not ready for learning time start with early intervention

Finally we spent time touring the Nehemiah Center, a collaboration center housing 7 Christian ministry organizations. From here, these organizations are working together to make an impact across Nicaraguan businesses, schools, churches, and communities.

Getting Reacquainted

2011-06-14T08:37:00.000-05:00

This week Trent & I get to be reintroduced to our first love...missions.

Yesterday, we flew to El Salvador with a team of seven people to see all that the Lord is doing here as well as in Nicaragua and Honduras. We hope to see ways our church can get involved in what God is doing in Central America.

This dear, humble, passionate couple is leading our trip. They've been coming to Central America for 9 years and have been a part of many amazing things happening throughout Central America.

We are meeting the people they love, visiting schools, orphanages, food centers, as well as encouraging the field workers this week. Monday we spent the day with this dear family. He is from the States, she is from El Salvador. They built this mission from the ground up.

The students eager to greet us when we arrived

visiting classrooms- this 3rd grader is doing advanced multiplication and wants to be an engineer

A class of aspiring doctors- they are hard workers

We served over 200 kids here for a special lunch

Lunch cooking

They held an assembly for us

the kindergardeners did a skit about Noah's Ark

the high schoolers did a skit about being a teen in El Salvador, where violence is prominent. They were showing how God rescues those enslaved and bears the penalty for that enslavement upon himself

this little boy came to sit on my lap during the assembly

during a walk down the road

a taxi

we visited a couple homes, including this one. For water, they have a pipe running into a cistern they built outside their home. Since the city controls when they have water and they don't know the schedule, they fill up the cistern when possible and then hope that water doesn't run out when it is turned off. This water is used for everything- bathing, washing clothes, drinking...

Wild & Wonderful

2011-06-10T06:22:00.000-05:00

Soaking up some warm sunshine after getting in the cool river water with his Dad

we loved that we got a little hike in...so rejuvinating

Visiting St. Augustine on the drive home from WV...

West Virginia

2011-06-09T13:13:00.004-05:00

Here's a couple pics from our time in WV last week. Unfortunately, I can't seem to upload most of our pics (including any of the outdoorsy shots). Here's a few for now...

Well, this is actually Anna Kate & her great-grandmother in Cincinnati. So, we start with a non-WV pic in this WV post. :) Anna Kate & I snuck over to Cincinnati for one night to visit my grandmother who was recently widowed. It was a sweet visit.

Here's Anna Kate with Trent's sweet cousin, Laura.

On June 4th, we got to celebrate with Trent's sister, Brianna as she married her love.

We enjoyed some front porch sitting with Trent's lovely grandmother.

This is the view from that front porch :)

Happy 1st Birthday Anna Kate!!

2011-06-06T06:23:00.000-05:00

While we were in WV, we celebrated our sweet girl's first birthday with Trent's family.

Anticipating the party...

All her gifts hanging on the back of her chair.

She ate her whole cupcake.

with Nana & Papaw

Hudson loved celebrating her birthday too. He got to help open presents and eat cookie cake.

She's walking almost exclusively now. She's still slow & wobbly, but doesn't crawl very much anymore.

She loves carrying something with her at all times (my wallet, one of Hudson's shirts, really whatever she can get her hands on). We gave her a blanket for her birthday. It's one that someone made for her when she was born but we hadn't used.

She's now saying "mama" "dada", "night night" and loves to wave. She also loves to be on her mama's hip.

We love you Anna Kate!

Anna Kate's First Steps!

2011-05-19T07:34:00.003-05:00

On Tuesday, Anna Kate took 1-4 steps several times. She always did it giggling, smiling & ending with clapping.

she's so proud when she stands all by herself

sitting & clapping after all her hard work

Out on the Sea

2011-05-17T08:47:00.005-05:00

Last Saturday, we enjoyed a day of boating with some friends. A lovely couple invited 3 other couples out on the boat. Anna Kate and the other younger couple's daughter stayed home with a babysitter.

heading out on the Gulf...the waves were supper choppy that day, which I found quite fun

the young whippersnappers

Hudson LOVED driving the boat

We loved this house and the brightly colored bushes

This is one big house (on the left) and the guest house (on the right)

Another house where the guest house is bigger than our house

A cute area in Naples...these brightly colored buildings have places for people to live, but also coffee shops, ice cream shops and other little shops

Our pictures didn't turn out great. It was a rare overcast day (which I was very thankful for so we didn't get too much sun), which is normally better for pictures. So, it must have been the photographer. Oh well, it was a fun day. Our friends took expert pics, so maybe I'll add more sometime.

