Class of 2022

I can only say that yesterday I had a knot in my throat when I dropped off my son for preschool for his last day . I wanted to cry so badly. My eyes were watering as we turned the bend in the dropoff line... I kept thinking of what the Kindergaten teachers said when we went to Noah's screening... " make school fun, encourage them to go, they pick up on all of your emotions." I held back the tears. I stopped the van, unbuckled him, Ms. Erin opened the door, he jumped out without a care in the world. My Noah LOVES school. I know he likes to learn and I know he LOVES to talk. He sincerely loves people and especially his teachers. Noah's teachers have been wonderful to us. He has been hugged & encouraged on a daily basis at St John's. My son can recite the Lord's prayer. My son knows that there are good & wonderful people in the world. My son knows that GOD loves him even more than all of those teachers, his mommy & daddy. Noah loves the Lord.

Tonight I cant hold back the tears. Tonight Noah graduated from preschool. With all of the pomp & circumstance, bells & whistles ( cookies & balloons & primary colors)
God is so good the Ries famiy. We are so blessed with 2 beautiful children.

Congratulations Noah. We are so proud of the little boy that you are.

Lauren 3

conversations with noah

me: ho ho ho, Im santa mommy( just being goofy!)
Noah: youre not santa mommy, you dont have a beaker cheek (what?)
me: whats a beaker cheek?
Noah: you know a mustache on your chin, a beaker cheek
me: lol a beard? lol
noah: yeah thats it!!!!

kindergarten exam

Noah just had his 5 year old well child exam/physical for kindergarten( gasp) He measures a little above average of 44.5 inches & 44.5 pounds... no kidding.. my son is also a square, just like my daughter, even had the same "goofy" nurse to tell me.
Noah had a hearing test & passed beautifully. He has had several hearing tests over the years, but for some reason I felt that this one was super important to be perfect!! and it was!!
Noah had an eye exam, his first with an eye chart.. He passed he has 20/30 vision in both eyes !! The nurse & pedi were both giving him kudos on his good vision!!

the sad part is that he had to have 2 vaccines & an iron test ( stick on the finger) OUCH!! it was a horrible & heart breaking. I am so glad that Peter was there with us. It killed my heart that he hurt so badly. A nice milkshake at Johnny Rockets helped with those boo boos!

A few days after the appointment, Noah ,Lauren & I were driving to the store. We live in a very flat area & you can see for miles. On this trip Noah was convinced that he could see the Mudhens ( the fifth third building)... which was pretty far away from where we were. I chuckled & skeptically asked " how he could possibly see the Mudhens?" Noah: Mom, I can see them with my good looking eyes!

Oh Noah... what is Kindergarten going to do with you?

F~I~V~E

Today my best little buddy turned 5!! He was really excited when he got up at 3:30 am this morning! " Guess what today is?" as he waking me up by pushing on back. I wake up thinking that its about 6 ( usual wake up time) Noah: Guess what day it is? Me tiredly: Happy Birthday buddy! Noah patiently a few seconds later, my eyes must have closed: " I guess I am going to have to sing Happy Birthday to myself" (WHAT A HINT! LOL!) So at 3:35 am this morning I sang Happy Birthday to my first born.

Thank you Renee for the awesome scrapbook page!

wow

I shouldnt have been on Facebook while Lauren was downstairs watching cartoons

These photos are pretty self explanatory!!!

It would be a miracle!!

This morning while giving Noah a bath, I tried to bring up taking swim lessons at the local YMCA

Me: Noah would you like to learn to swim & start taking lessons?

Noah ( huge pause, you know the kind where you see the gears turning in their heads!!) : No, I want to learn to walk on water, I'll take those lessons!!!

Me: ( laughing til tears came to my eyes)

I guess he is paying attention to SOME THINGS in Sunday School!!!

Answered by a 4 year old

1. What is something mom always says to you?N -be nice

2. What makes mom happy?N -lots of joy & fun

3. What makes mom sad?N -me not listening

4. What does your mom do to make you laugh?N tickle!!!

5. What was your mom like as a child?N -Star Wars...no.. barbie... I'll just use Barbie

6. How old is your mom?N - 4

7. How tall is your mom?N- almost taller like Daddy

8. What is your mom's favorite thing to do?N -the work)

9. What does your mom do when you're not around?N -you look for me!

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?N - the windows?!!

