October 15th

It's the middle of October already. We're keeping busy in the Gillette household. Jason finishes the marching band season tomorrow after the Homecoming game, unless the team makes it to the playoffs. He's also starting to rehearse more often for the fall musical, "Little Shop of Horrors". I subbed a few times in September for the Central M.S. band director due to a death in the family. I was glad I could step in and help her out with getting her elementary kids signed up and rehearsing her 7th and 8th grade bands while she was gone. It felt good to teach again. While I love staying home with Sarah, I miss having a little something that's "mine".

We just went down to Iowa over the weekend. Kim and Cleo were back from Virginia. Mom and Dad hosted a nice "meet and greet" reception since many of the Iowa relatives and friends didn't make it down to Jamaica for the wedding and had never met Cleo. It was great to see everyone. The only down side was that it seemed to fly by and I didn't feel like we could really visit with everyone. Sarah and I stayed a few extra days and had a great time with Mom and Dad. We went to a pumpkin farm northwest of Cedar Rapids. Sarah was having so much fun, she could hardly contain herself. She literally ran from one attraction to another and loved watching the cows and chickens up close. She played in the hay and a "corn seed pit" Kids took off their shoes and jumped around in corn. She wasn't too sure about that one. We also went to the Children's Museum in Coralville. She loved playing in the different exhibits. A lot of the exhibits were similar to the Betty Brinn Museum in Milwaukee. Good times.

Sarah continues to take in the world more and more every day. She loves to sing to the "Twinkle Little Star" melody and can't wait for music class on Friday with Ms. D. She's starting to attempt to verbalize more (instead of just grunting)by saying , "please", "one more", "choo-choo". She loves the number 2. Anytime she sees two similar objects, she shouts out "TWO!!" I can't believe we're coming up on her 2nd birthday at the end of November. Time flies!

It was great to see my sister and Cleo last week. We're looking forward to seeing them at Thanksgiving, as well. I don't know when we'll see each other next after that visit. This living far apart stuff isn't fun. :( It does make us treasure the times we can be together.

It's getting late. Better get ready for bed.

Go Obama!

Sarah and a rainbow

Aunt Kim and Sarah playing in Grandma and Grandpa's yard.

Aunt Kim and Uncle Cleo having fun with Sarah

Sarah was so excited to see all of the cows in the pasture at the pumpkin farm.

Sarah playing in the post office at the Children's Museum in Coralville, IA

Sarah and Grandpa playing in the theater at the Children's Museum

Nicci and Sarah on the carousel at the Coral Ridge Mall in Coralville, IA

Is it September Already?!

Sarah at a friend's birthday party last weekend

The last few weeks of summer flew by and now we're back to the school year routine. Sarah hates to see Jason go to work so early and not be able to play as much. His school year is off to a good start. He's happy to have his co-worker, Matt, back with him this year. Matt is also helping our friend, Kevin, over at Brookfield East this year. Jason is excited about his student teacher this semester. It's always good to start out on a good note.

I'm going try my hand at substitute teaching this year. I'm subbing two days next week for my friend Cynthia whose father is not doing well. I'm glad I'm able to help her out, but wish it was under better circumstances. Subbing will help me keep my resume' updated but also give me a little control over how much time I want to contribute.

Sarah and I have activities set up for the fall. Between playgroup, library tot-time, music class and swim lesson, I think we'll be plenty busy. It's more about getting me out of the house sometimes. :) She's becoming more like a two-year-old all of the time. She gave Jason a run for his money yesterday when she refused to get into the car seat. Who would've thought that a 21-month old could arch her back and exert so much strength as to overpower her own dad. She's taken an interest in potty-training and is starting to say more words and put words together. She's also taken an interest in Thomas the Train. I put the DVD in that came in the box with Thomas and the track I got for her the other day. What a mistake! Now she wants to watch that thing all of the time and those songs will not escape my brain. We had a fun weekend playing outside and running around. I try to savor those unscripted moments with her. It flies by way too fast.

My folks and Kim and Cleo purchased a gps system for Jason and me for our birthdays. Many of you know about our "issues" in the car. This gift will be a great assest to our marriage! I no longer have to be the one to blame for not saying when to turn fast enough or saying when to turn when it's not solicited. Ahhhhhhh. Thank you satellites!

It was an interesting couple of weeks watching both the Democrat and Republican conventions. It's a crazy world out there. While I wish Obama had more executive experience, I'm still behind the Obama/Biden ticket. Doesn't it make you sick to hear people make racist comments? or to say he's not "Christian enough". Who gets to decide that for someone? I like John McCain but don't support his party's platform. I wish we had cable so I could be watching the Daily Show and Colbert Report. Both shows put such an intelligent, humorous spin on the whole deal.

On that note, I'm off to bed.

Virginia Trip and Birthday Party

We had a great trip to Richmond, VA a couple of weeks ago. Mom and Dad drove up from Iowa and we loaded up the car top carrier, packed the van full of Sarah's stuff, and headed east. It was so wonderful to have Mom and Dad along to help entertain Sarah along the way. She really was a trooper and went with the flow. There were a few fussy moments trying to get her to sleep in the pack n play in the hotel rooms. We'd finally give up and let her sleep in bed with us.

