AtoZ

Merry Christmas 2011

2011-12-27T15:37:00.000-05:00

This year has been a busy one and I can't believe it is almost over already. Time sure does fly by when your days are filled with watching Zoe.
It has been a great year for us and we are most excited about moving into our new house. We have done a lot of work already and their is much more to do. We are working right now on organizing all of your stuff and weeding out the things we don't need and have gathered over the last 4 years of married. It is amazing the amount of "stuff" you can collect in just 4 years.
Christmas was wonderful and we got to spend the day at church, with Aaron's parents and then my parents. I love that we can spend a day with just family. What a wonderful blessing this time of year is. I'm so grateful for the family that loves and supports us. It is a real blessing to be close to those we love. We hope that everyone had a magical and wonderful Christmas.

A visit from Aunt Kira. It was so nice to see her for a few days.

Zoe got a tea set for Christmas from her pre-school class and she loves it. We have to have a tea party at least once a day.

Zoe was so happy to come downstairs and see a horse. She ran over to it and climbed up on and took the horse for a ride.

Zoe got her first doll house form Christmas. She was so funny and put the potty in the bathroom of the house and put the baby on the potty.

Zoe got a new hat for Christmas and now she looks like a lion.

The traditional picture in a Mormon home on Christmas. Everyone gathered around the computer/phone to talk to their beloved bother on a mission.

Zoe and Aura decided it was a pretty long day and so they layed down for a nice nap. The dog was the only one to actually nap.

The House that Katie and Aaron Fixed

2011-12-10T17:44:00.001-05:00

There was a lot of unfinished work in the house. Here he must have started to do something and then never came back to finish it.

Aaron was able to find the missing molding out in the garage. We was also able to find the molding that went around the window too.

There was only molding on one side of this doorway. So we took it out and Aaron built new molding to replace it.

This is the new molding around the doorway between the study and the living room.

This was the master bedroom with a wall between it and an office.

We took the wall out and made it into a large master bedroom.

Here is where they had an entertainment center that stuck out form the wall and looked like it was just right for someone to walk into and get hurt. So we took it down and Aaron replaced the molding.

We then painted it with our accent color and will put a new entertainment center in the corner.

The "pepto bismol" as we called it was primed and painted in our base tan color and then accented in our second color.

We did the doors and window trim in this room. It is the guest room.

We did not do the chimneys but hired that out. They look pretty good and the fire furnace works great.

Here is the study and the new carpet. It is so nice and warm.

We have been having a lot of fun as well as a lot of hard work. But it is paying off and coming together.

The House

2011-10-30T21:09:00.002-04:00

We have possession of the new house but we have not moved in yet. There is some work that needs to be done first. The stairs into the house where a major problem b/c one side had sunk into the ground which pulled everything down to one side. Aaron ripped the front steps off and replaced them with eight beautiful sturdy level ones. He is amazing.

Next we will be washing all the walls and getting ready to paint. We will also be taking out the floor on the sun porch b/c she has her cats out there and they used it as a liter box. We will put down a new floor with linoleum and then make a place for the washer and dryer so that I don't have to go down into the creepy dark basement to wash clothes. HEHEHE

We will also be adding a closet to the master bedroom to the side of this door. It will have shelves on the short side and a place to hang my dresses on the tall side.

Since we had to replace our shower and tub in the house we are in right now and it came out to well, I really want to do it again and replace the tub with one that has more room on the inside of it.

Here is the outside of the house. It is a great looking house and will be a wonderful place to raise Zoe and any other children that come along. It has just been neglected for some long, that with some TLC and time and money, it will be beautiful once again.

Zoe Skating

2011-09-26T21:52:00.001-04:00

Zoe is amazing. She picked up the bottom of her toy trains and turned them into roller skates. She is turning into a pro an now goes back and forth across the room. I wish she was as coordinated when she walks and runs as she s when she skates. Maybe she would stop falling down and getting bumps on her head.

Happy Second Birthday Zoe!

2011-09-06T15:43:00.026-04:00

I cannot believe that my baby girl is now 2 years old. She can even tell you she is 2 when you ask her how old she is. We had a very fun party at the farm. We invited a bunch of the kids from her nursery class at church and all their siblings. I brought my sisters outside play gyms to the backyard at the farm. The kids had a blast climbing all over them. I also made a "pin the baby duck on the mommy duck" game. The kids got to color their own baby duck and then my sister laminated them so the kids could take them home as a keep sake. We made hot dogs on the grill for lunch. After lunch we loaded up on the hay wagon and went for a hayride. I saw more than one big smile on the children from that activity. After the hayride we had the cutest little duck cupcakes for all the kids and a huge ice cream cookie sandwich for all the adults. I think everyone had a good time. I know Zoe did. She loves playing will other children.

The kids had a blast in the backyard.

Zoe just finishing putter up her baby duck.

The mama duck after all the kids had their turn.

Going for a hayride.

The cutest little ducky cupcakes.

Zoe eating her cupcake. She actually didn't eat any of it.

Zoe got a T-ball set for her birthday and she loves it.

A Day in the Life of Zoe

2011-07-23T10:44:00.006-04:00

Zoe is almost 2 now and she is no longer a baby. She is very active and very smart. We have been taking swimming lessons at the high school and she was doing great. That is until she discovered that they have letters all around the pool. Soon she had totally forgotten about kicking her feet and moving her arms. She started pointing and saying "P", "A", "L", "M", "A", "C", as I moved her around the pool. (Our local high school is Palmyra-Macedon and called Pal-Mac for short). It is cute and but not really what we are working on at swim class.

We have also been enjoying a play ground with some other mom's and kids from church once a week. This past week we went to the playground at the local primary school. Zoe has been there before and this time she was determined to do things on her own. I gave her a little more freedom and she did great. She figured out how to climb the stairs and go down the slides. She even climbed a ladder that went up about 6 feet to a platform. My sister saw her and got there just into time see Zoe reach the top and climb onto the platform. She is my little adventure with no fear. Thank goodness she has a high tolerance of pain.

Zoe climbing on the playground equipment.
Zoe enjoying some side walk chalking.
Look at those pig tails. So cute.
Trying to blow bubbles by herself.

Learning something new and so proud of herslef.

Summer Time Fun

2011-07-06T15:15:00.005-04:00

Summer is in full swing in upstate NY. We are having wonderful sunny and dry days which would be great for cutting hay but with all the hay done we could really use some rain to help with the garden.

Zoe has been up to her usual antics. She is taking swimming lessons right now and is doing really well. I think she is the best one in her class of two kids. HEHEHE

We spent most of the 4th of July weekend in Savannah helping Aaron's parents put up the pool. Aaron and his dad spend almost a whole day just getting things level and smoothed out. Then we came back a few days later and Aaron, his brother and dad with help from the younger ones put up the sides and smoothed out the sand and got everything ready for the liner to be put in. It was quite the process but it is up and so the next time we go visit his parents we might be able to go swimming if the water has warmed up some.

Here are a few pictures of some of the fun things Zoe has been up to.

Zoe Bug at her friend Adam's birthday party.

Getting ready to go for a ride in the cart. She has her water cup, football and crash helmet. She is good to go.

I made some pasta with butter and slat on it and Zoe thought I made it for her. She took my spoon and ate almost the whole thing.

Zoe and all her "bling".

Zoe has started to dress her self. She usually puts everything on her legs but this time she turned her pants into a hat.

This Seems Familiar

2011-05-17T21:12:00.005-04:00

On Mother's Day I got a present I didn't expect. Zoe feel and hit her head on the door and it immediately swelled up into a goose egg and turned black and blue. Zoe fall down? That never happens. Enough said.