11. What is your mom really good at?N making signs for the universe? LOlL

12. What is your mom not very good at?N ~nothing

13. What does your mom do for a job?N fix the houses

14. What is your mom's favorite food?N drumsticks icecream

15.What makes you proud of your mom?N ~ I dont know what that means

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?N~ Robin from batman

17. What do you and your mom do together?N I want to answer what me & daddy do

18. How are you and your mom the same?N We are not the same because you are a girl & I am a boy

19. How are you and your mom different?N because I am a boy & you are a girl

20. How do you know your mom loves you?N how many more questions, I want to watch cartoons

21. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?N the mudhens

22. What does your mom do for you?N i dont know

23. What is the best thing about your mom?P -you - because you love me very much

24. What is the worst thing about your mom? P - I wear strange clothes ( oh geez)

25. What is your mom’s favorite thing to do?N ~ play with Lauren ( answered by Lauren because Noah said he is done with the questions

Lauren's bday weekend Palooza!!

Happy 3rd Birthday Lauren

I remember the day that I found out that I was pregnant with you so vividly. We went to a baseball game & I felt sick the entire time. We though t it was the heat, the food, a virus...... it wasn't until the end of the game that it occurred to me that I maybe pregnant!! We stopped at the drug store on the way home and immediately 2 lines appeared( I will explain that to you when you get ALOT older)!! his doesn't seem to be a uplifting story does it? But oh how it is!!

Your daddy & I were so HAPPY!!!!! We were amazed that you came to us so easily & quickly. You have so far always been very straight forward in everything you do. There is no hiding your feelings! Whether you are happy, sad, cheerful or mad, you let those feelings out!!!! I love all of those feelings and actions that make little you, Lauren Addison. The picture above is from your first birthday. I love you all of the time ladybug!!!

these are for aunt judy!!

Here are a few high lights of the past couple of weeks

32

Today I am 32.. it doesnt feel any differnt than 31 or 30.... or even 29...... well maybe a bit different than 29!! I have my beautiful kids, loving husband, sweet sister, kind family and good friends to chat it up with, all of these things have been the same all of this time. When I was woken up this morning by Noah, the first words out of his mouth were "HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOMMY!" Pete chuckled, I smiled with pride.

C.H.I.E.F. Gillespie

I just read a blog about an egg from a high school project. I went to that same school, took that same class and have also kept my egg all of these years. I don't know if this little egg showed any indication of how I would be as a parent, I was however very proud of this egg then!!
This little egg is named C- Christopher, H- Hatcher, I- Ian, E- Edward, F- Forest - CHIEF Gillespie. My partner for this class was a shy, Kentucky fan ( hence the hat) named Larry, whose nickname was Chief. I really wanted to do well in the class & to have the best egg possible, I worked really hard on making the tiny clothes & decorating this egg. A lot of thought went into him, I don't think that Larry really cared about the project one way or the other, but he was always kind to me & the egg never broke, so I guess we did OK.
When I think about this egg now I think about how people are so much like my little CHIEF. We are often all "dolled" up wanting to make the appearance that we have it all together. The right look, the right clothes, the right makeup & hair, the right job, school, car, shoes, etc. But we are sometimes hollow & empty inside, just like this little egg.The feelings are gone, the insecurities haunt us. We are fragile, sometimes literally walking on eggshells trying to get through life. I see all of these faces from the past on the social networking sites & wonder if those kids, now adults, had these these feelings back then, or are even struggling now. ......?

Right now I am thinking of my sweet Sunday school class of 2,3 & 4 year olds. All this month we are celebrating God's love for us!! And once again I am reminded of an egg analogy, the Trinity is often described as an egg. Separate parts that all together make a whole...... God's love for us is never fleeting or failing, if there is a time that you are feeling hollow and empty, let God's love will fill your hearts. Visit or volunteer for a children's program. God's love is there, I can guarantee it. The love that you will see in a child is amazing!

Thank you Lord

" Dear GOD, thank you for this wonderful day. Thank you for Daddy being home tomorrow. Thank you for my mommy, daddy & my sister Lauren. Thank you for Ella.. and Ella and please let Ella get a new house, new things and new toys. Thank you for this WORLD and let us keep it healthy & clean. Amen ".... Noah

Read to your children!!!!