Hudson is Swimming!

2011-05-14T07:18:00.003-05:00

At Hudson's 4th swimming lesson yesterday, He started swimming! This was his 2nd little swim, then he swam all over the pool with Ms. Caroline helping him come up to breathe.

Thanks Ms. Caroline!

Robert E Johnstone

2011-05-10T22:00:00.000-05:00

Last week, my sweet paternal grandfather passed away. He was one of the kindest and brightest men I have known. Here are a few things that made him unique

he always wore bow ties

was an OBGyn

was the first doctor at Dachau concentration camp after its liberation (although never discussed it)

was an avid golfer

did crosswords daily in retirement to keep his mind sharp

was married to my grandmother for 68 years!

We are so thankful for his 92 years on this Earth. He lived a healthy, active life and passed away without pain or disease.

Mother's Day 2011

2011-05-09T20:40:00.000-05:00

First Triathlon

2011-05-07T12:24:00.005-05:00

going to line up

Getting ready for the start

400m swim

getting out of the water and heading to hop on his bike

finishing the 12 mile bike ride

running strong in the 5k run

3rd in his age group...time of 1:04

awesome job studmuffin...look out Kona!

Swim Lessons

2011-05-04T20:44:00.005-05:00

Hudson had his first swim lesson with Ms. Caroline and did awesome. He loved it and we've enjoyed practicing at home.

working on kicking with Ms. Caroline

working on his scoop arms with Dad

the goggles make big muscles and nervous boys able to go under water

playing after lots of hard work

This little girl wanted in on the fun too

The Girls

2011-04-30T10:37:00.001-05:00

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T19:48:00.005-05:00

Today we celebrated the fact that Jesus is alive. He willingly submitted to the God the Father's will to die for our sins. But, on the third day after he died, Jesus rose from the dead. Now, through faith, we are sons and daughters of God.

Yesterday, we celebrated with an Easter Party at our church. Here are some highlights...

Hudson loved the clown! Anna Kate was absolutely terrified!

Showing his teeth for the tooth fairy (who handed out tooth brushed and talked about the importance of brushing with all this candy)

He was totally pumped about the pirate eye patch in an easter egg

Hunting eggs

She didn't participate in many activities, but looked cute crawling after eggs in the grass

A Girl on the Move

2011-04-17T21:19:00.004-05:00

This sweet little girl is always moving

Her main mode of getting around is still crawling

Well, it's actually getting someone to pick her up and carry her, which we love!

Broken, Faithful & Fighting

2011-04-11T13:55:00.003-05:00

My heart is broken for my friend, Ange, who was recently diagnosed with stage IIIa breast cancer. We met last year in Dallas when I taught her daughter at our church. Ange is a sweet, caring woman. She & her husband have 3 kids- ages 4, 2 and 5 months. She just had a mastectomy, is getting a port put in soon and meeting with her doctor April 18 to finalize chemo plans.

Please join me in praying boldly that every last cancer cell would be wiped away from her body. They've asked prayers for them & their precious children. They are broken, but faithful & fighting.

I lift up my eyes to the hills.

From where does my help come?

My help comes from the Lord,

who made heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot be moved;
he who keeps you will not slumber.

Behold, he who keeps Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.

Tad & April

2011-04-09T12:50:00.003-05:00

Meet Tad & April. Since they are such a part of our daily lives, I thought I should introduce them on the blog. Here Hudson, Tad & April are studying a butterfly in the grass. These 3 do everything together.

They eat meals together, they all have their own seats in the car, they make jokes, play trucks & ball. Tad is 3 like Hudson, but April is 7 and in first grade (her age changes, but she's always school age).