We arrived in Arlington on a Thursday night and made plans for our day trip into D.C. We took the metro train and walked the mall to see most of the monuments. We didn't make it over to the Jefferson Memorial or the Korean War Memorial, but we saw the rest. It was a super hot day. I appreciated everyone's willingness to walk the mall with me since I had never been there before. It's quite an amazing experience.

Sarah in front of her future home

Jason in front of the Washington Monument

We went to the Natural History Musuem to cool off and make the day more interesting for Sarah. We walked the Hall of Mammals and saw the dinosaur exhibits. Mom, Sarah, and I went into the Butterfly Exhibit. Sarah was really paying attention to all of the butterflies.

Sarah and I in the butterfly exhibit

We ended the day on the Washington D.C. Mall by taking Sarah on a merry-go-round and having some ice cream. She did much better sitting down than going on a horse like she did the previous two times on a carousel. We had a very full day taking the sights. We trained back to the hotel, loaded up the van, and headed to my cousin Val's house in Arlington. Sarah and a fun time playing with their daughter, Aida who is only 2 1/2 weeks younger than her. She also had fun hugging her other 2nd cousin once removed, Cassidy. Kim and Cleo drove up from Richmond so it was a fun little family reunion. Sarah was so excited to see Kim and so was I. I even teared up when I saw her since I hadn't seen her since her wedding.

Nicci, Sarah, and Dad on the carousel

Aida and Sarah

Cleo, Jason, Dad, Kim, and Garry enjoying good food and drinks

After saying our good-byes to the Heishusen-Young family, we drove down to Richmond. Jason, Sarah, and I stayed at a local Hampton Inn and Mom and Dad went on to the Battle residence. We met up with them the next day and enjoyed a tour of Richmond and a day around the house. We saw Cleo's boys, Kelvin and Brennan, and met his Dad, Cleo Battle, Sr. and Cleo's sister, Angelica. It was great family bonding time. Sarah spent the night at Kim and Cleo's in Mom and Dad's room so we met back at the house the following day to head out to the local amusement park, King's Dominion, for the day. It was a hot, hot, day, but we had fun going on roller coasters while Sarah went with Mom, Dad, Kim, and Cleo to the water park area. Jason and the guys stayed a bit longer to catch more rides after the Whitehead crew took Sarah back home. She had a full day.

We road-tripped to Virginia Beach the next day. I hadn't been to the Atlantic Ocean since a band trip in high school, so it was nice to see that part of the country. We boogie-boarded for the first time. It was fun to get out in the water. It took me a little longer to get in the water since Sarah had a slight temperature and wasn't feeling quite herself. I finally got her down on a blanket for a nap so I got to "play" after that. Jason was a trooper on the drive since he had Kim and I commenting on his driving the whole time.

Sarah napping on Virginia Beach

Sarah and Aunt Kim looking at the seagulls

On the last night of our stay, we went to a Mexican Restaurant with the whole family. We had a great meal and a fun night together. Kim still needs to find a place that serves margaritas like La Perla. :) We had to say our good-byes to Kim that night since she was heading out early for work the next day and we were staying at the hotel. It was hard to say good-bye, but we know we'll see each other next in October. Still...I miss her like crazy. It was great to see where she and Cleo live and be able to picture her environment.

(from left and around the table)Brennan, Dad, Kelvin, Jason, Mom, Kim, Cleo

Kim and Sarah on the front porch

Thank you for a great time Kim and Cleo! It was great seeing you all!

We went to Jason's aunt and uncle's house yesterday for a 2-year-old birthday party for Gabe who is Jason's 2nd cousin (his cousin Steve's son). It was a beautiful day to be outside playing in the pools and doing outdoor stuff. Aunt Ellen and Uncle Dick put on a great party and Sarah had a blast. Happy Birthday Gabe!

Sarah playing in the pool. She wanted to stay there all day.

Sarah playing a game in the picture below. The dads had to put a cup on their foreheads and the kids had to pour water into the cup. Pretty funny stuff!

Gabe pouring water into Bob's cup. Sean is watching and learning.

Sarah riding around in the toy car in the basement

Sean picking out a ball from the row of prizes.

Thank you Aunt Ellen and Uncle Dick for a great time!

We spent a lot of time outside today playing at the park and in the yard. Jason is soaking up these last few days of break before heading back to school. Marching Band Camp went well so he's already off and going for the school year. I'm helping teach a little music hour/play time class at church a week from tomorrow for babies through 4-year-olds. Wish us luck. :)

We hear that people check into the blog from time to time. Hope all is well and keep in touch.

cousins, museum, zoo

We've had a lot of family and social gatherings the past few weeks. While Jason played at Festa Italiana, I got to watch our nephew, Sean, while Meghan and Bob went to Meghan's 20-year reunion for Waukesha South. The first picture is of Grandpa Gillette holding them before they went to bed. Grandma and Grandpa came over to play with the kids, too.