Zoe's First Trip to the ER

2011-03-29T15:22:00.005-04:00

Zoe decided that it was to quiet and boring around the house on Monday morning so she thought that a trip the emergency room would be fun. I was sitting on the couch and Zoe was walking around the front room and as she walked by me she tripped on something, most likely her own feet, and fell face first into a wood dresser. I knew that she hit really hard and that she would start crying so I leaned over and picked her up. I look at her face and she already had blood coming out of her forehead. She was still taking in a big breath of air before the cry finally came out. I picked her up and jumped over the baby gate and grabbed the closest towel to put pressure on her head. Then I went to the bathroom and got the infant Tylenol and gave her some. Then I went to the kitchen and grabbed the ice pack. I went back over the baby gate and sat down on the couch with her. I called my sister b/c I was suppose to watch her two boys while she took her third boy to the doctors and said "Um, Zoe just hit her head and I think I need to take her to the Urgent Care Clinic so I can't watch your boys." She said that they don't open till 11am. So I put Zoe down and got dressed and then noticed that Zoe had stopped crying and was playing with the buckle on her high chair with blood running down her face. I got a band-aid and put it on which made her start to cry again b/c I took her away from the buckles. My mom called and said to pick her up on the way which we did. She drove us to the ER in her van and Zoe watched Elmo and was just fine. We got there and they took us in after about 20 minutes. They cleaned up her cut and measured it. The nurse gave me some medicine to hold on it to numb the cut so that the doctor could put some "derma-aid", which is medical super glue, on it. Zoe did really well until Aaron and I had to hold her down so that doctor could squeeze her cut shut and put glue in it. Hopefully, it will heal up without any problems and it will not leave a very big scar since it is right in the middle of her forehead. It is almost in the same spot as the scar in my forehead. A little dried blood on her face and she still looks cute. A cut on her head and she is till blowing kisses. All cleaned up and ready for the doctor.

Mommy holding the numbing medicine on Zoe's cut before the doctor puts the glue on.

All done and ready to go home.

My Little Photographer

2011-03-24T20:47:00.005-04:00

So I was downloading some pictures the other day and I came across some that I didn't recognize. Come to find out that Little Miss Zoe unzipped the camera bag, got the camera out, turned it on and took some pictures. I guess I need to make sure that I keep the camera out of reach for now on. She did take some pretty cute pictures and it makes some good memories. Here are some of Zoe's first pictures.

An amazing picture of my water bottle. It is even in focus!
Here is a close up of the snap on the front of her sleeper.
A beautiful shot up the nose and of the ceiling. I love that you can see her curly hair behind her.

Almost in focus. What a beautiful chin she has.

Finally we see the her. My little girl that gets into everything. Oh how I love her.

Baby Stepping

2011-03-12T17:21:00.004-05:00

I'm baby stepping to update my blog. Yesterday was my birthday and I had a great day. I had an hour massage in the morning which was wonderful. Then Zoe and I went to see Aaron at work and say "Hi" to his co-workers. After that we went shopping and then met Aaron for a yummy lunch. Zoe took a 2 hour nap and I got to organize her clothes. When Aaron got home I went and picked up the babysitter. We went to dinner and then to the local high school to see their play. They did Grease and it was pretty good. The only thing that bothered me about it was that they seemed to have scene changes every 3 minutes. It felt like there wasn't move flow to the play b/c of it. Not sure if that is the way it always is or just how the high school versions are. All in all it was a pretty good day and I had a lot of fun.

Such a Slacker

2011-02-22T10:40:00.005-05:00

OK so I'm not very good at updating my blog. I need to repent and start putting more pictures and videos up to share with friends and family. Here are a few pictures from January and February. I signed Zoe up for a first time fun class at the YMCA and she really likes it. I think I might sign her up for a toddler gymnastics class soon. She has a lot of energy and loves to climb on things so I thought I might as well put it to good use and get her working on hand eye coordination. Maybe it would help her not fall down so much and hurt herself.
Speaking of falling down. Zoe was walking in the snow as we where going down to feed the animals and she totally just fell over. My brother thought it looked like she had be run over since she is laying on a tire track.

Zoe climbing on the stuff at the YMCA. She has a lot of fun and enjoys the chance to climb on stuff and not be told no all the time.

We went to the National Museum of Play in Rochester. She had a lot of fun at the Wegman's Grocery store. She picked a bunch of fruits and veggies . It was really cute.

Zoe is working on her animal skills. Here she is braking in Patches. I wonder if they have Pygmy Goat riding in 4H?

Aaron, Zoe and I went sledding in my sisters backyard. We had a lot of fun. Zoe loved it. We have since been sledding in our backyard and she is able to go down the little hill by herself. She is getting to be such a big girl.

Merry Christmas

2010-12-17T08:44:00.003-05:00

I can't wait for Christmas this year. Zoe is at a great stage where she can enjoy it but not to the point where she just wants the next thing to open and doesn't care about the thing she just opened. I know that she is ready because I made the mistake and left some presents under the tree and Zoe helped herself to opening one of them. She got all the paper off by herself. What a smart little girl. Aaron and I got her a small cleaning cart with a working vacuum cleaner. I'm really hoping that she likes it and can take over the vacuuming of the front room. HEHEHE

We hope that you all have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Love, KT, Aaron and Zoe

Halloween 2010

2010-11-05T08:27:00.004-04:00

I have discovered that Zoe loves beads. She has always put things over her head and now I know that she just want to wear some necklaces. She walked around with these on for days.

My little heifer already to go to "Trick or Treat on Main Street" in Palmyra. She could care less about the candy but had a wonderful time walking around with her cousins.

In the stroller and ready to go to main street to trick or treat.

Zoe and her cousins. Notice she is the only one that had to be "helped" to sit still for the picture. She was having to much fun walking around town.

Since Zoe's birthday she has started walking, cut about 8 teeth and got a job. She gets to test the tests they give to kids to see if they are accurate. She thinks she is just playing games and then she either gets a check or a gift card. I always joked about once my kids could walk I would put them to work. I guess it came true. She helps me feed the animals and loves to pull grass or gather leaves and feed to the goats through the fence. I'm so happy that I got a girl that loves animals even if she seems to be a "girly girly". She can wear her necklaces and still drive a tractor. HEHEHE

Happy Birthday Zoe!

2010-09-01T10:20:00.003-04:00

Our little baby is all grown up! One year old and ready to take on the world. She is so close to walking that any minute she will let go and just take off. She tries to run instead of walk and so she is getting a few more bumps and bruises. She had a wonderful birthday party on Saturday. We had a BBQ with just family and then opened her presents and then had a "small" bonfire. Our bonfires are never small and this was so big I think you could have seen it from space. Zoe loved it.

On her actually birthday yesterday we went to my softball game and then out to dinner with the team. We had then bring a piece of peanut butter pie with a candle in it and they sang Happy Birthday to her. She loved it. Aaron and I loved the pie.

I just can't believe how fast a year has gone by. Next thing you know she will be off to school and then college. I don't even want to think about it.

Zoe eating her Elmo balloon.

Getting into her birthday cake.

Eating yummy blueberry muffins instead of her birthday cake.

Opening her presents and enjoying all the new things to play with.

Celebrating her birthday with the softball team. Happy to be 1 year old.

11 months old!

2010-08-01T22:10:00.005-04:00

I cannot believe that Zoe is 11 months old already! Time really does fly by. Zoe is getting so close to walking. She pulls herself up to everything and walks along it. Any day now she will just let go and start walking. Here are a few pictures over the last month. She sure is a fun girl.

Mommy's future softball star. I bought this outfit b/c it was on sale for $2 thinking it would be great for a boy when we have him but Zoe messed her outfit and it was thing only thing I had to change her into. She looks like a boy in this but she is still very cute. I wonder if this is what Noah will look like when he gets here?

Zoe has discovered the tractors at the farm. She sits right at the edge of the seat and turns the wheel and even pulls the bucket leaver. A future farmer for sure.

She loves to go for rides with Grandma Dee on her John Deere lawn mower. She also likes to steer it by herself. What a big brave cleaver girl.

My niece Caitlin took some wonderful pictures of Zoe when we where visit her family in Virginia. I just love how they turned out. Zoe is so cute and Caitlin did a wonderful job at catching her cuteness.

A great shot of her blue eyes and her cute little freckle on her head. Thanks again for the pictures Caitlin.

Zoe's First John Deere Tractor

2010-07-06T20:52:00.008-04:00

Aaron and I went to the farm store yesterday and when we where there we saw a John Deere ride on tractor. It is supposed to be for kids who are at least 18 months old but we thought that we could get it now and Zoe's cousin Jacob could use it until she got older. So we bought it and Aaron put it together. We let Zoe see it so she could turn the steering wheel and she got right on it and started to ride it. I couldn't believe she could ride it since she is only 10 months old! She did so well and she could even turn it to get around the couch and things on the floor. What a big brave clever girl.