We've had fun getting to know Tad & April and their personalities. They are the most well-behaved children and such good influences on Hudson. :) I hope the power I have of "using" them lasts a long time. I can compliment Tad & April on their manners and Hudson immediately uses good manners or I can comment on how quietly they're going to sleep and Hudson does the same. It'll be interesting to see how long Tad & April stick around.

The Little Houdini

2011-04-06T19:51:00.004-05:00

This little cutie could take the tray off of the original high chair we had. She could also climb out of the original high chair when she was fully strapped in. So, some friends let us borrow their high chair that they're not using right now. The new set-up is working well. No Houdini moves yet.

Her favorite place in the house is the dishwasher. She loves it when the dishwasher is open (& to bang on the door or open and close the little soap lid).

She also loves it when the door is closed. Since our fridge isn't magnetic, we keep our magnetic letters on the dishwasher. Anna Kate loves them!

Hudson is Three!

2011-03-31T21:25:00.004-05:00

We had a great time celebrating Hudson's third birthday today! The highlight was definitely our family trip to the fire station. Hudson loved sitting in the big ladder truck.

His outfit wouldn't have been complete without his fireman's boots

Just after we left, we watched the truck Hudson sat in drive away

This evening we enjoyed chocolate cupcakes with sprinkles (the birthday boy's request). Blowing out the candles here

so proud that he finally got the candles blown out

We got him a little Thomas drum with drum sticks. This boy loves to drum and uses anything to drum, mostly he's used 2 toy golf clubs since last July. Every night when we sing a hymn before bed, he gets his "drumsticks" to drum along while we sing.

He was ecstatic! The bummer is that he opened it just before bedtime and we're hopping on a plane in the morning to head to a friend's wedding. So, he'll have to wait and drum when we return.

Happy Birthday sweet boy! We love you so much!!

Pool Days

2011-03-28T14:23:00.003-05:00

Last Friday was our first day all getting in the pool this year. It's still a little chilly, but felt refreshing (especially since we jumped in after a run).

This little sweet girl has a double ear infection. This is my first time with a child having an ear infection!

The Kiddos

2011-03-24T12:30:00.004-05:00

Anna Kate is a super fast crawler and loves to be standing. She pulls up on everything (for about a month now) and enjoys getting into things. :)

She has 2 bottom teeth and enjoys using them to chomp food (& anything else she can get into her mouth).

Here's Hudson after he wrote his first letter, an "H". I wrote the orange one and he wrote all the others. He also learned to spell his name aloud and has been marching through the house spelling it all day. :) It looks like he's right handed.

We visited a couple preschools for Hudson to possibly attend a couple mornings a week starting in the fall. He's so excited to go to school!

notthewayitwassupposedtobe

2011-03-21T12:53:00.002-05:00

The day finally arrived for Erica & I to run our first marathon together. We got ready, made it to the starting line on time (although we cut it close), weather was perfect for a long run and we were excited. We were fighting the crowds at the beginning of the race as we passed by a man on a bullhorn repeatedly warning "Watch your step, uneven surface ahead." A couple steps after him, Erica tripped and fell. Her whole front of her body skidded along the pavement. I gasped, runners pushed their way around. She attempted to stand, only to have her leg buckle from under her. Blood was pouring from her knee, their were sizable scrapes on her hand and on other spots on her leg. She was hunched over, grasping the side of the bridge we were on, lamaze-style breathing through the pain. We were motionless in a blur of activity. After a couple minutes, she exclaimed "Go on without me" to which I replied through tears "I won't leave you." It was a classic battle scene drama.

She was stable and it wasn't looking like she would be able to continue running. So, I went ahead. I ran, lamenting on the fact that we were supposed to be enduring this together. The whole race I was wondering what she was doing (getting a MRI, did an aid cart come pick her up,...). At mile 22, she was by the course cheering for me with a bandaged knee and a big smile. "Go Emmy go. I got stitches but am ok." It gave me renewed energy. I pushed harder and finished in 3:55.