Noah has decided on a new profession. His first "grown up" job was going to be a firefighter. He decided this after local firefighters visited his school. Noah just announced that he is going to be a ............ LIBRARY MAN!! ( librarian ). Noah who will be 5 , does not know how to read, yet. However for anyone who knows him, knows he loves books!! He has always studied papers, books, magazines. .....He wants to be a library man, so that he can get all of the books & movies that he wants to read & watch. He asked me today " where should he have his library?" I gave him a few choices of libraries that are already in existence , such as a school, college or even our local library. He doesn't need to build his own. He chose college & then let me know that he would need to take the step stool from the bathroom, because he needs to reach the books on the top shelves at his library!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Great news!!!

Congratulations Michael & Valerie!! I was smiling this big when you told me the news!!! I am very happy for you & cant wait to meet my new niece or nephew!!

Noah

The kids have been playing in their playroom tons lately! It has been great for all of us. They have their own space to mess up, where they dont have to sleep at night! So today was an extra blessing that they wanted to play down there because I was so tired. I mean falling asleep while the kids were screaming & running around me tired. So where does the potato head come into all of this..... This past week I have been joining the kids in their playroom for some very exciting games of dress up, little people, playhouse, cars & a potato head building palooza. We actually spent 2 hours building potato heads with all of the assortment of pieces that we have. Noah has an amazing imagination & he came up with the best characters! It was so much fun.... back to today. I am sure that Noah picked up on that I didn't feel well, because before dinner he sweetly gave me this potato mommy, complete with "dipey bag". He quietly said " I made this for you. " It was all I could do not to grab him & squeeze him.tight. This is right up there with my mother's day, prayer request/contribution envelope card from Noah with his name on it. I am so blessed to have a sweet & thoughtful little boy. So thank you Noah for making my day & for playing so nice with your sister today. I love you so much.

vacation.. all I ever wanted!!!

Today Pete had to head back to work after being at home with is for a week. As you can see Noah didn't want to let him go!! neither did I!! It has been a great week. We were able to accomplish a lot here at the house. Accomplish meaning, getting all of the laundry put away, the basement picked up & all decorations put away ( we hadn't put anything away since before Halloween!!) It was a disaster!! The space left to get organized is the craft space. We will see if that works out in the near future. I really would love to get back into stamping & scrapbooking. Pete & I had a few great rounds with the Wii Fit game. Did I mention that we folded a lot of laundry. Noah only had a couple of requests with his dad, he wanted to have a night of pizza & chocolate milk & for his dad to really grill him a steak, not on the George foreman like mom but on the gas grill!! Noah & Pete had a great boys day out, getting haircuts & running errands. Pete became Laurens new best friend during the week. She always wanted her daddy. She was even trying to move onto his lap while we were having meals on most days:) We spent New years eve with our friends the Brooks', Dan, Mary. Bennett, & Joanna. Bennett is 2 1/2 & Joanna is 7 months. The kids had a great time playing! The grownups played scattergories.... I am pretty sure we didn't complete the game, but it was great a great time for us too! We traveled to Michigan for a get together with the Ries' of Rochester & Berkley ( thanks Jenny) & the Berg/ Christensen family. I'll blog more about that separately. Yesterday, we had a great day out ( thanks to gifts from Pete's employees) We went to see Despereaux & to the Olive Garden. The movie was adorable & the kids were well behaved. Noah was so filled with excitement & the anticipation of the movie starting was hilarious. he really had no idea what movie we were going to see, he only wanted to know if we had seen it before!! He literally jumped out of his seat when the movie started!! At the Olive Garden the kids devoured their meals, which really made Pete & I happy, because even though we weren't really paying for he meals, if it was wasted we could have had an extra night out for just the 2 of us & then I would have been really annoyed for losing that chance. We let the kids have milk shakes with their meals ( ooo la la!! ) Before they were served to us we watched our server dump them onto the table behind us & onto the floor everywhere!!! If only I could describe the poor girl's face that it landed on!! oops!!! Last night we had another round of Wii fit & headed to bed. I didn't want to let Pete go back this morning. We had a great week!!

and also in this one!!!

Haven't you always wondered what Vader was wearing under his black clothing? Apparently its a skirt, pink shirt, & striped tights!!

The Force is Strong in this One!!!

This handsome little Vader is Noah!! Santa brought Noah a Vader mask with voice changer!! Thanks Target clearance!! He is wearing his Batman costume with the mask & his blue light saber ( that was recently taken away from him for fighting with his sister )