Springtime in NY

2010-06-14T11:03:00.003-04:00

Zoe has been really enjoying the springtime and warm weather. She loves getting out and experiencing new things. Here are a few of the fun things we are doing.

Going for a walk with daddy. She loves this backpack because she can see everything that is going on.
Summertime fun in the pool with cousins David, Benjamin and Jacob. She loved it when they would run around and jump in the water to make it splash.

While Aaron and I where babysitting my sisters boys Zoe found some play glasses. Now all we have to do is draw a lightening bolt on her forehead and she could be "Zoe Potter".

Driving mommies remote control car. Yes she is really driving it herself. She loved it!

Quality time with daddy and his apple. She has 8 teeth and she knows how to use them.

Zoe and Savannah

2010-05-21T18:34:00.002-04:00

Aaron's parents have two Golden Retrievers, Savannah and Cheerio and everytime we go to visit Zoe just has to play with them. Zoe loves Savannah and Savannah loves Zoe. Last time we went to visit Aaron's parent's Savannah was laying on the floor and when Zoe finally spotted her she crawled over to see her. Savannah was so good and just let Zoe crawl all over her. She didn't even move! It was so cute.

Lilacs

2010-05-12T09:04:00.003-04:00

Spring is here and so the lilacs are out. Susan, the boys, Zoe and I went to Highland Park last week to see and smell the lilacs. It was wonderful to be out and enjoying the world around us. The boys had fun racing to the top of the hill, Zoe had a blast trying to eat every lilac she could reach and Susan and I had a great time doing something other than going to Wal-mart or to the farm to play. Now we just have to find something to do this week.

I love this lilac with it's two tone color. It also smells so good.

Zoe trying to get some food, I mean lilacs.

"This one looks good enough to eat."

"I think I'll try it."

"This is so good. Can I have some more please?"

Summer Has Arrived

2010-05-05T10:49:00.006-04:00

Zoe is loving the outdoors. She loves to go for walks in her stroller around the farm. She also loves the new tree swing Aaron but up. She just wants to go, go, go. In her mind she is ready to walk but her body is not quite where yet. She pulls herself up to everything and then just lets go and falls over. She then gets mad that she feel over. I'm sure that she will be walking very soon. I already need a baby gate because she crawls all over the place and tries to eat the cat food or play in the litter box or even pull herself up to the bath tub and try to get in. There is never a dull moment with Zoe. Where are some pictures of her latest adventures.

Zoe is in the stage where she wants to feed herself. She does fine with finger foods but is still pretty messing with baby food. She sure had a lot of fun though.

Going for a ride in the stroller. I can put her in the stroller and she comes with me to feed the animals. She loves to watch the chickens and get kisses from the llamas.

Sporting a tractor hat on a sunny walk around the farm.

Enjoying her tree swing and getting tickled with a cherry blossom from daddy.

Our happy little family in the Sacred Grove.

What Can I Say... Zoe Is SOOOOO Cute!

2010-04-15T15:31:00.006-04:00

Here are some pictures of Zoe from the last few weeks. It is amazing how time gets away from you when you have kids. I take back everything I ever said about people not putting up new stuff on their blogs very often. I have now turned into one of those people. I will try harder to do better.

My vampire baby. Her right front tooth has finally come in.

This is Zoe doing some Yoga. Her Cobra.

And Downward Facing Dog.

Showing the cow veterinarians how to put on their sleeves.

Enjoying a walk in her walker. She still only goes backwards.

Bubbles

2010-04-05T09:34:00.004-04:00

Zoe blowing bubbles in the car in the way to Indiana to meet her Aunt, Uncle and Cousins

Utah

2010-03-04T20:26:00.005-05:00

Sorry it has been so long. It is crazy how fast time flies. I will try to do better at posting on the blog. Last month Zoe and I took a trip to Utah to attended the 30th birthday party of one of my roommates from Utah State University. She has terminal cancer and so her friends wanted to throw her a big party to celebrate her life. It was so wonderful to see all the people that showed up in support of her and her family. I'm so glad that I was able to go and see her again.

I was able to see a few friends and some family while I was there which was also nice. It was a short trip and there are so many people I know it Utah so I'm sorry if I didn't get to see you while I was there.

Zoe did so well on the trip. I was so nervous about taking her on the plane but she was an angel. Everyone kept commenting on how well she was being. She even fell asleep during take off. She also did great with all the driving and the different houses and people that we visited while in Utah. She is such a people person. I'm not sure where she gets it from.

Who Needs a Crib?

2010-01-24T22:44:00.003-05:00

The other day I was washing dishes and so I put Zoe in her Johnny Jump Up in the doorway of the kitchen so that she could see me. She was having a great time jumping and making all her new sounds. I noticed that she was rubbing her eyes and figured that it was about time for her to take a nap but I only had a few dishes let. I was almost done and I realized that she was being very quiet. As I turned around I found my little baby totally asleep standing up. It was so funny. She stayed asleep long enough for Aaron and I to get some great pictures of her before I moved her to her swing to sleep. And so starts the collection of photos to show on her first date. I love kids. They are so entertaining. HEHEHE

Cousins and Friends

2010-01-19T19:27:00.003-05:00

My sister wanted me to take a picture of her three boys and Zoe. So we sat all four of them down and started to take some pictures. The first one was great and then Jacob, my sister's youngest, started to cry and would not stop. What fun that was. Susan's boys really love Zoe and it is so cute to see them together. They should have a lot of fun when they grow up.

Santa Claus is coming to Town

2009-12-21T22:15:00.003-05:00

Earlier this month my mom, sister Susan with her 3 boys and Zoe and I went to the mall to see Santa. My sisters oldest son David, had been talking about how he was going to tell Santa that he wanted a Hess truck for Christmas. He kept saying that he wanted a spaceship one that he saw at a friends house but we kept telling him that they change every year and this years one was not a spaceship. So David finally gets to sit on Santa's knee and what does he tell Santa that he wants? He starts talking about the train track that he just saw at Target before we came to the mall. Susan was like "and a Hess truck." Thinking to herself, "you better ask for the Hess truck because we already got it for you." David finally says that he wants a Hess truck but that he wants the spaceship one. Well, this Santa was on the ball and told David that they change the trucks every year and this years one is a race car. That Santa should get a raise I tell you.

After the boys all got a chance to sit on Santa's knee Zoe took a turn. She did pretty well. No crying. I hope she told him that she wanted a John Deere toy tractor because that is what is in her stocking. SSSSHHHHH! Don't tell her.

Trip to Canada

2009-12-16T22:21:00.002-05:00

We were finally able to take a trip to Canada this last weekend to see Aaron's grandparents. Grandma and Grandpa Hale had not meet Zoe yet and so it was an exciting visit for them. Zoe was a great girl while we drove and slept both up and back from Canada. That made it very nice for Aron and I. Grandma loved holding Zoe and only gave her back when she would fuse. Grandpa refused to hold her until she is at least a year old. I think he thought she was cute but he doesn't hold small babies. We had a very nice visit and even got to do some sight seeing. We visited the near by town of Kingston. It is very nice and reminds me a little of England. I went there looking for really English chocolate but no luck. Canada chocolate will have to do. We did have some nasty weather as we drove up to Canada and some wet weather on the way back. I understand now why Grandma doesn't like to visit in the winter time.

We are looking forward to our first Christmas as a little family. Don't tell Zoe but she is getting her first John Deere Toy Tractor. It is never to early to get her hooked on tractors.

Cousins

2009-12-04T09:21:00.004-05:00

I was taking pictures of Susan's boys for her Christmas letter the other day and thought that I would get some of Zoe as well. So I sat her up in her bumbo and started taking pictures. Soon Susan's youngest son, Jacob crawled over and gave Zoe the biggest hug. It was so cute. Later he brought over her binky and tried to put it in her mouth. I think these two will be great friends. How fun to grow up with cousins just around the corner.