We had a rare family day...just Jason, Sarah and me at the Betty Brinn Childrens Museum.

The first picture is in the "Backyard" area for toddlers.

On the dance floor area

We went to the zoo yesterday with cousin Sean, Aunt Meghan, and Uncle Bob. Sarah loves saying Bob's name and doesn't like for him to leave the room. The zoo was packed, but we had an enjoyable time watching Sean's reactions to being at the zoo for the first time.

This picture is of Sarah watching the elephants being groomed and doing tricks in their indoor exhibit

Sean watching the elephants on Bob's shoulders

Sarah at the giraffe exhibit

The above picture is of Sean's 1st time on the merry-go-round. You can't quite tell in this picture, but he loved it! Bob took some great pictures of Sean smiling and having a great time.

The picture below is of Sarah's 2nd time on the merry-go-round and she cried quite loudly the entire ride. However, after it stopped she clapped and said, "Yay!" followed by, "MORE!". Go figure. It looks like I was crying, too. :)

I'm sure there's more to report, but I need to get some sleep. I have lots of packing to do tomorrow in order to get ready for our trip to Richmond.

Sad day to be a homeowner

Last Sunday Jason noticed a huge crack down the trunk of our gorgeous maple tree in front of our house. After a few estimates and tree experts who told us it couldn't be saved, we made the decision to take it down. I cried when we made the decision and I still have a sick feeling in my stomach. We loved that tree and felt terrible that we had to end its life. The tree people think that the tree took up a lot of water with the heavy rains a few weeks ago. Since it was at its fullest foilage, it couldn't handle the weight of the limbs and cracked down the center. They've seen a lot of trees like it this season.

The view from across the street

The crack down the trunk

Another view of the cracked trunk

It was such a great tree. The colors in the fall were beautiful

Trimming off the limbs

More trimming

It was such a tall tree.

The view from inside the kitchen this morning. Some neighbors came and hauled some of the wood away and friends of the workers hauled more away this afternoon. One of the guys busted his chainsaw so he has to come back later to finish off the trunk of the tree. I want to put a sign in our yard letting everyone know that the tree was cracked and couldn't be saved. I've seen some people drive by and shake their heads. What are ya gonna do?

Coming down the hill at the park by the Wilson Center in Brookfield

Our baby is growing up too fast!

The above photos were taken by our good friend, Andrea Warp (http://www.arwphotography.com/). Each photo shoot gets better and better. We had a perfect weather day. Sarah definitely did better for the outdoor pictures than she did for the indoor pictures. Running around suited her much better!

I can't believe it's already July 10th. The summer is cruising by so fast. We traveled down to my parents' in Iowa the weekend of June 21st to be at the 1st service in their new church building at St. Paul's Methodist Church in Williamsburg, IA. It was such a powerful day since we've witnessed the long road the church experienced to achieving this goal. Mom and Dad put a lot of sweat and tears into the process and it was a joyful day to be there for the first service. We were thankful that Williamsburg didn't experience the flooding but were sad to hear the stories of all those affected in nearby Iowa City/Coralville and Cedar Rapids.

Mom and Dad came up to Brookfield the following week to spend some much needed time away. Dad helped Jason get a lot of projects done around the house and Mom loved watching Sarah so I could get things done, as well. It was so lovely to have them here for more than a quick weekend now that Dad's retired. Sarah absolutely loved having them here and kept calling for them in the mornings after they left. The best part was watching her reach for both of their hands when she wanted to show them something. It would melt my heart.

We had a nice family get-together on the 4th of July. Ron, Ann, Meghan, Bob, and Sean joined my folks, Jason, Sarah, and me in celebrating the day. The cousins were in the baby pool for a short time together and had fun playing with the sidewalk chalk and the bubbles. It was such a beautiful day and we spent most of it outside. A bunch of us played croquette. Bob is definitely the croquette master! He won all three matches much to the chagrin of Jason and his dad (they're usually ultra-competitive....it's pretty funny actually). We tried giving the cousins a bath together, but Sean wasn't about to let that happen. He was a little freaked out by the strangeness of the tub. Put Sarah into the mix and forget about it. :) All in all, I'm glad it worked out for the family to spend a relaxing day together.

Jason is excited to go to the Cubs game tomorrow. I'm going to drop Sarah off at the grandparents' house so I can finally see "Sex in the City". I think Jason is actually a little disappointed that I'm going without him. Let that be our little secret. :)

The rest of the weekend is up in the air which is kind of nice. I think we'll finally take in the Brookfield Farmers' Market and go on a long bike ride now that we have the bike trailer put together. Sarah has been a couple of rides and seems to do well in it. We're also getting excited for our trip to Richmond to see Kim and Cleo. Kim can hardly wait to see Sarah.

That's all for now!

We love the summer!

Cooling off on the 4th of July

Playing with the balls

Uncle Bob, cousin Sean, Aunt Meghan, and Sarah