Erica ended up running again until an aid station at mile 11! Her knee was still bleeding heavily and she asked for a bandaid so she could keep running. They told her she had to get stitches and couldn't keep running. They stitched her up there and she went to wait and cheer for me.

Since we didn't accomplish our goal of running a whole marathon together, this just means we get to keep training and choose another race. :)

Tidbits

2011-03-13T19:56:00.002-05:00

We're doing really well, just busy busy busy.

*Anna Kate is a very efficient crawler, pulling up on everything & has her 2 bottom teeth. I love this stage! She loves to eat, babbles "mamamama" & smiles often.

*Hudson continues to ride his bike everywhere. He rode over a mile recently and would've happily kept going, but it was time to go inside. We've let him ride in the house and he insists on riding to his room, to the potty, to the kitchen table, etc... He loves playing ball (of any kind) more and continues to be drawn to music.

*Naples has 2 seasons- "in season" and "not in season". Season runs from Jan - April and the population doubles during this time. So, we are currently in the middle of our first season in Naples. It's busy- lots of traffic, lines in grocery stores and the church population also doubles. There are lots of extra events offered in the city and at church during this time as well. The weather really is beautiful though, so we see why people flock to southern Florida. Although the summer brings heat, it will also bring a down time.

*I'm planning to run my 2nd marathon next weekend with my sister, Erica. It's been 5 years and 2 babies since my 1st. I'm hoping for an improved time, but honestly my sister and I have not consulted or followed a training plan at all. We've both just been running and each did a couple "long runs" (~20 miles) and decided to try a marathon. We'll see how it goes...

Hopefully some pics and more updates soon...

Edamame Succotash

2011-02-24T15:02:00.005-06:00

Recently, a friend told me she enjoyed posts with recipes. So, here's one from our dinner last night. The recipe is from August 2010 Cooking Light.

Edamame Succotash

1 slice bacon (I used 3)

1 T butter (I omitted)

2 cups copped sweet onion

2 cups fresh corn kernels (about 3 ears)

1 (16oz) bag frozen, shelled edamame, thawed

2 T red wine vinegar

salt & pepper

1/2 tsp sugar

3 plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped

1 red bell pepper, seeded & chopped

3 T torn basil

1) Cook bacon in nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon, reserving 2 teaspoons drippings in pan; coarsely chop bacon.

2) Increase the heat to medium-high. Melt butter in drippings in pan. Add onion; saute 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add corn; saute for 3 minutes or until lightly charred. Add edamame, and saute for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in vinegar and next 5 ingredients (through bell pepper); cook 30 seconds, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with bacon and basil.

***Update on Hudson- he is all better! We went back to the pediatrician Monday and his oxygen saturation was still low, he was still wheezing and his lungs sounded bad. He started a new antibiotic and it seemed to clear things up. We saw the doctor again today and his breathing sounded perfect and his O2 saturation was great. We're thankful!

2011-02-18T10:31:00.005-06:00

Hudson spent a night in the hospital this week. He was fine Tuesday, seemed to have some minor congestion Wednesday morning, then couldn't breathe by Wednesday afternoon. He had (has) pneumonia on his right lung, but that wasn't what the doctors seemed most concerned about. They're not sure what caused the attack.

He was such a trooper through all the tests, treatments, questions, etc... He loved getting to have his binky and blankie and spend lots of time watching movies and reading books.

Just before he was released, he drove around the hallways waving and smiling at all who passed.
Now we're doing breathing treatments and meds at home. He's doing well. We go back to the pediatrician next week to talk about where we go from here. I hear of more and more kids needing breathing treatments. What's going on?

We're thankful to be home! They told us we'd be there at least a couple nights, so we're thankful we got discharged after one night and that the little guy is doing better.

Bicycle

2011-02-10T12:52:00.002-06:00

Hudson is borrowing this bicycle from a friend who got a bigger bike. This video is from 2 days ago. Yesterday he really took off on the bike and was riding fast all around a parking lot near us. I'll have to get more video soon. He made a fast turn and had his first bicycle fall. I imagine we have many years of bike riding- and probably bike accidents- ahead of us.