Tom's in the Cemetery

2009-11-21T17:07:00.002-05:00

Aaron and I went to Long Island to visit his Grandmother and Aunts last weekend. We had a very nice visit and they got to meet Zoe for the first time. We ended up taking Grandma to the national cemetery so that we could see Grandpa's grave site. While we were there we came across a group of Tom turkeys. It was really neat to see them walking though the headstones of all the brave men and women who have served in the armed forces. What a great sight.

Halloween

2009-11-01T15:21:00.002-05:00

Zoe was the cutest little frog for Halloween. My sister Karen sent her the costume. The frog one fit better than the cow she she was a frog with a cow coat. Or the cow that swallowed a frog.

Mooooo!

2009-10-25T22:21:00.002-04:00

Zoe got this great cow costume from my sister Karen. Isn't she so cute? It is a little big but it works great as a coat over her other clothes. Thank you so much Karen. She is the cutest little heifer ever!

Zoe's Blessing

2009-10-16T21:15:00.002-04:00

Aaron gave Zoe her blessing on Sunday. It wasn't a very long blessing but it said everything it needed too. That she will be able to return to her Heavenly Father in glory. That is what we are here for so it was perfect. She was very well behaved. She slept through it all which was great.

Aaron's sister, Kira, made Zoe's blessing dress which was absolutely beautiful. She made my wedding dress and had some extra material. She also used the same trim as she used on my wedding dress. Kira defiantly has a great talent with a sewing machine. Thanks again Kira.

Zoe's First Road Trip

2009-10-07T10:31:00.002-04:00

This is a public health announcement for everyone who reads my blog. There are a lot of nasty little bugs out there and you should guard yourself against them. My mom was hit hard last week by the travel bug and they only cure was to go on a road trip. She had the crazy idea of going on a road trip and not only taking me and Zoe but having my sister Susan and her 3 boys come along too. We were trying to decide where to go and thought that our first should be to Boston to see our friend Trina. It was only 6 1/2 hours away but figured that it would take about 8 hours. Dad thought that we were crazy but as it turns out everyone did great. Zoe slept most of the time. She loves going fast and did best at about 70 mph. David and Benjamin took turns picking which DVD's to watch so they were happy and entertained. Jacob had the hardest time but even he did pretty well. We got a hotel near Plymouth, MA so we had the opportunity to visit Plymouth Rock and the Mayflower replica ship. The boys loved going on the Mayflower but I think they liked the pool at the hotel more. It was a quick trip but it was nice to see Trina and it was a beautiful time of year to drive with all the trees changing colors.

Bring Your Daughter to Work Day

2009-09-17T09:17:00.005-04:00

After I found out I was pregnant I quit the dairy and started working for the dairy vet in the office. I did everything from filing paperwork, doing inventory, filling drug orders and anything else that needed to be done. One of the projects I was helping with was entering data collected every 3 months from 3 different farms. I would put all the data in the computer and make various graphs from it. It took some time at first but once I got all the formulas figured out and which graphs to use I could get it all done in no time. Well, the time at come for the next round of data to be put in the computer and being that I am so familiar with it I went into work on it. I've been cleared to drive now so I strapped Zoe in the car seat and away we went. So fell asleep in about one minute and slept most of the time at the clinic. When we got home I took some pictures to remember her first day at work.(I love this purple outfit. I'm glad that they have more than just pink for little girls.) Zoe has been a happy baby and I hope that the trend continues. I'm enjoying her smiles, weather from gas or not, she has the cutest smile.

A New Diet

2009-09-12T16:17:00.002-04:00

So I found the best diet ever. I've lost 25 pounds in 12 days and all I had to do was have a baby. Pretty cool don't you think? The only down side is that you usually gain weight when you are pregnant. Not sure what to do about that part but I'm loving being on the losing weight side now.

A Day at the Farm

2009-09-09T08:23:00.004-04:00

Zoe was 5 days old and I thought it was about time to introduce her to the animals at the farm. She needs to get familiar with them so that when she is old enough to walk she can help me with the chores. The llamas where of course very interested in meeting her. The goats didn't know what to think. Kimchi, our nubian, was the only goat who had any interest in her. She of course did very well with them. A natural born animal lover. At least, all the animals seem to love her. My cat Mister has taken in upon himself to be her guardian. He watches over her at night time. He sits next to her bassinet and looks in at her while she sleeps. I've found him sleep in the bassinet and her feet a few times. I don't really like the thought of him sleeping in there with her since she only weighs 6lbs and he is about 11lbs. Nothing like being out weighted by the cat almost 2 to 1. So now I have put a blanket next to her bassinet for Mister. He seems to know that it was put there for him because he has taken to it right away.

I can't believe that I'm a mom and have such a beautiful little girl. I can't remember what it was like without her. (Except for the fact that I can't drive yet and can't lift more than 15lbs.) I'm looking forward to learning from her as much if not more than I can teach her. What an exciting adventure this will be.

Welcome Baby Zoe!

2009-09-03T20:50:00.002-04:00

After a very long weekend in the hospital Zoe Marie Zsembery finally made her entrance into this world. She weighted in at a whopping 6 pounds and 11 ounces and a total of 19 and 1/2 inches from head to toe. Not quite the baby size I was expecting. I really thought that I would have a larger than normal baby since I was a very big baby. We were not prepared for such a small bundle of joy and will now have to go out and get some new born clothes instead of the 0 to 3 month clothes we have on hand now.

Since no one has the time to read the whole story of the 60 hours I spent in the hospital I will sum it up for you.

Friday 3 PM - Checked into the hospital.

Friday 6 PM- Medicine to help get my body ready to be induced. No food, clear liquids. Slept every little

Saturday AM - Started Pitcon

Saturday Afternoon - Contractions but mot much progress

Saturday PM - Only at 2 centimeters, stopped pitocin. Was able to have dinner, a cheeseburger never tasted so good. Got different medicine to help jump start things. Slept some.

Sudany AM - Started Pitocin again. Contractions but not much progress

Sunday Afternoon - Stripped my membranes. More contractions but only got to 3 centimeters.

Sunday PM - Broke my water. Fast and furious contractions at 2 to 3 minutes apart. At 4 centimeters now. Nubane to help with pain.

Sunday Late PM - Nubane wore off, still at a 4. Epidural since this will be a long night.

Monday Very Early AM - Got sick and started feeling contractions again. Epidural IV tube disconnected. Reconnected epidural but still feeling pain. Still at 4 centimeters. Decided to wait 2 more hours to see if things change.

Monday 3 AM - Epidural wore off, Got sick again, lots of pain, still at a 4. Stopped the pitocin and the contractions stopped almost immediately. Call OR and started to get ready for C-section.

Monday 3:15 AM - Got bumped by a women that came in 2 hours ago in labor. She pushes for awhile and has a baby. Can we say frustrated?

Monday 4 AM - Wheeled into OR. Not the way I had planned it but whatever gets her here safely.

Monday 4:31 AM - Zoe Marie Zsembery enters this world.

So after being in the hospital for 60 hours, receiving three liters of pitocin and having a c-section, I finally got my baby girl. I hope the next ones come much easier than her.

9 Months Could Be Coming To An End Soon

2009-08-28T00:13:00.002-04:00

I guess my body has decided that it is done being pregnant and just wants to get back to the way things where before. The only problem is that it is going about it all wrong. After several weeks of increasing blood pressure the doctor send me to the hospital for a non-stress test and blood work. The baby passed the test just fine. She doesn't seem to have notice the change in my blood pressure so far. But I totally failed the urine test and my blood pressure just kept bouncing all around. So we are meeting with the doctor tomorrow to discuss inducing. I have no problem with that as long as it is for the best interest of me and the baby and not just for convenience for them. I so wanted to start "naturally" but whatever it takes to get her here healthy is fine by me. We shall keep you posted.

Mister's Turn to Sleep

2009-08-25T11:26:00.002-04:00

We picked up a swing for the baby from my sisters last night and just set it on the floor for the evening. I was going to put it up today but as I was getting ready I found Mister already trying it out. I didn't even get a chance to cover it before he was in it. What is it about sleeping in something that is not meant for you. We got a cat bed last year for the cats and they never used it. I guess we should have just set up the baby crib sooner.

New Entertainment for the Cats

2009-08-22T11:42:00.004-04:00

I thought that I should do something to keep the cats occupied instead of sleeping in all the baby places. I had gotten a fish tank for David when he came home from church with a gold fish a few months ago. The fish gave up the ghost about a month ago and so I got the tank back. We have had it sitting in the front room empty for a few weeks and so finally I got some fish to put in it the other day. We know have 3 guppies(1 male and 2 females) and an algae eater. The cats love it! Mister finally moved aside so that Aggie could get up to see them and talk to them. I hope that it keeps them entertained when the baby comes home. I've forgotten how much I love fish tanks. I was laying on the couch watching them the other night and found myself falling asleep. We haven't come up with names yet so if you have an suggestions feel free to comment on what you think they should be.

Getting Ready for the Baby.

2009-08-14T11:16:00.003-04:00

Aaron and I have been busy the last few days getting everything ready for Zoe to arrive. We have the corner of our room turned into a nursery. Not much room in our little house so we have to make due with the baby being with us for awhile. We have the bassinet sitting in the crib to save space. We where able to fit a rocking chair and changing table as well. Aaron set up a lamp for me with a blue light so I can have some light to nurse and change the baby's diapers at night but not so much light as to wake him up. He was very grateful for this. I just couldn't see but of us having to be awake at night.

So with all the new things for the baby the cats have taken it upon themselves to "test" it all out. I've put blankets over everything so that the cats can sleep in them without leaving cat hair on the sheets the baby will be on. I did however find one baby thing I forgot to cover. We have a vibrating chair downstairs for the baby to sleep in during the day and I found Aggie "testing" it out this morning. She was curled up with a stuffed dog that Aaron gave my for valentine's day. It was so cute. I guess I need to get another blanket.

What Do Dreams Mean Anyways?

2009-08-06T12:25:00.005-04:00

Our last ultrasound was when I was only 18 weeks pregnant. They gave us only 80% that is was a girl. I was OK with that but between then and now I've had several dreams that I was having a boy. It really confused me and made me think it was just a shy boy. Well we had another ultrasound last night to make sure the baby was head down which it was. In fact, since it was head down we were able to get a good look at who it was. It is most definitely a girl. So I'm not sure why I had all these dreams about having a boy unless Noah just wants to make sure that I don't stop at one child.

We are so excited to meet Zoe. We were able to get some 4-D pictures of her and I think she looks like me already. HEHEHE It was hard to get a clear picture of her face because of the placement of the placenta and the fact that she is so far down. If anyone wants to guess on when I will deliver, the weight, length and time I will add you to our list. Whoever gets the closest will get a cheesy gift.

Time with Friends

2009-07-21T15:42:00.004-04:00

My good friend Sherilyn Wilson come to visit this last weekend. We met about 11 years ago when she was serving as a missionary here. She is the one that talked me into going to Utah State. She is also the one that I went to talk to my senior year of college and told her that I think I needed to go on a mission. Even though we have not been in touch all the time, it is a friendship that can pick up right were it was last time we were together. It has been about year since I've seen here. In fact Aaron and I spent the night at her house in Logan when we were in Utah last June for my sisters Karen's wedding. This time it was Sherilyn that came and stayed at our house. We had a very nice visit. She and her friend Leslie were going on a church history tour and started in Palmyra. The were then on their way to Kirtland, Nauvoo and Independence. I'm a little jealous since I've yet to go to the Nauvoo temple. Maybe someday.
I'm truly grateful for good friends that last the test of time. Friends that will be there for you know matter what. May we all be blessed with such good friends.

Question of the Week.

2009-07-02T21:58:00.005-04:00

So I'm almost 8 months pregnant and I'm still playing softball once a week. I've given up being the catcher this year and have lately just been hitting. I'll usually hit and get to first or second and then have a pinch runner come in for me. Last week Aaron brought the camera and took some photos of the team. I had this one great hit and made it out to second base. As you look at the picture it is all baby first. Which leads me to my question...

Can you have shaken baby syndrome before the baby is born?

My running doesn't seem to bother the baby. In fact, it usually goes to sleep from the rocking motion. I'll will play for a few more weeks as long as it continues to not hurt.

10 Weeks and Counting

2009-06-24T14:27:00.003-04:00

Here is the latest picture that I have showing my little baby bump. It was from about a month ago. I'm starting to show much more now. We have had some very exciting events over the last few days. I had my first Braxton Hicks contraction on Sunday night. It was so interesting. Not painful but weird to feel how tight my uterus could get. Like a big hug for the baby. I hope that this a sign that my body will go into labor without being induced. Both my sisters Susan and Karen did not have much success with being induced and I would like to avoid it if I could.

On Monday we started our first baby class. It is so great to be around other first time parents and know that I'm not the only one having back pain and getting up all the time to use the bathroom. The best part of it is that Aaron and I can take the class together. We get 2 hours a week to be together and focus on this new adventure that awaits us.

On Tuesday evening we were practicing the exercises and massages we learned. After which we were looking at how big my belly has gotten and feeling for the baby. We found it in the usual spot and as Aaron had his hand on my belly the baby moved and Aaron was able to fell if for the first time. He was so excited. I can't wait to see his face when the baby gets here since I can't imagine he could have a bigger smile than what he had last night. I guess we shall soon see.

Till We Meet Again

2009-06-16T17:15:00.003-04:00

I had been home for almost a week when we got the news that Grandpa Zsembery had died. He had had a massive heart attack. Aaron and I had just been down there for Easter and to tell him and grandma about their little great grandchild. They were so excited. It is their first great grandchild. One of the first things that grandpa said was “well Aaron, at least we know you are not shooting blanks.” It was so funny. That is how I will always remember grandpa.

We ended up driving Aaron’s parents 15 passenger van down with all the kids. We left at 5:30 in the morning so that we could get down there and be in time for the family viewing. The one good thing about this was that I finally got to meet the rest of Aaron’s cousins and his uncle from Virginia. Grandpa went so unexpectedly and fast that it is hard for everyone else but it is the best for him. He had just found out the he needed to go from his cane to a walker. He was not happy. But I could sense him at the viewing and he was happy to be free from his physical body which was holding him back.

Grandpa Zsembery was a Chief and Commissioner for the Holbrook Fire Department. They did a very nice ceremony for him at the evening viewing. The next day we went to the fire hall and the whole family was taking in the Chief vehicles’ and fire department bus to the viewing home and then onto the funeral. The funeral was at the Catholic church that grandpa attended. The strange thing was that I didn’t feel grandpa there as I had in the funeral home at his viewings. It was cold and sad. After the funeral we all loaded up in the fire department vehicles’ and headed to the cemetery. Since he was a veteran, we was buried at the veterans’ cemetery on the end of Long Island. As we drove there we went under American flags that were hung from two fire trucks on either side of the road. It was so cool and what an honor for grandpa.

Grandma was so proud of her future great grandchild. She told everyone there how excited grandpa was about being a great grandfather. Grandma would not let me do anything and she would always pat my belly and say to take care of her great grandchild. Aunt Maryanne and Aunt Marjorie want to know when the baby comes so that they can bring grandma up to see the baby. I told grandma that she can’t go anywhere so that she can be here for the baby. Grandpa will be there I’m sure of it.

Almost 7000 Miles in 3 Weeks

2009-06-09T20:12:00.005-04:00

Last month mom and I drove across country to my niece Caitlin’s wedding. We had a nice drive and we were able to stop along the way. We stopped at my sister Tracy’s house in Missouri. It was the first time we had been to her house. We had a good time bird watching and resting from our trip. We then stopped in Colorado and visited with my mom’s sister and their cousins. After a few days there we finished out our trip and made it to Utah.

It was so great to be there for Caitlin and Morgan. What a wonderful experience it was. I'm so happy for them and wish them as much happiness as Aaron and I've had so far. The picture of Caitlin and Morgan and their "shot gun wedding" picture was just for fun. The baby is my sisters youngest, Jacob. It was just so cute I couldn't resist.