You might notice that Hudson is not wearing any shoes. He often is not wearing shoes. If he does wear any, it's normally flip flops. He also is an outside boy, always asking when we can go back outside to play.

My Little Babes

2011-02-08T11:24:00.002-06:00

Enjoying the Florida sunshine!

Anna Kate was born with a little bit of dark hair. It never fell out, but as new hair grows in, it is much lighter. The tips are still dark brown while her roots are blond or light brown. Overall her hair looks brown to me, but I've only had people comment on her blond hair.

S.T.U.D.

2011-01-26T13:21:00.002-06:00

Did you know that these glasses make Hudson fast as lightning? We have a soccer stud on our hands when the glasses are on. :)

Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

2011-01-25T13:08:00.006-06:00

Trent's friend, Kenton, was visiting a couple weeks ago and we were able to go see some wildlife in their natural habitat. Some highlights were an alligator, snake and lots of awesome birds. Unfortunately Trent had to work.

There are 2 neat birds in this marshy field- a blue heron on the right & a beautiful white bird on the left.

This sanctuary has a 2.25 mile boardwalk through natural swamp lands. I've been there a few times now and just love it. The environment is so different than the beach & palm trees by our house.

Stephanie

2011-01-23T12:38:00.002-06:00

After 6 weeks with us, it was strange to wake-up this morning and not have Stephanie here. She's leaving in a couple weeks for a semester in Australia! Stephanie, we're so excited for you and can't wait to be hanging out again and hearing stories about all your adventures. Love you!

A Day at the Park

2011-01-19T20:46:00.003-06:00

All Dressed Up

2011-01-09T14:55:00.004-06:00

We picked this tux up for Hudson this week because he's going to be the ring bearer in my friend Ashley's wedding in April. I had to try it on him & take pictures for Ashley and can't resist putting some on here. I'm sure there will be more to come in a few months. :)

with his beloved...:)

classic

Also Stephanie was kind enough to pose while I practiced some pictures. She's just gorgeous!

Happy 7 months to our little crawler!

2011-01-06T07:54:00.002-06:00

Family Fun in the Sun

2011-01-04T20:49:00.003-06:00

We had a great time with my family last week. Highlights were playing on the beach (Trent & the kids got in the ocean), going to the heated pool at my Dad & Carol's hotel, going out to dinner while the kids got to have a cousins' night at home with babysitters & just lounging around our house. These are the only pictures I took all week.

Brandon (who's played in several chess tournaments and done very well!) & my Dad playing chess

bedtime

all the boys had a sleepover in Hudson & Anna Kate's room

the fam

White Christmas

2010-12-26T06:56:00.008-06:00

We enjoyed a white Christmas by playing in the white sand at the beach by our house. I didn't take my camera but it was absolutely packed!

We were all up by 7ish at our house. After Trent read the account of Christ's birth from Matthew, we opened presents, ate a big breakfast, went to the beach, Stephanie & I made our first homemade Apple Pie and then we all enjoyed dinner with friends.

Hudson got a tricycle & helmet (but he was most excited about the Thomas the Train set he got from our neighbors and the construction trucks he got from friends)

and what bicycle ride isn't complete without running into your sister...?

Anna Kate got her first baby doll and loved it!

She also enjoyed eating lots of packaging, wrapping paper & sand on Christmas.

Stephanie got lots of cool books & here she got a canvas and paints...she's already started painting a family portrait of us in sea creatures. I'm sure her work will be showcased on the blog when it's done.

Trent got a couple CDs he was wanting (John Mayer & Jack Johnson) and things related to triathlon training (a book, a magazine, a month of working out with an intense triathlon training group...)

Here I'm receiving some spices for cooking. I also got the new MacBook Pro from which I'm composing this post and an intense weekend photography class I'm taking in January!

Our Dad & Stepmom got all of us matching shirts...I'm sure there will be a picture coming once all my family arrives this week!

We hope all of you up north are enjoying all your fresh fallen snow! Merry Christmas!