The original plan was to go visit my brother Kevin in California and then go home. But we ended up taking Nancy and Alli home to Florida. Alli did not do very well on the plane ride to Utah and Nancy was not looking forward to the flight back. So instead we loaded them into the van and drove home by way of Florida. We stopped in Missouri and spend a day at Tracy’s again. Nancy had wanted to go to Tracy’s so it worked out well. I made Tracy drive me to Oklahoma so that I could say I've been there. We then headed onto Florida. We spent a day there to recover and then headed home. It really worked out well because I’ve always wanted to drive through all the 48 continental states and I was missing a lot from the south. Now I’m only missing New Mexico, Kentucky and Louisiana.

Fun on the Farm

2009-04-15T15:15:00.008-04:00

We got two new baby chickens a few months ago. They are getting so big now. We ended up calling them Buttercup and Westley from The Princess Bride. They were hatched at my in-laws farm during the winter. They were getting to big for their cage in the house so we brought them home to our heated coop. One of our older chickens ended up "adopting" them. It was so cute. We are picking up more chicks next week from the farm store and are hoping that the mama hen will adopt them so we don't have to raise them in the house for 6 weeks.

Below is a picture of your silly duck, Coronal Sanders. He thinks he is a chicken. Or at least a roster. He has this Golden Comet as his girlfriend. It is so funny to watch him walk around with the chickens and quack. We put him in the pond every once in awhile and he takes a bath and then hops out and waddles back up to the barnyard to his chicken friends.

How to Clean Behind Your Ear

2009-04-03T17:54:00.004-04:00

My cats Aggie and Mister are getting along so well these days. She loves to mother him and he is young enough that he lets her. (He just had his first birthday last week.) Whenever they get close Aggie has to clean his head or behind his ears. There are some pictures of her giving his head a good cleaning. He is so good to just take it. When Aggie was at the farm with my sisters cat Simon, he would let her clean his head for about a minute and then he would start attacking her. Needless to say she likes Mister a lot more than Simon.

A Funny Thing Happened After Church Today

2009-03-29T13:40:00.003-04:00

Aaron and I were sitting on the couch enjoying some left over pizza. We of course had already changed out of our church closes. So as we sat enjoying the cheesy goodness I noticed a women walking down our driveway and then heard a knock on the door. Aaron got up to see who it was. As he opened the door some Jehovah's Witnesses handed him a pamphlet and said that it was about things that are going to happen. That is all they said. Then they left. Aaron came back and told me what happened. As we sat there thinking about how that they didn't say any more than that, I suddenly noticed the shirt Aaron was wearing. It read "Eat, Sleep, Be Mormon! Eating and sleeping optional." We but started laughing. It could not have been better if he had planned it.

Happy Birthday to Me!

2009-03-11T10:22:00.004-04:00

Today is the big 30. I don't really care about turning 30. I don't feel 30 and I've heard that you are only has old as your feel. So I guess I would say that I'm still 25. Although, I defiantly feel pregnant. I was able to sleep in today which was a great blessing. When I did wake up I took a nice refreshing shower. As I was getting dress I had this overwhelming feeling that I needed to throw up. Having not eaten breakfast I knew this should be fun. So after that I had some toast and was ready to face the day. What a way to start your birthday, kneeling before the porcelain god.

Tagged by Karen

2009-02-28T17:57:00.003-05:00

This is my 6th picture from my 6th folder in my pictures. It is of a YSA activity in England. We were playing Uno Attack. I'm shuffling the cards in my usual way which means that everyone is being flipped off. Look closely at my hands. HEHEHE

Hot Time in the Old Town

2009-02-28T17:12:00.004-05:00

The other day I was eating breakfast on my couch and saw an ambulance and a fire truck go speeding by. I thought thought nothing of it and finished my breakfast and then headed off to the farm to feed the animals. My mom called and said that the road was blocked off right after our house. So I drove over to the farm and told the fireman that was blocking off the road that I was going to a house on this side of the road block. He let me go through and as I got closer to the farm I saw all the fire trucks and a few ambulances parked in the middle of the road. The house on the other side of the road was engulfed in flames and firefighters were all over the road. Smoke was pouring of the front windows as the firefighters where climbing up the latter to the roof to open up holes and let the smoke out. Mom and I sat in the front room window and watched it all. They fought the fire for about 2 and 1/2 hours before it was out. The house is still standing but it is nothing but an empty shell. I found out later that in was started but a clothes dryer that was on the front enclosed parch. Unfortunately, 3 bull dogs did not make it.

I was thinking about all the things that are lost in a fire like that. All the memories that where made in it, all the pictures from over the years and all the important documents like a marriage or birth certificates. Those are things that can't be replaced. You can always get another can opener or blender but it is impossible to get other more important things back. It made think what I would want to take on the way out(if I had the time). Of course I would want to get my husband and cats out but other then living things I'm not sure what I would take.

We're Having a Baby!

2009-02-18T20:03:00.003-05:00

So the exciting news of 2009 is that Aaron and I are going to have a baby! I'm due the end of August. I always said that I didn't want to be really pregnant in the hottest part of summer. SO wouldn't you know it, that is what appended. Very funny Heavenly Father. If that is how you work then, I would hate to have some more money in bank account then I should. Go ahead, get me with that one.

We will be finding out weather it is a boy or a girl. I hate not knowing what to call it. I would like to be able to call it by name and talk to it. What an exciting adventure. Like have an anchor with a diaper. We will never be able to go out again.

Saying Good-Bye to Danny Boy

2009-02-09T11:26:00.006-05:00

Last week was a very difficult one. Aaron and I were feeding the animals at my parents farm when I noticed something was wrong with Danny Boy. He always walked funny because of the hip deformation that he was born with. But this was something different. He looked much worse. He wasn't interested in eating grain which is very unusual. The next day I was really sick so my dad went and feed the animals. I called him to see how everyone was and he told me that Danny Boy didn't even move. This is not good. The next morning I feed the animals and saw that Danny Boy was stilling not very well. He was walking but very slowly and not very much. So I put him by the water and gave him some hay. I came back later that day to feed everyone and he wasn't walking anymore. So I knelt down in front of him and put his little head in my hands and said a prayer. I prayed that the Lord would have mercy on this little goat and take him home quickly. That he wouldn't suffer. I also prayed that his grandma Pearl would be there for him. She died this summer. I cried and petted his head and told him not to worry and that it was OK for him to go. I would take care of his mom and brother.

The next morning I feed the animals and was pleased to see that the Lord had compassion on even the smallest of goats. He looked peaceful and I was glad to know that he didn't need to hang around and suffer. As I picked him up to carry him out I let his mom Tess smell him and say good-bye. I then stood up and started to walk out. I couldn't leave without Kuzco, our guard llama, saying good-bye. He smelt him for a very long time and I told him it was OK. He didn't need to worry about Danny Boy anymore, he would be OK. He seemed to except that and went back to eating. I will miss your cute little face and the funny way you would try to run with all the other goats. Plus the cute way you would sit on your tail because it was comfortable for your hips. But I know that you are made whole now and can do all the things your body wouldn't let you due here. Take care my little Danny Boy.

We Will Miss You Pippin

2009-02-09T11:05:00.009-05:00

I wrote a post a few weeks ago about cow behavior and dispositions. I mentioned a very friendly cow named Pippin 767. She has always been my favorite cow. Always waiting by the gate just waiting to have me scratch her back and talk to her. She's never set the world on fire with how much milk she made but she always got pregnant and made enough milk to keep her around. Well last year she lost her calf at 5 months and was not making enough milk to really justify keeping her around. So instead of the usually fate of a cow in this situation we turned her into a donor cow. She had a surgery in which we put a rubber plug in her side to allow us to reach inside her rumen and get some of the juice out to put in a cow that has been sick. You see every cows rumen it is a fermentation vat with tons of little bugs that digest the hay and food. Sometimes when a cow is sick her rumen bugs die and without them they can't break down all the cellulose they eat. So in comes Pippin. We can take some of her rumen bugs and put them in the sick cow. That way the new bugs allow the cow to repopulate her rumen and hopefully save her live. Pippin was the perfect cow for this since she was so friendly. She saved many cows on our farm as well as a few cows on neighboring farms. Now that I've explained how important Pippin has become it is so sad for me to say that Pippin got very sick last week. The vet found a very large and painful kidney which is not a good sign. Weather it was kidney failure or cancer we will never know. She didn't suffer for very long which is the only way I would have her go. May you rest in peace Pippin. I know that you are all better now and that I will see you again someday. First Danny Boy and then Pippin. I hope that next week is better.

New Puppies

2009-01-28T15:39:00.004-05:00

So Aaron's family dog had puppies last week. She had 4 boys and 3 girls. They are so cute, small, soft and helpless. The kids all decided to name them after breakfast cereal like Captain Crunch, Rice Krispies, etc. I came up with Golden Graham which I thought was pretty clever since they are Golden Retrievers. It will be fun to watch them grow up and see all of their little personalities come out. New life is so amazing.

Starting a New Year

2009-01-15T13:18:00.007-05:00

Say Hello to Vanessa 7847. She is one of my favorite cows from the dairy. She had to have a C-section because she was to small and the bull calf was too big. Both did very well. Even though I had to give her shots of anti-biotics for a week so that her incision would heal and not get infected. She was an ideal patient. This leads into my point later on about cows and their dispositions. She was not raised any different than the other cows and yet she loves human attention.

This year is already much different than last year. After working on and off at the dairy for 7 years, I decided it was time for me to move on. I had a lot of mixed emotions on my last day of work. I was going to miss the people I work with and all of the cows. I was there when many of them were born and actually named most of them. It is sad to say goodbye to all of my babies. There are a few that I will not miss, Sabrina 827, Vanilla 947 (your daughters where not the nicest heifers either) and all the other cows that would kick at me(you know who you are). I should really write a book on cow characteristics and behavior. You can't tell me that a cow who is totally friendly like Pippin 767 who stands there and loves to be have her back scratched was raised any differently than Cei 808 who would rather kill you than look at you. To have a daughter who spent under an hour with her mom, grow up and have a very similar personality whether it is nice, mean or indifferent, is no coincident. You can't tell me that is not genetic. I'm telling you my book would be a NY Time Best Seller. I can see it now, "I Kick, Therefore I am going to be Meat."

So with no more full time work I was wondering about what to do with my time. I went to Florida for a week to visit the Tyree's and have a nice relaxing vacation. It was perfect. While I was there I got a call from the dairy herd vet. He was offering me a part time job working in the vet clinic. So now I work on Tuesdays and Fridays helping out where ever I can. It is nice to have some work but not to have to go everyday. I still take care of the animals at the farm twice a day so I can get my daily animal fix. Life is pretty good right now and I'm enjoying spending more time with mom, Susan and the boys. It is nice to have them so close.

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

2008-12-19T19:10:00.003-05:00

I love snow. Not so much driving in it but I love that it makes the world white. Just like being in the temple. Granted the next day most of the snow looks gray and yucky. But for those few hours after it falls and before all the roads get cleared it is so beautiful.

We had our first big snow storm of the winter season today. We must have gotten at least a foot of snow this afternoon. It was so crazy. I woke up and we had no new snow but several schools where closed already. Well, it started snowing at about 8:30 and then the rest of the schools sent the kids home. I left work at about 1pm and it was white out conditions. I don't think I got above 25 mph. When I got to the farm I had a big job ahead of me. Plowing the driveway. All I can say is I'm so glad that we have a tractor. It took about an hour to get it cleared. Then I went and feed the animals which only took about 20 minutes. By the time I finished that I needed to plow the driveway again. I finally got home after 3pm and took a very long hot shower. My toes are still tingling from being so cold.

It finally stopped snowing about about 5pm right after Aaron finished snow blowing at the hotel. He also got out of work early today since all the libraries decided to close. I guess you don't need tech support if your are not open. I think he really likes that job.

So now I'm in my nice warm house listening to Christmas music and enjoying the Christmas tree lights. I love this time of year. If I had my own world we would always have Christmas lights. Every month would have a holiday with it's own color of Christmas lights. Maybe they would match the gem for that month. That is a fun thought.

One Year Anniversary Trip to Long Island

2008-11-20T20:03:00.003-05:00

For our one year anniversary we went to Long Island to visit Aaron's grandparents and aunt's. We had a wonderful time. We got to spend a few days down there. We a fabulous dinner at Aunt Margie's house. It was so great. Home made sauce and meatballs. A true Italian meal.

To pay for our room and broad we raked up the leaves at grandma and grandpa Zsembery. it was nice to see them and hear some of their stories. It is so nice to have grandparents again. Mine have all passed on and I miss the wisdom and history that is now gone with them.

After driving home on Monday we went to the Palmyra Inn for a wonderful evening together. We ordered pizza and watched some movies and had a wonderful time together. I love having such a loving and fun husband. He brings such balance to my life.

The Passing of a Pearl

2008-11-13T18:03:00.005-05:00

I had a horrible day today. Nothing major happened but nothing seemed to go my way. I even managed to pinch my hand as I pushed my cup holder back in when I got to work. Have you ever had one of those days? I kept thinking to myself "I should have never gotten out of bed."
On rainy days I go to my parents house and feed the animals before going to work. Everyone was happy to see me and get some hay. My oldest pygmy goat Pearl has been sick for a few months now. She has bad days and I give her some medicine to help her not be in pain. She has been isolating herself for awhile now which is never a good sign for an animal that likes to be in a herd. This morning she was in the stall by herself and I gave her some hay and then I was off to work.
When I came home after work she had died. It is so sad to lose a pet. I'm grateful that she is not in any pain anymore and that I was here to bury her. I now realize why I was having such a hard day.
I will miss Pearl but I'm glad that she can run and not have any pain.

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T14:23:00.003-04:00

No Trick or Treating for me this year. I will be handing out candy at Susan's house since she has a new baby and does not want to have to get up hand out candy. It should be fun. Tony is taking David trick or treating so that leaves me and Benjamin to answer the door. He is dressing up as a cow. Maybe I should dress up as a herdsmen. HEHEHE

Peaches, Peaches and more Peaches!

2008-09-14T19:35:00.005-04:00

Aaron and I where about to get 4 five gallon buckets of peaches for free a few weeks ago. So what does one do with so many peaches you ask? Well, you put a moving in and sit in the kitchen and cut up peaches for about 3 hours. Then you put them in the frig and the next day you can them for hours on end. We ended up running two caners and had about 36 quarts when we finished. It was so crazy. I'm still not convinced about all the canning stuff. I did make a really yummy cherry peach pie out of one of the cans that didn't seal right. So I guess there are advantages. Thank you Sister D for pick the peaches for us and thank you mom Z for delivering them. I think our kids will enjoy them since I have a felling they will be around for a few years.

Fun on the Farm

2008-09-05T15:44:00.005-04:00

Here are some pictures to update the animals on the farm. The big brown goat is a Toggenburg. They are a milk breed of goat. Not sure if we will ever milk her. Aaron's younger brothers bought her from the neighbor but needed a place for her so we brought her home in the back of Aaron's Volvo. She seems to be getting along with everyone. She is very pretty and seems to like her life here on the farm.

The growth on Mirabel's back is Ruby. She is almost two months old now and her favorite thing to do is to jump on the nearest llama who is laying down and dance around on her back. If Danny Boy or Patches try to get up there too she butts them off.

Danny Boy and Patches are both doing very well. They are running and jumping around. Total boys. Getting into things and butting each other. I'm so glad that they have each other to play with.

Hobbit, the cow, is doing great. He thinks that he is a dog. He wants to follow you around everywhere. He is so funny and loves bread. A high carb diet makes the best beef. I don't know if we will ever eat him. He is like a pet and I love him but I also love a nice Porterhouse Steak. Life is full of tough decisions.

The Pitter Patter of little Paws

2008-09-05T15:23:00.008-04:00

Here are some pictures of the new little one in my life. I found the kitten at the farm last week. She was just sitting there in a stall with a calf and crying for her mama. But no one came. So I gave her a bath, cleaned her eyes and put some advantage on her. Then I gave her some milk in a syringes which she sucked right down. I brought her home and gave her two more baths. Then Aaron used the tweezers and picked fleas off of her for awhile. (Needless to say I also put advantage on Mister and Aggie just in case). I picked up some kitten milk replacer on the way home and made her a bottle. She took right to it without any problems. She we will have "Little One" or "Shrimpette" for awhile. Just until she is old enough to eat solid food on her own. Then we will be finding a home for her. She is cute but we do not need more cats than people in our house.