Christmas Eve

2010-12-24T22:15:00.003-06:00

Merry Christmas Eve! We started our celebration last night with dinner with some dear friends. Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures. Today Trent & I both enjoyed 10 mile runs with shorts & t-shirts. It's consistently been in the 70s & sunny for a few weeks. Not our normal Christmas weather but we're loving it!

This evening we enjoyed a beautiful Christmas Eve service where children did everything. It was so great to see & hear all the kids singing, playing handbells, reading scripture and celebrating the birth of Christ. Trent's at our church's late service now.

Afterwards we enjoyed a wonderful dinner & presents with our friends and neighbors, Tom, Meredith, Stephen & Rose. It was a sweet time!

My Beach Babies

2010-12-19T21:28:00.005-06:00

I can't resist putting these cuties on here. They're all unedited.

Richardson Family

2010-12-16T08:52:00.005-06:00

Thanks to Ryan & Charlene for letting me photograph their adorable kids! I loved photographing them in their backyard where the kids love to run and play. These kids are polite and fun, yet each has their own personality.

VanEssendelft Family

2010-12-12T13:03:00.003-06:00

Yesterday I had the honor and privilege of photographing the VanEssendelft family. I loved watching their four cute, fun kids run around and interact with one another. The closeness of this family was evident. Thanks for letting me capture some memories for y'all!

2010-12-12T06:48:00.002-06:00

Aunt Stephanie

2010-12-11T16:55:00.003-06:00

My sister, Stephanie, arrived yesterday and is staying with us for about 5 weeks! We're all so excited.

Rose

2010-12-08T12:24:00.002-06:00

Our neighbor, Rose, comes over after school several days a week. She's so helpful with both kids and they both absolutely adore her. She and Anna Kate have the same birthday (just 11 years apart). I took Hudson and Rose out for a fun treat this week. They split an oreo brownie.

Happy Six Months!

2010-12-06T20:03:00.002-06:00

Our little girl is 6 months old today! She started out her day with a clean bill of health from the pediatrician, then did a lot of playing with her mother and brother, slept some, tried carrots for the first time and then went to our neighbor's middle school band concert this evening.

Anna Kate is 14lbs 8oz (25th percentile) and 24 1/2" long (10th percentile). She sits well by herself, reaches and plays with anything in sight, makes new babbling sounds and is generally happy. She also loves spending time with her mother in the middle of the night which we are continually working on. She did not like the carrots we gave her this evening at all. We'll try again tomorrow.

We love you sweet girl!

Warning: Snake Pictures

2010-12-04T18:25:00.003-06:00

Hudson and I went to go clean out the filter of the pool this week only to find a snake in there. I didn't notice it was there until my hand was already in the water right next to the snake. It was a small snake but startled me none the less. Here's the beauty after we put him in the grass as far from our house as possible.

West Virginia

2010-11-30T12:40:00.004-06:00

Last week we enjoyed Thanksgiving and a week vacation in West Virginia. We spent the first half of the week at Trent's parents' house then headed to his grandparent's house for the second half of the week. There is way too much to write about, but I'll try to cover some highlights...

These are Hudson & Anna Kate's 1st cousins on Trent's side...

Trent's parents, their 5 kids behind them & 2 daughters-in-law up front

Hudson & Anna Kate enjoyed playing with their Nana and Papaw

I took my new DSLR camera and enjoyed having some time to practice snapping photos. Here is one of my favorites of Anna Kate.

This little girl started sitting up!

I can't seem to load any other pictures right now...more to come some day.

Some other noteworthy events included:

*Hudson getting to sit on big tractors at Trent's grandparents farm

*seeing my Dad and Stepmom one evening

*seeing my Grandma & some family members for a quick dinner in Columbus

*getting to run a very cold, hilly & slow (but fun for me, not for Trent who ran despite having the stomach bug) 5k race with one of Trent's cousins

*playing several games of Tuck with various family members

*visiting with lots of family members we haven't seen in way too long

*coming back home to blue sky, sunshine and 80 degrees

Fall Festival

2010-11-19T20:52:00.004-06:00

This evening we had an awesome time at our church's Fall Festival! There were big inflatables, little cars to drive, lots of games to play, face-painting, balloon animals, lots of carnival type food, a hayride and hundreds of people there. The kids in our community should sleep well tonight.