I must be alittle slow=:)

2008-08-28T17:10:00.003-04:00

Sorry about taking so long to update this. It has been alittle crazy around here. One of my other goats had two boys. We kept wait and watching and expecting it anytime. Then when no one was around she had them all by herself. I guess she just wanted to have them on her own. Everyone is well. One is black and white and the other is brown with black points. Both very cute.
Another fun thing that we did was have my softball team out to the farm. We did a hay ride and a petting zoo. They loved all the baby goats and the cow the most. We had a yummy food and lots of it. There was a fire and lawn games. Fun was had by all.
I cut my hair off and donated it to Locks of Love. it turned out so cute. The hair dresser said that I should always have my hair cut like this. Maybe someday I'll take a picture of it.
Well, that just about updates my very exciting life. I know it doesn't seem like a lot but the other everyday things are just to boring to tell on this blog. Work is OK. Can't wait to move on and start our family. Someday.

We have a new kid!

2008-07-11T19:41:00.004-04:00

One of my pygmy goats had a kid yesterday. Opal had a tiny little girl that is almost a copy of her. She is so cute and small. Opal had a very hard delivery and had to help the little kid out. She is pretty sore but both are doing well. The kid is nursing and Opal is taking it easy. I'll post some pictures as soon as I get them downloaded.

Guess who's pregnant?

2008-07-11T19:39:00.003-04:00

Take a guess to see who is 6 months pregnant. Me or my friend Courtney?

Utah

2008-06-29T15:03:00.004-04:00

We took a family trip out to Utah for my sister's wedding. It was quite the adventure. My mom, dad, sister and her two boys and then me and Aaron. Between the 5 adults we were able to take care of the two boys.

I was able to see 3 of my 4 brothers and 3 of my 5 sisters. Plus many other family members. It was so wonderful to be with family. Plus to have the a wedding to go to that I didn't have anything to do with. That is a great feeling.

As well as seeing a lot of my family I was also able to see my roommates from Utah State. It was great to see them again and meet their many children. Plus I got to see my good friend Sherilyn. All in all it was a fabulous time and a chance to catch up with friends and family.

Congrats! It's a boy.

2008-05-19T17:41:00.003-04:00

For our 6 month anniversary we got ourselves a kitten. Aaron's sister has a cat that had kittens about 8 weeks ago and we decided we needed one. My 8 year old cat Aggie thinks this is some cruel job but she will get used to it.

When I first saw the kittens they were a week old and as I picked them up the kids told me their names. The said "This one is Misty" and I said "This one is a boy". So we started to call him Mister. His full name is Mr. AZ for Amsden to Zsembery or Aaron Zsembery. We mostly just call him Mister.

It is fun to have a kitten around. He is full of energy and loves to follow you around. I hope that he and Aggie become good friends.

From Newly Weds to Parents of 9!

2008-05-04T15:13:00.000-04:00

So this weekend is mom and dad Zsembery's anniversary. We decided to give them a weekend alone and took all 9 of the kids to our house. We had lots of fun. I introduced the girls to my favorite treat at Wendy's. Frosty's and fries. A few of them even liked it. The kids went and played football in a big open field near us. That is one benefit of having a large family. On Sunday Aaron and I took all the kids to the Stake Conference. Aaron had to translate for the Spanish speakers and I so it was me and Jessica, Aaron's older sister, to watch the kids. I don't think I got much out of the conference. After church we took the little kids to the Sacred Grove. It was a chilly day but beautiful. Then we had waffles for lunch. Yummy! I hope that mom and dad had a nice time along. I think Aaron and I will be waiting awhile to have kids. Maybe 10 years! HEHEHE

A Triple Date

2008-05-04T14:59:00.000-04:00

Aaron has 4 teenage brothers and his mom thought that we should take two of them on a triple date and help them learn how to be creative and have fun while dating. So we took Mark and Jamie and their dates out for a night never to be forgotten. We first went to Taco Bell b/c I had not eaten dinner yet. I had the new Bacon Club Chulupa. I highly recommend it! Then we went to Wal-mart. I gave them each a list of 9 things that they had to go find. While they were looking for them Aaron and I did some groceries shopping. After them found all the items I had them put them all back. We then came back to our house and played Skip-bo and Rummycube. After we played some games we had ice cream sundaes that we put on a garbage bag on the floor. It was so yummy. We all had a spoon and dug right in. I think everyone had a fun time.

We don't need no stinking squirrels!

2008-04-29T14:33:00.000-04:00

Susan called me over last thursday to help fix a hole in her roof before a bird came and built a nest. As I climbed up the latter and started trying to fix it I soon realized that it was too big a job for me. So I called Aaron. He came over and started to rip things out and put in some new boards and then we heard them. "Squeek, Squeek, Squeek!" It was not a birds nest that we found. It was a suirrels nest. There where two babies in it. They had their fur but theirs eyes where still closed. Aaron handed me the babies and then said "Oh, there's the mama squirrel." She looked at him and ran away. So we brought the babies home and bottle feed them for about 2 days. We had to find someone to take them b/c it is illegal to own wildlife in NY for more than 48 hours. We found the number of an animal control and rescue officer online. We meet her and made the drop. She said that they were both female and going to a lady that already has a baby male and then they would go to a home that has been wanting squirrels for awhile. It was a great experiance having to feed them every 4 hours. Aaron is going to be a great dad. He could always get them to drink more milk than me.

Dairy Tour to PA

2008-04-26T14:52:00.000-04:00

Aaron and I went with a tour group of a bunch of farmers to PA. We went to a meat packing plant and three state of the art dairy farms. One of them was Mason Dixin which is a very famous dariy outside of Gettysburg, PA. They have 10 robotic milkers. It was pretty awesome. (Watch the video!) We also went to two other dariy's that had some pretty cool stuff. I like the automatic sorting gate. Each cow has an electronic tag around their neck and as she leaves from being milk she is sorted through a gate to either go for herd health check with the vet, to the bredding pen, sick pen or back to her group. It would sure cut down on the time it takes to find and sort the cows yourself. We had a wonderful time getting away from school and work for two days. Our first trip as a married couple! It will be one we will always remember.

The Wedding Reception

2008-04-12T17:00:00.000-04:00

We had our wedding reception the following Saturday night. It worked out so well. My sister Susan did the planning and decorating. She is amazing and should defiantly start her own business in the future. It looked so great! We had a tractor and cow theme. We even had a diary bar complete with little cartons of milk. My sister Karen played the piano for us. She is so talented. The best part of the reception was the fact that we drove off in a John Deere Tractor. My dream come true! What a great husband I have that can tolerate my John Deere fetish.

The Wedding Day

2008-04-12T16:36:00.000-04:00

Aaron and I were married in the Palmyra New York Temple on Nov 17, 2007. It was the most remember able day of my life and not just because I was up all night. I've heard of people getting cold feet the night and being sick but this was just ridiculous. I was so sick that I actually had the thought "OK, we will get married and then go to the hospital. Well, needless to say I was able to make it the temple and we were sealed for time and all eternity at 11:17am. We had a nice little lunch for the family and close friends afterwards and then we were off on our honeymoon which started with a nice long nap since i didn't get any sleep the night before. We had a lovely honeymoon on Canandaigua and Seneca Lake.

Engagement Pictures

2008-04-12T16:20:00.000-04:00

We went the John Deere Tractor Dealer in Savannah to take our engagement pictures. It was the same dealership that had the tractor at Empire Farm Days that Aaron hung the bed sheet on. We had a lot of fun taking pictures on all of the tractors. I loved being in a sea of green and yellow tractors.

We're Engaged

2008-04-12T15:19:00.000-04:00

On Aug 7 2007 I was at a at Empire Farm days in a dairy meeting with my co-worker. During our lunch break we were walking around and happened to come across a few Aaron's younger brother's and sister's. They said that I needed to go to the John Deere Tractor booth. So we went to the display and as I came around the corner there was a great big bed sheet on a tractor that said "Katie, Will you marry me? - Aaron Z". Then Aaron came out from behind the tractor. The first thing that I asked him was "Did you ask my dad?". He said that he had called him that morning and that "he says yes if you say yes". So I said Yes! I can't believe that we got engaged.