Playground

2010-11-16T20:28:00.003-06:00

We love that we can enjoy being outside in comfortable short sleeve weather!

Anna Kate only enjoys the swing if it is perfectly still.

Mom's Helper

2010-11-14T14:41:00.003-06:00

Hudson loves to help me do about anything. Here, he's helping me make some banana bread to take to friends. Don't worry, the stove is not on.

Happy Girl

2010-11-10T13:18:00.002-06:00

This little girl is 5 months old now and full of smiles, giggles & attitude about being held all the time. Love her!

Be Prepared

2010-11-08T13:11:00.004-06:00

listening for the ocean in a seashell

A few weeks ago I got re-certified in infant and child First Aid & CPR. Today at lunch, Hudson choked on a piece of chicken. Trent had come home from work to have lunch with us. As he was closer to Hudson, he immediately tried the Heimlich Maneuver, but it is not easy with only one arm (since he still has a cast). I took over & after a few attempts, the chicken came out. We were all shaken up, but incredibly thankful that he's ok.

I thought I'd give a reminder that it's always better to be prepared. Go to a reputable website & remind yourself what to do in case of an emergency.

Imagination

2010-11-03T12:03:00.003-05:00

Hudson has a wonderful, vivid imagination. We spend a lot of time doing make believe play.

More often than not, this is his yellow lawn mower. He's cutting the grass for us here. :)

Trucks

2010-10-27T15:24:00.002-05:00

Hudson excitedly watched this flatbed truck deliver a couple new windows to us when a garbage truck drove by. To watching both trucks he exclaimed, "Wow Mom, that is cool!"

Smocking

2010-10-26T09:32:00.004-05:00

I loved smocked dresses before, but I love them even more with this 4.5 month old cutie wearing them!

Fall Vegetable Curry with Cashew Bismati Rice

2010-10-20T11:53:00.005-05:00

This is a recipe from this month's Cooking Light magazine that we tried last night. We all loved it & it wasn't too time consuming to make, so I thought I'd share it with you. I didn't add the cashews to the rice (b/c I forgot to buy them) and it was still great.

1 1/2 tsp olive oil

1 cup diced peeled sweet potato

1 cup small cauliflower florets

1/4 cup thinly sliced yellow onion

2 tsp Madras curry powder (can substitute 1 1/2 tsp regular curry powder & 1/2 tsp red pepper)

1/2 cup organic vegetable broth

1 (15oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained

2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (I just bought regular plain yogurt & it was fine)

Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add sweet potato to pan; saute 3 minutes. Decrease heat to medium. Add cauliflower, onion, & curry powder; cook 1 minute, stirring mixture constantly. Add broth & next 3 ingredients (through tomatoes); bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, & simmer 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with cilantro; serve with yogurt.

Cook 1 cup basmati rice according to package directions. Stir in 1/4 cup unsalted cashew pieces.

Four Months

2010-10-12T14:06:00.002-05:00

Anna Kate has entered the "everything in her mouth" stage. She's getting more fine, brown hair & her eyes are hazel. Her skin is a darker complexion than Hudson's. She continues to be an excellent baby and loves being held. She has started pouting sometimes when we put her down. The minute you pick her back up, her face will light up in a smile again.

At her 4 month check-up today, these were her stats:

weight 13.10lbs (50%)

height 23 3/4" (25%)

head circum. 16" (30%)

One of those Moments

2010-10-09T12:50:00.004-05:00

One evening this week our doorbell rang. We weren't expecting anyone and so all went to the door. There were 2 sixth grade girls from our street who asked if Hudson could come out and play. Hudson was excited & went out to play with them with Trent watching.

It was one of those moments when I think, "Oh, my kids are growing up."

And the color is...Mountaineer Blue

2010-10-04T19:20:00.003-05:00

On Saturday evening, we were enjoying a game of ultimate frisbee- the young adults (20s & 30s) vs the high schoolers from our church. Trent was diving for the frisbee when his arm collided with someone's leg.

A trip to the ER revealed a couple brakes & yielded this temporary cast.

Today he saw an orthopedic surgeon & was quite thankful to learn that the bones, although broken, were still lined up and didn't need set. So, he'll be in this cast for 4 weeks then a lower arm cast for a couple weeks after that. He did contemplate a bright yellow cast for "Mountaineer Gold" and since Hudson is obsessed with yellow, but blue won out.

He had signed up for his first triathlon about 1 hour before he broke his arm. It's in 3 weeks. We also have a 5k we'd both signed up for this Thursday with a handful of friends. What a bummer!

toys & toes

2010-09-30T12:46:00.002-05:00

Anna Kate is loving the exersaucer for short periods of time

It's so cute to watch her interact with toys

She's fascinated with her feet now. so cute

Full & Blessed

2010-09-23T06:54:00.008-05:00

As I've reflected on turning 30, the words "full" and "blessed" keep popping into my mind. I am so thankful!

married to my best friend!

This little guy has such a zeal for life. He keeps me laughing & smiling.

It's a good thing I love to hold this little cutie, because she's demanding to be held more & more. :) She's interacting with toys & her feet now. It's amazing how happy I am just watching her play.

from our yard

also taken from our yard

we often get to watch the sunset on the beach...last night with ice cream

just a reminder that we still deal with the daily ins & outs of having a toddler and baby in the house....this was the scene when I went to get Hudson up from his "nap" one day last week. I thought he was sleeping, not quietly destroying his room

KA & AK

2010-09-18T12:42:00.005-05:00

Today is 7 years since my mom entered the gates of Heaven. You can read my 2008 &2009 posts and fun memories of my mom.

This is a photo I found of my mom with a date in 1968 stamped on the back. I'm assuming that's when it was taken. She would have been 22 years old and recently completed nursing school.

I see similarities between my mom and my kids. Even if no one else ever notices them, I love it.
She loved walking or reading on the beach. She would have loved to visit us in Naples, play with her grandkids & soak up some Florida sunshine.

Part of the reason I loved the name Anna Katherine was that it reminded me of my mom's name, Kathleen Ann.

Beauty

2010-09-17T07:02:00.004-05:00

Natalie & Seema, thanks for the beautiful birthday flowers!

A Couple of Fun Parties

2010-09-11T19:34:00.006-05:00

Two serious mamas

love that Jen is not only bowling with a baby on her hip, but also is wearing a skirt :)

The very generous family who threw this bowling party had...110 people (adults & lots of kids), 24 lanes of bowling, face painting, balloon creations, arcade games, yummy food, fun ice cream sundae bar & lots of goodies. We had an awesome time!

I had the privilege of photographing our friends, Michael & Sue's wedding last night with the talented Keith Mulder.

newly married :)

coolest wedding cake I've ever seen!

Congratulations Michael & Sue!

Canvases

2010-09-09T15:52:00.004-05:00

How cute are these canvases? A friend from Naples recently made these for the kids. She is so talented. I love walking into their room and seeing them!

On an unrelated note, our a/c went out this week...not cool when you live in southern Florida. We have an even deeper appreciation for having a pool now! It's amazing how much it cools us off to jump in for a quick dip.

Surprisingly, the kids have slept fine (Anna Kate going from being fully swaddled to sleeping in just her diaper) and Hudson hasn't complained once.

Anna Kate's First Game Day

2010-09-04T19:53:00.003-05:00

It's nice to start off the season with a shut-out

Anna Katherine

2010-09-01T19:35:00.004-05:00

This little cutie started rolling over today! She did it 3 times in a row to show us it wasn't a fluke.
She also smiles, coos & giggles many times a day. After Hudson goes to bed, she stays up with us and gets undivided attention. She smiles & talks the whole time! We can't get enough of her!

Hudson & Anna Kate also shared a room for the first time today during naptime. When I got Hudson up, I found Anna Kate sleeping sweetly in her crib with a car. Hudson informed me that Anna Kate likes to play cars. :)